Speakout : The Rocky Mountain News

GUEST COLUMN: A troubled 'peace process'

So President Bush is back in the Middle East. He's now staking his prestige, possibly part of his legacy, on his belief that there will be a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians before he leaves the White House. But here's sound advice: Don't count on a "Mission Accomplished" banner hanging over Jerusalem.

Military tactical air capabilities at a crossroads

Republicans and Democrats might spar with each other over the effectiveness of the surge in Iraq, whether or not to allocate more troops to Afghanistan, and how to approach relations with Iran; but politicians of every stripe and defense experts all agree that America’s aerial superiority is the key to responding to emerging security threats.

Fort Collins laws unfairly penalize students

The city of Fort Collins’ noise ordinance fine starts at $1,000, but nobody seems to know that the City Council mandates that the criminal record stays on the individual’s record for seven years. So upon graduating, when a future employer or landlord accesses the criminal and credit records, a red flag sits lowering one’s chances at a job requiring an identity clearance, a place to live, or purchase of insurance.

Wright's rhetoric overwrought

In these past several weeks, I have had the fortunate happenstance to reacquire my habit of listening to the news.

Uninsured irony

It is ironic John McCain has decided to launch a health care town hall tour during National Uninsured Week. John McCain has no plan for the uninsured and no plan for actually reducing the cost of health care. In fact, his plan may cause more Americans, who are currently insured, to lose their coverage.

SPEAKOUT: Until state acts, tuition hikes will go on

Rocky Mountain News editorial pages editor Vincent Carroll suggests in his May 7 On Point column, "Playing tag with tuition," that Gov. Bill Ritter's proposal to use new energy taxes to provide partial college scholarships for low- and middle-income students in Colorado will likely result in "higher education officials . . . feel(ing) emboldened to hike tuition at a faster rate than otherwise."

Insuring Senator McCain in Colorado

Senator John McCain is visited Denver on Friday to hold a town hall on healthcare and discuss his vision for reform. Healthcare is a top policy concern for presidential candidates and voters alike, and discussions about strategies for fixing the healthcare system are likely to remain on center stage throughout the campaign season.

Water Court’s power is too great, capricious

Another legislative session has passed and no significant help of any kind has come to the irrigation well owners of Colorado along the South Platte River. The void left by the legislature is being filled by the water courts and a sorry mess is being made of our state’s water. In the absence of appropriate legislation to address the holes left in Colorado water law the court has decided to write its own law.

Mining law boondoggle desperately needs reform

To create an incentive to settle the West, Congress passed a bill in 1872 that gave gold and other metals away for free and sold public land for $5 an acre or less. The General Mining Law of 1872 suited the times and motivated enterprising people to move to places like Colorado, creating the foundations of towns and cities we now call home.

Housing crisis: We're not all in this together

Recently Sen Salazar and Rep Perlmutter told us we are all in this housing crisis together. (Speakout: Foreclosure aid helps all Coloradans) Their story is that we all suffer because our home values go down when there are foreclosures in the neighborhood.

SPEAKOUT: Ritter tax hike will hurt poor

The Congress of Racial Equality and Colorado Consumers for Affordable Energy (CARE) recently voiced their growing concern that Gov. Bill Ritter's proposed oil and gas severance tax increase would seriously hurt Colorado's poor families.

City Council doesn’t respect property rights

The down zoning decision by the city council this past Tuesday morning is very disturbing and not only because I lost a lot of sleep watching the proceedings on channel 8 until the wee hours of the morning.

Nanny state approach to housing crisis will fail

When I read opinion pieces, I first scan it to determine the writers world view. Is it one of freedom and responsibility or one of “statism” and entitlement? Sadly, the “Foreclosure aid helps all Coloradans” article by Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. Ed Perlmutter fits the latter. We deserve better given the disastrous history of Marxism and socialism experiments during the early 20th century.

Health care needs entrepreneurial reforms

It is less than profound to say that rising health care costs are restricting access for the working poor and squeezing all of us. Cost shifting, payroll and income taxes to pay for entitlements, rising copays and deductibles all combine to make us realize we have hit the wall on this matter.

SPEAKOUT: CU regent defends his record

Abraham Lincoln once said "you don't strengthen the weak by weakening the strong." Lincoln, a voracious reader, was guided in leadership and thought by the Bible.

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