Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Hall Decent But Richard Far Superior

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By Betty Ann Gunther

Jim Hall is a decent person, but we have a far superior Democratic candidate by the name of Stephanie (Garcia) Richard, who is running against him for representative to the New Mexico House of Representatives (Dist. 43.)

Jim Hall has been in the job as an appointee and has supported Republican issues even at the expense of Los Alamos County during the brief tenure of his appointment.

After it was revealed that a press release from Jim Hall claiming endorsements from Democratic Senators was not accurate, I found myself disappointed in Jim Hall’s campaign.

He, and his campaign, Read More

Column: Checks and Balances

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By George Chandler

“Checks and balances” is the phrase that describes the interactions among the branches of a government that provides for limiting governmental excess by the separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial sectors. 

For example in the first instance, the federal government, the legislature passes laws but those laws can only be enforced by the executive and interpreted by the judicial, the legislature can remove judges or presidents and controls their budgets but is itself greatly constrained by being bifurcated. 

And so on. In the extreme these Read More

Letter to the Editor: Does Rain Really Follow the Plow?

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Does Rain Really Follow the Plow? Or, can we expect better than failed expectation from Trinity Site?
 
By Khalil Spencer

There was once a belief that if Western settlers tilled the soil, it led to more rain, i.e., “rain follows the plow.”

That was in large part false causation, because some of the plowing was done during wet climate periods.

One could almost rephrase that Charles Dana Wilber quote in the context of the Trinity Site economic development discussion:

God speed the developer … By this wonderful provision, which is man’s mastery over the economy, the malls Read More

Letter to the Editor: Vote FOR Charter Questions

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By Donald Machen
Los Alamos

The upcoming election gives the citizens of Los Alamos their chance to establish a clear and unambiguous method for direct citizen involvement in our county government through the initiative, referendum, and recall processes.

By voting YES on charter questions 1, 2, 3 and 4, we can simplify, yet improve, what is currently in place in our Charter, assuring that we can continue to have a role in directing county legislation.

For an informative and concise view on why we are being asked to modify our Charter, I recommend that voters read the recent Los Alamos Daily Post Read More

2012 Proposed County Charter Changes not Clearly Presented to Voters

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By Ellen Walton

This is a call to Los Alamos voters to study charter change proposals well ahead of the upcoming general election.

These 21 changes are rolled together into four groups, and are not separated by subject matter, making a clear choice by voters impossible.

To date, one can only find the full text of these proposed changes (Ordinances 598-618) at the Los Alamos Governmental Review Initiative website, LAGRI.org, or at the Los Alamos County Clerk’s office.

Among other things, these changes will increase the signature requirements for citizen petitions, cut in half time periods for Read More

Initiative, Referendum and Recall Ballot Questions – A Path to Good Governance

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By John C. Hopkins, Charter Review Committee Chair
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Chris Chandler, I&R Subcommittee Chair

The Charter Review Committee (CRC) spent more than two years studying the Los Alamos County Charter. 

After numerous public meetings and considerable debate, the CRC’s and Los Alamos County Council’s proposals relating to initiative, referendum and recall are now being presented to the voters on the fall ballot.  

The CRC approached its study of initiative and referendum (I&R) beginning with the tenet that representative democracy Read More

Letter to the Editor: Martin Heinrich’s Surrogates

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By Vernan Kerr
Los Alamos

In the race for U.S. Senate, the ads sponsored by various environmental groups have been most irritating.

What evidence can they show that Heather Wilson’s support for the oil and gas industries have resulted in harm to children or have resulted in drinking water contamination?

None! The oil and gas industries are a very important part of the economy of our state and without them we would rank at the bottom of the American state’s economies, a true welfare state.

A recent story on Martin Heinrich, who voted for Obamacare, showed how much he really cares about Read More

Column: Requiem For A Canyon

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By Chick Keller
 
Recently we walked up what’s left of Valle Canyon.
 
In my memory there are three Valle Canyons – the lovely one pre-Cerro Grande – ever changing, ever beautiful, every diverse; the post Cerro Grande one, still intact at least in the lower part, and now the post Las Conchas one, which has lost its entire forest and most of the canyon bottom.
It’s hard to describe the difference. Although Cerro Grande left the cathedral-like trees and the riparian shrubs and plants, few trees are left now, and the canyon bottom has been almost totally rearranged by the
Read More

Column: Medicaid, New Mexico, and the PPACA

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By Representative Jim Hall
House District 43
  • Medicaid, New Mexico, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

I attended a Medicaid conference in Washington, D.C., June 27 and 28. 

The non-partisan Council of State Governments organized the conference for state legislators to address ongoing growth in Medicaid costs and expected changes in Medicaid programs. 

This is the first of two columns on Medicaid. This column discusses the current program.  The next column will discuss Medicaid’s future in New Mexico. 

The June 28 PPACA decision by Read More

Column: Open Meeting Called Into Question

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By Gene Schmidt
Los Alamos Superintendent of Schools

The Los Alamos School Board strives with great diligence to comply with the statutory rules for conduct of its open meetings in order to ensure transparency in government.

A Special Board meeting was held on May 24, 2012 to approve the 2012-13 Operating Budget.

At that meeting, the Board acted to amend the salary provisions of two collective bargaining agreements with existing school employee bargaining units in order to assure that employee contracts drafted at the end of the school year properly reflected the salaries authorized Read More