Millennium Bridge elevator outages strand disabled users, among others
On Tuesday, three out of four of the Millennium Bridge (16th St.) and 18th Street Bridge elevators were not working. And the signage is ineffective or ambiguous. For instance, the 16th Street Bridge outage notice says to use the 15th Street or the 18th Street Bridge.
Searching online for reference to these outages, I found a television interview from two years ago with Amy Van Dyken, a former Olympic swimmer who was paralyzed in an ATV accident in 2014. She observed that the bridge elevators at the time were closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. by order due to the trashing of elevators by vandals. But knowing from whence she comes, she said such a policy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The 15th Street and 20th Street roadways are hardly reasonable accommodations for an arm-powered wheelchair-based person, given the climbs are not ADA compliant (1:12 pitch, resting ramp every 30 feet). They are not very safe either due to the speed and nonchalance of the wheeled traffic on the sidewalks.
Other people affected by elevator-to-bridge outages include parents with children in strollers, shoppers with carts, and passengers with luggage on and from the A-Line to the airport.
But to a disabled person who has worked professionally in physical rehabilitation, the lackadaisical approach to signage and to elevator repair on the 16th Street and 18th Street bridge access does speak to ADA issues.
I can do the bridge stairs, slowly and laboriously but I shouldn’t. Who am I unreasonably accommodating?
James R. Fegan, Denver (LoDo)
No upside to fracking wells near major water source
Re: “Neighbors make their final stand,” July 28 news story
There is a reason we have chosen to live in Colorado. Indeed, those of you elected to your posts are steeped in a long record of voicing environmental concerns and ensuring the enaction of protections for the natural resources of our state.
The idea that we would allow up to 166 wells to be drilled adjacent to the drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people is absurd. Rich Coolidge of Crestone stated, “development can safely occur without impacting groundwater and surface water sources.” That may be true in the lab or on paper, but unfortunately, it does not hold true in practice in the field. Our media sources have been replete with multiple failures, leaks and mistakes in fracking locales.
Of even greater concern, according to published reports, drilling is proposed near the Lowry Landfill, a Superfund site, where a reported 138 million gallons of waste are buried. Are we out of our minds? Why would anyone ever want to tempt fate by drilling anywhere close to the superfund site?
How will we keep the fracking chemicals and superfund chemicals out of our drinking water? And once it happens, who will pay for it?
Our legislature recognized the problem in 2019 and enacted Senate Bill 181. I have read that legislation, and it is hard to see how this project meets the requirements of that law. Compare the upside of extracting light, sweet crude for export (and profit for the drillers) to the huge downside to all of us. This has nothing to do with “energy dependence.”
Samuel J. Stoorman, Denver
Not a “bad look” but a heroes move by the Democrats and Biden
Re: “Bouncing Biden for Harris is a bad look for Democrats,” July 28 commentary
What is it with Republican partisans and conspiracy theories? Read Scott Jennings’ commentary and you will think that Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, George Clooney, et al. surreptitiously instigated a coup against President Joe Biden.
But reality does not require a conspiracy theory. After the June 7 Biden vs. Trump presidential debate, millions and millions of Democrats (including yours truly) contacted President Biden, elected Democratic politicians, and Democratic Party officials, and even wrote letters to editors to ask President Biden to voluntarily withdraw from the 2024 Presidential election. It took three weeks to convince Biden, who was always the fighter, that he should withdraw, but he ultimately did.
Suddenly the contest between two unpopular old men was transformed into a contest between a younger, smiling, positive, dynamic woman and a scowling old man, bent on revenge, replaying his failed 2020 campaign’s epithets and lies.
$200 million raised in a week from millions of Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans is not a conspiracy. It’s democracy in action.
Daniel Chilcoat, Lakewood
So Scott Jennings thinks President Joe Biden was forced to give up his reelection bid by insiders in the Democratic Party.
Maybe he just decided to put his country first, facing one the most consequential elections in the history of our country.
The American people were dissatisfied with both candidates and desperately wanted someone different to run for president. Unfortunately, the Republicans dare not even think of asking former President Donald J. Trump to step aside for the good of the nation.
Once again, the Democrats put the country first and ignited enthusiasm beyond anything they had expected. Biden is fully capable of serving out his term, which has been one of the most successful in recent history.
Our economy is the envy of the world, with inflation getting very close to the Fed target of 2%, and a soft landing looks to be a strong possibility. Biden has done more than any president in recent memory to set up this country for continued success in the future.
Do we want to go backward or continue to move forward and continue to make America the envy of the world?
The choice is clear. Make America Great Again assumes we are in decline and nothing can be further from the truth. Republicans see a nation in decline and Democrats see a bright future for the greatest country in the world.
Let’s hope the American people realize this as they cast their votes. Do we really want a convicted felon running our country? Hopefully, the American people make the right choice in November. Our democracy depends on it.
David Shaw, Highlands Ranch
Colorado veterans are being disrespected
To Gov. Jared Polis,
Colorado’s Veterans are in crisis because the Division of Veteran Affairs (CDVA) is failing. You appointed U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan as the adjutant general (TAG), who doubles as the executive director of the CDVA. As part of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), CDVA’s mission is to serve veterans and their families by assisting the VA to accomplish its mission: “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”
State Auditor Kerri Hunter found that “The Division of Veterans Affairs and the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs (Board) do not sufficiently plan for, supervise, and support veterans’ services, which are largely provided by county veterans service officers.”
CDVA is talking about reorganization once again. The division has its fifth director in as many years and has experienced virtually a complete turnover in critical staff more than once. CDVA should be run as a business with business goals. It isn’t. Unfortunately, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs continues to focus on active service men and women and disrespect those who have already served. Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for veteran suicide. Why? In addition, veteran health care, homelessness, drug abuse, and other issues need to be addressed. Where is CDVA?
Governor, this crisis is occurring on your watch and will be part of your legacy. Even though the Colorado Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees have a role, you oversee DMVA, and you own this. At some point, veterans and their families will ask you, “Why are we disrespected, underserved, and treated as second-class constituents?”
Perhaps it’s not too late, and you can right this ship.
Richard Nagley, Alamosa
Editor’s note: Nagley is president of the Veterans Coalition of the San Luis Valley.
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