Category Archives: Democrat

I am rounding out my first term in the Montana Legislature and have spent the past year thinking about hope: where we find hope, how we create it, what is both feeding and eroding it, and the future of hope within our democratic institutions. I am writing to share one of the conversations on hope Ive been having with myself.

I recently returned from a legislative leadership academy with a bipartisan group of state lawmakers from across the West. We gathered to learn about the history of state legislatures, how to negotiate and build consensus, communicate effectively, and find common ground.

We also spent time together studying the history of democracies the Athenian democracies and Greek republics all of which came to an end after several centuries, driven, in part, by disregard for political norms and violent rhetoric.

These history lessons made me think about Montanas 2021 Legislative Session. As a Democrat in the deep minority, I watched how our caucus was marginalized and side-lined without adherence to process. Over the course of the session, I imagined that if Democrats were in the majority, we would treat the minority party with the graciousness and integrity we did not receive. But in conversations with my colleagues from the legislative academy, Republicans in the minorities in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, they told me their Democratic colleagues treated them just as we were treated.

These stories make me feel disheartened. We are working within a system that dehumanizes people and belittles efforts toward kindness and recognition of our humanness. I am disappointed in our bipartisan behavior toward the other that seems to come as a reflex of unexamined power. I also recognize thoughtfulness around power opens up space to include everyone in the work of building an ethic of love in politics. This work takes discipline and a caring for each other and the integrity of our democracy.

It is challenging to run a campaign on a platform of curiosity, generousness, middle-ground, and thoughtfulness. The messaging doesnt come easy. This kind of campaigning demands more time, attentiveness, listening, asking the questions, and a rejection of the reductive soundbites and slogans we are accustomed to in politics. But campaigns built on disparaging or distancing ourselves from each other make it hard to serve with a spirit of partnership and decency.

Despite all of that, a beautiful thing about politics is that the closer we get to the people, moving from national to state to local public service, the more our partisan divides diminish and the easier it is to find common ground, shared values, and consensus. I find hope in We, the people. I find hope in public servants who are meeting people where they are and doing the work that directly improves the lives of those in their communities. I will continue to search for hope in democracy by showing up with love, integrity, and humanness.

Rep. Alice Buckley, D-Bozeman

Continued here:

The future of hope within our democratic institutions - Daily Inter Lake

In 2020, riots wreaked havoc across the country. In Denver, rioters lit fires around the state capitol and smashed windows like those of the popular sandwich chain Quiznos. As cities were burned and looted, far-left Democrats pushed the dangerous and wildly out-of-touch effort to defund the police.

In Colorado, violent crimes in 2020 increased 6.5 percent to a rate of 423 per 100,000 people, versus the national average of 398. This represents the states highest level of violent crime in 25 years. We saw a 29 percent increase in homicides, an 18 percent increase in aggravated assaults, and a 51 percent increase in homicides in the Denver metro area.

In 2021, rather than fight the crime wave, Democrats doubled down with policies that made the lives of criminals easier, and the lives of law enforcement harder.

READ:Colorado Sun opinion columnists.

During the 2021 legislative session, despite an outcry of opposition from law enforcement, Colorado Democratic lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 273, a radical bail-reform law that would have eliminated bonds for class 4, 5, and 6 felonies the tier of lesser felonies.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski warned that the proposed law completely takes away our discretion in dealing with repeat offenders and unfortunately while these crimes are labeled lower-level, they affect thousands of crime victims. The House never voted on the bill, and it did not become law.

Though they failed to pass SB21-273, Democrats did pass six other anti-police bills during the 2021 legislative session including;

To make matters worse, the problems have been exacerbated by the The Denver County Court and District Attorney releasing a record number of individuals who were arrested with either low or no bond. The problem has gotten so bad that the Denver Police Chief has turned to federal agents for help. It seems to be that with fewer officers intercepting crime, and no punishment from the state to hold criminals accountable, the moral obligation to follow the law is diminishing.

Clearly, the results of the anti-police rhetoric and subsequent policies were predictable.

