Mail letters to Letters, Santa Fe Reporter, PO Box 2306, Santa Fe NM 87504, deliver them to 132 E. Marcy St., fax them to 988-5348, e-mail them to editor@sfreporter.com, or use our online form.
NOT GREEN?
The only colors in the Forest Guardians' palette are black and white and the broad strokes they paint with cover everyone but themselves [Cover story, Feb. 1:
]. Don't those guys read any of the current literature that puts their complaints in context or, God forbid, can't they cop to the fact that much of the backlash against environmental laws is their own fault? I recommend reading Adaptive Governance: Integrity, Science Policy and Decision Making, which reveals how dogmatic use of the Endangered Species Act in the Klamath Basin battle between irrigators and environmentalists over protection of the coho salmon backfired and hurt everyone. Or Jake Kosek's book,
Understories: The Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico
, an analysis of the racist policies environmentalists employed in their own backyard to deny community access to resources through misuse of the NEPA process.
And while we're at it, doesn't the Reporter's "reporter" bother to read his own newspaper's archive? Under the editorship of Walt Howerton many articles appeared that documented and delineated the environmentalists' assault on northern New Mexico and predicted the fallout we're seeing today: the right wing capitalizing on the abuse of environmental laws to put in motion their evisceration. There are plenty of norteños your reporter could have gone to (why southern New Mexico's Howard Hutchinson?) to get the real story. Unfortunately, this kind of misleading, one-dimensional approach to investigative reporting and social, cultural and economic analysis is the norm.
Kay Matthews
Española
SUPPORT REPORT
I too support the Endangered Species Act. Thank you for making our voice heard.
Caroline Lajoie
Santa Fe
BORDER ORDER?
The Reporter asserts that Mexico and the United States benefit from illegal immigration [Cover story, Jan. 25:
]. Mexico? Definitely. The United States? Only business.
Employers get to pay poverty-level wages while taxpayers
subsidize the costs of medical care, education and services for illegal immigrant workers, most of whom are paid "off the books" and pay few taxes, even as the resulting flood depresses wages for poor Americans. Some call this supply-side poverty, even as hemorrhaging borders bring crime, drugs and national security issues.
According to TIME Magazine, which stands behind its estimate, upwards of 3 million illegal immigrants enter in a population tsunami catapulting us to 300 million in October, possibly 500 million mid-century and a China-like one billion this century as we grow just behind China and India!
A 1970s presidential commission, urging the US to follow Europe's lead and stop growing, warned-prophetically, although we fail to recognize it for what it is-that 300 million would bring health care, education, infrastructure and the environment to the brink of collapse. Black liberal congresswoman Barbara Jordan and Vietnam-era liberal and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy considered illegal immigration absolutely indefensible.
And, as the Atlantic recently warned, unless the huge majority of Americans who favor immigration reduction are represented soon, rather than business, political and media "elites," extremist Tom Tancredo may ride into the White House on an immigration-reduction platform.
Kathleene Parker
Rio Rancho
WEB SHUFFLE
Thank you for including the city's Public Works Department and number of divisions in the "Pop Quiz" for District 3 candidates [Outtakes, Feb. 1:
]; however, the information that was obtained from the city's Web site was incorrect. Six divisions is the correct answer; however, there was some shuffling of divisions several months ago, and that information was inadvertently not updated on the Public Works Web page.
The Solid Waste Division is no longer included in the Public Works domain; it is under Public Utilities. Transportation Operations is no longer one division with Parking and the Municipal Airport; they are currently separate divisions. We are working to correct this information on the city's Web page as soon as possible.
Joyce Bond
Marketing Manager
City of Santa Fe Public Works Department
NOT MASTERS
It's a pity that both Rebecca Wurzburger and Marilyn Bane, both District 2 candidates, were unaware of our two highly regarded Master's programs [Outtakes, Jan. 25:
]. Reporter readers might like to know that one of them concerns the great books of the West and the other the great books of the East. The Western program (called Liberal Arts) is designed to be doable for working people, especially educators-to whom we have always gladly given extra financial support as part of our wider commitment to education. The Eastern Classics program is a rigorous one-year-long journey through the classics of India, China and Japan, and includes Sanskrit and Chinese study. Students in both programs come from all over, are of all ages and all professions, but are united by a hunger for reading, thinking and conversation. Together the programs express a passionate yet thoughtful cosmopolitanism-and what better place for this than Santa Fe? If anyone would like to find out more, please contact us at
.
Krishnan Venkatesh
Graduate Institute Director
St. John's College
BONDLESS
There is an error in the Candidates Pop Quiz in your Jan. 25 issue. The article states that the City of Santa Fe uses two types of bonds to raise money, General Obligation bonds and Revenue bonds.
Actually, the city does not issue GO bonds. Currently the city has three types of revenue bonds outstanding: Gross Receipts Tax Revenue bonds, Water Utility Revenue bonds and Recreation Complex Revenue bonds. Total debt issued by the City of Santa Fe is currently $184 million.
GO bonds are issued by Santa Fe County, the State of New Mexico, Santa Fe Public Schools and Santa Fe Community College. Anyone who pays property tax is on the hook for that debt. Currently, total GO debt outstanding for property owners in Santa Fe County is $85.
See how sneaky the government is? With almost no one noticing, those sly government officials borrowed $269 million and stuck everyone else with the tab. Personally I'd prefer local governments to run balanced budgets every year.
