The Aug. 17 Herald editorial on gubernatorial debate locations completely misses a fundamental issue.

Most voters gain access to political debates by way of television, regardless of where any given debate takes place. Holding a gubernatorial debate in Southwest Colorado would afford access only to the limited audience of those able to attend in person. Meanwhile, the rest of us would remain in the dark, as it is highly unlikely that any Albuquerque television channel would carry the debate.

The real problem is that our persisting and unfair assignment to the Albuquerque market area deprives us of a key source of information about our own state – including its political processes. No matter how many debates occur between candidates for governor, or where they are held, most Southwest Colorado voters will be ignorant of what is said and the demeanor of the participants.

It’s long past time for this to change.

But despite the efforts of many in the past, we remain caught between the devil (Nielsen) and the deep blue sea (the FCC). Meanwhile, editorializing about holding a debate in this corner of the state is little better than pointless.

Heather Mullett

Hesperus