Letters to the Editor

By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos

Senator Harris is both right and wrong (link):

“Those seniors who still live in poverty should receive more help from the federal and state governments. But exempting all Social Security income from taxation won’t deliver one penny of help to our low-income seniors. What it will mean is the state will have less money to support the programs and services that matter most to our communities.”

Yes, taxes for low-income seniors will not be reduced since they are already zero. However, if more retirees on Social Security who have good incomes but were put off by the tax move Read More

By KHALIL J. SPENCER’
Santa Fe

I’ve read several academic, peer-reviewed papers on gun storage and in general, one must be pro-active, providing counseling and gun securing devices. Not everyone pays attention to what the Legislature is doing … (for example, see Effectiveness of Interventions to Promote Safe Firearm Storage, 2015, Rowhani-Rhabar et al, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26769724/)

This storage bill fails on two counts. One, it is not proactive. If the bill authors wanted to make a difference, funding for gun locks and outreach with gun violence prevention advocates Read More

By BARBARA CALEF
2nd Vice President
LWVNM

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico (LWVNM) opposes HB4, the Hydrogen Hub Act. The bill was tabled in the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee today (Thursday) and should not be brought back.

The bill is described as “relating to economic development”. However, we cannot afford to subsidize potential economic development by creating increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Hydrogen produced from natural gas is not “clean” because the upstream methane emissions will be considerable. The carbon dioxide sequestration on which this bill depends Read More

By JAMES RICKMAN
Los Alamos

In “typical” Los Alamos fashion, some guy with a Ph.D. spent a lot of time putting together nearly 4,200 words in an attempt to convince everyone that s/he was the smartest person in the room, and that everyone else in the local public schools system is too stupid to realize it (link).

I don’t know about all of that, but I do know a couple of things:

• My parents were teachers here and this type of thing used to crop up every now and then in the salad days of Los Alamos, but not as much recently; and
• It takes a hell of a lot of time and effort to craft 4,000 words about anything.

If I were Read More

By REID PRIEDHORSKY
Los Alamos

Dear LAPS leadership and community:

I write regarding many deep, ongoing concerns with with the Los Alamos Public Schools COVID response.

Briefly, I see five serious problems that have needlessly caused excess illness and suffering, emotional burdens, and extra work on the part of students, families, and LAPS staff over the past two years:

1. LAPS leadership has not listened to informed feedback.
2. LAPS leadership is not proactive.
3. LAPS communication is bad.
4. LAPS administration does not understand the virus.
5. LAPS administration does not understand COVID testing.

Read More

By GRANT HARDING
Los Alamos

James Robinson was elected with broad support and has gained respect and appreciation from across the political spectrum. With his resignation, a contingent of our community, who have historically been under-represented, have lost balance in representation on Council.

This contingent of our community should not have to wait a year and an election for that balance and their representation to be restored.

Of all the applicants for the open Councilor position, not one but two applicants have shown the ability to be legitimate successors and have the experience to Read More

By ANNA DILLANE
Los Alamos

The petitions I filed with the county council about code enforcement and the biased code enforcement survey will be heard at tomorrow’s council meeting at 6 p.m. I’m linking the agenda here.

Interestingly, our next councilor will be chosen right after the petitions are voted on (to fill the seat that James Robinson vacated).

To recap, the county hired a consultant who was tasked with conducting a survey to help inform the rewrite of the nuisance codes.

Rather than creating an unbiased survey and taking the true pulse of our community, the consultant put out a survey that Read More

By KATRINA GRIEGO
Los Alamos

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is expected to teach in an elementary school classroom this week, according to a governor’s office spokesperson.

Having a serial groper teach our children is unacceptable!

How can she even pass a background check? Read More

By JULIA YING
Los Alamos

The House Bill 6 (HB6), Clean Future Act, is an amazing bill that can propel New Mexico into a safe future that meets the findings of the scientific community and the goals of the Paris Climate Accord.

HB6 will likely be heard in the New Mexico Legislative Session that’s just underway on Thursday Jan. 27, 2022, so the time is ripe to let your Legislators know that this Bill is important to you.

Living in New Mexico, we are all experiencing prolonged droughts and devastating forest fires. Our communities living near oil and gas facilities, or busy highways are especially vulnerable Read More

By AARON WALKER
White Rock

The latest developments in the appeals process with Sirphey and Los Alamos County have me asking a lot of questions about the entire process. The appeals process should be an avenue that protects residents and business owners by giving them an opportunity to present their grievances. Instead, it seems that the County is utilizing it as a bully pulpit and large pockets to blockade any attempt at a fair outcome.

Since the last hearings have taken place significant issues impacting the former building official that placed the red tag and CDD as a whole have been raised. These Read More