Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Letters to the editor
Regarding recent issues at the Curry County Adult Detention Center:
I find it interesting that jail Administrator Leslie Johnson is investigating a jail break and stabbing trying to find out who is responsible. Where I come from, the person at the top is responsible. So this to me is the fox watching the hen house.
I have for some time wondered why so many prisoners escape from our jail and without too much trouble. I think I have the answer: This jail is run like a country club for wayward children.
Wake up. Any prison I have seen does a head count. This is accomplished not by just walking by but actually eyeballing that prisoner. They do searches of cells on a regular basis, especially cells occupied by violent inmates. They do not allow visits to cells of other inmates.
Faulty security doors and cameras represent a total lack of responsibility on the warden’s part.
I believe the county should already know who is responsible for these incidents. We should be looking for her accomplices and deal with them both swiftly.
Surely we can find professionals to keep our community safe.
James L. Sitterly
Clovis
Area democracy on verge of failing to represent citizens
I am disappointed with democracy in Curry County. I have always believed that citizens elected officials to represent citizens’ best interests. That isn’t what I’ve seen since ConAgra proposed building an ethanol plant on the outskirts of Clovis.
Instead, I’ve seen a lot of political dodge ball with elected officials dancing around the issue. They are afraid of making a wrong impression, I suppose. The impression I get is that our officials are more concerned about appearing “anti-business” than they are about the concerns of the citizens who elected them.
More than 1,500 citizens have signed petitions stating they don’t want the plant at the proposed location for fear of potential health risks. I know there are prominent business people opposed to the location, but they don’t want to step on anybody’s toes — so they remain silent except in private.
Whatever happened to standing up for what you believe in?
Several citizens have been to every meeting in which the permit for the proposed ethanol plant has been discussed (except the closed meeting with city commissioners, which none of us were informed about.)
Our officials reject proposals to get further testing from the health department stating that it isn’t their job … but they offer no alternative action.
It is their job to do what the citizens want.
Surely something can be done. I can’t understand how anyone could think it is a good idea to put that plant in the proposed location, except for those more concerned about the almighty dollar than the well being of the citizens of Clovis.
Jaqque Johnson
Clovis
