1 week Ago
We just returned from a five-day visit to Durango, Colo. I would like to report on some amazing observations. The cars stopped for red lights, for stop signs and people in crosswalks.
Not once in a while but almost always, as far as I could tell, and we walked around a lot. I even saw a car stop for a person jaywalking in the street, and the person in the car did not hit the horn, yell or gun the engine — just waited patiently. In addition, I saw almost no homeless people, no racing cars with loud mufflers and heard no loud noise in the night.
In fact, it was a safe, peaceful place. My question is this: Do you think we could get the mayor of Durango and staffers to come to Santa Fe and provide guidance to our city government on how to actually run a city for the benefit of the residents? James Pierce Santa Fe I recently attended an event hosted by Leslie and Kurt Kitzinger on Aug. 24 at the Bishop’s Lodge.
The occasion was a generous gift to the clients and staff of St. Elizabeth Shelter. It was heartwarming to see a blend of invited guests and personal acquaintances of the Kitzingers come together in such a supportive environment.
Although there was some anxiety around mentioning homelessness, it was rarely, if at all, discussed. Despite this, the atmosphere remained incredibly kind and welcoming. This experience underscored the need for more compassionate discussions around homelessness and inspired me to reflect on how public perceptions can evolve.
Howard Thompson Santa Fe As a native Texan, I’ve followed Texas politics very, very closely, especially the activities of zealot Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell and his Sanctuary Cities sidekick, Mark Lee Dickson, during their foray into New Mexico. This move was laying groundwork for a national abortion ban based on 1870s Comstock Law. Mitchell has bragged that he will ram the ban through without Congress if Trump is elected.
Mitchell partnered with Albuquerque pro life attorney Michael Seibel to defy New Mexico law and to recruit Edgewood and other New Mexico municipal governments to violate their oaths of office. There are few occasions in recent history where the importance of good investigative journalism has been more critical in an upcoming election. New Mexicans need to know — in depth — who the real governor of Texas is, and that his Christian nationalist, tax-exempt, dark money is flowing into New Mexico.
I discovered that Paul Gessing’s Albuquerque-based Rio Grande Foundation is a “sister foundation” to Tim Dunn’s Texas Public Policy Foundation. Gessing’s foundation has sued the New Mexico secretary of state to keep donors private. New Mexico newspapers are obligated to step up to this plate and connect the dots.
Start with Russel Gold’s March 2024 Texas Monthly article “The billionaire bully who wants to turn Texas into a Christian theocracy,” a piece about Dunn. Then follow the 501© money. Elaine Harrington Santa Fe America is a contradiction, a society tarnished by centuries of hypocrisy.
On one hand, our anthem sings of the land of the free. Our pledge professes liberty and justice for all. But we all know that is only a partial truth.
Despite 246 years of progress, America remains deeply imperfect. Sometimes, events seem to conspire. Suddenly, we find ourselves amid a presidential contest pitting an old, corrupt, bigoted white man against a steely, idealistic Black woman.
Fortunes of money have flooded into the campaigns. The electorate seems to be on high alert, recognizing that America stands between the thresholds of two starkly different futures. Somehow, it feels as if America has needed this political contest, wanted this contest, earned this contest, deserves this political contest.
It feels like America has an issue to settle, once and for all. Indeed, it feels like America is destined to have this very presidential contest. So, which are we, America? Are we an egalitarian, ethnically blind society in which each citizen shares in prosperity, or are we be an elitist oligarchy that functions to exploit the populace? In what appears to be an obvious choice for the average, middle-class American, the most surprising fact of all is that this race continues to be too close to call.
Gordon Woods Santa Fe What sustains us The Soldiers’ Monument has become enshrined in the minds of some Santa Feans as the only way to preserve our cultural history on the Plaza. What has been missing in the discussion on what to do about the toppled obelisk is the recognition that there are alternatives to the monument that also pay tribute to Santa Fe’s cultural heritage without being contentious. An excellent proposal is paying tribute to the essential Three Sisters of the Southwest: Corn, beans and squash, the food that has sustained the people of the New World since it was first inhabited.
As a centerpiece of a fountain, the Three Sisters monument would also recognize water as essential for growing food and nourishing us. It would be a celebration of life and encourage us to reflect on what we all have in common. LC Shank Santa Fe.
