Editorials

By Paul Gessing

A few weeks after the recent election New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham went on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and said, "New Mexico's went from 50th to 17th on child poverty (in the nation)." This is simply untrue.

The Gov. is conflating the US Census Bureau's traditional poverty measure in which we remain 50th and its supplemental measure which includes several federal and state government programs where New Mexico performs better. To be completely clear, these are very different measures. Conflating them is simply not accurate. The Gov. should stop.

A recent news story by Dan Boyd of the Albuquerque Journal noted "The supplemental measure factors in government benefits, like New Mexico's state-subsidized lunches for public school students. It also includes tax credits and cost-of-living calculations."

By Piñon Post / December 18, 2024 / New Mexico, News, Politics

https://pinonpost.com/economist-outlines-why-nms-green-dream-is-a-regressive-tax/#google_vignette 

A recent op-ed by Kenneth Costello, a regulatory economist, has sparked debate over New Mexico’s aggressive clean energy policies. Published on Master Resource, the piece criticizes the state’s Energy Transition Act (ETA – also known as its Green New Deal), and related mandates, arguing they impose higher energy costs on consumers, especially low-income households, while providing minimal environmental benefits.

Shaping the Future of Health Care in New Mexico

By Senator Pete Campos and Christian Bowers, MD

Health care in New Mexico ranks near the bottom in the country for nearly all of the key health care metrics used to judge states and populations, such as mortality rates, affordability of and access to health care, avoidable deaths, infant mortality, women's mortality and life expectancy.

New Mexico's overall health care ranking is 43rd out of the states, and this is an ongoing issue that needs improvement. It is necessary to expand New Mexico's statewide health care programs, prepare more health care professionals, increase funding, upgrade equipment and improve telehealth and facilities. These changes would encourage and provide an incentive for doctors, nurses and specialists to stay in New Mexico and improve the state's medical system. Additionally, these expansions would provide more financial support and attract health care providers to New Mexico and hopefully allow the state to retain the providers trained in New Mexico.

The mental health of our adolescents is under pressure like never before. Rural communities, such as ours in southwest New Mexico, face unique challenges, from limited access to mental health professionals to stigma that discourages young people from seeking help. But amidst these challenges, a promising solution is emerging: artificial intelligence (AI).

AI tools, such as chatbots and predictive algorithms, are revolutionizing mental health care by making it more accessible and scalable. These tools can provide 24/7 support, detect early signs of mental distress, and even recommend interventions tailored to individual needs. For rural areas with sparse resources, AI could bridge critical gaps in mental health care.

Challenging Bias in Apache History: A Journey Toward Cross-Border Truths

For some time now, I have known of my Apache family’s history of interactions with the United States and our efforts to establish Apache Indian reservations with both the U.S. and Mexico. Of the three treaties signed with the U.S., the 1852 Treaty was the only ratified. The 1860 Gila Apache Indian Reservation, placed into reserve by the U.S. in the modern communities of Gila and Cliff, New Mexico, had been forgotten. By 1877, the U.S. government dissolved the Southern Apache Indian Agency. I am aware of the reservations my ancestors sought and proposed peacefully, including the site near Fort Bowie, Arizona, in December 1879. However, the U.S. had no interest in opening another Apache agency in southeastern Arizona, as it already had San Carlos, where many groups had been relocated. The Gila and Chiricahua have lived on several reservations of other tribes but never received a permanent reservation for our communities in our homelands.

December 2024

http://www.liberato.us/property-rights-report-2412.html 

Congressional Gift-Giving: Rattlesnakes and Grizzly Bears That Bite

While the policy wonks and talking heads have been chattering about DOGE and how fiscal utopia is right around the corner, Congress has been busy preparing to go in the opposite direction.

Each year, members prepare their wish lists for what is termed the federal lands omnibus bill. This is a collection of wilderness and wild and scenic river designations, monuments, and appropriations to purchase private properties, trails, and parks.

The one thing the Democrats can't take from us

Bernalillo County Breakfast meeting Frank Ruvolo Chairman, seated, with Mick Rich speaking

The Republican Party of New Mexico needs a leader with a clear vision, bold ideas, and the determination to win. That's why I'm running to be the next RPNM Chairman. Here's how we'll rebuild and revitalize our party together:

A Vision for the Future
I believe New Mexico should be in the Top Ten of states in the nation. Here's what that looks like:
● Republicans are the majority in the Roundhouse and Governor's suite.
● Republicans are united from around New Mexico.
● Providing counties and candidates with the resources they need to WIN.

A Plan to Grow Our Party

Almost 70% of the firefighters in our country are volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) records. Even though public safety heavily relies on the service of volunteer firefighters, they have not been included in Cancer Presumption Laws in more than half of the states in the U.S.

Cancer Presumption Laws recognize firefighters' cancerous condition as a job-related illness and affirm their eligibility to receive some form of compensation or disability benefit. However, in most states, including New Mexico, the law specifies that only employed firefighters' applications for support are accepted.