Re: “Palantir’s exit is the warning smoke,” Feb. 21 commentary

Plantir’s exit is the warning smoke. There is more than just smoke. The canary in the coal mine has croaked. Colorado ranks fifth in the country for outbound moves.

The progressive left that controls the State of Colorado has made it difficult, if not impossible, to live here. Our property taxes are 10% higher than last year. The Democrats are drafting a backdoor tax increase by modifying the state’s tax laws. The fees assessed are a death by a thousand little taxes. According to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, Colorado is the sixth-most regulated state in the country.

Want proof? Wait until you must replace your furnace. Last year, the average cost was $4,500 to $6,500. With the new regulations, it is $7,000 to $12,000 or higher.

Traffic regulations are another example. Traffic is being reduced to one lane for bike lanes that no one uses.

And then there is the higher minimum wage. No one wants to pay $20 for a hamburger. When your next favorite restaurant closes, thank the governor.

And let’s not forget that the Democratic left can’t stand law enforcement. In 2020, Senate Bill 217 created a $25,000 personal liability for cops doing their job. And now the Democrats want to ban someone from serving their community if they previously worked for ICE. But if you break the law, you’re not going to jail anytime soon.

Unless the Democrats change course, the time to leave Colorado is now.

Jeff Jasper, Westminster

Palantir, will we even miss you?

Re: “Palantir changed address twice in February,” Feb 19 news story

It’s certainly ironic that Palantir should cite climate change in its SEC filing as one of the reasons it’s leaving Denver for Florida, especially given its support for this climate-denying administration.

Martin Berliner, Greenwood Village

Re: “Politicians caught between ICE’s violence, Palantir’s money, and the voters they represent,” Feb. 22 commentary

“More members of Congress are likely to follow suit and return their donations as the company and its political contributions come under more public scrutiny. These donations, while welcome, raise a deeper and more troubling question: Why is a company that powers mass surveillance and immigrant enforcement so deeply embedded in our political system in the first place?”

Blame the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. The Court found that laws restricting the political spending of corporations and unions are inconsistent with the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This opened the door for businesses to donate to political campaigns.

Remember when Antonin Scalia died, and Mitch McConnell refused a hearing to replace him, so that the next President could select Scalia’s replacement? It was close to the 2016 election and McConnell wanted to protect the Citizens United ruling.

There needs to be a constitutional amendment to overturn this travesty. The only way to do it is to vote straight line for Democrats in future elections. It takes forever to get a constitutional amendment passed. Amendments can be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or by a national convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures. Ratification requires approval by three-fourths of state legislatures or state conventions.

The solution is very difficult to achieve, but it has to happen. Palantir is the model for why Citizens United is such a horrible ruling. Republicans need to get a spine and join Democrats to end it, once and for all.

As for Palantir leaving Denver, good riddance.

Mike Filion, Lakewood

What’s in a name?

Re: “Secretary on ‘freedom’ tour,” Feb. 24 photo

I’d just like to remind The Denver Post that the United States has a secretary of defense, not a secretary of war.

And if you don’t believe that, you can just go jump in the Gulf of America.

Robert Priddy, Westminster

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Re: “Denver set to crush women’s sports record next month – and the team’s not done peaking,” Feb. 4 sports commentary

In a recent column by Sean Keeler, the excitement surrounding Denver Summit FC highlights how powerful women’s sports can be when they’re given real opportunities.

As a girl who plays highly competitive soccer, I know firsthand what it’s like to crave the same opportunities and treatment that men receive in team sports. The hard work, the bond with teammates, and the highs and lows of competition create an experience like no other, and both girls and boys deserve that because both are fully capable of competing.

This matters because when women compete in sports, they show little girls everywhere that they can pursue any sport or passion they choose, and that being a girl should never hold them back, despite what some may say. Overall, women who compete in team sports are strong and embody everything women can achieve. I hope to see more accomplishments like Denver Summit FC’s for women across the world in every type of sport.

Josie Sima, Castle Pines

Editor’s note: Sima is a player for ECNL Real Colorado

The idea of ICE running massive detention centers

Re: “ICE’s purchases marked by secrecy, frustrate towns,” Feb. 22 news story

The article about Immigration and Customs Enforcement buying warehouses to hold detainees is a good start in shedding light on the issues surrounding these purchases, but more needs to be illuminated.

Of course, we must first and foremost never forget the immorality of human beings being literally warehoused in private prisons where owners have a profit motive to keep conditions in a cheap, inhumane status. Most ICE detention facilities are run by private prison companies.

