Opinion

Here we are on Presidents Day, recognizing all those men who have served our nation at the highest level. U.S. presidents, as we’ve seen time and time again, can lift us up to the moon  or plunge us into despair. No other position wields such power, and our history is replete with lasting changes these men have brought about.

George Washington, our first president, wouldn’t serve more than two terms. His refusal to reign like a king helped shape our destiny as a republic.

Are you disgusted at the antics of our dysfunctional city government? I’ll offer our city council and mayor a suggestion that’s guaranteed to improve matters:  

Hire a den mother!

Bob (Robert K.) Johnston

Las Vegas

DOWN thumb ... KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY.  We agree that LeeEtte Quintana is her own person, and we understand that her husband must be considered innocent until proven guilty, but does the City Schools Superintendent Rick Romero really think it’s wise that she replace her husband, Jay Quintana, as the girls’ team golf coach? Team members might be interviewed by investigators looking into allegations that he had sex with a student for years, and her presence may be an inhibiting factor.

Remember the days before caller ID, when we generally had no clue of who was on the other end unless we recognized the voice or the other person introduced him/her/self?

I can remember a couple of thriller movies based on the idea of a frantic search for the location of the phone booth where a man with a bomb was about to blow up a chunk of the city. Typically, it involved detectives racing through the banks of a phone company building trying to narrow the search to a two-block area.

DOWN thumb ... INFORMATION AND POWER GAMES. Information, it has been said, is power. And it’s certainly a potent force in City Hall battles over the past year. Months ago, after Mayor Tony Marquez took over, councilors Morris Madrid and Cruz Roybal charged that they were being kept out of the loop on matters of importance, and now its Councilman Andy Feldman saying essentially the same thing; he says the mayor isn’t providing him with information related to George Du Four’s dismissal at utilities director.

Open letter to Mayor Marquez and the Las Vegas City Council:

When you took office 10 months ago, I had the privilege of attending the “strategic planning sessions” you held with the department heads and council members.  Your “State of the City” address was impressive and promised new vision and positive action to move the city forward. Ten months later, what do we have that indicates forward progress?

Dear 300 (the Pecos Independent Schools District’s bond question was defeated 300-263): We live in a democracy, and as a taxpaying American, I understand and respect the democratic process. That means that the 300 sheep who followed their shepherds and voted against the bond have now labeled Pecos, Ilfeld, Rowe, and San Juan as communities that don’t value education, communities that aren’t willing to invest in their most valuable resource — their children.

We were certainly no fan of his during the last election, but we might just change our mind about Jerome Block if he keeps up the good work he has started. The newly elected Public Regulation Commission member has stepped forward to address a matter that no one else wanted to claim responsibility for.

It is time that the citizens of Northern New Mexico and especially Las Vegans get behind Highlands University and its drive to acquire the College of Santa Fe. Opportunities like this may never be available to Highlands again. The acquisition will enable HU to become the leader in education for Northern New Mexico without question.

HU and Western New Mexico University in Silver City were both founded in 1893 as a prerequisite to statehood. I am sure our forefathers had bigger dreams for Highlands (formerly Normal University).