“Thank you for your service!”

On many occasions I’ve been offered this dollop of gratitude when someone learns that I served in the U.S. Army as an officer during the war on Vietnam. My “service” was without real distinction, although I earned my commission through a grueling year of basic training, Advanced Individual Training in the Infantry arts, and 6 months of Officer Candidate School (OCS).

I did not volunteer for any of it, except OCS, because I thought being an officer justified the extra year I signed up for.

Because I was (and am) anti-war, I used to decline the gestures of gratitude, not wishing to further the knee-jerk, mindless patriotism implicit in “Thank you for your service.” More recently I smile and say, “Thank you.”

My shift is not because I’ve grown more enthusiastic about violence or think, “By god, I deserve it. I gave up three years of my life.” The shift is because my perspective on both service and the thanks for it have evolved.

As to service, the vast majority of women and men who serve in the military or a branch of first responding do so for salutary reasons. I am confident that very few sign up because they have a strong desire to kill anyone. They may have a romanticized view of valor and heroism or enlist because it is the best life option they see. Military service offers a life of purpose, constantly reinforced by civic and political rhetoric about keeping us safe.

If each member of the military forces was, in fact, keeping us safe, thanks are very much deserved. Although the military adventures of the last 80 years have not, by and large, kept anyone safe, their intent has merit.

It is the decisions made by politicians that give lie to the mythology of selfless service in defense of the rest of us. In Vietnam and nearly every subsequent military excursion, sincere women and men were sacrificed to the poor or malicious choices made by political leaders, most of whom have never worn a uniform. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan . . . wars built on misinformation and misjudgment, placed honorable women and men in dishonorable circumstances.

The extent to which our bloated military is a deterrent is unknowable. I know that peace on Earth does not flow from threats of violence, so our aggressive posture seems escalatory, not conciliatory. But these ethical and philosophical considerations are not front of mind for America’s young recruits, nor should they be.

When passersby say, “Thanks for your service” to a person in uniform, I believe they are recognizing the choice made to offer oneself, not the manipulation of that choice by others. Especially in those cases where a high price was paid, it is unfair – cruel – to withdraw gratitude and empathy just because the “cause” for which they sacrificed was corrupt.

A disabled veteran of the immoral and dishonest war in Vietnam deserves no less gratitude than the disabled veteran of WWII, who served a more necessary cause.

The saying, often attributed to St.Augustine, “Hate the sin and love the sinner,” has an applicable paraphrase: “Hate the war, and honor the warrior.”

Which brings me to current relevance.

Right now, Pew Research reports that voters who served in the active military or reserves prefer Trump to Harris by a margin of 61% – 37%.

This lopsided support for a man who faked a medical disability to avoid service – like mine.

This lopsided support for a man who has called dead soldiers “suckers and losers.”

This lopsided support from a man who insulted Gold Star families.

This lopsided support for a man who denigrated John McCain for being a prison of war.

This lopsided support for a man called a fascist by the Generals closest to him.

This lopsided support for a convicted felon who has stolen classified documents and carelessly shared top secret information with our geopolitical rivals.

Many – most -Republicans claim the mantle of patriotism. They salute the flag, They pledge allegiance and ask God to bless America. They paste “Support Our Troops” stickers on bumpers.

I don’t share their exuberant and demonstrative version of patriotism or their religion. (I love the irony of their bitching about virtue signaling.) But I can and have found common ground with them. Not if they support Donald Trump.

I have challenged the more conservative candidates for election in Erie to disavow Trump. None has done so. They are evidently afraid to alienate the MAGA base.

They are Andrew Moore, Andrew Sawusch Travis Pinz, John Mortellaro, Brian O’Conner, Brandon Bell and Dan Maloit.

If they will not disavow Trump they don’t deserve your vote. They don’t deserve anyone’s vote.

And don’t thank me for my service. I’ve learned to graciously accept “thanks” even though I don’t particularly care.

But any person who supports Trump does not have the moral standing to thank any American for their service.

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The post Thank You For Your Service appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Oh, what a bind they’re in!

The dynamics in my town’s local election are a window into the vise that grips Republican candidates nationwide.

“My town” is Erie. Candidates for Mayor and town council have divided into two pods, despite the supposed non-partisan nature of the election.

