Regarding the horrific accident that took the lives of four beautiful, young, caring and community-minded students: I am angry and so are a lot of people I know.

When does this senseless carnage on our highways stop? When our state legislators get serious in dealing with the subject of drunken driving.

When will these politicians give first-time offenders, convicted of driving drunk, so severe a penalty that it will impact their lives, and the lives of their families, for a long time. That will force drinking drivers to truly rethink their behavior and what dangers they present to the entire community.

Sweden has a 0.02 blood alcohol limit — four times lower than measures of drunken driving in the U.S.

In Sweden, penalties for drunken driving are severe. Sweden considers a 0.10 alcohol level "aggravated," with imprisonment of up to two years.

State lawmakers: Wake up and seriously attack this problem to protect innocent travelers on our highways.



Scott Owens allegedly drove drunk, killed four innocent teens, critically injured another, failed to provide assistance, possibly tried to flee the scene of an accident, and then smiled for his mug shot.

The difference between right and wrong is the difference between life and death.



"Report On Transparency in Santa Fe County Government" is now available.

It's the work of an advisory committee formed in 2008 at the request of Santa Fe County Manager, Roman Abeyta, and county public information officer Stephen Ulibarri, for ways the county might make its actions more transparent to the public.

The committee comprised members of the League of Women Voters of Santa Fe County, the Northern Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.

The advisory committee audited the compliance of the two basic New Mexico statutes on transparency — the Open Meetings Act and the Inspection of Public Records Act.

A working definition of transparency was adopted, audit materials developed, volunteer auditors recruited and trained to collect data, and the data reviewed. One hundred county residents as well as county managers were surveyed for their opinion on the current atmosphere of transparency in county government.

The report details suggestions for improving the county's Web site, www.
santafecounty.org.

A copy of the report is available at www.lwvsfc.org.



On the afternoon of summer solstice, Santa Fe's Labyrinth Resource Group hosted a labyrinth walk at Milner Plaza. Our musician, Dan Pauli, arrived with his mbira and planned to play from 1 to
3 p.m. However, the PA system was missing. Thanks to a very efficient security guard, it was supplied to us just in time. The event drew several dozen solstice walkers and, thanks to the folk art museum's support, was accompanied by wonderful music.



The holier-than-thou, sanctimonious political party that has been using sexual morality as a divisive weapon these last decades clearly has now lost any claim to supposed moral righteousness, now that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's name is added to those of John Ensign, David Vitter, Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich.

Hard to see they will have any presidential timber left standing by 2012. Is it possible the "family values" gas-bags will now be shamed into catching up with the majority of more tolerant Americans — who overwhelmingly elected our president?