Mail letters to Letters, Santa Fe Reporter, PO Box 2306, Santa Fe, NM 87504, deliver them to 132 E. Marcy St., fax them to 505-988-5348 or email them to the editor.
Sad reading
Your article "Do The Math" makes for truly sad reading. Does anyone else notice the complete lack of creative, critical thinking with which we are meeting the 21st century? The strategies under debate were already old in the age of the pharaohs. I am not a Republican but I share one deep belief with that side of the political spectrum: There are way too many taxes that take far too much of everybody's money.
Quick example: As a baby boomer, I have spent a lifetime paying about one third of my wages into a tax system that has, in turn, taken one third of that tax money for "defense." The rationale was that America had to be ready to fight two major wars on two fronts simultaneously (based, I assume, on the model of World War II). I hope my generation appreciates the irony that when crunch time came, we couldn't fight a middling size war on one front. Not only did "we" botch the Iraq War horribly, but the attempt put our own country into an economic tailspin.
What we need is an entire spectrum of new ideas to address the needs of society. How about a Nobel-level prize for the design of new systems to replace the current bureaucracy?! Bertrand Russell defined liberalism as the political philosophy that attempts to balance individual freedom against the needs of society as a whole. That sounds like an excellent point of departure for redefining the role of our government and the taxes it has spawned.
Alan H Goldstein
Santa Fe
Ding!
So far, you've published two letters attacking Zane Fischer for dissing Agua Fria.
I read these letters with some puzzlement, because I thought Fischer actually complimented Agua Fria for being real and genuine and the complete opposite of the fake Santa Fe depicted by Travel & Leisure magazine and the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau.
With the possible exception of the paragraph about Santa Fe's No. 5 ranking for "safety," Fischer is actually lauding the real, messy, imperfect Santa Fe we all live in, as opposed to the fake tourist's paradise depicted in the travel magazines. Even the paragraph on Santa Fe's lack of "safety" makes a point: This isn't Disneyland, folks. You can get hurt here and should be aware of ordinary human risks.
Maybe I am the one misreading Fischer's column, because I love Agua Fria, live only a few blocks away and always drive on it in preference to Cerrillos Road if I can possibly help it. But I don't think my reading is wrong. I would suggest to Fischer: Consider your audience. Don't be too subtle.
Jim Meyer
Santa Fe
Love Agua Fria too
I found Zane Fischer's article "Unfriendly, But Hot" hilarious and honest. I love Agua Fria too, and for me Steven Salemi's response was unnecessarily defensive. Zane's writing is overall refreshing and provocative, and I usually look forward to reading whatever direction his mind has gone off in from week to week. I'd like to see Daddy Needs A Drink more frequently as well.
Vir Kaur Khalsa
Santa Fe
Panini Sandwiches
I look forward to Zane's columns and reviews each week as he is an excellent investigative reporter who says it like it is, writes well and is often very funny.
Salemi's remark about A La Mesa restaurant is so untrue, calling it "garbage," that I have to speak my mind. I have enjoyed dinners at the restaurant many times, and think the food, ambiance and service is very good. I can't imagine what Salemi found that was so distasteful. I have recommended the restaurant to many friends who have given me positive responses.
I have one other comment on the subject of food. In Zane's review of Louie's Corner Café, I see he loved the breakfast panino. So glad someone finally used the word panino correctly. Panino is a word meaning "sandwich" (singular) and panini means "sandwiches" (plural). It drives me bonkers to read menus and signs saying "panini sandwiches," which actually is saying "sandwiches sandwiches." Panino is one sandwich and panini is more than one. Duh.
Carol Wright
Santa Fe
Protest too much
While it is true that men are battered and seldom report it, the majority of abused are still women. Men are raped and do not report that either, but statistically women are usually the targets and men the abusers. While women do take restraining orders, in most states they have to have been hit to do so, and the person who is restrained, in many cases, ignores the order. While no one doubts that the male of the species can be abused, it is usually women who fill the role. Just as while men can be murdered by their spouse, it is usually women who are that statistic.
Mr. Lander seems to indicate that if men only reported abuse, we would find that terrible lying women are beating the bejesus out of men. Methinks he doth protest too much.
Christopher L Segur
Santa Fe
DV Budget Cuts
To Carol Horwitz: Your letter to the editor was mystifying and troubling, especially considering your position.
What is needed is more discussion of this difficult issue, not less, and certainly not a squelching of those voices who might question the non-working party line. If I understand it correctly, your job is to work to prevent violence, not to minimize or excuse the violence perpetrated against men who, by your own statistics, constitute about a quarter of the "reported" victims. Never mind that the verbal violence—that in more than a few cases proceeds the physical violence, while not as evident as the black eye or what have you—actually creates greater and longer-lasting damage.
What is it you would have us "remember" about the Sarah Lovato tragedy? That the patriarchal church was complicit in that situation? That people kill, not guns? That nothing you or your office did, does, will do or proposes to do would have done anything to prevent that tragedy? That the one local group that might have made a difference in the situation, the Young Fathers Project, has been defunded by the Children, Youth and Families Department? [Editor's note: According to a CYFD spokesman, the group was not defunded, but failed to win a contract in a competitive bid].
Especially in these days of budget cuts, if this is the true picture of how you work to "improve" the situation, it seems the police department might be better served by using your salary to put another officer on the street.
Kenneth L Kast
President
Santa Fe
The Reporter welcomes original, signed letters to the editor. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to speci?c articles in the Reporter. They may be edited for clarity and space. Include address and phone number for veri?cation purposes; these will not be published.
