Corey Johnson
COVER STORY, JAN. 22: "MAYORAL MANIA"
SURPRISE SURPRISE
I do not live in Santa Fe nor do I vote in the city of Santa Fe elections, however I wanted to bring up another story of Javier Gonzales helping his family financially when he was a county commissioner.
It occurred in the beautiful Arroyo Seco Valley between Española and Santa Fe. The Gonzales family acquired some property off of US 84/285 in a residential area. They wanted to erect a large cell tower on it. Javier excused himself from the commission vote on this issue. The vote was held past midnight when the residents of the valley were unaware and were not present to contest it.
Surprise, it passed and now this eyesore of a cell tower exists in the middle of a residential area even though it broke Santa Fe County height regulations. The poor residents pulled some money together and hired a lawyer to fight this decision. When they ran out of money, the tower stayed and puts money in the Gonzales family's pockets to this day, while the people that live by it have to look at it every day.
Is this the kind of person the citizens of Santa Fe want to represent them? I would hope not.
Remember, Javier comes from the Bill Richardson school of corruption where the motto is, "What's in it for me?" Good luck Santa Fe. Thumbs up to the Santa Fe Reporter for having journalistic integrity.
TIM HERRERA
DRY ANSWERS
Let's hear more about Gonzales' film studio corporate venture, a particularly questionable deal by the county that smacked of insider deals. At a recent "water" forum I was surprised at his lack of knowledge or follow-up interest in a couple of water issues such as the city's application for withdrawing water from the northwest well and the Santa Fe River adjudication—two issues that are central to a "living river" and development. And, it makes me wonder why the Sierra Club endorsed him when he has so little in the way of environmental accomplishments compared to Patti Bushee.
PAUL WHITE
NO!
After reading the article on Santa Fe's mayoral candidates, it's very clear Bill Dimas would be a polarizing choice for mayor.
His very vocal opposition to marriage rights for gay New Mexicans says all I need to know about his ability to keep the city unified.
The last thing we need is a mayor who will use his official position to harass and oppose the rights of one minority group to gain favor from the bigots who live to hate. As one of his campaign workers said in your article, "The gay issue—that's not our concern." Really? The rights of a minority group should not be protected? That's an amazing comment to make in a city that has a long history of supporting the rights of everybody, not just the bigots who dominate the Dimas campaign.
It's Mr. Dimas who wants to divide this city and create an atmosphere of official bigotry toward gay Americans who have every right to live their lives in peace and without harassment. I urge the good people of Santa Fe to give Mr. Dimas and his 19 th century views a loud and resounding NO! on March 4.
TERRY TURNER
COVER STORY, JAN. 15: "INSIDE THE CHORIZO LAB"
OSTENSIBLY OTTO
I loved this cover. I have been there and done that and seen the thousands of ways that great bills are killed, even urgently needed measures, often death [due to the] appalling lack of information in the legislators, compounded by the manipulations and misrepresentations by corporate lobbyists.
Ostensibly, it would have been the founder of modern Germany, Otto Von Bismark, who would have been proud to see this cover, but actually the quote about sausage and legislation comes from The Daily Cleveland Herald, March 29, 1869, quoting the lawyer-poet John Godfrey Saxe that "Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made." Thanks to Fred Shapiro, Yale Library, for resolving this origin.
STEPHEN FOX
MUSIC, JAN. 22: "HISTORY RE-BEATING"
BOMB
John [Trentacosta] is the bomb! Love his radio show with Arlen Asher and hearing him at Music on the Hill. Staten Island's loss is our gain.
STACY PEARL
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