Trump should work to make “Dreamers” permanent citizens
Whether you agree with his policy or not, President Donald Trump has accomplished his goal of stemming the flow of illegal migrants, and his emphasis on deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records will no doubt also be successful.
President Trump should now encourage Congress to initiate long overdue comprehensive legislation that would not only update our immigration laws but also resolve the DACA/Dreamers issue.
Some of the migrants living here are covered temporarily under DACA while others are simply “Dreamers” (the larger population of unauthorized migrants who arrived as minors to the United States). Many in both categories are law-abiding people who have been living in America for years, working, paying taxes, attending school, etc. And yes, that includes thousands of workers who are necessary in our agriculture and construction workforce. Many of these migrants are not only worthy of a permanent legal status but deserve it.
With the president’s support, reasonable legislation would easily move through both houses of Congress. It would not only be the right thing to do, but for the president and his party, it would be the smart thing to do.
I am sure a large majority of Americans in both parties support legal immigration and would like to see a revision to our overall immigration policy that would accommodate a reasonable number of vetted immigrants (for valid reasons) and a fair resolution to the DACA/ Dreamers issue.
Jim Malec, Roxborough Park
“TABOR is our security”
Re: “Don’t raid Coloradans’ unclaimed property to patch up state’s broken budget,” March 8 commentary
Why would someone plan for the future while the house is still burning down? As a former member of the Joint Budget Committee and current treasurer of Colorado, it puzzles me that the investments Dave Young has made should be out of bounds for solving a budget deficit happening now.
A solution to Colorado’s fiscal problem this year requires all hands on deck to stop the bleeding. Sacrifice across the board would make more sense than cherry-picking programs and digging into TABOR.
We, as taxpayers, did not cause this problem. A legislature with a bias for political agendas has put Colorado in this position. Those biases are public education, Medicaid, and relief from property taxes. If Colorado is an overconsumer of those line items, it is the duty of the legislature to correct its mistakes and find a solution.
When you say we, the taxpayers, need to find a solution, you are shifting your poor decision-making onto the residents of this state. TABOR is our security. If the treasurer of Colorado wants to change TABOR, let him put his job on the line or let us access the state’s unclaimed property trust fund or at least the interest on the fund.
Bob Grimes, Windsor
3 ways to increase tax revenues
Re: “State Budget: Ideas how to cut $1B without harming Coloradans? I chair the committee. Call me.” Jan. 15 commentary
It may not be much help for immediate budget cuts this fiscal year, but there are at least three ways to increase tax revenues unconstrained by TABOR if the money goes to an enterprise fund instead of the general fund.
First, increase the fuel tax on both gasoline and diesel fuel to help pay for emergency-repair projects like the US 50/Blue Mesa bridges, mudslide cleanup in Glenwood Canyon, and rockfall mitigation in Clear Creek Canyon.
Second, increase state land lease fees and royalties for all uses: oil and gas exploration, production and transportation, logging, grazing, utility line corridors, etc. Those additional dollars should be used to increase support for statewide higher education.
Third, add two historic mining towns on the Western Slope to the three Front Range “gaming towns” — for example, Silverton or Oak Creek (a former coal-mining town near Steamboat Springs). Then designate all the state income from those two new gaming towns specifically for K-12 education on the Western Slope.
Steve Hart, Lakewood
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