Ordinance overreaches on Airbnbs

I am writing in hopes of finding an ear to listen to my issues related to the latest attack on Airbnb’s here in Colorado Springs. I have just read the draft ordinance relating to Airbnbs and how it overreaches in diminishing the availability of these community resources.

My wife, Trudy, and I just invested in a tri-plex here in the Old North End. We invested our life savings into this property with the intent of developing two of the units into short-term rentals. We’ve invested thousands of dollars in renovating.

I think if you drive around any neighborhoods, you can easily pick out where the long-term renter homes are. They are the homes that are not taken care of. As for the short-term rentals, you have to make them attractive to be competitive.

Colorado Springs has always had a libertarian bend to its politics — which makes this ordinance totally out of whack with freedom of the entrepreneurial mindset of our leaders. The triplex that my wife and I just bought will now, with the proposed changes, provide a fraction of income that our investment and renovation called for.

I don’t know about you — but I was talking to my wife the other day and wondering how wonderful it would have been to be able to stay at Airbnbs when our kids were younger instead of the tired old hotel rooms with two queen beds in it.

If we need to create this ordinance — please limit this ordinance to two units instead of one. It is overreaching and not necessary. Who are we protecting, really?

Hank Bargine

Colorado Springs

Preserve people’s right to choose

At the June 12 City Council meeting in Fountain, a group of citizens came to express opposition to a proposed amendment to the city charter than would allow future police chiefs and fire chiefs to live within 30 miles of the center of Fountain rather than within the city limits.

This measure was voted down four years ago but the city staff recommended it be brought up again as the city would like the largest pool of applicants possible when hiring a new chief in the future.

What I understood the citizens to say was that if the City Council did not remove the proposed charter amendment from the ballot they were going to propose an amendment to the city charter requiring all city employees making more than a certain amount be required to live within the city limits of Fountain. They also requested the City Council approve their amendment and direct the city attorney to write it so they would not have to gather signatures or pay for their own attorney.

I have no problem with people expressing their opinions. I have repeatedly expressed my opinion on actions the council was considering over the last four years. I have no problem with someone putting together an initiative or gathering signatures to place an initiative on the ballot. My concern is that people were demanding something be taken off of a ballot. I have a problem with trying to force the city to deny its citizens the right to choose. To deny voters their right to choose is undemocratic and, in my opinion, un-American. One of our country’s founding principles is that people have a right to choose what laws they live under. Our government works best when the people’s will is expressed at the ballot box.

Gordon Rick

Fountain

Keep Lady Liberty’s light burning

I believe in the inherent goodness of humanity, the goodness of the human heart. It’s been shown in our country’s history when Americans remember to keep open that “golden door” mentioned on the Statue of Liberty. An open door doesn’t mean open borders but open minds and hearts.

The outcries of Americans condemning the separation of children from their families by the ill-advised action of Donald Trump show our hearts are with the children and their families. We need to put our actions where our hearts are.

Changes are needed to fix our immigration laws. This will require bipartisan legislation, not bickering nor posturing nor cowering in fear of a mean, career-ending tweet.

A torch is held out to people seeking a better life than they have in their native countries. Sometimes it looks like the light in that torch is flickering and in danger of being extinguished completely.

Luckily, there have been enough open-minded and open-hearted Americans recently to keep Lady Liberty’s light burning. Let’s hope there always will be.

Denise F. Ludwig

Colorado Springs

All human life should be valued

In studying the issue of the detaining of children involved in the immigration process, I see a societal contradiction involved in this debate.

Regardless of your political persuasion, this detainment process isn’t a political issue. We can debate the origin of this detainment policy, the application of the policy, etc.; however, at its most basic element, it is a human issue.

I am appalled at the travesty of detaining, or harming in any way, innocent children. All of society should share this belief. The decision to immigrate was their parent’s — not theirs. Thus, why harm the child? I am also vehemently opposed to using children as pawns in the political process to resolve the immigration issue.

I have read and seen the news clips that use words such as humanity, the value of human life, the hurting of the innocent child, etc. when discussing this topic. There are mentions of irreparable harm being done to the child.

Couldn’t the same words and level of emotion be used in the abortion discussion? Where is the hue and cry in our society against the taking of innocent lives through abortion?

Like this immigration issue, it’s the parent’s decision to act but the innocent child is the one that is harmed. In the case of abortion, the irreparable harm is death of the innocent child. Don’t we as a society value unborn human life as much as we do that of those that are born?

Abortion isn’t a political issue — it’s a human issue.

Dan Burich

Colorado Springs