In the year that just ended in Colorado, the average monthly crime rate was 15 percent higher than 2019, and nearly 30 percent higher than a decade ago. Violent crime was up 35 percent since 2011, while nationally the increase was only 3 percent. Of the people being arrested for these crimes in Denver, 70 percent had prior arrests, 30 percent had 5 or more, and 54 percent had multiple arrests in the same year.

In 2021 we saw a 38.6 percent increase in motor vehicle theft and a 2,600 percent increase in the theft of catalytic converters since 2019. Colorado leads the nation in the rate of auto thefts and saw the largest increase in property crime rates in the country.

The results of these record high numbers are damaging to communities, individuals, businesses and the state economy. Chris Brown, the vice president of research and policy at The Common Sense Institute, who collected data on arrests and court records, said rising crime has a high price tag, the research shows: $27 billion in total, an amount equal to 77% of the state budget, which works out to an average cost of $4,762 a year for every Coloradan.

As if those numbers were not enough, Colorado Democrats want to restrict your right to defend yourself and your family, passing no fewer than six gun-control laws this same session.

Ivory tower leftists like Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Cori Bush (D-MO) dont feel the impact of a crime surge. They can afford to pontificate on the evils of policing while they themselves spend thousands of dollars on security services.

It is everyday Americans that feel the impact. Small businesses, families, and communities are experiencing the devastating effects of anti-police rhetoric and police department budget cuts.

Voters are growing weary of abysmal crime policy.

Anti-police rhetoric and policies are wildly unpopular, and voters are making it known. So far, Democrats have not indicated that they are going to reverse course and stop instigating rising crime. If they dont, the crime wave will be followed by a red wave in 2022.

Mary Bradfield, of Colorado Springs, represents the 21st District in the Colorado House of Representatives.

Note: The original version of this column erroneously asserted that Senate Bill 273 was passed into law. The bill did pass the Senate, but it did not receive a vote in the House, where it was referred to a committee and postponed indefinitely. The correction was made Jan. 2 at 1:36 p.m.

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Original post:

Opinion: Crime is up, and Democratic lawmakers aren't helping - The Colorado Sun

WATAUGA Watauga County and other portions of the High Country will get the first real snow of the season on Sunday night into the early morning and afternoon on Monday.

A winter storm warning will be in effect from 10 p.m. Sunday night to noon on Monday, Jan. 3, according to the National Weather Service out of Blacksburg, Virginia.

Heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 5 to 6 inches possible with locally higher amounts along the ridges, according to NWS. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph are also possible.

The gusty winds and wet snow could cause limbs to snap, especially along the higher elevations, which could result in power outages, according to NWS.

If someone must travel, NWS states they should keep keep an extra flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency.

NWS stated a slow moving front will stall across the Tidewater of Virginia, Southwest into Georgia. Meanwhile, a secondary low will form on this front this evening while colder air from an upper level disturbance moves across the southern Appalachians. These two will bring a changeover of rain to snow starting in the mountains by midnight, reaching the piedmont by dawn. The system exits by early Monday afternoon.

Community members can report snow accumulations via email at rnk.skywarn@noaa.gov or by calling the National Weather Service toll free at 1 (866) 215-4324. Leave a message with the observation and the specific location where it occurred. Community members can also post their report to National Weather Service Blacksburg Facebook page and on Twitter.

The rest is here:

Winter weather: First real snow of season expected in Watauga as winter storm set to move through the area Sunday night - Watauga Democrat

Congressional Democrats are ending 2021 without delivering on a promised racial justice agenda but refuse to concede defeat, and instead told Black voters that they will keep trying next year.

Democratic lawmakers, who promised an overhaul of policing and voting laws that they said would benefit Black communities, also suffered a racial justice setback with the year-end demise of President Bidens $1.75 trillion social welfare and climate bill.

The Congressional Black Caucus and other Democrats touted the bill as the last chance this year to deliver at least some new benefits for minorities, including more funding for housing, healthcare and other social programs.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was left demanding the Senate cut short its year-end vacation to try to force through Democrats overhaul of the nations voting laws.

