Let’s right the wrong of wolf reintroduction
Re: “Historic wolf releases face a barrage of challenges,” Jan. 14 news story
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioners and wolf reintroduction activists seem a bit overconfident about defeating a possible ballot initiative that would reverse this problematic program and provide for the remaining animals to be returned to their native areas out of state.
There are several reasons to question the supporters’ claimed “survey” showing 52% public support for the program:
• Taxpayer costs for the first three years, as projected by pre-vote information: $2.4 million. Actual, reported cost: $4.5 million. From reported recent moves at the state level, the overspending is getting worse.
• Experts claimed — in selling Proposition 114 to the voters — that the new apex predators would easily find ample natural wildlife prey; thus there would be little chance of livestock attacks. The opposite has proven true.
• The Commission continues to staff new and costly personnel for much greater interactive needs with ranch and agricultural property owners, including “range riders” who are supposed to manage wolf movements.
• Taxpayer costs in defending the state agency from ranch and ag claims have only just begun, and these will likely be gaslit to include only actual money payouts, leaving legal and court costs to some other part of the budget.
Bring on the reversal initiative!
Peter Ehrlich, Denver
Tariffs: An end-around to taxes
I just got it. The tariffs are a tax on the people, “legislated” by Donald Trump alone, no legislature required.
Here’s how: Importers pay the tariffs to the treasury; importers increase the costs to the next in line. Eventually, we get to the end of the line. Consumers. Us.
We end up paying the whole un-tax, and he likely gives the sum in treasury to his rich buddies (and himself) via tax cuts and brags about not raising taxes.
Bruce Sellers, Englewood
When you gotta go …
What’s up with the sudden proliferation of “no public restroom” signs all over Denver? I found myself walking downtown with my family when nature called. What first seemed to be a momentary inconvenience escalated into a real public health crisis when I was turned away by business after business and told that I could not use their restroom.
Denver’s revitalization depends on people going downtown to enjoy shows, restaurants and shops. It depends on people visiting from out of town for the stock show, conferences and conventions. Denver strives to be family-friendly with an abundance of public entertainment, fireworks, parades and events. Why are our city’s businesses enacting policies that foundationally undermine the public health and family-friendly fabric of our city? If the answer is tied to the homeless and drug use crisis, then let’s combat that through effective support services and law enforcement. Closing all the bathrooms to everyone makes Denver less attractive to live, work and visit.
I am calling on all businesses in Denver to voluntarily open their bathrooms to the public. It creates a healthier, cleaner, friendlier, more inclusive environment for us all. If our businesses are not willing to do the right thing in the interest of public health and decency, we should consider a legislative solution. Let’s not let Denver join the long list of cities that have faded into irrelevance.
Mark Herrlinger, Denver
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