Saturday, September 25, 2004

Letters to the editor

Tripp responds

Editor:

Although I do not usually respond to political attacks, I feel that you, the people need to know the facts concerning issues raised by Mr. Raymond's letter to the editor (El Defensor Chieftain, Sept. 18).

First and foremost, people should understand that credit for how well Tech is doing in their funding from the New Mexico Legislature and the U.S. Congress needs to go to all the people at Tech. They do an excellent job of educating our youth and they do an excellent job promoting our great school. Tech is very well respected around the state and the nation.

The Capital Outlay funding process for universities and community colleges is actually determined by an objective process of the Commission on Higher Education. The CHE evaluates building projects and renovation needs submitted to them by all the state universities. In turn, the Legislative Finance Committee drafts one master bill.

Typically, this bill is sponsored by the Speaker of the House and co-sponsored by most of the legislative body. In my six years in the Legislature, Tech is always at the top of the list because it is a great school. I not only say this as a proud alumnus, but as an admirer of the great work it does. Tech's people are always very well organized in their presentations to the Legislature and, as I said previously, credit for the top funding that it receives belongs to the people at Tech. The administration does a great job and I always vote for and support Tech in every way I can. I'm not going to claim political credit for Tech's success, it belongs to all the people at Tech.

In response to the rating that the "New Mexico Public Interest Research Group" handed out, I would just like to say that one of the main issues they have attacked me on is fighting for our domestic water well rights. My stand is very simple: I will not support the State Engineer denying a person the right to have a drinking well on their property. Doing so would render the said property worthless and cannot and should not be allowed. So, if fighting for freedom and personal rights gets me attacked, I would just say that I believe that makes me an advocate for freedom, not an "obstructionist."

As for the third attack, HB666 does nothing to help control Medicaid prescription costs. In truth, it just grows government by funding a study requiring a huge amount of data to be collected. In the words of the Legislative Finance Committee review, "HB666 would require the HSD to receive an immense amount of data. The purpose of HB666 is unclear and the directives to HSD are difficult to determine." My reason for voting against it is simple, it was just a bill to grow big government and, as with all bills, the devil is in the details.

The fourth attack made by Mr. Raymond concerned SB449, which includes "prohibits abusive ... lending." In reality, what this bill does is make it a law that loan applicants must submit to "counseling" by HUD or MFA "certified counselors." Imagine if you are a home buyer and you are told you "must attend mandatory counseling in order to get your loan." We already have plenty of federal and state buyer protection laws. This one just created more red tape by requiring more paperwork and it did not even provide funding for the extra bureaucracy. Unfunded mandates are a sure formula for problems. Of course, I voted against it.

Attack No. 5, SB573, actually looked good until it was amended to exempt politicians from the don't call list. Then it looked like a bill to give exclusive pestering rights to politicians — are any of you tired of the political phone calls you already get? As mentioned in the bill itself, we already had the Federal FTC no-call in place and this bill was to water down the federal requirements.

Copies of all of these bills are available at my office and I invite anyone concerned about these and other issues to come by and discuss them with me personally. As the misleading attacks continue throughout this race, I will be glad to provide copies of the actual bills so people can see the truth for themselves. I realize that this is a rather lengthy explanation, but it often takes more space to get things straight than it does to bend them. Thank you for your time in reading this and thank you for the honor of serving as your State Representative

Rep. Don Tripp

District 49

Socorro

Voting is a right

Editor:

It is a sad day when some people attempt to keep other people from voting. But this is exactly what happened in Socorro last week, and what has been happening in other New Mexico counties during the past month.

Our County Clerk, Audrey Jaramillo, is highly respected and follows the law carefully. There was no basis for the lawsuit brought against her last Thursday. The suit was brought by Republican backers who want newly registered voters to show ID when they vote. The backers claim this is required by the law, but New Mexico has no such law. The actions being taken are not about the law, nor are they about fraud. Instead, they are a blatant attempt to keep some people from voting.

The backers filed the suit quietly in an attempt to slip through a favorable judicial ruling without attracting public attention. When faced with opposition, the lawyer with the Albuquerque firm that filed the suit asked to have it dismissed. The motion to dismiss was made in the guise of "judicial economy," since the New Mexico Supreme Court will be hearing the case next week. But the law firm knew very well when they filed the lawsuit that the Supreme Court would be hearing the case. They backed down because they realized the suit would not hold up in court against the defense and the interveners.

New Mexico has 112,000 newly registered voters, and the Republicans are afraid of how most of these people will be voting. Instead of trying to win the hearts and minds of the new voters on the basis of issues, the backers are making a last-minute attempt to keep them from voting. If a voter does not have one of the specific types of ID, or if the name and address on the ID do not exactly match the person's registration card, the person would be challenged by partisan poll watchers when they go to vote.

Such a requirement would take us back to the days before the Voting Rights Act of the 1960s, when Blacks and minorities in the South were routinely denied the right to vote by Jim Crow laws that applied only to them and not to other voters. In the 2000 presidential election, thousands of legal voters in Florida were denied the right to vote when their names were unlawfully removed from voting lists across the state.

