The Marshall Fire: $2 billion in losses. Cameron Peak: $127 million suppression. Yet the BLM is proposing the largest Colorado lease sale since 2018 – 103 parcels, 72,848 acres, including…
The New York Times editorial board recently published an index tracking 12 categories of democratic erosion, based on historical patterns and interviews with experts. The index places the United States…
I haven’t written a letter to the editor in a while because my loving wife says I sometimes get carried away. But I can’t just sit back and watch what…
In light of the recent kidnapping of a president of a sovereign nation, the murdering of innocent fishing people, the stealing of oil properties and, most of all, the general…
An open letter to Mayor Yazzie and members of the Durango City Council: I write to formally request that the City Council issue a written reprimand of City Attorney Mark…
As a lifelong farmer and rancher in Southwest Colorado, and as someone who proudly served as the representative for House District 59, I understand the importance of strong, principled leadership…
As the world’s very best athletes from more than 90 nations competed in Italy for the Winter Olympics, members of Congress have the opportunity to “go for the gold” in…
I am writing to address the alarming lack of transparency regarding the facility at 32 Sheppard Drive. While official records describe it as an administrative hub for six Colorado counties,…
The cost to U.S. Homeland Security for ICE activities in Minneapolis is conservatively estimated to be about $18 million a week; for 10 weeks, it’s $180 million (from: USAspending.gov.agency). Minneapolis…
Rep. Jeff Hurd voted to overturn protections of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota and open them up to potential mining. He has talked about the importance of…
After the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, I felt surely we would not favor building more nuclear reactors, but now I see the nuclear industry touting a fleet of small…
I am watching as New Yorkers are protesting and outraged over a proposed 9.5% property tax increase being pushed by their commie Mayor Mamdani. At the same time here in…
Over the years, the DOJ has expanded to include the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons and Department of National Security as well as the attorneys for…
Stephen Colbert and his right to free speech is in the news again, which is appropriate because the best choice for seeing what is happening in our country and the…
Who better than Donald J. Trump to lead the Christian Revivalist sector of the MAGA movement bent on religionating our government? Who better to infuse our government with a sense…
I am not going to begin this letter by writing all the ways in which I “understand” why things rise in price. But I am going to say that after…
The following political teachings are required to all people who desire to enter into politics. They are not listed in any particular order of priority as all are required for…
This is how freshman Congressman Jeff Hurd’s campaign is trying to explain away his vote to continue Obamacare subsidies for three more years: “This is a chess move … playing…
Lt. Ron Bakken, EMS coordinator for the FLMFPD, was one of the most capable and professional leaders this district has ever seen. Ron single-handedly saved the district from losing its…
Recently, O.D. Perry celebrated his 90th birthday. His family hosted a party. I was unable to attend. Yet, I would like to celebrate O.D. and Betty Perry. Now retired, they…
I care about local government working well, openly, accurately and with collaboration between jurisdictions. As someone who served as a Bayfield town trustee and mayor pro tem for seven years…
When I read Jim Cross’ opinion column, “Durango’s growing disrespect for seniors: From health care to dark chocolate,” (Herald, Jan. 9) I thought of an additional point worth writing about.…
When our president sanctions his ICE agents to murder American citizens in our streets, we know something has gone terribly wrong. We must never surrender to this corrupt administration. We…
Rather than focusing on addressing the affordability issues Americans are facing, the Republican majority in Congress has instead decided to focus on dubious claims about election fraud and voting rights.…
The only thing that will protect us from bad guys with a gun, are good guys with a gun. A common Second Amendment interpretation encouraging more citizens to carry guns…
4,896. That’s four thousand, eight hundred and ninety-six. What’s that number? Well, now that half the Epstein files have been released – only seven weeks after they were ordered to…
City Council has voted 3-2 to eliminate all lot size requirements for ADUs in all three old neighborhoods in Durango. In doing so, they ignored a large segment of the…
I am a retired bilingual play therapist currently volunteering helping families affected by ICE actions. From January through October 2025, 3,800 children under 18 – including 20 infants – were…
The article “We’re keeping people alive: Inside the warming center” (Herald, Jan. 28) focused on the warming center at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. While the focus of the article was…
Human power, rooted in public lands, is a force. People in our region absolutely hold great value in our public lands. Access to healthy public lands is an inherent self-definition…
