Your opinions: Jan. 13

Red water fact sheet by city a bit misleading

Just received the city’s Red Water Fact Sheet. It’s a bit misleading and can be construed as being incorrect when you present it as an “aesthetic issue only.” It is more than that — having impacts on the health and well-being of individuals, clogging your distribution system, affecting the water-using appliances in the home such as hot water heaters, toilets, coffee pots, refrigerators and pipes.

Although the regulations concerning iron and manganese in drinking water were established as secondary standards for nuisance and aesthetics, there is very likely a causality between the tainted drinking water and hemochromatosis (iron overload disease). While the symptoms of this disease can vary, they are noted with these characteristics — chronic fatigue, arthritis, heart disease, cirrhosis, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, impotence and sterility.

Further, red water can affect the flavor and even the color of food and water. They react with tannins in tea and coffee and even some alcoholic beverages. It will cause reddish brown staining on laundry, porcelain (sinks and toilets), dishes, utensils and even our glassware. Soaps and detergents don’t remove the stains (and can even intensify the stain itself).

The iron deposits build up in the pipelines, pressure tanks, air conditioners, spas and hot tubs, water heaters and water softeners, impacting the quantity and pressure of the water supply. The accumulations become an economic burden to the residents when they need to replace these items. We also experience increases in energy costs from pumping water through constricted pipes or heating rods coated with these mineral deposits. Which commonly leads to iron or manganese.

Bryan Perdue,

Las Cruces

Cuts to court funding would harm children

As Peter Goodman points out, “proposed cuts to court funding are shortsighted.” The drug courts are an essential function of the courts. Drug courts, sometimes called problem-solving courts, work. Drug courts protect society while restoring the person to a sober, healthy and productive citizen with a meaningful life.

We are blessed to have in Doña Ana County an adult drug court, family reunification court, DWI court, juvenile drug court and soon a veterans court. I call them courting hope, because they help break the cycle of drugs and crime, at a huge cost savings. We have outstanding judges who support drug courts.

The Continuum Board (Promise for Success Initiative) has been the best-practice model. Make juvenile court the last resort.

The Beyond Bars report, published by the National Collaboration for Youth (www.collab4youth.org) confirms the coounty’s Continuum model is best practices and works (thanks to Judges Fernando Macias and Marci Beyer).

Finally, we need to restore adequate funding for the Weed & Seed program and PAL Boxing. They are vital programs, too.

Rory Rank,

Las Cruces