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Opinion

  • Candidate Buckland has 4 important...

     As we learned last week, the county commissioner is one of the most influential people over your day-to-day life. I’ve had a few occasions to work with Joan Drury on issues regarding several projects. Joan is always accessible, friendly and is someone who takes our concerns seriously. Personally, I am sad to see her term-limited but also wish her the very best.

  • Buckland: My promises if elected...

    Editor’s note: Each of the candidates for Clear Creek County commissioner will be given an opportunity to write a column for the Opinion page before the Nov. 6 election. This week, Phil Buckland, a Republican running for the District 3 seat, discusses his qualifications.

  • Remembering Dean St. John,...

    Fifteen years ago this month, I had stopped by the post office in Idaho Springs — the former one in the 1500 block of Colorado Boulevard — taking a break from writing my master’s thesis to grab the mail for my parents.

    I greeted Dean St. John, a longtime family friend who my dad had worked with underground for a time at the Henderson Mine on the drill bench and who I knew as a longtime volunteer firefighter in Idaho Springs. It was the latter topic that came up in our brief conversation that day.

  • County’s economic growth will...

     You are about to vote for the most powerful elected official who has the most control over your life, your community and your well-being. This position has the power to take in tax money, distribute tax money and make policy that may keep you from being employed or may help build up the employment within the county. This position is the county commissioner position. 

  • Vox

    Buckland would make an excellent county commissioner

    Editor:

    It is my pleasure to recommend Phil Buckland for the position of county commissioner. I have been a neighbor and friend of Phil’s for many years and have always known him to be honest and fair with everyone he dealt with. 

  • Romney would be bad for America

     I’m giving President Obama a pass on his less-than-stellar performance during the Oct. 4 debate. By the time this column is printed, hopefully he will have redeemed himself by challenging Mr. Romney to answer “Which Mitt is it?” in the Oct. 16 debate.

  • Sheriff says passing Amendment 64...

     A proposed state constitutional amendment would legalize the recreational use and widespread commercial distribution of marijuana. It would allow anyone 21 years or older to possess and consume up to 1 ounce of marijuana. That’s roughly enough to roll about 60 joints or bake eight pans of marijuana-laced brownies.

  • Despite differing views, candidates...

     Thursday evening, I had the distinct pleasure of joining the American Government students at Clear Creek High School and the Clear Creek Economic Development Corp. for a county commissioner forum held at the United Center in Idaho Springs. Peggy Stokstad kicked off the evening and introduced Deb Jensen, the teacher at Clear Creek High School whose students put together this event. 

  • Clinton’s 5 points make sense for...

     Last week I gave an overview of American economic historical events beginning with the Great Depression. It’s a story of a pragmatic people shaped by reality. They subscribed to essential values including hard work and personal responsibility, and understanding titanic forces of impersonal capitalism are greater than they, and those forces can easily be and often are manipulated and corrupted.

  • Vox

     Alice celebrates its second annual

    pancake breakfast 

    Editor:

    The second annual pancake breakfast in Alice was a spectacular event. More than 133 people attended. That kept the volunteer workforce of 20 busy all morning long, flipping pancakes and frying bacon. Attendees came from all over the sate and as far away as Denmark and Australia. 

  • Vox

    In support of the Eclipse Snow Park proposal

    Editor:

    This is in response to a letter in last week’s Clear Creek Courant regarding Eclipse Ski Park at St. Mary’s/Alice and is in support of the proposed partnership plan between the U.S. Forest Service and Eclipse.

  • Hayden says decisions will be based...

     Editor’s note:Each of the candidates for Clear Creek County commissioner will be given an opportuniy to write a column for the editorial page before the Nov. 6 election. This week, Tom Hayden, a Republican running for the District 2 seat, discusses his qualifications.

    At a time when much attention is being directed toward the national general election in November, it is equally important to focus on the election to fill the vacancies on the Clear Creek Board of County Commissioners. 

  • Old-fashioned talking with...

     This is not your 2008 election. In 2008, most of the election was devoid of the following technologies:  Facebook, Twitter, Droid SmartPhones and iPads. Facebook and Twitter existed, but they had only 100 million users for Facebook and only 100 million tweets per quarter for Twitter. We did have the iPhone, but not many people were able to afford them or were willing to switch to AT&T. My best technology was a Blackberry at the time. 

  • A difference between wealth and debt

    I am happy to see that letter writer Jim Leonard now encourages Courant columnists to weigh in on issues extending beyond Clear Creek, for state and national issues are local, too. 

    It seems, though, Jim is missing a primary point in my column “We are not as broke as Republicans say.”  

    I stand by my assertion: When it comes to wealth, we are not broke. Far from it.

    One needs to distinguish between wealth and debt. It is the former I address directly. The two paragraphs after stating we’re not broke make that clear.

  • A challenge to Republican candidates

    Traditionally — since George Washington ran in our only nonpartisan presidential race — elections have been combative. That’s not necessarily bad; a vibrant democracy requires free exchange and open debate for informed citizens to make sound choices. 

    Victors are determined in a winner-take-all contest. No silver medals are bestowed.

  • Romney bus rally rolls through...

     Last weekend, the Republicans had an impromptu Romney bus rally in Idaho Springs Citizen’s Park. While waiting for the bus to arrive, I heard people talking about the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on Benghazi, Libya, and Egypt. 

    Is this another failed foreign policy from the Obama administration? The answer is yes. Unfortunately, this failure cost us the lives of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and others who were trying to protect him. Failure at this level costs lives. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families. 

  • Vox

    Yes, our country is broke

    Editor:

    Jerry says, “We’re not as broke as Republicans say.”

    Say what? Reality check: The federal debt stands at $16 trillion today, up from $4 trillion in 2000. (That’s trillion, $16,000,000,000,000.) The federal budget deficit has been approximately $1.2 trillion per year for the last four years. 

  • Clark touts strengths, love for...

    Editor’s note:Each of the candidates for Clear Creek County commissioner will be given an opportuniy to write a column for the editorial page before the Nov. 6 election. This week, George Clark, a Democrat running for the District 2 seat, discusses his qualifications.

     

  • We are not as broke as Republicans...

     The conventions are over, consigned to history. Memories remain of the scenes, people, speeches and one-liners.

    From the Republican gathering, one remains particularly etched in our political consciousness: a doddering octogenarian talking to an empty chair. It’s sad to see Rowdy Yates/Blondie/Dirty Harry declining so embarrassingly. 

    Democrats, on the other hand, had fun, lots of it. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, with them in a funk due to the lingering weak economy and Republicans/Teas on the ascent. 

  • Sportsman’s Club provides venue for...

     To date, Denver had 73 days of 90-degree heat for the 2012 summer season. Here in Clear Creek County, our Sheriff’s Department put us on a fire ban early in the season and kept the ban until well after many days of precipitation. 

    Even the U.S. Forest Service put into place shooting restrictions to avoid any danger of fire. It was so dry where I live that any extraneous spark or fire would have lit up the mountain in minutes. So, let’s talk about what your alternatives are. 

Copyright © 2013

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