Great city improvements So many thanks for great things happening!  It’s such a pleasure using Penrose Library again.  The new layout, the changes to the exterior make it a pleasant place to go to. Then, the departments responsible for making Monument Valley Park a beautiful place to use a gain.  The complete reworking of both ponds (Park and Heritage) are so pleasant to walk around, pickleball courts, children’s playground, and all the other amenities those parks offer.  It makes me proud to live downtown.  Thanks again! Margaret Fitzgerald Colorado Springs Jobs and qualifications It was with great interest I read the lead headline article of December 12, 2025: $475 Million Investment coming to Colorado Springs, 170 Local Jobs, I would guess most likely averaging $39 to $40 per hour. From what I have observed in the past few years, four or five times, that number of people will be laid off by the end of the year. There were also an estimated additional 1,200 construction jobs which will be temporary during construction and then they will be gone. I guess Journalism 101 came into play; no one is interested in reading about all the houses that did not burn down last night. However, it was with much greater interest I read the article of December 10, Page B3: Microsoft investing $17.5 Billion in India for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Infrastructure. One sentence in the Article stated, “When it comes to (AI) the world is optimistic about India.” Think about that amount money if it could have been spent right here in our Country if we had qualified people. In my opinion, it would be a great benefit to our country to start programs center around AI and Cloud Infrastructure only as follows. At government expense, a student with no need for taking any core class required for a degree, could enroll in a program centered on AI and CI only.Then if an individual desired to move up into management or other areas, that would be their choice.And that individual would be required to pay for any further training. I know young man who has AI ability who also does coding for video games and solves problems for others online and his work is truly amazing, however, he has neither the desire nor the money to get into a Degree or Certificate Program. Plus, he has seen what student loans can do to an individual’s life. Nathaniel J. Gilmore III Colorado Springs College football playoffs What a bungling of the final College Football Playoffs positions for 2025. Now, I won’t profess to be the declarative voice as to who is better between Notre Dame and Miami, the ultimate selectee, although Miami beat Notre Dame the first week of the season. What troubles me wasn’t the selection, it was the selection committee leap frogging Miami over Notre Dame in the final review when neither team played that weekend, nor did the results impact any common opponents. The decision to place Miami ahead of Notre Dame should have then been adopted weeks before the final decision. Alabama lost no ground by losing the SEC championship game, and now proceeds with 3 losses. It would seem to be fair not to be penalized, but BYU was for a two loss season, one of which was in the championship. The reason stated would appear weak for all of this. If conferences who want to be considered for the NCAAF / CFP Playoffs, then they should start playing high ranking teams outside of conference from the ACC, BIG (used to be Big 10), Big 12, and the SEC. A playoff that is inclusive benefits all, but seems ranked 20 and beyond have no business in this exciting tournament. College and high school sports are great to watch, and full of excitement. I have to believe Lane Kiffin leaving Ol’ Miss while the team is in playoffs had nothing to do with the students. I would say the same of the University of Notre Dame’s decision to abandon bowl play this year. Each are a sad state for the character of some. Stephen Kelly Colorado Springs In the name of love Know that the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Today’s Democrats are not your parents’ Democrats. The playbook of today is to destroy our country from within. When indifference takes hold, the government is open to opportunists. In this case, it’s the “Candy Cane” Marxists. False promises flooded the country with unvetted immigrants who don’t know American values, consume limited resources in housing, food supplies, and medical services. This sets the stage for internal division. This division propagates censorship, prioritizes equity over equality, and abandons due process, among other things. This leads to a decay of reason and a confusion of reality, as witnessed in gender chaos. It pits ideologue against ideologue. This negligence opened the door for Donald Trump to pivot and shame the indifferent advocates of the status quo. That’s why Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Poor Joe Biden was blackmailed into an automaton, replacing the “rubber stamp” with an autopen. Trump has set the stage for long-range successes. People don’t understand that he’s laying the foundation for a brighter future that the Democrats should have built. But no one is perfect. Trump has made the Republican Party do more critical thinking about consequences. There’s hope that their Neanderthal thinking will evolve. Trump, mirroring the Democrats’ immigration playbook in reverse, repeats the Democrats’ mockery of “due process.” Remember in history, those who didn’t speak up for other groups arrested without due process? Then it was their turn to be charged. That’s how it happens without any accountability. The point is, Trump needs to accept constructive criticism and enforce due process. The irony is that Democrats will continue on a course of disaster in the name of “love.” Fred Stewart Grand Junction ...read more read less