Apology
Dear Editor
To the residents in District 4, I apologize that I was unable to attend the Q&A scheduled for the 25th of January. I was scheduled for some medical procedures at the VA on the 25th thru 26th. The scheduling was not optional for me.
Ruben Aranda,
District 4 Council Candidate
Apology
Dear editor,
To the citizens of Milan: I apologize that I did not ATTEND THE PUBLIC FORUM ON 1-25-2022. It was a miscommunication plus I already had a prior commitment. To me family always comes first.
Felix O. Gonzales, Mayor of Milan
VOTING IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Dear Editor:
I would like to impress upon the citizenry of Grants the importance of voting in the upcoming election for Mayor and two city councilman seats. For the past 8 years, I have heard many people complaining about the lack of good governance in the City of Grants. When I asked the people who were complaining if they voted in the past two elections, more often than not, they would say NO. And YES, it is the same old cliché: if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain!
But let’s look at the facts to see why voting is so crucial in our democracy, particularly in elections such as ours, when there are so many candidates running at once for the same position, and the winner is the candidate who gets the most votes.
This data is part of the public record and can be fact-checked by any of you.
In the 2018 Election for Mayor, there were 4,720 eligible voters in the city. Sadly, only 1,311 voters turned out to participate. The number of votes that each candidate got was as follows:
Modey Hicks 556
Reuben Sandoval 275
Cindy Anderson 103 Walter Jaramillo
Walter Jaramillo 330
So, it is obvious that Modey Hicks got the most votes and remained the Mayor. But think about this: out of the people who voted, more people voted AGAINST Mayor Hicks, than voted for him. And yet he won – fair and square. And, if we take the number of people that voted for him and do the math to see what percentage of the eligible voters in Grants, actually elected our Mayor, we find that less than 12% of the citizenry in Grants who COULD VOTE, actually participated in electing the current Mayor. That’s a pretty sorry picture of a democracy, folks. So, I am asking every eligible voter in the City of Grants to please, please SHOW UP and VOTE MARCH 1st!!
Joan Boyden
Rescind Social Security for All
Dear editor,
Why is there such disdain in the legislature for people who have money? I could not believe Representative Eliseo Alcon’s statement when he said “All we’re doing is helping those that have money” when discussing the rescinding of the income tax on Social Security earnings. When all citizens have more money in their pockets, rich or poor, they have the opportunity to spend it in the local economy. But it’s more than that. Who creates jobs in the local private industry and signs paychecks, Mr. Alcon? Who provides generous donations to nonprofit organizations that work their hearts out to serve low-income families, such as United Way and Habitat for Humanity, among dozens of others; who donates major sums of money to local universities to help with higher education, asking only for their name on a wall or building in return? Good-hearted people with money who care about this community.
Make some sense, be fair, stop discriminating, and think through your posturing against many hard-working citizens of New Mexico.
Margaret Garcia
Is it politics?
Dear editor,
I recently was reading the Cibola Citizen online; I noticed the nominations for small business of the year with 25 or less employees. Upon reading this, I noticed that Melinda Salazar from Farmers Insurance also known as Melinda Montano Farmers Insurance was not nominated.
I truly don't understand why. When the football team needed new uniforms, she bought the uniforms, but not for publicity for her company, because the kids needed them. The football team needed them and had not had new uniforms probably since the class of 1998. Last year, when the business Christmas contest was taking place, it took the Chambers about two days to even out her business on the Facebook page so that the public could vote. Melinda is constantly watching out for the law enforcement and the fire departments in and around Cibola County, from a simple lunch to hosting a BBQ a few years ago. This is just in her Professional life. Let me give you a taste of just what she does in her personal life. She helps her elderly grandma and makes sure she is taken care of along with her father-in-law that lives alone. A few years ago, her husband suffered a brain tumor and had to be out of work and she took care of him along with her children. Melinda has always put others first and always willing to help others around her. If this doesn't deserve recognition in Cibola County, then I am not sure what does. I feel this has something to do with certain members of the community that can't get past her success and just want to see her fail. This is all politics, and this is the main reason why citizens move out and go to other cities.
Thank you,
Concerned Citizen
Grants comes out in force
Dear Editor,
Despite a global pandemic, area residents shared the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout Central New Mexico Area Team contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at Drop-Off Locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected more than 9.1 million such gifts in 2021. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2021, the ministry is now sending more than 10.5 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.
Through shoeboxes— packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items—Grantsarea volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 198 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across Central New Mexico Area Team, shoebox packers shop for shoebox gift deals year round, and many serve at a deeper level. Information about ways area participants can get involved year round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling (303) 745-9179.
Although local drop off locations for gifts are closed until Nov. 14 – 21, 2022, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.
These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.
Sincerely,
Emory Frie
What about hydrogen?
Dear editor,
Last week NM Legislative leaders met on ZOOM to talk about HB 4's Hydrogen Hub Legislation being put forward by NM State Representative Patty Lundstrom and Representative Small. What was disappointing about this call was the stacked opposition to this very important economic proposal.
It never ceases to amaze me how the State of New Mexico allows itself to be bullied by the progressive left in matters that could improve our State's economy towards the better! I support the hydrogen hub legislation and commend once again, Representative Lundstrom for seeing the "bigger" picture and pushing for this hydrogen hub legislation.
When the Energy Transition Act was passed a couple of years ago, it had a devastating effect on NM's coal, gas and oil industry that has always provided well to New Mexico's Treasury. Moreover, this piece of legislation hurt McKinley, San Juan and my County of Cibola. McKinley County lost Marathon Oil and Tri-State Generating Plant, costing this County tens of millions of dollars! The cost to Cibola County has been estimated at $14 million a year!
Now we have an opportunity to try something different that alligns with this "green legislative movement" of our State. The Tri-State coal fired plant is the perfect place to begin this hydrogen opportunity. As a coal fired plant, it was one of the cleanest electric generating plants in the country. It was also well cared for and is in excellent shape to be retooled from coal to natural gas and would become the first coal fired plant to be retooled in this way in the world. Those in opposition to this legislation are the same people that keep New Mexico #49 economically! We have the resources and the ability to use all of our natural resources responsibly and benefit our poor State. Please support HB 4 and give New Mexico a chance to provide power for our State. Heaven knows solar and windfarms just are not cutting it!
Robert S. Windhorst
Cibola County
Commissioner, District 4
Milan, NM
The Cibola Citizenwelcomes all letters to the editor, we will publish all received letters unless they are defamatory. Letters from elected officials will not be edited prior to publication. Please keep letters less than 400 words and include a title for the letter.Please email your letter to: editor@cibolacitizen.com for publication or bring it to the Cibola Citizen Newspaper office at 200 W. Santa Fe Avenue, or send it to P.O. Box 789, Grants, New Mexico, 87020.