Editorials
Editorial content. Content posted here may or may not reflect the opinions of the Beat. They reflect the opinions of the author.
The Sheriff’s Race – Villanueva’s Wimpy Win
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 16 November 2022 16 November 2022
The Sheriff’s Race – Villanueva’s Wimpy Win
By Frost McGahey
The results of the Grant County Sheriff’s race are:
Raul Villanueva 5,514
Jim Lee 2,552
Manuel J. Maldonado 2,842
5,394
Villanueva won by only 120 votes. And at one voting station, a poll worker said there were about 15 to 20 ballots where the write-in circle was marked but no name was listed.
Op-ed: New Mexico should strengthen, not weaken anti-donation clause
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 28 October 2022 28 October 2022
By Paul Gessing
The following opinion piece appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News on Sunday, October 23, 2022
LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS
There are numerous important issues on New Mexicans' ballots as early voting kicks off on October 22nd. Amendment 2 has not received the same attention as Amendment 1 which relates to pre-K and early childhood spending, but voters will be asked to vote on this important issue also.
Amendment 2 would, if adopted, further weaken New Mexico's "anti-donation clause" by allowing the Legislature to "appropriate state funds for infrastructure that provides services primarily for residential use—such as internet, electric, natural gas, water, and wastewater."
The anti-donation clause goes back to New Mexico's founding. At that time and throughout the decades leading up to it railroads were among the dominant economic interests in the nation. Before adoption of anti-donation clauses government bonds were often given to railroads. These often failed, leaving states and municipalities in debt while enriching the railroad "robber barons" of the day.
INJUSTICE: Why is Daniel Ivey-Soto Still On the Courts, Corrections, and Justice Committee?
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 19 October 2022 19 October 2022
Daniel Ivey-Soto Has Been Credibly Accused by Multiple Women of Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Abuse … The Special Counsel's Report Found Probable Cause Yet the Legislature Took No Action
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — State Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto, who has been credibly accused by mutliple women of sexual harassment, bullying, and abuse, was present yesterday for the second day of a three-day meeting of the Courts, Corrections and Justice (CCJ) Interim Committee of the New Mexico Legislature.
Ivey-Soto was present yesterday for a presentation made by Attorney General Hector Balderas, during which AG Balderas referred to his office's success in prosecuting sex abuse cases. At one point, AG Balderas even said, "We won those cases on the voice and on the credibility of young sex abuse victims."
NIMBY, anyone?
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 12 October 2022 12 October 2022
Do you want running water in your houses? Do you want your cell phones, computers and televisions? Do you want the "necessities" of modern life?
What would you do, if one morning, you woke up and no water came out of your bathroom faucet and the lights wouldn't turn on? You would probably try to call your plumber and your electrician, but you have no dial tone on your phone. You take your cell phone off the charger, except, oh no! It was down to 10 percent last night and it's only at 15 percent now.
You glance over at your electric clock. It is stuck at 11:32. It must be last night because it's only 6:30 a.m. The electricity has been out since last night?
And it's still out. No use plugging in the coffee maker or turning on the radio or TV for the news.
What's at stake in this election?
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 11 October 2022 11 October 2022
Today is the first day of early voting and I'm going to use my time to remind you what's at stake in this election.
First, I want to remind everyone out there that there are people with bad intentions and people with good intentions in every single walk of life. Despite that and regardless of our party affiliation, our incredible commitment to the idea that all people in the opposition party are bad people with bad intentions is deeply damaging our civil society.
Our evolution from a society that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work--to an entitled society that blames everyone else for our problems is also deeply damaging our country.
Mogollon in the Crosshairs
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 11 October 2022 11 October 2022
In the remote and tiny town of Mogollon, New Mexico, an impending disaster of broad proportions is underway.
Much like the lone prospector with 'gold fever' of days-gone-by, Summa Silver Corporation, a foreign- owned junior mineral exploration company, has begun drilling exploratory cores in the Mogollon area in hopes of finding high grade ore that the miners of the past missed. And just like the old-time prospector motivated by the greed of striking it rich, Summa Silver has recently staked additional mining claims expanding deep into Forest Service land encompassing thousands of acres of private and public lands.
TREK, a new acronym for success
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 07 October 2022 07 October 2022
In an effort to counter and replace divisive acronyms like ESG, environmental social governance and DIE (which kills businesses), diversity, inclusion and equity, I have come up with a new acronym.
Every job requires TREK. Actually, life requires TREK.
T stands for training. Take a law enforcement officer as an example. Without training, a policeman or deputy can become involved in a dangerous situation that he may not be able to manage. How about a miner? A miner is not born understanding how to look for and process ore He is trained in the skills he needs to do his job. He better have training to run one of those huge ore carrying trucks. I, as an editor and writer, wasn't born with the ability to edit and write. It has taken a full life of training, studying, learning to achieve the skills required for an editor.
GO Bond 3 Op-Ed from Secretary Witte
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 07 October 2022 07 October 2022
By Jeff M. Witte
New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture
With early voting rapidly approaching, I encourage New Mexicans to vote on General Obligation Bond 3 for Higher Education. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), which is headquartered at New Mexico State University's (NMSU) main campus but serves the entire state of New Mexico, would receive $10.5 million to replace its outdated and unsafe headquarters facility.
For those that are not aware, the original New Mexico Constitution, ratified in 1911 and the basis for statehood in 1912, created the state department of agriculture. In 1955, NMSU's Board of Regents unified a number of regulatory services and the individuals responsible for administering them under a single administrative organization: the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. Our current building was constructed in 1973.
If the bond passes, there will be no tax rate increase. It is not a new tax or an increase in the rate of the existing property tax. If passed, the 2022 GO Bond to support higher education will maintain the states bonding capacity to address future capital improvement needs. These bonds are a replacement of general obligation bonds for higher education that are expiring or have already expired.