When they start passing those petitions around to eliminate bilingual education from Colorado schools, I’ll be one of the first to sign.

Kids who aren’t required to learn English as quickly as possible are at a great disadvantage, and it’s a form of abuse to hold them back on so-called “cultural” grounds.

Rita Montero, the indefatigable opponent of bilingual programs, is doing her Hispanic community a great service by advocating one-year “immersion” programs to fast-track students into speaking and reading English.

She rightly describes bilingual education as “a program with great intentions that went far astray.” In many cases, the bilingual bureaucracy has become a fiefdom whose primary goal is to capture as many students as possible and hold them hostage for as long as possible.

Montero wants Spanish-speaking students to be taught English quickly so they can take full advantage of their educational opportunities. Without proficiency in English early in school, students can’t be competitive for college entry and job opportunities, Montero believes.

Amen.

Texans welcome

Coloradans aren’t always enthusiastic about Texans migrating across our border, but a few dozen Texans arriving here this week are receiving a hearty welcome.

They are homeless dogs from the Houston area, being shipped to the Denver Dumb Friends League for adoption following recent floods there.

You don’t have to worry about preventing a stray dog from being reunited with its family. These dogs already were homeless before the storms and are being shipped out to make room for strays rescued from the flooding – where they are awaiting reunions with their families.

To inquire about adopting a four-legged Texan, the best kind, call 303-751-5772.

Final jab

Did you see the item in Thursday’s business-news section about furniture peddler Jake Jabs deciding to renew his advertising in Denver’s daily newspapers?

Yeah, I saw it, too. Several hundred readers called to make sure I hadn’t missed it. “Maybe now we’ll see less of him on TV,” one caller suggested.

As you might recall, Jabs withdrew his ads to protest the newspapers’ rate increases after they merged their business operations a couple of months ago.

Well, the giant retailer is back now, and we’re glad to have his business.

He’s probably happy to be back in business with us, too, because his primary interest is selling sofas, coffee tables and recliners. That’s not something that can be done very effectively by door-to-door salesmen or telephone solicitors.

Father knows best

Among the many responses to my Father’s Day column, which paid tribute to the hard work ethic and sacrifices that many fathers make to support their families, was this one from reader Mel Summers:

“Great column on dads. I gave it to my sons to read.”

Chuck Green’s commentaries appear on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. He speaks on KNUS 710 at 7:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. His phone is 303-820-1771; his e-mail is [email protected].



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