Submitted by Jay Block, Sandoval County Commission and candidate for NM Senate District 12 The people of New Mexico have suffered too long, due to failed policies that have delivered the worst education system, worst child well-being, and highest violent crime rate in the country. That should be enough. But we are also one of […]
Commentary
Posted inColumnists, Commentary, Politics & Elections
Proposed constitution amendments would increase property taxes for homeowners
Submitted by Karen Wentworth, League of Women Voters Two of the four constitutional amendments voters will see on the ballot this fall are property tax exemptions for veterans. Currently all 100% disabled veterans are exempt from property taxes in New Mexico. Amendment 1 would offer partial exemptions to veterans who are partially disabled. A veteran […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
We celebrate 20 years of columns
“I want to stop and smell the roses,” he said. “If you want it, you can have it. Otherwise I’m going to shut it down.” That was newsman Hal Rhodes, founder of New Mexico News Services. He had started NMNS in 1997 to provide opinion columns to New Mexico newspapers. When Hal was ready to […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
Buy a piece of history
If you love historic hotels, and I do, it was a punch in the gut to read that the St. James Hotel in Cimarron has closed. The storied St. James not only has a big place in New Mexico history — punctuated by 26 bullet holes in the barroom ceiling — it’s a major employer […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
A million here, a million there
Imagine this: You are a legislator in the state House of Representatives and are told that you have $2.5 million to distribute in your House district or $4.2 million in your Senate district. Wow! You would no doubt feel like Santa Claus. This is what happened in the 2024 legislative session and it’s what happens […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
In New Mexico, straight ticket voting is a losing proposition
I find myself selecting the “Snooze for 30 days” option on social media more and more for my more strident connections as we get closer to the election and the anger from each side gets a little crazier. Democrats and Republicans alike are obsessed with cat-eating memes. J.D. Vance admits to “creating the story.” No […]
Posted inCommentary, Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor: UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center Is Harming Patients’ Interests by Refusing to Negotiate a Contract
The University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center is not only breaking state law but also jeopardizing the care of its own patients by refusing to allow some of its healthcare workers to be members of a union and have a voice in patient care. University of New Mexico Health System, of which UNM […]
Posted inCommentary, Sandoval County
Opinion: Competency vs. Incompetency
Barbara Romo is district attorney for the 13th Judicial District, which includes Valencia, Sandoval and Cibola counties. The recent special legislative session was of particular interest to me and my office for its purported emphasis on public safety issues. Since the session only lasted five hours, however, in the end there was not much to […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
All’s Fair in Healthcare Worker Recruiting
Around Houston Medical Center are six billboards inviting its employees to come to New Mexico, where they will be “Free to Provide.” The message is repeated in full page ads in the Sunday editions of dailies in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. New Mexico’s governor and state Health Department are taking advantage […]
Posted inColumnists, Commentary
Domenici needs to show she’s from here
Let’s not talk about race. It might upset the children. That’s the rule in Florida, at least, or so we interpret from the way it’s been reported. It means they don’t want to upset the white children. It’s not clear whether they consider the black children. This was Florida’s response to something called critical race […]