Editorials

By Paul Gessing

New Mexico's Legislature continues to meet in Santa Fe. Sadly, it continues along the same trajectory it has been on in recent years where the government spending grows while also keeping more of our money and (often) adding an ever-increasing number of taxes for us to pay.

For starters, the House recently passed a budget that increases spending across all areas of New Mexico government. An amendment was offered by Republicans to rebate a portion of the money ($600 each) to average New Mexicans. The plan was rejected by Democrats.

That's by no means the only plan offered in Santa Fe to reduce burdens on New Mexico families. I had the opportunity to present expert testimony on HB 275 which would have eliminated New Mexico's personal income tax. Nine other states have no income tax. Two states (Alaska and New Hampshire) have no income or sales tax. Having no income tax would instantly make New Mexico competitive with other states for investment, business relocation, and economic growth.

Sadly, plan after plan to return some portion of New Mexico's current budget surpluses has been rejected by Democrats in the Legislature. This, despite New Mexico having $13.5 billion in general fund revenues with the House-passed budget totaling "only" $10.8 billion.

Clearly, New Mexico has plenty of money, but where is it going? Aside from 6 percent spending growth this year and 70% growth since Michelle Lujan Grisham took office, the State is simply hoarding cash. According to a recent article in the Santa Fe New Mexican the State Investment Council now has a mind-blowing $61 billion under its management.

This may seem like a good thing, but it isn't.

For starters, New Mexico has plenty of serious problems that could be addressed by returning some of this money to taxpayers. The State's economy is widely known to be too dependent on oil and gas revenues. New Mexico's population is among the poorest states in the nation with nearly half its citizens on Medicaid.

New Mexico also has a rapidly aging population that has not grown much (especially relative to its neighbors) for years. This is unique in the fast-growing American southwest which is home to some of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Clearly it is driven by public policy decisions out of Santa Fe.

Specifically, one of the bills that seems likely to become law this session is HB 417. The bill would impose a new "point of sale" tax on alcohol of 6% on top of numerous other taxes. The bill is being pitched as a way to reduce the harms of alcohol abuse, but it was amended in committee to exempt New Mexico brewers, distillers, and winemakers. Exempting in-state producers from a tax increase that is supposed to reduce alcohol abuse makes no sense.

Many bills moving in the 2025 legislative session would impose further taxes on New Mexico individuals and businesses at a time of unprecedented prosperity (and spending) for the State.  

At the Rio Grande Foundation we support the oil and gas industry and think it will continue to supply jobs and tax revenues to New Mexicans for decades to come. But if you believe that oil and gas are on their way to irrelevancy, shouldn't we use these revenues to diversify our economy now?

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexico's Rio Grande Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility.

First, thank you for your service. I am writing as a concerned New Mexico constituent working in the field of Adult Education to ask that you increase the Adult Literacy allocation in House Bill 2 by $1 million, for a total of $2.25 million.

Did you know that the number of American adults with the lowest level of adult literacy went up a whopping 9% in 2023? New Mexico has the lowest adult literacy rates in the country. 29% of NM are at an NRS level one, which means they lack the most basic reading skills, and 40% lack the most basic math skills. Out of six NRS levels, 60% of NM adults are at level two or below in reading, and 70% are at level two and below in math. Students at level two can work with simple texts and problems, but to approach proficiency adults generally need to be at an intermediate level 4 or above.

By now, astute observers should be familiar with how conspiracy stories are constructed. First, the presenter must be anonymous. You know, like the tremendously successful Q-Anon prank. Second, a collection of “facts” or “events” must be woven together to present the reader with a plausible analysis of why the theory is likely to have merit. Third, there must be nefarious people with dirty deeds pointed out as perpetrators.

While some individual facts presented concerning those making a case against WNMU president Shepard MAY be true, the connection is tenuous and unproven. Public written conjecture borders on libel and defamation.

