Re: “Is Fort Lyon plan worth the price?” Dec. 3 editorial.

Gov. John Hickenlooper leaves the Fort Lyon Correctional Facility in Las Animas after a tour in March 2011.

While I understand your concern about how state money is spent, one wonders what the cost is (now and future) for doing nothing about the homeless situation.

The infrastructure portion of the Fort Lyon plan would create jobs while the renovation is being done and the housing and education plan that followed would create jobs for those who carry it out. This is in addition to starting a positive action plan, for those willing to participate, to start getting some of the homeless off the street, into a facility where they can get some basic health care and also get education to turn them into productive workers in the state — who then pay taxes.

Can we afford to not take a serious look at the Fort Lyon plan, especially since we already have the facility? Kudos to the governor’s office for coming up with what looks like a win-win plan for a difficult series of situations.

Alan Davis, Thornton

This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.

It’s unfortunate, tight budgets or not, that we have to quibble over $7 million or so for the opportunity to maybe create a wonderful solution for both the homeless and the local community. The problem of homelessness is not going to just go away. This Fort Lyon proposal presents an innovative, win-win opportunity for the homeless, the local community, and the people of Colorado in general. Coloradans have to decide what kind of a society they want.

John D. Sullivan, Denver

Re: “Death toll for homeless found on Denver streets nears 700 since 2000,” Dec. 4 news story.

One serious point missed in article on deaths of homeless people in Denver is the fact that about one-third of homeless people in America are mentally ill (according to the Policy Research Institute). These people suffer from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Many are veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Many use drugs or alcohol to alleviate the symptoms of their mental illnesses, which include hallucinations and severe insomnia. Families often reject these people. We need to help these suffering citizens, not judge them for being drunks or drug addicts.

Dixie J-Elder, Longmont

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Re: “The reason for early ski season in Colo.,” Nov. 28 letter to the editor.

Melanie Mills of Colorado Ski Country USA thinks Steve Lipsher’s column (“Don’t go skiing in Colorado — yet,” Nov. 24) was a hatchet job. If releasing injury statistics for the ski areas is proprietary knowledge, then one must rely on one’s “buddies” on the ski patrol. So, I would like Melanie to release statistics on the spinal cord and head injuries that are escalating on the slopes. I do not think resort spokespersons want to speak about that. What is to hide? Since ski areas are on leased Forest Service land owned by the public, it would seem injury statistics should be public knowledge.

As an avid skier with almost 50 years of skiing experience in Europe and in our wonderful resorts in the USA, I think the severe injury escalation needs to be addressed as it was with hockey and football in years past.

Ann Howell, Colorado Springs

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Re: “Aurora Mayor Hogan declines national anti-illegal gun mayoral group,” Nov. 30 news story.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a nationwide coalition focused on keeping criminals from illegally possessing guns and using them.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan refuses to join because of ideological issues. He believes gun control isn’t a national issue and should be handled at the state level; yet Aurora Public Schools is receiving a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help students and educators who were impacted by the Aurora’s theater shooting.

For the 12 people killed and the 58 wounded last July, it didn’t matter if the guns were legal, illegal or a national issue. The results for those victims are the same. Does Mayor Hogan have a plan for state-level solutions?

Every 16 hours in Colorado, one person is killed by a gun. Let’s hope Mayor Hogan is able to resolve his personal struggle between ideological issues and the deadly gun-culture facts.

Diane Schrack, Highlands Ranch

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In the Denver TV market this year, the presidential campaigns and their affiliates spent nearly $37 million on ads discussing job creation and $3.3 million on ads focusing on trade.

In the last decade, the United States has lost more than 5 million manufacturing jobs to overseas competitors like China. Simultaneously, our trade deficit with China climbed to a record $295 billion in 2011.

In 2013, we should hold our elected leaders to their promises to fight for American jobs. Manufacturing still accounts for roughly 12 percent of our gross domestic product and provides nearly 12 million jobs.

To rebuild manufacturing, Washington should apply “buy America” provisions to federal spending; dedicate funding for technical skills education to address labor shortages; and ensure the benefits of tax reform go to companies that make things in America.

Scott Paul, Washington, D.C.

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Re: “Legal bill for Douglas County school voucher fight nearing $1 million,” Dec. 1 news story.

It’s time to stop the undue influence of special interests such as the Walton Family Foundation and the Daniels Fund, which have paid lawyers huge amounts to proceed in the courts to promote private school funding in Douglas County. If approved, we could expect a never-ending parade of religious groups lining up for handouts — Christians, Jews, Muslims, Rastafarians, etc. Where would it stop? And what about consequences for public schools?

The Douglas County School Board, if allowed to use public school money to fund private schools, would undermine both equality and diversity — important cornerstones of American education. It would be unprecedented, unconscionable and unconstitutional. Thanks to the ACLU and to Taxpayers for Public Education for taking up the fight to protect public interest, taxpayer funds, and separation of church and state.

Walter Heidenfelder, Denver

This letter was published in the Dec. 5 edition.

After Denver District Judge Michael Martinez’s erudite legal decision in this case, what part of the Colorado Constitution does the Douglas County School Board not understand? The Constitution explicitly bars the use of public funds for use in sectarian or religious education. Douglas County parents may have their children attend any school they like, but at their own expense. Colorado taxpayers are not obligated to underwrite their religious preference — something the Colorado Constitution repeatedly precludes.

Mark Boyko, Denver

Re: “Safety manager wants police discipline on his terms,” Nov. 26 guest commentary.

