Funding is important

Editor:

We call on all those who are concerned about the education of our children to write, call and e-mail our state legislators and demand that they not cut the funding of our schools again or at the next election we will vote for someone else. This is a time for all political parties to come together and demand that our children’s education be properly funded not underfunded by even more. 

We cannot afford to have even more children dropping out of our schools in this state. Nor can we afford to have more of our children getting a poor education. Our children’s education is suffering and will continue to suffer until this state fulfills their constitutional responsibility to provide “Sufficient” funding of its public schools.

Rio Rancho Schools cannot continue providing the best education to its children if we continue to lose funding.

We will not remain one of the top districts in the state if we continue to be one of the worse-funded districts. We can not expect to maintain our current class loads and maintain our high results. 

There are a lot of things the Legislature can cut but primary education should not be one of them.

Craig Brandt

Rio Rancho Public Schools board member

Thank you!

Editor:

On Saturday, Aug. 15, Rio Rancho celebrated the grand opening of its newest high school with festivities nearly identical to those held for the grand opening of Rio Rancho High 12 years ago. This event was paid for entirely by private donors and would not have been possible without their generous support. No taxpayer funds were used.

Thank you to our event sponsors: Jaynes Corporation, Van H. Gilbert and Associates P.C., DKD Electric, Les File Drywall, Yearout Mechanical, AMREP Southwest, Ardham Technologies, F&R Painting, Hewlett-Packard, Kim Jew Photography, McDonald’s, Rio Rancho Printing, Scheuer, Yost, & Patterson, Sodexo Food Services, Business Environments, Cable One, Harris Technology Services, Lastrapes, Spangler & Pacheco, Perfection Honda, the Santa Ana Star Center, and W.H. Pacific.

This school couldn’t have been built without the support of the City of Rio Rancho (which supplied the needed infrastructure), the State of New Mexico (which paid about half the cost of the new school), and Rio Rancho taxpayers (who therefore got a really good deal).

Through their funds and commitment to education, we were able to build a campus that will serve this community for decades to come. 

And finally, thank you to the approximately 4,000 Rio Rancho citizens and visitors who came out to see the new school and celebrate with us. You made this celebration a truly special event for our community. 

Scott Affentranger

Principal, Cleveland High School

Step right up, developer city

Editor:

There was a time, a few years ago, when a River’s Edge Homeowners Association asked that a stop light be installed at one of the intersections on NM 528 for safety reasons. The request was turned down because (they said) stoplights must be separated by at least a mile, dictated by some code of the Highways, Streets and Paths commission. This was before developers took charge of the City of Rio Rancho.

North of the traffic light beginning on NM 528 and Idalia/Willow Creek intersection, within a mile, we now have four traffic lights, with maybe a couple hundred yards separating each of the last three.

Another arrow from the quiver of developers … guess where it’s gonna end up? Yep! That’s the spot! Welcome to Developer’s City, formerly the City of Rio Rancho, where citizens have the least to say and the most to lose.

Bob Harpley

Rio Rancho

Clean energy, now!

Editor:

There’s never been a more important time to shift to clean energy. Nine out of ten Americans support expanding solar and wind power and more than 80 percent support strong measures to increase energy efficiency, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll (8/28/09, washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/27/AR2009082703823.html). Environment New Mexico couldn’t agree more.

Strong investments in energy efficiency will provide New Mexico with thousands of good-paying green jobs that can’t be outsourced. We can repower New Mexico by putting people to work weatherizing homes, making efficient new buildings and manufacturing, servicing, and installing wind turbines and solar panels.

Investing in energy efficiency would not only create jobs for New Mexico but also saves our households and businesses money. For instance, a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that passing a comprehensive set of aggressive clean energy policies and capping global warming pollution would cut costs in the West South Central region by $980 per household annually and save consumers and businesses a total of $48 billion annually in 2030. These savings would significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and stop global warming pollution.

For all of these reasons we’re urging Senators Udall and Bingaman to support President Obama’s vision of a 21st century clean energy economy and vote for strong legislation that invests in clean energy. It’s clear that Americans are ready for clean energy and Congress needs to deliver on that promise.

Jake Horowitz 

Albuquerque 

Healthcare tip of iceberg

Editor:

America is attempting to weather a violent storm. Our very lives are at stake, from the very young, to the infirmed and elderly. Yes, we do fear for our lives.

We don’t trust the current administration at all and believe that we have to analyze everything for trickery. The current administration is working to deny our freedom of speech by blocking access to Christian and conservative communication.

All anti-Obama commentary will be squashed. The Obama attorney general is legally attempting to curtail the voices of nonprofit groups by denying them the right to reveal the voting records of elected officials. Why do they fear to let the truth be known? The Obama administration supports the so-called “hurry up and die” proposal, which is directed at our beloved war veterans. Call your representatives; make them accountable. Don’t let them take our America. In God we trust.

Stanley Tamulewicz

Rio Rancho