Boebert’s ‘High Noon’ gesture portends pointless grandstanding

So, it looks like Lauren Boebert, Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District Representative-
Elect is ready to slap some leather come Jan. 6 when Congress meets to formally validate the votes of the Electoral College from the general election of Nov. 3.

Ms. Boebert has stated that it is her duty to defend the Constitution. That’s true. It is.

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So, does she know that the U.S. Constitution expressly gives the power to hold elections to the states and the states have already certified the results?

Does she know that the Electoral College also has upheld these results, as is its duty according to the U.S. Constitution?

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It’s all in Article II and the 12th amendment. How about defending that?

And, does she know that 59 court decisions, including the Supreme Court, have upheld the integrity of the election results against baseless lawsuits from the Trump administration?

To again challenge these results smacks of voter suppression. Is that why we send representatives to Congress? I thought it was to enact legislation for the benefit of their constituents. In this action, I fail to see any concern about their well-being and what relief they need.

Instead she is preparing for a futile and fatuous “High Noon” gesture at the U.S. Capitol. What does this portend for the next two years? More pointless and petty grandstanding? 

It seems, at this point, that Ms. Boebert is all hat and no cattle. Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District deserves better.

Lynne Popkowski

Littleton

2020 was a bad year, but it wasn’t the worst year ever

Many are saying 2020 is the worst year in their memory. It certainly was a bummer.

The U.S. Senate celebrated the new year by putting partisan politics ahead of the rule of law in an impeachment trial. They wouldn’t even hear witnesses. What kind of a trial is that?

Quickly following that debacle, came the big one. The coronavirus reached our shores. The consequences have been dire: 350,000 dead, hospitals overwhelmed, patients being treated in tents and garages.

In May, George Floyd was brutally murdered by a Minneapolis policeman. Protests flourished throughout the land, no doubt facilitated by the fact many were out of work due to COVID-19. Not much was accomplished. The role of the police officer hasn’t substantially changed. Unarmed and innocent black people are still having their lives taken at the hands and guns of the police and armed vigilantes.

I’m old enough to remember 1968. That’s my choice for the worst year ever. The People’s Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong kicked things off with the Tet Offensive. The assault was repelled, but that’s when we finally realized we were in deep doodoo in Southeast Asia and the sight lines to victory became very hazy.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. The former act incited riots in the big cities. In November, a guy who’d prove he deserved the moniker Tricky Dick (Richard Nixon) was elected president. I don’t recall anything good that came out of 1968. On a personal note, I flunked out of college.

Actually, 2020 has ended with a couple of very positive events. First, we removed a very dangerous menace to our society from the White House. And now, we have a couple of vaccines that promise to end this viral nightmare. These are the building blocks we can use to construct a better 2021.

Fred Malo Jr.

Carbondale

Clean energy resources actually cheaper than coal or natural gas

Holy Cross Energy recently announced our intent to supply all HCE members with 100% carbon-free electricity supply by the year 2030. After making this announcement, we heard from some of our members about concerns about the cost of this 100×30 goal, and I would like to address those issues here.

As we pledged when we made the announcement, we will not achieve this clean energy goal at the cost of an unreliable, unsafe or unaffordable system. Our clean energy goals are motivated in large part by the fact that today’s new wind and solar energy resources are actually cheaper than power supplies sourced from existing coal or natural gas-powered generators. 

In fact, over the past two years, we have saved more than $6.5 million on our power supply costs as a result of efforts to implement our prior Seventy70Thirty plan announced in mid-2018. These power supply savings have enabled us to keep your electric rates unchanged through 2021, even as we have invested more in maintaining and modernizing our electric grid while reducing the risk of wildfires. 

With additional, lower-cost clean energy options on the horizon, we are hopeful we can continue our Journey to 100 in a way that keeps electricity costs affordable as well as sustainable for generations to come. For more information on our clean energy goals, please visit https://www.holycross.com/100×30/.

Bryan Hannegan

Holy Cross Energy

Glenwood Springs