THE ANDERSON FILES

The Biden administration’s slow response to the disaster created an opportunity for the GOP to exploit the situation to demonstrate that they are the “party of the working class.”

Donald Trump showed up and distributed his magical MAGA hats and Trump-branded water. He denounced Biden and proclaimed, “What this community needs now are not excuses … but answers and results.”

This was beyond shameless given Trump’s anti-environment and anti-worker record. Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch commented: “If residents of East Palestine — a modern news desert of downsized or disappeared news sources, which allows misinformation to fester — truly knew the reality, a delegation of townsfolk would likely greet Trump with tiki torches and pitchforks.” He compared the former president’s visit to “the tendency of a criminal to return to the scene of his crime.”

Bunch added, “Trump acted specifically to sabotage a nascent government effort to protect citizens from the growing threat posed by derailments of outdated, poorly equipped, and undermanned freight trains that were increasingly shipping both highly

Letters

‘BOULDER’ WEEKLY?

I am dismayed to see that Boulder Weekly’s new format has left the music calendar reduced from a relatively comprehensive list to a few selected highlights. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a local musician in the CBDs, a band that has been playing around Boulder County for over 10 years. We had a gig scheduled at The Local on Feb. 21. Your calendar listed only one musical event for that date, and that at Larimer Lounge in Denver. “Boulder” Weekly? There was almost nothing flammable crude oil from the U.S. fracking boom as well as toxic chemicals like the ones that would derail in East Palestine.”

The big rail carriers donated more than $6 million to Republican candidates in 2016 and spent millions more on lobbying.

Trump quickly killed a number of rule changes initiated by the Obama administration. These included a requirement that freight trains upgrade current braking technology that originated in the Civil War era, a ban on transporting liquified natural gas by rail (to prevent explosions), and a rule specifying at least two crew members operate freight trains. such a strike could seriously disrupt the economy. If that is true, shouldn’t we consider nationalizing the railroads? That’s what is proposed by Railroad Workers United, an interunion solidarity caucus of rank-andfile railroad workers championing worker and community safety. listed for Nederland, Lyons, Lafayette or Longmont. The new format does a disservice to both local musicians and the community.

Progressive Democrats pushed for paid sick leave for railroad workers but lost. Democrats won’t be able to pass anything through the Republicancontrolled House. However, progressive Democrats could push Biden for executive actions and also embarrass the Republicans over their bombastic phony, populism.

— Evan Cantor/Boulder

Editor’s note: Submit your events at boulderweekly.com/events

YES, THE CREEK PATH IS DANGEROUS

Thank you, Will [Matuska], for writing this story (News, “Troubled water,” Feb. 16, 2023). It happens to be one that has needed to be written and

The Biden administration hasn’t moved to reinstate these rule changes. Biden blocked a proposed strike by railroad workers who wanted paid sick leave and other crucial workplace improvements. We were told that includes a fair bit of actual investigative journalism, which the Daily Camera has shied away from for years when dealing with the City of Boulder. I know this as a fact, having worked for the city in the Risk Management department as the “Safety & Workers’ Compensation Coordinator.” I had seen a lot in my 15 years with the city and I am very thankful I just, finally, retired in October of 2022. When I first saw the cover page of this edition I had thought the “crown jewel” being spoken of was the Pearl Street Mall, or possibly even the main Boulder library, which has had numerous safety issues over the last several months (which, again, local media has avoided doing much investigative journalism on).

This is an opportunity to build a powerful coalition of labor unions and environmentalists. The Labor Network for Sustainability urges “bold climate action in ways that address labor concerns without sacrificing what science is telling us is necessary, and what’s needed to address income inequality and worker power.” Seize the time!

This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

“Is the Boulder Creek Path really that dangerous?” is asked in the contents page of your paper. To answer that, “Yes, yes it is.” In fact, having seen what I’ve seen in and around it, it is even more of a danger to users of the bike path and the citizens at-large than anyone in the City seems to want to admit. What has the city done, or not done, in these years since many of us felt that it actually was safe? One large answer to that is many of us have felt the City Council, at least a majority of it at times, has been the driving force behind the degradation of the City of Boulder, the bike path, the Mall, and yes, the library.

As I write this I am looking at a quote from the director of communication for the City regarding the recent meth contamination in the bathrooms within the main library. Which, by the way, one of them was within the children’s area. (Had you seen that fact written anywhere? I had not!) The quote was: “…the step to do the testing was an extra precautionary test…” Oh really, seriously? Here, once again, City of Boulder upper-management engages in a truly inaccurate account of what the bare-minimum actually should be in such a situation as this. And the City, in their quotes here in your article, Will, does it again.

I encourage Boulder Weekly to ask the tough questions, to make the City of Boulder uncomfortable in their answers and their double-speak of the facts and to dig for the truth.

The truth is that yes, the Boulder Creek Path IS that dangerous.

— Kevin Krayna/Boulder

RE: ‘HISTORY WILL BE KIND TO JIMMY CARTER’

I agree that history will be kind to President Jimmy Carter, a great leader, humanitarian and human being (Letters, “History will be kind to Jimmy Carter,” Feb. 23, 2023). His inspiration by leading with his example, in the Carter Center work for peace, his building homes for the homeless, and simple lifestyle. These are some of the reasons our local RESULTS group gave him the Seeds of Hope Award in 2018. We can use his inspiration to take action to encourage our members of Congress to renew the expanded Child Tax Credit that cut child poverty in half before it expired. A renters’ tax credit would help end the slide of families to homelessness. Hard to believe that poverty and its fallout hurts tens of millions of families in the world’s richest country. Let’s use our voices to turn this around, speaking up to our members of Congress to pass these and other initiatives to make a difference for families in America.

— Willie Dickerson/ Snohomish, Washington