Letters to the Editor

May 29, 2013

ON THE CASE
Kudos to Joey Peters for his excellent article on the Republican whistleblower who defected from the [Gov.] Susana [Martinez] administration [news, May 22: "Cog in the Machine"]. We have to get on the Journal's case to clean up their act and stop carrying water for the Republicans and Susana while they destroy our state.
Liz Randol
facebook.com/SFReporter

REAL INFORMATION
I'm delighted that the burglary rate is down, having been the victim of multiple burglaries [news, May 22: "Beat Report"]. But [Police Chief Ray] Rael's explanation is nonsensical. Drive up the price of heroin and burglaries decrease? So, how are the consumers paying for their much more expensive product? Moving the "store" outside the city limits makes the burglary rate decrease? How is that even relevant? Does he think the burglars are operating outside the city limits, too? Probably to save on gas, no doubt. The burglary rate going down is wonderful: let's really figure out why it's happened. We need real information, not ridiculous speculation.
Sandy Lynch
SFReporter.com


THEATERS GALORE

Do we really need more movie theaters here [SFReporter.com, May 16: “Violet Crown Cinema Update”]? What a monumental waste. By the time these are built, most of us will be watching them on our phones anyway.

Really?
SFReporter.com

FAT CAT

Outrageous [news, May 15: “Hidden Fees”]! [Bradley]McGrath is getting paid to work two jobs. Are they both supposed to be 40-hour-per-week jobs? Is he getting paid double per diem? Does he have a time-turner like Hermione Granger?

Of course, it’s always only the fat cats who get per diem, as Joey [Peters] and the union rep point out. McGrath is not even working one 40-hour job, because he starts his work week at 8 am [on] Monday with a four-hour commute, during which time he’s getting paid to drive—in addition to the per diem. Does he leave early on Fridays, too?

I wonder if there is any limit on how far away a fat cat on the state payroll can live and be paid per diem. Now that the word’s out that you can make an extra $20,000 or so per year for living in Roswell, I predict a mass exodus of top-level state employees to Mongolia.  The per diem would be too fabulous to pass up.

Best NM corruption story yet.  Great photograph, too.

Cate Moses
SFReporter.com

COVER, MAY 15
“The Canary in the Copper Mine (is dead)” A LONELY PLACE

I totally understand the frustration of the New Mexico Environment Department workers who fled the department because they actually care about the environment. It is a sad and lonely place for those who believe in protecting our drinking water. Good luck to those brave people.

Marjorie Mullany
SFReporter.com

A BLEAK FUTURE

I oppose the new Copper Mine Rules.

These rules are backward and set a very dangerous precedent which will leave New Mexico’s limited water reasorces unprotected. It is the Water Quality Control Commission’s duty to protect groundwater for all the people of New Mexico. These new regulations will allow our groundwater to be polluted by the mining companies. Once polluted, the groundwater can’t be reclaimed. We are talking about our drinking water!

Water is, hands down, the most important natural reasorce in New Mexico today. We must not support rules that render such a bleak future for water in New Mexico. This is a matter for all New Mexicans [who] care about their quality of life here in New Mexico. Demand that the Water Quality Control Commission does its job and protects New Mexico’s water resources!

Karen Yank
SFReporter.com

SAVE THE PAST

I am saddened to hear of the direction of the “Oldest House” [news, May 15: “This Old House”].  Santa Fe must learn to respect the past, and handing this over to a real-estate company implies to me that it is more about money than heritage.

Maybe the board of the school should be working more with the community and look at other ways of revenue-producing areas without sacrificing what is important to the community.

Lourdes Lopez
SFReporter.com
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