Sound Off! (Aug. 3)

It is ridiculous that people are being brought in from Washington DC to tell us how to build our downtown area.

[Border Native]

To the person who wants the downtown plaza to reflect"our" Mexican heritage. Guess what? I want it to reflect "our" American heritage. Strong brick buildings, territorial style architechure, and the Victorian architechture so prevalant with the coming of the railroads. Much better than huts made of mud and sticks.

[Whiners]

I have lived here well over 20 yrs. I'm sick of the Hispanics thnking that Las Cruces or ALL of New Mexico should be about them! I look at this State as a melting pot,just like every other State in the Union. Not everyone who calls New Mexico home, was born and raised here or has roots in Mexico. If it's so important to have everything here in Las Cruces have a Hispanic theme to it, just because many Hispanics call it home, then just move to Mexico. It's ALL about their culture down there. It is true that the Hispanic population makes up a very large part of New Mexico, but it doesn't belong to just them. When are they going to wake up and smell the coffee and stop all the whinning? The architects should have a designated area to fly flags from all over the world down there. Lets make EVERYONE feel at home here in Las Cruces and stop being selfish and self-centered.

[Quirky Cynick]

Whiners wrote:

I have lived here well over 20 yrs. I'm sick of the Hispanics thnking that Las Cruces or ALL of New Mexico should be about them! I look at this State as a melting pot,just like every other State in the Union. Not everyone who calls New Mexico home, was born and raised here or has roots in Mexico. If it's so important to have everything here in Las Cruces have a Hispanic theme to it, just because many Hispanics call it home, then just move to Mexico. It's ALL about their culture down there. It is true that the Hispanic population makes up a very large part of New Mexico, but it doesn't belong to just them. When are they going to wake up and smell the coffee and stop all the whinning? The architects should have a designated area to fly flags from all over the world down there. Lets make EVERYONE feel at home here in Las Cruces and stop being selfish and self-centered.

I hope that you have your flame proof outfit on but I do agree with you.

[Jenny]

To the person that said we should re-name Elk's drive. It was named Elk's drive because of the Elk's Lodge, not because Elks have been sighted there. The reason there is constant construction on Elk's drive is because it has been extended through at least two arroyos to accommodate new homes for people from other parts of the country who don't know or take the time to learn about our town's history or culture.

[Native Las Crucen]

Dear Whiner,

If you don't like Mexican or Hispanic culture, why did you move to Las Cruces and stay for 20 years? I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee. This area was a part of Mexico for a lot longer that it has been part of the United States. Please remember that New Mexico only became a state in 1912, and that we Anglos are the outsiders. Therefore, I believe that Mexican heritage and culture should be remembered, celebrated, and yes, even considered when renovating our downtown area.

[RAP]

Border Native wrote:

To the person who wants the downtown plaza to reflect"our" Mexican heritage. Guess what? I want it to reflect "our" American heritage. Strong brick buildings, territorial style architechure, and the Victorian architechture so prevalant with the coming of the railroads. Much better than huts made of mud and sticks.

Who do you think was a better person - Jim Bowie or Juan Seguin?

[roswell55]

If the people worked like they reproduce,we would have a very groovy state.

[Bottle Rocket]

For those who are constantly berating the Sun-News as having a conservative bias, I hope you noticed that Sunday's "Guest Columnists" in the Opinion section were both card-carrying liberals from that bastion of right-wing thought, The LA Times.

[MBB]

Hehehe - Barracade Drive. I like it. I've lived out here for 4 years (but am a 'lifelong' resident). They have dug up the exact same spot at least 3 times now at the intersection where Pic Quik and that car reselling place is.

If you drive down it today, you'll see what no drainage on a street looks like. The sand, dirt and pinecones from the last big storm still sit in the street just after Jornada Elementary school. If the street was built over 2 arroyos, then where the *#()$ is the drainage?????

When the city re-did Elks from Main to wherever, they had to buy at least 3 houses. One they've finally 'finished' but the other 2 still sit there, empty. One has a pool in the backyard that is a mosquito breeding ground. If you drive Elks, these are the 2 houses where the barricades are - on the east side of the street.

It's just proof positive that no-one knows what they are doing.

