Re: “Highway Trust Fund: GOP’s big tax bill is a win for subcontractors and infrastructure,” July 24 commentary

While I acknowledge Rusty Plowman’s appreciation of the infrastructure and small business impact of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,”  I also observe that it didn’t have to be a single bill. The benefits he outlines are great. In my mind we will have to wait and see, but the much-publicized looming malevolence in the OBBB could more than outweigh its good aspects. It all makes me suspicious that the singularity of the legislation was a sleight of hand to help pass a clunker distasteful to the non-MAGA majority of us.

Jim Granath, Highlands Ranch

As a professional engineer who has worked in transportation for nearly 70 years, I appreciate Plowman’s comment supporting the Highway Trust Fund sections in the OBBB that was forced through Congress and signed into law. Many of his comments reflect the failure of the prior Congress to act.

However, the OBBB contains elements that pertain to the budget, enabling it to pass by majority vote, avoiding the Senate filibuster rule. It would not have passed as stand-alone measures. Congress needs to find a backbone and demand separate bills where they can do the difficult work they are elected to do.

Congress is not a parliamentary body run by political parties. Congress is supposed to represent us. George Washington warned about one man. Congress has given up its powers and refused to make hard decisions as representatives of the people, not some ideologue or “party.” The Supreme Court is abusing the emergency docket by making rulings without hearings or the signatures of the justices.

Leonard B. West, Centennial

Home on the Range is a hit

Re: “Denver Restaurant Classics,” June 29 Home on the Range special section

Thank you, John Wenzel, for your fine article on Denver restaurants. We have dined at many of them, and were inspired to try some others by your writing.

Please tell the editor and others who worked on the special Home on the Range section that it is a big hit!

Lynn Cleveland, Centennial

Rockies need to stop overvaluing players

As a sports city, Denver is notorious for overvaluing talent. Recent examples: Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant, and Russell Wilson. How many deals were not made at the Rockies trade deadline last year because management thought the player’s value was worth more than the offering from the interested team? How many of those non-traded players came through for us this year? With pretty much the same Rockies front office in place this year, how many trade offers will the Rockies turn down? Considering their current record, I hope they have learned their lesson.

Curt Anderson, Broomfield

Trump’s latest stand — team nicknames

Re: “Trump demands Washington, Cleveland use former names,” July 21 sports story

Doesn’t Donald Trump have better things to do with his time than threaten the Washington and Cleveland baseball teams about their nicknames?

William Vigor, Highlands Ranch

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With the daily drama of politics, too few of us are likely aware of how many Native Americans continue to be exploited. On July 19 and 20, a coalition of Catholic sisters, including myself, joined Indigenous elders to stand in solidarity with the Western Apache in defense of their most sacred site, Oak Flat (Chi’chil Bildagoteel), Arizona, which risks becoming a two-mile-wide copper mine due to a federal land transfer to a private corporation on August 19.

Oak Flat’s decades-long federal protections were only recently retracted, through a last-minute provision on a “must-pass” defense-spending bill in Congress. Now, after several legal battles, the Apache site for sacred ceremonies, since time immemorial, faces total demolition by Resolution Copper, a multinational mining company and subsidiary of Rio Tinto, a corporation with a global track record of ecological damage and mishandling an important cultural site.

Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Western Apache and other allies, petitioned to protect Oak Flat with a religious freedom case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. But in May, the Supreme Court declined to hear the Apaches’ case, despite the Apache Stronghold’s assertion that the land transfer and mine would destroy their ability to practice Apache religion, a religion which is inextricably tied to the land at Oak Flat. Two justices (Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas) dissented against the majority decision to not hear the case, calling it a “grievous mistake” and a threat to religious freedom everywhere.

As members of the Catholic Church, the delegation of sisters stood with their Apache brothers and sisters in humble acknowledgment of the harm done historically by the Church to Indigenous people through the suppression of their religion and the theft of their land. The past is not past.

Sheila Karpan, Wheat Ridge

Law enforcement must also abide by the laws

Re: “Grateful for Mesa County deputy’s enforcement of laws,” July 25 letter to the editor

I take deep concern at the letter supporting the actions of Mesa County Sheriff Deputy Alexander Zwinck in stopping and detaining individuals whom he initially suspects of being illegal immigrants and messaging ICE their details. As noted in his letter, we are citizens of a country, state, and city built on laws, laws to help protect all (not just citizens or “god”) individuals and provide them with due process.

Deputy Zwink will get his chance in court to defend himself and his actions, but in my opinion and knowledge, his actions were deplorable and out of alignment with any state’s laws related to due process.

Randy DeBoer, Denver

Feeling squeezed by CDOT

Every day on C-470, somebody cuts me off in their frustration, and somebody else drives in front of me 10 miles an hour slower than I wanna go, and traffic is stop-and-go between University Boulevard and Quebec Street, in both directions.

