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.
GUARD DOGS?
Was I somehow supposed to intuit that Kay Matthews was an environmentalist attacking other groups just to get at the one and leave her alone [Letters, Feb. 8:
]?
Is Gene Peach's generalized attack on the Forest Guardians supposed to entrench people with deep understanding that all this is OK since it is only the Forest Guardians [Letters, March 22:
]?
The Forest Guardians may be insolent little bulldogs but Matthews' and Peach's overkill toward this group is sleazy. At least with the FG you know where you stand. With sleazy people, you never do. Therefore they will have to prove to me with specific written evidence-not gleaned out of a book, not some generalized tirade-that they are so much more worthy of respect and dignity than the Forest Guardians. Because sleazeballs, even if they are saints, do not give me that warm, fuzzy feeling of trust of hope.
SM Stevens
Santa Fe
WAL-WAGE
I find it ironic that those who fought for the living wage are either critical of Wal-Mart or fighting to keep it out of Santa Fe [Cover story, March 22:
]. Having given a few extra dollars in the name of the poor (at the expense of the entrepreneur and risk-taker), they criticize and fight to prevent that very demographic from being able to spend that money where they might want to, or at a place where they might actually be able to save money. Perhaps, if people would stop fighting places such as Wal-Mart-that actually empower the poor by allowing their disposable income to go further-we wouldn't need a "living wage" in the first place! But then benevolent dictators wouldn't have their jobs. Then they would understand the spirit of enterprise and see Wal-Mart as the godsend it is to the millions of hourly wage earners they claim to represent.
Scott Scrimshaw
Santa Fe
MONKEY BUSINESS
You guys never fail to amaze me. One week you publish an article about Blue Monkey, a local business being forced to close its doors due to an unfair eminent domain law [Outtakes, March 22:
], a small business voted Best Hair Salon in Santa Fe by your rag three years in a row.
The following week you publish only one reaction letter from an obviously disturbed woman [Letters, March 29:
]. A woman who wanted an "über-mod, Nordic blond high lift long in the front kitten 'do," then refers to the staff as "faux hipsters?" A woman who didn't like the result of her haircut, but is still wearing it and has even given it a cute pet name? A woman who finds a wrecking ball the answer to her hair problem? Maybe a better solution would be for Michelle to get her hair fixed and move on. Why encourage unfair eminent domain laws because of your hair? Why would you want to destroy the lives of a young couple who gave up everything to start an original business in Santa Fe, a city clinging to its fading individuality? Why try to put their very qualified staff on the streets? And the students who have invested countless hours in learning a trade from the most qualified school in Santa Fe? Why wish such hate on them? Has she even seen the school?
If the courthouse does take over and they do bring a Flobee, I hope they are careful about letting Michelle use it. She may not like the results and fire-bomb the place.
Joel Casey
Glorieta
MONKEY TALK
I feel compelled to respond to the letter of attack against the Blue Monkey Salon. I have been getting my hair cut there since they opened and I have never received anything even vaguely resembling a mullet, nor have I received any unnatural hair colors. In fact, I've received dozens of compliments on my hair, which has been cut by the very talented owner Nicole and her associate Christie. I hope that Ms. Niesen is not one of those women who shows up with a photo of a supermodel and is disappointed when she leaves the salon looking only like herself.
I wish Nicole and her staff continued (well-deserved) success and the best of luck in finding a new home.
Susan Burke
Santa Fe
HAIR CARE
Talent, generosity, genuine kindness, and success inspire loyalty and, sometimes, detractors. Michelle Niesen's lambaste of Blue Monkey is obviously the latter. Nicole Carter's staff love her, her customers don't stray, she gives a great haircut and terrific color. What more is there to say? At least once a week, for the years I've been going to Blue Monkey, some stranger comes up to me and asks for the name of my stylist.
Naomi Woodspring
Santa Fe
IN THE MIRROR
Well, if Ms. Niesen's nastiness and pseudo-literary cheap shot at the Blue Monkey bears any correlation to her hair, she probably was not much of a coiffure-jewel to start with. But the staggering vanity and narcissism reflected in her "I got a bad 'do, so let's blow up your business" suggestion is indicative of deficits and ugliness that will not show up in any mirror. But it is ugliness of the most insidious and mercilessly self-righteous kind.
My wife and I have been to the Blue Monkey probably a combined 25 times, and whether Nicole or Hannah or Serena or Danny was tending to us, you could not ASK for more respectful treatment and careful consideration. Ms. Niesen called them a bunch of "Rock-a-Billy outcasts," and in another era and culture I would slap her face with a white glove and challenge her to a duel. And I would make sure I won. Does she KNOW these folks? Or just passing character judgment based on one visit and the employees' and students' attire? Ever heard of respect for diversity, ma'am? It IS, after all, 2006 in Santa Fe.
And the Blue Monkey school is a sham? Try to get an appointment the next two weeks. They are booked. I guess Ms. Niesen would argue that a misled contingent of morons are all waiting in line to be butchered by the disenfranchised losers that go to school there? I think not, lady. They are in large part returning customers.
The loser is you. Hang your oh-so-precious head of hair in shame.
Jim Nolan
Santa Fe
CORRECTION:
Republican state treasurer candidate Demesia Padilla is a current, not former, accountant. Last week's cover story [Cover story, March 29:
] stated otherwise. SFR regrets the error.
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.
