OP/ED

Op-Ed: New Mexico Medical Malpractice

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By KURT C. LANGE, MD.
Taos and Los Alamos

Most of us love New Mexico but we know it has its problems. In 2019, according to US News and World Report, New Mexico ranked 48 out of 50 states as a place to live. In addition, healthcare ranked #33, education #50, crime #47 and opportunity #49. I think it’s obvious that following the COVID epidemic, things haven’t improved for New Mexico. These are the things a state government should provide for its citizens, but it appears they are failing.

Being a long time physician practicing medicine in Texas and later moving to New Mexico to continue to practice, I think Read More

Huang: ‘As Long As It Takes’ – How Long Is Long?

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A young Ukrainian girl’s biggest wish: ‘To end the war now’. Courtesy/Zhen Huang

By Zhen Huang
Los Alamos

During the unannounced visit to Kyvi, President Biden repeated what he said at a joint news conference in the White House with the Ukraine’s President Zelensky Dec. 21, 2022:

“The American people are with you every step of the way, and we will stay with you. We will stay with you for as long as it takes.”

“As long as it takes”?

It’s been one year since the decade-long military conflicts in eastern Ukraine escalated to a full scale war. The Ukraine people have endured a year of escalating violence, Read More

Rojo: How Criminal Fees Damage Our Communities 

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By JAVIER ROJO, MPA
New Mexico Voices for Children

As New Mexicans, we’ve made significant progress in improving the economic well-being of our children and families, including passing new and expanding existing tax credits for working families, requiring that employers provide paid sick leave, and passing a constitutional amendment that increases funding for early childhood education to help families afford childcare.

However, a number of barriers continue to prevent working families and their children from reaching their full potential. One devastating barrier many New Mexicans Read More

Op-Ed: In Support Of Confirmation Of James R. Mountain

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By LEAH MOUNTAIN
Daughter of Indian Affairs nominee James R. Mountain

Dear Chairwoman and Members of the New Mexico State Senate Rules Committee and to whom anyone else it may concern,

I am Leah Mountain and I am submitting this letter in support of the Confirmation of James R. Mountain for Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department. I am proud of Governor Lujan Grisham for having the courage to bring this nomination forward. I am proudly the daughter of James Mountain and the granddaughter of Jay Mountain, who also served as San Ildefonso Governor. I am a strong-willed, educated Read More

Op-Ed: Help Our Teachers!

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By MORRIE PONGRATZ
Secretary
Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation

When my wife Cheryl and I moved here 50 years ago we were attracted by the excellent reputation of the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS). We were disappointed to find that resources for teachers in Los Alamos were lagging what we had experienced at Benjamin Tasker Junior High in Bowie, Maryland where Cheryl was chair of the science department (I even taught earth science there for a while).

For example, Cheryl took a significant cut in pay to teach at LAPS. Currently the average teacher salary in Prince George’s County is $60,500 Read More

Garcia & Shiv: Saving Children’s In New Mexico Lives By Passing Common-Sense Gun Laws

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Marsha Garcia

By MARSHA GARCIA & DIVYA SHIV
New Mexico Voices for Children

Over the past 70 years, we’ve done a great deal to make childhood less dangerous.

In the 1950s, children were protected from the last of the dreaded child-killing diseases with the development of the polio vaccine. In 1970, childhood poisonings were decreased when Congress required child resistant packaging on medications. By 1986, all 50 states had enacted laws requiring child car seats to protect children from what was then the number one killer of kids: automobile accidents. And in 1994, Congress passed the  Read More

Op-Ed: New Mexico Bill Poised To Make Meaningful Special Education Changes

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Contributors to this Op-Ed:

Joel Davis, NM Developmental Disability Council Chair & parent, Katie Stone, NMDD Council Vice-chair & parent, Jennifer D. Sanchez, CFPSW NMDD Council Secretary & parent, Valentín Anaya, NMDD Council Treasurer, & parent, John Arango NMDD Council Past Chair & parent

By NMDD Council Members:

HB 285, the Special Education Act, begins the process of transformation long overdue in special education and will ultimately improve the outcomes for disabled students statewide. It’s about time.

  • Only 64% of students receiving special education
Read More

Op-Ed: SB298 Recognizes Vulnerable Housing Situation

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By JOANNE DEMICHELE
Silver City

“There’s an investment strategy hiding under the radar that has proven time and time again to be one of the best opportunities for investors, especially in times of uncertainty.” –52TEN–Mobile Home Park Investment Company

The main reason Mobile Home Parks are hot investments is that Mobile Homes are not mobile. It can cost as much to relocate a manufactured home as it would to move a stick-built home. The terms “Mobile Homes” and “Mobile Home Parks” falsely portray these homes and homeowners as portable.

Another reason these investment strategies are Read More

Ham: Making Law Abiding New Mexicans Into Felons Is Extremism & Unlikely To Change Gun Deaths In New Mexico

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Image depicting outcome if proposed laws to criminalize legal guns and magazines pass. At top is a Winchester Wildcat in 22lr with 10 rounds of 22lr ammunition. At bottom is a Glock style pistol with 9 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Courtesy/Ham

By MICHAEL HAM
Los Alamos

Under two proposed laws that would criminalize the possession of many currently legal guns and magazines, a Glock style semi-automatic pistol with 9 round magazines would remain legal.

As we have seen recently in California [1], adding more gun control laws results in vastly diminishing returns to public safety. My hope is after reading Read More

New Mexico Lawmakers Advance One Bill To Crack Down On Shoplifting, Table Another

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The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo

By ROBERT NOTT
The Santa Fe New Mexican

News video footage of shoplifters aiming handguns at store security guards during crime sprees told the story.

Lawmakers who watched the footage, part of a KRQE newscast from last year, then acted to pass a bill aimed at stemming such shoplifting efforts.

On Friday the members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee unanimously approved House Bill 234, which would create new crimes of robbery for shoplifters using guns and allow stricter penalties for different shoplifting crimes committed Read More