Grandstanding for the media
Puerto Rico has had five turns at voting for statehood and as yet failed to get a majority yes vote. As a territory they don't pay federal taxes, or vote for the president or have a voting representative in Congress. When the mayor was on camera castigating the nonreceipt of assistance she was standing in front of pallet loads of water. Why wasn't that being distributed?
Later pictures and stories showed cases and cases of aid sitting on the docks, it was going nowhere because the locals could not find truck drivers or fork lift people to come to work. Tons of aid spoiled, please send more.
A protectionist transportation law prohibited ocean shipments, the president waived this. He sent a Navy hospital ship, our local Air Force and Army units have put together relief efforts, yet the media keeps crying about "not enough".
Mainland America will send more, that's the kind of people we are, however it is unfair to bite the hand that feeds you in an attempt to turn attention from one's own lack of preparedness. Florida and Texas got hammered, and the first thing you saw was neighbors getting out there to help one another, and disaster relief programs swinging into gear. A far cry from a mayor being "damn mad" while grandstanding for the media in front of undelivered pallets of water.
Michael S. Welsh
Colorado Springs
Outstanding job on the economy
I disagree with Rachael Stovall and the Gallup poll that said Americans were dissatisfied with economic growth and job creation. A Fox Business poll showed that most Americans were optimistic about the economy, especially small-business owners. More than a million jobs have been created in just 8 months. Economy growth is up from a very poor 2 percent under Obama to 3.4 percent under President Donald Trump, resulting in over 3 trillion dollars increase in GDP. Growth is expected to be 4 percent by the year's end, which will be 4 trillion dollars in GDP growth. We are 20 trillion dollars in debt (10 trillion just by Obama). The only way to overcome such a debt is through economic growth.
I think 4 trillion dollars extra is a good start. Dozens of business and job-killing regulations have been eliminated by Trump with the stroke of a pen. We are no longer strangled by the Paris Climate Accord, which was hosing U.S. companies while not making the other countries reduce emissions until 2030. What kind of idiot would make a deal like that besides Obama and Hillary?
I think Trump has done an outstanding job on the economy even without the do-nothings in Congress and the two-faced liars like John McCain who voted 62 times to repeal Obamacare when he knew it would be vetoed by Obama. He promised his constituents in his re-election that he would vote to repeal Obamacare, but when he had a president that would sign it, he voted against repeal.
Stovall also said Americans were dissatisfied with health care so I guess she would want Obamacare repealed also. (wink)
Stan Easterwood
Colorado Springs
Still doing something disrespectful
Since when does someone get to define an action that is self-evident as something else?
When football players kneel during the national anthem, regardless of what they say they are doing, they are showing disrespect to the flag, the anthem, and to the nation. They can say they are kneeling to protest social injustice, but they can't change the impact of their action with words; kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful.
In a Chicago high school, an American flag was displayed on the floor in what was supposed to be a forum on free speech. When criticized, the principal said, "This is in no way meant to disrespect the flag, the military, or the government; rather, it was used for students to reconcile their feelings about current issues and whether their First Amendment rights are protected." I'm sorry but you cannot change the fact of doing something disrespectful by saying no disrespect was intended.
Here is an analogy: The guy standing next to you spits in your face. As you are wiping the spittle from your cheek, you say to him, "Why did you spit in my face?" He says, "I'm not spitting in your face, I'm protesting social injustice." And you say, "No, dude, you're spitting in my face."
Also, Rusty Baker, (Letters, Sept. 29) if you find it interesting that only white folks are upset by football players taking a "stand," then you are misinformed. On the news channel I watch, many black folks are just as upset as white folks.
Anne Tobey
Cripple Creek
Unintended consequences
Much has been said and written about the NFL protests, but I would like to emphasize one point that has somewhat been overlooked.
In case you aren't aware, we now have entire pee-wee football teams of 8-year-olds kneeling for the national anthem who have no idea what they are protesting. So to Colin Kaepernick, all of the misguided spoiled-brat millionaire copycats, and apologists like David Ramsey, I would just like to say thank you.
John Fitts
Colorado Springs
Not good enough to volunteer
Did you know that if you have legally used medicinal marijuana products during the last 18 months you cannot be a volunteer at the Colorado Springs Police department? On that one issue alone you are disqualified; not can be, but are. You can have an otherwise exemplary record; it makes no difference. You have done nothing wrong, except trying to find a solution to a medical problem.
So within the myriad alternative medications legally available, and with a doctor's order, why does this drug preclude you from trying to be a good citizen and volunteer to help your community? Don't believe me? Try to apply and say you have used legally proscribed and obtained medicinal marijuana within the last 18 months. Is this the way it should work? Citizens need to speak up, so I am.
Daryl Kuiper
Colorado Springs