Black communities across the nation stand to lose the most if the Senate does not do its job and pass voting rights legislation, Mrs. Beatty, Ohio Democrat, said in a statement. This must not be filibustered. Voting rights have been a bipartisan issue reauthorized by four republican administrations and it is time to send it to President Bidens desk for reauthorization.

Senate Democrats did not cut short the break.

The fight over voting rights has become a partisan showdown with Democrats pursuing a bill that would rewrite laws in GOP-run states and Republicans opposing it as a power grab at the ballot box.

Senate Democrats have virtually no chance of pushing the partisan voting bill through the 50-50 spit chamber, and it is doubtful they have the inclination or the votes to blow up the filibuster that has helped keep their agenda in check.

Liberal activists and think tanks didnt pull punches about the Democrats unfinished work on racial justice issues.

No progress at the federal level will mean a continued reversal, said Rashawn Ray, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Brookings Institution. Clearly, Congress has failed Americans on police reform. Democrats will be overly blamed for it and, potentially, rightfully so. Voters put them in office to make changes on police reform.

He said Democrats failure to pass Mr. Bidens social welfare package alone was a step backward would for Black people with rents and housing prices rising this year.

Without additional rental assistance and grants to help first-time homeowners who are disproportionately minorities, Black families would be in worse shape than before, said Mr. Ray.

The massive spending bill collapsed when Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, withdrew his support over concerns it was too expensive and would fuel more inflation. The bill couldnt advance without all 50 Senate Democrats on board.

About three months earlier, Senate Democrats threw in the towel on a sweeping revamp of policing laws after negotiations with Republicans stalled. The talks had gone on for months but couldnt resolve hot-button issues such as the Democrats proposal to strip police of qualified immunity, a legal precedent that protects public officials from liability for their actions in the line of duty.

Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat leading the negotiations, said it had become impossible to make progress with his Republican counterparts and it was time to explore other options.

Since then, no new options emerged.

The Republicans lead negotiator, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, said his Democratic colleagues walked away from the table.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Washington Democrat, pushed back against the idea that the year was a lost opportunity on the racial justice front. She pointed to the child tax credit in the American Rescue Plan that sent monthly payments of $300 per child to most parents.

The tax break added enough money to families pockets to lift an estimated 3 million children out of poverty and disproportionately benefit minorities, noted Ms. Strickland, who is a Black Korean American.

The direct payments to parents, however, expire at the end of the year. An extension of the tax credit was a key feature of Mr. Bidens derailed $1.75 trillion social welfare and climate bill known as the Build Back Better Act.

Still, Ms. Strickland pointed to the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending that Mr. Biden signed in November as something of a racial justice win. He noted that it included $15 billion to replace lead pipes, which disproportionately hurt minority children.

I want to make sure that were not underselling the significance of all the things that have happened in this administration, Ms. Strickland told The Washington Times. If we really want to push things forward on racial and social justice issues, were going to have to elect more Democrats in the Senate and hold the House. Thats the reality,

Other Democrats who champion a racial justice agenda, including far-left Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, refused to take solace in the passage of infrastructure spending.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez joined five other House Democrats, all people of color, in voting against the infrastructure bill. They called it inadequate.Ms. Occasio-Cortez told constituents during a video town hall meeting that $15 billion to replace lead pipes falls far short of the $60 billion experts say is needed. The federal government new must choose some places to have the privilege to have their lead pipes replaced, she said.

The setbacks to Democrats racial justice agenda did not all involve Senate Republicans.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus, proposed a bill this year that would have created a commission to study reparations to the descendants of slaves. The bill was passed by the House Judiciary Committee but Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, never brought it to the floor for a vote by the entire chamber. The vote would have put some vulnerable Democrats in a tough spot ahead of what is expected to be brutal midterm elections for the party in 2022.

