Talk of the Town: NM elk hunting tradition gets costly, shutting out locals

Hands off homeless people’s belongings

I applaud the judge’s order to stop police from seizing the belongings of people living on the streets.

I’ve been told harrowing stories of being awakened with a flashlight in the face and told to get out in 5 minutes, something that’s impossible to do. What little the people own is then thrown into a dumpster. I’ve also been told that the police and city workers do this with gusto and laughter.

The order to stop this practice is essential, and, I hope, the first of more like it. And by the way, many people forced to live on the streets practice “leave no trace” and make sure to leave their campsites cleaner than they found them.

PAMELA LEWIS

Albuquerque

Journal’s good news is much appreciated

I greatly appreciated the front page commitment by editor Patrick Ethridge (Sept. 18) to have more good-news stories in the Journal. Some time ago, I had stopped reading any story that had to do with shootings, fatal accidents, or guns in schools. That shortened the time it took me to read the whole paper. It reached a point where I was reading “Dear Abby” and the comics … .

JIM CONWAY

Alto

New Mexico leads in non-resident elk tags

The article published (in the Journal) on Sept. 25 describing the interaction between private landowners and conflicts with elk was completely one-sided and misleading.

Elk and all wildlife are a publicly held resource, and New Mexico issues more elk tags to private landowners than any other state. Most Western states issue about 10% of elk tags to private landowners while New Mexico issues over 40%.

The EPLUS system referenced in the article is a broken system that enables private landowners to realize huge financial gains, and results in most elk tags being sold to nonresident hunters. It is long past time to reform EPLUS, and return the public resource of elk tags to resident New Mexico hunters.

MICHAEL FARRINGTON

Albuquerque

Local hunters, not the rich, need elk tags

We need more elk tags in New Mexico public hands through the draw and not in the greedy hands of private landowners who feel like they deserve the tags as if they own the animals.

As a lifelong resident of New Mexico, growing up hunting our public lands has been something I look forward to every year. Does not matter if we are successful or not at the harvest. The adventures of the hunt have made memorable stories I enjoy telling my kids and friends every year. Now that more tags are handed out to private landowners, it almost feels like those times are about to stop.

Elk hunting has become a rich man’s sport and less affordable. This is New Mexico, not Texas. I have personally been harassed and ran off public land by a ranch hand down in the Magdalena mountains during elk season. … Also, too many times I’ve seen these mainstream hunters on social media harvest elk in several other states only to see them sharing a post in New Mexico with another elk harvest on a private ranch somewhere. This is especially frustrating when I couldn’t even draw a tag to harvest meat for the year while some of them are hunting solely for the trophy. Bottom line, local New Mexicans hunting public lands need more elk tags available to New Mexico residents, not the highest bidder.

AARON CLINE

Clovis

Teachers should teach, parents parent

In response to: “APS teachers union fighting parents at school district’s peril,” (Sunday Journal, Sept. 24) I believe the reason for APS having such low scores has everything to do with parents rather than with teachers.

At school we are so concerned and worried about our students not having enough food to eat, safe home environments, or support at home. Also behavior is a big problem. We spend more than half our day controlling misbehaviors, students being defiant, and physical and mental threats.

If parents could parent their children and teach them to be responsible for their actions instead of blaming it on everyone else, then, we teachers could teach instead of parenting our students.

ANNA ZARAGOZA

Albuquerque

School choice is the answer for parents

I sympathize with the parents of children in APS (who are) trying to get accountability and reform from our public schools but the animus directed at them from the teachers union, an organization more adept at devising excuses than pressing for educational improvement, is par for the course in this state. A little school choice competition would go a long way to remedying this situation.

But I, too, have felt the arrogance and animosity of the education system. A while back I was reading an article on The Daily Wire and learned that UNM was going to host a “Critical Whiteness Studies” course. I was pretty well disgusted with this idea as teaching racism should be the last thing they’re doing.

So I sent an email to the Board of Regents. I got no reply. …

I shouldn’t be surprised however that I never got an answer from any of the UNM Regents. Over the years I’ve seen conservative speakers step foot on campus only to cause near riots. … Never, in all this time, have I ever seen the regents or the UNM president come forth with a defense of free speech on campus. Never.

All I can say is that our homegrown educational swamp needs to be shaken up and we New Mexicans and taxpayers are going to have to do the shaking. We should expect more than disdain and the middle finger of silence we’re getting now.

CLYDE ARAGON

Albuquerque

$1,500 to $15,000 to hunt elk?

