I share the frustration with those lamenting the demise of the College of Santa Fe. Nevertheless, our Legislature correctly determined that purchasing the college was unwise in these difficult times, and City Council should concur. Only Councilor Patti Bushee comprehends the financial uncertainty of taking over the college based upon currently available data.

This is another example of fuzzy thinking by our City Council. The transfer tax, rejected by the voters, would not have built much affordable housing. The short-term rental law was a solution in search of a problem that helped depress housing prices in Santa Fe. The list goes on. Following the defeat of the transfer tax, many people wrote letters urging a housecleaning at City Hall. That opportunity occurs in March. Now is the time for concerned citizens to stand up and do something.



At $30 million, the College of Santa Fe's real estate and buildings are a bargain and a great investment for the city and the state (which will pitch in $11 million). The land alone is worth much more.

Throw in the Greer Garson Theater, Fogelson Library, Forum, three galleries, the Ricardo Legorreta-designed Visual Art Center (including Tipton Hall, Marion Photography and Thaw Art History centers), the Santa Fe Art Institute, Garson Film Studios, O'Shaugnessy Performance Space, Garson Film Studios, Moving Image Arts program and The Screen — the list goes on — and the price looks even better.

Without our purchase of the campus, there will be no students, staff, faculty, or any other college-generated income, a huge economic loss to local businesses and government. Santa Fe's historic institution is disappearing before our eyes. We, the people of Santa Fe, can buy it! Don't let developers carve up what's left.



As avid "Plaza bandstandees," we want to nominate David Lescht as Santa Fe's youngest "Oldest Living Treasure" for the diversity of entertainment he has organized for the Santa Fe Bandstand. Every cross section of culture, age, and music taste is represented. Monday through Thursday we have specific evenings devoted to rock, swing, jazz, world beat, Latino, opera, country, folk, indie, Cajun and everything in between, from Middle Eastern dance to mariachi to circus performances!

One evening a group of visitors from Europe asked me what we were celebrating and were astounded when I explained this is a regular summer thing in Santa Fe — for free! Summer doesn't really seem to take off until the bandstand music starts, and it always seems to end too soon.

Kudos to David Lescht, Outside In Productions, Mayor Coss and the city of Santa Fe for an event that unites every social and cultural strata of our community.



We are all victims of torture — not just those subjugated to extreme physical and psychological pain. Those who train and administer torture to others are de-humanized, too, as are the policymakers who plan, sanction and direct it. All of these victims then carry this toxic virus into the society, creating new norms of violence and oppression in the community and severing our human connections.

This moral erosion impacts our state's infrastructure, making it timid or "principled" when confronted by calls for justice, thus giving a green light for future replication. Torture denigrates the human spirit. And, we are all complicit in the conspiracy of silence and support.

Under our existing laws torture must be investigated, prosecuted and punished. Preserving the values we claim demands we insist that this be done to stop torture. Call for truth, transparency and accountability from Congress, the Department of Justice and the current administration.