CDOT built this highway with a capacity to handle 80-90% of the traffic that it actually gets. So we approach 100%-full, with the associated dangers, a lot more than we should. CDOT is quite good at designing highways, so they apparently intended to build a highway that would generate congestion, rather than safely handle the traffic that we always get. They are not, then, about safety and building good highways. Are they too interested in getting tolls? Do they enjoy the large fines that they get because frustrated people all across Colorado cross the double solid lines to get into that third lane? Yeah, apparently so.

If they’re not about safety and nicely flowing highways, what are they about?

Kenny Gilfilen, Highlands Ranch

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Re: “Congress approves Trump cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid,” July 19 news story

In the span of a single week, KDNK Community Radio in Carbondale has gone from experiencing one of our greatest highs, celebrating the 100th birthday of our Art Ackerman, the world’s oldest DJ, to the devastating low of losing all of the station’s federal funding. This amounts to a $174,000 shortfall, or 27% of KDNK’s annual budget. This is a funding challenge unlike any other in the station’s 42-year history.

KDNK has long been a model of the best of what community radio can be. With 98 regular DJs and program hosts free of station restrictions on their content and self-expression, award-winning local reporting, 22 volunteer public affairs shows, a powerhouse youth radio partnership with the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program, a remarkable culture of music discovery, a strong commitment to emergency preparedness and regional resilience, and an authentic local spirit that springs from a cross-section of our community, we know that KDNK holds a special place in the hearts of so many.

That is why, now, in our hour of need, we turn to you.

If you believe in a free and truthful press, a place for art and expression outside the confines of commercialism, a right to information and emergency alerts for residents of our remote areas, and a democratic institution truly by and for the people, now is your moment. Please visit KDNK.org and find out the different ways that you can stand with KDNK.

Megan Passmore and Chris Hassig, on behalf of the staff and board of directors, Carbondale

Editor’s note: Passmore is KDNK station director and Hassig is the membership coordinator.

Public-media biases are no surprise

On Denver’s classical music station KVOD, listeners are reminded that federal cuts to Colorado Public Radio may impact its ability to continue broadcasting. In days of old, this radio station broadcast classical music through the support of its advertisers. That is, until 2001, after KVOD was absorbed and broadcast by CPR.

But NPR, PBS and their local affiliates have brought the Trump administration’s cutbacks on themselves. As even the New York Times editorial acknowledged, “Republicans complain, not always wrongly, that public media reflects left-leaning assumptions and biases.” But why are we being told that now? Listeners have known that all along.

Brian Stuckey, Denver

Pay council members by the hour

Re: “Booming cities need full-time councils, but pay can’t increase until that happens,” July 20 editorial

It is odd that The Denver Post editorial board chose only two options for the payment of city council members.  Either a pittance for part-time work or a reasonable salary for a full-time job. An alternative would be to pay city council workers by the hour for actual work done.

There are systems that can track remote work. Dedicated city council members would be paid more than the members who apply themselves with less purpose.

In 2024, the average (mean) Colorado wage is $36.33. Surely, city council workers are worth more than that. Let’s say $50 an hour. Ten hours a week spent on city council business would produce an income of roughly $25,000 per year. Twenty hours a week (realistically, the maximum for a person holding another full-time job) would produce an additional income of about $50,000 per year.

If $50 an hour is insufficient to attract well-qualified city council workers, then raise the hourly rate until it is.

Guy Wroble, Denver

Ushering out a supporter of the president and his bill

Re: “Hutson tried to keep Trump from a second term. Six months in, he’s ‘very impressed.’ “July 20 commentary

I would like to hear again from Roger Hutson once we see what President Donald Trump’s actions have done to our research universities, our new energy sector, our consumer prices, and our moral authority in both the world and at home. Shame on him for ignoring the ramifications of Trump’s selfish, vengeful tactics.

Brandt Wilkins, Denver

Dear Roger Hutson,

You are satisfied with Trump’s leadership. You’re OK with drastic immigration arrests, deep cuts to many benefits and government services, and executive reign over our Constitution. Due process? Who needs that?

I can understand why you support the Republican big beautiful bill. Among the many perks for businesses and corporations is the 100% bonus depreciation on 20-year assets taken in year one. Also, oil and gas royalty payments to the federal government from extraction on public land are reduced to 12.5%, both onshore and offshore, down from 16.7% and 18.75% respectively. That’s a big savings for your industry; not so good for the rest of us. This, and other provisions of the Republican budget bill, including non-competitive bidding, mandated lease sales of public land, and ending royalty payments on methane gas emissions, will result in a loss of billions in federal revenue through 2050. That is our money from our public lands.

Glad you are doing well. Maybe you don’t rely on Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security for your health insurance or retirement. Millions of Americans do rely on these lifeline social programs. Your political party, No Labels, is misnamed. It should be called the Know Nothings, a historical homage to anti-immigration and willful ignorance.

Victoria Swearingen, Denver

Apparently, The Denver Post has decided to join the “Balanced Commentary on Trump Club.” Exhibit A? Regaling us with the Roger Hutson normwashing piece in Sunday’s edition.