Denver Police Protective Agency attorney Sean Olson advocates for yet another layer of review for officers who have been disciplined by the city’s manager of safety and are seeking to appeal that disciplinary decision. While no one disputes the need for a review process that guarantees due process for all sides, Olson and the PPA are seeking to shun accountability.

Public trust in the Denver Police Department eroded due to recent cases of blatant police abuses, some caught on video. Mayor Michael Hancock, the chief of police and manager of safety have attempted to address this by instituting an extensive incident review process by the internal affairs bureau and police department to examine evidence and interview witnesses, the officers and others. The manager of safety is authorized to determine an officer’s discipline based on the review findings. The majority of DPD officers, who do a good job every day serving and protecting the people of Denver, have nothing to fear from this process.

Olson and the PPA’s scheme to allow CSC hearing officers to overturn disciplinary decisions with little or no regard for the rigorous review process is a bad idea. Denver citizens deserve police officers who truly “serve and protect” honorably.

Mu Son Chi, Denver

Re: “Police must be educated so innocent dogs aren’t killed,” Dec. 2 letter to the editor.

While the unfortunate killing of Chloe, the lab/pit bull pet of an irresponsible pet owner in Commerce City is tragic, letter-writer Lorraine May fails to place blame where it rightfully belongs: with the dog’s owner. With pet ownership comes human responsibility, whether it be a pit bull, a parakeet or a pony. Left uncontrolled and unrestrained, a pet is vulnerable to any number of potential perils.

Rather than suggest that police officer “sensitivity” training be added to their already lengthy list of superfluous non-essential public safety concerns, why not consider a greater emphasis on pet owner “responsibility” training?

While I respect Ms. May’s concern and credentials in her capacity as executive director of The Misha May Foundation and vice president of the No Kill Colorado coalition, I would encourage her to place more emphasis on the real culprit of this oft-repeated tale of tragedy: the human caretaker.

Andrew Donlon, Pagosa Springs

Re: “Do American workers deserve an increase in the minimum wage?” Dec. 2 point-counterpoint columns.

Aspen Gorry’s defense of the status quo of the federal minimum wage is disingenuous at best. Youth are finding it more difficult to get entry-level jobs because displaced and downsized experienced workers are taking those jobs to support their families. Also, most minimum-wage jobs are offered by service industry employers that are large, multinational corporations (fast food, retail, hospitality), not small businesses. These corporations have solid profit margins with which they fund extraordinarily high CEO pay, lobbyists, and think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (which Aspen Gorry represents). Certainly, these employers can spare an extra 85 cents an hour next year to provide their employees a livable wage.

Henry Ford gave his workers a wage that allowed them to afford the products he was making and expand his markets, and reduced his turnover and training costs.

Wendy Hanophy, Golden

This letter was published in the Dec. 5 edition.

One of my first votes in the Vermont House was on a bill to raise the minimum wage.

Republicans argued that this would cause vast unemployment. I knew they were right, because my economics professor (a Libertarian) had shown, with a supply and demand graph, how a raise in the minimum wage would cause employment to plunge. No question. So, I voted “no.”

My Democratic colleagues were aghast! How could I? Well, the bill passed without my vote, and guess what happened. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

What did I learn? I learned that human beings (including employers) have more than one reason for a decision — hence, how they will react to legislation cannot be plotted on a graph.

Ann Harroun, Loveland

This letter was published in the Dec. 5 edition.

The enduring argument against raising the minimum wage is that doing so would limit first-job experiences for teens. But wouldn’t limiting their menial job opportunities encourage them to stay in school, perhaps long enough to get a college degree which would be the equivalent of early job experience?

The argument for increasing the minimum wage has always been that people (read adults) can’t survive on its totals without using public assistance. So wouldn’t raising the wage increase revenue through taxing higher incomes and decrease spending from reduced assistance? And, if heads of households can make more money, might their children be able to stay in school longer? And isn’t there plenty of research that says education pays?

Carmany Thorp, Highlands Ranch

This letter was published online only.

The recent point-counter-point debate regarding the minimum wage was interesting because both sides were right. Rep. Lynn Woolsey is correct to state that low-wage workers deserve more money, that the system is unfair, and this is a basic question of human dignity. Aspen Gorry is correct to state that the youth and unemployed would be harmed by an increase in the minimum wage, and the economy can’t handle it right now.

What is missing from this debate is a third way forward. A humble idea from a sadly under-recognized book, “Small Is Beautiful” by E.F. Schumacher, provides another way: America needs a “maximum wage differential.” The difference between the total compensation of the best-paid executives and the lowliest janitor or wage earner, should never exceed (something like) 100 times difference. If a company or industry is doing well, then it must reward all workers for its success, but still allow for higher-educated and risk-bearing jobs to be rewarded more as they are more deserving. If a company is doing poorly, then all share the pain, and executives cannot give themselves raises while destroying the company, as we recently saw with Hostess Brands, Inc. The size of the differential should be such that a hierarchy is preserved, but not so much that it can be grossly unfair.

This system, adopted nationwide, would destroy the class divide, eliminate the need for unions, immediately “lift the boats” of the poorest among us, and preserve the American notion that those who work harder or take more risk should be rewarded more for their service, but all who contribute should share in a company’s success or failure.

Patrick Cappa, Fort Collins

Now that attention has focused on the legalization of marijuana, can we have a grown-up conversation about industrial hemp? We have let a great renewable resource, with little or no THC, languish out of fear of reefer madness. Being able to increase the use of hemp could be a positive by-product of the pot controversy.

Patricia Scott, Denver

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