One pod’s candidates are seemingly Democrats, the others seem to skew Republican. The apparently Republican-ish pod has been dubbed the “slate,” because of their lockstep views on some issues and their ubiquitous clusters of campaign signs. The campaign is spirited and the spirit is sometimes unpleasant. As a writer for Yellow Scene, and a lively contributor to social media, I’ve added more than a bit of spice.

The dynamic I reference flared when I posed this question to the candidates:

A challenge to our Erie candidates:

Ordinarily, this question would be somewhat irrelevant. But in light of the recent “testimony” from multiple members of the Trump administration, including Generals Mattis, Milley, and Kelly, that Donald Trump is a fascist and unfit for office, can you affirm that you will not support him?

It seems reasonable to know whether local elected officials support a presidential candidate who has been characterized as a fascist authoritarian by conservatives and highly respected military leaders.

Have you the integrity to respond? A failure to respond will speak for itself.

Not one of the “slate” – and I’ll name them for the record – responded. They are Andrew Moore, Brandon Bell, John Mortellaro, Andrew Sawusch, Travis Pinz, Dan Maloit and Brian O’Conner.

Each pea in the other pod readily stated their support of Harris/Walz. They are Justin Brooks, Ben Hemphill, Anil Pesaramelli, Emily Baer, Dan Hoback and Richard Garcia.

None and all. The difference is stark.

“Slate” supporters took me to task for inserting partisanship into what they think should be a friendlier and more civil campaign. Many complained that the federal election is irrelevant. I won’t explicate the many contortions the “slate” and their friends performed to avoid the issue.

So why won’t they answer and why is the question relevant and important in a local election?

I don’t believe that most Republican-leaning candidates, federal, state or local, are “afraid” of Donald Trump. They are afraid of Trump supporters.

I will stipulate that the members of Erie’s “slate” may otherwise be decent enough folks, although there has been some electoral mischief ascribed to several of them. But if they denounced Donald Trump, for any of the myriad reasons he should be denounced, their electoral prospects would significantly dim. That’s the nature of politics these days. A rock and hard place squeezes decency from nearly all Republicans – here, there and everywhere.

Perhaps they don’t respond because they are ashamed. I suppose that would be slightly better than being a proud Trump supporter. But that’s a distinction without a difference.

It is relevant because the refusal to denounce this particular candidate and his rancid rhetoric is tacit agreement.

Because my local candidates will not speak out or step up, it is fair to make these assumptions:

They support a candidate who does not respect or honor democratic norms, therefore one might question their support for democratic norms.

They support a candidate who encourages violence and retribution, therefore one might question their support for peaceful and civil governance.

They support a candidate who is crude, coarse and serially dishonest, therefore one might question whether their own values are firmly grounded in honesty and decency.

They support a candidate who has exhibited racism in speech and action, therefore one might question whether they are tolerant of racist speech and policy.

They support a candidate who wishes to deport millions of brown children, women and men without regard to due process or a modicum of human decency, therefore one might question their attitudes toward immigrants in our community.

They support a candidate who has been convicted in criminal and civil court, therefore one might question whether they consider criminal conviction, without remorse or rehabilitation, as disqualifying for one seeking the public trust.

They support a candidate who has been convicted of sexual assault and accused of such by dozens more women, therefore one might question whether they value the protection of girls and women from sexual aggression or predation.

They support a candidate who is on the record stating that he would be a “dictator on day one”  if elected again, therefore one might question their own attitudes toward authoritarianism.

They support a candidate who has declared admiration for Hitler, Putin, and other brutal leaders, therefore one might question whether they have lost all sense of decency. 

My initial challenge should be addressed to every candidate for office in the United States.

In my small community, in the shadows of the magnificent Rockies, the silence from Andrew I, Andrew II, John, Dan, Brandon, Travis and Brian is complicity.

They are indeed in a bind. But it’s no excuse.

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10/27 updated to reflect the Comp Plan restricts density to 5-10%.

Welcome to Erie, CO, for all the newcomers. It’s a good little-big town, it really is. I have lived here a long, long time. Election season can be stressful, but that’s true in most places. I hope you find Erie to be a good town to live in, raise your children in if you have them, shop and dine in, and, of course, choose to volunteer in our town.

I welcome all the newcomers. Like all towns, elections get messy. But in rapidly growing municipalities with lots of outside interests, there can be added motives. In our last election, we had Dark Money in Erie.

I would advise watching our town council meetings to learn more. They are all available at the Town of Erie website. https://www.erieco.gov/322/Watch-Meetings-on-Demand. It will give you a flavor of how current elected officials, up for reelection, govern.

