Letters to the Editor

By EVAN ROSE
Los Alamos

I read the letter by Paul J. Gessing, President of Rio Grande Foundation, with some interest (link).

How can an interest rate of 175% per annum be justified? 

• First, write a letter that does not mention the 175% per annum interest rate. 
• Second, blame the proposed legislation on elite legislators and members of the public. 
• Third, provide an example of a situation where a predatory loan might be better than an alternative. 

For a detailed analysis of predatory loans, please consult the website of Think New Mexico (link). Read More

By LAURA A. CROTZER
Los Alamos

I read with interest, and then horror, the recent LA Daily Post article summarizing County Council’s response to Councilor David Reagor’s proposed resolution intended to provide encouragement to the governor and state health officials to end the lockdown in our community.

Given that no other councilor was willing to support Mr. Reagor’s resolution, I have some questions that I hope Council will answer for the benefit of every citizen in our community:

(1) Is Council now depending on the governor and various state health officials to make Read More

By R. WAYNE HARDIE
Los Alamos

Kudos to Los Alamos County Councilors Sean Williams, James Robinson, David Reagor and Council Chair Randy Ryti for voting Feb. 23, 2021 to waive attorney-client privilege on a Dec. 14, 2020 memorandum-of-opinion by County Attorney Alvin Leaphart regarding the proposed purchase of the CB Fox building.

As a result of this 4-3 vote, this memorandum, which pointed out some very serious legal issues with the proposed purchase of the CB Fox building, was finally made public to the citizens of Los Alamos County (LAC).

It seems like tax-paying citizens of Los Alamos County Read More

By ROBERT GIBSON
Los Alamos

It has been decades since we saw many bills in the state Legislature targeted at Los Alamos. Most of those were aimed at the Lab. Our state representatives worked hard to keep them at bay.

A bill advancing through this year’s legislative session would impact the whole state, but would have by far its most adverse effect on the citizens of Los Alamos. One of its three sponsors is our own state representative, Christine Chandler.

House Bill 291 would raise taxes in several ways. It would increase taxes by up to 1.6% on earned income (salaries, wages, Social Security and other Read More

By AARON WALKER
White Rock

Alarm bells are blasting in my ears right now.

Any time politicians have to resort to a media campaign to foster support for their plan, those alarms start blaring. The most recent letter from Councilors Izraelevitz and Scott did just that (link).

The letter offers a lot of rhetoric and scare tactics, and delivers very little in the realm of reality and facts (I’ve said that before). Lines such as “…there will be consequences if we let outside decision-makers choose our future, especially if we are left with even more empty properties, while they wait for a better economic Read More

By BARBARA F. SMITH
Los Alamos

The “New Mexico Civil Rights Act” bill going through the legislature appears not to be the flowery description that it portrays (“New Mexico’s Bill of Rights protects New Mexicans’ freedom to the rights of life and liberty, safety and happiness, free elections, freedom of religion, speech and press, equal rights for men and women, and victims’ rights”).

By focusing on Victims’ Rights, which it proposes to do, in reality it allows and promotes “bad behavior” of public employee. Because it would remove accountability of the Public employee, whether city, county Read More

By E. ALAN WADLINGER
White Rock

I live in White Rock, but I drove my wife to a hair dressing appointment in Los Alamos. While waiting for her, I tried to shop for her birthday present. Since my go-to store, CB Fox, is no longer in existence, I drove around downtown Los Alamos to see what was available. 

I was disturbed and depressed by all of the empty retail space. I thought of picking up a shovel for her at Metzger’s but was afraid that she might use it to bury me after hitting me with it. I finally found a box of chocolates at Rose Chocolatier.

I can imagine what the tourists that we attract, because of Read More

DAMIEN T. HARDING
Los Alamos

I’ve recently been digging into the issues of policing in America and found some startling data. Police departments around the nation are siphoning funds on the taxpayers dime, and Los Alamos is no different!

According to the budget proposal for the 2020 fiscal year, the LAPD budget was close to TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($9,380,867 to be exact)!

When I first saw this outrageous number, I was shocked. For a town with little to no crime, we could certainly do without this unnecessary expense. I took the liberty of figuring out how much money could be saved by switching to an alternative. Read More

CHARLES FRANCIS
Los Alamos

Read More

By BILL SELLERS
Formerly of New Mexico

The latest 2021 budgetary analysis for New Mexico, population 2.06 million, shows an annual state budget (FY 2021) of $7.22 billion, including unspent reserves of some $816 million. These monies were collected from the following 6 main sources: the Gross Receipts Tax, Severance Taxes, Rents & Royalties, Interest Earned, “Other” and Personal & Business Income Taxes.

This last category, the personal & business income tax, contributed some ~23% to the total, and depending upon how lousy tax-year 2020 shakes out, may come in under $1.0 billion Read More