The Department of Homeland Security is trying to build facilities that will hold anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 humans. For perspective, the Louisiana State Penitentiary holds about 6,300 prisoners and employs about 1,800 staff. This prison is notorious for having often been sued for inhumane and brutal conditions.

For ICE to run its proposed 5,000 to 10,000 prisoner warehouses, it will likely need 1,500 to 3,000 trained staff at each of the dozen or more facilities. In a time of well-documented shortages of corrections officers throughout the country, including Colorado, how is ICE going to find staff in those numbers of good character and background? And can we count on ICE to give them adequate training on the rights and treatment of humans in their custody? ICE certainly hasn’t done such a great job with its street officers’ training and recruitment.

Will these facilities and the other ICE abuses become visible and concrete warning signs of what our great nation could become?

Ethan Feldman, Littleton

Reclaimed sewage water shouldn’t be used on Colorado’s ski slopes

Re: “Endangered snowpack,” Denver Post three-part series on climate and ski industry, Feb. 15-17

The Denver Post series on the future of Colorado skiing and on the economic health of mountain communities correctly blames the impacts of climate change. Winter temperatures are rising, precipitation patterns are changing, and annual snowpacks are declining.

Without optimal below-freezing temperatures, the solution is not simply transporting more water uphill to do snowmaking, a process that will disturb mountain habitats and require substantial energy.

Of additional concern, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission will consider in April allowing the use of treated sewage water for snowmaking. Unfortunately, many Colorado wastewater treatment facilities are outdated and unable to meet discharge standards for contaminants. Some are operating on expired permits.

Reclaimed water could contain residuals not removed during ordinary wastewater treatment processes, such as pathogens, medicines, personal care products, pesticides, heavy metals, radioactive materials, de-icing salts, PFAs (“forever chemicals”) and other toxins.

Little is known about the impacts of these pollutants on fragile high-altitude soils and pristine mountain streams. Until there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate the safety of using treated wastewater for snowmaking, every precaution should be taken to protect public health and the environment.

Surely skiers, especially children, deserve more than signage warning to avoid eating the snow.

Kirkwood M. Cunningham, Boulder

Editor’s note: Cunningham is the Water Quality Committee Chair for the Sierra Club Colorado Chapter.

Get to know the science on climate change

Re: “Reduced snowpack – is it a sign of things to come, or a temporary weather pattern?” Feb. 22 letters to the editor

I want to thank The Denver Post for publishing the two letters responding to the three-part series on the effects of climate change on the ski industry. This shows there is no “confirmation bias” of The Denver Post.

Both letters were perfect examples of the climate-denial mentality and lack of a basic understanding of the science behind the story. The extreme weather on the East Coast and the freezing over of Lake Erie and Lake Champlain are examples of weather variability caused by global climate change.

The changes to the climate cycle did not happen overnight. It has been a gradual and cumulative process caused by greenhouse gas emissions, and is accelerating as we continue to reach “tipping points” in CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The science is supported by facts and data collected and analyzed by the dedicated professionals at NCAR, which is now the political punching bag of the current climate-denying president and his administration, and is facing being dismantled. The lack of past snowfall graphs in the story does not discredit the science and the look to the future and the impact on the ski industry.

Jim McKeeman, Aurora

The letter mentions “The Colorado ski industry uses a tremendous amount of Colorado River water to make snow.” True enough. However, that water is more correctly stored on the slopes. Some is beneficially absorbed into the soil, and the majority melts. Where exactly does this meltwater go, if not back into the river?

This ski season validates the important need for machine-made snow to help our economically critical ski industry. Think snow!

Dave Montanari, Fort Collins

Bennet plays politics — well or to his downfall?

Re: “Sen. Bennet should not get to pick his replacement,” and “Legal prostitution in Colorado more liberal than Nevada’s rural brothels?” Feb. 22 commentaries

Both Kent Thiry and Krista Kafer had great columns last Sunday. I would like to add a little commentary to each of them.

First Thiry brings up the “Bennet” problem. Sen. Michael Bennet refuses to resign from the Senate while he runs for governor. Bennet has been feeding at the political trough for many years. His first term as a U.S. senator had him running for president. Unfortunately for his ambitions, Iowans only gave him some 190 votes in their primary. Sen. Bennet should give up his Senate seat to run for governor, but wouldn’t. His fear is that there would be a chance of him losing and not having a taxpayer job.

Professional politicians are the bane of our society.

Kafer’s column was right on. I worked in law enforcement in the 1970s. Prostitution on East Colfax was crazy. Hookers would solicit near businesses for customers, and the businesses suffered greatly. Prostitution affects the quality of neighborhoods greatly. Kids going to school while prostitutes and their customers prowl in the area degrades the whole neighborhood. And yes, drugs were a big part of the whole enterprise.

