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Opinion

  • Open letter on LASO rental fees

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  • The great state payroll snafu

    JAY MILLER

    Syndicated Columnist

    SANTA FE -- Hasty implementation of a great idea early in Gov. Bill Richardson's administration has haunted state government ever since.

    When Richardson took office state government had 70 disparate payroll and human resources systems. It made sense to combine those into one overall system. Many other states were in the process of doing the same thing. Software programs had been developed that would handle such a task.

  • Keeping heart when times are hard

    Raising morale while cutting costs during an economic downturn is one of the toughest jobs a manager can face.

    To succeed, managers must be honest with employees about the need to reduce costs, including those associated with wages and benefits.

  • To Save the U.S. Automobile Industry

    Dear Editor,

    The troubled U.S. automobile industry has the capacity to produce 15 million cars and trucks per year, but the current market will support the purchase of only nine million.

    The industry answer to this problem is to downsize – close plants, furlough workers, cut expenses and produce only what the market can sell. Under normal economic conditions that is the way of the market and it is a good way.

  • PEEC SPEAKS: Support your values,...

    Support your values, buy wind

    Felicia Orth

  • Support your values, buy wind power

    The commercial opens with what appears to be a very rude fellow lifting a woman’s hem, throwing sand in a child’s face, mussing a woman’s hair, knocking off a man’s hat, rattling a window shutter and turning over a tent.

    The large Frenchman sadly says that he was always misunderstood, and that people didn’t like him because he got on their nerves: “Maybe I came on too strong … it was lonely.”

    One day, someone accepted him for what he is and now he feels good at something.

  • Be part of the solution

    There was a lot of controversy when the county declared the Municipal Building unfit and the council voted to tear it down.

    That was a very unpopular decision and its effects still linger today.

    But that was then and this is now and now the county is reaching out to the community for help as for what to do now. We should put the differences of the past behind us and work to ensure that we have the best facility – in the best  location – we can.

  • Time to be smart, not to panic

    There is a lot of hysteria going on right now about the swine flu. The simple truth is that all you need to do is be smart.

    Here are the five things you need to do to keep yourself safe.

    • It seems obvious, but it’s very important to actually make sure you wash your hands.

    • That you cover your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief when you cough. 

  • Stimulus money coming and coming

    Gov. Richardson’s announcement that Los Alamos County was getting $1.96 million for the Diamond Drive Phase III project and that Los Alamos Schools was going to get $807,000 for its special education program was good news – and bad depending on how you look at it.

    Add this to the millions in federal stimulus monies that Los Alamos National Laboratory is getting and so far we have done pretty well.

    The problem is that if you do not think the federal program is good at all, then this is not so good.

  • Getting along at the skate park

    The recent story concerning a monitor and fence at the skate park and skater “etiquette” courses for the skaters who use the park near the library was ironic in light of the controversy over its location last year. I think most dissenters over the location at that time were not against skaters but recognized that the sensitivities of library patrons and skate park patrons would be in conflict. These steps towards overseeing the park and separating the groups certainly seem to prove that view.

    Paul Richardson

    White Rock

  • Vote of confidence for Katko

    Here are a few thoughts about our child's and our own experiences at Mountain Elementary School: In our opinion, Mike Katko has been the best principal in a long time at Mountain Elementary School. We have lived right next the school for about 10 years, and our boy attended there from K-6 grades.

  • Bicycle safety question

    I couldn't help but notice the front page picture (Monitor, April 16) of bicyclists riding three abreast on the Jemez Bypass road. Isn't that against the law? And dangerous? Especially with the Jeep shown in the picture approaching from behind. And why does the caption seem to condone it!

    Article X, Chapter 38, Section 38-545(c) of the Los Alamos County Code of Ordinances states:

  • Alzheimer's Caf

    I would like to let the community know about a little café in town. It is only held the fourth Thursday of the month at the White Rock Baptist Church. It is a place that anyone dealing with dementia along with their families or caregivers can come have fun and relax together.

    The theme, "No Stigma" "No Explanations" "No Charge" "Just have Fun," is something that anyone dealing with Alzheimer's or any other form of dementia can understand!

  • State film subsidies remain an issue

    During the recently completed legislative session, one of the issues that bubbled below the surface was the state’s generous subsidy programs that are designed to attract moviemakers to set up shop in New Mexico.

    New Mexico’s film subsidies – the primary components of which are a 25 percent subsidy for film producers doing business in New Mexico and up to $15 million in interest-free loans – have resulted in some big-budget films being made in the state.

    But the program costs taxpayers approximately $60 million annually.

  • How smart will computers get?

    In recent years the ability of computers has grown dramatically.  Many are predicting that machines (computers) will soon be smarter than people.  How realistic is this?

    If it is a realistic possibility how soon might it happen?

    Smart is a poorly defined term in this context, so let’s start with some clarification.  For humans the concept of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is well established and numerous kinds of IQ tests have been devised and used.  

  • More on bicycle safety

    Dear Editor,

    Janet Basinger’s recent letter in the Monitor (Apr. 21), discussing bicycling safety, needs further discussion.

  • More strange goings-on in Lincoln...

    By JAY MILLER

    Syndicated Columnist

    SANTA FE -- Recently this column mentioned that Lincoln County seems to have the strangest goings-on of any place in the state. In that column, we talked about their fandangos, which were quite the rage a century ago.

    In fact, fandangos got to be so wild that the state Legislature banned them. To our knowledge, that law has never been repealed but the town of Lincoln, where many fandangos once occurred, has reinstated them, although on a somewhat tamer scale.

  • Don't open business later

    Dear Editor,

    Regarding the article by Carol Clark on Roger Brooks’ community presentation: I disagree that local businesses should entertain the idea of opening later, although they may find it profitable to stay open later. For those of us who spent our career arriving at work early, it is difficult to break such an ingrained habit. If I need something, I do not enjoy the choice of going to Española or Santa Fe and returning, before the local merchants open..

    Jon Hicks

    Los Alamos

  • Fried Light - Can the leopard...

    After a visit from the new apostle of environmentalism, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Los Alamos is coming to the end of an interlude of environmental celebrations and events. Now may be as good a time as any to think seriously about how the laboratory is positioned for the country’s revived love affair with the planet earth.

    Oddly enough, the case could be made that decades from now Los Alamos National Laboratory will be as well known as a bastion of environmental knowledge and practice as it is both famous and notorious as the birthplace of the atomic bomb.

  • Program worth discussing

    Ruby K’s should get kudos for listening to Roger Brooks who told our community that we need to make some changes.

    One of those was putting some color here – and if you happen to have gone by their restaurant (or take a look on page one)  you’d see the color they added.

    Many of the points Brooks made are on the mark. Years ago when Wal-Mart moved into another state community, another such business guru thanked all the merchants that were open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for supporting all of the unemployed people in town.