Paychecks, not politics

Our service members are not guaranteed a paycheck during the shutdown — even though they’re required to keep reporting for duty. As a 20-year Army veteran and Colorado Springs resident, I find it unacceptable that during this shutdown, the very people who defend our nation are left in limbo while Congress plays politics and gets paid. I know firsthand most soldiers cannot afford to miss even one paycheck. Yet their families are being treated as bargaining chips in a political standoff.

Here’s the contrast: the lowest congressional salary is $174,000 a year. The median enlisted soldier makes $35,000 to $40,000 a year in base pay. Congress still gets theirs. Our troops don’t.

There is a straightforward solution. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., has introduced the Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 (H.R. 5401), which would guarantee service members are paid on time regardless of shutdown politics. But the bill has not yet been taken up in committee. That must change immediately.

Here in Colorado Springs, we know the sacrifices military families make every day. We are home to a diverse military community of over 100,000 service members, veterans and their families. Not to mention our large government civilian population, who also will not be paid until this is over.

This directly impacts our community and our state. If Congress cannot agree on a comprehensive funding bill, then at the very least they must ensure our troops are paid.

Call, email, and write Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and Rep. Jeff Crank. Tell them to make H.R. 5401 a top priority. Our service members deserve paychecks, not politics.

Erik Mohr

Colorado Springs

A woefully inadequate penalty

I read with interest Brennen Kauffman’s “Study Raises Issues with Sound Monitors” article in the Wednesday Tribune paper. It’s about the Ford Amphitheater noise complaints. I found it informative, well-researched and balanced.

One aspect of the article did surprise me though. Per the article, the agreement between the City of Colorado Springs and VENU “states that if two of the five monitors report a spike in noise levels of at least 6 decibels during the same part of a concert, VENU will be penalized $500.” That $500 penalty struck me as woefully inadequate for VENU to consider it a deterrent. Here’s why.

According to public open-source online data:

In 2024 the amphitheater held 20 concerts and had more than 100,000 attendees … for a rough average of 5,000 attendees per concert in an amphitheater that can seat 8,000 people.

The next amphitheater concert is the Brantley Gilbert concert on Oct. 11. Standard show ticket prices for that concert range from $54.29 for lawn seating at the rear of the amphitheater to $123.98 for Section 103 (front center).

For simplicity’s sake, let’s say the average ticket price (exclusive of parking, not VIP, etc.) is approximately $90. $90 x average attendance of 5,000 = $450,000. Would a $500 penalty get my attention? No!

Said another way, a $500 penalty would be worth approximately six fewer attendees at an average ticket price of $90. That’s approximately a 1/10th of 1 percent attendance decrease … hardly enough to merit much attention in my view. And certainly an inconsequential deterrent for excessive noise.

Perhaps a commonsense mutually acceptable arrangement and set of agreed-upon noise levels can be agreed on between local residents, the city, VENU, and the independent acoustic and noise control engineering firms (Dudek Engineering for the residents and Hankard Engineering). I’m confident unfortunately a $500 penalty won’t drive that accommodation.

John Dallager

Colorado Springs

What happened to compromise?

They are at it again. Congress is fighting, and there is no adult leadership to make them behave!

What happened to the word compromise? It’s a word that means “give and take”. Each side gives a little and takes a little. It’s not rocket science! It’s how parents teach their kids to get along!

The shutdown isn’t hurting them …. it IS hurting the U.S. We the people are losing our jobs. We the people are losing our income. When is Congress going to lose their jobs and income? Maybe we need to stop paying their salaries and start making them pay large penalties for each day they can’t get their jobs done to avoid the shutdown!

Billie Nigro

Colorado Springs

Corruption in Chicago

Why aren’t the Chicago police assisting ICE and Border Patrol in rounding up immigrants here illegally who are trafficking in drugs, human beings and committing other crimes?

The police would have us believe that they have been ordered by the mayor not to do so. However, could it be that some of the Chicago Police are benefiting from the crimes immigrants here illegally are perpetrating? Are they getting “kickbacks” from protection, drug deals, houses of prostitution, burglaries, etc.?

Since the days of Al Capone, some members of The Chicago Police Department have been “on the take”. Not all of them, but a substantial number. If they would assist ICE and Border Patrol in getting rid of these immigrants here illegally and the crimes they commit, their “side hustle” would evaporate.

I sincerely hope I’m wrong.

Charles M. Prignano

Colorado Springs