Do New Mexicans (Democrats, independents, Greens and concerned Republicans) really want the Texas "Swift Boat" millionaire, Bob Perry, dictating who wins our gubernatorial race? He gave $450,000 to Susana Martinez's campaign.

Those who are as upset about him influencing New Mexico politics as I am need to get out and vote for Diane Denish. Diane has dedicated most of her life to making things better for New Mexicans, which is a challenging job in this economy.


Joy, not comedy

Regarding the misleading Sept. 7 headline, "Marine brings comedy to Jewish celebration": I would like to clarify that Rosh Hashana is not exactly the right time for stand-up comedy. Perhaps some joy, but comedy just doesn't really fit for Rosh Hashana (we have Purim for that...).

To be sure, our speaker Dave Rosner is a comedian, but he wasn't here to do stand-up comedy. He shared some stories of his own journey, a Jew from New Mexico exploring his Jewish roots and then living a kosher Jewish life as a Marine.

May we all have a blessed and sweet new year, and may this year usher in true peace in the world.


Top-heavy economy

Joseph L. Moure, a "retired investment executive," stated in his Sept. 5 My View, "Economic illiteracy is rampant in America," that the rich are taxed too much (52 percent of all taxes) and that economic illiteracy is a "by-product of our failed educational system." I'm surprised this Social Darwinist has the audacity to blame the world's largest financial disaster on the uneducated, unmotivated and uncreative.

Transference maybe?

Robert Reich (former secretary of labor under President Clinton) points out in his recent New York Times op-ed piece: "In the late 1970s, the richest 1 percent of American families took in about 9 percent of the nation's total income; by 2007, the top 1 percent took in 23.5 percent of total income. It's no coincidence that the last time income was this concentrated was in 1928." If the "educated, motivated, and creative" rich are getting that much, who is really being taxed?


Educate and protect

Joseph L. Moure wrote, "I can teach a 10-year-old the basis of economics and personal finance in a day." That's wonderful. Having helped people for several years do their federal and state tax calculations, I agree there are few people who understand anything about finance. There are folks out there who should know but don't — Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin and Ben Bernanke, to name a few.

Blaming nonfinancial working citizens for their financial troubles tells just a small part of the story. Many people looking for help from financial advisers are ill advised. The managers of some large pension funds did not understand in what they were investing.

Perhaps Mr. Moure could dash off a few lines to explain to us all credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations, or other derivatives of which in 2003 Alan Greenspan said "they have been an extraordinarily useful vehicle," or subprime mortgages.

Even the people at Moody's who gave them Triple-A ratings did not know what they were rating.

True, we need financial education in our primary and secondary schools. We also need some consumer protection from the large banks.


A nice touch

In the Aug. 28 newspaper, you added a sunflower to the top of the front page (a reference to a story on an inside page). This was perfect! I wish this could continue, as it adds to the whole day. Please keep it up. It makes one smile, and sunflowers are so beautiful and powerful.

Thank you. I am lover of special touches.