Hutson, like so many Republicans, wants to maintain his own veneer of decency while still managing to support what Trump is doing. So he talks about border control, trade deficits and increased defense spending by NATO without mentioning the downside of these supposed policy successes.

Border control and decreased illegal immigration have come with a frontal assault by the executive branch on the rule of law and the terrorizing of large segments of the American population.

Tariffs on friendly trading partners are solutions in search of a problem. The so-called trade deficits are a distraction. Trump’s tariff regimen, should he ever actually settle on one, will do very little to alter the trade imbalance, but it will play havoc with the world economy.

And how did Trump get NATO on board with increased defense spending? By threatening to throw Ukraine under the bus and gifting Russian leader Vladimir Putin with diplomatic cover for his heinous crimes.

Hutson asserts, incredibly, that world leaders respect the president. In truth, almost all regard him with a mixture of fear, amusement and distaste. They recognize that he must be dealt with, and feigning respect and admiration is the only way to do it. They know a malignant narcissist when they see one.

Hutson’s blinders regarding Trump have closed in on him and become a blindfold. He and the rest of the Republican Party need to recognize and acknowledge that Trump’s policy successes have come at a horrible cost, and that pathology is not the same as personality.

George Zepernick, Denver

Who needs Congress when you have President Trump?

Re: “Congress ceding power to Trump,” July 20 news story

Even before this appeared, I was thinking how much money could be saved by eliminating Congress — upwards of $15 billion with a “B.” Since they are a rubber stamp to Trump, they are not necessary. Goodbye, Congress, hello savings!

Bruce Johnson, Centennial

I have read many books on the American Revolution, including those about George Washington, and how he struggled to raise money for his soldiers — for food and clothing — from the American people. It seems that Americans have not changed. We have run the federal deficit up to $36 trillion and counting, with all our politicians adding to the bill. And it is still going on.

The House and Senate have just gone along with Trump running up the deficit again, passing the budget bill with no thought for tomorrow. This is our history from the very beginning. We need fiscally responsible politicians, not ones who are just thinking of getting reelected with tons of money from the rich next time.

Wake up, representatives and senators. Stop following free-spending leaders with no thought for the future. Have some concern for the long-term good of the country.

Dea Coschignano, Wheat Ridge

The headline amused me. It could have read, “Congress and just about everyone else …” with the possible exceptions of Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, but they don’t really count because they are way over there. The rest of us are stuck with this character whose whims will continue to impact Americans for years, possibly decades.

By now, we’re used to his lies, threats, idiotic lawsuits, and insults. His denunciation of Stephen Colbert was unforgivably petty. If he ever were to say a decent word about a decent human being, it would be a first.

I’m in my final glide pattern, so I will miss out on what a lot of you are going to experience (and suffer). My singular hope is that I live long enough to see Humpty Dumpty fall.

Craig Marshall Smith, Highlands Ranch

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As an adult services librarian in northern Colorado, I’ve seen firsthand how federal funding strengthens our libraries and, through them, our communities. At my library, federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds help support digital literacy training, homebound delivery services, and access to job-seeking resources for people who might not otherwise have a place to turn.

These are not luxuries — they are lifelines, especially for rural and lower-income Coloradans. In many small towns, the public library is the only place with reliable internet access, the only place where veterans can find support services, where students can complete homework, and where older adults can learn to navigate online health care portals.

Right now, Congress must act to maintain funding for both the LSTA and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program, which supports school libraries. Without federal support, our ability to meet local needs could be deeply compromised.

This year, the White House proposed eliminating federal support for libraries altogether. That’s why I’m calling on Sen. John Hickenlooper, Sen. Michael Bennet, and Colorado’s House delegation to reject that proposal and ensure that at least $232 million for LSTA and $30 million for IAL are included in the FY26 federal budget.

Libraries reflect the values and resilience of their communities — but we can’t do it alone. Federal support ensures that every Coloradan, no matter their ZIP code, can access the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.

— Dania Laubach, Greeley

Photo tells a different story

Re: “Volunteers flock to courts to support migrants arrested in the hallways,” July 21 news photo

Let’s be honest and evenhanded. This man is not being “escorted.” He is being bullied and apprehended as if he were a criminal.

— Meg Johnson, Denver

More truth about all the lying

Re: “Presidential struggles with telling the truth,” July 17 letter to the editor

My primary quibble with the letter is that it doesn’t go far enough.

In a democratic republic, such as the USA, informed consent of voters is essential to its preservation. It’s why the freedoms of speech, press, religion (i.e., thought) and assembly are the first rights to be guaranteed.

Yet we have undergone six decades of leaders lying about (often) very important matters; when they don’t actually lie, they “spin” with half-truths and evasions. There’s a whole industry of people cooking up “talking points” to fool and distract us. It seems to have reached a point where many voters just assume that all politicians lie all the time.

Truth can be hard. Apart from ego damage, it can have political costs. Truth-telling requires courage, which now seems in short supply among our leaders.

