Opinion

Letter to the Editor: No-brainers And The Other No-brainers

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By KEI DAVIS
Los Alamos

A common use of the term “no-brainer” is to imply that the “right” decision is so obvious as to not require engagement of the brain.

An alternative interpretation, which may be the more correct in some of the recent dialogue in the LADP (letter), implies the making of a facile choice without engagement of the brain, e.g., investing in a transparent pyramid scheme or trying to get rich at a casino.

Google “define facile”, apparently from vocabdictionary.com:

Facile

1. (especially of a theory or argument) appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities Read More

Letter To The Editor: ‘Guns – Nation’s Worst Epidemic’ Response

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By LARRY FREESTONE
Los Alamos

In reference to Mr. Doug Reilly’s letter, I would like to offer a few comments.

1. Every dictionary I examined (home and online) refers to “Epidemic” as a disease. A disease usually refers to a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, which affects part or all of an organism.A gun is not a disease that would be identified by the CDCor WHO as an epidemic.

2. None of the 174 other countries that have gun rates below the U.S. are places that I would want to live.I cherish the rights we have that are found nowhere else on this planet. I will take this Read More

Letter To The Editor: Our Community Co+op Market Needs A Boost For 2016!

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By STEVE SNAPP
Concerned and optimistic member

Dear Los Alamos Residents and Co+op Market Members,

I thought a quick note to our community might be very helpful given some of the recent issues our Co+op Market is experiencing. You may not know that the Co+op Market is struggling financially.

Smith’s has hurt some of the small businesses in town including the Co+op and there have been numerous leadership and staff changes in the last 12 months. The unexpected death in November of the recently hired general manager has also had a significant effect on staff morale and created uncertainty at a very Read More

Letter To The Editor: Don’t Let Naysayers Destroy Our Precious School … Vote Yes On HB33 Mill Levy

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Letter To The Editor: Guns – Nation’s Worst Epidemic

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By DOUG REILLY
Los Alamos
 
A recent Washington Post article stated there are 113 guns per 100 people in the USA; the world average is 10 guns per 100.
 
There are 88 people killed by guns every day, two-thirds of which are suicides. What do these data share in common? The fact that guns are so prevalent in the United States is that they are so available someone in a fit of rage, fear, or depression, can find one and use it on impulse!
 
We read the statistics and become so accustomed that we accept them as how things should be. The Second Amendment of our Constitution states: “A well
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Letter To The Editor: Supporting HB33 Is ‘No-brainer’

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By KELLY MYERS
Parent, business person and former teacher

Please make a special effort to vote FOR HB33 Mill Levy in the January 2016 Special Election. Approval will NOT increase your property taxes.

Voting is easy – your ballot will be mailed directly to you. Please remember to sign the outer envelope! 

Why vote? HB33 will provide more than $13 million over the next six years to the Los Alamos Public Schools. Funding schools is a “no-brainer” in a community as fortunate as we are and with citizens who put a priority on education. 

I believe in this community. I believe that the voters in Read More

Letter To The Editor: HB33 – Taxing Los Alamos For Non-resident Education And Ambiguous Projects

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By BRADY BURKE
Los Alamos

My information may be out of date, but last time I checked, the Los Alamos public schools accepted students that were not Los Alamos residents. The
school’s funding came from a headcount, so the more students there were, the more funding they received. There was no requirement that the students be county residents. This is the first item with which I take issue. I am being taxed to educate non-residents.

Similar to the attempted levy for the Los Alamos branch of the University of New Mexico, my tax dollars were going to be spent on resources for people that were not proportionately Read More

Letter to the Editor: Clarification Of Taxing Authority

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By RICK REISS
Los Alamos Councilor

I read Mr. Gerald Antos’ letter this morning (Jan. 5, 2016) and was reminded that our tax systems are complex and many people confuse school taxes and County taxes.  While I am not going to discuss the continuation of a tax or reduction of a tax, it is appropriate to distinguish where these taxes originate.

First, there is an invisible wall between a New Mexico county (any county) and a public school district. The school district is funded by the State through a complex funding formula. There are few opportunities for the citizens of a county to add to Read More

Letter To The Editor: ‘Good CO2 Level?’

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By JOEL WILLIAMS
Los Alamos
 
I would argue that 400ppm is a perfectly reasonable level of CO2 world-wide cropwise (see fig below) and MUCH preferred over the 280 pre-industrial level without significant problems for human health [atmospheric CO2 levels should be above 150ppm to avoid harming green plants and below about 5000ppm to avoid harming people ­- Happer ( https:////www.firstthings.com/ ) %5D.
 
Setting the global goal for CO2 at the pre-industrial of 280ppm is wasted effort with NO BENEFIT.
 
Particulates, smog, and other airborne contaminates are
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Letter To The Editor: ‘Learning Dishonesty By Example’

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By CHARLES BAYFIELD
Los Alamos
 
Most young people learn best by the example displayed by their parents, siblings, teachers and peers.
 
Recently the local school administration has been setting a bad example for the students demonstrating dishonesty and involving the student in that dishonesty. Let me explain:
 
In the state of New Mexico school funds are distributed by a process which depends on counting the number of students three times a school year. These are called the 40 day count, the 80 day count, and the 120 day count.
 
These one day counts of students determines
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