What could the state Legislature possibly be thinking to consider taxing food, our most basic necessity? Why didn't it work on taxing optional luxury items like alcohol, the consumption of which ends up costing billions in health care and insurance, as well as police and other governmental agency funds? The food tax is simply the Legislature's easy way out of a budget mess largely of its own making.

New Mexicans should be loud in voice of opposition to such elected representatives. Further, the governor should veto any such measure so harmful to all people of the state as there is no way that expanding the tax rebate for low-income families will ever make up for the addition of a food tax. We must all make sure our elected officials are held accountable for this kind of taxation proposal. Call or e-mail them today!



I see the geniuses in the state Legislature again have found it necessary to raise taxes. Why is it the taxpayer always has to do with less, and state government always gets more? Has anyone heard of cutting or stopping spending?

I want to thank the Legislature for taking the easy road instead of having the guts to say "no."



The Legislature should have balanced the budget by docking the governor's salary one day's pay for every time he left the state without letting the lieutenant governor know. His pay should have been docked at double the rate for every time he refused to say where he went. He should have been fined a substantial amount each time he refused to provide information to the media and the people.

And he should have been fined every time he "helped" one of his buddies in so many ways — including the millions spent to pay for state investments that did not benefit the state. This huge deficit is his fault. He hired tons of people and overpaid them. His wallet should be part of the solution.



Regarding the Feb. 27 commentary, "Church within its First Amendment right": If Archbishop Michael Sheehan has detected "more than a whiff of anti-Catholicism" in some of the recent letters to The New Mexican concerning domestic partnership legislation, any such letters were probably a response to the gale-force storm of anti-gay hostility that has emanated from the Catholic Church for many years.

The archbishop fails to grasp that when he advocates denying thousands of citizens, based on an immutable aspect of who they are, the dollars-and-cents and other entirely secular benefits of marriage — at the same time he perversely asserts that his church is being "respectful, compassionate and sensitive" to gay people — he is going to encounter a significant amount of pushback.

I make a point of reading letters to the editor on this topic, and I have not yet encountered any that are any more disrespectful to Catholicism than the archbishop is to gay people.



A local pulse occurs for televised sporting events, and restaurant owners and management need to be more engaged. I know the bar at a gaming casino has the biggest TV in town and thought it would be fun to watch our U.S. hockey team take on Canada for the gold medal in the Olympics last Sunday.

Everyone's faces were fixed on the big screen. However, the manager would not turn on the volume because, he said, they only have sound for "big games." These unfortunate instances happening locally need to be addressed in order to make going out to watch a game with other fans fun, while helping to increase business.



I've subscribed to The New Mexican for 35 years because I am a huge fan of comic strips. I love the color strips, but the best of all is Without Reservations. The artist is funny and clever. Kudos to The New Mexican for finding and keeping this artist! He's a "sweetie!"



Restaurant Week is terrific, and we hope the participating restaurants were as delighted as we were! We participated in all three price categories. Due to the excellent rates, we discovered Rancho de San Juan and plan to return. Pranzo was such a bargain and the food was excellent as well as the service, and La Casa Sena never disappoints. We hope this event will continue and become a yearly event.