Letters

The English Patient
Kenny Be, you dunce--don't you keep up with the news? Your March 13 Worst-Case Scenario, "What the World Now Owes Brad Irwin and Suzanne Terry," contained at least two mistakes. The big one was depicting British prime minister John Major attending the G-7 Summit this summer. Your error is that Britain must have an election before June, before the G-7, and John Major has less chance of winning re-election than George Bush had. It is time, Kenny, to learn how to draw Labor Prime Minister-apparent Tony Blair.

Too bad Kim Campbell or Maggie Thatcher aren't around to be the bride's attendants.

David W. Olson
Littleton

It should be noted that Helmut Kohl is Germany's chancellor, not president. Roman Herzog is the German president. Still, Kohl does make a stunning bridal attendant.

Terry Goggin
Atlanta, Georgia

The Fat Lady Sings
Thanks to M.S. Mason for the best musical howler of the week. In "Verdi Requiem," her March 20 review of Opera Colorado's production of Verdi's La Traviata, Mason has Violetta singing a great aria called "Sempre livre." This should read "Sempre libera," which does indeed translate as "always free."

"Sempre livre" would translate, at least into bad French, as "always heavy." And so, indeed, many opera stars are.

It may be a good thing to copy reality, but to invent reality is much, much better.

Kent Montgomery
Denver

The Numbers Game
Reading Eric Dexheimer's "Buy the Numbers," in the March 20 issue, was a lot more entertaining than playing bingo. I still don't understand who would play the game, but at least I now understand why people host bingo games.

As usual, people like Freda Poundstone are the winners--and the taxpayers are the losers.

Terry Stein
Denver

In reference to Eric Dexheimer's "Buy the Numbers," I've had my own unpleasant experiences with the Doyles.

I was elected a director of Fathers for Equal Rights (FFER) in June 1993. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit parenting organization. In September 1993 I heard that the FFER board of directors was meeting at Jim Runyon's Bingo Bug. Concerned because regular board meetings were held at the FFER office, and not aware of the directors calling this meeting, I attended. Runyan, Homer and Kevin Doyle, and another man showed up. They then proceeded to vote out the current board and install their own board of directors: themselves. Shortly thereafter, the Doyles sued the legitimate board of directors, myself included. In November 1993 the Secretary of State's office informed me that an application for renewal of our bingo license had been made by Marty Paris, an employee of Homer Doyle's. The attempted renewal was denied and the lawsuit dismissed.

The Secretary of State's office was well informed of all of this. I met with Rick Young, Patrick Ryan and the chief bingo investigator, Joe Estrada, many times. They were professional, courteous and very capable. Their investigation was quashed. Something stinks at the Colorado Secretary of State's office. The last I heard, BRAVO, aka Kevin Doyle, and Concerned Parents, aka Homer Doyle, had their grubby fingers in dozens of bingo operations.

There are huge amounts of money associated with bingo. In 1994 FFER showed gross receipts of $674,000 in our bingo game. Bingo is a wonderful funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations.

It is also a wonderful opportunity for crooks to line their own pockets.
Kenneth Ward
Denver

In Dobson We Trust
Regarding Ward Harkavy's "Focus Pocus," in the March 6 issue:
What a concept, having someone in the White House who would actually restore the moral fiber of our once-great nation to the high standards we once enjoyed. Someone actually basing his decisions with his faith in God guiding him, unlike the greed and arrogance that Clinton and the Congress are using today.

Regarding that crap about Gil Alexander-Moegerle's concern that James Dobson running the country based on his religious convictions would be a violation of church and state, I would suggest that he reread American history. This country was founded with the concept that church and state were together. Our founding fathers wrote the documents that formed the very outline of what this nation once stood for based on their beliefs and faith in God. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying that he feared the day that we no longer held God and religion in the highest regard.

If living in a country that might once again hold its head high among other nations is more than Alexander-Moegerle can stand, I offer him a one-way ticket to the Middle Eastern country of his choice, where his only religious decision would be to kneel before that country's God or die.

David M. Hammond
Denver

School's In
I recently read Stuart Steers's February 20 article "Readin', Writin', and Rabble-Rousin'," and it once again appears that the misinformed Denver media is sensationalizing without all the facts. Sell the paper, full steam ahead.

A point of Colorado statute is that all school boards are non-partisan volunteer boards, elected by majority vote of their electorate. Personality-bashing serves only the purpose of divisiveness. It does not solve the problem of how to make today's schools as good as they once were.