Shoutout to Tony Hershey
You go Tony Hershey – you are one of the only City Council members that has the moxie to call out a lot of the BS with respect to how the City of Glenwood makes decisions with respect to spending my (our) tax dollars.
Case in point: every time I head to the Meadows, I look across the river and see this extravagant water take-out. Under my breath I say the same thing Tony said with respect to council decision making: “F-ing idiots.” Then I drive into Glenwood Park and it looks like WWII. The streets are a mess and there are hundreds of taxpayers living in this neighborhood. But no street being fixed here, my friends. The water take-out apparently has top priority.
Tony might not be the best meeting attendee (or whatever Charlie Willman was whining about) but to me, Tony best represents the citizens of Glenwood Springs with regards to spending taxpayer money for the taxpaying citizens living here, rather than spending it on the monstrous tourism industry with total disregard to the locals. Tony: you will always have my vote.
Dave Heyliger,
Glenwood Springs
I want to know too, Ross
Support Local Journalism
I’m asking the same question Ross Talbott asks in his May 22 Post Independent letter to the editor: “Where did the America I used to know disappear to?” We used to be a people who understood the difference between freedom and license.
Quora says, “Freedom is operating within the bounds of restraint and responsibility. License is not.” Not closing your business, staying at home, practicing social distancing, or wearing a mask when there’s a deadly global pandemic about is license.
Talbott longs for the day when we were free from government influence. Large corporations decide what you want or need and how much you’re going to pay for it. Who do you want more closely involved in your life, those inanimate, unfeeling entities or the freely elected representatives of the people?
Judging from Talbott’s claim that he’s been farming for over 60 years, I’d say he has childhood memories of World War II. When I consider those days, I often wonder if today’s Americans have the doggedness to prevail under those circumstances. People with Talbott’s attitude convince me we don’t. We’re spoiled, not willing to make the sacrifices.
Fred Malo Jr.
Carbondale
Great America?
President Trump’s campaign slogan was “Make American Great Again.” What does that really mean? Technically, it means America was once great but lost its way. I write this letter to those who back this slogan and ask them to say when was American great, why and what will be different when the country is great again? Being Memorial Day, it might be appropriate to think back and remember the great times and compare.
Trump has been in office almost three and a half years. What things are changed now that are making America greater than when he came into office? For instance, Trump promised over and over that he would make huge infrastructure improvements. Everybody thinks the country needs these improvements, but nothing has been done. And, as far as I can tell, no plan exists.
Likewise, Trump said that he and his party were going to create and put in place a proper health care plan. I haven’t heard mention of it.
Maybe I’m wrong, but people used to think that a great nation would be a great leader among the nations of the world. But the president has removed the country from almost all our diplomatic and humanitarian alliances. The U.S. no longer even attends a number of meetings by other countries on things like virus protection, monitoring nuclear activities, climate change control, and international courts.
Can local Trump supporters let us know how this is all coming? What good things have been put into place and what else needs to be done? We will be voting in 5 months and this would be good to know.
Patrick Hunter
Carbondale
Low contagion, death rates due to closings
Kathryn Trauger (“It is Time,” Post Independent, May 22) cites statistics that show a low contagion and death rate from the coronavirus to argue for the opening of businesses. It apparently never occurred to her that the reason we have these low rates are because of the closing of businesses, distancing and mask wearing.
Interestingly, she also notes that the deaths from the virus are already almost twice that of the annual traffic deaths in Colorado.
Gerry Terwilliger
Basalt
Don’t let controversy define us
I sure miss our little sleepy town of Rifle, I miss the smiles of every rancher that ever held the door for me with a smile at the Post Office or grocery store. Do not let this controversy define us, We are better than that.
Donna Kuipers,
Rifle
Please Tony, don’t resign
I find a certain irony in the letter that this City Council has written to Tony Hershey. I would love for this council and previous members to go back and read some of the responses that they had for the public that questioned where the money for our streets had gone. The condescension. The outright rudeness. The seemingly impossible task of some “representatives” present and past, to allow the public to comment without responding to them as if they were idiots. One past representative believes her voice to be the only smart one in the room — she allows no one to have a say without feeling the need to respond. And all of this occurred when they had their hands out for money. Our money.
Most lunchtimes will find me at the Pullman on Seventh Street For the last 3+ years, I have watched Seventh and Cooper be torn up again. And again. And again. All of those businesses on Seventh have suffered and are suffering through the Covid-19 virus. All winter long, I ice skated across the 2+ million dollar brick block of Seventh. No high maintenance costs there! This is where our money has gone. So please Tony. Don’t resign. Continue to speak for people who are asking the questions.
And one last word about respect — I was so happy to be able to take a walk in beautiful Two Rivers Park today. How nice it would have been to see the American flag flown at half mast on Memorial Day.
Lisa Warder,
Glenwood Springs