To the editor

A tale of two homes

As a Realtor in Las Cruces, I'm currently preparing marketing materials for a

landmark LEED Platinum home built in 2009 in one of our established

neighborhoods. Reviewing its specifications and performance data, I'm struck

by the profound gap between this home and the conventionally built houses

around it.

Standard homes are built to satisfy minimum legal building code. LEED

Platinum represents the highest tier of achievement from the U.S. Green

Building Council — independently verified across energy efficiency, indoor air

quality, water conservation, comfort, and materials.

The differences are tangible. With a HERS score of 42, this home uses 58%

less energy than a comparable baseline home. Its 6 kW rooftop solar array

makes it net-positive, generating roughly $2,700 in annual energy savings.

Solid 4.5-inch Structural Insulated Panel walls deliver continuous R-32

insulation, eliminating thermal bridging and outside noise. Combined with R-

40 ceiling insulation, passive solar orientation, and a reflective roof membrane,

the home maintains comfort year-round with minimal mechanical effort. An

Energy Recovery Ventilator continuously cycles fresh filtered air through the

home, supported by MERV 13 filtration, VOC-free finishes, and a chemical-free

history inside and out.

Yet in standard real estate transactions, this level of quality is routinely

overlooked. High-performance homes certified under LEED, ENERGY STAR, or

Build Green NM are verified by independent building science professionals —

producing scores and documentation that give buyers trustworthy, objective

information about a home's expected performance.

This is a call to buyers, sellers, real estate professionals, builders, lenders, and

appraisers: it's time to recognize and reward the true worth of a high-

performance home. The data exists. The tools exist. What's needed is the will

to use them.

Renee Frank

Las Cruces

Free and fair elections in 2026

Our community can play an important part in protecting free and fair elections during the upcoming midterms. A massive voter turnout will send the message

that we don’t put up with being intimidated. We vote.

It appears that Trump is determined to destroy our democracy and not even the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against his mail-in voting interference will stop him from attempting to sow chaos in our elections. The best thing we can do is turn out in historic numbers to vote early and in person. Make a plan to deliver your ballot by hand. If you can’t, a family member or caregiver can deliver it for you.

Free elections mean nobody is afraid to vote and fair elections follow proper procedure and the rule of law. To do your part, be prepared to participate in the biggest voter turnout in New Mexico history. You might want to help a neighbor go to the polls, join a group that helps register voters, or volunteer to be a pollwatcher.

There are lots of different ways to participate, but everyone needs to be registered, and it’s important to vote early.

Go to www.landofaction.org/vote for a tool kit that covers registering, voting from home and in person, important election dates, and the NM laws about

election interference. There is also information on how to recognize, document, and report illegal interference at the polls.

Every person who is eligible to vote in every community in New Mexico is needed now to save American democracy. Together, we can do this. Voting is the best revenge.

Jennifer Lamborn

Silver City

Support the GO bond

The League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico encourages voters in the City of Las Cruces to support the general obligation bond on the November election ballot.  If approved by the voters, the bond will be used to renovate and expand Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.

The library was originally built on its current site in 1979 and was renovated most recently about sixteen years ago.  The new funds will increase the size of the library by about 50%, providing new spaces for children and teens as well as meeting places. 

The League has had a position in support of the library since 1977 and recently updated its statement after studying changes in the operation of libraries and changes in our community over the past half century. In particular, our members noted the wide range of services, beyond offering books.  Activities at Branigan include maker spaces, music lessons, computer literacy programs, movies, and arts and crafts. League members also emphasized the role of public libraries in facilitating free and open access to information and the citizens’ right to know.

With democratic institutions under stress, it is a great time to support our public libraries which are so important in developing informed participants in the community. Your vote is also an important action you can take in celebration of the 250th birthday of the nation.

Kathy Brook

Las Cruces

Be informed

In her Sept. 18, 2026, column, Shawna Pfeiffer claims most voters are passive and apathetic, corporate dollars have made it impossible for grassroots candidates to run a successful campaign, voters should have candidate information, and debates should be held before early voting starts.

Ms. Pfeiffer’s concern about the limited number of debates and their timing is one we share.  Since early voting starts on Oct. 6, voters should have the information they need to make decisions  by then. We also agree that Citizens United, the Supreme Court ruling that lets corporations flood  campaigns with money, has done tremendous damage to our democracy and needs to be overturned.

Finally, while voter turnout percentages suggest many voters may be passive or

apathetic, we prefer to focus on the second explanation Ms. Pfeiffer offers – most voters are extremely busy. That is why members of the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico work hard to get information to voters as early as possible.

The League’s bilingual Vote411.org website can be accessed at https://www.vote411.org/. It  lets voters check their registration, register if needed, and see what is on their ballots. It includes candidates’ unedited answers to questions about relevant issues of concern to voters, provides details about state Constitutional Amendments and bond issues, shares information about upcoming local debates and forums, and gives information about polling places and drop boxes.

Our local League also provides a printed Voter Guide in English and Spanish for the Nov. 3 election (14,000 copies to be distributed in the Bulletin and various county locations).

Critically, our “Vote at Home” campaign also lets people know they can vote from home with absentee ballots, saving them time from going to the polls and waiting in line to vote.

We encourage anyone concerned about low voter turnout and corporate money in elections to join the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico and work with us to make sure New Mexicans know what they are voting for. You can join at https://www.lwvsnm.org/

Lynda St. Clair, Ph.D.

Randee Greenwald,

Members, League of Women Voters of Southern NM