Support for Neguse
Editor:
I am very excited to support Joe Neguse for re-election this November.
Congressman Neguse has been a standout spokesman in Congress for the people of Colorado. He has worked hard to keep in touch with his constituents and made sure to take the pulse of our community as we navigate through a difficult time in our history.
During this pandemic, Congressman Neguse co-sponsored a bill to expand paycheck protection, a worker health coverage protection act, and other bills to help working class individuals. He also fought to protect the post office and postal employees to ensure that Americans didn’t lose a vital service in the middle of a public health crisis.
Further, he helped write the police accountability bill that passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives in June, proving that he is the agent of change for which the people of Colorado are calling.
Congressman Neguse has earned our vote for re-election in November. He truly has the interests of our community at heart, and has shown that he has the strength and tenacity to fight for those interests. I am proud to call him my congressman and to vote for him this fall.
Beth Dombroski
Golden
Time for a change in the Senate
Editor:
Colorado has a long history of electing candidates to the senate — from both parties — who demonstrate their independence and problem-solving abilities. I have progressive views and didn’t always agree with former Gov. Hickenlooper’s decisions. However, I feel that he has the real potential to become another Colorado senator of this stripe.
As governor, he convened diverse groups in efforts to find middle ground, most prominently in health care and environmental issues. The economic consequences for Colorado were impressive.
In the Senate, those who take leadership in guiding this kind of process, where reasonable points of view are considered and difficult compromises forged, are among the chamber’s most influential players.
I admire Hick’s civil demeanor and his (compared to his opponent) high-minded campaign tactics. He has show resilience under fire. Cory Gardner, on the other hand, has been a weak senator, ducking town hall meetings and rarely, if ever, making even the slightest overture to those on the other side of the aisle. His desperate TV ads try to depict him as an environmentalists with bipartisan appeal, but it’s far too late for that.
In Hickenlooper, we’ll get a senator who will represent Colorado’s diverse constituency and listen to thoughtful arguments from all sides on multiple issues. It’s time to send Gardner packing and elect a Colorado senator we can be proud of.
Dan Tuteur
Evergreen
Why the bias?
Editor:
My family has been in Evergreen since 1971. I have read just about every issue since I was taught to read at Wilmot Elementary. It’s sad to see that the Courier appears to now be a mouthpiece for liberals.
Why the bias now?
There are obvious stark contrasts between conservatives, who support small business, jobs, law enforcement, a strong defense and lower taxes AND liberals, who promote constant fear, closing small businesses, tax and spend policies, weak law enforcement, if any, and weak national security.
You should allow both sides to have equal access. When that happens conservatives win EVERY TIME.
Nate Marshall
Evergreen
(Editor’s note: The Canyon Courier encourages opinions from both sides — conservatives and liberals — especially on topics of local and/or state matters. If you have an opinion and would like to send us a letter, please email them — 450 words or less — with your name, address and phone number to news@evergreenco.com.)
To open or not to reopen?
Editor:
As a parent of two teenage daughters who attend school in Jefferson County, I am in the trenches of the polarizing debate about whether or not schools should reopen for in-person learning. I understand the arguments in favor of kids going back: socialization, working parents, internet access and more. But there are bigger issues at play here.
Reopening plans have been wavering amidst the recently emerging science on kids’ ability to spread and contract COVID-19. Although research shows that kids are at a lower risk of severe illness from COVID-19 than adults, other recent research shows that kids over age 10 are just as likely as adults to transmit the virus, adding to some teachers’ anxiety about returning.
As recently as a week ago, there were 14 active outbreaks at Colorado summer camps, child care centers and universities. Undoubtedly, the number will go up after schools reopen. The uncontrolled spread of the virus in many regions of the U.S. along with delays in receiving test results make it difficult to do successful contact tracing, something that has allowed schools in other nations to open safely without many outbreaks. School districts in Nebraska, Georgia, Arizona and Tennessee have recently canceled in-person classes after an influx of positive COVID test results. Should we send kids back knowing there will inevitably be outbreaks and death? Do we really want that risk, or is it better to err on the side of caution and open when it is clearly safe to do so?
The bottom line is we don’t know the long-term effects of this novel virus. Teachers don’t get paid enough to risk their lives and the lives of their family members. As a former middle school teacher, I can relate to the stress that many school employees are facing. With no real national guidance, we are relying on local county officials to make the best decisions, keeping in mind that COVID data is now rerouted from the CDC to the politically controlled Department of Health and Human Services. Public health should not be politicized. Sadly, we are in a catch-22 with no clear right answer.
In the end, we won’t know if we did too much. It will, however, be obvious if we did too little.
Aimee Pless
Conifer