A person should not be required to have a bank account, driver's license or a job in order to vote. Being able to vote is a basic right of all citizens and should be embraced by all parties. The current attempt to restrict the right to vote is shameful and outrageous.

Paul and Kay Krehbiel

Sonja Mendoza

Valerie Moore

Charles and Wilma Moore

Amy Patterson

All from Socorro

Thanks from BLM

Editor:

I want to thank you for the front-page coverage of our very successful National Public Lands Day event, sponsored by the Socorro Field Office Bureau of Land Management. Please allow me the opportunity to thank a few other participants who were significant in the reflection of community support for El Camino Real International Heritage Center.

In addition to volunteers from BLM, and from communities throughout the state, Mayor Ravi Bhasker and Rep. Don Tripp were present, cheering on the troop of volunteers and thanking them for their participation in the generation of a living resource. We had enthusiastic community sponsors making in-kind donations: Ace Hardware, Martha's Black Dog, and Rio Grande Cacti of Socorro, the Santa Fe Diner at I-25 Exit 115, IGA Food Basket and the Sierra Grande Lodge of Truth or Consequences. This type of support goes a long way to enhance our volunteers' experience. What makes this event different from many other NPLD projects is that the students in Socorro and T or C are all now involved in a year long education project with the heritage center. After laying out the framework for the gardens on Saturday, they are researching the history and uses of the identified plants, composing the key information to be used for interpretive brochures for the gardens, growing the plants in greenhouses, and transplanting them out at the center in the spring.

We would like to recognize and thank teachers Theresa Apodaca, Steve Glines and Kevin Taylor for their innovative teaching methods which engage family and communities in the education process and address the New Mexico Public Education Department Standards and Benchmarks for history, science and English.

Though our heritage center will be complete with exhibitions and open daily to the public in November 2005, please come tour the facility, view the evolving gardens and share in the community dream by appointment. You can reach Director Joy Poole at (505) 310-0105 and my number is (505) 838-6321. Hope to hear from you! Thanks again for your ongoing support.

Marcia deChadenèdes

Associate Director

El Camino Real International Heritage Center

Laney case implications

Editor:

I thank those that supported the Laney issues, whose outcome will affect many other constituents of New Mexico. My parents lost their home of more than 50 years in a Washington State Court. My parents' home was removed (abated) in June, and the land is now the property of the city. Their case was civil, and so was without the rights afforded to the criminally indigent, as I assume is the case with the Laneys. The Laney case will affect poor constituents everywhere in the United States and I can only hope that our federal government will review: "How many more will lose their homes and property before we can all learn what our Constitution means?"

I had wanted to believe that my parents' story could not be repeated elsewhere. I know from watching the news and following this case that the issues are the same here in New Mexico. Perhaps even more so, given the number of our constituents living below the poverty level, which is what denied my parents due process or justice.

It seems that every week we hear another story in our news of property or a home being condemned because someone, the city or business group has another plan. What are the statistics of how many of these homeowners who could not afford the representation to ensure their rights? How many of the cases are never heard or, once they are reported, are never mentioned again — unless, the landowner has the financial means to fight for his or her rights, and it (the case) is appealed, so as to be of interest in the news again? Pray that our politicians, judges and government officials will work to achieve both reforms in the courts and for justice to truly be the right of all Americans. I think that I am one of many that "just want our leaders and officials to be truthful." Our justice system should not be allowed to be compromised by half-truths, omissions, deceptions and misrepresentation by the very people we count on to represent our rights.

"I sadly believe the Laney's real hope will be in the court of public opinion (newspapers) and not in our judicial courts." We can all hope that if enough people know the truth, then the "truth will prevail." I do know that Washington state has two fewer lawyers representing their indigent constituents and for that we can thank the power of the press. I will pray that justice will prevail for the Laneys. Please vote and insist that integrity will again be the most enviable of all traits for those individuals representing all Americans. Bless all and vote to protect the freedom our soldiers fight hard and die for.

Coral Adolphsen

Elephant Butte

Writer is misinformed

Editor:

As a veteran of World War II, I find Mr. Floyd Hewitt's letter, "Sacrifice is necessary" (El Defensor Chieftain, Sept. 15), well intentioned. However, he is misinformed on the real purpose for the sacrifice initiated by the Bush administration in Iraq.

Mr. Hewitt's comments that John Kerry prefers "globalization to the sovereignty of the U.S. He would give command of the U.S. military to the U.N." is naïve, or propaganda put out by the "Right Wing Fundamentalists."

I agree the war on terrorism is grown and expanding. My biggest fear is not al-Qaida or insurgents crossing our borders, it is the rising dissatisfaction of our populace, who is beginning to uncover the latent corruption at the lowest to the highest levels of our government. Elected officials in bed with corrupted interest groups and greedy corporations continue to grow. This could very well be the impetus for the expansion of U.S. "Home-grown Terrorism."

R. Rivera

Socorro

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