Michael Scanlan, Arvada

Kent Thiry’s premise, should Sen. Michael Bennet become Colorado’s next governor, is laughable. Essentially, he feels the replacement should be chosen by the people, via an election.

A little civics lesson here: Each state has their own rules for how replacements are handled. Most leave it to the governor to appoint someone to finish the current term. Then an election occurs. Basically, this is an indirect way of using the people’s voice. It shortens the process and immediately puts someone in Washington to represent this state. Historically, the majority of the time, the replacement has been of the same party as the void that was created.

In Colorado, should Sen. Bennet become Gov. Bennet, it really doesn’t matter if Gov. Jared Polis fills the seat or it waits until the new governor takes office. Both are Democrats and odds are the senator’s seat will be filled with a Democrat, which is actually enacting the people’s choice since it was the people who put a Democrat into that senatorial seat.

Demanding that person be named now is a shallow attempt at saying Thiry wants to be able to vote for both governor and whoever the replacement may or may not be. It doesn’t work that way. Any candidate who plays into Thiry’s hands would be naive to do so (let’s not forget that we have not even determined yet who will actually be our gubernatorial candidates).

Krista Igoe, Littleton

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That should not be allowed in any circumstance.

Public notice exists to protect the public. It informs residents about zoning changes, property tax increases, special district elections, annexations, construction bids, water rulings, foreclosure proceedings, and other actions that directly affect property, neighborhoods, and taxes. It is not simply about putting information somewhere online. It is a carefully constructed legal safeguard built on independence, permanence, verifiability and accessibility.

At the heart of public notice law is a simple principle: governments must inform the public through independent platforms they do not control.

Allowing a government entity to declare its own website legally sufficient turns that safeguard upside down. It puts the fox in charge of the henhouse.

Colorado has well over 4,000 governmental entities. Each may operate its own website, with its own navigation, formatting, search tools and retention practices. If notices are allowed to move solely onto government websites, residents could be forced to search multiple separate platforms just to stay informed: one for the county, one for the city, one for the fire district, one for the school district, one for a metropolitan district, one for parks and recreation, one for sanitation, and so on.

That is not transparency. It is fragmentation and obscuration.

Even well-intentioned governments make mistakes. In a recent Colorado example, a major municipality’s website returned 404 errors on crucial budget documents at the very time officials were asking voters to approve publishing notices exclusively on its website. Websites change vendors. Pages are reorganized. Links break. Content can be altered or removed, whether intentionally or not. A printed legal notice cannot be quietly changed once published. It becomes part of a fixed public record and is uploaded to a centralized, statewide online repository that aggregates notices across Colorado.

Colorado already has a modern system. Legal newspapers publish notices in print and online, and every notice is uploaded to a free, searchable statewide website. That system combines local visibility, digital access and independent verification.

The provision in HB 26-1095 that allows government-only publication is being described as a narrow fix for rare situations. That framing is misleading. Colorado law already provides structured solutions for situations where no legal newspaper is based in a county. In fact, during this very legislative session, the Colorado Press Association worked closely with counties and other stakeholders to modernize those provisions and expand placement options within the independent system.

Compounding the problem is the language of this provision. The proposal allows bypassing newspapers where the government deems a paper “unavailable” or where an adjacent-county publication would not provide “adequate notice.” Those terms are undefined and subjective. Under this language, the same government that is required to give notice could declare an independent publication insufficient and substitute its own website.

That is not how public notice law currently operates.

Public notice statutes are detailed, structured and precise. They regulate formatting, type size, frequency, duration and proof of publication through sworn affidavits that courts rely upon. Notices intersect with hundreds of statutory provisions involving elections, property rights, tax sales, zoning approvals, creditor claims, and special district actions. The law creates clear standards because due process depends on certainty.

Allowing government website posting to satisfy “all publication requirements” sweeps aside that structure with a vague override.

In 2023, Florida allowed limited government-run website publication for certain notices. A major academic study from faculty at the University of Chicago, Texas A&M University and Yale University, released in January of this year, examined the results. It showed that when notices are removed from newspapers and placed only on government-operated platforms, civic engagement declines and fewer people show up at public meetings.

When notices left independent newspapers, fewer people saw them and fewer people showed up. Moving notice off independent platforms does not increase awareness. It reduces it.

Colorado residents trust local newspapers and their websites as primary sources of public information. A statewide survey in 2022 found that 80% of adults cite local newspapers and newspaper websites as their most trusted source for public notices, and nearly two-thirds report reading notices in print or online local publications. Public notice works because it appears where people already look for information.