Having experienced over twenty election seasons since moving here in 1992, I’m personally voting for these candidates because I believe they best represent the vision we need for our future.

• Reelecting Justin Brooks for Mayor
• D1: Pesaramelli, Garcia
• D2: Reelecting Hoback, Hemphill
• D3: Reelecting Baer

The slate I am not aligning with chose not to interview with the YS Election Guide, and although that isn’t the only reason I’m not supporting them. The way they chose to turn us down gives a peek at their mindsets and temperament. All candidates were contacted by our journalist and provided the same questions. Brandon Bell posted on social media that he would rather be caught on fire and rolled in salt than interview with YS. Andrew Moore claimed they were not Erie questions; John Mortellaro initially ignored our request but did eventually respond on NextDoor. You can view our exchange there. Sadly, they chose partisan politics over reaching their community. However, the same slate has demonstrated a lack of willingness to respond to questions from voters.

• Andrew Moore (former mayor from 2004-2010, 55 well pads during that time)
• D1: Mortellaro, Sawusch (Incumbent)
• D2: Bell (Incumbent), Maloit
• D3: O’Connor, and Pinz

The policies the Moore slate has advocated that I take issue with include:

• A water park at the airport (which has one way in and one way out, and years ago, the airpark residents voted down connecting Bonanza, so are they cool with a water park?)
• Vouchers for housing but no density housing (where are the vouchers coming from? Is the Town going to buy a bunch of houses? That makes no sense?)
• Home Rule, which was just approved by Erie voters in 2023, already needs to be repealed or changed (?)
• Taxing citizens more for what we need instead of using the Capital Investment Fund for Capital investment improvements
• Claiming Erie is overbuilding “high-density.” This term has been bantered around as the main talking point. Erie needs to have more than just a sea of high-income housing to sustain itself. The recent Comp Plan, approved in a 4-2 vote, raised the total to 37 units per acre. By comparison, Boulder and Longmont are at 40 per acre, and Aurora is as high as 200 per acre on some properties. Additionally, the Comp Plan designates 5-10% for density. Don’t worry Erie can continue to build a sea of houses.
• Claiming the Comp Plan was rushed. See local resident Ms Terranova’s Letter to the Editor. In short, it was a two-and-a-half-year process, with community volunteers who participated.
• More fireworks and snowplows
• The Moore slate typically does not respond to citizen’s inquiries
• Councilperson Bell chose to share a private Facebook post of a local citizen in response to a letter to the editor she wrote that endorsed the Brooks slate.
• Oil and Gas is just fine with 181; there is no need for further regulations by the town, according to several of the Moore slate.

Erie has been heavily fracked for 20 years for those who don’t know. Draco Pad is a huge problem, and you may want to attend the meeting Oct 29th, 2024, at Erie Middle School: https://yellowscene.com/events/

There are many new homeowners in our town now. I have been to neighborhoods I have never been to, ever. There are so many houses—I can not believe how many houses. Erie has become a sea of houses where there was once wide open plains and little light pollution in just under 25 years.

I would like:

• Less sprawl, please. Yes, build more density so things are closer together.
• Driving across town is a hassle because there are so many houses and cars. There are also more potholes because there are more cars! Yes, public transit, please.
• Yes, to things staying closer together and being walkable. Why would anyone think that sprawl is a good thing?

Now that we are done publishing the Election Guide, it is time to turn in my ballot. Only 14% of you have as of the time of this writing. If you are not sure about all those messy ballot issues and candidates, check out our endorsements in this year’s Election Guide. Last year, it won first place at the Better News Awards.

Yellow Scene Election Guide 2024

Erie Colorado Moderated, Facebook group

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The post YS Publisher’s 2024 Election Endorsement in Her Hometown of Erie appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

screenshot, CyclErie’s mural, a cycling shop in Downtown Erie

Letter to the Editor, 

Election time can be a really stressful and frustrating time of year for people. There is so much information and discourse that it is sometimes difficult to make a decision on who to believe and what to vote for. Thursday, October 17, 2024, I sat in the gymnasium at Vista Ridge Academy at the Town of Erie Candidate Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters, listening to the potential future leaders of the Town of Erie discussing pertinent issues in the upcoming election. 

The desire to make sure our Town thrives is what inspired me to join the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC), a group of Erie citizens who were brought together to advise and give input and suggestions throughout the process of creating the new Comprehensive Plan.

