Oliver Wendell Holmes said "I Iike paying taxes. With them I buy civilization." During our 15 years living abroad, our family learned to appreciate those words. We returned home yearly, to briefly experience a lifestyle with tax-afforded good roads, clean water, police and firemen, park systems, government oversight of food and pharmaceuticals and good libraries and schools.

Then we were transferred to Sydney, Australia. Besides all of the above benefits, excellent medical care was available to all, at no charge, foreigners included. Yes, taxes were higher, but college education was free for students who passed entrance exams. Our wealthy country should not allow children, old people, pregnant women, the mentally and physically challenged, and those who cannot afford it, to suffer without family medicine, including preventative and urgent medical care. There's all the difference between the most fortunate giving up substance in order to establish a minimum standard of living for all, and trying to legislate uniformity of condition.



With well-meaning, wonderful-sounding laws being considered, and Congress trying to rush through legal and cultural changes on a vast scale, it would be wise to listen to some of the best judicial minds of the recent past. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, that wonderful jurist, said: "Experience should teach us to be most on guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, but without understanding."

It would be nice if we actually knew what changes are really being considered. Preventing a full debate, refusing to permit sufficient time to actually read the legislation, working unilaterally behind closed doors: This administration tells us we must really be on our guard.



I am writing to support current funding for New Mexico Arts, a state agency that buys and places exceptional and important artwork throughout all 33 New Mexico counties. Were it not for NMA, only main the three municipalities would have a public art program here in New Mexico. Even more important, NMA bolsters the state's second most important industry.

Artists and galleries are consumers of goods like everyone else. We hire Web designers and plumbers, we buy houses, we fix our cars. We use every dollar that comes our way and turn it into almost two dollars of economic activity. I have an extra full-time person on staff as a result of sales to NMA. And, like the state of New Mexico, I realize the importance of floating a balanced budget, but please do not balance state finances at the cost of sinking those of us in the arts.



In Minnesota's Itasca Park there is a tiny creek you can step over that is the source of the mighty Mississippi River. Like the Mississippi River, President Barack Obama's efforts on behalf of worldwide reconciliation will receive the contributions of many nations and individuals. It is for this that he and his supporters received the Nobel Peace Prize.

In contrast to the smug-logic tight-compartment thinkers, the "clever" ones, and the orgasmic iconoclasts, the Nobel Prize committee acted with the utmost prudence.



King Barack received the Nobel Peace Prize for his many international accomplishments. For example, he has: abrogated the agreement to place missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland in order to appease Russia; overlooked Cuba's human rights violations; snubbed the Dalai Lama to appease China; castigated and penalized the Nicaraguan government for constitutionally and legally removing its potentially despotic president from office; cut Israel adrift.

Obama has twice screwed up his reference to Cinco de Mayo in front of the Mexican president; traveled outside the country apologizing for the United States; bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia; released funds for abortions in foreign countries; been lovey-dovey with Venezuela's tyrant Hugo Chávez; closed Guantánamo with no follow-up plans; offered no verbal support to the Iranian dissidents; approved money for Brazil for off-shore oil drilling while being opposed to the United States doing the same.

He'll now have to prove what he's really capable of to deserve the prize.



I have been working with Paul White for about four years now in various community groups. I have never seen a more diligent person on the issues that affect our communities. He underscores the point of looking at the moral consequences of decisions our local government makes, which I feel is seldom ever done in New Mexico politics.

I have learned much from him and soundly believe he will be an outstanding county commissioner for District 1. I strongly urge all members of the Pojoaque Basin Water Alliance, Santa Fe Basin Water Alliance, United Communities of Santa Fe County, and all residents of the Pojoaque Valley to vote for Paul White, who I know will be a hard-working protector of our interests. A vote for Paul is a vote against a clone of the status quo and those who would use taxpayer finances to ensure their political future.



I was delighted to read your recent announcement of Paul White for District 1 county commissioner. I have witnessed Paul's stellar leadership skills as an advocate for youth and art programs, but his true talents lie in his tireless efforts in spearheading complex water conservation and consolidation projects into workable solutions that benefit our entire community, especially "north" Santa Fe and Santa Fe County. Paul represents collaborative action and deserves both our votes and our endorsement. Let's formalize the role he's already earned and stand behind the man who has already stood behind us. District 1 could not ask for a more qualified candidate. So let's elect him.