Reform may be appropriate as technology and usage evolve, as we have demonstrated repeatedly over the years. But reform must always preserve independence, aggregation, permanence and clarity. It must not allow the government to replace independent publication with self-publication based on vague and subjective standards.

Public notice is too important to let governments control how and where it reaches the public.

Tim Regan-Porter is CEO of the Colorado Press Association, which represents print and digital newsrooms throughout Colorado.

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House Bill 1095 is a good piece of legislation tarred by a bad amendment that loosens requirements for public notices. Lawmakers should strike down the amendment on the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives, but we hope the bill passes without it.

The legislation proposed by Rep. Larry Don Suckla, a Republican from Cortez, would require newspapers or publications chosen for legal notices to also make those notices available online for free. In other words, paid public notices cannot be put behind a publication’s paywall online, requiring a subscription to read the notice.

The Denver Post and the Colorado Press Association support that simple change, which is proposed as part of Senate Bill 61 as well, because we know how critical public notice is to Coloradans. Just last Wednesday, public notices in The Denver Post flagged for three families who had recently lost their homes to foreclosure that the proceeds of that sale exceeded their debt and money was owed to them. If those families don’t claim the proceeds, they will lose thousands of dollars. That notice should absolutely be available in front of a paywall, and many publications, including The Denver Post, already meet that standard.

However, a last-minute amendment to HB 1095 would allow cities, counties and special districts to only post a public notice on their own websites. All managers of these districts would have to do is deem that there is no publication in their county adequate for the legal notice. Several lawmakers who heard the bill in committee last week expressed concerns about this amendment and urged the bill’s sponsors to find a better solution.

Unfortunately, we fear that many city and county managers or employees of special districts might be tempted to take advantage of this legislation either for the ease of posting only on their own website or to help keep controversial legal notices hidden.

The amendment opens up a gaping loophole so that even if a county has a print publication, a government could deem the paper not sufficient and instead publish the notice on their own website, perhaps a hidden page only accessed with a specific and obscure URL.

We are not being overly cynical. The Denver Post has previously exposed abuses by special districts and metropolitan districts that post required meeting notices on rural fenceposts at the edge of the district. Sometimes metropolitan districts use random names, rather than the name of their neighborhood, so residents or potential buyers struggle to find information about their governing body.

Rep. Suckla told committee members that he estimates only four counties in all of Colorado don’t have print publications in them, which is a sign this state still has a thriving news infrastructure. The Colorado Press Association estimates only one county would qualify under the amendment. This discrepancy between counts highlights exactly the problem that could arise should the amendment pass.

Public notices help keep newspapers and communities strong and connected.

Last week, The Denver Post’s printed legal notices informed readers that the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission was considering a permit renewal for the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine in Teller County. Public comment will be taken at a virtual meeting on March 31. The Denver Post also informed readers about a transportation rule change implemented by the Denver International Airport.

Special districts have the power to increase taxes and implement fees. Often, land developers control metropolitan districts and have an interest in not engaging the public with mill levy increases or upcoming elections that could replace their control of the board.

Unless House Bill 1095 is updated to get rid of the workaround allowing self-publication of legal notices, The Denver Post urges lawmakers to reject this legislation.

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Re: “6,000 trees removed from Chatfield,” Feb. 25 news story

Major damage has been done to one of Colorado’s premier state parks. Chatfield State Park has been damaged, disfigured, and stripped of healthy trees, over 6,000, with more to die.

The Corps of Engineers calls the removal of the trees “technically sound, environmentally acceptable and economically justified.” Anyone who has ever visited Chatfield before this shocking destruction will call it “heartbreaking.”

Chatfield had the distinction of being one of the best places in northeast Colorado to recreate. Boaters, birding groups, families, bicyclists and others loved the forests of trees. Deer, elk, foxes, and other animals called the forest home. Bald eagles gathered on the ice in winter. Now the trees are gone. With the loss of the forests, the animals lost habitat and their numbers will be greatly reduced. The 100,000 replacement trees and shrubs planted as part of the project are small, pencil-sized plants, which may or may not survive the drought gripping the area.

Bear Creek Lake Park may be next. More heartbreak.

Doris Cruze, Centennial

Misplaced credit — and blame — for crime trends

Re: “Trump’s State of the Union is strong as he delivers safety to Colorado,” Feb. 25 commentary, and “Is it wise, Rep. Evans, to align with this administration?” Feb. 26 letter to the editor

To begin, I second the letter writer suggesting Rep. Gabe Evans should campaign on his own reputation instead of following in President Trump’s wake. Trump may lead the GOP, but his control of crime is overstated and his support for effective law enforcement is seriously dubious.

