Letters to the Editor - Dec. 23

Food tax will make poverty worse

In the course of the last few days, it has become evident that some lawmakers in our state want to place a 4 percent tax on food.

New Mexico ranks second highest in the nation for children living in hunger and first for children living in poverty. By imposing such a tax, we are adding to the number of children living in hunger and poverty.

Is this something we want people to think of when one mentions New Mexico?

This proposal contradicts many things our lawmakers have asked for; they want us to pull together and make New Mexico the best place to be a kid.

This cannot occur when they are hungry and living in poverty. A child cannot learn, let alone make it through a full day of school, wondering if they will have food when they get home from school.

I have seen many people who are struggling to feed their family. It is my fear that if this tax is imposed we will see a large number of people seeking our help to feed their children. This is what we are called to do, but there is only so much we can do to help families in our communities.

This so-called “tortilla tax” will not prevent hunger or poverty, it will only make things worse.

I ask lawmakers to find another way to rebuild our state’s revenue, a way that will not place the future of our children on the backs of their parents who are struggling every day to make ends meet.

Christopher Baca

Portales

Article writer just doesn’t get it

I was really saddened to read the article about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on page 1 of the Dec. 11 Lifestyles section.

Obviously the North Carolina gentleman who wrote this article just doesn’t get it.

I am a fan of TSO and I am not, nor have I ever been, a lover of heavy metal music. I love TSO’s Christmas story that they do every year and I am enthralled with the pyrotechnics.

The musicians are some of the most amazingly talented people I have ever heard or seen.

I thought it was interesting to read the list of 2016 area performance dates: San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix. They performed a lot closer to my house when they performed in Lubbock on Nov. 26 to a sold-out audience.

The writer was correct when he said “It’s not for everybody.”

TSO fans are a special blend of people with no respecter of age, background or culture.

Those of us that love TSO park by Taco Box many evenings during the holidays and get a sweet taste of TSO while we wait for another amazing performance coming the following year.

Robin Montano

Clovis