Joe Biden’s visit to Albuquerque last Thursday that caused citywide gridlock for about 90 minutes at rush hour had to be detrimental to Denish’s campaign. If I wasn’t scared to hell of Martinez it would have cost them my vote. How many poor pendejos like myself were rushing from job No. 1 to job No. 2 and couldn’t get there in time because the whole city was paralyzed? I’m just thankful that my boss was cool when I started a half-hour late. And it was all so Denish and Biden could have their $1,500-a-plate fundraiser. Didn’t the Democratic party used to be the party of the poor and the working class? Most New Mexico Democrats are lucky if they can dine out once or twice a month and spend five or six dollars on a plate these days. A little more awareness and a little more planning for this event would have been nice.
Letters: The Grunts And Moans Of Punditry The Grunts And Moans Of Punditry
Three times a week, I go to the César Chavez Community Center to work out. There is a large television in the room that is fixed on CNN. My workout time appears to coincide with the political analysis portion of their programming. The pundits argue, along party lines, what the populous is conveying to the leadership of the country. As the metal clanking reverberates, from all directions of the gym, I can’t help but think that these experts’ words of wisdom are only echoing the repetitious sounds of propaganda. The talk of the electorate being so displeased that the party in power is on the verge of handing power over to the opposing party has been going on since I can remember. The appearance of democracy in motion gives the public the feeling that their vote is important. Our angry cries of disapproval are met with the toppling of ineffective government. If you live long enough to witness the repetitive cycle of the parties moving in and out of power, you can clearly see that there is virtually no difference between Democrats and Republicans. For instance, Clarence Thomas was nominated by George H.W. Bush, a Republican, to the Supreme Court. And recently, Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Elena Kagan to the same court. What these two judicial powerhouses have in common is their ties to one of the most nefarious companies in all of history. Kagan and Thomas were both attorneys for Monsanto; making the court lean even further in their favor. Now, this seems like an important story to convey to the people. But, instead we have the steady stream of disinformation fed to us from the so called free press. Not only is this pure unadulterated propaganda, it’s also completely boring television. There is no great revolution in the Tea Party, but how much news time is spent on irrelevant topics while humanitarian and environmental crises, all over the world, are totally overlooked? After several minutes of the pundits droning on as though they were helping aid the public in the process of democracy, I opted to listen to the grunts and moans of my fellow community center gym mates.
Letters: Negativity All Around Negativity All Around
I am writing about Jerry Ortiz y Pino’s article “Clash of the Governators” in the Sept. 9-15 issue. I believe [Ortiz y] Pino’s argument was mostly one-sided, because he only discussed Susana Martinez’ negative campaigning. I believe negative campaign advertisements are not a productive strategy to educate voters about the candidates. When Denish isn’t teaching kids how to read, she finds time in her saintly life to run negative campaign ads against Martinez. For instance, one of Denish’s TV attack ads features parents saying Republican Martinez would cut public school funding, but only one candidate expanded pre-K and will protect public school funding—Diane Denish. Negative campaign ads are full of false claims and Denish’s is no exception. The gist is Martinez would cut public school funding. Unless those parents in the attack ad can tell the future, nobody knows if she would or would not. Likewise, Martinez’s TV attack ad does insult Denish in an indirect manner.Denish is no better a candidate than Martinez—they run the same negative advertisements. Negative campaigning does not educate the voters and only irritates them. The campaign ads ran by both candidates have empty claims and do not feature a plan of enforcement. I don’t feel Ortiz y Pino even took in to account Denish’s campaign ads.
Letters: No Nuke Nuts No Nuke Nuts
No nukes is nuts! [News, “Council Watch,” Sept. 23-39] Nukes are the biggest reason we have not had World Wars III and IV by now. Prior to nukes, peace talks were just a dishonest way to stall until you had a big enough advantage to sustain acceptable losses. After nukes, peace talks were an honest way of avoiding mutually assured destruction. Nukes are what finally really did give peace a chance! A better chance than peace ever had before anyway. The nukes stored at Kirtland have not hurt anyone all the years they have been here. The radiation from, as well as the production, use, and disposal of, your cell phone, computer monitor, TV and microwave oven are much more harmful to you and the environment. If we really have the best in mind for all, lets keep the nukes and get rid of the 10,000 no nuke nuts that signed that well-intentioned but ill-advised petition.
Letters: Hip, Hip, Ho-Heinrich Hip, Hip, Ho-Heinrich
Thanks to Rep. Heinrich for standing up for protecting the Social Security program, which keeps millions of elderly from becoming destitute. It is a program that pays for itself and is legally prohibited from adding to the deficit. Let’s hope our representatives take their support further and ensure that the annual cap on Social Security contributions is raised.
Letters: Thanks For The Insults Thanks For The Insults
I knew I was sticking my neck out when I wrote that letter [“Your Only Vote Is With Your Dollar,” Sept. 23-29], because voting is a sacred institution. Unfortunately we no longer actually have two choices anymore, but only the appearance of them. You were right to vote for Ralph Nader. He would have made some of the changes we really need, like collaring the corporations that now own YOU, and your government. Did you miss my Monsanto reference? Do you know who they are? Nobody I spoke with at Martin Heinrich’s office ever heard of them, yet they now own the Supreme Court, who chose George W. Bush for us in 2000, remember? Conservatives would have done well to support Ron Paul, who was their only decent choice, but the corporate media wasn’t having it. If our votes are going to matter at all, they’d be better spent on the small guy in the election, not the one being shoved at us in the media every day.
Letters: One For All ... One For All ...
[Re: News, “Why Bother? The Point of Voting,” Sept. 30-Oct. 6] … and all for one!Elections do matter! They are NOT all alike! If Gore or Kerry had won, we would not be in Iraq and Afghanistan, we would still have an empty assault weapons ban, you could still frivolously sue firearms companies, and by a 6-3 vote, the Second Amendment would be a collective right of the state militia, not an individual right of the people. See how that works?It’s not too late to put it in "R" and back out of the ditch, or keep it in "D" and keep those wheels spinning; or whichever other way you prefer to look at it!
Letters: There Need To Be Other Alternatives There Need To Be Other Alternatives
[Re: Blog, “An Interview With the Director of Training at APD,” Sept. 16] Though I’ve only lived in the ABQ / Rio Rancho area for a little over a year, the police here certainly appear more trigger happy than other PDs in comparable sized cities. Deadly force is used waaaaaaay too often! Send those officers out to the shooting range to perfect their disarming shots or have them use rubber bullets. There are times deadly force is required but not always, especially in situations where people are not really responsible for their actions.
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