Opinion

Letter To The Editor: Water Rates, Overflowing, And Automated Meters Coming

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By BRADY BURKE
Business Services Manager
 
There is a Board of Public Utilities meeting Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the Municipal Building in the Council chambers. It is important to attend and voice your public comment for at least three topics on the agenda.
 
First, the Department of Public Utilities wants to raise your water rates … again. 6.25% this time. It seems like an annual increase.
 
As water usage has dropped due to conservation efforts by the community, the Department wants to raise rates to keep up their revenues, ostensibly for future capital improvement projects. That’s
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Letter To The Editor: Presidents Day Lament II

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By WILLIAM MEAD
Los Alamos
 
“This Presidents Day is a day of mourning for the presidency of the United States, which has been hijacked by someone who defies the Constitution, refuses to be president of all the people, and continuously degrades, denigrates, and diminishes the American presidency.” – Robert Reich, UC Berkeley
 
On this occasion last year, I explained why I mourn for America under Trump’s presidency (link). This year, I’ll add a few of Trump’s most serious new gaffes.
  • Placement of Brett Kavanaugh on the US Supreme Court;
  • Mistreatment of refugees at our southern
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Letter To The Editor: Squeezing Trinity … Again?

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By WILLIAM Mead
Los Alamos

Trinity Drive is one of a few Los Alamos arteries that carry much of our downtown and through-town traffic. It seems obvious to me that it is undesirable to restrict capacity of such an important street.

Yet, according to a recent article in the Los Alamos Daily Post, (link), Los Alamos County Public Works is again considering a major reconfiguration of Trinity in the vicinity of 35th and 36th streets in response to planned apartment construction.

I think it would be most unwise to change a smoothly functioning four-lane arterial street into a two-lane street with a “suicide

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Letter To The Editor: Thank You For Support Of Abandoned Senior Project

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By ANGELA SANCHEZ-POPE
Los Alamos

Dear Abandoned Senior Project Supporters, WCSS Group of United Church of Los Alamos, Fr. Glenn Jones and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and Rev. Laurie Triplett of Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church:

This letter is to thank you personally for all your help during the 10-year tenure of the abandoned senior project. This project is very difficult and very worthy as it supports several seniors who would not otherwise have any help with clothing and toiletries during the Christmas holidays.

I especially thank the volunteers of the United Church thrift store Read More

Letter To The Editor: Comments On Politics…

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By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos

Mark Twain is quoted as saying: Lies, damned lies and statistics! Some of our NM political figures are trying hard to replace the last with ‘politics’.

Rep. James Townsend complains that the “rocket docket” bills are not being sufficiently vetted by committees and more reviews are required. Yet these bills were passed by substantial bipartisan majorities before being vetoed by the previous Governor.
 
So the complaint is window-dressing (to use a polite term) to make it appear that Republicans are doing something to protect New
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Letter To The Editor: Knee Jerk Reaction Against President Trump … Happy With Outcome?

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By JEFF ROBERTS
White Rock
 
The State’s, and for that matter, the County’s knee jerk reaction against President Trump, swept Democrats into office. Are you happy with the outcome?
 
The Legislative bills now being railroaded through include:
 
1). A 53% increase in tax when you buy a new or used car and register it;
2). A 12% increase in personal income tax;
3). A 32% increase in personal income tax for higher income families (over $200 K);
4). A movement to eliminate the 3% per year allowable increase in property tax;
5). A 10 cent per gallon gasoline tax;
6). A requirement that all
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Letter To The Editor: A Reply…

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By AARON WALKER
Los Alamos
 

Mr. Burke’s letter was very strange to me (link). There were 10 candidates that were all qualified to fill Christine Chandler’s County Council seat for different reasons. All had different backgrounds, and a differing perspective of how the county needed to position itself for the future. I was surprised by the decision, but I don’t think there was a bad choice to be made.

 
Mr. Burke’s letter is not good optics for him or the Republican Party. While he is certainly entitled to his own opinion, there is a time and a place to air it. Drafting a letter and attacking
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Letter To The Editor: County Council – (Sigh!) More of the Same

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By BRADY BURKE
2018 County Council Candidate
 
In case you missed the January 29 County Council meeting, there was an agenda item to fill the Council seat vacated by Christine Chandler.
 
On Jan. 15, there was one applicant for the seat. By the deadline of Jan. 24, there were 10. The list of applicants included enthusiastic citizens, small business owners, candidates that ran in the last election, a professional engineer with a history as a professional electrician, an international negotiator that served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and another with an MBA and tons of experience.
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Letter To The Editor: Eliminate Coyote-Killing Contests

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By STEPHANIE NAKHLEH
Los Alamos

I’m grateful to our new Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard for ending coyote-killing contests on state trust land.

We have more work to do, though. Legislation needs to eliminate this barbaric practice across the entire state. Once the public really understands how harmful these contests are, I feel it will overwhelmingly support eliminating them.

Across the country, tens of thousands of coyotes are slaughtered annually at taxpayer expense—a practice that is truly senseless, as the killing doesn’t serve any purpose. Coyotes respond to the slaughter Read More

Letter To The Editor: Regarding Gordon’s Concerts

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By JIM BURNS
Los Alamos
 
After 30 years of the Gordon family delivering free concerts to Los Alamos during the summer months, the county has determined to go with another vendor.
 
Whatever the reasoning for the change, I believe it will prove to be a mistake.
 
Putting aside the commitment of the Gordons to keeping the series going through both good times and rough patches, they deserve special credit for something much more.
 
Each year they invested significant time and effort to ensure a diverse lineup of artists who offer substantial musical roots and experiences. This
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