Wednesday letters: Fall election endorsements, animal rights, Biden leadership
Support Glenwood Question 2C
I urge you to vote yes on Glenwood Springs’ 2C Workforce Housing ballot measure. I was a member of the ad hoc housing committee and its subsequently expanded group. We are diverse, committed representatives of Glenwood’s business and lodging industry, housing advocates, developers, members of our nonprofit organizations and people who love Glenwood. We want Glenwood to remain an amazing place to live, work and play.
We were charged in January 2022 with developing proposals to address our most serious local challenge: That the people who live or work in Glenwood can’t find housing in Glenwood, and that our local businesses struggle to hire staff and maintain normal business hours.
We spent many hours carefully collecting data, learning what steps our neighboring mountain communities have taken to address this challenge, identifying Glenwood’s specific workforce housing needs and exploring numerous mechanisms to raise a steady source of revenue to meet our workforce housing needs. We had conversations and public meetings with members of our business and non-profit communities seeking their perspectives, ideas and suggestions. We took our charge seriously and are committed to providing workable solutions to meet our challenge now.
We unanimously concluded that the best practical and feasible solution is a modest 2.5% increase in our lodging tax, which will be paid by visitors to short-term rentals, hotels, motels and other lodging establishments. Glenwood residents will not pay any of this tax, and the funds will make a meaningful impact for our local service workforce. This tax has a 20-year sunset provision, with public annual audits, and, importantly, the increase keeps our tax rate competitive with our peer communities. All funds will be used for Workforce Housing in the city of Glenwood for the Glenwood workforce.
Voting Yes on 2C provides solutions that fit our community. Visit yes2cglenwood.org for more detailed information. Please endorse 2C on our website, ask your neighbors to support 2C and volunteer to pass this measure.
Ellen Dole, Glenwood Springs
Cruelty-free diet
I just learned about World Day for Farmed Animals, coming up on Oct. 2 (Gandhi’s birth date). It has been around since 1983 and is meant to memorialize the billions of animals abused and killed for food each year.
Like many, I always considered farm animals only as a source of food. But, after recently watching the documentary Speciesism, I realized that farm animals are much like our family pets, deserving of love and respect.
I’ve learned that farm animals get neither on today’s factory farms. Male baby chicks are ground up alive or suffocated in garbage bags. Hens are crowded in small wire cages that tear out their feathers. Breeding pigs spend their lives pregnant in metal cages. Calves are snatched from their mothers upon birth, so we can drink their milk.
The cruelty of factory farming drove me to replace animal products in my diet with plant-based meat and dairy items. I have since learned that my cruelty-free diet is also great for my health and for the health of our planet.
Filipe Santana, Glenwood Springs
Supporting Harmon for clerk
I write this letter in support of Jackie Harmon as Garfield County Clerk.
We met Mrs. Harmon as hundreds of others have met her, as a clerk at DMV, over 20 years ago. Since that day, we have had cause to work with her on countless transactions with that office. They were all handled with accuracy, respect and care that caused us minimum, if any frustration or concern.
I am fairly certain that no one understands that office, policies and procedures better than Jackie, and I have no doubt that her can-do and let’s-work-together attitude will make her a success as clerk or any other undertaking she may have.
Please join my family and friends in voting for Jackie Harmon as our next Garfield County Clerk and Recorder.
Larry W. Sweeney, Rifle
Supporting Moller for clerk
I am writing to support Rebecca (Becky) Moller for Garfield County Clerk. I have worked with her over the past six years, and I am familiar with her work as a paralegal in complex water cases as well as general civil cases. She is a very capable paralegal; she is extremely detail-oriented and thorough. She is also wonderful to work with.
I am confident that Becky’s organizational and interpersonal skills will translate well to serving as Garfield County’s Clerk. She is committed to providing open and transparent leadership to this important role. Her vision is to modernize the Clerk and Recorder’s Office to better serve the needs of Garfield County’s residents. For example, her plans to increase access to recorded documents to allow residents to obtain copies 24/7, rather than during limited business hours.
She is knowledgeable, motivated and has the skills to accomplish her goals for the Clerk’s office. Please consider voting for Becky as the next Garfield County Clerk in November.
Susan Ryan, Carbondale
Shrewd leadership
Years ago, an impassioned young Sen. Biden gave a speech against the horrors of apartheid in South Africa. It took 20 years for that government to change, and Biden was a significant part of it.
Early on in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pres. Biden gave an impassioned speech from Poland: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”
That speech combined with the shrewd leadership of our US Joint Chiefs of staff may very well foretell the end of Vladimir Putin and his horrific, military dictatorship. Good riddance, and God bless America.
Joe Mollica, Glenwood Springs.
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