But it isn’t enough to just complain about the problem; we need solutions. Let’s start by using our votes to punish those who promulgate lies and reward those who tell (even the hard) truth.

— Ralph Taylor, Centennial

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Re: “Gov. Polis’ pedestrian bridge has a long way to go,” July 13 editorial

The editorial laid out great reasons that this project should be scrapped:

1) The cost is unaffordable with today’s budget constraints.

2) The design failed to follow mandated design guidelines.

3) “Undulating waves like Colorado’s white-water rapids” – really? Have any of the designers actually been white water rafting? Hint, it’s called “white water” for a reason.

4) “From the steps of the Capitol looking west, visitors see a panoramic view that includes our iconic skyline, art museum, Central Library, Denver’s beautiful city hall and our majestic mountains” — yet they want to block the mountain view with a bridge to nowhere.

This is part of the problem with all the transplants (and I am referring to all the politicians) to Colorado — they don’t recognize what we have to offer with natural beauty.

Mark D Cutright, Englewood

This is a big, stupid waste of money that could be spent on important things like homelessness, hunger, fighting ICE raids, covering new Medicare gaps, etc.

Susan Hooyengaj, Denver

The editorial can best be described as wishy-washy.

We don’t see any redeeming aspects to the proposal. It will ruin an iconic vista for absolutely no reason. It won’t solve a problem but instead will likely create a few. It will cost a fortune, money that should be better spent elsewhere.

“Private donors and a visionary architect” cannot correct these issues. This project is an affront to the dignity of the historic area and is completely unnecessary. It should be abandoned before any more money is spent.

Judy and Larry Trompeter, Denver

Talking reason about unreasonable politicians

Re: “A guide for Colorado lawmakers to keep their feet out of their mouths,” July 13 commentary

Twice now, I have actually agreed with Krista Kafer. Her comments on the stupidity of George Teal, a Douglas County Commissioner, and state Rep. Ron Weinberg were right on the mark.

To be near my three granddaughters, I moved from north Denver to Douglas County. The good thing is I am eight minutes from my granddaughters. The bad news is I have to live in Douglas County. Parker and Castle Rock are not much better and Castle Rock might be worse. Don’t even get me started on Elizabeth.

As the Trump administration continues to chip away at the Constitution — through challenging birthright citizenship and passing his “Big Beautiful Bill,” which is going to affect the poorest, most vulnerable people in our country — I wonder where this is all going to end. The deporting of U.S. citizens and creating his own private army with the expansion of ICE at the taxpayers’ expense is egregious.

Maybe it is time for Krista Kafer to re-examine her political affiliation. I don’t expect her to become a Democrat. But I think she is slowly transforming into an independent. Ironically, according to a Gallup poll, those identifying as independent in this country comprise a larger number than those identifying as Republicans or Democrats. I only expect that disparity to continue to grow.

Welcome aboard, Krista. There is room for you with all the other independents. I think you might actually realize in today’s environment, this is not a bad place to be.

David Shaw, Highlands Ranch

Krista Kafer’s column last Sunday, while entirely appropriate in calling out George Teal and state Rep. Ron Weinberg, misses a larger truth. Donald Trump has elevated lying to new heights. Trump proves over and over again that it is OK to lie, then just deny you ever said it or double down by repeating it.

The fact that your lie was recorded? Not important to those legions of supporters not interested in facts. Teal and Weinberg are following this new model: the ‘art of the lie’. I doubt there will be repercussions for Teal and Weinberg, just as Trump’s lies are simply shrugged off by so many.

Paul Mauro, Aurora

Parents right to weigh in on gender education

Re: “U.S. Supreme Court got it right on parental rights and education,” July 6 commentary, and “Education opt-out: Rules for me, but not for thee?,” July 13 letters

It was shameful to see how the Jones family was disparaged first by employees of their school district and then by fellow Denver Post readers, all for opting their 6-year-old out of classroom lessons. In short, the Jones family said the teacher told the kids that gender is fluid and then instructed the 6-year-olds to choose their own genders. That’s a pretty heavy topic for young kids who don’t even have a full sense of what “gender” is yet.

It’s perfectly sensible for parents to decide that it’s inappropriate for the teacher to meddle so deeply into their child’s personal identity.

Suppose your child’s teacher, under the guise of creating a welcoming classroom, instructed the 6-year-olds to choose their own ethnicities. You may choose to opt out of this absurd lesson. The Joneses, and now the Supreme Court, would fully support your decision.

Dan Gryboski, Broomfield

Embracing the final days of a loved one

Re: “The humane choice: Assisted suicide was a blessing for brother,” July 13 letter to the editor

Referring to your letter writer’s comment on Krista Kafer’s column on assisted suicide (July 6), Kafer may or may not have “real-life experience” with end-of-life suffering, but I have. My mother was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at age 80 and given 6 months to live. With her cognitive state rapidly declining, along with bodily control, her doctor, with her and my father’s consent, chose to refrain from treatment that would only temporarily extend her life, providing only palliative care.

