UP! SPEAK !?!

I WATCHED an interview on “Meet the Press” with Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., who is apparently on Joe Biden’s list for potential running mate. She was very impressive. I was, however, dismayed at her being attacked for having built houses for the poor in Cuba in the 1970s and a condolence letter she wrote to the Cuban people after Castro’s death. ... The Republican Party is totally hypocritical in this regard. They have either defended or looked the other way as Donald Trump has cozied up to every strongman and brutal dictator on the planet. FD

“SPACEX JUST won an epic, highstakes game of capture the flag that Barack Obama started 9 years ago.” Sorry sports fans. That had to have been the worst landing ever witnessed. No security in the landing zone — U.S. spacecraft used to be a national treasure — and it took over an hour to get the astronauts out? No comment on the backwoods rigging to pull the capsule out of the water. JEH

I UNDERSTAND we need to cover what is happening in our Downtown and perhaps an aerial might be useful, but hours on end every Sunday night is an abusive use of helicopters and the ears of everyone living Downtown. TT

SO MLG needs to hire 600 contact tracers. She has a ready workforce in the hundreds and hundreds of non-teaching school employees who have been paid since March to sit at home and do absolutely nothing. LBD

UPON INQUIRY at a video town hall meeting CDC Director Robert Redfield recently opined as follows: “I think it’s worth noting that the CDC never recommended general school closure.” BZ

WHEN THE Post Office itself is saying it can’t reliably handle mail-in voting, that means it’s time for us to put on our big girl jewelry and make a plan for in-person voting now instead of waiting around until it’s too late to do anything to ensure a wholesome election process. AC

AS REPUBLICANS try to rig the election by underfunding the post office, it’s time for Amazon, FedEx and UPS to demonstrate their patriotism by offering to assist in delivering ballots for voting safely “by mail.” MB

THE POSTMASTER general of USPS, Louis DeJoy, is a huge donor to President Trump and the Republican Party, whom the president rewarded with his position despite the fact he has zero post office experience. Since assuming his new position, DeJoy has instituted changes ostensibly to cut expenses but in reality are designed to slow down the mail service before balloting (by) mail becomes an issue in the November election. Cronyism at its worst. EJG

I ... NOW have to commute back and forth on Alameda daily. The causes of congested traffic have more to do with the traffic lights not being synced properly, not the amount of traffic. Some of the north/southbound traffic lights will turn green with no one there needing to go, causing Alameda traffic to back up and take forever to get flowing again. (Bernalillo County) or the city need to look into the lights and alleviate the problem. VET

DR. (DAVID) Scrase, advisor to the governor, says about in-person school, “What actually incurs spread is not the kids going to school but the parents are now free, with kids in school, to go out and about.” So we decide to keep kids at home, denying them the better education experience of classroom, to control adults. On her reasons to close indoor dining the governor says “It’s not the restaurants’ fault.” ... Can we please quit punishing the innocent? SH

ALBUQUERQUE HAS increased parking citations 35%. So where are the citations for all the knuckleheads breaking the face-mask mandate? The city/ state could sure use the money. JJ

CALLING THE organization the New Mexico Civil Guard gives them an air of legitimacy. They are not representatives of the state. You should preface their organizations name with “presumptive” or “so-called.” They are not civil nor a guard — they are a bunch of guys with guns who try to intimidate the citizens of New Mexico. EDB

THESE COOL summer evenings allow us to throw open the windows and enjoy the fresh New Mexico air as we drop off to sleep. But many nights the wailing sounds of drag racing muscle cars and bikes on Albuquerque’s thoroughfares jolt us to sit straight up in bed. We would like cops to take charge, but we know law enforcement is often occupied dealing with more pressing issues . ... SF

SO I am to believe our city government is not concerned with the rampant crime occurring in Albuquerque. Horrible crimes have been committed and it’s just getting worse. The judicial system releases these violent jerks back into our society with absolutely no regard for lawabiding citizens. Wake up people! Sending federal help is a good thing . ... And, this is not a political issue, it’s a literal matter of life and death. CFM

IF QUALIFIED immunity for public servants is ended, does that mean businesspeople will be able to sue the governor personally for all the ... decisions that have bankrupted so many? Can parents sue members of the PED or APS for not providing an adequate education to their kids? Can we sue individual elected members of state government over the last 50 years for decisions that have kept N.M. last in so many categories? GMJ

WHAT A shame Obama turned John Lewis’ funeral into a Democrat campaign speech. How sad. JMW

N.M. OPEN? I don’t think so. As long as the patriots are out making their political statements by not wearing masks or following social distancing, my shopping and lifestyle habits of March and April will continue. DL