THE FAMILY OF ISHMAEL BARELA DE LA ROSA would like to thank everyone for your kindness, friendship and love during this time, it is so greatly appreciated.

We would also like to thank the town of Mountainair and EMS for your quick response. Also we would like to thank the town of Mountainair for the use of Dr. Saul's Recreational Center for memorial service June 26, 2010.

Thank you.

SAMMY DE LA ROSA

PAM SUTTON

Mountainair

Tea Party Is Just Out To Serve Itself

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN to me what the Tea party stands for other than a fiesta of ignorant malcontents.

Granted, no like to pay taxes, but the Tea Party's "me first" and "all for me and to heck with you" attitude sure won't work for America right now.

We're at war on two fronts. Our soldiers should not have to forage for scrap metal to fortify their Humvees. Our returning wounded need appropriate medical care. And what of the dead? Do we no give them honorable resting places in a well-kept cemetery? Tax dollars pay for the consequences of war.

Do we not educate our young? Tax dollars pay for free public education for all, one of the most remarkable and admirable endeavors of American history. How do we pay our police? Keep up our roads?

Forty percent of all children born last year in the United States were born out of wedlock, most to poor "baby mamas" armed with little more than tattoos and GEDs. I would guess that most of the fathers of these children are oblivious or absent, and for the most part, certainly irresponsible and unaccountable. Do we help these young women? If almost half of the next generation is being raised by unwed, single parents, do we not as a civilized society owe these children some kind of help?

At a time when everyone needs to take a responsible part in the tribe and work together with compassion for the good of all, the last group we need is knee-jerk reactionaries, ill-educated and just out for themselves.

Taxes are the lowest they've been in 50 years (according to the AARP magazine and "CBS Sunday Morning"). I pay my taxes because I have loved this country and especially now, we're sore-pressed to meet our fiscal responsibilities.

Perhaps the Tea Parties should move to an all-white, gated community in Arizona, the state currently in the news for its cavalier disregard for the U.S. Constitution. In the meantime, perhaps they can persuade Halliburton or Raytheon to pay the Tea Party tax share. Halliburton and Raytheon seem to be the few who made a lot of money last year by putting profit first and civic, moral responsibility last.

I say to you Tea Partiers that if you don't want to support our government, then at least educate yourselves. Study the Federalist Papers, read the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act, the 19th Amendment among other sources. These documents testify to the noble mission we once had as a country.

Or better yet, go to church, pray, keep your neighbor and pay your taxes. And vote. These days it shouldn't be hard to find another candidate as greedy, self-serving and single-minded as you.

SHARON CONNOR

Moriarty

Vote at Meeting Was Regrettable

I AM DEEPLY REMORSEFUL FOR MY ACTIONS that took place on July 15 at a Special Town Meeting. At this meeting I was to vote for or against Resolution 2010-15; Mobile Home Moratorium. It is with great humiliation that I must confess that I voted for this moratorium prior to reading it.

I genuinely was under the impression that the moratorium was for mobile homes 10 years or older. Though I personally do not believe in the current ordinance the town has regarding mobile homes that are over 10 years old, nevertheless it is an ordinance of the town's and needs to be followed until it is changed.

Therefore, I felt that the moratorium was just reinforcing a statute that was already in place. After voting had taken place, I read the moratorium is for mobile homes one year or older. It was too late to change my vote at the time.

Then, to make matters worse, the was a discussion and approval to rescind the moratorium or the agenda for the town meeting held July 19 that I was not able to attend. Since there was no motion made to rescind the resolution, the motion died and no further action was taken. I am not sure if I had made the motion to rescind the moratorium if anything would have changed, but I would have at least been able to explain/express what I thought about the moratorium.

I take full responsibility for my action and pray that you all can forgive me for my substandard performance. I wish I could promise that I will never make a mistake again, I can not. But I can promise you that I will never forget this mistake and I will never forget the lessons I have learned.

I would like to thank Jimmy for reassuring me that I had not lost my mind, and I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Tammy for all she did and went through because of my mistake.

IVONNE RILEY

Estancia Town Trustee

Ranches' Facility Not 'Compatible'

NEW MEXICO BOYS AND GIRLS RANCHES ARE ASKING their property in Cedar Grove be rezoned to "Community Service Facilities" (CSF) to build a residential school facility — more than 25 buildings, totaling over 185,000 square feet, on a little over 100 acres.

Santa Fe County Land Development Code specifies 3 requirements for CSF zoning:

1. Facility must provide service to local community

2. Proposed facilities are necessary in order that community services may be provided for in the county

3. Use is compatible with existing development in the area

The proposed Ranches development does not meet any of the CSF requirements.

Though the Ranches wouldn't provide service to locals, such as day care, senior or community center, school or church, commissioners claim they meet the requirement, because their facility would "benefit" the county.

Since the Ranches have been running most of their operations outside of Santa Fe County since their inception in 1944, it cannot be claimed that they are "necessary" in the county.

The Ranches' facility is not "compatible" with existing development in the area. They propose water use equivalent to 120 homes, waste water discharge equivalent to 144 homes, and building density over 90 homes. Population density would be two to three times greater than the entire area. Traffic would increase more than 22-fold. This is not "compatible."

County commissioners have a responsibility to uphold the land development code — the law. They need to have the fortitude to deny a development that doesn't meet code. How can they say the development described above, with a building the size of Smith's and twice the size of South Mountain Elementary school is "compatible" with existing residential development in the area?

The scenario proposed in a recent letter, suggesting that The Ranches build their residential units on the Cedar Grove property and use Edgewood schools and commercial area for students and administrative functions, would be a good compromise. This would alleviate many of the neighborhood concerns, allow the Ranches to achieve its mission, and bolster Edgewood and Santa Fe County economies.

NANCY BURTON

Cedar Grove