Letters to editor for September 14, 2008
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One man's dream another's nightmare
9/13/2008 - 9/14/08
Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I've had a dream that this nation had grown to a point that we could look beyond skin color, beyond religious differences, beyond sexual orientation and vote for the most qualified person, be they male or female to lead this country back to a position of world leadership. The Sept. 10 commentary, "Racism and the privacy of voting," taken from The Philadelphia Inquirer, says it all.We are still collectively unenlightened, apathetic racist pigs! A large majority of people in this country will not speak their minds, but dance around their true feelings, calling Barack Obama an elitist, inexperienced or too young. They'll never admit it's because he's black, and they're not ready to give a black man the highest position of leadership in the land. But they are ready to vote for a man too old for that stressful office.
Santa Fe
McCain's failing grade
Conservation-minded voters should not allow themselves to be fooled by John McCain's rhetoric. One of the fastest ways to reduce the use of foreign oil is to increase fuel-efficiency standards in America's automobiles. McCain voted against fuel-efficiency increases in 2003 and 2005. He missed the vote in 2007. League of Conservation Voters gives him a 0 percent voting record for 2007. He has a lifetime LCV record of only 26 percent.
Refusing to accept that man-made greenhouse gas pollution from oil and coal is causing global warming, the Republican platform says the matter is subject to "on-going scientific research." McCain is turning into another George W. Bush. VP pick Sarah Palin also said she doubts that global warming is caused by human activity. McCain has cast 10 votes against clean water, including against drinking-water protection and enforcement, controlling microbes in water, and funds for water pollution control.
Santa Fe
No storm damage
The Sept. 6 letter, "Off-shore drilling and storms don't mix" really caught my attention because I had just read a lengthy column about energy and environment in a nationally distributed science journal.
The letter states that U.S. Gulf Coast hurricanes Katrina and Rita were devastating natural disasters. However, the greatest environmental story of the decade, in terms of oil and gas, was the one that followed Katrina and Rita. No major spills and leaks from offshore operations — the environmental disaster that wasn't! Too bad major media outlets did not see fit to run that story.
A healthy U. S. and global economy allows for substantial investments in our environment. And a healthy economy requires energy. Today we have potential oil and gas resources off every U.S. coast — Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf.
The outdated drilling moratorium that prevents development of these resources comes from a false pretense that drilling hurts the environment. We need to correct the mistaken polices that don't let us develop our own fossil energy resources. We need these resources to build a stable economic bridge to our alternate-energy future.
Santa Fe
A cuckoo's nest
I'm an independent willing to listen to any policy that might solve a problem. But this last Republican National Convention — my-way-or-the-highway Christianity in a land founded on separation of church and state? Jingoism in a global society? "Drill baby, drill," instead of a new industry based on renewable and locally controllable energy? Lethal weapons as the principal symbol of individual freedom and international diplomacy? This isn't just wrong. This is nuts.
Santa Fe
Came to pass
Although I've felt in my gut that the result of this 2008 presidential election will be a real wild card, it never occurred to me that someone even more whacko than Bush & Co. would appear in the running.
How did this Sarah Palin person — with zero credentials and even fewer leadership criteria — just "happen" to win the election for governor of Alaska, not to mention being chosen as McCain's running mate? Is it possible that someone on The New Mexican staff could investigate this phenomenon, including the part that Karl Rove might be playing in it?
Back in 2000, just prior to the Bush-Gore election, a group of South American shamans were asked who they hoped would win. Their answer was Bush; the same result was inevitable no matter who won, they said, but with Bush, it would come about that much sooner. Apparently, this is what we're now experiencing.
Madrid
Road to hell
As a person born and raised in Nazi Germany, watching the Republican National Convention last week made me almost sick to my stomach. Were the Germans to display this kind of unabashed nationalism, the whole world would be pointing fingers saying, "See, the old Nazis are back!"
It would create an international scandal.
After Germany lost the war, the first verse had to be taken out of the national anthem, and rightly so because it stated, "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" (Germany, Germany above all else). This was exactly the spirit displayed at the RNC.
But apparently, if one calls it "patriotism," instead of nationalism, and sugarcoats the more sinister aspects of the message with funny hats and balloons — and if it happens in America instead of in Germany — it's all right. Don't the nationalists in this country see where this is headed?
Santa Fe
Man of vision
Barack Obama is an intellectual heavyweight who possesses grace and dignity. He maintains high ethical standards by keeping his campaign out of the gutter, unlike the Republicans. As a courageous young man he served his country by working in an economically depressed community. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago. He is a man of vision and has gained the respect of leaders and ordinary people around the world.
Unlike Obama, the Republicans can't talk about issues, and they are afraid to acknowledge the fine qualities of their opponent. They nominated an ethical lightweight who is supported by the most nasty, greedy and cynical lobbyist/political operatives our country has ever seen. He is running with a woman who talks incessantly about "fighting and guns and war and God," but in her cowardly way supports shooting wolves from a helicopter.
Santa Fe
Why pander to women by making us feel victimized? Because it gets votes.
Doreen Summers
Santa Fe
No Democrat politician defended Hillary and supporters. Silence gave consent. Now Democrats viciously attack the female Republican vice-presidential nominee! Do you see a pattern here? Voter rights? Gender equality? My party has left me. A final message to them: hate won't get you there.
Taos
J.W. "Buster" Smith
Santa Fe
Robert D. Locker
Santa Fe
F. Harlan Flint
Santa Fe
Dianna A. Lewis
Santa Fe
I have long been acquainted with the "Joy Ride Turns to Nightmare" of defensive-driving films, but have been delighted to see that the reverse is also possible. With the recent repaving of Galisteo and Don Gaspar streets, bicycle riding on them has indeed turned from a nightmare to a joy ride.
Many thanks to the crews and the city! There is only one small bad part of Don Gaspar's dream left: San Francisco to Water Street. Another newly joyful ride follows the sweeping of the streets; thanks for that, too!
Santa Fe
When the city purchased the Railyard property, we had the opportunity to enrich our city with a park that extended from Borders to Whole Foods, sprinkled with public spaces such as the Santa Fe Farmers Market and Warehouse 21.
Well-designed green, public, open space gives a city back to its people. Trees, gardens and grass cool a hot day, freshen the air and balance the busy downtown. Instead of green, we are getting another fancy shopping center with factory-sized commercial buildings, congestion, and expensive parking. The Railyard Park shrank and private stores and office buildings took over. I prefer less concrete and more nature.
Santa Fe
Every day after school, buses from the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club pick up children and bring them to a large building on Alto Street. More than 100 children are given a safe place to have fun and learn a lot of helpful things.
One volunteer program has been helping about 39 first- and second-graders for 10 years to learn to read better. The more volunteers, the greater will be the success of each child. We can make a big difference in a kid's life.
The requirements for being a volunteer are the ability to read, to care about young students and to show up on a pretty consistent basis. It is not necessary to make a specific time commitment.
Classes are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:45 to 4:45. I am the volunteer program coordinator and can be reached at 988-7278.
Santa Fe
Red-light cameras are not the answer. Courts are, when they enforce existing laws and stop letting offenders off easy. I have been living here for 17 years and watching and listening. We are too easy on drivers who run red lights. The courts need to step up and help.
Red-light cameras are just another way to spy on us and for the city to get more money, which is needed because the city officials aren't doing the job that we put them in office to do, and Santa Fe is slowly dying.
Was the company that performed the survey to determine if we needed the cameras the same one running the program?
Santa Fe