[Fed Up in NM]

For the comment about people in New York adopting an underprivileged child and buying school supplies, please contact the school in your district and do the same. Although there is no official program, there is a need. Even if you just take in some extra supplies and tell the principal what you want done with them, the supplies will get to a deserving child. Or, email me at [e-mail] and I can ensure the supplies will get to a needy student. The club I sponsor has a drive like this going on right now, and we need all the help we can get.

[Cactus-Rose]

"It is ridiculous that people are being brought in from Washington DC to tell us how to build our downtown area"
It is time these people realize that we live in the USA, if you want Mexican Culture, I suggest you pick yourself up, and go back to Mexico!

[oldnavy2001]

Again, another ignorant voice who knows NOTHING about ExxonMobil.

Did you EVEN CONSIDER the fact that XOM paid over $50-billion in taxes during this same quarter?

Why not gripe about Proctor & Gamble who made a 21% profit last quarter? XOM only made 8.4%

Quit listening to the drivel and do some research on your own.

[big rob]

Very few Liberals have taken an economics class. They have no clue about the world economy or even get a clue as to how many new people are driving in China and India. Supply and demand pinkos. But wait Obama will save the world for them.

[Bob Loblaw]

As a student that struggles to pay tuition and is now in debt because of student loans, I am appalled that they are using my hard earned tuition to go on luxurious retreats. I have friends in college that don't know how they are going to pay for groceries, and gas. We are barely getting by trying to afford our education, and instead of using this money to better our university they are going on vacations.

Another reason why college is for suckers. Enjoy the debts, which will probably last well into your 30s.

[Bob Loblaw]

Back in New York when it came to school supplies for our kids, people in New York would adopt a student from an underprivileged home, or a home where the could not afford the school supplies. Whenever the child needed something for school, for a class trip or supplies, the sponsor would pay for it. I don't see why we don't do that here.

How about if you can't afford a notebook and a box of pencils for your offspring, you shouldn't be having kids? What are we talking about here - maybe 20 bucks worth of supplies?

[Bob Loblaw]

I am thinking it is about time the city does some things to save the planet. Like trash pickup at home for recycling. I think we are wasting a lot of resources. This city could use the money we would save by recycling.

What would make sense is to institute a deposit refund for glass bottles and send them to a recycler. Just walking down South Main St I'd make a small fortune picking up bottles.

There's no glass recycling in Southern NM or in El Paso, a metro area of over 1M people. I make a twice-yearly run to Tucson or ABQ with a trunk full of glass to do my part in preventing being crushed by the glass bottle avalanche of 2012.

[jett krash]

I was born and raised in Las Cruces; the product of the melting pot. My dad was Scottish/Mexican and my mom was full blood Spanish. They were born in souther New Mexico too. I actually like the fact I am a "half-breed" and have respect for the spanish, mexican, anglo and native american culture present in Dona Ana county.

[Fed Up in NM]

Bob Loblaw wrote:

<quoted text>
How about if you can't afford a notebook and a box of pencils for your offspring, you shouldn't be having kids? What are we talking about here - maybe 20 bucks worth of supplies?

True that if you can't support them you shouldn't have them. But, that doesn't change the fact that there are children in school whose parents do not provide school supplies for them. It is not the fault of the children. Also, it is a bit more than $20 of supplies. It is more like $40-$50 per child.

[aggiefansince83]

I am in college and I am not in debt. All it takes is some planning ahead and working. Work full time over the summer so you can save up some money during the school year if you need it. If you have a roommate and split rent and bills a part time job at minimum wage is still enough to get by. Even if that is not enough when I was born my parents put in a CD at the bank and let it inflate and then let me have the money when I got to college to use as a backup plan.

If you are complaining about being in debt with student loans well then maybe you should have gotten better grades in high school to qualify for the Regents scholarship which pays all of your tuition.

People nowadays expect everything to be handed to them. You have to plan ahead and work for things and not bitch that some NMSU administrators go on a retreat to the mountains as the reason you are struggling to pay tuition and bills.

[Judas]

Kissing up to the regents again, are you 83? You've already proven that you're not the brightest bulb--is that why you're at NMSU?