With the economy in recession, it's difficult to think about people suffering in our own community, and even harder to reflect on the plight of people half a world away. Yet, no matter how much our stocks and savings have been depleted, chances are we still have more than most people in the world. In Darfur, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir just kicked out the international aid community — the last link to hope for a million people.
Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times who has spent a great deal of time in Darfur, says "one million people depend directly on expelled aid groups for health care, food and water ... the camps will quickly run out of clean water ... children will be the first to die."

It's my hope that despite our current difficult economic situation, we continue to speak up, write letters and financially support the charitable foundations and groups that work to alleviate suffering and hardship for those in our community and around the world.



The Feb. 10 article, "Colorado school district drops grade levels," explains a new school system that is doing away with traditional grade levels. Eventually, students from elementary through high school will be placed in one of 10 multi-age levels, depending on the subject. They can move up to a higher level once they master the material.

I think that the new way of structuring the school curriculum is a really great idea. I know for a fact that having different levels of learning would really benefit students at my school. This new program to redesign the school system has really opened up my mind about how my school is run.

I like my school, but changing and doing it this way could really bring up our test scores, and we wouldn't have to worry about funding. I bet the grade-point average for the entire country would increase dramatically.



Regarding the March 12 article, "Councilors cite economy in anti-tax vote": Our city leaders whining about the defeat of the Workforce Housing Funding Initiative is characteristic of our poorly informed elected City Council. It was not spending by the Santa Fe Association of Realtors, nor newspaper editorials, nor the economy that defeated this initiative. The tax was simply another dumb idea put forward by a group of naïve, social-engineering do-gooders.

This is the same group that brought us pay-to-park kiosks at the Railyard, but can't keep our streets properly paved; that doesn't plow residential streets because it doesn't believe getting out of neighborhoods after a snowstorm is important; that believes Santa Fe's children should stay in Santa Fe, where the educational system is failing them and there are no jobs; that allocates scarce downtown parking spaces to its union employees while suggesting the rest of us use public transportation.

Wake up Santa Fe and throw out the mayor and city councilors Rosemary Romero, Miguel Chávez, Rebecca Wurzburger, Ron Trujillo, Chris Calvert, and Patti Bushee at the first opportunity.



The transfer tax proposal to finance affordable housing in Santa Fe was defeated in large part because of the $144,000 campaign financed by a local Realtors' group. Along with some misinformation, they argued that the proposal's strategy was flawed, but agreed that public support for affordable housing was a desirable goal. If the Realtors' group, and others opposed to the transfer tax, were simply voting against a new tax, let us remind ourselves that we get what we pay for as citizens.

Those who cry "oppressive government" against any tax should remember that we all benefit from quality policing, dedicated fire fighters, excellent teachers, green space and public transportation, and that we, the citizens, have to pay for them. So, Realtors and other tax naysayers should step up and provide the leadership that our city and county need to create an equitable and successful affordable-housing plan.



So a group of our Realtors raised $144,000 to fight the transfer tax? That could have built at least one affordable house, or five large yurts, putting five desperate families under permanent shelter in Santa Fe, the City Not So Different After All. The unenlightened self-interest of those who have (upper-end-home owners) and those that want (Realtors) won this contest by throwing the cold water of "It's All About Me" on the humble idea that the police, teachers, firefighters and others who protect the interest of all, including upper-end-home owners, should actually be able to live in the community. Fear and greed continue to drive the rapidly failing human experiment on this planet, and, sometimes, in this town.



The decision to put in red-light cameras has been made, and I have no problem with enhancing the ability to slow down or catch red-light runners. But in thinking through the concept of "running a red light," I keep projecting myself in heavy-traffic situations that place me in an intersection for a few seconds after the light has turned red.

To prevent this, I would have had to stop before entering the intersection and to wait until it was clear to go through — much to the fury of those drivers behind me. My question is then: What is the definition of running a red light? I love those "count-down" timers on the pedestrian crosswalk indicators. They tell me exactly what I need to know relative to keep on going through an intersection or knowing I need to stop. Let's put more of them in!



Too often we hear of innocent victims who lose their lives because of the irresponsible behavior of drunken drivers, and we are outraged. We support laws with severe penalties and want the perpetrators to be dealt with. I consider myself blessed because I was able to walk away from a drunken-driving incident on I-25 recently.

People with a drinking and driving problem should seek out help. Lawmakers should support funding for treatment for substance abuse because penalties alone do not fix the problem. We all need to refrain from drinking and driving and to encourage people who need our help to stop. The consequences of drinking and driving are devastating.



I have been reading about the Rail Runner Express train, starting with the February 27 article, "No photos please," by Phaedra Haywood, and ending with the March 6 article, "Perfecting the system," by Kate Nash. These articles bring up many good points on how business is being affected. I think the Rail Runner is a great form of transportation for New Mexicans who want to travel safely from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, but I think Gussie Fauntleroy's March 1 column, "Standouts in Care, Transit Sectors," brought up a good point about its accessibility: "If the Rail Runner train is to serve the largest possible number of Northern New Mexico commuters, it needs user-friendly connections with the New Mexico Park and Ride bus system."

This friendly connection would increase the revenue for both the Rail Runner and the Park and Ride by providing New Mexicans with greater accessibility to public transportation.



We are Youth United, an after-school peace club from Santa Fe School for the Arts and Sciences. We would like to bring your attention to an important problem we became aware of this year regarding the misuse of handicapped parking spaces and the safety zones around them.

Next to most handicapped parking spaces, there is a yellow striped safety zone which is meant as a safe zone for people to exit their vehicles. If you park in this area, wheelchair van ramps can not be used.

Not only is this illegal, but parking in the safety zones it makes it impossible for people using wheelchairs to enter or exit their vans. Most drivers don't know that the yellow striped areas are not actual parking spaces. This should be taught in drivers education classes, and there should be more signs to help drivers know where to park.