Letters

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 1, 2008

To drill or not to drill

Alternative energy sources will negate need for more oil

Charles C. Masters accused Kristin Lynch of promoting "tired, left-wing environmentalism" in his letter attacking her recent column as if there is something fundamentally wrong with her views ("Writer wrong on most points of antidrilling column," Letters, July 26). Yet, T. Boone Pickins, the oilman who made billions in the petroleum industry, clearly sides with Lynch when he states that we cannot drill our way out of the present energy crisis.

The American public also apparently agrees with Lynch judging by the staggering losses posted by Ford and the other auto manufacturers. They now are frantically retooling their factories to build smaller, fuel-efficent, European-designed autos that are in demand by buyers.

Even opening the entire United States to oil exploration and drilling would provide only minor, temporary relief from the fuel shortfall; the equivalent of trying to bail out the Titanic with a bucket.

America is now in competition with the rest of the world for petroleum. As both Lynch and Pickens state, the only way out of this crisis is in the search for alternative energy sources rather than new oil fields. It is time to face the fact that, regardless of what petroleum can be discovered through North Slope and offshore drilling, the era of cheap fuel and conspicuous consumption is over. The nations who recognize this first will be both the beneficiaries and economic leaders of the 21st century.

Holmes Brannon

Woodland Park

U.S. consumes more of resource because we produce more wealth

While I agree with most of Kristin Lynch's column in the sense that the longterm solution is weaning ourselves from this finite resource, I must take issue with her comparison that the U.S. consumes 25 percent of the world's oil production while comprising only 4 percent of its population ("A board member's dissent on drilling for new oil," Other Voices, July 24). This is not an apt comparison.

One should compare our resource utilization with our share of the world's GDP. We produce 28 percent of the world's output, so consuming 25 percent of its resources is not unreasonable.

In fact, I'd say we are more efficient in resource utilization than the rest of the world taken as a whole.

James Boughter

Colorado Springs

Meanness, name-calling no way to discuss public policy issues

It seems that Kristin Lynch's column must have struck a really sensitive nerve with some of the conservatives in El Paso County. I wonder why some conservatives feel it's necessary to display mean- spirited comments and name-calling when presented with a difierent opinion. Is it because it's easier to resort to the ugliness and pettiness of the bully than the reasoned statements of the informed?

I have lived in El Paso County for more than 30 years and never have I seen such meanness and lack of civility as I have seen in the past 10 years from the socalled conservatives running this county.

How I long for the days of Barry Goldwater, Sam Ervin and Howard Baker, when country came first and politics was discussed with relish and fervor, not hate and malice.

Tina Runnier

Colorado Springs

da race

Newsome's trip to Chicago completely above board

My primary opponent and his allies have spent much time and effort persuading the local media to cover their self-serving spin on my trip to Chicago to interview witnesses in preparation for the death penalty trial of Marco Lee, the accused killer of Colorado Springs Police Officer Ken Jordan. Voters have not been served well by the coverage to date.

Part of our office's legal burden under Colorado death penalty law is to show the impact of the murder on Jordan's family. Out of sensitivity to the family, and to save our offce thousands of dollars, the lead detective in the case and I traveled to Chicago instead of having the witnesses come to Colorado Springs.

The date and length of the trip was determined by availability in the detective's and my schedules and an estimate of how long it might take to meet and interview 17 grieving family members. The trip was not scheduled around a football game. An offce staff member arranged the witness interview schedule for October. We worked 12- hour days.

More than three weeks after the trip was booked, less than 48 hours before our flight to Chicago, and only after it became apparent that our interview schedule might allow us to attend the game, was I able to secure tickets to the game. No office funds were used or advanced to purchase the tickets. Upon return from Chicago, I disclosed the personal portion of the trip and gave the receipts to the appropriate person. I have reimbursed the office for any personal time and expense on the trip.

It is about time this election focused on the facts rather than political sensationalism designed to deflect attention from the outstanding record of the district attorney's ofice over the past four years.

There's a good reason that I am overwhelmingly supported by law enforcement, including Sheriffis Terry Maketa and Kevin Dougherty, Coroner Robert Bux, the Police Association and the Firefighters Association, and that is because of my record of producing results. In the past four years my ofice has: