"2008 DNC Dream Daze," Kenny Be, August 27
Kenny Be is a genius. His two-page cartoon on Denver one year after the Democratic National Convention was brilliant! I just want to know one thing: What swingers' club wound up with those pillars?
Jill Hanifer
Denver
"Death in the Drive-Thru," Jared Jacang Maher, August 27
After reading this article, I had to clarify one blatantly obvious reason as to why it was difficult to charge this crime as also a hate crime. Mexicans are Caucasians, or "white." Therefore, this was not a crime motivated by race, but perhaps by nationality, since per your article, the instigator, Nadine Montoya, claimed to be "Mexican." However, I suspect that Nadine was actually born in the USA and happens to be of Mexican ethnicity. This would also make it difficult to apply the bias based on nationality, since I am assuming that both the instigator and the victim were born in the USA, making them both "Americans."
Since the discussion was to try and understand why this terrible homicide was not also charged as a hate crime, let's not continue to contribute to the ignorance.
Liliana Bojaca
Denver
Apparently no one told this woman that only white people are capable of committing "hate crimes." If the victims and perps were reversed in this case, you can bet your ass the race card would be thrown around at will. Such is the bullshit, PC, hypocritical world we live in.
David
Posted at westword.com
"Cut Off," Melanie Asmar, August 20
Thank you for the recent article on supported living services and disability. Melanie Asmar did a wonderful job, and we appreciate her commitment to accuracy. It is so important for Colorado to know just how bizarre this issue is, and how seriously recent decisions on the process to determine level of disability and distribution of services are impacting the disability community.
You should take a look at a Florida Supreme Court ruling handed down last week related to how levels are determined. This is very eye-opening and should seriously impact what Health Care, Policy and Finance (HCPF) and Governor Ritter are doing with the determination process and budget cuts in Colorado.
Sheryle Hutter
Aurora
This article was very upsetting for a number of reasons. The first one is the heartbreaking stories of the people involved. The examples given are of hardworking taxpayers trying to give their high-needs children the tools they need to get by in day-to-day life, while shouldering the majority of the responsibility themselves by keeping them at home. Secondly, instead of resources being awarded to these people for keeping their loved ones out of the system and saving taxpayer money, they are being punished for doing so. Thirdly, it is disheartening, to say the least, to read about another governmental action that went into effect first and asked questions later.
Oh, I'm sorry. They did ask questions. Then they skewed the results to allow for the same amount of funding to people whose needs were higher so that they could scrimp on resources allotted. In my opinion, as a resident of Colorado, that's even worse. Our history in this country of how we've treated our developmentally disabled citizens is a disgrace. An outright disgrace.
Laura Urynowicz
Posted at westword.com
How is it possible to base the removal of critical services for chronic patients based on the progress they have made due to the continued support provided by the same services? It is not rocket science to understand that chronic patients who have their care cut back or removed will backslide and downgrade at an alarming rate to the same level (or lower level) of ability they were at before services/care was provided — making the rating used to remove their care immediately moot.
Jeanie Kneeland
Posted at westword.com
"Great White," Jason Heller, August 13
"It's not hard to see [Jack] White stepping in and filling Orbison's role as the enigmatic, idiosyncratic pop icon." Not hard for anyone who didn't grow up with him, or see him live or, for that matter, listen to his records (besides "Mystery Girl" or Wilburys). I guess he really wasn't comparing their voices. Jack White is talented, possibly enigmatic and certainly idiosyncratic, and would probably be a better fit to fill that other gigantic pair of shoes, those of Nelson Wilbury, aka George Harrison. Even Jack, aka Shady Wilbury, would no doubt find that comparison less ridiculous.
Jimi Bernath
Englewood
"Writer's Block," Joel Warner, August 13
A round peg in a square hole, indeed. Many kudos to Joel Warner and Westword for the article documenting once again the sickness of developers to whom the City of Denver gives unlimited license. And I do blame Hickenlooper and Denver City Council for the bane of these developers. The rampant rape of Denver can be controlled with zoning laws. I have personally, on a daily basis, watched with horror the monstrous raping of Writer's Square this summer, and believe me, Joel Warner was very, very careful in his description of the tactics. I have spoken with a number of local merchants who have told me bluntly — because I know them and they have been open with me — that they were given no warning whatsoever that their entrances were going to be blocked for most of the summer.
This is the first I have heard that the design is considered "European." European? The closest ACF must have been to Europe is Disneyland. Before ACF came along, Writer Square was European; it was the most European spot in Denver. It had style; it had beautiful hanging baskets of flowers and great planter boxes; it had sculpture; it had tables and benches and charm. Now it has blank ugly concrete, and every day they strip out more of the flowers and vegetation.
But the real ugliness of this Fox-hole is the monstrous idea of a JumboTron at Writer Square. Go back to California. Build your fucking JumboTron in your own fucking front yard.
Bill Gardner
Denver
