Some Moved Posts

Some posts have been moved up to the top of this page again. There is some interesting debate going on between a few of the readers of this blog. This makes it easier for everyone to find and weigh in on the debate.

Eminent Domain in New Mexico

"Land lady" said that there has been no instance of eminent domain in New Mexico.

This blog would like to point out the following article:
http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/60492-04-01-06.html

"Belen A realignment of plans for the proposed railroad overpass on Aragon Road means four rather than 11 homes would be taken."

So it is happening right here, right in Valencia County.

Compare some businesses

Augie's verus Larry's.

• Has a nice selection of cars that are nice and clean and look like they won't fall apart.
  

Augie's - Yes. Their cars are nice and clean and they look like a car someone might buy.

Larry's- NO. (and take note- Larry's is on Councilor Proctor's property)

• Someone comes out to greet you when you arrive there. Someone wants to help you buy a car and will tell you the details of the car.
  

Augie's- Yes. They come out as soon as you get there and will leave you alone or talk to you as you wish. They are there when you want to buy a car and will help you every step of the way.

Larry's- NO.

• The parking lot is paved and there is plenty of places to park. The place looks welcoming. The signs are well taken care of and it looks like a nice place to shop for a car.
  

Augie's- Yes.

Larry's- No. Larry wants to hang more penants that get tattered in the wind and doesn't want to take care of his property or pay for paving. Or is it Councilor Proctor that won't pay to pave the lot because it might cost some money?

It is enough to make you sick.

TAXES

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income
Tax Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Marriage License Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Real Estate Tax
Fishing License Tax
Luxury Taxes
Food License Tax
Local Income Tax
Fuel permit tax
Liquor Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Hunting License Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
Inheritance Tax
Inventory tax
Interest expense (tax on the money)
Medicare Tax Property Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)
Trailer Registration Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax (on NEW vehicles)
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and only one parent had to work to support the family. Bosque Farms has placed it's own burden on wealth by having some of these taxes and if the opportunity arises they will raise rates and taxes. For what?

More on Eminent Domain

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/stories/0328metstockbridge.html

Even if a developer is willing to pay more, if the Village uses eminent domain it may be able to pay you less than what you might be able to sell your property for, if you were willing to sell it.

Missing Commentators?

The authors of this blog have missed the comments from "Sady" and "Howie" and some of the others that have not been around lately. Is it possible that they could not continue to defend their stance on any topic?

There have been many interesting comments from "Just here", "Been Around" , "Land Lady", "Spotman1" and "Dizzy". The authors appreciate the commentators and look forward to future debates.

These authors will continue to write and notify the public of the ongoing issues that are impacting those of us who live in Bosque Farms now with an eye to the future and potential possibilities.

Eminent Domain and your Business

Did you hear the latest about eminent domain?

If YOUR business doesn't bring in enough revenue, as decided by the government, the government can take away your business and land.

It is happening in California right now. Hollywood has decided a different business than a luggage business would make more money. The luggage business is finding that although they have been in business since 1948 and been successful enough by the owners standards, it is not successful enough by the Council's standards. More money could be brought in with a newer building and a different business. The fight is on in Hollywood for land and the loser will be the owner of the land.

http://www.castlecoalition.org/CastleWatch/articles/3_21_06.html

Think it won't happen here? Think again. At least two Councilors have talked about a pool, a little league field, a soccor field, horse paths. Where will they go?

Be prepared to fight for your land home owners and business owners.

And there is more. Churches are being taken away by eminent domain in order to make way for a more profitable business or houses that will pay high property taxes.

http://www.castlecoalition.org/media/releases/3_21_06pr.html

Vacant lots, particularly those sitting on prime business land. Bosque Farms has vacant land. Right on main street. Bosque Farms has ugly business land (think used car lots and trailer sales lots) and the neighbors may very well appreciate a newer, cleaner business backing up to their home.

Once city in California is even holding discussions on using eminent domain on its own public library.

Even if a developer doesn't want your property or your business you can still lose your home, your vacant lot, your business if it is considered blighted. Yet blighted can be anything the government wants it to be. In the case of Bosque Farms, Councilor Wallace is currently working on an ordinance about just this issue. What is blight? How many warnings do you get before your home is declared a blight and you lose it?

http://www.castlecoalition.org/CastleWatch/articles/3_14_06.html

Eminent Domain is a scary. You can lose your home because a developer wants it and you can lose your home because it is 'blighted'.

And the Councilors that want a pool are the decision makers.

The Police Department and Pay

"Spotman1" and others are having a healthy discussion about police and the supposedly low pay they recieve.
http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2006/03/police-departments-and-other-employees.html

"Spotman1" seems to feel the police need more pay and the support of those of us who live here.
"Dizzy" seems to feel that nothing can be done since the cops that have iffy backgrounds have already been hired so we should just support them.


The point is this:
The cops of Bosque Farms threaten to quit unless they get more pay and they whine for better benefits. But they don't hold themselves to a higher standard than the average Joe on the road.

Yet, Bosque Farms has a fire department that is a volunteer department. And to date this author has not been able to find one fire department member who has a DUI on his record or a person who has a history of beating his wife, as evidenced by domestic violence restraining orders.

Other departments in the Village have people who have standards and provide quality work. These same people are not threatening to walk out if they don't get a raise. These same people are not complaining.

For some reason though, Bosque Farms has to pay more or we'll only be able to hire the guy who admits on TV to driving drunk?? We have to give better benefits or we'll only be able to find the guy who beats his wife (as decided by a judge) to be chief?? We have to settle for men who may cost us more in the long run through violating your rights and the resultant lawsuit??

It is the opinion of this author writing this post on this blog that when the police have earned the trust of the community and when there are quality people working on the force that we know won't cost us more money in lawsuits and taxes THEN and only then should a raise be considered.

Until then, some of the police have iffy backgrounds and are not to be trusted. And when you can't trust someone, you don't promote them, as Mayor Ake seems to do; you get rid of them. And when you have somoene who may cost the community a lot of money by their poor actions or violent tendencies you don't do what Mayor Ake does and give them a second chance and a gun; you get rid of them. And when you have someone working for you that you can't trust you don't give them more pay to keep them, you let them earn the trust of the public and then you think about it.