Evans states that violent crime dramatically decreased across U.S. cities in 2025. It’s encouraging to hear this, and I want to congratulate all the officers, prosecutors, and politicians who helped reduce urban crime. However, the vast majority of cities with large homicide rate decreases are led by Democrat mayors (Denver included). And on Jan. 3, 2025, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office reported violent crime in Washington, D.C. had reached a 30-year low. How does Evans explain these numbers? In fact, per the Pew Research Center, U.S. violent crime has been trending downward precipitously since 1993. So, perhaps we should admit that crime trends are a complicated phenomenon not controlled by the party in power.

Secondly, Trump himself has pardoned umpteen convicted criminals since taking office in 2025. Amongst the pardonees’ crimes are: assault of a police officer, drug trafficking, identity theft, second-degree murder, wire fraud, and Medicare fraud. Besides pardoning the January 6th rioters, he also pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year sentence for using his position to help smuggle 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. and helping other traffickers evade arrest. Are these the actions of a president who is “reversing the many years of rising crime and chaos?”

Megan Hartmann, Denver

Men’s team diminishes gold-medal win with laughter

My wife and I watched every hockey game leading up to the Gold Medal event won by the U.S. women’s and men’s hockey teams. It was especially meaningful since my wife is of Canadian heritage. Nonetheless, we cheered the efforts of both teams as they progressed to the medal rounds. Truly, we were ambivalent about the victory over Canada, since both the U.S. and Canadian teams played so well and represented their countries in the highest spirit of the Olympic Games.

Sadly, the men’s team diminished their effort by laughing at the chauvinistic comment made by President Trump during his congratulatory call, inviting the team to the State of the Union Address, namely that he (Trump) better also invite the women’s team or he would be impeached. This was met by derisive laughter in the locker room, where, coincidentally, the director of the FBI was chugging a beer and joining in the uproar.

One could excuse the celebratory spirit in the locker room in the aftermath, but to allow themselves to be played by the president was regretful, if not naively ignorant, given the present state of affairs that exists between Canada and the United States.

For a team so successful in their sport, they should have reacted differently than to allow themselves to be used for political purposes.

Philip Arreola, Denver

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But as he touted many so-called “policy wins” for women, it has made me reflect on just how much he has actually harmed women specifically with his short-sighted, misguided policies – and how important it is that we continue to elevate women into the leadership positions.

For example, Trump highlighted access to IVF drugs — but ignored the Medicaid cuts in his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” even though Medicaid covers 40% of births in this country.

He bragged about lifting millions off food stamps, while ignoring SNAP changes that disproportionately hurt single moms and caregivers already struggling under this volatile economy.

This hypocrisy was not lost on me. Nor was the fact that much of our president’s career has been spent mocking, belittling, and degrading women.

Our country is 249 years old. We’ve had 101 in-person State of the Union addresses, and 47 presidents have led the United States.

Yet, it wasn’t that long ago that women couldn’t vote, let alone hold public office or sit inside that chamber as lawmakers. There are so many trailblazers who have come before me, paving the way and cracking glass ceilings that once felt unbreakable. Just a few decades ago, Colorado had never sent a woman to Congress. Pat Schroeder changed that. One of just 15 women at Harvard Law School, she was elected at 32, when only 14 women served in the House. She brought her experience as a mom of two to help champion the Family and Medical Leave Act — reshaping how we support working families.

She passed that torch to Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who continues that legacy today as a leader of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, fighting to repeal the Hyde Amendment and protect access to abortion care for low-income women. Colorado is lucky to have DeGette at the helm of this fight.

The trailblazers before us have moved this country forward, but, as we begin Women’s History Month on Sunday, I can’t help but think of how far we have to go. And there has rarely been a moment more pivotal than right now. Many of Trump’s most extreme policies disproportionately harm women — from cuts to health care and food assistance to attacks on reproductive freedom.

And how do we address what feels like insurmountable challenges? By continuing to elevate women — not just as figure-heads — but as leaders.

Women don’t want “baby bonuses.” They’re asking for affordable health care, reliable child care, and a safe place to live and raise their families. That means we have to build upon the progress that Sen. Michael Bennet started by making the child tax credit permanent. We have to guarantee paid family leave for everyone, so women have ample opportunity to get ahead.

Just one year ago, I became only the 14th Member of Congress to give birth while serving. The sexism I faced was palpable — from being denied the ability to vote remotely to being told I belonged at home, taking care of my baby, instead of in Congress.

But I also experienced many moments of hope. Moms would stop me with tears in their eyes, saying they saw themselves in me. It showed me that, above all, representation matters.

If we want to solve the biggest challenges facing families — affordability, health care, child care — we have to center the people living them. That means making our institutions more accessible and ensuring women have a real seat at the table.

