Over the past year, I have offered several columns in this newspaper expressing deep concerns over the extremely poor education being delivered in School District 11. In 2019 over 60%
After losing $1 million from its $3 million grant fund last year due to COVID-related state budget cuts, the Transforming Safety Initiative, which funds nonprofits in Southeast Colorado Springs and
“911! Our children are in serious trouble! They need help, and they need it now! This is an emergency!”
Anyone dialing “911” expects immediate action. The good people who answer these calls are paid by our tax dollars, they work for us. They are trained to do two things: one, provide direct assistance if possible; two, send help immediately. They promptly assess the emergency and respond accordingly, dispatching professionals trained to take immediate, life-saving actions.
But not all responses are equal. Responses to 911 calls in low socioeconomic neighborhoods may not be as quick as in more affluent areas. Demographics are often a reliable predictor of slow response times to emergency calls. Sadly, this appears to be the same problem within our school districts, where children’s zip codes, race, and economic status have shackled them to the back of the line when it comes to receiving a quality education.
POINT: Rep. Mike Lynch
As one of the two non-lawyers on the House Judiciary Committee, I feel the non-lawyer perspective needs to be considered at times.
Based upon the principle of second chances and the desire to create a productive citizen, in recent years Colorado Democrats have embraced legislation that stresses concern for the criminal and pays less attention to victims. There is a trend to overlook the basic duty of government, which is to protect citizens from criminals. As a result, our state and our neighborhoods are becoming more dangerous.
Crime in Colorado increased dramatically in 2020. Homicides in Denver soared to their highest level in nearly 40 years, increasing 51 percent over the prior year. In Aurora, major violent crime rose 22.3 percent, and murder climbed 39.3 percent from the previous year. Things were also grim farther south, where murder rose 94 percent in Colorado Springs and aggravated assaults climbed 10.6 percent.