OPINION: Talk of the Town

The U.S. poet laureate should speak out

Congratulations to esteemed poet Arthur Sze of Santa Fe on his appointment as U.S. poet laureate. As a poet myself who is an admirer of his elegant work, I make the following comments with great respect.

Is it the duty of a poet laureate to speak up on public issues? The role has historically provided a platform for such expressions.

The formal responsibilities of a U.S. poet laureate are intentionally minimal. Appointed by the librarian of Congress, the U.S. poet laureate has only a few official duties.

Although the role is nonpartisan, numerous laureates have addressed sensitive political and social issues. In 2017, Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith took her poetry to rural communities to address political divisions.

Past laureates have tackled sensitive subjects. British Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy wrote political poems in her final collection that took aim at Brexit. In 2002, Charles Simic publicly supported a full-page advertisement in the New York Times that questioned the impending Iraq War.

Other laureates such as Joy Harjo have focused on promoting marginalized voices and social justice themes.

Many argue political engagement is an inherent part of a writer’s responsibility, especially in times of great injustice. For Palestinians, as for the Irish and many other peoples, poetry has been a vital tool for expressing resistance. Palestinian poets, including Mosab Abu Toha, advocate for Palestinian rights and bear witness to the violence.

Some poets have cautioned against reducing the artist’s role to a purely political one. Ultimately, the decision of whether and how to speak is left to the individual artist.

Please, dear Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, do not go gentle into this good night of the soul. Please, speak out.

Bill Nevins

Taos

Does ABQ deserve better than Keller?

If these are the common issues that every candidate in this race is talking about — crime, homelessness, accountability, infrastructure and equity — then the question must be asked: How can Mayor Tim Keller possibly make a difference now? He has already had eight years in office, and by nearly every measurable standard, he has failed to deliver the results Albuquerque desperately needs. Crime has soared to record highs, homelessness has multiplied and public trust in city leadership has eroded. Infrastructure remains inconsistent, transparency is questioned, and bold promises on equity and sustainability have been drowned out by the reality of poor execution. After two full terms, Keller doesn’t just own the problems — he owns the failures. Why should Albuquerque voters believe that four more years would yield anything different than the past eight?

Shane F. D’Onofrio

Albuquerque

NM should join health care worker compacts

Sen. Peter Wirth,

I hold you and your New Mexico trial lawyers clique personally responsible for the denial of medical and behavioral health access to all New Mexico citizens. It is unconscionable to deny health care access through interstate medical worker compacts. The state’s health care is a mess and continues to deteriorate. My wife and I live in the state’s largest city, we’re on Medicare now and waiting for a doctor appointment for over six months is stupid.

You’re the Senate majority leader ... lead.

Russel Hall

Albuquerque

A pro-housing path for every small town

Across the country, small and mid-size communities are facing the same crisis: Homes cost more than most families can afford while building permits keep declining. At the New Mexico Housing Summit, where 600 housing leaders from 24 states and 80 municipalities gathered, the numbers told a stark story: Most families cannot afford the median home price, rents have jumped 60% since 2017, and homelessness has increased. Regulatory requirements increase the cost of homes and apartments. That’s not a market failure — it’s a policy failure.

Whenever solutions come up, someone says, “Government can’t get involved.” I call B.S. Local governments created much of the red tape — and they can cut the red tape. City councils, planning boards and county commissions already have the power to remove needless barriers that drive up costs and slow construction.

Here’s how any small community can act:

• Promote density and diverse options.
• Allow accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes and four-plexes in areas zoned only for single-family homes. Welcome mixed-use development near jobs and shops while reducing outdated parking, lot-size and height rules.
• Embrace “middle housing.”
• Support townhomes, cottage clusters and courtyard apartments — neighborhood-scale choices for every stage of life and income level.
• Streamline permitting.
• Cut impact fees, digitize permits and shorten review times. Focus public input on broad zoning plans instead of fighting every project.
• Housing is infrastructure, as essential as roads and water.

If we want teachers, nurses and our own children to stay, we must act now. Communities that embrace pro-housing policies thrive. When local leaders have the courage to cut red tape, families win, neighborhoods strengthen and the whole town prospers.

Jeneva Martinez

Roswell

No dissent is the same as silent consent

Recent local media ads offer up to $50,000 incentives for joining Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dissent is our inalienable right. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to persecution based on gender, religion or political party.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights accepted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 states, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social service, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” Equal justice doesn’t mean “just us.”

Maurice Ogden’s, “The Hangman,” speaks of an executioner building scaffolds for certain factions of ethnicity, religion and economic status. Townspeople accept this genocide. Finally, he calls the remaining few, and says, “Who has served me more faithfully Than you with your coward’s hope?’ … Where are the others that might have stood Side by your side in the common good? ... First the alien, then the Jew ... I did no more than you let me do.”

Most of us have a cellphone or a computer. We can protest, encourage or suggest legislation. Our Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …”

The isolationism that preceded World War II ended with the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Will life on earth be annihilated by World War III? Not to dissent is silent consent.

Carolyn Mahnke

Albuquerque

Congress must pay for programs it votes for

A letter in the Sunday Journal on Sept. 28 said it is Congress’ job to pass a budget that reflects the needs of the people and the budget should include adequate funding. In another letter, two legislative members stated they “will not sit idly as drastic federal cuts threaten the wellbeing of our families.” Both identified several health, food, housing, insurance and other “key” programs.

Actually, Congress has done a great job passing budgets to provide funding for a broad variety of programs for the people. The problem is Congress has done a poor job — a very poor job — of saying how to pay for those programs. While supporting all types of good programs, politicians have bankrupted us.

The truth is we are broke. Not just broke, but in debt. We are $37.5 trillion dollars in the hole.

For example, Sen. Martin Heinrich has been in Congress since 2009, when our deficit was $10.6 trillion. In his 16 years in Congress voting for good and needed programs, our debt has grown an additional $27 trillion.

The problem is not Congress failing to pass the “spending for” part of the budget but failing to pass the “paying for” part of the budget.

For everyone who wants many of those for-the-people programs (including me), I’ll make you a deal: You tell me which of your and my taxes you want to raise to pay for those programs and I’ll vote for those increases if you will.

And don’t try to pass the buck to the big, bad billionaires and corporations. History has shown us the debt is too big and the program costs too large even for them.

Ronald Toya

Albuquerque

Local elections are the most important

Our “Regular Local Election” is coming up soon. Election Day, Nov. 4, is one month out, and early voting starts on Oct. 18. Working as a poll worker over several years has made a number of things clear to me.

First, the name of the event states clearly that it is “local.” Many voters are dissuaded from bothering to vote in such minor elections. That idea saddens me, as I think local elections have more impact on our daily life than the more dramatic national elections. After all, local elections focus on county commissions, city councils, mayors, school boards and local entities such as water authorities. Those are the entities that establish local taxes, policies for expenditure of county and city funds, and school district priorities and policies — in other words, the governmental actions that have the most impact on our day-to-day lives. So, do not let this election go by without voting for what you care about.

But how do we do that smoothly and intelligently? Here is my tip: Remember to RSVP. That is, ensure you are registered to vote (though in New Mexico you can register, or update your registration, on the day you vote). Second, study up on the candidates and issues — their plans, intended policies and how they fit with your preferences. Third, vote — early, in-person at any of the many early voting centers, by mail, or on Election Day at any of the even more voting centers open that day. Finally, after the election, when elected candidates are in office, review the policies and positions of those candidates against your criteria. And, oh, should we need a runoff, don’t fail to vote in that.

Robert Richards

Albuquerque