I love to hunt elk, New Mexico may have the best elk hunting in America. However, it is very difficult to draw a tag in this state if you are a resident. The latest report from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation denoted that at least a third of all elk tags are sold to non-residents. Most of the tags are sold by private landowners in the EPLUS landowner system. A vast majority of these tags are sold to outfitters who then resell them to clients who can afford to pay about $1,500 for an antlerless elk hunt and up to $15,000 for a second season archery hunt.

I bought my first landowner tag in about 2013 for $500, this was for a five-day hunt. Last year, a landowner who sold me an antlerless tag in 2020 for $500 wanted $900 for the same tag in 2022. I chose not to purchase the tag. In 2020, I spoke to a lady in Reserve, N.M. She wanted $1,000 for an antlerless elk tag; I chose not to purchase the tag. I have spoken to very reputable individuals who were told an antlerless tag would cost $1,500. In 2021 more than 4,000 EPLUS tags were not sold. Many landowners in the EPLUS system allow anyone to hunt on their property while selling elk tags at exorbitant prices. The buyers of the high-price tags then hunt the same land with or without an outfitter/guide competing with resident hunters. Once you pay the EPLUS landowner for the tag information you still buy the tags from the state of New Mexico, an additional cost.

I have spoken to landowners in the EPLUS system who stated they sold their muzzleloader bull elk tags for $6,500 each. I cannot afford these exorbitant rates. I have not drawn an archery hunt since 2019, I am 67 and do not know how much longer I can hunt elk without help.

Elk hunting in New Mexico should be more for the residents than wealthy non-residents. … Landowners with elk problems don’t need more tags for more income. These landowners could allow late season antlerless elk hunting for a nominal trespass fee or for free. …

Game and Fish is forced into a situation that allows a huge number of elk tags to be sold to non-residents for the income needed to run the department.

MARK HAMMOND

Albuquerque

Fluoride good for teeth, backed by science

Fluoride is nature’s way to prevent tooth decay. It’s a mineral that exists naturally in lakes, rivers and groundwater. Adding a little more fluoride to drinking water is proven to prevent tooth decay in both children and adults. We know it’s a safe way to improve health because we have 70-plus years of research and experience with fluoridation.

The leading health, medical and dental organizations recommend water fluoridation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named fluoridation one of 10 “great public health achievements of the 20th century.” U.S. Surgeons General have consistently endorsed fluoridation, regardless of the president who appointed them.

Fluoridated water saves money for families and taxpayers by reducing tooth decay. Communities that stop fluoridating — or never start — are wasting money treating a preventable disease that can cause pain and disrupt their lives. …

CARLA GARCIA

Santa Fe

Emergency fund ‘ask’ needs closer look

Regarding the $1.5 million in emergency funding requested by the Office of Family Representation and Advocacy — OFRA — to the New Mexico Board of Finance, New Mexico taxpayers should take issue with the use of the words “emergency funding,” and demand close scrutiny of New Mexico’s child welfare data.

New Mexico’s child abuse and neglect system is our state’s largest closed organization and consequently information is easily skewed. This “ask” of the Board of Finance is an end-run strategy that is only successful when crucial information is withheld.

In 23 years, many Bernalillo County families have had children removed from their homes by the Children, Youth and Families Department due to ongoing abuse or neglect. From 2018 to present, there has been a marked decrease in CYFD filings in Bernalillo County alone. This decrease is driven by CYFD, the courts, commissioners and other influential individuals embracing policies that purposefully leave vulnerable children in dangerous situations to boost “an equitable society of strong families.”

This practice of diminishing child safety in the name of family unity creates the horrific child abuse and deaths that make headlines, while many other dangers, harm and neglect are legally hidden from view.

Decision-makers should question the purported OFRA “uptick.” … The Board of Finance should deny the request and ask OFRA if they overtly misled the public as to the true aggregate needs of the abused and neglected children in our state. Furthermore, the public should demand that the state Legislature pass and the governor sign legislation that provides transparency and true oversight of our whole child welfare system.

MARRON LEE

Albuquerque

How to handle a stolen car and how not to

Española Police Department shows Albuquerque Police Department how to get it done right. My SUV was stolen at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28. APD was immediately notified at 7:30 p.m. A phone app tracking device pinpointed the vehicle’s location. APD was notified of the exact location. At 2 a.m., APD called to make a report, but took no action on retrieving the vehicle.

At 7 a.m. Saturday, our tracking device showed the vehicle in Española. I contacted the Española Police Department and within 11 minutes they found the vehicle and arrested the thieves. If APD had taken action in a timely manner, it could have been handled locally.

MARTIN VALDEZ

Albuquerque