Lawrence Franklin
Santa Fe
EDITOR'S NOTE: Although the City of Santa Fe currently does not have any outstanding GO bonds, it is one of the types of municipal bonds available to it.
FLIP POP?
The Santa Fe Reporter usually provides terrific coverage on community issues. Thus my disappointment at the flippant "Pop Quiz" sprung on City Planning Commissioner Eric Lujan and Chris Calvert, both candidates for City Council, District 1 [Outtakes, Jan. 18:
].
Santa Fe is facing major challenges-unchecked development, severe drought and revenue shortfalls, to name but a few. Do you honestly think it's important that either candidate can decipher arcane acronyms for city divisions on a moment's notice? While personally I have chosen to volunteer in Commissioner Lujan's campaign, your readership deserves to know where both candidates stand on issues that really matter.
I'm sure if I gave your editorial staff a pop quiz, we'd hear plenty of "Uhhhh's," "Ummm's" and "I have no idea" responses. How about this pop question: "Can you recite the Journalist's Creed?" Let me help you out. It states that good journalism "…should serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service." I hope in future campaign coverage, you will take this Creed to heart.
Karen Strickholm
Santa Fe
OUCH
It looks like Eric Lujan is still smarting over Patti Bushee's landslide victory two years ago. I would suggest he review his margin of loss and grasp that District 1 voters respect and support Councilwoman Bushee. Rather than extending an olive branch Mr. Lujan calls Ms. Bushee a liar in a semi-vulgar way ("blow smoke up a lot of people's asses"). Mr. Lujan should hone his smoke and mirror technique.
He voted for Wal-Mart at the Planning Commission level but looked us all straight in the eye at a recent debate and said he would not have voted for it at the Council level????? No problem-65 percent of District 1 voters didn't support him two years ago and they won't support him now. I spoke to Ms. Bushee today. She said she doesn't have time for a dinner with Eric.
One more thing-didn't we establish two years ago that Mr. Lujan does not have an engineering degree?
Signe Lindell
Santa Fe
CURSES
Hooray for Rick Gonzalez! [Outtakes, Jan. 11:
]. We Roman Catholics believe the Jews were the primary agents in Jesus' crucifixion; and to this day unbelieving Jews, by their race alone, inherit a unique curse because of this rejection of Christ. The Jews under the Old Covenant were God's chosen, His beacons of light, privileged to usher in the Messiah. "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required." (Luke 12:48) Even when Christ was fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies before their eyes, the Jews rejected Him. "He came unto his own; and his own received him not." (John 1:11) Clearly, the Old Testament prophesies pointed to Jesus Christ and no one else!
Because of their inherited curse, God allowed the destruction of the Temple (70 AD) and the Jews' dispersion throughout the world. The blasphemous Babylonian Talmud, the apostate Jews' "Holy" book, states that Jesus was born illegitimately. The Talmud calls all non-Jews "goyim" or soul-less beasts; thus some deluded Jews believe they can do anything they want to them.
In true love for the Jewish race, I pray they will wake up and convert to true Roman Catholicism to save their immortal souls. St. Paul says a remnant of Jews will convert in the final days (Romans, Chap. ll).
See
for your only hope of salvation.
William George Norris
Truth or Consequences
GOTH TALK
I really wanted to thank Jonanna Widner for her article on Ivo Watts-Russell [J spot, Feb. 1:
]. I had no idea that he lived in this area and I am very grateful for the bands he brought to the public eye such as the Cocteau Twins and Bauhaus. Bauhaus helped create a genre of folks which still exist today, the Gothic culture. I will always love Daniel Ash and Peter Murphy. It's amazing that they are still touring and still look pretty good. I wanted to thank Ivo Watts-Russell for his contribution to the Goth scene and for being one of the godfathers of the scene! If it wasn't for people like him we wouldn't have the Goth clubs that we run today!
Sara Roybal
Albuquerque
DRY DADDY
Could you please replace the column Daddy Needs a Drink with something more compelling and humorous, such as legal notices or obituaries?
Joshua Wilson
Santa Fe
OPEN SECRET
I would like to thank Robert Ransom Odom for publicly announcing the availability of abundant and free parking at the Pera Building for all of those who breeze into town [
, Jan. 18]. Thanks a lot for blowing it for those of us who have learned of this benefit from trial and error, a small perk of surviving Santa Fe for years and years. I'll expect the "No Parking" signs to appear shortly. Thanks again for blowing it for the rest of us.
Dale Lotreck
Santa Fe
THE TIME IS RIGHT
It's time. Procrastination is never an excuse, but kudos are in order for the Reporter and their writer Robert Odom's Walk Your Talk column. Once in a while Robert can be provocative, never boring, very well versed on his subjects, refreshingly inspiring and always interesting, knowledgeable and compassionate. His descriptions of his frequent treks around the state or country make you feel that you're right there with him, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells. Real style! His spiritual guidance could never offend anyone and most certainly must affect his many ardent readers. I personally have saved every column he has written, since discovering it some time ago…quite a stack. I'm not always pleased with the Reporter's policies re: letters to the editor, plus the void of political opinions, but thank you for Walk Your Talk and having Mr. Odom on your staff. I do hope he's well paid for his efforts. May I express my desire for larger print if possible, since my 20/20 vision has long ago abandoned me.
Everett E Remmers
Santa Fe
The Reporter welcomes original, signed letters to the editor. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. They may be edited for clarity and space. Please include address and phone number for verification purposes; these will not be published.
