TalkoftheTown: If you safeguard your child from knives, why not teach them to prevent abuse?

Our elected officials can solve the Albuquerque crime crisis

By all of us who call Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico our home, a debt of praise and gratitude is owed to Joanne Fine for the richly informative, concise and powerfully compelling commentary on the state of crime in our community in her Jan. 5 piece, “Crime is a choice, not a destiny.”

The primary obstacle, it seems, lies with those we have empowered to put aside self-serving and partisan agendas and demonstrate a sense of duty, courage, integrity and accountability. This is rightfully expected by those whose votes granted that power, and they should use it to provide citizens with the comfort of safety and security they deserve and voted to have.

Given the legacy of the poor record we have on this issue, and at the risk of exhausting my remaining supply of optimism, this is a very doable and urgent need that can only be addressed by those the public has empowered to do so.

BYRON GARNER

Albuquerque

Praise to our APD officers for making our streets safer

Kudos to the traffic control, speeding and reckless driving reduction efforts of the APD officers in the Foothills Area Command Substation in the Far Northeast Heights.

As a resident of this area since 1978, I have witnessed the evolution of out-of-control drivers over the past two decades, much of which I attribute to minimal enforcement by an understaffed Police Department.

We experienced almost two decades of new drivers hitting the roadways without encountering any real enforcement of traffic laws. In effect, these new drivers were almost encouraged to drive as fast and recklessly as they wished, given the little risk of penalty. Driving at double the speed limits with roaring mufflers and weaving in and out of traffic was, for many, the rule, not the exception.

In the past two years, there has been a noticeable change in my area — one that I have personally witnessed. The daily crime reports almost always reflect traffic stops on our major streets, and I believe this is finally making an impact. I hope the other area commands in the city are doing similar enforcement.

Give praise where it is due. Keep up the great work, Foothills officers.

DAVE COULIE

Albuquerque

Our NM Legislature owes us action, not disregard

Dr. Angelina Villas-Adams’ letter, “New Mexico’s physician shortage is anything but ‘propaganda’” (Jan. 10, Journal), was right on point.

I am on my third primary care provider in the last six years because the first two left New Mexico. My wife has had difficulty getting appointments scheduled with specialists in the last year, with some of those taking five or six months to get in. This is not propaganda; these are facts, and I have heard similar experiences from others in our state.

The treatment that Dr. Villas-Adams received from state Reps. Eleanor Chavez and Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (both D-Albuquerque) is extremely discouraging. I have spoken to both of my legislators, state Rep.-elect Nicole Chavez and state Sen.-elect Nicole Tobiassen, and they certainly understand and take seriously the concerns that many New Mexico residents have regarding health care in our state.

As a senior citizen, health care is more important to me now than it has ever been. Our Legislature owes the people that it is supposed to represent the obligation to consider meaningful legislative action that will encourage doctors to remain in New Mexico.

PATRICK DEE

Albuquerque