Letters to the Editor

Veterans should be aware of proposals
Letters to the Editor

Veterans should be aware of proposals

June 14, 2017

This line is answered by an actual person who will receive and process your concerns regarding VA healthcare and/or VA benefits to the appropriate department. It is available to anyone:…

RACs essential so we can work together
Letters to the Editor

RACs essential so we can work together

June 14, 2017

For a decade I served our area on the BLM’s Southwest Resource Advisory Council or RAC. At different times I represented the environment and/or the area’s history and cultural resources.…

Too much missing from the newspaper
Letters to the Editor

Too much missing from the newspaper

June 14, 2017

The only reasons I can come up with is it’s too expensive, and you now only print local stuff. There “ain’t” much of a paper left anymore! Reading the Herald…

Tipton’s votes reveal his ‘constituents’
Letters to the Editor

Tipton’s votes reveal his ‘constituents’

June 13, 2017

After that meltdown, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act to protect us from the financial industry’s worst abuses. Guess what! Last week, our Rep. Scott Tipton voted to get rid of…

Tipton, be more cautious in the future
Letters to the Editor

Tipton, be more cautious in the future

June 13, 2017

The bill is devilishly deceiving. It holds the EPA to a new standard, clearly expressed in the bills’s statement of purpose, “to prohibit the EPA from proposing, finalizing or disseminating…

Column on Cuba missed important point
Letters to the Editor

Column on Cuba missed important point

June 12, 2017

While I agree that the U.S. embargo is a brain-dead policy, Cuba has been able to trade with the entire rest of the world aside from the U.S. for 55…

Time to remove signs near Mesa Verde
Letters to the Editor

Time to remove signs near Mesa Verde

June 12, 2017

A few months ago, an active duty military person wrote a letter to the editor exclaiming the inappropriateness of Nazi emblems being displayed on the building. These symbols were removed,…

Any type of boat can bring invasive species
Letters to the Editor

Any type of boat can bring invasive species

June 12, 2017

In fact, any boat potentially could have invasive species present. That would include kayaks or rafts as well as rowboats or sailboats. Granted, some watercraft are more likely than others.…

Lack of compassion at Mercy a problem
Letters to the Editor

Lack of compassion at Mercy a problem

June 12, 2017

My partner has been trying to get help for back pain issues related to old injuries since before Christmas. It took several primary care visits and a trip to the…

‘Originalism’ opinion page appreciated
Letters to the Editor

‘Originalism’ opinion page appreciated

June 9, 2017

The exercise of thoughtfully considering all sides of an issue is basic to fulfilling our responsibility as citizens. Reading these two opposing pieces prompted me to move beyond the opinions…

County officials need to meet code, too
Letters to the Editor

County officials need to meet code, too

June 9, 2017

Approximately one year ago, under his direction, a remodel of a county facility was constructed from start to finish without a single permit application – no structural plans, no plumbing…

Rule of law an outdated concept in U.S.
Letters to the Editor

Rule of law an outdated concept in U.S.

June 9, 2017

We pay ever more for ever less. Meanwhile, unlawful intrusion continues as justices assign divine rights to patriarchal politicians and corporate leaders to deny women access to reproductive health care,…

Voters, not Trump himself, responsible
Letters to the Editor

Voters, not Trump himself, responsible

June 9, 2017

So, here we go by the numbers. First, I do not forgive Trump voters who fall into three categories: The racist, misogynist xenophobes who celebrated President Donald Trump’s dog whistles;…

‘Improved’ does not describe N. Main Ave.
Letters to the Editor

‘Improved’ does not describe N. Main Ave.

June 9, 2017

North Main is all done except for restriping? The surface is uneven, the old striping shows right through, the manholes are tire-eaters and there are long seams that grab tires…

Maybe it is time to give up home phone?
Letters to the Editor

Maybe it is time to give up home phone?

June 9, 2017

Since moving my service to Spectrum last year, apparently, I don’t rate that privilege anymore. Don’t know if I would rather give up Spectrum, the “home phone” or the phone…

Police presence in town a good first step
Letters to the Editor

Police presence in town a good first step

June 9, 2017

It only takes a couple of quick foot patrols – one in the afternoon and one in the evenings. Those that are criminals just have a way of disappearing when…

Wildfire threat multiplied by climate
Letters to the Editor

Wildfire threat multiplied by climate

June 9, 2017

Tania Schoennagel, a fire ecologist, recently testified at a congressional hearing that “wildfires in the West have increased in size and intensity in recent decades, and that trend is expected…

The law of unintended consequences
Letters to the Editor

The law of unintended consequences

June 9, 2017

What have these five years brought to our community? It has generated almost $200 million annually in state tax revenue with $40 million earmarked annually for rural school funding. That’s…

Bad decision on public restroom closure
Letters to the Editor

Bad decision on public restroom closure

June 9, 2017

What are the homeless to do? Does the city think if they just close the bathrooms, the homeless will go away? If we make homelessness illegal, will it stop it?…

More information on snowfall needed
Letters to the Editor

More information on snowfall needed

June 9, 2017

From seven days a week down to four and failing to publish the “Sunday Funnies” today, May 6. I have recently made two suggestions that the Herald has evidently chosen…

Focus on the problems the homeless face
Letters to the Editor

Focus on the problems the homeless face

June 9, 2017

We are trying our best to be able to just sustain what we have, which isn’t much, and we don’t need much. But the math is just plain against us…

Program is a compliment to Durango 9-R
Letters to the Editor

Program is a compliment to Durango 9-R

June 9, 2017

Over the school year, participants meet one time each month during the lunch hour (lunch is provided) to learn about the operations of our school district. Topics include school finance,…

Men must be aware of lead in hair dyes
Letters to the Editor

Men must be aware of lead in hair dyes

June 8, 2017

Progressive hair dyes are common, especially among men. They slowly darken gray hairs, making the change less obvious. Lead acetate is the ingredient that slowly darkens the hair, but continuous…

PERA staff in town for open meeting
Letters to the Editor

PERA staff in town for open meeting

June 7, 2017

PERA provides a secure retirement to more than half a million Coloradans, and in Southwest Colorado, PERA pays out $66 million in benefits every year. That number represents 5 percent…

Public no longer welcome at Electra Lake
Letters to the Editor

Public no longer welcome at Electra Lake

June 7, 2017

In total deference to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife boat inspection process that requires boats be clean, drained and dry, Electra Lake now says any boat that has been in…

We want to keep our public lands public
Letters to the Editor

We want to keep our public lands public

June 6, 2017

Sure, our public lands protect water, wildlife and air, but they also give all Americans a place to recreate. They tell the story of our shared heritage and do not…

Sen. Gardner: put your constituents first
Letters to the Editor

Sen. Gardner: put your constituents first

June 6, 2017

I hope Sen. Gardner, at least, will show some concern for his constituents. Please oppose this cruel bill and use your power to craft a Senate bill that does better.…

An open letter to Representative Tipton
Letters to the Editor

An open letter to Representative Tipton

June 5, 2017

According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a 60-year-old adult earning $50,000 per year who purchases health insurance in Durango may see a net cost increase of…

Tipton’s vote contradicts his statements
Letters to the Editor

Tipton’s vote contradicts his statements

June 5, 2017

However, that means a raise in health care premiums for nearly every single one of his constituents in western Colorado). Look at the interactive map on the Kaiser Foundation Website…

Waste Management should deter bears
Letters to the Editor

Waste Management should deter bears

June 5, 2017

“We are excited to welcome our newest customers,” they said. Yet, we were not able to keep our bear-proof trash cans from Baker because they do not fit WM trucks.…