The order of things is a little off
Iam wondering if anyone else noticed recently what appears to be a big miscommunication with city management. The city recently swept and cleaned the streets. Shortly thereafter, medians, sidewalk planters, bike paths and other areas were mowed and trimmed. Both of these services are nice to have, but you would think the departments responsible for each might have coordinated with one another prior to scheduling the work. Now what we have are mowed and trimmed areas that have left the bicycle paths littered with goat heads and other debris. Jim Bordegaray
Santa Fe
Magical earning
As a flaming liberal, I believe in basic market principles. I believe that guaranteeing jobs for millions, as currently suggested by some of my compadres, is vastly too messy an enterprise. Who is going to create the jobs and hire, supervise, discipline and fire new employees? Who will deal with the endless messiness and silliness that any group of people is capable of ? A cadre of bureaucrats? Please, no. It is doomed to failure and self-defeating abuse. A much simpler way to assist people is a much larger earned-income tax credit. Its magic is that people can work a minimum-wage job and have their salaries topped off to a point of a “living wage” ($15 per hour?). A robust earned-income tax credit is unambiguous and a huge incentive to take low-paying jobs. Why go through the huge bureaucratic mess of creating jobs that normally would not exist in the economy? John Scully
Fairview
What a waste
AT&T’s $600,000 payment for insider information? Mmmm … wow. That’s enough to pay an experienced teacher’s salary for over 10 years — with enough left over to provide resources and furnish his or her classroom. John Paull
Santa Fe
Hardworking
State Rep. Carl Trujillo was my representative for five years. I would vote for him again in a minute. He worked hard to help us understand the Aamodt water rights case and to understand the pueblo assertions of trespass, for those of us affected by those recent developments, and I do not believe he was involved in any sexual misconduct. For those in his district, I hope he does not resign. In my experience, Trujillo is a hardworking man of great integrity. Janet Arrowsmith
Corrales
Doing the right thing
Working as a citizen advocate at the Roundhouse not only takes stamina and dedication, it takes courage. Citizen advocates must walk a fine line to build support for a bill and get it passed. One misstep and a year’s worth of organizing and advocacy can go up in smoke.
That’s why Laura Bonar’s decision to expose state Rep. Carl Trujillo’s alleged abuse of power is such an extraordinary act of bravery. There is no benefit for her or her organization to claim sexual misconduct on the part of Trujillo. No matter how this case is resolved, speaking out could be the end of her career as a legislative advocate. Filing a complaint with the ethics committee is about doing the right thing for herself and for every other woman who has been subjected to sexual harassment by a man in power.
Trujillo could take the high road, admit that he acted inappropriately and resign. At the very least, he could refrain from namecalling. But he has chosen to show his true colors as a Trump-like bully. Now it’s up to Trujillo’s colleagues to show some courage and do the right thing. Sheila Lewis
Santa Fe
Following the money
I’m not sure who assists our city leaders in their public relations, but I hope they aren’t getting a pay raise. In yet another stunningly offensive stumble, Mayor Alan Webber is considering a $60 million bond (“Webber backpedals on $60M bond vote,” May 11) on the back of taxpayers while we minions still haven’t received the results of the endless audit into the finances at City Hall.
This is embarrassing and furthers the narrative of disconnect between those who lead and those who pay. I urge the mayor to get his house in order, stick to the basics and resist his urge to social engineer until we have the money to play with. The taxpayer’s money isn’t your money, Mr. Webber. Patrick Walker
Santa Fe
Two of the finest
Incredibly for our state and the country, two of the finest, most straight-talking, hardworking, truthful and intelligent U.S. senators ever to hold office are from New Mexico. Thank you, Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Tom Udall, D-N.M. May one of you run for president. Brad Bealmear
Santa Fe