Mrs. Lee blamed scheduling issues, though not enough moderate House Democrats have publicly supported the bill for it to pass.At a recent press conference outside the Capitol, Mrs. Lee basked in the symbolism of Congress even discussing the possibility of paying reparations to Black Americans.

You are standing in the shadow of the United States Capitol Building that was built by slaves. I cant think of a more significant moment, she said.

Read more here:

Democrats end the year empty-handed on racial justice but won't call it a loss - Washington Times

Federalist publisher Ben Domenech on Tuesday called for a "reckoning" in the new year, urging Americans to "demand more of ournation, our neighbors andourselves" and reject the chaos, crime, and flagrant abuses of power that have become commonplace.

Reflecting on the top stories of 2021, the "Fox News Primetime" host delivered an impassioned opening monologue encouraging viewers to reclaim their sense of "normal" after years of disruptive far-left policies.

"It istime in this closing week totake stock of all that we learned thisyear,the frauds that were exposed, the evils we learned to hate,and the truths we woke up to whowe are and who we hope to be,"Domenech said. "A year that began with a promisethat now we could return tonormal and ended with ahorrifying possibility thatthis, all of this terrible thisis normal now."

TOPSHOT - President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greet supporters. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Domenech outlined the top stories of the year, including the war between parents and school systems, the increased divide between the elite class and the American people, the surging crime rates as a result of far-left bail reform policies, and the ugly "truths" exposed by a pandemic that continues to rage in various parts of the world.

DOMENECH: BIDEN DOUBLING DOWN ON POLICIES THAT AREN'T WORKING

"It was a year when court caseswere at the center of thenational discussion.Kyle Rittenhouse, Derek Chauvin,Jussie Smollett, GhislaineMaxwell.For the results of the biggestcases, we will have to wait untilnext year when the Supreme Courtwill weigh in on Joe Bidensunconstitutional vaccine mandateand decide whether, despite thelongstanding dominant legalregime of infant murder, thequestion of abortion willfinally be returned to thepeople."

The dominating stories of the year were all "sold tothe people under false narrativeof tolerance, kindness and love," Domenech said, scolding left-wing politicians for operating under the belief that "as long as the message is thatyou care, it doesnt matter thatyour policies ruin lives,destroy livelihoods and makewreckage of great Americancities."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Let 2022 be the year where wesay enough, no more." the host declared. "When we demand more of ournation, our neighbors andourselves, things cannotcontinue as they are.This is not the new normal," he said. "We refuse to let it be.Because we are awake and we willnot sleep until the reckoningcomes."

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Democrats face a year of 'reckoning' as Americans reclaim their sense of normal: Ben Domenech - Fox News

The Young Democrats of Collin County have asked John Stafford to withdraw his bid for a county commissioner seat in a statement on social media.

Stafford, a Democratic political consultant in North Texas, is facing a criminal charge amid allegations that he sent misleading communications during the 2021 Plano City Council election.

About 44,000 text messages were sent to Plano residents during the race, many of them after 9 p.m., Plano police spokeswoman Andrae Smith previously said. Stafford has denied any wrongdoing.

The Young Democrats of Collin County is a political organization composed of Collin County members between the ages of 14 and 40. The group confirmed its statement Tuesday, calling on Stafford to withdraw from the November 2022 election as a candidate for office. We need representation that stands up for Democratic values, not someone who consistently goes against those values.

The groups statement also read: John Stafford has finally stepped down as the fundraising officer of the party. The reference refers to Staffords resignation from that position to run for the commissioners seat.

Stafford said Tuesday that he resigned because state law requires he cannot run for office and hold the position simultaneously.

Staffords attorney, Kyle Therrian, responded Tuesday to the groups statement.

It would be disingenuous to not defend CCYDs right to say what they wish about Mr. Stafford a person we are defending to protect the First Amendment rights of everyone, Therrian said in a written response. That said, we will remain focused on matters pertaining to the District Attorneys unprecedented and unconstitutional prosecution.

The Collin County Young Democrats seeks to influence the political process and elect Democratic leaders throughout the state, according to its website. The group is also a local chapter of YDA (Young Democrats of America).

