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Fire station red OK

I personally like the color of the new fire station. To those objecting, I have one thing to say -- it is a fire station. They are supposed to be red. There are several houses in "old town" that are schoolhouse red, and I think that they are some of the cutest houses around. Get off of your pedestals and start worrying about things that actually matter.

No to deed restrictions

No entity should have the authority to establish deed restrictions to provide affordable housing. Deed restrictions keep lower-middle-class citizens from advancing economically. Home appreciation is how most Americans can afford to buy homes that are bigger, higher quality or in more desirable neighborhoods. Deed restrictions will either keep them where they are longer than they would like, or actually cause them to regress by selling at below market rates and then buying another home at market rates. Some would be stuck, financially unable to move to accept a better job, enroll their kids in a better school, or be closer to aging parents. Wouldn't an individual or family be better buying a condo, townhouse, duplex or smaller single-family home now, then upgrading in few years with market-driven equity? Deed restrictions are clearly a socialistic attempt for government, or quasi-government authorities who don't answer to voters, to control who lives where and how much they pay for their homes, while telling them they are actually helping them.

No housing authority

Absolutely. Steamboat Springs does not need a housing authority, absolutely not. Also, it would be really nice if, in your featured Routt County citizens, you featured some people who lived here longer than 20 years. Everyone you feature has lived here less than one year. It'd be really nice to see some real people of Routt County.

In regards to housing authorities and deed restrictions: The answer is emphatically no. No housing authority, no deed restrictions. I embrace private property and landowners' rights, and no condemnation.

I'm a Routt County property owner and I believe there should be no deed restrictions, no condemnation of private property, and no affordable housing authority.

There should not be a housing authority, no deed restrictions, and no land condemnation.

I'm a Routt County taxpayer and property owner. I don't believe in having a housing authority. Any place I've ever lived where they have a housing authority and affordable housing ultimately creates a slum. I've seen it; I've experienced it. Deed restrictions, absolutely not. This goes for our county commissioners and anybody else who wants to, by means of condemnation or by any other way, restrict private property owners from their rights. It's absolutely appalling.

Pay system doesn't work

I'm calling about the pay for performance for Steamboat teachers. I'm definitely against it. It is difficult to find objective evaluators; I don't think any of the administrators in the Steamboat school district can do that at the high school or middle school levels. I don't think that it's fair. It turns teachers against one another and doesn't build a cohesive team. Pay for performance has failed in many other districts. I've not seen it work in one yet. I think, again, our board and our superintendent are setting us up for failure.

EEC betrayal

As a local teacher, I feel like we've been betrayed and stabbed in the back by the actions of the Educational Excellence Committee. This group of dilettantes is completely clueless as to what is going on in our classrooms and how teachers really feel about pay for performance. Since when do they get to start making policy? These actions are nothing more than stealth politics and a conspiracy by the Fund Board to pump more money into their pet projects of the capital commission. Isn't it ironic that not one teacher is allowed to serve on any of these boards, yet many of the board members don't even have children attending Steamboat schools. How this makes one wonder, who's really running the school district? It certainly doesn't seem to be the superintendent or the school board.

Make it look pretty

Congratulations on one more feel-good picture on the cover of the Today about the health and rec club and the children swimming in the water. Yet, you still chose to ignore the fact that they backflush their filters into the wading pool over at the river when children are over there. That's OK, just got to make everything look pretty for the tourists.

Links to terrorism

The Taliban did not blow up our buildings, but because they were linked to al-Qaida and terrorism, our government, with the apparent approval of most Americans, bombed and killed them. The Kurds of northern Iraq are a militant people with links to al-Qaida and terrorism. Saddam Hussein has brutally gassed and slaughtered them for their rebellion. Those who are committed to the cycle of violence, oppression, fear-mongering and revenge continue to prevail. There seems to be a double standard. The innocent are just as dead.

Support for Stanford

A Sound Off comment in last Sunday's Pilot & Today chided the editor for printing an article critical of Valentine's Day. The letter's author suggests that such negative material should not be printed, being a waste of time. A good editor prints almost anything submitted that he has room for and which is of interest to his readers -- provided it is not profane, libelous or otherwise in bad taste; is reasonably intelligible and not just plain off the wall (and some of these even get through). There is precedent for the above in the Constitution, if the above-referenced writer were familiar with it. The First Amendment guarantees several freedoms -- including that of the press. Scott Stanford is doing a good job with the paper, and has my appreciation.

Congratulations, board

Congratulations to the Oak Creek Board of Trustees. Once again, the officials of Oak Creek show more common sense and intelligence than most politicians in the country. The decision to oppose parts of the USA Patriot Act is right on target. It is thanks to people like the members of the Oak Creek board that the USA will remain a free and democratic society. We can only hope that many more communities, cities and states will show the same foresight, courage and wisdom.

Streets should be clean

This city expects the downtown retailers and restaurants to collect its funds through local sales taxes, and how do we show our appreciation to our visitors who support this city? The sidewalks are left to collect all the snow for weeks on end so our visitors can park their cars and fall over the snow piled 4 to 5 feet high on the sidewalks and curbs. Cars are parking farther out on the street to now have one lane of traffic each way instead of two. And aesthetically, our beautiful downtown now looks like mud and slush. Our visitors are unhappy about this and will stop coming downtown to shop. Through the infinite wisdom of our City Council, budget cutbacks include not cleaning the streets as often as previous years. How can you justify biting the hand that feeds you. Our tourists support this town. How dare you treat them this way?