Botanical garden was good for wetland preserve

Thank you! The Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve will now be managed and maintained by its owner, Las Golindrinas. The Santa Fe Botanical Garden leased and managed the Preserve for the past 28 years. These 28 years saw the creation — in cooperation with Piñon Elementary School and Partners in Education — of a program that introduced elementary school children and their teachers to the wonders of nature through hands-on experiences.

Dipping a bucket into the pond and then seeing (and identifying) the little “squiggly things” with a microscope was an unforgettable experience in “doing science.” In subsequent years, this program has morphed into an exemplary citizen science program. The botanical garden established trails, planted native species, eradicated Russian olive trees, dredged the pond, initiated a searchable plant data base, gave site tours, and early morning birding expeditions. Our community is richer because of the garden’s years in managing the preserve.

Kay Burdette Santa Fe

The loans are strangling us

Legislators need to address this once and for all, and do it promptly. They have tried for 36 percent, with no approval. Arkansas did pass laws limiting it to something in the teens, which is much more realistic. A program should be started for people to sign on to saying we will not vote for any legislator, regardless of party, that votes against, restricts, blocks or otherwise prevents such legislation from happening in New Mexico. This is a must change to our laws. Any company that will not comply needs to do business elsewhere.

Let’s make this happen now.

Ron Lattner Santa Fe

Too many guns

With live guns around a Santa Fe movie set, with guns around so many homes in America, how easy it seems for accidents and lethal violence to escalate because a weapon is nearby.

Shootings over parking spots, verbal arguments, loud parties, murders over a haircut … the shooting death of a small child, especially in the home of a policeman, is even more horrific. According to The New Mexican, aside from the officer’s assigned weapon, “two AR-15 rifles, two Glock handguns, a holster, a magazine, numerous rounds of 9 mm ammunition” were found in the house.

The family has received much help from GoFundMe to cover funeral fees … while more than $3,000 worth of guns and ammo sits in their house. Does this make sense? Should they not sell off their excess weaponry to defray the cost of burying their child killed by one of these guns? To eliminate any chance of another tragedy waiting to happen?

Georgia Jones-Davis Santa Fe

These loans have value

A recent column (Milan Simonich, “Leadership lacking in ending 175 percent interest rate,” Dec. 13) on additional interest rate restrictions on consumer loans intentionally fails to mention that such caps would eliminate many New Mexicans’ access to transparent, regulated credit.

New Mexicans in need of loans to bridge gaps in their finances sometimes turn to installment loans from licensed lenders like my company. Nearly every aspect of these loans is regulated by the state, including maximum principal, term, fees and interest. Our customers compare the costs and consequences of their options and find installment loans to be the best solution for their situation and are overwhelmingly satisfied with our service.

Under a 36 percent interest rate cap, New Mexico consumers would lose one of the last remaining, broadly available credit options, as licensed lenders would close, unable to cover basic operating expenses including employee wages, as seen in other states. New Mexicans’ credit needs won’t go away, but their regulated options will.

Krystal Santillanes Albuquerque