Some questions to consider on Richards Avenue extension

My concerns regarding the future construction extending Richards Avenue across the Arroyo de los Chamisos, Plan B, are as follows:

◆ I don’t see any mention in the engineering report that addresses the loss of property value with a projected traffic flow of 2,000 trips a day past my front door. This has a whiff of eminent domain.

Clarification 1: What is the current thinking regarding how the city of Santa Fe intends to compensate the impacted homeowners to be made whole for the loss of property value?

◆ There is no mention of noise measurements and noise abatement steps proposed to mitigate the increased noise generated by a mini freeway in my front yard.

Clarification 2: What is the proposal or plan to address this issue?

◆ Exiting my residence with a projected peak traffic volume in rush hours estimated at 800 trips in the morning and 900 trips in the evening is problematic at best.

Clarification 3: There is no mention of Richards Avenue access by impacted homeowners in this report or a plan or proposal to ameliorate this issue.

John Marks and Nevanne Merrill Santa Fe

Release prisoners

I am urging the governor, the secretary of the Corrections Department and all people of good faith to support the immediate release of nonviolent, COVID-19-negative prisoners and to humanely quarantine those who test positive but do not develop the illness. We must protect nonviolent offenders, the guards, their families and their communities from illness and possible fatal illness during this pandemic. Please contact the governor, the secretary and your state representative to urge their help in protecting these people.

Janet Arrowsmith Corrales

Instead of shutdown

Our governor, instead of shutting down New Mexico and destroying our fragile economy, could have issued two executive orders.

First: Hospitals and other health care facilities are to place patients older than 60 in isolation wards and have medical staff treat them like they have the plague to ensure they are isolated from the virus. Second: Require those over 60 years of age self-quarantine. Lastly, she could stop hiding the vapor trail of those infected. If we knew where these infected people traveled, we could self-quarantine, because we would know if we crossed their paths.

Standing up

Edward Brown Santa Fe

As has been reflected in the media during the 2020 legislative session, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission took a beating. Fortunately for the commission, three commissioners stood up for the well-being and benefit of the PRC and its staff. It should come as no surprise to anyone that one of those commissioners is Valerie Espinoza. The veteran commissioner has spent her professional and political life advocating for the rights of the everyday working people of New Mexico, especially the people of Northern New Mexico. This session,

Espinoza was at the forefront fighting for the PRC and against the dismantling of the PRC by the Legislature. She has spent much of her time at the PRC taking on both large and small utility companies to guarantee that ratepayers received fair and equitable rates and that the most vulnerable citizens were provided assistance.

The state of New Mexico has been blessed to have Espinoza working for its citizens. Now that her term is coming to an end, the citizens of New Mexico will lose the privilege of having Espinoza fighting for them.

Dennis Segura Santa Fe

Reform leasing rules

I was alarmed to learn that New Mexicans have missed out on an extra $2.5 billion for our state over the past decade because of outdated federal oil and gas leasing policies. Luckily, there is a solution that could increase funding for our state’s education, social services, parks and infrastructure. By raising oil and gas royalty rates on federal lands from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent, the annual rental rate from $1.50 per acre to up to $5 and the minimum bid from $2 per acre to $10, New Mexicans would get additional revenue to invest in our kids and communities.

New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, recently proposed bipartisan legislation that would update federal oil and gas leasing policies — which have not been touched in a century. By raising these rates, our state will get new revenue to ensure all New Mexicans have a better quality of life.

Harry Eberts Santa Fe