Rail plan is realistic

Issue 7A gives us another way to go. It funds the Colorado Connector, a passenger train from Pueblo to Fort Collins with two Colorado Springs stops, one downtown and one on the north side. The trip takes the same time in July heat or a January storm.

Train service between Denver and Fort Collins is moving forward either way. Issue 7A is what brings it south, with service to the Springs within five years. If we reject it, northern Colorado gets its train while we wait our turn, again.

The plan is realistic. It runs on existing tracks with the railroads and Amtrak on board, which keeps costs down.

7A is a one-third-cent sales tax, about 33 cents on every $100 you spend, with an independent audit every year. Colorado Springs gets $6.6 million a year for 25 years to connect local buses and improve the areas around our stations.

Visitors stepping off the train downtown are a short walk from our restaurants, hotels and Weidner Field. That’s why the Downtown Partnership, the Greater Pueblo Chamber and the Colorado Hispanic Chamber endorse 7A.

You benefit even if you never ride. Springs drivers lose about 61 hours a year to congestion, and every train takes a line of cars off I-25.

7A doesn’t take a dollar from road funding. But if it fails, we won’t magically get new lanes. We’ll just get more cars on the same road.

Let’s finally have an answer to the Denver question that doesn’t start with “it depends.” Vote yes on 7A.

Nancy Henjum
Colorado Springs City Council District 5

An alternative to cars

I’ve made a career of standing up new commuter rail starts all over the country, and I believe the CoCo rail plan is the right plan for Colorado.

I understand the skeptics. They prefer their car. But we’re at a car saturation point and need an alternative. Is the car-only culture the best we can do? Is this all we are leaving our kids?

There is so much good about rail. It’s a less expensive infrastructure. It has a long-life cycle of 40-50 years or more. No plowing or salting. And most importantly, it has the available capacity.

CoCo begins with a Fort Collins—Boulder—Denver starter service using existing funding that fulfills the RTD FasTracks promise. Start with what you can. Build the operation incrementally. Expand south to Colorado Springs and Pueblo. That’s the right ticket!

Please join me and vote Yes on 7A!

Pete Snyder
Broomfield

A passion for hunting

As a child, my family frowned on hunting. My grandparents

were anti-hunters and strongly opposed anyone who participated in the activity.

When I was around 11 years old, one of my parents became ill. This led to childhood depression as I struggled with thoughts of suicide. But two things changed my life.

At about 14, I became a Christian and I was allowed to go on a mentored deer hunt. One of the 4-H leaders in my community suggested it to me. In addition to the hunt, I had to write a paper on why hunting is necessary for wildlife management and conservation efforts. I was hooked, and I had a passion in life that eventually gave me purpose and pulled me out of depression.

Sound wildlife management principles made sense to me, as did the work the Colorado Division of Wildlife was doing at the time and hunting became my haven. From then on, I dedicated my life to protecting hunting and fishing and ensuring people have the same access to the outdoors I did.

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management, with a minor in Conservation Biology and a second minor in Rangeland Ecology. I believe Colorado voters must pass Amendment 83.

I would like people to understand that Amendment 83 doesn’t just protect hunting. It protects the opportunity of a kid, grandkid or an adult to find a passion in life.

This measure protects wildlife by allowing sound wildlife management, so wildlife will remain abundant for future generations to enjoy in whatever way they choose. So if you are on the fence about voting for Amendment 83, I urge you to protect sound wildlife management and vote yes.

Sean Dodd
Larkspur

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