DUH!

Someone from Bosque Farms?

And who is this?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=36469218

(There is some dirty language in the above link).

Some interesting discussion

http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2006/03/so-if-city-or-county-can-make-every.html

There is a lot of interesting discussion going on at the above thread about taxes, why Bosque Farms was founded and so on. This is just making it easily accessable again so participants don't have to search for the thread.

A Brief History of Bosque Farms (for Dizzy)

Here is what "Dizzy" said.

"Wasn't Bosque Farms built around the idea of an "Equestrian Community"?
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21274246&postID=114326791635676044

"Dizzy" here is a very brief history of the Village of Bosque Farms.

During the dust bowl era in the late 1920's and early 1930's there were many farmers displaced because they could no longer live and support a family on their farms. Many of them were moved to Taos were it was thought they might be able to make a living dry farming. Unfortunately most of them were only able to make the barest of living in the best of years.

So in 1934-35 the WPA bought the land now known as Bosque Farms from Edwardo Otero. The WPA cleared about 28,000 acres and devided it into 43 tracts. A special lottery was held and winners were allowed bo buy one of the tracts for $140 an acre. They had 40 years to pay for their land. These early settlers were able to build homes, and with the help of the WPA build a school.

The land had a very high alkaline content in the soil and a high water table so it was not easy to farm. By 1939 most of the families here were dairy farmers. At one point there was at least 31 dairies and Bosque Farms was known as the "Heart of the Rio Grande Dairy Land."

In 1971 it was incorporated. Many of the original Council members and Mayors are still alive and some are still active in local politics today. Some of the people living when the Village was encorporated will tell you it was so they could have their own police department.

So you see "Dizzy" Bosque Farms was NOT an equine community. That is not to say that there were not horses. There were horses. They were there to work mostly. Life was hard when Bosque Farms was started and the horses had to earn their keep. A family could not afford to feed an extra mouth, even a horse mouth, if it didn't contribute to the well being of the family. Even when Bosque Farms was encorporated, if that is what you are thinking about, it was not to keep people who owned horses happy. It was so Bosque Farms could have it's own police department. Prior to encorporating it would take a Sherrif's car anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to respond to a call.

In brief Bosque Farms was originally set up as a farming community for displaced farmers during the dust bowl and slowly evolved into a COW community.

A Comparison

A comparison between the Bosque Farms Fire Department and the Bosque Farms Police Department.

They are important public services?

Both yes.

Their ranks are members of the community and live here?
Police - No. Maybe two or three live in Bosque Farms.

Fire Department- Yes. Every one of them lives in Bosque Farms.

They are compensated for their time?

Police- Yes.

Fire Department- No. They are volunteers. Even the chief is providing his time FREE.

They are trained by the Village of Bosque Farms?

Police- Yes. And have you seen the list of training they get?

Fire Department- No. They do their own training, pay for their training, train each other etc.

They have a leader who is an upstanding citizen?

Police- No.

Fire Department- Yes.

Their work lowers your insurance rates?

Police- No.

Fire Department- Yes.

They are outfitted by the Village of Bosque Farms?

Police- yes. bullets, guns, and so on is provided by the Village.

But some money does seem to come from grants and the state.

Fire Department- No. Their money completely comes from the state.

They are driving the latest vehicles?

Police- Yes. New cars.

Fire Department- No. They are saving for a new fire truck. The trucks they have are as much as 20 years old.

Fire Department

Isn't the fire department great?
This group of men train and practice and work hard to protect our community.
They have been down my road at least once putting out a fire.
The fast response and the organized men saved a house.
They have saved lives and they have saved homes.
They are to be commended.

It takes everyone to run a Village

The Village is more than the police department.

Have you paid your water bill at the Village office?
Someone was there to greet you, take your money, write the receipt and record the payment.
That takes at a minimum two people. Two? Why? The treasurer is ultimately responsible for all of the money and must double check deposits against entries. Then there is the person who takes your money and gives you the receipt.

Has your grinder pump broken?
There is someone there on call that will come and fix the grinder pump. If they can't fix it right away it is pulled out and a new one stuck in and they fix it in the shop. That takes a few people.

Been to the park?
Bosque Farms has a lovely park with equipment in good repair. The swings aren't broken. The same can't be said for Los Lunas parks. It takes someone checking and repairing and replacing and mowing grass and watering and everything else it takes to run a park.

There is an attorney, a fire department, a utility department that inscludes sewer and water services, a dog catcher, a Mayor, four Councilors, the Village Manager, ditch diggers and more.
A receptionist, a planning and zoning officer, a treasurer, and in among all that there is a police department and the librarian, the court employees and the senior center director.

Each one of these departments is just as important as the other department. It takes all of them (and there are probably others that aren't listed) to run a Village.

From reading news articles and attending meetings it seems that the police require more pay and more benefits than any of the other departments. Is this department more important than other departments?

The Police Department

"Spotman1" had this to say in response to the types of officers that Bosque Farms hires:

"till the pay is raised for the BFPD this is the kind of officers you will get."

Pay? The police chief got an $8,000 dollar raise (not including the benefits of insurance and so on) after only being a chief for a year.

The other officers all recieved raises even when they had been there for less than a year.
http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/52890-07-23-05.html

And "Spotman1" feels that this type of compensation is not enough and that the police department needs to pay higher wages to get better officers?

The author of this blog was unable to get a raise of that magnitude after one year of employement. Has any reader of this blog gotten that type of raise?

The police get promoted and get a raise and then work a year and get a large raise and they need more pay?

It will be interesting to see what the pay scale comparison mentioned in the above linked article says about police pay in Bosque Farms versus other communities.

Just what do you think the police deserve to be paid for a job that is in a low crime area, has a small area to patrol, and has generous benefits compared to other places???

Taxing Thought

In the future they'll be taxing you by the atom.

--Tony Follari Comedian

The three P tax

Another way to tax those of us who live in Bosque Farms. The Flush Tax has begun in Maryland. They say this tax money is to go towards some Coastal Restoration Fund. But the money will be used to build sewer plants. The idea being that the newer sewer plants will release less harmful things into the waterways.