Across the country, women still haven’t held some of the highest offices in our land. And when leadership doesn’t reflect the lived experiences of the people it serves, it’s no wonder so many feel like nothing ever changes.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen represents Congressional District 7, which includes part or all of these Colorado counties: Jefferson, Broomfield, Lake, Chaffee, Park, Teller, Custer, and Fremont.

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Re: “How to safeguard the DOJ against the next Trump,” Feb. 22 commentary

I would advocate a more concrete way of safeguarding the Department of Justice than even Barbara McQuade suggests. Amendments to the Constitution are harder for the Supreme Court to overturn than legislation.

Here are some proposed constitutional amendments:

Separately elect the Attorney General by a majority of the popular vote (runoff if necessary) in the midterm of the presidency. This would codify the separation of the DOJ from the executive branch. The AG’s responsibilities should include military prosecutions, and the AG should have jurisdiction over all JAG officers who will be, for practical purposes, civilians. This will prevent the execution of illegal orders of the president to the Department of Defense. Passage should prevent the weaponization of the DOJ. The same impeachment and removal procedure would apply to the AG as to the president.

Please note that presently, state AGs are separately elected by voters in 43 of the 50 states.

Given the above, there is a possibility that a corrupt AG can be elected. To lessen that possibility, the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court must be overturned. I suggest: “Reasonable election campaign spending limits may be imposed by the states in compliance with Amendment XIV.”  This will lessen the possibility of a bought election.

Mitch Brodsky, Denver

Fear and detention, from Ukraine to the United States

Re: “Ukraine: Life is harsh, dangerous in regions run by Russia,” Feb. 22 news story

Soldiers are wielding guns, bullying citizens, and invading their homes. Everyone was scared and afraid to go outside. This was a description in Sunday’s Denver Post article describing life in Ukraine under Russia’s oppressive occupation.

The description seems eerily similar to life in Minnesota under the oppressive invasion and occupation by ICE: terrorizing and killing U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens afraid to leave their homes.

The same article describes how Russia established a vast network of official and secret detention centers where tens of thousands are being detained. Another article in Sunday’s Post describes how ICE is spending tens of billions to secretly snap up warehouses across the United States, converting them to detention centers.

Thanks to the big bad bill, ICE has $45 billion to spend on expanding detention centers! These new detention centers will be placed in our neighborhoods near our homes. ICE is doing this secretly without informing the communities where the detention center will be placed.

I think we have better needs for that kind of money: educating and feeding our children, taking care of our veterans, repairing our crumbling bridges, sewer systems and other infrastructure.

The United States is supposed to be the land of the free. Worldwide, we are living in a culture of war, hate, inhumanity, and animosity. Throw in a good measure of nihilism, greed, and narcissism.

Surely God is looking down upon what he created and is sadly crying. What is the answer? Maybe we could start by creating a culture that follows one of God’s commandments: to love our neighbor — not detain and kill one another.

Gregg A. Kulma, Lakewood

We need to protect bears from euthanization

Bears are euthanized because we humans can’t or won’t take care of our garbage and other bear attractants, which is a tragedy. What does it take to adequately store and dispose of smelly garbage, liquids, and other attractants?

The State of Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife need to establish regulations and laws that fine individuals who don’t adequately store or dispose of garbage when a bear or other wildlife needs to be euthanized. Shame on us.

Alan Aldrich, Thornton

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Re: “State of the Union: Trump tries to calm economic jitters before midterm election,” Feb. 25 news story

I never thought I would see the day when demeaning insults would result in a standing ovation. The State of the Union address changed all of that for me. Pointing at the Democrats, the president said, “These people are crazy!” The vice president and speaker of the House smiled, laughed and rose to their feet, applauding with many in the gallery. That has got to be one of the most despicable displays I’ve ever seen by people representing our nation. I am deeply saddened that politics has devolved into this.

Michael Lehmann, Lafayette

America’s strength is our people. President Donald Trump, in his State of the Union address, undermined that strength. Over and over in opportunities for collaboration, he created blame, shame and division. Stronger together — that means listening and working together.

David L. Stevenson, Denver

Is it wise, Rep. Evans, to align with this administration?

Re: “Trump’s State of the Union is strong as he delivers safety to Colorado,” Feb. 25 commentary

Having read Rep. Gabe Evans’s defense of the administration’s actions on Wednesday’s Post Opinion page, I seriously wonder if this is a wise tack for a gentleman seeking re-election in a district that I understand to be more unpredictable than the 5th Congressional District, where I live.

Living in Colorado Springs, I cannot bear witness to the fine decisions you have (or have not) made for your constituents in northern Colorado. Think first of your district!

