The Open Forum Step up and serve your metropolitan tax district

Friday, Feb. 28 is the deadline to submit the form to put your name on the ballot for the May election for your metropolitan district board — if you live in one.

Why on earth should you care?

Maybe because your metro district receives upward of 50% of the property taxes you pay — in addition to any quarterly assessments and HOA fees.

Or maybe in your community, the fact that the developer has conveniently canceled past board elections for a decade or more sticks in your craw. You might also be upset about the conflicts of interest and the self-dealing you see.

Or perhaps it’s the fact that state and local oversight and enforcement don’t exist because the state statutes governing metro districts don’t require any oversight or enforcement. A metro district is a Pandora’s box to most city and county officials. Matters are generally left to the district’s board.

Or maybe you’ve picked up on the political strength of the industrial complex feeding off the 2,400 special districts in Colorado. This complex includes developers obviously, but also their chosen attorneys, engineers, accountants, community managers, bond dealers, banks, investors, elected officials and lobbyists. Yes, we can’t forget the poor lobbyists.

The good news: Should you decide to run for the board of your metro district, you will not be alone. Yes, there’s much to learn and it may seem intimidating. However, there is a movement emerging to bring sunlight and support to the citizens who do step up.

It’s up to us to fix this.

Jeff Brown, Aurora

Keep the “RunRide” service

Re: “‘RunRide’ bus may be on the chopping block,” Feb. 22 news story

RTD is proposing eliminating the “RunRide” bus service to Boulder for the Bolder Boulder beginning this year. Thousands of participants and spectators travel to Boulder each year on Memorial Day to honor those who sacrificed to make our country what it is today. Changes in bus service are made occasionally based on ridership. But the RunRide buses are often filled to capacity. Let’s not diminish this Colorado tradition by making it harder for people to attend. Please contact RTD and urge them to keep this service.

Max Noel, Centennial

Don’t understand veterans’ support of President Trump

I’m disappointed to hear that any serviceman or veteran supports President Donald Trump. As a Marine during the Korean War, I don’t understand it. I think they have many reasons to oppose him. Here are just a few:

• He evaded the draft after a physician wrote a letter that he had bone spurs.

• He trashed Sen. John McCain, an American hero who was tortured while a prisoner of war in Hanoi. Trump said: “I like people who weren’t captured.” After McCain died of cancer, Trump ordered the flag to not be flown at half-staff until public outrage forced him to withdraw the order.

• He questioned the silence of Army Capt. Humayun Khan’s mother during a tribute at the Democratic National Convention, suggesting that she was suppressed for religious reasons. Her son was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. She later said she didn’t speak because she feared she would lose her composure.

• He boasted that he is “smarter” than his generals; numerous high-ranking military officials have departed or were fired from their White House positions because they didn’t support his policies.

• He took funds from the Pentagon budget to help pay for the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border after promising that Mexico would pay for it.

In my opinion, two veterans seeking the Democratic nomination for president, Tulsi Gabbard or Pete Buttigieg, would be a better commander in chief.

Irv Sternberg, Denver