While working on the PAC, we heard often and frequently that what the people of Erie (myself included) love most is the small-town feel. That is what makes it such a desirable place to live, and it has driven our growth. Half the people in Erie now in love with that small-town feel wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the growth set in motion approximately 20-25 years ago. It was a Comprehensive Plan that promoted growth intended for a much smaller town with aspirations to be a desirable place to live. That plan was beyond successful. But with the new population came new problems: Inadequate infrastructure, insufficient services, skyrocketing housing costs, and this continued desire to still feel like a small town despite our population outpacing the towns around us. 

What I learned from being on the PAC, was that this Erie bedroom community could not sustain the growth model that was decided on before most of us even lived here. 

Bedroom communities offer a quiet life, lots of green space, and great parks and schools… but how is this typically sustained? Bedroom communities rely primarily on residential taxes to maintain services, infrastructure, and low-density housing. What does Erie do when the money generated from residential taxes can no longer sustain the growth created by an old, outdated plan that no longer fits? 

Just this month, the current Town Council in Erie, in a 4-2 vote to pass, finally approved the brand new Comprehensive Plan for our town. This plan was set in motion approximately two and a half years ago, driven by the desire to maintain a small-town feel in Erie, control the sprawling growth encouraged by the old Comprehensive Plan, and not overburden the residents. For two and a half years, groups of contractors, town employees, elected officials, volunteers, & survey respondents all contributed to this new plan to make our way of life in Erie sustainable. In this process, we learned from experts that a model where a town maintains low taxes, high services, and low density does not exist. It is impossible. To maintain our small-town feel, we needed to get creative. The Comprehensive Plan was the culmination of two and a half years of work and thousands of person-hours, all centered around maintaining our small-town feel despite the growth that was set in motion two-plus decades ago. 

As someone who worked on the comprehensive plan by volunteering my time on the PAC and meeting with Town Planners to understand the process, my frustrations arose as I witnessed a former Mayor running for reelection, Andrew Moore, making false claims that the new Comprehensive Plan was rushed. I was not surprised, but again, disappointed that Andrew Sawusch and Brandon Bell voted against approving the Comprehensive Plan, claiming there wasn’t enough involvement from the public. As part of the public, I was able to participate intimately in the development of this plan along with the rest of the PAC, and I know copious community engagement opportunities were offered. Their objections felt like a ploy to sow divisiveness and spread disinformation in our town, a town these candidates claim to want to bring together. None of these men chose to be at these meetings, be involved in this extensive process, and in the eleventh hour were calling it shady. Are these the men that we want to lead our town? The ones who ignore the process and then complain about the results? The ones who divide us with scare tactics and misinformation?

At the candidate forum, my frustration grew.

• In general, I heard candidates Andrew Moore, John Mortellaro, Andrew Sawusch, Brandon Bell, Dan Maloit, and Brian O’Connor discuss repealing/changing the newly approved Comprehensive Plan, a plan that was developed to maintain our small-town feel and increase revenue without burdening current residents while turning around and saying how important it was to maintain a small-town feel. 
• Moore, Mortellaro, Sawusch, Bell, Maloit, and O’Connor talked about decreasing taxes but did not offer a plan for how the town will collect revenue to maintain our essential services and amenities (like parks). 
• Moore, Mortellaro, Sawusch, Bell, Maloit, and O’Connor expressed how oil and gas isn’t an issue in Erie, leaning on Colorado Senate Bill 181, saying Oil and Gas operations aren’t happening in our backyards. 

It felt as if these six candidates were all reading from the same script. 

I then heard candidate Dan Maloit talking about having more snow plows (increasing services), only to turn around and talk about firing Town employees and mocking their jobs. 

With all of that, I thought to myself, these are the types of men who make people dislike politics. This rhetoric is what drives communities apart. 

(Please note that Travis Pinz was not at the forum and did not submit an opening statement. In trying to find information on his plans for Erie, my biggest takeaway is that his beliefs and goals for the town seem to align with candidates Moore, Mortellaro, Sawusch, Bell, Maloit, and O’Connor). 

At the end of the forum, I approached Candidate Andrew Moore to discuss his plans. I had addressed him several times on social media with no response regarding the misconception that a town can maintain low taxes, high services, and low density. 