If the type of spending that has been going on continues do not be surprised when a new Flush Tax is implimented in Bosque Farms. Several candidates in this last election talked about the need for a new sewer plant addition. If that is true and a sewer plant addition or a new sewer plant is needed, be prepared.

And do not think "Oh I'm on septic, I won't be impacted". If Bosque Farms follows the Charles County motto of "you poo, you pee, you pay" you too will be impacted.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178380,00.html

http://www.ioerror.us/2005/12/12/marylands-new-flush-tax/

The Results of a Second Chance

Just like Mayor Ake, "Dizzy" seemed to think that everyone deserves a second chance. Here is what "Dizzy" had to say in regards to the police officers that the Village has hired recently.

"Since they're now officers in our community and there really isn't anything we can do
about it, don't you think it's time we give them some support? Let's see if they can do good
things and make our community a better place. Even though WE didn't think they
deserved a second chance, give them the chance to make a difference. "

Bernalillo County Sherrif's Department is now seeing first hand what the end results are of giving someone a second and third and fourth chance. Michael Astorga has had several chances to be reintegrated into society and behave. Because he didn't EARN each chance, because he knows that most people live by the motto of "Everyone deserves a second chance" and because he manipulates that- he was free. And what did he do with his freedom? Shoot a cop!

My condolences to the family of the slain officer.

Just as "Dizzy" supports the cops who have admitted to drinking and driving and have had lawsuits they have lost for their actions in uniform and so on; "Dizzy" probably supported "Robbie Lopez" when he was an employee here in the Village and demanded he be given a second chance, because after all he was nice to "Dizzy". And the only thing he did was "Stab a man in the neck during a domenstic dispute." (Mayor Ake didn't want to get rid of him either and voted to not accept his resignation, even after he knew that Robbie Lopez had been beating his wife.)
http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=10741&cat=NMTOPSTORIES

The people who gave Michael Astorga a second chance were the public officials that were put into office by other elected officials.

Really!? What does it take to make Government Official protect us, those of us who rely on them to lock up the bad guys, not hire wife beaters and drunk drivers?

And maybe you can expect that in a larger community where you don't know your next door neighbor. But Mayor Ake, he knows us. He waves to us on the street. He knocked on our doors when he was running for his office.

And now he's hiring people and expecting us to trust him?! But look at who is he is hiring!
And it is people like "Dizzy" who stand by and idly let it happen because 'they are hired and we can't do anything about it' and afterall 'they might do some good'.

This is the end result of giving someone a second and third and fourth chance.

Way to go.

http://www.ci.los-lunas.nm.us/chamber/businessofthemonth.html

A local business has been business of the month at the Valencia County Chamber of Commerce.

Auge's is a good place to shop. Their used cars look nice and they have taken care to make a nice welcoming environment. When you walk on their lot someone comes out to help you. They are enjoyable to work with and buy a car from.

They mail out ads and take out ads in the paper. They even bring new money into the Village as people from other cities come here to shop for their cars.

Advertising

Does any business from Bosque Farms advertise?

This author has been searching the newspaper for ads and has found very few. Certainly none in the Albuquerque Journal and very few if any in the local newspaper.

None on the radio. Wait! Mr. Ken Hays of Hays Honey Farm does advertise or has in the past on the radio station KKJY.

There are plenty of New Mexico type magazines. This author did find one ad in the New Mexico Woman magazine. This is a small free type magazine that can occasionally be found near the exit of some stores. There was one ad for one Bosque Farms business in there.

The Business Association doesn't do anything for it's members, the business owners themselves seem to do very little. And yet everyone who owns a business on the Boulevard wants to complain and blame Bosque Farms Government and Planning and Zoning for their inability to make a living.

This author of this post would say that maybe the business owners who are complaining need look no further than their mirror for a place to begin. Advertising, a clean business environment, a nice sign, easy access and a place to park all help.

The business association

During the last election, just over, much was made by Councilor Proctor about his involvement in the Bosque Farms Business Association. And much was made by Councilor Proctor about how the Village of Bosque Farms needs a website.

It stands to reason then that Councilor Proctor would ensure that the Bosque Farms Business Association would have a website. It could be a place to announce meetings, post minutes and even let members link their own business websites to the main site. Easily done and minimal cost.

Is there a Bosque Farms Business Association website?
A quick search shows that this has not been done or is not easily found. It appears Councilor Proctor can't take care of his own association, will he take care of the Bosque Farms webpage?

As mentioned earlier, anyone who has attended meetings would have heard Mrs. Baker, the Planning and Zoning Officer say that there was a website in progress. Lets hope so. And know this, it was started before Councilor Proctor was elected and will most likely be finished with no help from him.

Setting Fires

“It does not require a majority to prevail,

but rather an irate, tireless minority

keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.”

~ Sam Adams

Another election

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/60108-03-22-06.html

You can vote for the person you think will best fill the job.

As for the authors of this blog the best people for the state jobs have the initials A.P. and D.L.

A bite sized thought

The citizen can bring our political and governmental institutions back to life, make them responsive and accountable, and keep them honest. No one else can.

~ John Gardner

A recipe for the dogs

This authors have been accused some time back of "cooking oh so delicious home made meals for their children with fresh ingredients" (see here for the post and comments that have been quoted here:
http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2006/02/what-does-clean-yard-say-about-you.html )

In light of that post, here is a special recipe for your dog. Vegetarian dog bones.
Fresh ingredients and oh so delicious home made meals is not just for children.

3 cups whole-wheat flour (white flour is not as healthy)
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup bran flakes
1 cup soy flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup grits (or you can leave this out and increase other grains to equal 1 more cup)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 egg substitute or egg white slighly beaten
1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup nonfat dry milk

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Roll out to ¼ or ½ inch thickness. Cut into bone shapes with a dog bone cookie cutter. These come in various sizes. Place on a well-oiled cookie sheet and bake at 300F for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the biscuits in the oven to dry for 30 minutes.

Deleted Comments

There was a question about deleted comments.
This blog has not deleted any comments, even the ones negative to this author and this blog.
The deleted comments were done so by the original author of the comments.

It is simple to delete a comment if you change your mind after posting it- you simply hit the trashcan at the bottom of your comment and follow the prompts to delete it.

