Tuesday was our first day of real winter weather, and the city flunked its test for making our street passable. Although the weather service gave us plenty of warning, Old Taos Highway was ice-coated and dangerous at 10 a.m. Friends tell me that Gonzales Road and its intersection with Cerro Gordo Road were not salted either. The city administration needs to spend less time on financing movie theaters that we don't need and more time and energy on providing basic services for Santa Feans.


No snow plan

Every year since David Coss was elected mayor, no reasonable attempt has been made at snow removal. When a snowstorm was predicted, his office failed to do anything to prepare.

A few years ago, during the major storm around New Year's, I worked downtown. I saw his photo on the front page of the paper, out with the crews, chipping away at ice at 2 a.m. The problem was, for three days after, Old Santa Fe Trail and the rest of the streets downtown were slushy and easily plowable, and not one single truck ever came. The same is true of St. Francis Drive now, with no salting or removal, even with plenty of time to prepare. Maybe instead of entertaining the Spanish monarchy, we could spend a few dollars on snow removal so taxpaying citizens don't have to risk their lives trying to get to work.


Mixed messages

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it the least bit ironic, that: 1) President Barack Obama flies roughly 8,000 miles round trip to Oslo to accept The Nobel Peace Prize, just 9 days after announcing a Bush-like troop surge in Afghanistan? 2) Eight days after, that he will fly roughly 8,000 miles round trip to Copenhagen to give a speech on how we should all reduce our carbon footprint. Enough said!


Parental duty

Regarding the Dec. 10 article, "Teen in coma after ski mishap:" The accident victim Nicolas Flores' father said that "they" should pass a law requiring young people to wear ski helmets, and that he and his wife failed in their efforts to make their son wear one. I suggest that it's time that the parents accept responsibility for their son's behavior.

"They" are not the parents; the Floreses are the parents. The parents likely blame teachers for failing to teach and police for failing to police.


Study land swap

I am very concerned about the proposed Land Office Whites Peak land exchange. The integrity of the appraisal process needs to be looked at very closely. I am told that Land Office commercial properties in the Sandia Science and Technology park and at Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque are being considered as part of this exchange. Why exchange high value commercial properties that return 6 percent to 10 percent annually for grazing land that returns .05 percent?

The process may meet the letter of the law, but in my opinion a lack of sunshine and public involvement reduces the probability that sound public policy is ensured. If after public scrutiny it turns out to be a great deal, then bravo! If not, it should not happen.