OPINION

Mail letters to PO Box 4910, Santa Fe, NM 87502; or email them to editor@sfreporter. com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

ONLINE, MARCH 23:

“SECOND STREET BREWERY CLOSES OG LOCATION”

OH NO!

That’s disappointing—just as they are back serving food and good music. JANELLE JOHNSON VIA FACEBOOK

MORNING WORD, MARCH 21: “GOV, LAWMAKERS ANNOUNCE SPECIAL SESSION”

PAY LAWMAKERS ALREADY

Another special session has been called for the first week of April. This is ostensibly to work out the vetoed “junior bill” wherein the Legislature doles out capital outlay for individual legislators’ pet projects...The junior bill, and the issues surrounding capital outlay and how it is assigned and allocated, are worthy of further debate...but there was no way the capital outlay system was going to be overhauled and a tax rebate program created in a 30-day legislative session. It will be a stretch to tackle these two items in a $50,000/day special session.

Quite simply, New Mexico has outgrown our legislative structure. And it is hurting the way our state operates.

Not only does New Mexico need its legislators in Santa Fe for longer periods of time, it needs to pay them. Thanks to modern-day campaign realities, we are asking would-be legislators to raise up to $100,000 in donations and work around the clock to win an election to obtain an unpaid volunteer position. Who wouldn’t sign up for that?

Even with our short sessions, alternating 60 and 30 days, it’s enough of a time commitment that our legislators are generally: a) independently wealthy; b) self-employed; c) retired; d) embezzling...; or e) some combination of the above. This is not reflective of our population and prevents many good candidates from running due to lack of compensation and being unable to take off work for one or two months at a time.

MERRITT HAMILTON ALLEN NEW MEXICO OPEN ELECTIONS

SFR will correct factual errors online and in print. Please let us know if we make a mistake: editor@sfreporter.com or 988-7530.

SANTA FE EAVESDROPPER

“I like your strut. I like your swagger.”

—Overheard from man, sitting on West San Francisco Street holding sign reading “This sucks,” to woman walking by

11 SHORT PLAYS by JOEY A. CHAVEZ

tales of suspense, romance, comedy, philosophy , & pranks

Six More Performances! April 1-10 TEATRO PARAGUAS 3205 Calle Marie info/tix: teatroparaguasnm.org * 505-424-1601