Copyright The Denver Post
Repeal the independent Redistricting Commission In 2018, voters created the independent Colorado Congressional Redistricting Commission in order to reduce partisan gerrymandering in the creation of congressional districts. The commission is prohibited from drawing district lines that protect any political party. This has worked well, for the most part, until now. When President Trump directed Republican-controlled states to redistrict ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections in order to give the Republicans in Congress additional seats, he blew the non-partisan systems completely up that had been adopted by several states. We now have Republican states following Trump’s directive and eliminating congressional districts that favor Democrats or independents. California has issued a challenge to other Democratic-controlled states to join them and do the same. Attorney General Phil Weiser has challenged the Democratic leaders of Colorado to do just that. Colorado Democrats did not want this battle, we did not ask for it, but failure to meet this challenge will be nothing less than a failure of current Democratic leadership. Unfortunately, there is no high road to take here when the president and the Republicans thrive in the ditch. Colorado accomplishes nothing by remaining neutral except complicity. Colorado Democrats are sick and tired of big money and small ideas. We are demanding, not asking for, a repeal of the Congressional Redistricting Commission to appear on the ballot at the earliest possible date, with a subsequent redistricting if it passes, joining California and our other Democratic states in this battle for our democracy. Inaction is simply capitulation — and not a viable option. William C. (Billy) Compton, Lakewood Editor’s note: Compton is the former state director of elections and former political director of the Colorado Democratic Party. Remembering when robots were supposed to improve our lives Re: “Amazon plans to replace 600,000 jobs with robots,” Nov. 2 business story I was a student in the 1970s. I distinctly remember discussions about computers. They were going to make our lives easier, and everyone would have more free time. Maybe there would be a three-day work week for everyone — and leisure time to pursue other interests that enrich lives. Instead, the gap between the rich and the poor has gotten greater. Some people have to work two or three jobs to get by. And if you’re lucky enough to have one well-paying job, technology might create a situation where you are expected to be available 24/7. Somewhere between then and now, capitalism has sent us careening off the rails. Instead of improving the lives of all Americans with technological advances, we have been taught to worship the almighty dollar. The stock market grows as does the wealth of shareholders. And the general public falls farther and farther behind. Surely, with creativity, intelligence, and compassion, we can do better than this. Nancy Litwack-Strong, Lakewood Recycling inefficiency Residents on my block have a front-row seat to city inefficiency. For several weeks, one side of the street has not had recycling pickup. After we were jilted last week on our regular pickup day, we left our carts in the street. Numerous residents have contacted the city to request pickup. Yesterday, a truck came, emptied one cart, and left. A row of seven or eight carts down the block waiting for service was ignored. Residents called, and today the truck returned and emptied one more cart, but no others. We have been told that each resident has to report their unemptied cart, and the city will send a truck to make a pickup for that address only, continuing to disregard not only the other carts but our requests to empty all the carts. Why are we paying for a truck and driver to make multiple trips to the same block for the same purpose? This is beyond stupid. Nancy B. Weil, Denver Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