Assisted suicide could have ended her life at that point. Instead, the family was able to spend her last weeks with her, even as she faded from consciousness. I will always cherish the week we had at the end, where we were able to sing and talk to her, even as she lay in a coma. She was not in pain. She lasted barely three months from her diagnosis, a time which allowed us all to grow into acceptance of her coming departure.

The problem with a law, no matter how carefully constructed, is that it creates expectations. Kafer made this point. Ironically, the law ultimately takes away the freedom to choose life, even as it purports to allow for choice.

There are other options. Hospice allows a terminal patient to die naturally without artificially extending life, without lingering in a cruel and inhumane vegetative state. This option is open to all and requires no legal sanction.

Frances Rossi, Denver

This is the hill to do battle on?

Re: “I support Trump, Musk and Gulf of Mexico,” July 11 letter to the editor

A letter writer declares her support of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. So she apparently supports reducing health care for the poor and disabled (Medicaid cuts), reducing taxes on the rich, cutting federal support for science, sending people to foreign prisons without due process, elimination of foreign aid (so China can fill the gap), expanding production and use of coal and oil (not clean energy), bullying esteemed universities and law firms, cutting National Park staff, and the general dismantling of federal programs that serve the public. But with great courage, she cites her opposition to one of the most consequential of Trump’s proposals — renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. It’s a good thing she is not running for Congress, because that opposition would surely prompt Trump to destroy her candidacy.

David Wolf, Lakewood

The mayor should focus on the mundane

Re: “Big swings, mixed results,” July 13 news story

It is good to know that Mayor Mike Johnston recognizes he is a failed poet. Now, he needs to recognize he is a failing mayor. While he sits around and dreams up the best adjective to use for his next tax and spend scheme or grandiose project (thanks for pointing out that “vibrant” is his favorite), like a professional women’s soccer stadium or a new Broncos playground, the mundane, day-to-day tasks of running a city fall by the wayside.

More and more unencumbered thugs brazenly shoplift in broad daylight. According to Denver Police Department patrol officers they are to overlook expired license plates because pulling them over could be construed as racism. The officers will go on to explain that those very vehicles are the ones most likely to harbor people with outstanding warrants as well as drugs, not to mention forfeiting hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in revenue that citations and fines for these and other “minor” violations would generate. Abandoned vehicles sit on streets for weeks or months at a time, creating potential biohazards as they reek of meth.

And, most recently, major streets in Denver have become muffler-free drag strips.

Real mayors take care of the not-so-glamorous business of keeping a city safe and clean, not dreaming up the next pie-in-the-sky phrase. I’m hoping a strong candidate or candidates will step up and take this guy on in the next couple of years. He is a poster boy for why so many Americans have become disgruntled with Democrats and view them as elitist dreamers, not doers.

Matt Bergles, Denver

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Updated July 22, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Due to an editor’s error, a letter contained the incorrect details from the lawsuit against the Boulder Valley School District. The Jones family wrote for The Denver Post that the teachers were directly instructing children on gender fluidity. The editor changed the letter to reflect the facts in a different federal lawsuit, Mahmound v. Taylor.

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Re: “Trump slams his supporters over Epstein ‘hoax’,” July 17 news story

If there’s one thing everyone ought to know by now, it’s that President Donald Trump never suffers for his infidelities and other misconduct. There’s no doubt in my mind that Elon Musk is orchestrating the current coup on the right. That’s fine, and it’s entertaining to see allies, insiders, and loyalists throw fits at Trump.

We should not delude ourselves, however, about whether these detractors will fall right back in line when it counts. They will, like they always do. They just approved his omnibus budget weeks ago.

Besides, no one likes Vice President JD Vance. No one wants Vance as president. Not even Trump supporters.

What we should expect is that the Epstein files will be redacted and released. Trump will carry on being a horrible president. He will probably fire several people after this blows over.

Nate Craig, Boulder

Government leaders need to get off wrong side of history and gain new perspective

In the book “Mark Twain” by Ron Chernow, I found the perfect explanation for why many people conformed to “the terrifying power of the environment to shape and distort human behavior.”  He was referencing the justification of slavery by so many otherwise good people, including clergy, but it explains so much more.

I grew up in the 1940s and ’50s in what is now referred to as a “red state.” And I must admit that I was a racist, believing that whites were intellectually superior to Blacks. My parents didn’t use racial slurs and were kind, but they erroneously judged Black people harshly. Sadly, that was more liberal than many locals felt.

I was an adult when I moved to a more neutral environment and was gradually exposed to reality.

But this is not about racism per se. It is about sequestered groups and communities that seldom are exposed to other views of the world.

That Chernow quote is the best explanation I’ve found to understand how good, kind people can accept the travesties taking place.

Yes, immigration is broken, but we turned our heads for years and took advantage of the workers. Send back the criminals and the more recent arrivals, but have empathy for those who have been here for years, raising families, serving the communities, and often serving in the military.

We have known there has been waste in all government departments for decades. It must be corrected — but not with a chainsaw and mindless, inhuman, vindictive overkill.

