Letters to the Editor (March 6, 2025)

We voted for him

Editor:

President Trump won Valencia County by 16 percentage points last November. We voted for him because of what he promised he would do if he won.

Now, ... weeks later, Trump’s popularity is surging as he is actually doing what he said he would. And he is doing it faster than anyone could imagine.

So, what editorial opinion does the News Bulletin choose to share with its readers regarding our president? From columnist Mary Sanchez on Feb. 6, “Our new president has created conditions pleasing to a surly mass of anti-government, conspiracy spouting racist extremists.” And she concludes with, “He is encouraging and giving cover to people who are anti-government, antisemitic, homophobic, xenophobic, and filled with racial and ethnic hatreds.”

Poor Mary. Doesn’t she realize that the previous administration ran on a platform of name calling and were soundly rejected by both Valencia County and our country as a whole.

I suggest that Mary switch from throwing stones to something more constructive. Or maybe the News Bulletin editor should find a better columnist?

George Greenlee

Bosque Farms

It’s only weeks in

Editor:

It’s been ... weeks since Donald Trump was sworn in as president. Months ago, he promised to “be a dictator on day one” — a promise he is attempting to keep.

So far he has ordered the mass round-up of people he considers “undesirable immigrants” — all of whom are brown or black people — and have them shipped off to other countries while he has granted a non-elected, non-government employee immigrant billionaire full and unsupervised access to U.S. Treasury records, including the Social Security numbers of all Americans and medical records of Medicare/Medicaid recipients, not to mention the fund disbursement mechanisms of the government.

He has ordered the elimination of any reference to Black, Latino, Asian or LGBTQ people in all federal programs and offices — a not so subtle way of saying only white European people are really Americans.

He has tried to order stopping all funding of Congressionally-approved programs, which provide a huge range of services, such as child care, health care and veterans’ medical and social programs.

He has ordered the purging of all FBI and CIA agents, who are in any way involved in the investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection, which Mr. Trump initiated and supported.

He has sworn to aid in the ethnic cleansing and possible genocide of the Palestinian people in his plan to seize land in a sovereign nation, not to mention his state intention to invade the countries of Greenland and Panama.

He is trying to dismantle the USAID program, which supplies vital medical and food programs to the poorest countries and places hit by natural disasters. And this was only ... weeks into his four year term.

However, after the initial shock of Mr. Trump’s authoritarian and illegal power grab, people are beginning to push back. The Democrats of the House and Senate are starting measures to stop or slow down Mr. Trump’s march to dictatorship. Democratic leaders in the states are swearing to fight many of Mr. Trump’s initiatives and promising non-cooperation with the more drastic, inhumane and illegal orders.

Local Democratic and progressive groups are organizing to offer legal and other support to those who are or will be adversely affected by Mr. Trump’s bigoted and hateful policies. Even groups which supported Mr. Trump’s campaign such as some Black, Hispanic and Arab groups have realized they’ve been duped and lied to and are now beginning to voice their opposition to him and his administration’s fascist policies.

It is time for all of us — Democrat, Independent and Republican — to get informed on the very real dangers to our democracy and to resist them by all legal means.

Ron Lahti

Belen

Voters have spoken

Editor:

This letter is in response to the News-Bulletin Feb. 6 opinion page regarding the Mary Sanchez column, Shenemen’s cartoon and letter to the editor by James Rickey.

We, the people, have spoken and elected President Trump to right the wrongs, half truths, lies, oppression, abuses, corruption, gas lighting and fraud that has been committed by our government agencies and their lack of accountability to us.

The concerns are about the crimes committed without penalties, illiteracy of our children, men competing in women sports, Fentanyl killing our people, human trafficking, lost children and unsafe borders.

And now we find out that our tax dollars are going all over the world, and we have had no say about how it is spend and for what.

As a nation, we can’t continue killing babies, maiming children and euthanizing at will, insulting God and betraying our humanity.

We need to find common ground, to stand together against the spiritual forces of evil and destruction encompassing our country. We need each other.

America is the best country in the world to live in and, despite our faults, God loves and blesses us. Let us be thankful.

I pray for mercy, forgiveness and wisdom from our Creator for all of us, in this season of hope.

On a lighter note, I most enjoyed Carrie Classon’s (column) “Not My Cake.” I would like another slice of that.

Theresa M. Goldman

Los Lunas

Legislators should reject big pharma legislation

Editor:

New Mexico families and workers deserve access to affordable, quality health benefits, including when it comes to the prescription medications they need to stay healthy.

Unfortunately, Senate Bill 62, which is currently under consideration at the State Capitol, would significantly impact the health care costs for more than 800,000 New Mexico patients who rely on their employer or union for health insurance.

A recent analysis has revealed that SB 62, a proposal backed by Big Pharma, could impose a staggering increase of more than $97 million annually in health care costs for families, employers, and unions in New Mexico. This concerning bill is essentially a giveaway to Big Pharma, placing the burden directly on the shoulders of New Mexico patients and undermining the market-based efforts that have historically aimed to lower prescription drug costs and improve healthcare affordability.

By eliminating pay-for-performance incentives in the private health care marketplace — a policy known as “delinking” — SB 62 would curtail the ability of employers and unions to secure significant savings on prescription drugs. This would lead to higher premium costs for patients and families, ultimately hindering their access to affordable healthcare.

It is evident that SB 62 prioritizes the profits of Big Pharma over the well-being of New Mexican families, employers and unions. This bill fails to address the pressing issue of lowering prescription drug prices and instead exacerbates the financial challenges faced by the community.

As concerned residents of New Mexico, it is crucial that we voice our opposition to Senate Bill 62 and urge our legislators to prioritize policies that truly benefit the residents of our state. We cannot afford to support a bill that significantly increases healthcare costs without offering any tangible solutions to lower prescription drug prices.

I encourage all New Mexicans to contact their legislators and call for them to reject Senate Bill 62. Let us stand together in safeguarding the healthcare affordability and well-being of our communities.

Gilfred Abeyta

Belen

Musk’s blank check

Editor:

South African born Elon Musk, with no security clearance and of dubious mental stability, was appointed head of a Trump agency created out of thin air. It was not authorized or funded by Congress yet has a blank check to do whatever it wants.

Musk, who lies as much as Trump, and his posse of kiddie assistants (none with expertise about agencies in which they run loose) have been given illegal authorization to slash with an axe.

After Musk destroys and eviscerates government agencies and programs, let’s say at the Agriculture Department, will you risk eating meat knowing it was not inspected by USDA inspectors? Will you chance flying with an airline, wondering if there are enough air traffic controllers?

When there are major wild fires and no one to combat them, can you handle the higher homeowner insurance premiums that result or, even worse, the cost to rebuild if your home burns? Will your favorite national park or campground be open?

In his first term, at the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, Trump told us the virus would just go away. I don’t think so! But it did kill over a million Americans. If there is another epidemic and few scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health to combat it, will Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who told us worms once infected his brain and who once stored the head of a bear in his home’s freezer, have a clue what to do?

Fun fact: there is no such thing as an executive order mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Many of those Trump issues are violations of laws or blatantly unconstitutional.

James Rickey

Los Lunas