Regarding "Hidden treasure," Victoria Murphy's Aug. 16 letter about landscaping at the state Capitol: The state employee she is referring to was Clay Buchanan, who worked in the Legislative Council. A benefactor contributed $25,000, as I recall, for landscaping the new building, which was dedicated December 1966.

These funds were given to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation to manage. I was chairman around that time. Clay gave many hours of off-duty time to do the landscaping of what was considered a massive building for our town. It was not "one person's decision." He would have the bills for materials sent to the foundation office for approval and payment. In return, we were allowed to keep the interest.

It is true his plantings have gotten huge and probably need a good deal of pruning, but I suspect in these times, funds are short. In any case, the building is not that hidden, in my opinion. There's a good view from College Street, now known as Old Santa Fe Trail.




Recently, the House of Representatives voted to put us on the clean-energy road to jump-starting our economy and creating new jobs. It passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), the first-ever bill to stop global warming and establish national standards for renewable energy production and building efficiency.

ACES includes development of renewable energy resources that New Mexico has in abundance. It is the first legislation to address climate change, which if not halted will increase drought, forest fires and desertification in New Mexico.

Now it's the Senate's turn to act. Please join us in calling on Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall to support the clean energy path to a strong economy and improved national security. It's time for the Senate to pass legislation to stop global warming.



Paul Weideman's article "Just the Artifacts Please," on Aug. 14, featured prominently an insert titled "In the know about no-nos." The final sentence says, "These items are banned from sale and export."

In fact, these items are bought and sold in the United States and throughout the world legally every day of the week. They are only illegal to trade if they are in violation of U.S. law. Each country of the world that has such artifacts has signed a separate treaty with the United States — Peru in 1990 and 1997, and as recently as 2007 with Colombia and 2008 with China. Any object that was properly imported in the United States prior to the signing of such a treaty is perfectly legal to be traded in the marketplace.

You would have been serving your readership much better to have pointed that out, instead of adding to the confusion and abundant misinformation about this subject.



I'm amazed that anyone could oppose health care reform; our system is so broken.

About 46 million Americans — our countrymen — have no health insurance and no safety net in case illness strikes. Half of all personal bankruptcies are a result of medical expense. And insurance premiums are growing four times faster than wages.

Yet lies and disinformation poisoning our airwaves are already taking their toll. At one recent town hall meeting, a senior told Rep. Robert Inglis, R-S.C., to "keep your government hands off my Medicare." To which Inglis politely replied, "Actually, sir, your health care is being provided by the government." But the man, Inglis recounted, "wasn't having any of it."

America, wake up! Let's move beyond distrust and cynicism to make sure that all of us, even the most vulnerable, can go to a doctor when we need one. We need to join the ranks of other civilized nations and make affordable, quality, universal health care a reality.



Once again, the "sky-is-falling" loonies are coming out of left field and screaming "socialized this" and "unfunded that!" It's time to correct some of the right's fear-based talking points.

Medicare and Social Security are insurance programs funded through trusts set up for that purpose. Medicare has ample surplus funds to run unaltered until 2017, Social Security until 2042. Unlike any other budget of the government, like the Highway Trust Fund, which goes bust this year, they are in the black.

Unfunded liability of $33 trillion? Only if we don't pay our FICA taxes and that's over
75 years! What about unfunded military costs? That could be quadrillions of dollars at the rate we spend, and there are no trusts set up for that! What about fire departments, police services, parks and recreation, water treatment and on and on? All unfunded liabilities! Run, the sky is falling! (Except on our Social Security and our folks' Medicare — they are funded!)



So the Vatican is investigating devoted, hard-working American sisters? It is obvious that the patriarchal hierarchy continues to oppress and subjugate women. Less obvious, perhaps, is the fact that the Vatican fraternity is much more concerned about women's obedience and doctrinal orthodoxy than the shattered souls and minds of children abused by pedophile priests.

The Vatican knew about this pedophile abuse for decades, but no "apostolic visitation" or investigation was launched. This is outrageous hypocrisy and totally contrary to the spirit of the loving and radical Jesus.

I'm not an outsider Catholic-basher. I've had 16-plus years of Catholic education, scholastic awards, a degree in theology and long, active involvement in the church. This church, however, is breaking my heart.



Regarding the Aug. 8 article, "Families say DWI plea deal too lenient":

A drunken driver who downed four beers and a bottle of tequila, showing exceptional responsibility I guess, having not drunk more, kills two sober people on a motorcycle in March. They are dead for good. He gets 71/2 years, probably out early to be deported, theoretically unable to drink in jail. Now that is a deterrent, is it not?

The only way to get New Mexico to enforce and improve laws on drunken driving is for someone to sue the state, forcing it to do the right thing. Or, if someone in the Legislature loses a family member to a drunk, laws will immediately change. Drunks get more protection than the rest of us in this state.



This morning, I found a young coyote along the trail in the open space in Eldorado. The little guy was injured, possibly sick, and very near death. I called agency after agency — the Wildlife Center, Animal Control, Game and Fish, Wildlife Services, and back again to Animal Control. Each one said "no coyotes, dead or alive!" My initial hope was that I could get the animal some help; after an hour or so I was just concerned with the public health hazard it posed.

Finally, three hours after my first call, Animal Control agreed to come and pick up the now-dead coyote. I understand coyotes pose a serious rabies risk, and that they are considered a "pest" species. But they still don't deserve to die in pain, and public safety demands that we have at least one public agency designated to deal with sick, injured or dead coyotes.