Rushing to defend this administration, with its victim-persecutor-rescuer rambling, I’d recommend you make a case for yourself, how you internalize and wish to implement the finer ideals that Republicans have stood for in the past, well before this administration. Don’t seek to run your re-election campaign by touting any so-called successes of this administration — run on your own!

John Birkhead, Colorado Springs

Commentary from Peña provides needed insight

Re: “Why ICE should target lawbreaking employers,” Feb. 20 commentary and “Wanna bet the commission’s move will benefit the Trumps?” Feb. 20 letter to the editor

Thank you, Federico Peña, for pointing out that employers of non-citizen immigrants should be the ones who suffer penalties for breaking the law, rather than immigrants who work and are paid less for their labor than they otherwise would be. Without those jobs many would not come here. And, with more expensive labor, prices would rise. The general public pays more for goods and services without the cheap labor of immigrants.

Also, kudos to Dan Danbom for pointing out the large sums of money that will line the president’s pocket with his prediction-market scheme. Without a doubt, Trump is No. 1 among his predecessors in raking in money from the presidency.

Jeannie Dunham, Denver

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“I am proud to be the President to SAVE Women’s Sports,” Trump wrote on X.

Then, in an instant, he tore down decades of work advancing female Olympic athletes to get equal recognition for their medals as their male counterparts.

Tuesday night’s State of the Union address and the lack of a single-female gold medalist’s attendance showed that for Trump, female athletes are an inconvenient afterthought, only to be included if required by the politics of the day.

Now, Trump will forever be remembered as the man who set women’s sports back. His decision not to include a female gold medalist sent a clear message to the nation about how unimportant women’s wins are to the White House.

Trump spoke with the U.S. men’s hockey team to congratulate them on Sunday, immediately after the team beat Canada. The men had played a rough and grinding game that captured the hearts of Americans as they won a gold medal in hockey for the first time since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.

But Trump couldn’t just use the moment to recognize their accomplishment and share in the athletes’ glory; he had to tear down the U.S. women’s hockey team, too. He invited the men to come to the White House and the State of the Union during the jovial phone call. Then he joked, “And I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team. You do know that.” Someone in the room says “absolutely,” and someone else chants “two for two,” clearly excited that their female colleagues would be included in the recognition. There is laughter at Trump’s slight, but also clear agreement that the women must be there to share in the honor.

Trump continues when the laughter dies down: “I’d probably be impeached.”

But the women were not in attendance Tuesday night. The National Hockey League players were picked up in Florida on Air Force One and escorted to the White House.

For the women, the invitation came far too late. The women’s team had won gold on Thursday and had already scattered across the country. Perhaps if their invitation to the State of the Union had come earlier, they could have had their moment standing before Congress to celebrate an American win. And it’s unclear what if any travel options were offered to the women.

But Trump is not the type of man who would ever think to invite a female athlete for recognition at the White House. He only invited the women’s team on Sunday, begrudgingly for political appeasement, as an afterthought while he was fawning over America’s best male hockey players.

Trump could have called Breezy Johnson and invited her to the State of the Union for being the first American gold medalist this winter on Feb. 9 in the women’s downhill. He could have called Mikaela Shiffrin, who won gold a few weeks later in the slalom. Perhaps those weren’t historic enough wins. American women have historically been competitive in both disciplines, unlike the men, who haven’t won either event since 1984.

But Trump wasn’t inspired to celebrate Alysa Liu on Tuesday, either, after she came back from a break with the sport to win the first gold in individual free skate in 24 years. So clearly it wasn’t about how historic or inspiring the story of the athlete was. Trump didn’t even call to congratulate her, and he certainly didn’t invite her to the State of the Union.

I do just want to briefly explain that I understand that the U.S. men’s team is a big deal. These players are multimillionaires playing in the National Hockey League. Most are minor celebrities nationwide, and all enjoy incredible fandom in their hometowns. They are beloved athletes who just delivered for the United States. By all accounts, these are good men, too. Brock Nelson returned to Denver on Tuesday rather than going to the White House because the Avalanche has a game in Utah on Wednesday.

But the disparity in wealth and prospects between the men and women makes Trump’s obvious slight all the more hurtful.

Sixteen of the athletes on the U.S. women’s team play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, making between about $40,000 a year and $100,000 a year. But many of them are still college athletes taking time away from school and their teams to travel to Italy and represent America. These athletes are not paid and are certainly not celebrities, except maybe on their college campuses. What an incredible moment it would have been for them to stand before Congress to thunderous applause, to gain recognition, fans and perhaps even sponsorships. Trump denied them that with how little he cared for their victory.

