Rita Padilla-Gutierrez of Bosque sent the following letter to the Valencia County News-Bulletin, a letter the paper didn’t publish:

January 12, 2010

To the Editor:

Wednesday’s News-Bulletin was interesting in that it included a brown insert that provided residents of Valencia County an analysis of the distribution and readership of the News-Bulletin along with a sample of questions presented as the basis for the overwhelming and incredulous participation numbers. The results of this very limited and confined survey prompt me to respond.

To begin, the News-Bulletin is the only local paper. Many would view this as a monopoly and this argument may very well be valid. Many that I have spoken to throughout the years about this monopoly agree that the method, style, and overall presentation of news as presented by the only game in town has been, at best, skewed and many times inaccurate in terms of reporting standards. One private individual in Valencia County has taken it upon himself to create “Valencia Voices,” which offers at the very least an alternative to the only game in town. These efforts should be applauded. Perhaps a little competition would stir up and could very possibly be healthly for the readership.

Another obvious omission in the survey was that the Albuquerque Journal might very well be the major source of news for residents of Valencia County (which may explain the limited scope of the participants and the type of questions that were asked in the survey).

The insert indicated “the News-Bulletin has one of the highest rates of penetration in the U.S. and is by far the best way to market and promote your business.” I guess that statement would benefit the business community, but it certainly leaves a void for all the other important news that needs to be reported. It should not be a shock to people to learn that the News-Bulletin does not participate in investigative reporting at any level. They simply report an incident, a meeting, and an event after the fact. When reporting meetings where elected officials are concerned, it seems especially of late, that the News-Bulletin reports negatively or at least questionably when it comes to certain members of the county commission. It is as if the News-Bulletin wants the public to hear and read only selected comments and testimony that is favorable to a particular group. I have witnessed this on many occasions and have actually brought it to the attention of the News-Bulletin. The response is usually: “We’ll try to do better next time.” Additionally, when trying to provide valid and true information to the News-Bulletin about important matters that affect us all, the excuses usually place the onus back on me to provide more detailed and verifiable information. Such was the case with the issue of those entities in Valencia County who do not pay their taxes, one in particular that has an outstanding debt to the county over $750,000. Can you imagine what the county could do in terms of services to people if this money was captured?

By writing this letter, I realize that I place myself in an awkward position in terms of, first, whether or not it will be published, secondly, that I may be placed on some “list” of bad persons because I questioned the powerful journalistic world, and certainly, it may well come with some retribution of which I am not aware. In any case, the “only journalistic game in town” does have a responsibility to the public to investigate and report the news in an independent, professional and accurate manner.

Not all is lost. I do have to give credit at times to some of the human interest stories that are presented in the News-Bulletin. But overall, it is lacking in in-depth investigative reporting and is viewed by many to contain many inaccuracies and important omissions that would make it a viable and much more respected newspaper. Perhaps a citizen’s advisory group would help. I have suggested this in the past to no avail.

Thank You.

One of the reasons Valencia! began reporting news is because we recognized many of the problems Padilla-Gutierrez mentions in her letter.

There were countless times Valencia! attended this or that meeting over the past years, and then read the News-Bulletin’s article about it and the article failed to accurately reflect the meeting. Many government meetings in Valencia County are tense, with citizens having genuine concerns about the actions of their governments. Often that tension and the true opinions of the public aren’t reflected in the News-Bulletin.

Valencia! does its best with few resources, and we ask the public to remember that we’re really a one-and-a-half-person operation, compared to the News-Bulletin’s numerous journalists, editor, publisher and various staffers.

Ken Wright of Bosque writes in:

Personal responsibility has rightfully been in political and social discussions this last year. Many people have their favorite indignant story to relate. Here is mine.

The Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) is an organization of governments of various sizes that promotes growth and capital projects spending to encourage more growth. They have various predictions that are used to plan for the future. Most of these come from unelected government persons, engineering companies that will make money from studies or building projects, and various speculators. You will notice that the average citizens input and control over this cheerleading information is limited and intended to stay that way.

Valencia County has been promoted for years as cheap dirt with nearly unlimited water to support its future booming population. Please realize that our water supply is really limited and with each block of homes built, green valley farms will be dried up. Most of the state is very dry. Why kill the valley?

We have families that have been in this area since before recorded history, others since the Spanish reconquest of 1692, and the new inhabitants of 30 days instead of 300 years. Most of these people did due diligence and they were happy with their choice. Personal responsibility for buying property would indicate you would investigate all things you feel are important to you before you put your dollar down to buy your castle. Some didn’t and now want the rest of us to pay for their bridge or road or hospital they forgot to look for, and isn’t there.

If you and yours want more of the big city, please move out of the area and quit trying to kill what the rest of us cherish. Where was your personal responsibility?

Ken Wright of Bosque writes in about a Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) controversy, where the MRGCD has at times sent out a newsletter prior to an MRGCD election highlighting the accomplishments of certain board members up for reelection:

There is a tradition that diminishes the status of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.

Prior to each election the district puts out an expensive, color glossy that is expensive to mail. The post offices have their trash cans filled with them after the customers get the item out of their PO box. The district “newsletter” has low credibility and is not often news. When it is used just prior to a board election with some propaganda about chosen incumbents and never mentioning the election, the taxpayers see the value of their taxes diminished. It must be that the MRGCD doesn’t want candidates or most ratepayers involved.

I ask the board to not send out any of this junk mail, particularly till after the election on June 2.

Contact your board member(s) or the main office at 505-247-0234 and ask to end this waste of your funds.

The issue came up at the recent MRGDC meeting in Belen, where Wright publicly asked the board not to send out the newsletter.

Ken Wright, a farmer from Bosque, writes in about the conservancy district’s Monday night meeting:

The Board of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) ventured out to meet about 125 people in Belen on April 27th. “Items From The Floor” has been moved to near the start of the meeting and about ten farmers brought up the serious problems they face and gave their solutions. The seed has been planted, let’s see if the board can follow thru and solve them.

This rare out of Albuquerque meeting was suggested by Eugene Abeita, the board member that represents the district at large. Luckily the rest of the board thought it was a good idea. Thank you to the board for working together.

There will be an MRGCD election on June 2 to pick two Bernalillo County seats, and one each in Sandoval and Socorro. Any one that is a property owner in those counties between the east and west hi line ditches can vote. Tract size doesn’t matter and both owner and spouse (if named on the deed) can vote.

Monday’s meeting was positive for at least one reason: The MRGCD board listened to what farmers had to say about their land and their efforts to irrigate it. The comments weren’t positive, because farmers are having trouble getting the water they need, but the board listened.