letter-editor

What makes Great Places, and why do so many communities wish they had just one more chance? How can we harness a Boom? How do we create an enchanted downtown and other wonderful community amenities? There is only One Way!!

The Aspen's, Austin's, Boulder's and Sedona's don't just happen. What makes great places is their Vision! The Houston's, Farmington's and Gillette's fell victim to the oft-quoted Ed McMann's (ULI) saying "If your community doesn't control development, then development controls your community".

The second amendment of the United States Constitution states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.

On October 3, 2017, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published an article and infographic titled the "Importance of Rural Transportation" in its Tuesday Transportation release. The title grabbed our attention as advocates for rural transportation. Once it was pulled up on a computer, it was very disappointing that the infographic was created with a very narrow scope. While transit is certainly important to rural transportation, the narrow scope left major roles of rural transportation unaddressed.

We're at a unique time in our country, with more support for universal health care than ever before. 

Because of this, those who want to keep the status quo--for their profit, not yours--will rail against universal care using tired arguments like socialized medicine.

They'll try to pit us against one another. They'd like to convince you that helping fellow Americans takes money out of your pocket, when in fact, they are the ones doing the taking.

How many times have you heard this gem?

Interventions can be the difference between life and death for a drug addict or an alcoholic. Not every person in need of rehab is going to initially jump at the chance to get clean and handle the issues that drove them to addiction. While some addicts or alcoholics have been so badly beaten and battered by their lifestyle that they grasp at the first opportunity to deal with their problems, others need some type of external help in order to seek help.

It will no doubt take a wide array of resources and strategies to achieve the clean air and water initiatives outlined in Gov. John Hickenlooper's executive order this month. Thankfully, the state's grain corn farmers and biofuels industry are already making a difference, and are proud to be a part of the efforts needed to achieve Hickenlooper's vision of Colorado utilizing "renewable" and "affordable energy."

Dear Editor

The Colorado Legislature passed a bill that was signed into law recently that has far-reaching implications for our state.

By Richard Gingery, MD

For seven years, Republicans in Congress have spent their energy trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and used every opportunity to try to undermine the health law. They promised that they would replace the ACA with a plan that would cover more people, lower costs for consumers, and protect vulnerable populations--without ever offering any details about how they would do that.