Long Councilor Reports

There was long Councilor report from both Councilor Wallace and Councilor Proctor.
Maybe it is because they are unaware of this important piece of information.

Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.

- Dan Quayle

Wow. What a vote! And a cell phone tower is here.

Councilor Proctor voted no to the cell phone tower. And although it passed this blog is proud of Mr. Proctor.

Does this mean he will think for himself and stand up for what is best?

This blog hopes the trend of standing alone for what is right in Mr. Proctor's thinking and voting continues.

Too bad the other Councilors cared so little for the value of the property in Bosque Farms. Councilor Knowlton and Councilor Wallace ran on a platform of being business friendly. They also tried to be 'business friendly' when they wanted to pass this at the last meeting. Obviously to them being business friendly does NOT mean taking care of those businesses that are already here. The cell phone tower will lower property value for those businesses abutting it.

And Mr. Warden, it will not look like a tree, a flag pole, a church steeple or anything else.

A Response to "Dizzy"

"Dizzy" made his (or is it her) comments on a post about thoughts from a Founding Father.
The quote said basically men in power should be questioned. And "Dizzy" said:

"Do you realize what you just quoted and how it applies to your family?"


The authors of this blog have thought and thought about your comments "Dizzy" and have decided you are just that- dizzy.

No one in the authors' immediate family are in a position of power. Nor is there anyone in the extended family of the authors' that is in a position of power.

Maybe a definition of Power will help you?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&oi=defmore&defl=en&q=define:power

For the original post and comments see:

http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2006/03/thought-from-founding-father.html

Contact your Councilors

To call your Councilors:

Let's see, using questdex.com and searching the residential listings for the last names of these Councilors will give you a phone number you can try calling.

No clue if they are correct. It can be noted that not one of them provided phone numbers on their election brochures that the author of this blog has seen.

Dolly Wallace
Bob Knowlton
William Kennedy
Virgil Proctor

Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side - to take us around the unknown curve.

~ Lillian Smith

No Second Chances

There are times when there are no second chances:

No second chances for those killed by drunk drivers.
No second chances to make a good first impression.
No second chances to undo what you have done.
No second chances to erase the fear you instill when you use violence and threats.
No second chances to undo the rape or undo the beating.

______________________________________________

http://www.minnesotavotes.org/Comment.aspx?ID=11822&ActionID=130240

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2005/07/15/newsopinion_top/hjjejcifiagajd.txt

http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/sp9405.html

Second Chances Part Two

Where do you draw the line for second chances?

-- Child Molestors?

-- Pilots who drink before they fly?

-- Men who beat wives?

And how do you give them a second chance?

D0 you say a pilot who drinks should not be able to fly again? Because why? Because they place the lives of those in the plane in danger? Then should drunk drivers get a second chance? They place lives in danger. And this blog would be willing to bet that many more people are killed by drunk drivers than pilots who drink before they fly.

Do you say a man who was a child molestor should not be able to come near a school? Why? Because he might hurt the children? What about a police man who has violated the trust of those he protects by beating them up as he arrests them? Should he be able to be a police officer again?

Not everyone deserves a second chance and if they do get a second chance it should be after they show remorse for blowing the first chance. It is naive to suggest that merely be providing a second chance that everything will work out fine.

It is like bad credit. You get bad credit ratings by doing dumb things- using too many credit cards, not paying your bills etc. The credit rating companies don't come down after you have bad credit and say "Oh poor you, you deserve a second chance- here is a good credit rating". Nope! You earned it bad now you can earn it good. You get a second chance with your credit rating. You can earn a better credit rating but you have to earn it.

The same can be said of trust. And those in public capacities must work harder to earn a second trust. Particularly those that have violated the trust by being violent and carry a gun around for their job.

"Everyone deserves a second chance" is a good policy in private practice. You can give your husband a second chance if he beats you. That is your decision. You can give an employee a second chance if you are a private employeer. But don't expect anyone to be happy to have a person in a position of authority who has not earned it be given a second or third or fourth chance.

"Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" -- really?

Mayor Ake has uttered these words or words similar to them in Council meetings. This phrase in particular comes up when the opportunity to hire someone of ill repute arises.

For example:

• Prior to being hired the man hired Police Cheif of Bosque Farms admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol on television.
  
• He had a domestic violence restraining order against him.
  

These are facts. You can look them up here: http://164.64.40.11/caselookup/jsp/CaseLookupSearch.jsp

Did Bosque Farm Councilors tell this person 'earn our trust'? Did Bosque Farms Councilors say 'live up to your potential before we put you in a position of authority?'

NOPE! Two Bosque Farms Councilors voted no. Two voted yes. (Just like the letter from Mr. Warden states). And Mayor Ake broke the tie "because everyone deserves a second chance." And this was done the day after his restrining order was over.

So in our midsts is someone who was scary enough that his wife was able to have a judge award a domestic violence restraining order against him. And this man is in a position of power and authority.

What will he do when he has to help a woman who is being hurt by her husband?
What will he do when he has had a bad day at work?

Is this the type of person you want visiting your house?

Did you know that Albuquerque Police Department won't hire an officer if he has a bankruptcy? APD feels that this one background result is negative enough that they won't hire that person. Why? It might mean this person would accept bribes or payments or it might mean this person isn't responsible enough with his own belongings how will he or she be responsible for your belongings? There are many reasons for this. But a bankruptcy in the recent future means you don't get hired at APD nor do you get hired at Bernalillo County Sherrif's office.

The Cheif has this on his record ALSO.

And do not fool yourself into thinking this is the only person with a questionable background. Get a list of the officers and look them up in the online court databases. A simple background check will show you the truth.

So while the quote "Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" is easily bandied about it seems a bit blind to reality when giving someone a second chance in an important position.

More about Cell Phone Towers

Because this blog is predicting the cell phone tower will be brought to the Council for a vote. It is time NOW for us residents to raise our concerns and call our new and old Councilors and express our concerns. Now is the time for petitions to be passed around.

A few links about cell phone towers and some of the problems.

This link provides a way to search the true coverage of any carrier.
http://www.cellreception.com/

This link provides information about the 9th circuit court possibly taking away a cities ability to ask that cell phone towers look like trees or flagpoles.
http://www.mayitpleasethecourt.com/journal.asp?blogid=1067

And health concerns are 'a big deal' and worth considering as well. Unfortunately the federal government has made it a non issue with their laws that says a city can not take into consideration any health risks associated with cell phone towers when making a decision.

