Let’s learn from history

I am compelled to respond to Patrick Hunter’s disturbing letter “Vaccine Refusers Fallacies” printed in the Jan. 7 Post Independent. It is anathema to me that someone would call for our government to set up concentration camps in which to imprison our fellow citizens.

Be careful what you wish for, as you may not always have a government with whom you agree or which approves of you, your lifestyle, faith or political beliefs. Perhaps now is a good time to revisit the words of Martin Niemoller, circa 1937, in his poem “First They Came…”

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First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

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Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

Please let us learn from history so that we do NOT repeat it.

Siri Olsen

Glenwood Springs

(Editor’s note: The Jan. 7 letter referenced above has been unpublished online due to its questionable and inappropriate content.)

Minor dialing annoyance

On July 16, 2022, local calls in Colorado’s 970 and 719 area codes will have to include dialing these area codes to call locally. Why? These area codes in Colorado, and presumably every other state, have local 988 prefixes that coincide with the new national Suicide Hot Line number 988.

That’s good that it’s a three-digit number, easy to remember, but in dialing a local call within an area code with a 988 prefix, one would reach the hotline, unless the area code is also dialed.

So, what’s the big deal about it, especially with speed dialing from your phone? The fact is that most calls are familiar calls and don’t need to be looked up. The key strokes and time it takes to get to speed dialing exceeds the three area code strokes it takes to dial a friend, so suck it up.

On a scale of one to 10, the annoyance is medium and will continue to drop as people get used to it, but it’s a step backwards in convenience.

Fred Stewart

Grand Junction

Cost of nursing care

I was excited to vote to build a new nursing home facility in Rifle, and it had long been overdue for the seniors of Rifle.

However, that excitement dimmed when I learned that the cost of placing an individual in that center is $397 per day or $12,000 per month or $144,000.00 per year. Who could possibly afford this for their loved ones?

Voters were duped into voting for a facility that only the rich can afford.

Samantha Harrison

Rifle

(Editor’s note: According to Grand River Health, rates are not set by Grand River but instead by the state of Colorado based on the cost of providing 24-hour medical care, plus room and board.)

Comment for cleanup

Taking responsibility for your actions and cleaning up after yourself are important lessons that most of us learn growing up. Unfortunately, these values have not always been a part of the oil and gas industry’s work ethic. Throughout Colorado, there are hundreds of unplugged oil and gas wells that have been abandoned by operators, venting toxic pollution into our air and threatening to leak crude into our groundwater. If the company doesn’t clean them up, taxpayers have to foot the bill for plugging the wells and reclaiming the land around them.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is considering rules that would hold oil and gas operators accountable. Operators would be required to set aside enough money to clean up their mess before they begin drilling and begin plugging wells that are approaching the end of their usefulness. The rules would also define which wells need to be cleaned up and when so that operators cannot game the system by claiming their wells are still productive.

This rulemaking is an important step to ensure that oil and gas production in our state is done in the safest, most responsible way possible. There are many who are actively trying to weaken the proposed rules so that oil and gas operators can continue to do business as usual — which is why our state commissioners need to hear from you.

Make your voice heard and tell the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that the industry needs to take responsibility and clean up after themselves during the public comment period Jan. 20 and 21.

Adriane Moline

Grand Junction

Thanks volunteer school board members

January is School Board Recognition Month. Every year, the Roaring Fork Schools takes this opportunity to publicly thank our board members for volunteering their time and talent on behalf of our schools. Board members have an incredibly important and challenging job — a job that doesn’t come with any compensation. Their decisions directly impact our 5,300 students, 1,000 staff members and the community at large.

School boards across the country have faced unprecedented challenges and uniquely contentious times during the pandemic. We appreciate Jasmin Ramirez, Maureen Stepp and Natalie Torres whose tenure as board members has been almost entirely during COVID. They’ve faced every tough moment with balance and grace and have seen many successes — including the passing of 5B — despite chaotic conditions.

We also appreciate our two new board members, Kathryn Kuhlenberg and Kenny Teitler, who joined the board during a pandemic knowing full well that what they would face wouldn’t be easy. Thank you for stepping up.

Being a board member is never easy, and it certainly hasn’t been during COVID. Thank you to each of our board members. We are grateful for your service and leadership.

If you see a board member, please remember to thank them for all that they do for our school community.

Kelsy Been

On behalf of the Roaring Fork Schools Executive Team

Carbondale