Reader: "Regulated monopolies are...monopolies"

Maybe you should combine the Ask a Mexican and Ask a Stoner columns. Just saying — kind of writes itself.
Sean McManus
Denver

Now that the 21st century has come to the Denver cab business — better late than never — we should all be aglee. Except that the inflated rate the traditional cab companies charge their drivers is 23rd-century! What's wrong with that picture?

Sure, there need to be standards for cab drivers and cab companies, and spot checks by incognito rule-enforcers, but regulated monopolies are...monopolies, get it? Let's bring our cab drivers out of the Third World and into the First, being able to make a reasonable living from the valuable public service they provide!

Two thumbs down to exploitive cab companies (particularly Yellow and Metro), clueless regulatory agencies and money-grubbing politicians. Two thumbs up to honest progress in all areas of public endeavor.

I drove a total of 100,000 cab trips in Denver between 1984 and 1995 (Yellow Cab, Metro). I do know the business. It's a tough racket. Between lease rates, mileage, gas and income tax/self-employment tax, I used to figure on $120 out of pocket before profit for every very long, hard day's work. We all competed on dispatch back then. On slow days, you might work eight hours before you broke even. No one needs that.
Gene W. Edwards
Colorado Springs

Though we may not be able to vote down the new Colorado logo, that doesn't mean we can't put significant public pressure on the governor to disclose details of the "study" that cost Colorado taxpayers millions of dollars to "prove" the C from our state flag was not recognizable to people living out of state. Essentially, Hickenlooper spent an astronomical amount of money on a highly questionable independent study to prove the Colorado state flag should not be used in any variation as our logo by claiming it's either unrecognizable or confused with the Chicago Cubs by non-Coloradans.

The goal? To avoid using our state flag in the logo because it is public property and cannot be trademarked or controlled. The reason? He wants to run for president and needed a logo that could be trademarked to specifically exclude the marijuana industry from using it...to distance himself from pot as he promotes Colorado's economy.

I see this as a complete betrayal of trust, and I urge everyone to contact BrandColorado to request more information on this "research" that has derailed an otherwise valuable economic program before millions more are spent rolling it out. Besides, wouldn't this program have the most value as a buy-local campaign? We've loved (and recognized) our state flag for 111 years!
Leigh Carter
Denver