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Thursday letters: Tobacco tax, checks and balances, the Electoral College, and mansplaining

City will lose on tobacco tax

Regarding the recent election, I was quite disappointed in our electorate approving the tobacco tax for the City of Glenwood. My disappointment is not at all related to the cause that inspired the ballot measure or the virtue behind the inspiration. Rather my disappointment is in the recognition of the lack of scrutiny that voters apply to issues.

I predict that the result of the additional tobacco tax in the City of Glenwood will result in lower revenue rather than additional revenue. I also predict that the projected additional revenue will be spent before it is realized. In the end a large portion of the current revenue generated by all of the tobacco sales will be lost to sales outside of Glenwood Springs and the additional tax added after Jan. 1 won’t replace that loss.



Ray Schmahl
Glenwood Springs

Checks and balances protect American people from a tyrant



What is reality (truth)? According to many of those who are running the federal government in Washington, it is whatever they want it to be.

Those who wrote the U.S. Constitution established a system of checks and balances. One purpose of this system is to protect all the American people from a tyrant. Remember George Washington did not want to be a king.

Perhaps the only thing that matters to many in Washington is staying in power, so they will accept lies and say whatever they must to do so.

To quote Jimi Hendrix: When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

Let us hope that those who truly care all Americans prevail.

Nancy Hess
Glenwood Springs

Electoral College balances inequities in human nature

You can’t beat public opinion, but it isn’t infallible. Witness the rise of Nazism in the 1930’s. With the Electoral College, a balance is created between tyranny and tradition. Today the inference is that there is tyranny in the Electoral College. No such formal charge has been made.

In place of real charges, the “red herring” proposal is that since the Electoral College is an anachronism that dates from a less technological age at the formation of the republic, it should be amended to a national winner take all. This is a false argument.

An alternative as stated on 270towin website: “Maine and Nebraska have adapted a different approach. Using the congressional district method, these states allocate two electoral votes to the state popular vote winner, and then one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each Congressional district.”

Why is this important? It would give people in lessor-populated areas who have a different view, representation. We are Americans. We can’t lose the voice of the minority. The Electoral College was introduced to balance the inequities in human nature.

Fred Stewart,
Grand Junction

Insulted by manslplaining

I can handle and respect most of the opposing views expressed daily in the opinion section, even if  I disagree.

Mansplaining? I read it twice, considered each example, and reflected. I was insulted, twice.

I kept hoping this would be a tongue-in-cheek observation that would be a friendly reminder to look straight ahead, utter nothing (including a friendly greeting) and mind my own business at all times.

Being a mostly-white Boomer (OK), who like most men and women contributed to society over several decades, being dismissed and derided in public and now in the newspaper is the new norm.

Would the Post Independent print an opinion if the author was a male and wished to marginalize the entire female population?

Don Moore
New Castle


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