Perhaps CU not ready for Prime Time after all

Re: “Sami, 4 others enter transfer portal,” April 26 sports story, and “Ugly side of Sanders Effect? Kids who felt pushed to transfer,” April 25 sports column

After having just read several reports about new Colorado football coach Deion Sanders forcing multiple players into the transfer portal, I believe the CU administration has their own housecleaning to do: force Sanders and his staff into their own transfer portal.

Sanders feels that he has to treat these players like old furniture. These are young men whose dreams of playing football were destroyed by Sanders. Not only do they have to find a new school to attend, they risk losing scholarships and will have to spend large sums to relocate. In addition, players were initially deprived of access to their practice tapes for no good reason.

Does the CU administration approve of these cheesy tactics? One reasonable alternative would be to bring out the bulldozers and knock out the whole football program. I’d vote for that!

Wesley Smits, Denver

Air pollution bill needs fair shake from Polis administration

The Polis administration has opted to stand alongside the oil and gas industry to block meaningful progress for our communities on ozone pollution. Not only has the state continued to put forth inadequate plans to address ozone, but it has also now watered down legislation meant to address our failed permitting system for polluters.

In its current form, the Protecting Communities From Air Pollution Act (House Bill 1294) remains worthy of legislators’ support, but our communities deserve more. Importantly, the bill will set up an interim committee this summer to elevate our communities’ voices and ensure the necessary reforms are prioritized in the next legislative session. It will also define the “cumulative impacts” of pollution sources and strengthen the air quality complaint processes. But the bill originally introduced would have given our communities much of the relief we have long sought – and this kicks the can down the road. Next year, the state needs to get out of the way.

We have heard a lot from the governor and oil and gas industry about what the original permitting components of the bill would mean for Colorado’s economy, but fossil fuel production would have continued. The bill would simply ensure that future permits do not illegally violate federal air quality standards. That is the sort of change we urgently need.

And what about the costs of doing nothing? When we talk about costs, we cannot simply ignore the burden ozone places on our communities. It is time for the governor to stand alongside his constituents, not big polluters.

Lucy Molina, Commerce City

EVs need to pay for roads too

Let me get this straight: Texas wants electric vehicle owners to pay a $200 yearly tax for the gasoline taxes they’re not paying at the pump. These taxes, of course, partially pay for the roads they drive on. Naturally, the EV owners are outraged that they have to pay like everybody else for road maintenance.

These people already got $7,500 in tax dollars (my taxes, partially) to buy their car in the first place. Our tax dollars are paying to put charging stations nationwide for these EVs (not that gas stations get the same consideration for building gas stations). And yet, the EV owners want to complain about having to pay for the roads they drive on, just like everybody else does.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. EV drivers aren’t elites. They are road users; they need to pay for the privilege of driving on those roads. This should be and must be a nationwide thing.

Dan O’Reilly, Colorado Springs