State harms its own people

One of the biggest accomplishments of the past year was passing the Working Families Tax Cuts which provides the largest tax cut in American history, no tax on tips or overtime, and more. I am proud to have voted for that bill.

However, Colorado has decided not to follow suit and instead passed a law that requires tips and overtime to be added back into your taxable income when filing your state return.

It’s simple: Colorado would rather have the money to fund radical programs than allow Coloradans to keep their hard-earned tips or overtime dollars. When this Administration, this Congress, does something good for the American people, for Coloradans, the state still fights back and harms its own people.

Jeff Crank, Representative, 5th District

Colorado Springs

Expired license plates

I appreciate the concern regarding road safety and vehicles operating with expired or improper registration. This is an issue the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office takes seriously, and it is important the public understands both the existing penalties and how enforcement works in Colorado.

Under Colorado law, vehicle owners who fail to register or renew registration on time are already subject to statutory late fees, which accrue monthly and can total up to $100 per vehicle, in addition to the base registration fees. These penalties are established by state law and are not discretionary at the county level.

Enforcement of expired plates, missing plates, and temporary permits is not performed by the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, but by law enforcement agencies, including municipal police departments, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado State Patrol. These agencies have the authority to stop vehicles, issue citations, and enforce compliance on public roadways.

Over the past year, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office has actively partnered with all local law enforcement agencies in the county on multiple occasions to support targeted enforcement efforts. These coordinated actions are designed to address delinquent registrations, improve compliance, and enhance public safety throughout our community.

We share the goal of safer roads and fair enforcement, and we will continue working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to ensure Colorado’s vehicle registration laws are applied consistently and effectively.

Steve Schleiker, Clerk and Recorder

El Paso County

Leaders’ ridiculous decision

I have no family or friends connected with the Space Command. I am writing this as a retired person who is concerned about the ridiculous decision our spaced-out city and county “leaders” are making in not joining AG Phil Weiser’s suit against Donald Trump’s decision to move the Command to Alabama.

Saying “he has the right to make the decision” ignores the vindictive nature of punishing Colorado for not voting for him in the 2024 election – clear and simple!

He is also punishing parents and children by withholding federal funds for childcare that were already allocated. This is clearly because of Colorado refusing to pardon a felon (Tina Peters) who was convicted under state law.

Regarding the Space Command move, literally hundreds of families will be disrupted by having to move, or by losing their jobs if they stay. Integrated families will split. Kids will have to go to weaker school systems and lose their friends.

The “leaders” who voted to support Trump should be voted out of office in the next set of elections. We elected them to lead and support us, not Donald Trump.

Gary Morse

Colorado Springs

Sexual biology and science

I only blistered at one small section of Megan Mcardle’s article:
“The gaping hole in the transgender sports cases before SCOTUS” (Jan. 20). That is, where I read, “Sex is a social construct, a spectrum, an incomprehensible mystery, like the inner workings of the Holy Spirit.”

No Catholic would ever accept anything of this Earth to be equal in mystery to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, McArdle reduces the biological sexual differences of male (men) and female (women) to fairy tale status.

Sexual biology is science, i.e., empirical evidence. Sexual social constructs are the whims and fancies of any current society that can change from generation to generation. Sex is purely biological. XX chromosomes are female throughout the entire body. Likewise for XY male chromosomes. Assigning sex at birth is a (confusing) social construct, and being done for the first time in thousands of years of human history. Visually verifying sex at birth is the biological truth recorded, and appropriate gender names are “assigned” in a normal and moral society.

Look at the confusion and hysterics that are occurring in women’s college sports. Men are identifying as women to compete in women’s sports. Those men should be ashamed of themselves.

When a section of society rationalizes the irrational, they may never get back to the road of truth.

Daniel Pryor

Peyton

The danger within

What is wrong with this country? What is happening in Minnesota is disgusting. An out of control crowd, mostly funded by left wing agitators, is confronting federal police, largely encouraged by the governor of Minnesota and mayor of Minneapolis. These are the very same leaders who watched as the rioters burned down Minneapolis to protest the killing of George Floyd, not exactly a pillar of the community.

We are constantly being divided by politics and lack of common sense. Would anyone who lived 10 or 20 years ago believe that the Supreme Court is now arguing whether to allow men (albeit transgender) to participate in girls sports?

How absurd is that, and how absurd that the Democrats aren’t supporting girls, again going against the majority of the American public. The Democrat party is becoming the party of negativity and crime. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a cancer that apparently has infected the Democrat party and the only party platform that they all agree on. If Trump supports it the Democrats oppose it. How sad and pitiful! What happened to America first, politics last? The country is in sad shape.
Barry S. Oswell, USAF, ret
Colorado Springs