Congress and other branches of government must be more informed by their awakened constituents than they fear the president.

David L King, Erie

Wasting life-saving food supply

Do Trump supporters have limits? I had to wonder this when I read in The Atlantic that the Trump administration will incinerate 500 tons of high-energy biscuits. These are emergency rations that could feed 1.5 million malnourished children for a week. They were intended for distribution in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the elimination of the USAID funding (and the whole program!) means this $800,000 stockpile will expire and is slated to be incinerated.

Is this the American way? Are there no limits to what Trump fans will put up with in their allegiance to him? I can’t believe Republican congressmen are so fearful of being primaried that they put up with these daily outrages.

I would think any decent person would be as repulsed by this as I am. Yet it’s just another day for this administration. I pray for the day when the rats will leave the sinking ship.

Chris Mech, Gypsum

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In the book “Mark Twain” by Ron Chernow, I found the perfect explanation for why many people conformed to “the terrifying power of the environment to shape and distort human behavior.”  He was referencing the justification of slavery by so many otherwise good people, including clergy, but it explains so much more.

I grew up in the 1940s and ’50s in what is now referred to as a “red state.” And I must admit that I was a racist, believing that whites were intellectually superior to Blacks. My parents didn’t use racial slurs and were kind, but they erroneously judged Black people harshly. Sadly, that was more liberal than many locals felt.

I was an adult when I moved to a more neutral environment and was gradually exposed to reality.

But this is not about racism per se. It is about sequestered groups and communities that seldom are exposed to other views of the world.

That Chernow quote is the best explanation I’ve found to understand how good, kind people can accept the travesties taking place.

Yes, immigration is broken, but we turned our heads for years and took advantage of the workers. Send back the criminals and the more recent arrivals, but have empathy for those who have been here for years, raising families, serving the communities, and often serving in the military.

We have known there has been waste in all government departments for decades. It must be corrected — but not with a chainsaw and mindless, inhuman, vindictive overkill.

Congress and other branches of government must be more informed by their awakened constituents than they fear the president.

David L King, Erie

Reconsider red-light cameras for safety

I recently traveled to Miami, and my GPS device warned me of red light cameras at traffic lights while I was driving. It turns out that many lights have cameras (at least in Miami Beach, where I was staying). They actually work as cars stop before the light turns red, rather than racing through as we often see here.

Why? Because drivers know a camera will catch them if they don’t stop. I would like to see more of those here, and think the accidents they help prevent outweigh the arguments that these cameras are a threat to civil liberties.

Thomas H. Brady, Wheat Ridge

Presidential struggles with truth-telling

Those of us of a certain age grew accustomed to presidential administrations’ intentional struggles with the truth a long time ago —  LBJ’s falsehoods about Vietnam; Nixon’s about Watergate and related matters; Reagan’s about Iran-Contra; Clinton’s about Monica Lewinsky; W. Bush’s non-existent “weapons of mass destruction”; and, Biden’s… let’s just say his memory about stories he told failed him. But Trump takes the cake, hands down.

Fact-checkers have largely given up due to the huge volume of falsehoods. So please understand we want to see the receipts on “obliteration versus heavy damage” and Iran spiriting away the enriched uranium prior to the bombing.

Public trust is built heavily on transparency and truth, so don’t be so surprised about the lack of trust in our elected officials and stop attacking journalists who are trying to get the truth.

John W. Thomas, Fort Collins

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Re: “Signs posted seen as threats to ‘whitewash’ dark side of history,” June 28 news story

The term “snowflake” is often used to insult political liberals. With the power invested in me as a U.S. citizen, I nominate President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Bergum our Snowflakes in Chief.

Are these men so fragile and fearful that they need to waste and abuse our time and space by defacing signs in our National Parks and Monuments because these two men can’t cope with the truth?

Bergum says signage should highlight the beauty of these places. We are people with sense.  We do not need signage to tell us what is beautiful.

Are President Trump and Secretary Bergum insulting our intelligence to infer that visitors to these sacred places cannot simultaneously appreciate beauty and absorb difficult information about past occurrences? Shame on them!

Face the truth! Do what the people say! Hire more rangers and maintain the trails!

Evan Siegel, Westminster

Sad to see  the end of Job Corps

Re: “Great Society-era program on the chopping block,” June 29 news story

I was saddened to read the article, which states that 99 Job Corps centers across the country have been ordered to close because of low graduation rates and failure to achieve the intended outcomes of its charter.  What an inglorious end to a program that benefited so many young people during its formative and early years.

I served as a remedial education teacher in two conservation centers in the first two years of the program’s existence in 1965 and 1966 and as a consultant to the program for several more years.  In those early years all enrollees participated in meaningful and productive work programs during the day and in education programs in the evening.  The outcomes of both program components made enrollees and staff, as well as program auditors and members of Congress, proud of their association with the program.

The program has obviously deteriorated over the years.  I’m sorry this is coming to an end, but it appears it is no longer the stellar program it once was.