Should the women’s team now visit the White House in the days to come, knowing they are not really welcome there? I cannot know with certainty what would be better for women’s sports at this point: ignore the slight and make nice, or hold firm to dignity and honor and politely decline.

Either way, the women now cannot win. Trump has used his power and his presidency to hurt women’s sports, not to lift them up.

How do I know that? Last night, during the State of the Union, I ran a test and posted on conservative posts that decried the women for failing to attend, suggesting that everyone should support women’s sports as more than a punchline.

The response was resounding. Both men and women were eager to point out that women are not as good as the NHL players. Just to be clear, Trump supporters are now rubbing the inferiority of women in the face of women who ask for support for girls sports.

One anonymous man on X was even so kind as to include a link to a YouTube video from the U.S. hockey team’s scrimmage with a U17 boys team — something I’ll remind you Trump would make illegal if he could. “If women were as good as men, they’d be playing in the NHL (its open to all genders) … but I’m pretty sure the best 13yo in the world could beat the women’s team,” the man wrote, defending the president’s decision not to support the women on a national stage.

This is the type of support our female Olympic medalists get when they return home — men who don’t really count their wins as a victory. There is an asterisk by it.

Unathletic men like Trump are often threatened by female athletes. Think of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, and the response he would have if a woman beat him on his own golf course in a high-profile tournament. I can assure you the president would not be gracious and certainly would not celebrate her win.

The U.S. men’s hockey team should have declined the invitation to the State of the Union and instead waited to visit the White House when they could be recognized alongside their female colleagues. Not because they are equals physically, and not because they have the same net worth, but because someday these men may have daughters who will love the sport as much as they do.

The men could have told their daughters that they once used their Olympic gold to lift up athletes whose college teams and fledgling professional teams needed a little boost. Now they can point to a picture of themselves in the Oval Office, alone, celebrating their gold medal as if they were the only ones who accomplished that feat.

Megan Schrader is the opinion editor of The Denver Post.

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Trump is reversing the many years of rising crime and chaos inflicted on families under Democrat rule. The American people asked for safer streets and secure borders, and today, GOP-led policies are delivering measurable results.

A new report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows violent crime is plummeting across major U.S. cities between 2024 and 2025. Homicides fell 19%, robberies dropped 20% and aggravated assaults were down nearly 10% in 2025 across 67 of the nation’s biggest police departments. These improvements came after Americans rejected soft-on-crime and defund-the-police policies, which resulted in a spike in crime over the previous 4 years. Denver saw one of the highest drops in homicide rates in the nation.

In just one year, the Trump Administration has captured six of the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives who collectively evaded accountability for their crimes and delaying justice for half a century – that’s more than were captured the entire four years under Biden. In Washington, D.C., the city went three weeks in the New Year without a murder, one of the lowest monthly totals recorded.

These trends are not happening by accident.

Empowering federal law enforcement to do their jobs in soft-on-crime cities and states, supporting cops, and holding criminals accountable sets a precedent that Republicans are serious about their promises to Make America Safe Again.

GOP-led immigration policies are keeping American citizens safe from bad actors, including murderers, rapists, and traffickers who pose serious threats to our communities. In fact, a drug and immigration enforcement operation in Adams County resulted in the arrest of dozens of Tren de Aragua gang members running a makeshift nightclub where weapons, cash, and drugs, including cocaine and Tusi, were seized. For those criminals, there is zero tolerance — they should be immediately deported or imprisoned, and sanctuary jurisdictions that give them safe harbor must be held accountable.

Through the implementation of strong border policies, fentanyl trafficking across the southern border has been slashed in half, leading to fewer overdose deaths devastating American families. Every 15 days under the previous administration, more Americans died as a result of drugs than were killed on 9/11. As a combat veteran of the Global War on Terror, this fight is personal. Republicans and President Trump are putting a stop to the peddling of deadly drugs coming through our southern border and poisoning Americans.

While our public safety policies are delivering results, there is still more work to be done. Safer streets require sustained leadership and cooperation from state and local governments who are equally vested in the security of our nation, but our direction is clear. President Trump and Republicans in Congress are leading the country in a renewed effort to support law enforcement, protect or communities, and save American lives.

As the nation listens to President Trump’s State of the Union address, Americans will hear a record of measurable progress. From declining crime rates to strengthened border enforcement, the policies shaping today’s public landscape are making a tangible difference.

As your Congressman, I remain committed to advancing common-sense legislation to maintain border security, secure our streets, and ensure the United States remains a nation where communities can live, work, and raise a family without fear.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans represents Colorado’s 8th Congressional District in Adams, Weld and Larimer counties.

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