One of the text messages Stafford allegedly sent read, in part: Make Plano Great Again. Vote for Donald Trump co-chair Lily Bao for mayor. The message also named other candidates, including some who ran in the Plano ISD school board race.

Former council member Lily Bao, who made an unsuccessful run for mayor in the May 1 election, called the messages disinformation and said that sending them later in the evening appeared to be an attempt to further anger the recipients.

He really negatively affected the Plano council race, Bao previously said.

Read more:

Collin County Young Democrats call for John Stafford to withdraw from commissioner race - The Dallas Morning News

BOYS SINGLES PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JACOB NORDIN

SCHOOL: Fayetteville

CLASS: Sophomore

NOTABLE: Roared from a low seed to claim the 6A boys state singles championship in stunning fashion over favored Carter Swope 7-5, 6-3. ... Helped Bulldogs claim the team championship. ... Nordin's run started with a win over the 6A-Central's top seed Isaiah Bordador in the quarterfinals. ... Also played in the state overall tournament, where he lost to Joe Patton of Jonesboro in the semifinals.

THAT'S WHAT HE SAID: "I wasn't very confident going to state, but after I beat Bordador I felt pretty good. I think at first I was kind of overwhelmed looking at the draw. But after I beat Isaiah I felt pretty confident. I felt really good about how I played. In conference, I lost to Carter 6-4, 6-4, but I was in the match. I knew I needed to do the little things. Next year I know it will be a little nerve-wracking. I know I'll have a target on me. If they beat me, they'll know that they're up there, so I have to keep it up. For sure there will be a little pressure."

DOUBLES TEAM OF THE YEAR

BOYCE REEDandSANTIAGO AGUIRRE

SCHOOL: Bentonville

CLASS: Both are freshmen

NOTABLE: Freshmen quickly made their mark in 6A tennis by winning the 6A-West Conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the 6A state tournament. Finished runner up at 6A state tournament to Stefan Tudoreanu and Alex Wells 6-4, 2-6, 7-5. Advanced to semifinals of state overall tournament, falling in the semifinals 6-0,6-2. Both earned all-state honors.

THATS WHAT THEY SAID: It was kind of a weird situation with our team and who wanted to play together, said Reed. So the coaches decided since we were freshmen that they would put us together so that we could play all four years of high school together. We got put together in the middle of the season. It was an odd adjustment at first, but once we got used to each other, it worked out great.

We won our first match together and I thought this could be a good season for us, said Aguirre. The more we played, we just learned how each other played. We played our best in the conference tournament. We could have played better at state. Our opponents played really well, but we could have played better. Next year I think we can play a lot better after playing this year as freshmen.

More here:

Nordin, Reed and Aguirre among All-NWA Democrat-Gazette Tennis picks - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, one of the Republican Partys staunchest devotees to the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, continued to spread such claims this week and in the process delivered one of the more honest statements about voter fraud and stolen elections any Republican lawmaker has made this year.

How to steal an election, Paul tweeted Monday night, before quoting an article from The American Conservative. Seeding an area heavy with potential Democratic votes with as many absentee ballots as possible, targeting and convincing potential voters to complete them in a legally valid way, and then harvesting and counting the results.

The attached piece, which purportedly described Democrats and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs efforts to steal Wisconsin for President Joe Biden last year, failed to provide any proof of nefarious behavior: Instead, it documented efforts to encourage and Increase Absentee Voting and dramatically expand strategic voter education & outreach efforts, particularly to historically disenfranchised residents.

As Pauls tweet helpfully noted, all of these efforts were perfectly legitimate: The phrase legally valid is prominently featured in the sentence he chose to excerpt. Routine audits of Wisconsins elections, meanwhile, produced no evidence of fraud or irregularities in last years contest.

But proof of fraud is not the point of this claim or any other Paul, Trump and various Republicans have made over the last year or, really, over the last decade. As Pauls tweet stated more clearly than Republicans typically do, their claims about voter fraud, stolen elections and election integrity are merely euphemisms for the GOPs actual belief that people voting for Democrats is enough to render an election entirely illegitimate. A Democratic victory is, by definition, the result of theft.

