United we’ll stand

Regarding the July 14 editorial, “Wage idea promising, but needs airing”: Standing together, endorsing a living wage resolution, were representatives from the business community, city leadership and the Living Wage Network — people who were in major conflict a few years ago. They do deserve our congratulations. Does there need to be time for further study and for others to speak? Of course. Nonetheless, this compromise can be a first step to creative collaboration about many aspects of economic health for our city. And, as your editorial pointed out, we still don’t have a living wage in Santa Fe. Congratulations to Peter Wirth and other state legislators who asked Gov. Bill Richardson to investigate Wal-Mart’s tax-paying practices, which may be “strictly” legal but constitute a loophole that costs our locally owned businesses and our New Mexico communities. If the governor isn’t interested, I hope many of us will be asking why.

Elaine Sullivan