Letters: I’m not voting to retain any Colorado judges and here’s why you shouldn’t either

Protesting our joke of judicial rating with no vote

The Colorado “Blue Book” presents an interesting problem with respect to judges. On one hand, there will be a vote on Amendment H which will create an independent adjudicative board to monitor and sanction judges because of the numerous instances where the judiciary has been unable to adequately police itself. On the other, a mysterious “commission” of unnamed serving judges has decided that they alone will determine whether current District Court Judges meet performance standards. Unsurprisingly all do.

For Colorado Supreme Court justices and appeals judges, the Blue Book provides a numerical rating from attorneys. Some of these fall as low as 75%. Whether one considers this to be an acceptable level of performance is left to the voters to decide.

Should the voters of Colorado be content to be told by a Commission on Judicial Performance that all district judges meet performance standards and should therefore be retained in office?  Without numerical information about the performance of district judges, I shall be unable to cast my vote for any of them. This is because the approval process is opaque and no organization is composed of people where everyone meets standards.

Guy Wroble, Denver

A healthy choice for Firestone, Carbon Valley

As a longtime resident of Firestone, I’ve watched our community grow and change. I’ve raised my family here, and I’m committed to ensuring that future generations have local opportunities for recreation and wellness. I’m urging voters to support 6C, the Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation District’s (CVPRD) proposed expansion.

6C is about investing in our community’s health, well-being, and future. The proposed outdoor aquatics and indoor activities facilities in Firestone’s Central Park and Frederick’s recreation center renovation will provide accessible and affordable recreational opportunities for all.

With a resident discounted membership pass, you can visit all the facilities throughout Carbon Valley. A majority of district residents will be within a 10-minute drive of these amenities. This is especially important as our community continues to grow at a rapid pace.

The proposed funding is reasonable and equitable. For a small monthly cost per household (less for qualified seniors), we can enhance our quality of life, promote involvement, and foster a sense of community. This investment will benefit everyone, from young families to seniors.

I encourage my community to consider the long-term benefits of this expansion, which will provide recreational opportunities and contribute to the overall health and vitality of our community for generations to come.

Let’s vote yes on 6C and build a brighter future for the families of Firestone and Carbon Valley.

Brenda Ridgley, Firestone

State’s voter repression should be met with reductions in representation

I believe, wholeheartedly, that the role of the government is to enforce and ensure a republican form of government for all its citizens, as stated in the Constitution. Therefore, utilizing the Constitution’s tools and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that a republican form of government is not only necessary but is a moral obligation to this country’s lawmakers. This is why the enforcement of Section 2 of the 14th Amendment is paramount to safeguarding democracy.

States across the country are passing laws and creating regulations that restrict and restrain the vote of American citizens that have been given that vote by centuries of civil rights legislation and protest. People have fought and died to expand the vote to everyone over the age of 18, to women, to Black people, to Native Americans, far beyond the framers’ original intent of male landowners. We inherit a history of expanding democracy, and therefore a responsibility to make this country more democratic, closer to that perfect union they wrote about. It is imperative that states that deny that history, states that work to deny the vote to people that the Constitution and the laws of this country have specifically enabled to vote, be punished. The Constitution provides us with that mechanism in 110 words. No more, no less. States that aim to restrict voting rights shall, in turn, have their representation in Congress reduced until they restore suffrage to all who deserve it.