"License to Impound," Jared Jacang Maher, October 29
Impound Foolish
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Unfortunately, the Denver police have taken this I-100 out of control. In my neighborhood (Park Hill), we already have a huge racial-profiling issue, and since this I-100 thing, they are impounding cars at a frightening rate. And then they turn around and sell the cars at auctions? Who gets the money?
There has to be a better way to handle drivers with no license. The District 2 police, in particular, abuse the power that they have now, and I-300 will just increase their power.
Angela Ferrari
Denver
About time! When you're done with Denver, come to any city in Arizona and do the same. Keep up the good work, Dan Hayes. This country needs more people like you.
Ryan Savage
Rio Rico, Arizona
In your excellent piece on Denver's I-300, you list several groups opposed to the measure. You conclude the list by mentioning that "even the Libertarian Party of Colorado" opposes it. The use of "even" connotes surprise that the LP would oppose the measure. There should be no surprise. I-300 would require that police automatically confiscate private property of individuals for failure to show government issued identification upon request. This is exactly the kind of statism the Libertarian Party opposes. Remember, it is never about "left versus right" with the Libertarian Party. It is always about the power of the government versus the rights of the individual.
I-300 expands the power of the state and decreases property rights of the individual. Of course we oppose such a measure. Let freedom ring.
David K. Williams, Jr.
State Chair, Libertarian Party of Colorado
The biggest problem with America's justice system is the focus on making money. I see Dan Hayes' I-300 to be primarily a revenue-generating scheme, unrelated to any concern for justice. It is not a coincidence that vehicle confiscation is getting promoted at a time when the government coffers are empty. Mr. Hayes says that his law will result in a reduction in crime. I consider vehicle confiscation to be a crime, however, so expanding this policy increases crime – by the government.
On June 9, 2006 I was arrested and jailed on three counts of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit (see the arrest report on my website: www.rosycrew.org/Lakewood.pdf). All charges were eventually dropped, because the arrest report stated that I was not carrying a weapon on my person but only had a weapon in my vehicle (which is legal). I think the arresting officers knew that their case was bogus and would eventually fall apart, but they hoped that I would remain in jail for more than thirty days awaiting trial and hence lose my vehicle and the property in it. As it happened, I got bailed out in time, and I spent the hundreds of dollars necessary to recover my property from impound.
I'm not Mexican, but I consider Mr. Hayes's theory that crime is caused by Mexicanness to be specious. Crime is caused by people believing that their needs are more important than other people's property rights. This is true of governments as well as individuals.
Hugo Aguilar
Wheat Ridge
"Mourning," Jason Sheehan, October 22
Dick Dreck
Having suffered through Jason Sheehan's unconscionably vindictive review of Mark & Isabella, I will make a point to try the place, simply to protest Sheehan's (as always) self-indulgent hatchet job. Really, what have your readers done to deserve the weekly dose of douchebaggery that is Sheehan's obsessively self-referential, faux-macho, desperately attention-seeking drivel? Can Westword not snag a reviewer mature enough to separate personal tragedy from professional commentary? The dreck that flows weekly from Sheehan's pen begs the question: How can he taste the food when he never takes his mouth off his own dick?
Jon Richard
Denver