"Fears that the gigantic towers will reduce property values and cause health problems from radio-frequency emissions have created the kind of opposition that is usually reserved for waste treatment plants in many towns."

Quoted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/business/01towers.html?ex=1272600000&en=8be06f982f871935&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

And more: "National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences panel this year designated power frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) as "possible human carcinogens."
quoted from: http://www.cyburban.com/~lplachta/safeweb2.htm a website set up opposing a cell phone tower near a high school. There is a great amount of information about health risks here.

Cell phone towers are even reputed to hurt birds.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-03-09-birds_x.htm

And lest you think that cell phone trees are realistic looking think again.
Who has seen a 100 foot tall tree in Bosque Farms?
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/faketree.htm

So Bosque Farms can't demand a tower that looks like a tree or a flagpole because of an oversite in the local laws. (Plus, the cellular phone towers that look like trees and cacti and flagpoles are ugly.) Federal law says Bosque Farms can't say no to a cell phone tower because of the health concerns. Can Bosque Farms say no to a cell phone tower without losing a lawsuit?

Yes.

There are some court cases that say if there is a local law in place, and there is, and if it allow for cell phone towers, and ours does, then the cell phone tower has to comply to the local law. That means that it is reasonable to expect a cell phone tower to have the minimum space around it that is required. And there are some court cases that says if enough residents raise a fight then it is possible that the Council can vote no to a cell phone tower and maybe win a lawsuit.

A Cell Phone Tower

Mr. Warden's letter of Feb. 2006 says:

It's sad that we can't find room around town anywhere for a
cellular phone tower. There are cell phone
towers that resemble trees and
flagpoles nowadays. Are we against trees and
flagpoles here? What's the big deal?"

So what was the deal? If asked one of the two Councilors who voted no to the cellular phone tower can easily answer this question. They answered this question in the meeting when it was discussed and had Mr. Warden read the minutes he too would know "what the deal is."

This author didn't know but soon found out what the big deal is. The cell phone tower was going to be within 15 feet of the back property line. It should be 1 foot away from the property line for every foot it is tall. 15 feet is not close to 100 feet or 120 feet.

Councilor Knowlton previously wouldn't vote for a variance for a property owner unless they were within 90% of the law. Yet he was willing to vote for a cell phone tower that is more like 90% out of the law. Go figure?!

Councilor Linthicum and Councilor Eldridge didn't seem to have a problem with the cell phone tower itself but rather with how close it would be to someone's property. Cell phone towers lower property value. They simply expected the cell phone tower to be close to meeting the law rather than not close. Ask them for the facts yourself.

In fact, in his own letter Mr. Warden complains about the look of Bosque farms and yet is there anyone who finds a cell phone tower a work of art?

Additionally Mr. Warden's letter talks about how cell phone towers can be made to look like trees or flagpoles. Great. This author agrees that this might be a viable option. "So what is the big deal?" Did you know that our laws don't require that? So there is no need to discuss if Bosque Farms is against trees or flagpoles or even church steeples because it won't happen here.

And lest you think they are pretty are realistic looking check some of these out. A one hundred foot tower is still one hundred feet tall even looking like a tree. Who has seen a tree like this in Bosque Farms?

http://news.com.com/Photos+Spot+the+cell+phone+tower/2009-1037_3-5475371.html

The answer for this is find a place for a cell phone tower that makes it work within the laws of Bosque Farms, don't make it look like an ugly 100 foot tall tree.

A thought from a Founding Father

The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted."

~James Madison

Promises Revisited

Has Mayor Ake done what he said he would do?

He said he would:
Strongly support the police and fire departments by building a fire department.
- It looks like it's almost done.

Actively persue new businesses.
- What is new in the past few years? A dollar store and a movie rental store? That seems to be about it. Some businesses have moved out including My Car Care, Jimini Crickets, and a host of others. Have more moved in or more moved out? The official counter will have to take count.
This promise needs a new dedication ot it.

Complete the waste water system
- ? Is this done? It seems so.

Develop additional senior citizen activities and youth activities.
- NO. A resounding no. He has two years to live up to this promise but nothing new yet.

Emergency Preparedness and a contigency plan.
- Certainly nothing has been mentioned to date about this. Was this am empty promise? Better not be. The safety of those of us who live in Bosque Farms is at stake.

Two out of five done. Two he still has time to accomplish and one who knows?

Ake said he strongly supports the police and fire
departments, and, by utilizing grants that the village has already received, he
wants to see the construction of a new police and fire department building. He
also said he wants to see the completion of the wastewater collection system.

"I have a heart for the businesses in Bosque Farms
and would like to actively recruit businesses that will provide services needed
by the residents of the village," he said.

He said he would also like to development
additional programs for senior citizens as well as youth activities for children
in the village. Another essential issue Ake said he plans to address if elected
mayor is the village's need for an emergency-preparedness and contingency plan.

"All this, while maintaining a rural lifestyle and
good working relationships with surrounding communities is important," Ake said.
"I believe that communication on every level is essential and residents need to
have a voice.

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/37294-01-24-04.html

The Good News

Using the newspaper as a source:
It appears that there were at least 1627 voters in Los Lunas and 1032 voters in Bosque Farms.
Los Lunas is larger than our small community so the good news is that Bosque Farms residents were active at the polls. The candidates did a good job of getting out the voters.


A total of 776 voters turned out to the polls on Tuesday. Absentee and early ballots counted for 256 votes of the total 1,032. It was a 36 percent turnout.

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/59707-03-08-06.html

Huning racked up 921 votes to opponent Frank A. Otero's 706.
http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/59706-03-08-06.html

What will the new councilors do?

What else can we expect? According to their literature:

• They will keep Bosque Farms rural.
  
• They will support the police department. (You can hope that this doesn't mean they will hire cops such as the ones hired previously under the guise of being 'cop friendly'.)
  
• They will bring in a home for the elderly.
  
• They will hold meetings only at times you and I can attend.
  
• They will attract new businesses. (Hopefully no more used car lots or used trailer lots but no promises there!)

