To the editor Aug. 7, 2026

Need more notice

The public meeting with Chief Story and our City Councilors on Wed. evening, July 29, was really a great idea. Unfortunately, that idea was poorly executed.

The event was not adequately publicized. We knew of it only because the District 2 city councilor contacted our dedicated Neighborhood Watch coordinator who informed those on the “Telegram” network. We did not see or hear any other notice.

It was evident upon entering city hall room 2007 that a large attendance was not expected. There were five table groups with chairs closely packed into the room. District 6 and an “all city” table were in another room. Why not have Chief Story speak in a less crowded room, then disperse to district groups?

Next time, please promote community participation by announcing well ahead, then again closer to the event. Thank you to the many police and city staffers who were present, as well as to Chief Story and the city councilors.

Lynford and Judith Ames

Las Cruces

Asking for civil opposition

I oppose the Project Jupiter Data Center now under construction and favor efforts to curb the environmental damage our elected leaders failed to prohibit in their negligent approval of this proposal. Last Tuesday, I was seated in the Board of Commissioners chambers for the first of what I believe will be multiple

discussions of Project Jupiter. The Chair made it clear at the outset that the meeting was taking place in the electorate’s “House” and respectful conduct would be required and enforced.

Clapping and applause for individual speakers was allowed, as were the opponents prominently displaying various written signs. It was repeatedly announced that heckling and interruptive behavior would not be tolerated. Nevertheless, it continued, but from one side only.

As a respectful, non-violent protester in the tradition of Martin Luther King, who has participated in numberless marches, vigils, and protests since 1964 in

every community and state in which we have lived, I was appalled by the self-serving, rude, disruptive, undemocratic, and ultimately ineffective heckling

engaged in by a few individuals who deserved to be ejected and were. I arrived before the meeting started, and it was clear that only those who had signed up

would be allowed to speak and time would be limited.

As a retired lawyer and public official, it was frustrating to see the supporters of the project effectively and embarrassingly avoid accountability because

opponents were too focused on being disruptive to make their own better arguments for a moratorium and/or curbs on water and energy use. I hope those of us in opposition will be able to present more civil and effective arguments for our position in the future.

 Jerry Scribner

Las Cruces

Unbalanced towards Project Jupiter

Project Jupiter is getting undue advantage when it comes to public meetings and producing required documents on time. The jobs reports are overdue and were promised by Friday, July 31. Friday afternoon they were not available. The air quality permit hearing was suddenly moved from Oct. 19 to Sept. 14.

Rather than Jupiter going to clean energy, Oracle representatives claimed they would have renewable energy going to the community. In other words, the pollution from the data center will continue.

How much money has exchanged hands that Oracle is getting all they want with citizens getting nothing?

Constitution workers currently have jobs, but they won't last. Once complete, data center jobs can mostly be remote, so very few local jobs will be available.

The county commissioners and all involved in these decisions should keep the citizens of Dona Ana County as their priority, not the billionaires trying to take over.

Cynthia Brown 

What repealing the income tax would cost New Mexicans

Recently, some New Mexico lawmakers urged Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to call a special session and eliminate New Mexico’s personal income tax outright.

On its face, it sounds fair — especially to New Mexico’s working families. Don’t be fooled: the lowest-earning New Mexicans would pay the price.

If income tax is scrapped, the lowest earning 54% of taxpayers would see an average tax relief of just $122 per year. The top 5% would clear more than $13,000 per year.

The state has already leaned in to provide targeted tax relief to the families that need it most, through tax credits and exemptions to those who need it the most. Dropping personal income tax would also blow a $2.2 billion hole in the state budget. It would require cutting essential services, raising other taxes, or both. It would leave the state more dependent on the most volatile revenue source it has: oil and gas.

A tax code designed for long-term growth has to work for businesses as well. That’s why this administration reduced gross receipts taxes for the first time in 40 years. Our tax code is lifting up New Mexican businesses, and it’s paying off: New Mexican families are leading the nation for income growth.

Between 2018 and 2024, New Mexico’s tax code jumped from 27th to 9th in a national tax fairness ranking published by the independent Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. We’re doing well, by all objective measures. Repealing income tax would put us worse than where we started.

Stephanie Schardin Clarke

Santa Fe

Clarke serves as cabinet secretary of the Taxation and Revenue Department