SPEAKUP! !?!

Speak Up Rules

If you want to gripe, grouse, whine or bellyache about a generic topic, submit your message at www.abqjournal.com/letters/speakup. The same goes if you want to dish out praise or thanks. Either way, you have to do it in around 50 words. Keep it clean. No cursing, please. We don’t need your name, just initials. And it’s cheaper than therapy.

THANKS TO former Mayor Berry for the foresight in having video cameras and 911 call buttons incorporated in the design and plans for the ART buses and the kiosk stations. Hopefully, APD will effectively monitor these resources, so we have a very safe and stateof-the-art means of public transportation. LCSB

WEATHER FORECAST for Donald Trump: “Stormy,” low relative humiLity. DBS

PRESIDENT TRUMP today called the United States response to Hurricane Maria “an unsung success.” Mr. Trump, we lost 3,000 U.S. citizens in the aftermath of Maria. That is not a success; rather, it was an “unsung disaster.” PW

WHY ARE we discussing a new visitors center, considering a library in the old Caravan location, and then we have ART. We’re throwing money at “things” to make Albuquerque more attractive to visitors coming through our city. That might be OK if we weren’t struggling to help the homeless, hire more police officers, hire qualified teachers and get tough on crime. What about the people who live here? Give the citizens of Albuquerque something to brag about. Bragging about our beautiful landscape is just not enough anymore. Last, but not least, stop taxing Medicare. We’ve already been taxed on that money; it’s ours. DB YIKES! I actually saw a child in a school crossing zone! TT

RE: SUBMITTAL from BM about rheumatology appointments taking months for a first appointment. Two years ago when I called during the first week of September, I was given an appointment the next March. Subsequently, Presbyterian hired more rheumatologists. Why does Trump want to privatize the VA? For all of its inadequacies, it provides veterans the care they need, e.g., PTSD, amputee and traumatic brain injury care. The doctors spend as much time as NECESSARY on their patients, as it is not money-driven. The former secretary of the Veterans Administration fought Trump on the privatization issue and was fired. Go figure? CL

WITH NINE out of 10 news articles on the president cast in the negative, is it any wonder the poll numbers are what they are? The electorate of this state are like lemmings. GMJ

DO YOU want a judge who is satisfied with half the truth in deciding a case? Me neither, but that’s what the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are insisting on. Let’s see all the facts and witnesses before giving (nominee Brett) Kavanaugh a 30-year term on the Supreme Court. RA

THANK YOU Jeffrey Holland for your op-ed Sept. 19. You summed up what most people fear about the tiny home village, that being we have zero faith in the county to run it, it’s going to be a boon to contractors to build, well-connected bureaucrats/commissioners to hire more cousins and friends and in the end no real tangible results for the homeless. BC

REGARDING THE Journal poll on the opposition of a border wall, the results showing most New Mexicans do not want a wall. This proves my theory that most New Mexicans are willing to put up with the worst crime in our country just to ensure they have an unlimited flow of drugs. It goes hand in hand with them not approving our president. Who needs a good job, higher wages, cheaper health care and less regulation if your only goal in life is to get stoned. RDH FROM LEGALIZED euthanasia on request it is but a step to the slippery slope where government/doctors try to convince elderly or very ill patients how much better off they would be taking that option and reducing the cost of their care. Or greedy relatives “remembering” how 96-yearold incapacitated gramma always said she would prefer that option rather than “linger and be a burden.” Don’t think so? It’s already true in Finland. You ask that we just let you choose, but the implications are much larger. JG

TYPICAL N.M. poll regarding voters opposing a wall even though the majority view border security a serious problem. Once again, we’ve got a problem but let’s not fix it. Kind of like the welfare system, the judicial system, etc. but continue to remain on the list of worst places to live and wonder why. Got it. CLH

HAS ANYONE else noticed that PNM raises the rates by moving the due date of payments by a day a month? This has been going on for at least two years. Just asking. RW

HERE WE go again. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Arthur Perrault spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete center for pedophile priests in Jemez Springs in 1966. He was then assigned to Queen of Heaven, Annunciation and St.Pius High School. Are the people running the Catholic Archdiocese in Santa Fe nuts? It is now 2018 and the changes in the Catholic Church worldwide are nothing but lip service. No one is listening and people are leaving the church in droves and now the swamp needs to be cleaned!... DS

IT WILL be interesting to see how our two U.S. senators vote (on putting) Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court. Will they vote in lockstep with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the rest of the “swamp” as they usually do or will they grow a couple of backbones and do what is right? Don’t ruin a man’s family and his life. These late charges against a man, more than eminently qualified, to be a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States are so “politically intended” it is pathetic . ... JD