This is the core belief of the modern Republican Party, which reacted to the 2020 election by spreading lies about election fraud, attempting to overturn Trumps loss, and fomenting a riotous insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, all because Trump lost what numerous Republican, Democratic and independent election observers have repeatedly called the safest, most secure and most audited election in American history. When that didnt achieve their desired result, they institutionalized the aims of the insurrection, passing more than 30 new laws to restrict voting rights and asserting new levels of partisan control over local and state election systems ahead of the next presidential contest.

These efforts have all primarily targeted voters that tend to favor Democrats Black people, Latinos, Native Americans, college students, people with disabilities, and anyone who lives in cities or other localities that typically vote blue. And they are all obviously rooted in Republican anger that too many voters voted for Democrats, not that anyone mightve cast ballots illegally.

In Georgia, Republicans added stricter voter ID requirements to absentee ballots, tightening access to a vote-by-mail program the GOP created more than a decade ago in a way they never felt was necessary until Biden became the first Democrat to win the state since 1980. In Arizona, the GOP-controlled legislature made similar changes to absentee ballot laws they originally enacted, after Biden notched Democrats first presidential victory there in more than two decades. In Texas where its already harder to vote than in most other states they barred drive-through voting and imposed other new voting restrictions in an effort to ward off potential Democratic victories in the near future.

Republicans and their conservative allies have also targeted election officials and offices in key states, purging or stripping power from those who made it too easy to vote or refused to go along with Trumps election gambit, part of a broader effort to bend the 2024 election to their liking or try to overturn the result if they need to. In Wisconsin, the subject of Pauls tweet, Republicans have sought to undermine the electoral system they just reformed less than a decade ago and are attempting to forcibly replace the states top elections official.

None of this will prevent the sort of nefarious behavior their countless utterances of voter fraud are meant to evoke, both because that sort of behavior is exceptionally rare in American politics and because actual voter fraud has never been the target of their ire. But neither will insisting to Republicans, or to conservative voters who believe their claims, that voter fraud doesnt actually occur succeed in thwarting the GOPs attempts to suppress votes and subvert American democracy.

Its painfully obvious what Republicans are trying to do, and why. Paul was simply, if perhaps inadvertently, candid about it: To the modern GOP and an increasingly large share of its conservative base, theres no such thing as a legally valid vote for a Democrat, and no such thing as a legitimate election if a Democrat wins it.

Continue reading here:

Rand Paul Inadvertently Tells The Truth About Republican Voter Fraud Claims - HuffPost

Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, Inc. of Holley

Francis A. Zambito

Holley - Francis A. "Zom," "Frank" Zambito passed away peacefully after a long illness on December 27, 2021, with his family by his side.

Francis was predeceased by his wife Delores, mother Josephine, father Antonino, brother Frankie, and sister Annie, both in childhood.

He is survived by his children Tony (Patty), Jim (Cathy) and Marie, and his grandchildren Nikki (Jen), Matt, Andrew (Anna), and Justin.

Frank worked with his father farming in Elba in his youth, then went on to Lipton's, A&P, Owens Illinois, GE, and Kleen Brite in his later years. He is probably best remembered in Holley as the owner of the Holley Liquor Store for many years.

His joys in life were always his wife, children, and grandchildren. Family gatherings were everything to him, and we consider ourselves lucky to have had one more Christmas with him. He joins his beloved Delores, whom he has missed dearly for seven years.

Services will be announced at a later date due to the COVID spike. We hope to be able to receive friends and loved ones when we can hug freely again.

In his memory, please consider a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Frank's arrangements have been entrusted to the Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, Inc. of Holley, NY.

To share a special memory of Frank, please visit http://www.mitchellfamilyfuneralhomes.com.

Posted online on December 28, 2021

Published in Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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Francis A. Zambito Obituary - Rochester Democrat And Chronicle - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Will ranchers be fully compensated?

