Corey Johnson
Put T he Lime I n T he...
I thoroughly enjoyed your guide to nightlife in our hometown, but I must take exception (yet again, sadly) to your review [of] margaritas [cover, April 24: “Bar Stars”]. In your critique of Maria’s you said they tasted boozey, and I must respectfully point [out] that it’s tequila you’re tasting; it is the fundamental component in the glass you are holding, salted or unsalted. For you see, the margarita—a righteous cocktail in its origins—has been assaulted. A ‘rita traditionale was composed of 2 to 3 parts tequila, 1 part orange liqueur and 1 part lime juice—no high-fructose hangovers. Simple. Pure. Elegant. How did this noble drink get so bastardized? I suggest Fort Lauderdale, fraternities and Sarah Jessica Parker have something to do with it, but that’s pure (100 percent blue agave) speculation on my part.
Here's my favorite recipe:
3 parts tequila (100 percent agave silver, gold, Añejo—silver coin, gold coin, wooden nickel respectively)
1 part Cointreau
1 part lime juice
After I've shaken over ice and poured, I float the juice of half a Valencia or blood orange (when in season) over the top—yum!
Dave Cox
His Radness
I’m very happy that [George RR Martin] has the forsight to help support [an] independently owned theater in our town [cover, May 1: “The Radness of King George”]. I miss the Cocteau screenings and look forward to its reopening! Yes!
Elodie Holmes
No One I s Talking
The New Mexico Higher Education Department failed to properly inform the Governor [Susana Martinez] about SB183, resulting in her pocket-vetoing the bill [news, May 1: “Testing Out”]. This bill would have changed the legislative language requiring a single company—Pearson-VUE—to provide [General
Education Development] testing in New Mexico. Over 40 states have changed their legislation to assure fair commerce and economic competition, but not New Mexico—it continues to require, through legislation, the use of a single GED, for-profit company, Pearson, to provide GED testing.
This will cost students over 50-100 percent more, and exclude students who do not have credit cards from taking the GED, which is also computer-based. There are at least two other nonprofit companies offering GED testing for 50 percent less than Pearson-VUE. This is in violation of fair commerce regulations, and this will cost universities that hold GED testing outrageous amounts of money—which they will then have to ask the Legislature to support. No one at NMHED is allowed to talk to the press about this problem that was caused by Public Education Department [Education Administrator] Lisa Salazar or Secretary-designate [Hanna] Skandera. Not sure who made the actual decision to use this highly priced GED test exclusively in New Mexico; no one is talking.
Cheril
Horse-Back
Kudos to Santa Fe Reporter [news, May 1: “Slaughterhorse-Five”]. I think this is the first article I’ve seen in New Mexico media that tells the truth about slaughter, and you found a good source to interview—Bruce Wagman. I would have thought that [Valley Meat Co. owner Rick] de los Santos would have burned his bridges long ago, when he was shut down as a cattle slaughterhouse. The fact that he is being allowed to open as a horse slaughterhouse is a disgrace—to New Mexico’s leadership and to the United States as a whole.
There have been so many lies circulated about horse slaughter it makes my head spin. A few points not covered in this article: the horses that go to slaughter are not old and sick, but young and healthy with useful lives ahead of them. The alleged horse overpopulation problem is a result of irresponsible breeding, not the economy, not people abandoning their horses. Abandonment and abuse are both punishable by law. And horsemeat laced with dangerous drugs is by no means an ethical export to countries where people actually eat this meat. Some of the drugs are especially harmful to children.
After horse slaughter was shut down in Kaufman, Texas, violent crime rates dropped significantly. So I suppose in that regard, perhaps it does boost the economy. Roswell, NM, will certainly have to boost its police force.
That reopening this industry is even being considered is totally irrational. There are much more worthy things to do with one’s life than murder the beautiful animals on whose back this country was built.
Paula Todd King
Mail letters to Letters, Santa Fe Reporter, PO Box 2306, Santa Fe, NM 87504, deliver to 132 E Marcy St., fax them to 988-5348 or email them to editor@sfreporter.com.
