Letters to the Editor: Trash collectors targeted for critcism

I don’t know how hard it is to be a refuse collector/driver. I imagine driving a truck that picks up the dumpsters is easy, picking up the green dumpsters and dumping them in the truck is hard, as well as doing the alley cleanup.

As a consumer, I get tired of waiting a month or longer after the first call and making several more calls before the trash around the dumpster gets picked up. What’s even more annoying, at least in my alley, is they only pick up the dumpster you have called on. They don’t go down the alley to see if there might be trash at any of the other dumpsters.

Do they get a raise? Probably. Do they deserve a raise for good work done?

Maybe the city could save money for all these raises by getting rid of the street sweepers. The only thing I see them accomplish is blowing dirt in the air and leaving a muddy trail behind them.

Or they could raise the dumping fees for Portales as a sort of fine because the trucks leave a trail of trash between Portales and Clovis. Has anyone noticed the trash along the fences and highway? I figured the dump trucks were part of the cause, then I saw the trash flying out when I had the experience of being behind one driving from Portales to Clovis.

And while I’m on the bandwagon — why is the Portales animal control able to stay open on Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Clovis animal control is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday only?

— Darlene Ray

Clovis

Christmas parade meeds more light

As a new Clovis resident, I experienced my first Christmas parade on Dec. 4. It was a nice event, what I could see of it.

I realize that turning the street lights out made it easier to see the lights on the floats. However, it was impossible to see the bands and other walking groups. Also, some floats had very few lights. It was impossible to see what was on these floats and what they really represented.

The darkened streets are also hazardous. I tripped twice on uneven sidewalks because I could not see. I certainly would have enjoyed the parade more if the street lights had been on, enabling me to really see the floats and other units.

— Betty Wagner

Clovis

Police on help after home break-ins

My home was broken into two times in one week, both times in broad daylight

Two televisions and a stereo were stolen. The thief even had time to go get help to load the heavy TV.

One of my neighbors saw the thief and did not bother to call the police. Law -abiding citizens in Clovis need to help one another or we are all in big trouble.

I reported the break-in to the police who came to my home, but did not bother to take fingerprints. Is our police department so limited in funds that they can’t hire someone to take prints? How can we expect to be protected if our police cannot do the simple things? Or do they need more training in the basics of police work? Maybe we should rescind the pay raise.

— Sammy Garcia

Clovis

Libertarian view of world not reality

Tibor Machan, in his recent editorial about libertarians, touted their piety explaining that libertarians do the right thing because “they want to do it and choose to do it, acting generously, compassionately and helpfully in the spirit of community. They insist that these responsibilities and obligations be carried out from personal conviction, not from fear of going to jail or being fined.”

We would all have a very merry Christmas if we lived in a pure libertarian society! Think of it.

There would be no need for laws. There would be no need for government. In such a perfect world, there would be no drunk drivers, door locks would be useless. And 53,000 non-smokers would not die each year from secondhand smoke.

Chris Brockett

Clovis