By Ruben Leyva

Historically, people have not viewed the Gila Apache as residing as far north as the Navajo's southern boundary or imagined the Navajo traveling as far south as the border between the U.S. and Mexico. I will elaborate on how allies and adversaries shifted from cooperation to conflict. These records also highlight instances of negotiation and strategic coexistence. The Gila Apache adeptly navigated changing alliances with the Catholic Church and Spanish military presidios, leveraging these relationships to secure resources, protect their families, and uphold cultural traditions.

David M. Brugge, the late author of *Navajos in the Catholic Church*, published in 1983, examined writings by European Christians in New Mexico that documented the conversions and sacraments received by the Apache and our distant relatives, the Navajo, then documented as 'Apaches de Navajó.' As a result, many Apache, Navajo, and other tribes in the Southwest have Spanish-Christian surnames. While not all baptismal, burial, and marriage records specified the tribal affiliation of Indigenous peoples, many did. According to Brugge, the Apachean groups (Navajos and Apaches) significantly surpassed other tribes in New Mexico, with a recorded total of 2,652 baptisms between 1700 and 1870.

The Navajo accounted for the majority, with 1,623 baptisms. The records mention that specific Apache groups embraced the faith. Whether these individuals accepted conversion freely, under duress, or for how long they observed the faith after baptism varied. We know that once it became a part of our custom, some Apache willingly engaged in Catholic sacraments at birth, death, and periodically marriage. In *Apache at War and Peace* William B. Griffen insists, "After the mid-eighteenth century, Spaniards drew finer distinctions between Apache living west of the Rio Grande."

County Resolutions Target Antiquities Act Abuse

• Property Theft by Presidential Decree
• Get Your County to Adopt a Resolution for Reform

The Antiquities Act of 1906 preceded the creation of land management agencies currently in existence.  During the 18th century, profiteers purchased or stole historic objects and lands.  Congress, fearing the loss of historic locations and relics, gave the President sole authority to protect antiquities with some stated limitations, primarily that the land taken be "confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected."

Despite the good intentions of Congress, the 1906 Antiquities Act allows the President alone to steal private land in the name of the government and does not provide redress for local governments and private landowners whose property and livelihoods were confiscated.  The provision limiting the amount of land to be taken has been largely ignored. 

Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis of Utah introduced the Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act to modernize the Antiquities Act of 1906 and end the executive branch's abuse of its monument designation authority (more on the bill below).  The bill gives Congress the sole power to modify or revoke national monument designations and prevents the President from making unilateral decisions regarding national monuments, thereby promoting a more balanced approach to land management.

Senate Bill 176, which proposes three patient-centered reforms to New Mexico's medical malpractice law, continues to gather momentum and has now picked up 20 bipartisan sponsors:

Democratic Sponsors of SB 176
Senator Martin Hickey (D-Abq)
Senator George Muñoz (D-Gallup)
Senator Bobby Gonzales (D-Taos)
Senator Liz Stefanics (D-Santa Fe)
Rep. Anita Gonzales (D-Las Vegas)
Rep. D. Wonda Johnson (D-Rehoboth)
Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup)
Rep. Marian Matthews (D-Abq)

By Ruben Leyva

In Spanish, the nickname "Red Sleeves" translates as Mangas Coloradas. Some attribute the name to the Apache leader's red colored shirt he acquired during a raid. I will not include his Apache name in this editorial.

On January 18, 1863, U.S. Army troops killed this tall, imposing leader after torturing him at Fort McLane. His body was dismembered, and his skull was sent to the Smithsonian for phrenology. The Apache believe he took his desecrated body into the Apache afterlife. He was 70 years old when the troops tortured and murdered him. 

By Bob Ippel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Association of Non-Public Schools

Recently I turned 65 and joined the ranks of those on Medicare. I was impressed with the wide array of options available to my wife and me as we chose plans and providers that would be best for our situation. I was thankful that there was not a cookie cutter approach for all seniors when it came to their healthcare.