Will they maintain low water rates while taking care of the arsenic problem? We can only hope so. That was not part of their promises so we can only hope.

Will they make a reasonable budget and encourage the Mayor and staff to live within the budget? This was not in their promises. We had better hope they do this. A budget that spends more than comes in will lead to higher taxes, higher water rates, higher sewer rates, bond votes and potentially a decrease in services.

Will they clean up main street (as suggested in Mr. Warden's letter and people who live here)? This was not one of their promises. They do not seem to care about their environment and have no real motivations to do clean it up. We can only hope they will.

One can only wonder why Mr. Proctor owns two used car lost on his property side by side. It would be a good start for him to get rid of one of them or at a minimum be sure they are both neat and clean and tidy.

At a guess:

Mr. Proctor will take credit for finishing the fire station that is almost complete and the setting up a "Public Access System" (aka a website) that is in the process of being developed.

Mr. Kennedy will take credit for the new 911 service currently being set up.

Encourage these two new Councilors to live up to their promises and to set the goal that they will do some of the other important things that need to be done and not take credit for things completed. Speak with them about what RURAl means to you before it is too late. This blog hopes and will be watching to see if they live up to the potential to make Bosque Farms better and cleaner place.

The results

The election has come and gone.
Mr. Proctor and Mr. Kennedy are the new Councilors for Bosque Farms.

Let us hope that they carry through with what they have promised.

This blog is going to continue as a citizen watch dog to try and ensure that the elected officials will do what is right for those of us who live in the Village.

The missing mailing from Mr. Proctor

No one seems to have recieved a mailing from Mr. Proctor but two people.

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21274246&postID=114162120175822976

"Just Here" says he or she got it and listed a few of the things on the flyer he sent out.

Based on just this limited information there is one question that must be asked:

Public Access System? What is that?

Just based on what "Just Here" says it sounds like a website. "A place where people can get information" (written by "Just Here"). Sounds like a great idea. But did not someone already volunteer their time and energy to get a website up and running? It seems to this author that this has been discussed.

Of course, maybe this is not what Mr. Proctor means. If anyone got a flyer from him and would like to share for the many who didn't get it in the mail, by all means do so.

But if this is what is meant by a public access system then the questions to ask are these:

Is Mr. Proctor going to have any new ideas? Is he going to accomplish anything during his term?

Or is he going to just take credit for what others have done?

Is Mr. Proctor going to take credit for this as well as he seems to want to take credit for building the new fire and police station?

Used Car Lots

There are 8 used car lots according to the official Bosque Farms Counter.

25% of them are on Virgil Proctor's property.

Mr. Kennedy doesn't seem to mind used cars.

And these two are promising a business friendly environment?

Does this community need any more used car lots?

arsenic options

Here is one alternative to a costly system that would clean the water. This would clean the water at its source. How expensive is it? Is it a viable option? These are questions only the engineers can answer and the Village Councilors will have to ask before they do anything. But it is an option.

If this blog is able to find one solution how many more are out there?

Discovered in the southeastern U.S. by university
researchers, this beautiful fern has a unique ability to soak up arsenic from
the ground into its fronds, which may be clipped and disposed of safely. With a
powerful cleaning action 200 times stronger than in other plants, the fern
quickly lowers soil arsenic levels.

http://www.edenspace.com/edenfern.html

Arsenic and the Options

It wasn't until Councilor Eldridge advocated suing the federal government, a bold move, that the author of this post on this blog began looking at the reality of arsenic and the problems associated with arsenic.

One thing that has continually disturbed the writers of this blog is that only one candidate has suggested looking at alternatives to raising water rates to pay for some costly cleaning system to get the arsenic out. That candidate was Mr. Capshaw in one of his newspaper articles.

While the company that is used by Bosque Farms had some suggestions it has been a long time ago that this was discussed in public. And to date it seems that the Mayor and Councilors have chosen to spend the limited funds on getting an extension to a deadline. Why? Because they have placed value on this for what purpose no one seems to know. After all they will spend the limited funds on getting an extension and then a lot more on fixing the problem.

With a little bit of thought and looking it was easy to find several alternative methods of getting the arsenic out of the water or not sucking the arsenic up into the city water.

It can only be hoped that whichever two candidates have been elected they will all diligently look for solutions other than asking for an extension to a deadline, raising money to make a costly fix, or raising water rates.

Mr. Warden's Letter

The mail man came and the mail went. And in the mailbox was left a letter from Mr. Warden, a local real estate agent. Mr. Warden made some very telling observations about home values in the Bosque Farms area. He pointed out that the home values in the Village have not kept up with the surrounding areas. He then pointed out that he believed part of this was due to the look of the Bosque Farms Boulevard.

When he brings clients down here all of the mobile home parks, used car lots and empty businesses leave a negative impression on potential home buyers. This author completely agrees with Mr. Warden that used car lots and mobile home parks do leave a sour impressions with many who live in Bosque Farms or visit this area.

Mr. Warden further pointed out March 7 is election day and voters should carefully consider who they vote for that day.

It is instructive to point out that one candidate in particular is a major contributor to the eye sore within Bosque Farms. Mr. Proctor owns the largest mobile home park in town and he supports and contributes to two of the used car lots in Bosque Farms (even if one looks decent it is still a used car lot). What does this say about how he will govern if elected?

Mr. Warden further points out that it seems there are two "blocs" with in this election. He doesn't state who the individuals in these "blocs" are but it is easy to observe signs as he has done. One block appears to be Mr. Madore and Mr. Capshaw and the other to be Mr. Protor and Mr. Kennedy. It is worth carefully considering Mr. Warden's observations when it is time to vote.

I totally agree with Mr. Warden. Property values are important to the author/s of this blog and hopefully to others in this community. Considering the business ventures Mr. Proctor has on his property and the image they provide for the community, the authors of this blog will NOT be voting for Mr. Proctor.

For those of you have not recieved a copy of Mr. Warden's letter you might contact him at this address for a copy. mailto:brain@brianwarden.com

No mailing from Mr. Proctor?

The mail man has come. The mail man has gone. The mailbox remains empty of flyers from Mr. Proctor.

No one in this neighborhood has recieved one.

