Bears get fines, humans get funded?

Our city government has decided if bears find food in your garbage cans you could be fined $200 to $500. The theory is if garbage is available, bears will come into town and pose a nuisance. Notwithstanding the many trips bears make into town to feast on the various fruit trees in our alleys, the bears seem to pose no real or widespread threat to our city and our peaceful existence.

Bears do not start wildfires.

Meanwhile, it has become popular to feed, fund and provide all kinds of enabling to a much greater threat to our city’s peaceful existence. It just follows if you feed, fund, coddle and accept the transient, unhoused and un-conforming parties who may find our generosity fantastic, they will come and take advantage of our location amongst public and unattended private land to set up camp. And keep coming.

Unlike bears — the inadvertent feeding of which may get you fined — the feeding and funding of those humans who wish to set up camp on the margins of our city goes on without restraint. How many homeless camps will our city need to fund cleanup of? How many homeless camp wildfires will need to occur before one is significant enough to stimulate action?

As long as we feed, fund, tolerate, clean up after and accept their risky behavior, those who present this real danger to our city will continue to come, and we will wait for the next incident.

Maybe it is time to change our behavior and stop enabling the risky behavior threatening our community. Twenty-nine homes burned in the Coal Seam Fire, which started much farther from town than the recent homeless camp fires.

Thank goodness our first responders are so dedicated, skilled and well-equipped, but they can’t be everywhere all the time. Let’s stop making their lives more difficult.

Ray Tenney, Glenwood Springs

The library board’s real agenda

Two years ago, a small fringe group became outraged about books in the libraries and convinced the Board of County Commissioners to get involved. They then took over our library board. But what good has it done?

Are our libraries stronger? Are our children better served? Or has this all been about something else?

Since this divisive takeover began, is this really for the kids, as they claim, or is this just a political agenda?

These are not hypotheticals. Every example that follows has happened in our county, in public meetings, and on the record. So, ask yourself:

When adults prop up in the children’s section the very books they claim to oppose to create outrage, is that for the children or a political agenda?

When they claim these books are placed right at the front entrance of our library for children to see, when they never have been, is that for the children or a political agenda?

When people hold up these “inappropriate” images on poster boards, in Zoom meetings, and in front of children attending library board meetings — despite being told children were in the room and adults claiming to be against this did not once oppose — is that for the children or is that political theater?

When they urge the board to ignore state law SB 24-216, is that about protecting children or pushing politics?

When they suggest librarians be arrested over books (a tactic outlined in Project 2025), is that about safety or political punishment?

When a board member votes to approve raises, then uses that vote as a reason to challenge library finances and Jamie LaRue’s salary, is that about the children or part of a political script?

When lawyers say removing these books would violate the First Amendment, but the “patriots” campaign continues anyway, is that really for the kids or a political agenda?

Ask the board directly yourself. The next meeting is July 10 at 2 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library. We need our community to stand against this political agenda.

Mae Gray, New Castle