The hospital bond

Editor:

Recently a gentleman wrote into one of the local papers. The headline of his letter read, “Voters Mislead with Recent Hospital Levy.” All I can say is, “Where were you and the thousands of other Sandoval County voters when some of us warned of the consequences of a ‘yes’ vote on the county’s hospital millage levy?” I’m sure you and thousands of Sandoval County property owners got the shock of your lives when you opened your 2009 tax bills. Were you mislead? Sure you were. Just being upset is not the solution. Taking action is the answer. How do you do that? Read and study every proposal politicians place on the ballot. After you have done your homework, vote.

Want more to upset you about this hospital tax levy? The Texas firm the University of New Mexico has contracted with to operate their Rio Rancho hospital is a for-profit company. Would you approve a tax increase on your property to, let’s say, support the operations of a Wal-Mart in your neighborhood? Want more to upset you? The length of this tax levy can run anywhere from four to eight years, depending on the whims of Sandoval County commissioners.

So what can we the taxpayers do? There are several things:

Start a petition drive to recall your Sandoval County commissioner. That would send a very strong message that we the people are upset.

Investigate if the hospital tax levy can be recalled through a vote of the people.

Demand that that the county suspend the hospital tax levy after four years.

Clearly our news media have to play a role in this process. They need to present all sides in a fair and informative manner and not just present the “party line” of those political factions pushing the passage of some tax increase.

Harry Gordon

Rio Rancho

Missing an opportunity

Editor:

Some school board members (“Global warming draws heat at board meeting,” Rio Rancho Observer, Nov. 1) argued — apparently with a straight face — that fossil fuel burning doesn’t cause global warming. I won’t debate the topic with them for the same reason that I would not try to reason with the “Flat Earth Society,” the “Earth is the Center of the Universe League” or the “Dog Breeders of Rio Rancho in Denial of Pet Overpopulation Association.”

Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Clearly, our board sees no opportunities.

It doesn’t matter whether global warming is happening or why. What matters is the wisdom to wean the United States off its dangerous dependence on oil bought from corrupt “petrodictators” and to stabilize an economy that is vulnerable to radical fluctuations in oil prices — as our current “Great Recession” illustrates. In the process, in the perhaps ultimate win-win situation, we can protect the environment and create thousands upon thousands of high-paying jobs.

China is rapidly backing off its refusal to address global warming and is becoming a world leader in solar research and development and other global warming-fighting technologies. Close behind is fog-and-cloud enshrouded Germany, which — as related in Tom Friedman’s “Hot, Flat and Crowded” — welcomed American researchers who pioneered a major breakthrough in photovoltaics but couldn’t find a friendly development climate in this country. The list of other countries seizing global warming opportunities is long — and, for the country that was once an innovation leader — embarrassing. 

Meanwhile, here we sit in sunbathed Rio Rancho, one of the most ideal solar research and development climates in the world, with many of our school board members, in a classic example of knee-jerk thinking, blowing off all the opportunities that fighting global warming — and educating young people to lead the battle — offers.

Kathleene Parker

Rio Rancho

Thanks for the help

Editor:

On Oct. 30, at about 5:30 p.m., I ended up in a northbound turn lane at NM 528 and Southern Boulevard with a flat tire. I sat there with my grandson for a good 20 minutes before anyone ever offered help — the person who pointed out the flat drove right by — but finally a very nice gentleman whose name was Christopher stopped to help.

Jacob Wright and Ryan Schew came to my aid also, and Ryan followed me to Firestone to make sure we got there. The folks at Firestone were extremely nice also. I want to publicly thank them all, as I did so appreciate their help. Thank you again.

Barbara Krutschewski

Rio Rancho

Global warming

Editor:

Let’s take a room thirty-by-thirty feet, with a nine-foot ceiling. The original occupancy of the room is fifteen people, lit by a single one hundred watt bulb. Gradually increase the occupancy from fifteen to thirty, and then from thirty to sixty people. A thermometer on the wall with fifteen people reads seventy-two degrees. Double the occupants to thirty people and the temperature climbs; double the occupants to sixty and the thermometer reaches an uncomfortable high, and the occupants become irritable and ask that something be done.

Now then, one solution, offered by non-scientific minds, would be to replace the hundred-watt bulb with a fifty-watt bulb. Scientific minds would state that the rise in temperature was due to the presence of too many people and religious sects would say that their God is punishing the population. The solution is … nature and nature will find the balance. Nature in the form of war, pestilence, disease and famine will reduce the cause of global warming. And you know who that cause will be.

Bob Harpley

Rio Rancho

Questions for Udall

Editor:

I sent Senator Udall, Congressman Lujan and Senator Bingaman a letter giving my opinion on the healthcare bills and cap and trade, asking them to vote no on both, especially if there was a public option. Of the three, Senator Udall replied, albeit a canned reply, it was a reply. There was one sentence in the reply that lit my fire, and I quote, “I believe that America deserves a healthcare system that reflects the ingenuity and compassion of the American people.”

I believe, senator, you work for us. When it comes to voting on these bills, you work for us, you vote what we think, not what you believe. I think that these bills will kill the small businessman and toss us into inflation which will make the Carter-created inflation look like a little boo boo. I am not alone in this belief and our collective voices will become a choir come re-election time.

Also, Senator, please explain to us, who elected you, why if this healthcare bill is such a wonderful idea, why the Senate and Congress have exempted yourselves from having to use it?

You owe us an explanation; why you are going against your stated belief?

Steve LaHue

Rio Rancho