Letters: 5/25/17

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CPW is compromised

Part 5 of Rico Moore’s series Off Target [Re: News, “New potential motives for the killing of bears and mountain lions emerge,” May 11] reveals the duplicitous nature of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) planned slaughter of mountain lions and bears. Now, we learn CPW has contracted with USDA Wildlife Services to trap live animals so CPW can kill some with firearms. Clever… using our tax dollars to kill our wildlife.

There are other salient points in Moore’s exposé. The study supporting the CPW slaughter was funded largely by the oil and gas industry, anxious to divert attention from their responsibility for environmental damage and loss of wildlife habitat. Add to this, the distinct possibility that CPW is relocating “nuisance” bears to the very area in which they are proposing to kill bears and you have their slick trick to avoid the bad PR from killing bears in town.   

The CPW must be held accountable for their self-serving and deceptive management decisions. This arrogant decision-making by a state agency is unacceptable. The CPW has completely undermined its credibility and trustworthiness as a state agency to the point that it has severely impacted its ability to fulfill its mission. 

Thank you for exposing the CPW. More Moore!

Robert Westby/Boulder

Health care battle is
a call to action

Dave Anderson’s scathing evaluation of the recently passed House bill on health care (Re: Anderson Files, “What Republicans have proposed isn’t health care,” May 18) is a call to action. Are you willing to take action? Good news: a call, letter or visit to Senator Cory Gardner could make the difference. The senator is one of 13 from his party rewriting the House bill. The results of a recent 12-year study from the Congressional Management Foundation shows that it is constituent voices that have the most power to influence the decisions of our elected representatives. So exercise your rights in a democracy to contact Gardner and tell him the health care bill he is writing is a life-and-death matter! Make sure the Senate bill provides affordable health care to all Americans. We don’t need another tax break for the rich; we need everyone covered by health insurance. The few minutes you spend contacting Gardner could help save the lives of over 40,000 Americans.

Willie Dickerson/Snohomish, Washington

NAFTA needs reconsideration

The Trans-Pacific Partnership may be dead, but other current and pending trade agreements pose comparable threats to democracy, jobs and the environment. President Trump will soon launch his long-promised renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trump called NAFTA a “disaster” and vowed to do something about it. However, it’s easy to imagine things going badly. 

Since Congress may become involved, we need to know where our elected representatives, including Congressman Jared Polis, stand on this important issue.

For millions of workers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, NAFTA has been a true disaster. Nearly a million, mostly manufacturing, U.S. jobs were lost and wages fell as “maquiladora” factories popped up throughout Mexico. Meanwhile, NAFTA devastated Mexican agriculture by facilitating subsidized U.S. corn imports destroying the livelihoods of millions of Mexican farmers and workers who then came to the U.S. desperately seeking employment. Trade-related job losses and immigration became potent 2016 campaign issues.   

Under NAFTA’s Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) regime, foreign corporations can sue governments for “compensation” if environmental, public health and labor laws reduce “expected” corporate profits. These suits can intimidate governments and undermine public policy down to the local level. Under NAFTA, corporations have more rights than countries and communities.

Since changes to NAFTA may require congressional approval, we need to know whether our representatives will vote for people and the environment or side with big money interests. Will Congressman Polis back “fair trade” that puts people first, enhances local employment and protects our environment or will he back corporate power over the rights and welfare of his constituents? Please contact Mr. Polis and ask him where he stands on NAFTA. 

Ken Bonetti/Boulder