Does he not want to be Councilor enough to pay for a simple flyer providing his opinion on problems, solutions and promises? Or does he not have any solutions and suggestions or promises?

Political Signs

A quick drive down the Main Street would lead you to believe that Mr. Proctor and Mr. Kennedy both have a lot of people who want to see them elected. And even if true, this does not hold up when you drive down the back roads of Bosque Farms. The same can be said for Mr. Madore and Mr. Capshaw. Compared to the last three elections for local politicians there does not seem to be as many signs this year.

That is a good thing.

What is rural?

While Bosque Farms may be "Land Locked" to use Mr. Proctor's words there is no promise it will stay rural.

Every other year the politicians promise to keep it rural. But until some agreement is reached on what is rural and it will be hard to maintain.

It is easy to look it up the word rural in the dictionary. It is easy to find definitions online.

And Bosque Farms does not meet the most of the available and legal definitions of rural.

So what do we mean when we say "Keep Bosque Farms Rural".

• Large lots? Surely that is part of it.
  
• Large areas of open space? Surely this ties into it as well. That means not having metal fences.
  
• Farms? This must be part of it. Rather than trying to take away farms so Bosque Farms can have a pool, a park, a soccor field, Bosque Farms should be protecting farms and researching ways to keep our farms working. Farms are a part of the Bosque Farms heritage. The name Bosque Farms tells it all.
  
• Keeping businesses on main street? Limiting home occupations to those that won't have a traffic impact on surrounding neighbors? That must be part of being rural as well it seems. Limited traffic, including busses (thank you Council) is one part of being 'rural'.
  
• Knowing your neighbors? Let us hope the next Council takes the initiative to plan more than the Bosque Farms fair. The Community Center could be better used for youth and younger adults, as could the library. The new parking lot at the Village office could be used for a farmer's market even.
  
• The ability to keep large animals and many types of animals. Cows, horses, goats, sheep, and dogs are all animals that need room. The large lots provide this.
  

This community needs to be thinking about what rural means to them and speaking out to those in office and those running for office. Tell them what is important about Bosque Farms. Tell them what you want to see preserved. Farms? Views? Limited traffic? Protected property rights? Lower taxes? Help them define rural by telling them now what you don't want to lose. Or you may lose it.

When the Council sees a survey that says some number of residents want a pool, and when one or two of the Councilors wants a pool they will work to make that happen. NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. They will sacrifice a farm for a pool in the name of the voters who put them in. They will sacrifice large lots or scenic views because a few people ask for a soccor field or metal fences or ...Or to put it in another format- for example: If you don't tell the Councilors you want to keep farmland and you like your taxes low- you may be getting a pool in Bosque Farms at the expense of higher taxes, a lost farm, more traffic in a residential area.

Everyone wants something. The Councilors need to know what price you are willing to pay for that something. They need to hear where you draw the line. They need to hear what is important to you.

Speak out now.

__________________________________

Places (incorporated or unincorporated) with fewer than 2,500 residents and open territory. See non-metropolitan areas. (ERS: USDA:What is Rural )www.worldhungeryear.org/fslc/faqs/ria_074.asp

Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled urban and suburban areas, and also from unsettled lands such as outback or wilderness. People live in villages, on farms and in other isolated houses. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural

Once Again

At the risk of being boring by repeating and repeating...

http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2006/02/challenge-issued-again.html

Self Serving Interests (Mr. Kennedy's Flyer)

This comment taken directly from Mr. Kennedy's political flyer that came in the mail has this statement. And be clear- this is the complete statement. Nothing is being taken out of context.

Create Citizen-Driven Council- That promotes resident awareness, eliminates the self-serving interest of the few and harvests good ideas from our residents.

Just a few thoughts.

If he is referring to the two outgoing Councilors with this statement how silly is that? They are going to be gone. He will have done nothing to eliminate self serving itnerests, they are already going. So assuming that he is not talking about the two outgoing Councilors this blog must say...

It is ironic that Councilor Wallace is supporting Mr. Kennedy. She works towards her own interests and is very self serving. She is interested in horses and owns horses and makes a living on horses. It is all about horses for her. For example, is she on a committee for a fire station? No. She is on a committee of her own making and chosing - a horse path committee. Horses, self serving interest.

Will Mr. Kennedy do as he says? IF so, the authors of this blog would vote for him.

• Will he tell Councilor Wallace to look at the best interest of the whole Village?
  
• Will he vote to not spend money on a horse path until a sewer plant addition is built?
  
• Will he travel to Santa Fe to ensure that when Councilor Wallace goes up there to ask for state intervention on a horse issue that she will also lobby for Bosque Farms?
  
• Will he really work to eliminate the self serving interests of the few?
  

The answer is probably not and even should he do this, will Councilor Wallace listen? probably not. He probably won't travel to Santa Fe even to lobby for Bosque Farms remember, he works. He probably won't tell one of his bigger supporters that she needs to sit down and stop talking about horses and start talking about the community.

It is ironic that Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Proctor are essentially running together. Mr. Proctor also works to his own self interests. It seems Mr. Proctor has sat in meetings asking for many things from the Council.

Will Mr. Kennedy do as he says he will?

• Will he not be so 'business friendly' that cell phone towers or used car lots can be set up with no oversight?
  
• Will he vote to change the laws of our community so that an rv park can be set up in Bosque Farms?
  
• Will he tell Mr. Proctor to stop worrying about how a new law might impact Mr. Proctor and worry about what it will mean for the community in toto?
  
• Will he be strong with his 'running mate'?
  

IF Mr. Kennedy says what he means and does what he says then this poster might very well vote for him on those words alone. Unfortunately, it won't be until after the election that he can put truth to his words.

AND this author believes that Mr. Kennedy won't work to control his supporter (Councilor Wallace) and his running mate (Mr. Proctor) and won't work to stop the self serving interests of these two people. And as mentioned in previous posts there are many concerns about Mr. Kennedy. Including but not limited to:

• He works full time in Albuquerque and it appears he won't take time off to attend meetings.
  
• He didn't care enough about neighbors to keep a clean yard until he decided to run.
  
• He wants to take credit for work already in the process of being completed.
  
• He hasn't mentioned keeping a balanced budget.
  