Even before the reintroduction of 20-30 more wolves to rural Colorado counties, a rancher has suffered financial loss. So how will the rancher(s) be compensated?

My sources in the cattle industry say a mixed-breed 500 pound heifers value is $950. This purebred heifers value is $200-300 more. The rancher must also consider his future investment profits lost. At 2 years of age, the killed heifer would have reproduced one calf per year for at least 10-12 years. If the offspring were sold at todays market value, the ranchers loss would be in the range of $180,000. Will the ranchers who suffer from wolf losses be paid fairly?

Rio Blanco County has declared its county off-limits to wolves, but will the wolves honor their county lines?

Rachel Meyer

Colorado Springs

In his letter titled Dangerously ridiculous hypocrisy, Mike Murphy asks Mike Rosen to identify Democrats opposing the vaccine developed during Donald Trumps presidency.

I can help with that: The most famous example is CNN interview of then vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris by Caroline Kelly on Sept. 5, 2020. Harris was unambiguous in doubting efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

Sidney Benda

Monument

This pandemic can be controlled if we, as a member of society, would be responsible. Getting the vaccine is the ideal action but wearing a mask is a second option. We must realize that as a member of society we are subject to certain norms. We should not put others at risk. Think about others, do not be selfish.

Anna T. Lopez

Colorado Springs

Vince Bdzeks column (The pandemic is taking a toll on journalists) was interesting. He raised an issue without seeming to realize that he also identified its source.

When journalists say they have to keep telling the story, even if its about the deniers, they show themselves to be the believers. When they refer to misinformation, the implication is that anything that deviates from that of the believers is false. When they refer to their work as truth, rather than accuracy (see Absence of Malice for a great crash course on the difference), the reader begins to question the integrity of the source when the truth keeps changing.

If journalists accept what theyre told without asking questions that to many of us are obvious, without challenging the dominant theme, they become little more than PR for whoever theyre quoting. We assume objectivity and skepticism and investigation from journalists, but the fact is that everyone, knowingly or not, has a core belief system from which they report.

With so much information available from so many sources, the public is right to object to what starts to look more like dogma. Weve been led down false paths before. Local news is to a large extent being tarred with the hostile brush so deservedly applied to network and mainstream sources.

Journalists are people. We are, too. Were all angry and exhausted. The irrationality of public policy demands have led to this, and all of us are paying the price.

Donna Brosemer

Westminster

Having returned in mid-December from a trip to Hawaii, I found the letter An effective response to COVID-19 regarding Hawaiis COVID protocols in the Dec. 23 Gazette interesting.

Our experience regarding the Hawaiian COVID response was somewhat different.

After leaving the airport in Kona, we were never asked for our vaccination card by any establishment, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, etc. In fact I stopped carrying the card after about our third day on the island. We were on the big Island Hawaii.

We went on several tourist attractions including a dinner cruise. The only people on the dinner cruise boat wearing masks were the crew. Ditto for the other tourist events.

In general, most people wore masks indoors but my unscientific guestimate is about 20% of the people did not wear masks. And of those that were wearing masks indoors, many masks were only covering the persons chin or lips.

So I would take exception to the statement Bars and restaurant require that patrons be fully vaccinated, and they absolutely check these credentials; every patron, every time.

As I said, we were never asked for our credentials.

Mark Swan

Colorado Springs

H

Thanks to The Gazette for the On Edge series. It not only highlighted the great need for mental health care, but also the incompetence of the state government over many years. They have allowed no compete contracts, allowed the trade group to dictate preferred treatment. There is very little oversight of taxpayers money for this very vulnerable population.

I truly believe this is how our state government manages all of the taxes they collect. Thank God for TABOR. I for one will not be voting for another tax increase for anything until all levels of government start providing oversight, and common sense on the spending of any funds.

Sharon Solheim

Palmer Lake

Read the rest here:

LETTERS: Will ranchers be fully compensated?; Democrats opposing the vaccine - Colorado Springs Gazette