When I asked about services such as maintenance and infrastructure, he mocked fellow candidate Dan Maloit about his plow plan. When I discussed taxes and how he will pay for the services to maintain the small-town feel in Erie, and if he plans on lowering taxes, he diverted the conversation, talking about how he isn’t going to lower taxes (after stating during the forum that we need to lower mills, aka taxes).  

I asked about different housing options to support our community, and he simply stated, “So I’m guessing you’re looking for affordable housing.” 

To try and get a clear answer, I asked about stances that his “slate,” Andrew Sawusch, Brandon Bell, John Mortellaro, Dan Maloit, Travis Pinz, and Brian O’Connor, were taking, and I was told that he doesn’t have a slate. This confused me because his election signs are always paired with the same six other candidates, and those candidates, including Mr. Moore, held a Meet and Greet together on Wednesday, October 16. It felt very disingenuous and dismissive. 

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He then went on to discuss how Erie is not and will never be a community that will use bicycles and buses and that we just need to expand roads (which I know is another piece of misinformation and a fallacy as it is proven that widening roads does not reduce traffic, but instead makes it worse due to “induced demand”.) 

I then also asked why it didn’t seem like he answered the question on oil and gas. Mr. Moore told me that I needed to check his website. 

I felt like I left the conversation without a single question answered due to Mr. Moore’s question-dodging. I asked myself why he wouldn’t just answer the questions and tell the truth. As frustrated as I felt during the forum, my conversation with Mr. Moore is what pushed me to write this letter. I was finally exhausted from all the manipulation.

But even with all the manipulation, misinformation, and frustration, I did feel hope during the candidate forum. There was a group of candidates that spoke intelligently and passionately about the important issues in the Town of Erie. 

• I heard Justin Brooks talk about making sure Erie maintains its sense of community and that there is affordable housing for our seniors and workforce. 
• Emily Baer discussed how we were going to support our most vulnerable citizens and protect the interests of Erie citizens by showing up at the table where oil and gas decisions are being made. 
• Dan Hoback was passionate in developing mixed-use areas of Erie that would increase our tax base and provide much-needed different types of housing that would contribute to and enhance Erie’s small-town feel. 
• Anil Pesaramelli supported Smart and sustainable growth. 
• Ben Hemphill focused on multimodal transportation and financial sustainability. 

All these ideas were echoed within this group of candidates with a sincere focus on how we will maintain the small-town feel Erie is known for. 

(Please note that Richard Garcia was not at the forum due to a family obligation, but he did submit an opening statement stating how he is going to contribute to making Erie more inclusive by supporting affordable housing, citing that the majority of people working in Erie cannot afford to live here and stating how he will support programs and services to meet the needs of our residents. Based on his literature, his beliefs and goals for the town seem to align with candidates Brooks, Baer, Hoback, Pesaramelli, and Hemphill.) 

I also talked with Candidate Justin Brooks, the current mayor, after the forum. This conversation stood in stark contrast to the one I had with the other mayoral candidate. When I asked Mr. Brooks about his plans for taxes, he described himself as fiscally responsible and conservative, citing that as a resident of Erie, he also feels the pinch on his wallet. 

He explained that in his two years as mayor, the town has been able to increase its commercial tax base, which has allowed our town to become less reliant on residential taxes. He expressed that if he is elected again, he will continue to grow Erie’s commercial tax base to continue supporting all the services and infrastructure residents need, enjoy, and want more of. 

Additionally, he expressed the need for different types of housing, as these new business employees will need a place they can afford to live within the Town of Erie, as well as more affordable housing options for the current employees and older persons within the town who can’t afford to live here. 

Mr. Brooks’ passion and pride for the town of Erie was evident in this brief conversation. He was very attuned to the needs and desires of the residents in maintaining the small-town feel and being responsible in how we grow and how we use our money. 

He took the time to really hear me answer my questions, and to me, that showcased his dedication to the residents of Erie.  

Mayor Brooks was right when he said during the forum that it is essential that as we continue to grow responsibly, we need to maintain that small-town quality by being kind to each other, hosting and joining in on community-building events, and not planting disinformation and fear to win elections. 

I love Erie. I love the small-town feel and the sense of community here. I want a Mayor and Council members with the strength and dedication to stand up for what’s right for our town: locally, regionally, and on a state and national scale. 

This November, I will be voting for the candidates that embody those qualities and bring us together with innovative and thoughtful decision-making, not the ones trying to scare me to vote for them. 

-Lindsey Terranova

Erie, Colorado 

The post Letter to the Editor; Erie Elections 2024 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.