• He hasn't mentioned keeping water rates low.
  
• He seems to have forgotten that a rural life style includes people.
  
• He hasn't mentioned any viable programs, plans, suggestions for any of the looming problems- arsenic laws, water rates, traffic, bus routes in Bosque Farms, etc.
  

So it sounds good- stop the self serving interest of the few... but the expectations of this occuring are low.

Mr. Kennedy Translated- his flyer

Have you checked your mail box?

There might be a flyer from Mr. Kennedy in there.

What does it say?

Briefly:
He promises to "Make government user friendly- to meet at times convenient to residents."
What it seems he's saying is 'I work and can't attend meetings unless they are in the evenings. No matter how fast a decision needs to be made, I have work and I won't take time off for important decisions.

He promises to "Enhance Public Safety" and discusses a paramedic service and a regional 911 service.
What it appears he is saying is 'I will follow Mr. Proctor's example and take credit for the work of others'. The 911 service is in the process of getting up and going (as discussed in a public meeting). AND the police chief is on that committee and has been doing the work towards that.
(As Sady says "DUH...")

He promises "to balance rural character with economic development."
There is nothing to translate. Everyone says this. It's a throw away comment. It is disturbing that he could not think of another way to use the space on his flyer. For example, he could have mentioned keeping water rates low, balancing a budget, developing community activities or whatever else. But he can't think of anything so he says this.

He promises to "address the lifetyle needs of an age diverse community. "
Good one. Let's hope that means more than just catering to the elderly but also to the middle age, the young child and everyone else in this community.

A thought on Large Lots and Small Lots

A large lot in Bosque Farms has typically been considered to be a minimum of three fourths of an acre. When Bosque Farms was first incorporated it has been said, a large lot was even larger than that. Prior to incorporation there were even smaller lots allowed. However, through time the standard was set at three fourths of an acre.

Mr. Proctor says he will protect the rural atmosphere and small town feel of Bosque Farms, presumably this includes large lots. Those of us who live here can only hope so.

What has Mr. Proctor done so far to maintain the rural atmosphere and small town feel? He has been a life long resident and takes great pride in this. He expects your vote because he says he has grown up here and 'knows Bosque Farms' and values Bosque Farms. Does he?

Mr. Proctor has talked about setting up an RV park. That would be a population coming into and out of Bosque Farms at a rapid rate and living in a small home on a small lot. Thank Goodness the Council in their wisdom did not pass this into law. (At least not yet!) Attend meetings. Ask others who have attended meetings. Ask for tapes and listen yourself. (And "Howie" Note this sidebar: the complete Council, everyone, all four Councilors and the Mayor, Councilor Eldridge, Councilor Linthicum, Councilor Wallace and Councilor Knowlton are to be thanked!)

Mr. Proctor, as mentioned, has a mobile home park on his property. He has packed the mobile homes in on small lots. Are they smaller than three quarter of an acre lots? Drive by and see for yourself.

Mr. Proctor has his own water system for everyone in his mobile home park. He said this in the newspaper article about him. This author feels that this means it doesn't matter to him if your water rates go up or down, it won't impact him or those who rent land from him.

Mr. Proctor owns land that has TWO used car lots on it. People complain about all the used car lots. Has Mr. Proctor told you that he owns the land two of those used car lots are on? Mr. Proctor's businesses don't even bring taxes into this community. UNLESS someone drives into Bosque Farms to buy a used car and stops for lunch down here as well.

Larry's? The used car lot across from Sopa's. The one that has a flea market, sells fake garages, has ugly signs, and used cars. That is Mr. Proctor's land. Take a look when you are eating at Sopa's one night. Is that lovely? Is that the type of business you want in Bosque Farms? That is Mr. Proctor's land. Do you think he cares about keeping Bosque Farms beautiful? Nope!

To top it all off, in Mr. Proctors newspaper article the question the newspaper asked him was bascially "Should Bosque Farms remain rural?" and his answer was essentially: "Yes. But it wil remain rural because it is land locked". He had no thoughts on what a rural or small town atmosphere means. He had no real thoughts on how to keep this rural atmosphere with horse paths, helping people get to know each other or anything else.

So Mr. Proctor can run a mobile home park with small lots and ask for small lots for an rv park and not hook up to public water, have an ugly business and an ugly sign on one side of the scale and on the other he says he's for a rural population and that he cares about Bosque Farms because he's a long term resident. Hmmm...

Another reason for Large Lots

Dogs.

With a large lot there is enough room have a dog as big as a horse or several smaller than horses types of dogs. There is room to breed dogs and room to have a dog kennel to save dogs from being put to death in the city kennel.

The dogs will have room to play and romp and run. There is room to have a nice yard and still have a dog run. There is enough space between homes that a yapping dog won't bother neighbors too much it is hoped.

The benefits of owning a dog are many and varied.

This blog hopes that large lots are maintained and this is only one reason.

The Letter to the Editor

Now, while that side bar exploring freedom of speech has been interesting it is time to get back to the subject of this blog, Bosque Farms Government.

Did you see that letter to the editor by Councilor Linthicum? Wow!
How fortunate we have been to have had Councilor Linthicum and Councilor Eldridge on the council the past few years. This letter is one example of the hard work and dedication Councilor Linthicum in partiuclar has put forth to his job of Councilor. Even going out, even when his term is over, Councilor Linthicum has taken the time to write a letter to the editor that was well written to clarify the matter of the transportation plan.

It wasn't Councilor Wallace or Councilor Knowlton who wrote a letter explaining the issues and yet they are still going to be in there voting on this same thing again. (This blog hopes they have a complete understanding of all of the issues, even if they hold themselves above explaining it to the common person through the media).

And shame on the paper for once again putting Bosque Farms in a negative light that makes it look as if it is an insular community unwilling to work with others. That is simply not ture. But Bosque Farms has taken care of it's own in the past and should continue to do so in the future.

Large busses should not be allowed to run through small residential streets. The school is on one of those roads. Children live on those roads and ride their bikes and cross the street on those roads. The roads are small and there are no facilities for a park and ride or a bus stop without tying up traffic.

Thank Goodness Councilor Eldridge and Councilor Linthicum read the paperwork and came ready to discuss the problems.