Letters to the editor May 6

City treasures were lost to DWI

| The New Mexican

5/6/2008 - 5/6/08

It's unbelievable to me that a small organization, such as Santa Fe Living Treasures, could lose another "treasure" to probable drunken driving. Lobsang Lhalungpa was a gentle, spiritual scholar whose very presence in Santa Fe made it a better place to live.

Estafanita Martinez was also lost to us by that senseless and mindless crime.

In spite of our blue skies, gorgeous mountains and incredible climate, we are becoming known more for our drunken drivers.

Though I don't have the solution to this problem, I offer a few thoughts: Confiscate both the licenses and cars of drunken drivers. Sell the cars of convicted offenders at auction and use the money to pay for rehabilitation treatment while they serve an automatic six-month sentence. Anyone loaning their car to a drunken driver would lose their vehicle too.

After jail, there would be a six-month probationary period before they could buy or drive a car.

Shirley Minett
Santa Fe

Editor of note
In the four short years that Flor de María Oliva was the editor La Voz, she managed through her indefatigable labor and tenacity to make it the premier Spanish language weekly of our state.

Any issue, event or story of interest to the Spanish speaking community was covered by Flor de María or her one reporter, whether it be the immigrant family torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Roswell, the Border Book Festival in Las Cruces, May 1 marches in Santa Fe, or Las Fiestas in Española. Often, it carried national and Latin American articles not found in other local newspapers.

La Voz under Flor became truly the Spanish voice of the people of New Mexico. We wish Ms. Oliva the best in her new endeavors, and we urge The New Mexican to hire an editor who will maintain her high journalistic standards.

María Cristina López
Santa Fe

Support farmers
During the past year, we sat down with dozens of farmers and ranchers from Northern New Mexico to ask them what were their major worries. We learned that more people would dedicate their lives to working the land if they could actually make a living.

Our rural communities need more investment of our tax dollars to revitalize the agricultural economy and the basic infrastructure for clean water. Numerous projects, whether they are irrigation works or mutual domestic water systems, are in need of construction dollars.

Also, we need action on the land-grant issue, particularly with regard to making land available for affordable housing, so that our families aren't forced to build on their historic farmland.

This is a critical year to make our voices heard. Candidates for state and federal office are listening, and we need to speak out. Attend the Equal Voice Townhall meeting today at 4:30 p.m. at El Museo Cultural in Santa Fe.

Paula Garcia
NM Acequia Association

Enviro candidate
Understanding the meaning of protecting water resources, in a time when we are past peak oil, past peak water and past peak food is critical. We must limit our global footprint to change the climate crisis we face. We have one chance to get it right. Right now.

Kathy Holian understands this and what local initiatives need to be undertaken. I endorse Kathy Holian for Santa Fe County Commission, District 4.

Elaine Cimino
Santa Fe

I have been very impressed by the in-depth meetings I've had with Kathy Holian, who is running for the Santa Fe County Commission in District 4. She has displayed not only a profound interest in water issues, but also a willingness to listen to, and learn from, activists such as myself.

Moreover, the Sierra Club recently endorsed Kathy for her stands on critical environmental issues.

Paul White
Chupadero

Cleaned up office
I want to publicly thank Santa Fe County Clerk Valerie Espinoza and her staff for their dedication to honest and fair elections.

I remember what the County Clerk's Office was like before her tenure: messy piles of papers, surly employees and general chaos.

Valerie's first priority was cleaning up the voting rosters. Thanks to her, after months of unsuccessful attempts to obtain a voter registration card under the prior administration, I received it in the mail.

Rachel Cogent
Tesuque


I always get the best customer service and see happy looking employees serving customers in the County Clerk's Office thanks to the superb job that Valerie Espinoza has done. She is well educated, with two college degrees, and has made many improvements in the office. She works tirelessly and has been in the election business since she worked in the Secretary of State's Office. She needs four more years to complete the projects that she started.

Ramon Gomez, Jr.
Santa Fe