Opinion

Right-wing arguments against abortion, gay marriage illogical

Editor, I am so sick of letters by the dogmatic right on issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Do these people actually desire a return to back-alley abortions, which would be inevitable should they get their wish and criminalize abortion? Or do they want an all-powerful state that determines matters between private individuals, such as marriage? If so, I urge people like Phillip Howell, Slowhike and The Ghost (persons who post drivel on the Daily Lobo message boards) to move to a state more in line with their type of thinking, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia or the parts of Afghanistan that have reverted to Taliban control.

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Smelly Schmidly has no real interest in bettering UNM

Editor, Enough is enough. As an eight-year employee of UNM, I'm sick and tired of the people at the top skimming off the money and then once in a great while flipping us a scrap or two off the end of their middle finger. President David Schmidly is the worst of the lot.

Crediting U.S. achievements to faith leads to pain, suffering

Editor, I originally found the Barack Obama concert to be inconsequential. I believed bringing up memories and feelings of old grudges and betrayals could only bring more hate and angst into the world. People there spoke with phrases like "minority" and "long-awaited.

Schmidly's focus is on making money, not promoting learning

Editor, Whom does President David Schmidly think he works for? If pressed, he would probably say he works for the good of all UNM. His actions, however, say otherwise. They include the creation of more than a dozen vice-presidential posts, most with six-figure salaries; a multi-million dollar renovation of a sports facility in the midst of a massive recession; a hiring and pay-raise freeze on all faculty, except, of course, the $750,000 football coach; a high-paid executive position for one (unqualified) Brian Schmidly; relocation of the Student Services Center to a pointlessly inconvenient off-campus location; and a raise in tuition rates to pay for it all.

Column: Giving the inauguration its due

For a couple of weeks, friends and other people whom I unfortunately know have joked around with me, asking how much I was looking forward to the inauguration. I am not going to lie - I have kind of been in a funk. All of the hype about it has gotten to me, and the multiple Facebook invites to speech-watching events and prayer services have not helped either.

You wanted change at UNM; Now accept it, or pay the price

Editor, This letter is directed at the stumblebums who seem to think they are better qualified to run the University than President David Schmidly - someone who has actual experience as a university president. You think that athletics, a self-sustaining economic endeavor that allows student athletes to attend universities, some of whom might not have such opportunities were it not for the athletics scholarships that support their studies, is somehow taking precious resources away from academic programs? You think that bond funds voted for in elections for athletic buildings can just be diverted to your programs because some people just really want it that way? You think Schmidly has done a poor job because the state faces a budget shortfall that forced UNM to go on a hiring freeze? You think eliminating an indeterminable number of vice president positions could make up those millions of dollars? Weren't you the same group of people clamoring for greater diversity and equality so then UNM created a position to demonstrate the University's commitment to meeting those aims? And didn't you also want better student support so UNM might raise its anemic graduation rate to within spitting distance of its peers? Didn't you want the vice president for enrollment management because the basis for UNM's funding is driven by student credit hours? And you really thought that these things would magically get accomplished by qualified people with relevant experience without paying market rates? Do you think that you are better qualified, better informed and more capable of leading UNM? You think you have all of the solutions to all of the issues facing UNM, and you think Schmidly is either choosing to ignore good solutions or is incapable of reaching the same solutions? Do you think Loyola Chastain serves the best interests of UNM's staff when all she has demonstrated is her ability to frustrate any real dialogue about the challenges the University faces? You really don't think you deserve a better representative, one who's willing to be frank with staff members about the issues facing the University? Maybe you should collectively apply Ockham's razor to the current problems the University faces and acknowledge that there are no magic bullets to fix these problems.

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Column: Shoot for the stars, but take baby steps

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school. I hope you got some rest and had fun over the break. It's that time of year again: time to polish up the old resolutions or pick up some bright and shiny new ones. Are you bursting with resolve? All revved up to lose 40 pounds, quit smoking, get in tip-top shape and stop drinking coffee all by the end of January? Many of us have these or other lofty and impossible goals.

Councilor should be praised for denouncing Israel's atrocities

Editor, I was not at the protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza on Jan. 10, but I was there in spirit with the other Jews, and I commend and fully support council member Isaac Benton for speaking out against the Israeli government's actions. I am a 52-year-old disabled Jewish woman, and I absolutely do not back Israel's murderous policies.

UNM's actions show it favors athletics over academics

Editor, Even though I wasn't surprised, my jaw still dropped when I saw how much UNM is forking out for a football coach: $750,000 a year. All the while, our professors are struggling to keep their heads above water with the freezes on hiring, the standstill on raises and the overload of work on poorly staffed departments.

Schmidly should use his power to cultivate UNM's success

Editor, I couldn't help but laugh when I picked up a Daily Lobo during finals week. I was late for my Economics final, but to see President David Schmidly's face of consternation was absolutely priceless. However bad a job he's doing, I can't help but empathize with the president despite his shortcomings.

Schmidly must be replaced by a new, trustworthy leader

Editor, Students, faculty and staff of UNM, there has clearly been a lot of anti-Schmidly Administration sentiment expressed in letters to the editor. I think it's time we did something about it. For those who want to put an end to the Schmidly Administration, go to PetitionOnline.

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Daily Lobo should report on humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Editor, Although UNM is on winter break, I would like the Daily Lobo to objectively cover the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Gaza. Israeli air strikes and ground invasions in Gaza have brutally killed more than 600 individuals, and the numbers are rising.

Admins create ethical void by trying to justify high pay

Editor, Those who fret over UNM President David Schmidly's $587,000 salary may not know of what it consists. Wardrobe needs alone draw $95,000, which includes the cost of designing and tailoring presentable suits of Kevlar (cut resistance) and Nomex (fireproofing) - essential against peasant-wielded pitchforks and torches.

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Faculty, infrastructure more important than new coach

Editor, I wish to thank the University again for showing us how out of touch with the community it really is. The news of a recent hiring this week of a football coach for zillions of dollars when we have temp employees terrified they will not be able to pay mortgages and insurance payments as of the first of the year is shocking.

Filling athletics vacancies over faculty not fair to students

Editor, Here's a simple question: What is wrong with a University that can't fill a faculty spot years after it becomes vacant but can fill the head football coach position within days? I have come to accept that a school's sports programs, especially football and basketball, take priority over its academic programs because sports programs can bring in a lot of money.

UNM needs to justify allocating large salaries to vice presidents

Editor, I have attended UNM for the past couple of years, and I have noticed that there are several recurring themes. Most often, I feel I am educated enough to have a legitimate idea of where I stand on most issues. However, one area in which I have always felt deep concern, but on which, to be perfectly honest, I have virtually no knowledge of, is that of our budgetary concerns regarding the employment of what is often alleged to be an excess of administration.