Letters - Tuesday

5TH DISTRICT RACE
Crank plays loose with truth about recent poll results, deal

Jeff Crank's penchant to play loose with the truth is coming back to bite him. Announcing quickly that the NHBA (The National Home Builders Association) had endorsed him, which also caused Roll Call in Washington D.C. to report it, the real truth was thrown back in his face as Roll Callquickly put out a retraction. Crank has done the same thing with the local HBA poll with Bentley Rayburn; played loose with the truth.

The HBA suspended the poll on the day of the 5th Congressional District Assembly, told both Crank and Rayburn campaigns it was suspended, and that any results belonged to them, not the campaigns. Rayburn kept his word while Crank violated his. He is now trying to get Rayburn to keep an agreement made moot by the flawed process of the poll which the HBA itself verifies was flawed.

This is becoming all too characteristic with Crank. Rayburn's word is his bond. The 5th District needs a statesman and leader of integrity to represent it in Washington. Neither Crank nor Doug Lamborn meet that criteria.

Stephen Leonard, Colorado Springs

Rayburn has damaged reputation by breaking word to opponent

Bentley Rayburn's campaign is accusing Jeff Crank of using tactics similar to his negative campaigning two years ago. What an interesting accusation, considering Rayburn and his followers cannot back it up.

Rayburn has backed himself into a helpless corner of shameful defense by breaking his agreement to get out of the race after a humiliating defeat in the polls, and by refusing to do so, he is participating in the same baseless politics which the voters of the 5th District are sick of witnessing.

Perhaps Rayburn and his people should learn that when one violates an oath, he tarnishes his own reputation and brings these negative blasts onto himself. Rayburn dashed away much of the honor and respectability he once had by violating his word to fellow Republican Crank.

Tim Canon, Colorado Springs

BIPARTISAN EFFORT
Input from both parties needed to counter effects of TABOR

As a fellow Democrat, I was deeply disappointed by the views espoused by Cyndy Kulp in her letter in Thursday's Gazette, "It's time to add commissioners from the other political party." Kulp's reaction to the financial crisis faced by the county only serves to reinforce a negative perception about Democrats and our party.

I am not disagreeing about bipartisan representation, but the commissioners serve only to regulate the expenditure of monies produced by the local economy and have nothing to do with generating funds. In fact, it has been the TABOR Amendment that has created the mess we are now experiencing, with both parties trying to fix the mess.

To resort to calling the county board of commissioners "imbeciles" is unproductive. There is common sense to be found among politicians in both major parties and it is typically found near the middle of the political spectrum.

The financial situation confronting the county can be resolved only by increasing the tax base in order to generate enough resources to continue providing the vital services residents have come to take for granted.

Regardless whether a Democrat or Republican is sitting on the county board, the reality is that the quality of life in our area will suffer unless citizens recognize that we need to fix a bad law and increase revenue needed to keep our community a safe and desirable area in which to live.

Alan Blanchard, Colorado Springs

SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Utilities seems to have repealed basic law of economics

During the height of the drought, Colorado Springs Utilities raised water rates to deal with the shortage. That made economic sense. Now, water use is down and Utilities is going to raise rates to deal with the surplus. This defies the basic laws of economics, and well as common sense.

I suggest the problem is that CSU is a government enterprise, rather than a business. No other institution, except perhaps the U.S. Post Office, responds to declining demand by raising prices to cover costs.

Only a government agency can get away with breaking the law of supply and demand with such impunity.

Paul T. Prentice, Ph.D., Colorado Springs

TRAIL TRAFFIC
We don't need government running more of our lives

I would like to respond to the letter from Marvin Seibert, who proposed rangers be present along the Barr Trail to ticket those who are inappropriately running along the trail ("Barr Trail runners should learn to respect rights of hikers," June 19). The letter made me a smile as I envisioned rangers hiding in the trees with radar guns.

Then reality struck as I realized the letter was another call for the government to solve every problem.

May I propose that those who have the same concerns as Seibert have enough self-confidence to speak to offending runners in a nonconfrontational manner, asking them to slow down before someone is hurt? It would be cheaper than setting speed traps along Barr Trail and may delay the day when the government is involved in every aspect of our lives because we were unwilling to stand up for ourselves.

Stephen Lord, Colorado Springs

SELF DEFENSE
Openly carrying firearms protects our persons, rights

The open carry of a handgun is a right recognized by the state of Colorado, subject to specified limitations. In everyday practice a law-abidng citizen possessing a permit to carry concealed for all purposes appears to be unarmed. To some extent, that uncertainty is believed to be a deterrent to crime.

That having been said, an armed citizen carrying concealed is just as likely to be targeted as a victim of violent crime as an unarmed person. The consequence of this is that concealed-carry permit holders are more likely to use their weapon in selfdefense than the more readily identifiable openly carrying citizen.

The citizen who feels uncomfortable sharing space with the lawfully armed citizen doesn't have a "right to not be uncomfortable" since that is a subjective state of mind. The armed citizen however, does have a right to be armed for personal defense.

Pretending our society does not include dangerous predators, or that the police will be able to stop a violent criminal before he acts, is an indefensible position taken by those who will not take responsibility for their own safety and wish to deny other citizens their right to selfdefense options.

Jim Sherwood, Colorado Springs

PETITION POWER
Bruce fights extortion tactics with perseverance, hard work

We should all thank Douglas Bruce for restoring our rights. Through personal time and expense, Bruce wrote the petitions to stop the illegal stormwater tax and he organized the effort to get the required signatures needed to put these two petitions on the ballot in November.

Only Bruce had the tenacity and courage to stand up to the City Hall bullies who tied up his petition in court, and have harassed him ever since TABOR was passed.

I read both petitions at www.CityReforms.com and signed up to help pass them. They will end the City Council's extortionate tactic of threatening us with the loss of our homes if we don't pay their bogus fee (tax) on rainwater falling on our driveways.

Let's defend our TABOR rights by voting for Bruce in the August primary and by voting for these two tax relief petitions in November.

Douglas Bruce is the only true champion for us, "the little guys." Thanks, Doug.

Carolyn Martin, Colorado Springs