WOMEN HAVE fought for decades for equal treatment, yet when an allegation of sexual misconduct is made, we’re told that a female accuser shouldn’t be required to present corroboration in support of the accusation. We’re told that a woman should just be believed. Equal treatment? JB

MONEY SLICED its 2018 Best Colleges list geographically to highlight the top-ranking college in every U.S. state. There are two exceptions: Alaska and New Mexico, neither of which have colleges that made it past MONEY’s initial quality screens to be included in the list of 727 colleges. How embarrassing. LS

WE LIVE in an amazing era. If Kavanaugh gets voted onto the Supreme Court, we’ll have two justices plus the current president accused of sexual improprieties. What a country! LWG

ON FRIDAY the Journal published three guest columns totaling 1,826 words addressing education. One word was noticeably missing: parent. AS

THE ARROGANCE of David Peercy — re: APS IPRA exemptions — seems to feel that as a board member he should be shielded from accountability. I hope the voters of his APS district show him in his next election what accountability looks like. BC

NOT REMOTELY amused that the Journal gave a “red card” to Michelle Lujan Grisham for supporting the UNM soccer team. Hey Journal, you missed her Republican opponent, Steve Pearce, doing the exact same thing. Support for UNM soccer is a bipartisan issue in this state. Maybe the regents and this paper should ask themselves why that is. MG

MAYBE THE Democrats could offer up Bill Clinton in place of Judge Kavanaugh for the spot on the Supreme Court since they believe Clinton was unfairly accused. The number of accusers both real and imaginary would assure that this Circus Maximus continues until at least the next presidential election. Or we could cut to the chase and begin the real civil war between liberals and conservatives so the rest of us could take our country back from the extremists on both sides. JJG

IN REGARD to the Kavanaugh appointment to the SCOTUS. How many of you scarlet-letter purists are going to come forward about your school years? Better yet —how many of you in Congress will submit to these scarlet-letter accusations? How many of you diddled when you were in high school or college? Most, I’ll bet. And in those days, if it was not approved of, you got slapped and sent on your way. Get over it. JEH

THE TRIBAL take in New Mexico from casino slot machines in fiscal 2018 was $756 million (Albuquerque Journal Sept. 20). Yet I continue to see substandard living conditions for the Native Americans and so many on Medicaid. Where is all that money going?! LS

AS THE Journal polls show, New Mexico is a Democratic state. We rank 48th in U.S. News reports of all the states. Maybe, just maybe, we need a change. TDK

A SPEAKER in a recent Michelle Lujan Grisham television ad ends by stating, “Michelle’s a godsend.” Hard to believe her campaign allowed that obvious typo. What it should say is “Michelle’s a godspend.” Perusing her campaign site, these are her words and ideas for improving our state: Invest more, more money, boost funding, hire more, fully fund, pay personnel more, raise salaries, provide funding, provide resources. When you vote, remember that our state is at the bottom of numerous lists due to a Democratic-controlled Legislature. Being a god-spend is not the answer. LBD

THE INTENTIONAL holding and blatant leaking of the sexual assault allegations by Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., and senior senatorial Democratic leaders is completely void of any credible ethics. It is of reprehensible political nature, damages the reputations of both parties, the process, and eliminates the trust of the American people. They should be removed from their positions immediately. SB

SHAME ON the “Marine Mom”/Blue Jeep that flipped off this old patriot at 7:15 a.m. last Monday because you couldn’t wait 15 seconds for my left turn. You are an embarrassment to the Corps and your children. RG

RE: DEBATE between U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham. It is interesting that Lujan Grishman does not even know what fracking entails, despite opposing it at every opportunity. Glad to see that Pearce could educate her! DW

CYFD WILL never be fixed. It’s an outdated institution that should be abolished. If we want to help kids, then get services into the home, but don’t traumatize families by separating them based on the word of incompetent hacks who penalize people who don’t look or act like them. EM

UNM IS experiencing budget woes and blames decreases in student enrollment. Perhaps the students are disgusted by left-wing professors promoting #resist ideals as the sign in a west side window of the CERIA shows. Get politics out of all classrooms. CW

AN ACTOR, I’ll call her J.F., told a late night talk show host “I will go to my grave regretting,” referring to a photo of her manning an anti-aircraft gun, adding the photo should not have been taken. She visited a communist state to protest — marching here was not good enough for her — where she knew she was being photographed. Regret the photo, yes, apologize to U.S. military members or families of those who died there, no. Just another spoiled, rich narcissist. MBB

WOW, IF (U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan) Grisham is governor, we’ll be back to the days of (Bill) Richardson: taxes up, money spent carelessly, the whole bit. Legalize marijuana, more homeless from other states. Why do New Mexicans dig a big hole and stay in it!? Time to change the Legislature in Santa Fe, too! (Gov. Susana) Martinez was great! CP