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.
GOING SOUTH
I wish to say the greatest tragedy to befall your paper is the loss of love humorist/columnist Duncan North. I use the present tense as his loss is still felt. Fortunately for your advertisers, some people still pick up your publication at times in hopes that the Reporter will have re-established North as its advice columnist. All attempts to replace him thus far have proven to be nothing more than foolish efforts of someone trying to appear they are "outside the box" by choosing columnists who are capable of doing nothing more than spouting profanities and destroying numerous opportunities for otherwise intelligent and witty responses.
Not only has the Reporter's selections been a poor choice of image for your paper, but it reflects badly upon the citizens of Santa Fe and has most recently become very distasteful. It seems that the Reporter made the mistake of thinking, if some is good, more is better. Perhaps you should consider begging Duncan back. Whatever the falling out was, I'm sure a doubling of pay might entice him. That's what I would do, illiterate that I am, as I'm not so stupid I cannot see the Reporter's reason for success has disappeared from its pages. As Duncan's wit and flair for writing were responsible for increasing your circulation, I'm sure a monetary reward would be in order; not only that, I'm sure it would leave your readers feeling better about the trash they've endured while awaiting his return.
I would be surprised if your publication actually ran this. Moreover, I'm sure that running this would only prove to be an insult to the poor bastard who made the ill choice to axe Duncan. Furthermore, since this person is so obviously senseless in their actions, I'm sure it would jeopardize the position of whoever ran it. So, I suspect all earnest opinions for the best interest of the Reporter shall never be heard. I will continue to check from time to time to see if Duncan has returned. Fortunately, I don't have to waste trees in an effort to determine this, as there is a growing number of people who are networking to announce the discovery of Duncan's return. I apologize for being so seemingly caustic but, in my defense, the apparent is now overtly apparent-as such deserves attention.
Terri Williams
Santa Fe
PAPER TO THE PEOPLE
I'm so pleased that Santa Fe has such a newspaper serving it. But wait, this paper reminds me of another weekly. Why, it's the classy and crude Portland Mercury! The Reporter is a cheap knockoff! There's some asshole in the back spouting sexual advice, reminds me of Dan Savage. There's another asshole ripping on all the great restaurants in town just cause they don't put green chili in their gnocchi. Your editor supposedly likes hip-hop, but never really supports or encourages any hip-hop events.
For a newspaper that serves one of the art centers of America, y'all don't show it. You got some punk from St. Louis designing all your covers. You know how much unharnessed, raw talent there is pulsating through this city? Wake up! We have a unique culture here and we need to delve into it on a regular basis. That doesn't mean that everything must change to be more "Santa Fe." The best thing you have done is your writing contest, where you exhibited talent that resides in this fair city. You wanna do something else right? Give the paper to the people.
Conrad Crespin
Santa Fe
ALL FOR NOTHING?
There is a big difference between a criminal and a person suffering from mental illness and the staff of the Santa Fe Reporter should know the difference. However, they chose to label mentally ill people as criminals in [Outtakes, Feb. 15:
].
Had the reporter, Nathan Dinsdale, investigated just a bit, he would have learned that national research shows people suffering from a mental illness are no more likely to commit a violent act than are others from similar neighborhoods who are not suffering from a mental illness. In fact, persons with mental illness are more likely to be victims of a crime than to be the criminal.
The much debated Assisted Outpatient Commitment law, often referred to as "Kendra's Law," did not make it through the session. However, a set of duplicate bills that establish mental health advance directives did. Advance directives are legal documents that state a person's mental health treatment preferences or service needs prior to a crisis situation so that appropriate treatment can be provided, if they are no longer able to make a decision on their own.
The debate over these bills was actually a good opportunity to discuss and try to clear up the many misconceptions and stigma-producing descriptions of people with mental illness. However, if reporters continue to misrepresent people with mental illness as criminals, the debate has been all for nothing.
Pamela S Hyde, JD
Human Services Department Secretary
Michelle Lujan Grisham, JD
Department of Health Secretary
Leslie Tremaine, Ed.D
New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative Coordinator and Gov. Bill Richardson's Behavioral Czar
BUYOUT SELLOUT
Some of the most interesting portions of the feature article [Cover story, Jan. 1:
] were in the sidebar that appeared with the article. Endangered species habitat designations for both the Aplomado falcon and the spotted owl cover enormous areas. Consequently, one should expect multiple challenges to those designations because they potentially impact lots of people. The wolf populations are increasing, not decreasing. A friend of mine saw one last week south of Madrid. I haven't heard of any being released near there.
Yates Petroleum and the Yates family of related oil companies do indeed hold a lion's share of leases. They make their money in two ways; from oil and gas lease production and from federal buyouts of leases they own (they are industry buyout recipient leaders). The buyout money per lease is very substantial because panicky people insist the Feds buy them out. It is indeed a seller's market. Most leases in exploratory areas were acquired at low price, are worth very little and usually do not contain economic oil or gas. I personally do not appreciate my tax dollars being blown on excessive or unnecessary buyouts.
There is a sensible approach to leasing and oil and gas development. First, more care should be taken in the leasing process in intra-agency review of offered leases. Second, a calm approach to lease buyout for environmental purposes should be followed when a buyout is needed. Third, limiting drilling to one location on the lease, as allowed in federal regulations, when there are other (locally important) environmental concerns. If the price is too high buyouts are not worth doing.
James A Olsen
Santa Fe
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