Remembering Dennis Gallagher
It’s with great sadness that I read of the death of Dennis Gallagher. We served together in the Colorado House of Representatives Colorado (1973-1978) and I will always remember his wit, his sense of humor and his care for his fellows Coloradans, especially seniors and those who were most vulnerable.
One summer he came up with the idea of holding hearings on issues facing the elderly. Representatives Wellington Webb, David Gaon, Carol Tempest and I joined him and, for several days, we packed a hearing room in the Capitol basement with seniors whose concerns had previously been ignored. Later we made unannounced visits to nursing homes in the Denver area, uncovering many unmet needs and leading to administrative and legislative improvements.
Many times Dennis would use his charm and good humor to defuse tense situations or to get support for issues in Denver. Politics is serious business but it doesn’t have to be humorless or mean spirited. Dennis proved that. It was an honor to have served with him.
Morgan Smith
Santa Fe
Police and social work
I’m a social worker. The problems surrounding people experiencing homelessness and/or using and selling drugs at Union Station require more people like me to improve things, not more cops.
The data is in. The STAR program, a Denver pilot program which sends a paramedic and a mental health clinician on calls rather than police, has been a major success. The program has diverted more than 700 people away from the justice system and toward the programs they need. A majority of people who were responded to by STAR program volunteers had previously been diagnosed with a major psychiatric condition according to data from the pilot program.
The justice system isn’t equipped to meet the needs of people with serious mental illness, nor should it be burdened with that responsibility. Besides, justice-centered approaches don’t lead to long-lasting changes for the people locked up. By extension, justice centered approaches don’t work for the transit riding public either. A revolving door into and out of the jail system doesn’t do much to break the cycle of homelessness, or keep people from seeking safe shelter in spaces that are open to the general public. Let’s stop burdening police with doing social work (poorly), and just hire social workers to do it. Advocate for a partnership between the STAR program and RTD to see real, long lasting, changes for Denver and Union Station.
Kimberly McDevitt
Denver
Don’t set us up to fail
We need a well thought-out community supported plan in regards to e-scooters. I’m an individual that lives with a disability and uses a power wheelchair.
Countless times I have been forced to walk/ride in streets because e-scooters are blocking sidewalks and other accessible paths. If we wish to keep this valuable resource then let us sit down as a community and build a realistic comprehensible plan that showcases this valuable resource while at the same time supports our communities.
Currently the pilot program has proven that e-scooter are a nuisance at minimum and a danger for many community members. By passing any plan that is not well-thought-out and co-created with support by the community we are setting ourselves up to fail.
We will continue to exacerbate the dangers caused by e-scooters being left in accessible paths. We need a well thought-out community supported plan in regards to e-scooters.
Doug Wooley
Denver