Kudos to tough questions

Editor:

Kudos to the three citizens, Kathleen Parker, Lonnie Clayton and Bob Harpley, whose letters appeared in the March 22 issue of The Observer. Several weeks ago, Mayor Swisstack spoke before the Enchanted Hills Homeowners’ Association. My wife Marilyn was asked to attend as a speaker. She had some pertinent questions on why we should spend money for Paseo del Vulcan, which will slice through Enchanted Hills. It will not connect any trucking to Interstate 25 and only dump traffic onto US 550. As far as we know, it will not pass through Santa Ana reservation as supposedly planned.

Mr. Swisstack didn’t seem prepared for the questions asked by Marilyn and the members of the audience. He kept deferring to one of the city managers in attendance. An apologist for Mr. Swisstack said he didn’t know there was another speaker.

Sorry, Mr. Mayor, that doesn’t excuse you from knowledge of the issue.

And as others have asked, where were you residents of Enchanted Hills? If you had kept yourselves informed, the bond issue would have to have been revised.

Fred Salzman

Rio Rancho

Evaluations seem to be off

Editor:

As required by law, I just got my property tax valuation from Sandoval County and I guess we taxpayers need to make inquiries whether Sandoval County or other officials ever watch a newscast. Indications are not encouraging.

With the economy in shambles, one in 32 houses in Rio Rancho in foreclosure and homebuilders pulling out of the metro area and real estate prices softening all over the metro market, Sandoval County nonetheless ups the property valuation as though the market was still booming and real estate prices still inflating, rather than deflating.

In fact, my valuation went up at the very same rate it did in each of the previous few years, when a Realtor recently told me really good properties are “sort of holding their own and the rest are falling in price.”

While Rio Rancho voters made it clear in the last election that most of them don’t care enough to vote, I wonder how many of them will protest a rising valuation in either Bernalillo or Sandoval County if they understand that means more money out of their pockets for taxes.

Kathleene Parker

Rio Rancho

Author article refreshing

Editor:

I must compliment you on the article in your paper concerning the book by Jon Hovis, “The Feather Gang” written by Gary Herron. The article was very well written, informative and made me want to go out and buy the book immediately.

I, too, have lived in Rio Rancho since 1980 and I, too, have had a couple of books published. I, too, got in touch with The Observer and they wrote an article. The article concerning my book and the information about me was not well written at all and did nothing to make people want to buy the book. My books, “Children of the Great Depression Era” and “Life’s Continuous Journey,” both by by Bobbi E. Simmons. Both are in the major bookstores, or if out of stock, they will order.

Evelyn Simmons

Rio Rancho

Problems with SAD 7A

Editor:

We are writing to express our concern as homeowners within the SAD 7A proposed plan. The SAD proposal, as originally intended, was meant to address flooding issues that impacted portions of Rio Rancho in 2006. It has now become a building developer’s loophole where the homeowner will pay for most of the infrastructure. These “improvements” for 26th Street SE, according to Wilson & Co., will cost $23,000 per homeowner which includes paving, water, sewer and storm drainage.

A little background: 26th Street SE is a level dirt road that poses no drainage concerns. We have lived on this street since 1996 and have seen many a rain — none of which caused any flooding issues, so storm drainage and paving is not needed. This dead-end street abuts MLK Elementary; the dirt road is our only saving grace to reduce speeding and to keep our children safe. All six homeowners are on private wells and septic tanks. We have spent about $16,000 in 1996; our neighbors have spent more. Water quality is excellent, septic systems are on ½-acre lots and pose no threat environmentally.

It makes no sense to burden homeowners with pseudo-improvements that truly serve no real purpose other than that of a developer who owns a number of lots on the street. This special assessment provides a huge financial burden off of him and puts it on the backs of the hard-working residents of this street.

We request that 26th Street SE be removed from SAD 7A.

John & Barbara Amstadt

Rio Rancho

Thanks for closed captioning

Editor:

I would like to thank all of the people who sponsor closed captioning on television.

It is not perfect but if it wasn’t for them, people like me (extremely hard of hearing) and the deaf couldn’t enjoy the TV at all.

Louise Truscio

Rio Rancho