Jeremiah Valencia could have been helped
This is in response to an editorial about Jeremiah Valencia (“The boy who had no one,” Our View, Feb. 2). He was my student in a resource room at Nava Elementary School when he was living with his grandparents. I feel your editorial made some important points about responsibility. I feel, however, there are other points to add. If the schools were better staffed with counselors, it could have helped Jeremiah. In addition, if the schools had more options for mental health services for children in need, that could have helped Jeremiah. Also, I had Jeremiah around the time that the available outside mental health services were under attack at the state level. A more responsible handling of the state’s concerns could have avoided trashing those services. That might have helped Jeremiah and his grandparents.
Jeremiah was worth expending time, energy and resources to help. But it didn’t happen due to multiple failures. I went to his candlelight vigil and to his funeral. The only thing that made me glad was giving his disconsolate grandmother a hug. Georgia Roybal
Santa Fe
Let’s go, Alan
In the 1980s, American Express hired me to tour the country with Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas to lead discussions about issues for American women. Back then, we really didn’t see men as allies. Today, here in Santa Fe, I feel blessed to call Alan Webber both an ally and an advocate.
Alan is the only candidate that has been a CEO, is the most qualified to lead the city and the only person not to have been part of the problem at City Hall. Let’s not forget that the other four candidates have all been city officials in one way or another.
The most important skill for a mayor to have is managerial — both the big picture and vision of the city as well as the day-today operations. Alan is by far the best and most experienced manager. He has actually taught management at UCLA’s extension school. Let’s go, Alan. Kim Perry
Santa Fe
Ives exercises care
Peter Ives should be everybody’s candidate for mayor. Having been on City Council since 2012, he repeatedly has demonstrated that he can deal with tough issues and still retain the respect of fellow council members through his openness, fairness and willingness to hammer out the best deal for everyone. He was appointed mayor rro tem by Mayor Javier Gonzales for those reasons and for his legal training, experience and his ability to meet the challenges we have in Santa Fe with its convoluted tax structure, lack of economic diversity, aging infrastructure and water issues. He has exercised care in dealing with growth, and embraced the view that a sustainable Santa Fe can only be achieved by reaching out to our diverse community with a dialogue that shows respect for the culture and traditions that make Santa Fe a city that we can all enjoy and live in without fear of unbridled commercialization of its unique character. Andres C. Salazar
Santa Fe
RCV for wimps
Although I’m loath to admit it, I agree with Milan Simonich in his column (“Vote for the best; skip all the rest,” Jan. 12). Years ago, when all city councilors were elected at large, the term “bullet-voting” was used to describe voting for only one candidate rather than the up to four for whom you were allowed to vote.
After attending several candidate forums, I’m voting for Carol Romero-Wirth, not because of what she said, but because of what she didn’t say. All the other candidates blabbed on until their time was up. She said what she had to say and yielded the rest of her time. It was very refreshing. Again, don’t make me vote for someone I don’t like. Ranked-choice voting is for wimps. Donado Coviello
Santa Fe
Webber a kick-starter
I have actively participated in many local, state and national election campaigns. In the decades I have lived here, I’ve never before observed the interest and participation now occurring in our mayoral campaign. It is thrilling and hopeful.
The new ranked-choice system of selecting a strong mayor is the most important decision made in more than a century, since we branded ourselves the City Different and actively turned the city into a tourist attraction. Now, with Santa Fe possessing a highly treasured architectural character; being a respected place as an arts and music center; and having an expanding role in film, research, and technology, the new qualifications for mayor are precisely what we need to expand and enhance our quality of life.
Given the objectives of our city charter, it is abundantly clear that Alan Webber is the only truly qualified candidate to kickstart the new position by serving as our first executive mayor. Laban Wingert
Santa Fe
Noble knows what works
Experience matters. Kate Noble has deep local roots and spent nine years working within city government, and her Santa Fe experience matters.
Alan Webber’s supporters all tout Webber’s experience. It’s true — he has lots of experience. What Mr. Webber does not have is real experience inside Santa Fe city government. No amount of other experience can make up for that lack of local experience.
We need a mayor who understands Santa Fe — not Portland, Ore.; not Massachusetts; not Washington, D.C. We need a mayor who’s worked in the trenches, who knows all 18 of our city departments, knows our city budget and knows housing and economic development here.
Noble worked 40 hours to 60 hours a week at the city for nine years. We need Kate Noble, a woman with local experience, ready to lead from day one, because she knows what works and what doesn’t work here in Santa Fe. Larry Clendenin
Santa Fe