Santa Fe needs better street signs
With all its positive features, is not always easy to live in Santa Fe. One of the most infuriating problems is the lack of clear traffic directions.
You may be driving along and suddenly find that the lane you are in requires you to make a right turn, or a left turn. It is too late to change lanes, so turn you must.
The only warning the driver has is an arrow painted on the street. This is often worn out to the point of invisibility.
Also, the arrows are very hard to see at night and they’re impossible to see when covered by ice and snow, or by a long line of vehicles waiting for the light to change.
It would be so much better if traffic direction signs were hung above the roadway at the intersection, next to the traffic lights. They would be visible to all and at much greater distance.
This is done at a few intersections, but it should be done in dozens of more places. Stephen E. Silver
Santa Fe
Getting the best
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse-Oliver’s embrace of open primaries (“It’s time for open primaries in New Mexico,” My View, Jun 2), is both courageous and important.
We are one of only nine states with fully closed primaries. This outdated process is the main underlying factor in the lack of competition in our state elections — we have one of the highest rates of unopposed state races in the nation.
However, the solution she proposes, allowing minor-party and decline-to-state voters to select a partisan ballot is far from ideal. Doing so would enfranchise those registrants — to an extent. It does not allow them to select both Republican and Democratic candidates for different seats, nor does it allow allow Democrats and Republicans to vote for a candidate who is not a member of their party.
Most importantly, it does nothing to permit viable independent/minor-party candidates to have access to the primary ballot — the best route to introduce more choices in our elections.
Primaries were adopted to make candidate selection a more democratic process by moving those decisions from the back rooms at party conventions to the members of each major party.
The role of the primary should continue to evolve to become a method through which all voters may select the best candidates from the fullest possible field. Jarratt Applewhite
unaligned candidate N.M. House of Representatives Lamy
Missing birds, bees
Let me tell you about the birds and the bees. Two years ago, our honey locust trees were home to swarms of bees and the drone was incredible. Last year, this lessened, and this year, it has decreased to it being barely audible; I see very few bees there. We filled our feeders and waited for the hummingbirds to come. We have seen only one and haven’t seen that one for a few days.
So that is my sad story to tell you about the birds and the bees, and my heart is breaking. Diane Polaco
Santa Fe
Deport Trump
Frankly, I dislike reading or listening to the news since you know who moved into the White House. Recently, however, I did take a short peek at some news items online.
What grabbed my eye was a statement the Immoral Liar in Chief made regarding the NFL players who kneel while the national anthem is being played. He suggested they should be deported. Where the heck does he think they should be deported to?
Recently, I seem to recollect Mr. Mac-Burger-Head sitting on his fat behind, yakking it up with Sean Hannity during a solemn military ceremony, honoring soldiers, veterans and the American flag. Maybe Trump should be deported — back to Germany where he came from. I’m sure they wouldn’t want him, either. Randolph Nason
Santa Fe
Appreciated call
Michelle Lujan Grisham phoned me at noon Saturday to ask about the safety of people in the Ute Park Fire area, including Angel Fire and Eagle Nest, and to offer whatever help her office could provide (“Ute Park Fire growing,” June 2). That is a true government representative, in my humble opinion.
Thank you, Michelle Lujan Grisham, our next good governor of New Mexico. Bill Nevins
Angel Fire