Mark McGoff, Arvada

What does Denver’s Central Library need?

Re: “Denver spent $60 million on its library — and it still closes every Friday,” July 10 commentary

Thank you, William Porter, for your commentary. I came to Denver right out of college. My first job did not require a college degree and did not pay a commensurate salary.

My first week in town, I got my library card. The Central Library was my haven, a place where I could still dream about my future.  That was 55 years ago. I have avidly supported any funding for the library for all those years, but, because of its limited hours, it is much more difficult for me to use the new improved library, and more difficult for me to justify voting for additional funding.

Is that what it would take to return the library to a full-service level? Or do they need increased staffing, more security,  more volunteers, or what? I think the library needs to be transparent about what it would take to return to being the award-winning library it once was. The status quo is not good enough.

A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver

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Re: “Disabled people in the state need support, not a prescription to die,” July 6 commentary

I’ve always been a proponent of assisted suicide, but after reading Krista Kafer’s opinion on it, I can’t help but wonder if she’s ever actually had any real-life experience with it.

My 75-year-old brother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in September of 2024. After many weeks of appointments, MRIs, ultrasounds, scans, etc., his doctors determined that even after daily chemotherapy and radiation, he would only have a couple of months to live. He bravely decided to forego all treatment and take advantage of assisted suicide offered in California.

This decision was not easily made between him and his wife of 43 years. It was heartbreaking. But what was particularly devastating was watching the disease rob him, on a daily basis, of his faculties. In a matter of weeks he was completely paralyzed and bedridden, blind and not able even to feed himself. The assisted suicide law in California is strict. You are seen by more than one doctor, you must have an incurable disease, and you must be able to administer the cocktail of drugs to yourself.

I’m so grateful that this choice was available to him. Watching him robbed of his dignity was hard enough, but knowing that without this option, he could still be lingering in a nursing home in a vegetative state is cruel and inhumane.

If you don’t agree with assisted suicide, don’t do it, but don’t judge others and rob them of this option just because you disagree with it.

Ellen Haverl, Denver

Education opt-out: Rules for me, but not for thee?

Re: “U.S. Supreme Court got it right on parental rights and education,” July 6 commentary

“We want our daughter to grow up knowing that God made her wonderfully and perfectly in His image as a little girl.” Hmmm, sounds like gender dysphoria to me — a girl in His image, that would confuse me!

This family feels their religious liberty is being infringed upon because their daughter is being exposed to a reality that is different from the one presented in their bible. In that context, should my child get an exemption from Christian doctrine being foisted upon them, say, like the Ten Commandments being posted in their classroom? There’s a little hypocrisy here; you don’t want your child exposed to different ways of thinking, yet my child can be confronted with your way of thinking?

I’m sorry that those parents are subjected to harassment, which I don’t condone. However, education is all about learning about the world around you, and it doesn’t always conform to belief systems. Whether conservative Christians like it or not, in the real world there are people who aren’t comfortable fitting into conventional lifestyles. In science, which doesn’t care what you believe, there are few hard and fast definitions. Sexuality and gender, like most everything in life, lie along a spectrum which includes physical variation.

I’d like to see conservative Christians (including those on the Supreme Court) practice what Jesus preached, which is to love and accept your fellow humans for who they are, not what you think they should be. As well, I think he would have had you strive to understand rather than ignore the fact that people see and experience the world differently than you do.

Dan Eberhart, Denver

The very premise of this article is that the daughter is just how God made her. Therefore, her gender is the correct one for her, they maintain. However, they fail to recognize that the rest of her is “how God made her.” That would include her brain and her thoughts and feelings, and the way she decides important things in her life.

Transgender individuals are born the same way that their daughter is born. Given that some people are born “differently,” such as those with physical disabilities, blue eyes, or who are atheists, they are still how God made them.

Transgender people are made by God with thoughts and feelings that are real and tough, questioning their gender identity from within themselves. I understand it’s a tough battle because in the end, if you choose to be who you know you really are (another gender), you will be attacked for this just as the parents attack all transgender people by refusing to learn about them or let their children learn about them. Like others who are gay or shy or blue-eyed, etc., transgender people do not choose to be disliked for being who they really are.

The authors complain about hurtful pushbacks from others; they lack any insight into their own inability to empathize. Transgender people have built-in strong internal signals and struggles from birth about their gender, as God made them! Empathize and accept them, as Jesus would do.

Adoree Blair, Highlands Ranch

I think the Supreme Court got it wrong. The Court, it appears, like Trump and other Republicans, doesn’t like the nationwide injunctions issued against so many of Trump’s executive orders. Yet this ruling was heard and ruled on under the Supreme Court’s emergency “shadow docket,” which they use almost exclusively for Trump’s appeals from his lower court losses.

