Editorials
Editorial content. Content posted here may or may not reflect the opinions of the Beat. They reflect the opinions of the author.
Hispanics ignored by woke-idealism become battleground for upcoming election
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 21 April 2022 21 April 2022
Albuquerque – In a recent Axios article, New Mexico Hispanic Republicans were highlighted for their election 2022 efforts- this year a record-breaking number of Hispanic-conservatives are running for state legislative seats. Republican outreach to key Hispanic voters, and candidate recruitment comes on the heels of a recent Wall Street Journal poll that highlighted the growing gap between Hispanics and Democrats. The poll shows a 9% swing in favor of Republicans from Hispanic voters who no longer view progressive policies as representing their needs.
"The Republican Party of 2022 is a much more inclusive party than the one I first became involved with in 1999. We have made great strides, both state-wide and nationally, to elect Hispanic candidates. New Mexico can boast the fact that we elected the first Latina Governor in the nation,"said House Republican Whip, Rep. Rod Montoya (Farmington). "In the last decade, we have seen a steady stream of walk-away Hispanic Democrats changing their registration to Republican. Many are just tired of being looked down on and/or pitied for having the 'misfortune' of being Hispanic. In the last several years, Hispanic Republicans and Democrats alike, have started calling out the blatant disregard of our shared Hispanic culture, values and heritage by those who see us as merely a tool for their political purposes. Our very language has been appropriated by white-progressives who have re-named us with the term Latin-X instead of Latino or Hispanic."
Don't Waste New Mexico's "Unique" Opportunity
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 20 April 2022 20 April 2022
By Paul J. Gessing
New Mexico is in a unique economic situation. Despite having the highest unemployment rate in the nation for all of 2022, our incredibly strong oil and gas industry, buoyed by high prices and rapid production growth, has given politicians in Santa Fe "more money than they know what to do with." So, in the recent 30-day session we saw spending grow by more than $1 billion and some significant tax cuts. Then, in a special session, rebates to be paid out to taxpayers and non-taxpayers alike.
The impetus to return money generated by the oil and gas industry to New Mexicans is welcome, but there are serious questions about the legality and logistics of handing out checks to those who don't pay taxes to the State. Furthermore, asking the Tax and Revenue department to hand out cash "only" to those who deserve it is an unenviable and impossible task that also seems to violate the State's anti-donation clause.
But, after three years of Lujan Grisham and the Democrats raising taxes, it is hard to complain about getting some money back.
The precious right to vote
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 19 April 2022 19 April 2022
By Myles Culbertson
Apr 18, 2022
An opinion today published in the New Mexico Sun: https://newmexicosun.com/stories/623333794-the-precious-right-to-vote
This is a story about my father – W.O. Culbertson, Jr. A few of you reading this will still remember him.
In the spring of 1972, we were branding calves on my family's ranch in Northeastern New Mexico. It was the first Tuesday in June, primary election day, and our plan was to finish up the morning's work, turn the horses loose, and stand down the chuck wagon and camp so that we and the crew could take the rest of the day off to go vote.
In the corral, as we were finishing up that day's set of calves, my father's horse fell with him – the full force and weight of the horse landing on his chest. For a moment it appeared his back might be broken, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
Dow Calls for NM SOS to Uphold Election Transparency
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 18 April 2022 18 April 2022
Today, New Mexico Gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Dow released a statement in support of increasing transparency in our elections and strengthening voter confidence. She calls for publishing the state's voter rolls, something only currently accessible to politicians and special interest groups, meaning all New Mexicans can hold our Secretary of State and election authorities accountable.
IPANM Statement on the Department of Interior's Leasing Announcement
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 15 April 2022 15 April 2022
IPANM (April 15, 2022) -- In response to the Department of Interior's Leasing Announcement, IPANM releases the following statement:
"The Biden administration's announcement to lease just 20% of the available acreage nominated by the oil and gas industry will do little to change the President's war on domestic production punishing American consumers.
If the Biden administration was serious about decreasing prices at the pump, fighting inflation, and returning America to energy independence, the President would have made a more meaningful announcement himself instead of pushing out a weak policy reversal by news release late on a Friday afternoon leading into a holiday weekend."
PTF Reacts To Biden's Easter News Dump: "Another Band Aid That Won't Stop The Bleeding"
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 15 April 2022 15 April 2022
Washington, D.C. – Power The Future Communications Director Larry Behrens released the following statement in response to reports President Biden will open only 20 percent of federal land leases to new development while increasing royalty costs:
This Tax Day, Help Is on the Way for New Mexico Families
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 15 April 2022 15 April 2022
By Amber Wallin, Executive Director, New Mexico Voices for Children
After more than two years of a pandemic and its related recession, it's hard to remember life in 2019, let alone what great things were accomplished. This Tax Day is a good reminder that lawmakers have made several improvements to our tax code in recent years that will provide important benefits for New Mexicans in need of financial relief.
These improvements to our income tax system will benefit more than 500,000 New Mexico tax filers who earn low wages and return some $100 million more to them every year. During a time when the price of basic goods has increased, that extra money couldn't have come at a better moment.
IPANM Statement on New Mexico Ozone Precursor Methane Rule
- Category: Editorials Editorials
- Published: 15 April 2022 15 April 2022
IPANM (April 15, 2021) -- In response to final deliberations and passage of a New Mexico Ozone Precursor Methane Rule, IPANM releases the following statement:
"The Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico believes the goal of the New Mexico ozone precursor methane rule should have been to reduce emissions while preserving well economics and minimizing potential job losses. An initial draft of the rule allowed for a reasonable regulatory framework for low-volume production, however, the state removed that provision in the 11th hour after pressure from out-of-state environmental groups who subverted a good-faith collaborative stakeholder effort. IPANM is disappointed by provisions in the final rule that disproportionately target low volume producers, which will lead to premature plugging of still-productive wells that are already environmentally safe and contribute significantly to state revenues.