How fair is that? Trump is using the Supreme Court as his own court. And they’re letting him do it. The only duty of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts is to determine if the case before them meets constitutional muster. And, like the birthright citizenship portion of the Constitution, which is unambiguous, lower courts have a duty to protect people from an unconstitutional law that tries to abridge a right established in the Constitution. Making one protected plaintiff at a time challenge such a law is crazy and unreasonable. Putting the onus on the protected party is not right. Once the challenged law is shown to be in violation of the Constitution, the court has the obligation to rule as such and protect everyone who is affected by such an unconstitutional law.

Thus, a nationwide ban is necessary, especially when the portion of the Constitution protecting people can only be read one way! Making people in the protected class have to file multiple lawsuits is just supporting those who wrote the illegal law in the first place.

J. Linden Hagans, Lakewood

An executive order cannot supersede the Constitution

Re: “Birthright citizenship: A stunning and tragic Supreme Court decision,” July 6 commentary

I’m not a constitutional scholar, but I can read, and according to the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1 of the Constitution, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

That’s all persons, with no mention of immigration status, ethnic origin, race, or gender. An executive order from the president cannot supersede the Constitution. A constitutional amendment can only be altered or revoked by another constitutional amendment. Amendments can be proposed by Congress or by a Constitutional Convention, adopted by a two-thirds majority of both Houses, and then ratified by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the states.

The Supreme Court is tasked with the interpretation of these amendments. If the current court removes the right of birthright citizenship, the justices will be betraying the Constitution and creating an avenue for President Trump and any future presidents to interpret the laws however they want. This is not how a constitutional republic is supposed to function.

Cindy Clearman, Arvada

Side with the welfare of the children

First, columnist Krista Kafer got this spot on. Doctors should do no harm. Suicide assistants? Some of these countries are encouraging children to commit suicide?! What have we come to? Protect your children. Pray for them. Teach and encourage them.

And second, thanks be unto God that the Supreme Court got it right on parental rights. Parents are in charge of the education of their children. The government needs to mind the education of children and respect the parents’ rights to opt their children out of social education that they do not agree with.

Dee Walworth, Brighton

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Re: “University of Colorado: Following investigation, board censures Regent Wanda James,” July 3 news story

Having spent 19 of my 30-plus years advocating for access to higher education, I am deeply troubled by the University of Colorado Board of Regents’ decision to censor Regent Wanda James. This action reflects a wider assault on higher education.

The Pell Grant program faces potential elimination, universities are pressured to dismantle essential support for underserved students, and all the while, funding for critical academic programs is slashed. The board’s decision exemplifies a failure in leadership and a lack of focus on pressing institutional challenges.

James rightly highlighted a racist depiction in a public health campaign about cannabis use during pregnancy. While her censorship is concerning, the approval of that campaign raises significant questions about internal checks and balances. Instead of fostering transparency and inclusivity, fellow regents chose to silence one of their own.

To those who voted for this censorship: I urge you to address the real challenges facing our $7.1B institution and the external threats to our education system with the same energy you directed at James for expressing her truth. You are responsible for guiding Colorado’s flagship university system; now is the time to show integrity, courage, and a commitment to equity and justice. Rethink your actions, recommit to your elected priorities, and do better — for James, all students, and the future of higher education.

Morris Price Jr, Denver

Throwing support behind Trump, Musk and Gulf of Mexico

I am both a supporter of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I do, however, disagree with changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

I lived for several years near the Gulf of Mexico and spent a lot of time on the beach. The Gulf of Mexico is rich in history as the name suggests. Changing the name will only result in a loss of history. I never felt, while lying in the warm sands of the Gulf of Mexico, that I was not lying on American soil.

Susanne MacDonald, Broomfield

We are a nation of immigrants, but we need guardrails

It is starting to get redundant and pointless to keep hearing that we are a nation of immigrants in order to justify the acceptance of illegal immigration, of which a certain percentage now seems to be a serious criminal element.

Yes, our country was settled by immigrants, often displacing native citizens in the process. So, let’s bring us up to date. We are now a stable nation of citizens with a Constitution and laws regulating immigration, for which there are many good reasons. Every country has laws regarding immigration; we are not unique in that respect.

We accept immigrants into the United States, and as a country of laws we have every right to determine who we will accept, under what circumstances, and how many. The dangers of unregulated immigration, as has happened with the last administration, created many hazards for our citizens and our country. We had no idea how many criminals, gang members, and covert agents entered our country. In many cases, we have paid a price for that situation, some with their lives and property.

As a nation, we should continue to show compassion, and immigration should proceed according to our laws and needs. We cannot fix all the problems of the world, but we can help.

William F. Hineser, Arvada

Yankees eyeing Rockies’ McMahon

Re: “If Rockies love McMahon, Marquez, they’ll trade them,” June 20 commentary

The Yankees would be fortunate to grab third baseman Ryan McMahon if the Rockies are willing to part with him. The topic du jour on Yankees sports radio is the need for a third baseman. They just moved Jazz Chisholm, Jr., one of their best offensive players this season, from his fill-in role at third base back to his natural defensive position at second.

McMahon would be a perfect fit, considering he was a Gold Glove finalist four straight years and a 2024 All-Star.

Adam Silbert, New York City

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