Gessing: Cartoon & Road Trip Highlights Massive Policy Gap Between New Mexico And Lone Star State
By PAUL J. GESSING
President
Rio Grande Foundation
A recent cartoon by John Trever highlights the vastly different approaches towards governance of New Mexico and Texas.
The cartoon is of the state border circa 2030 as New Mexicans head to Texas for gas-powered vehicles while Texans visit NM for abortions and marijuana.
These are hardly the only differences between the two nowadays as Texas has no income tax or job-killing gross receipts tax, it is a right to work state, and state spending per-person is less than half of what it is in New Mexico. Not coincidentally, Texas is also one of the fastest Read More
Denish: Moms For Liberty Use Harassment, Intimidation To Push Agenda
By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
© 2023 New Mexico News Services
When a local or national advocacy group uses words like “freedom”, “patriot” or “liberty” in their title, it raises my suspicions. The title may be catchy but usually disguises the true intent of the organization. This is especially true in the case of Moms for Liberty.
Moms for Liberty was founded in Florida in 2021 and began campaigning against COVID-19 protections in schools, including masks and vaccine mandates. All three of the original co-founders are Republicans (although they claim to be non-partisan) and one of them, Bridget Read More
Legislator OpEd: New Fines And Fees Law
By Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth
Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley, and
Rep. Christine Chandler
At a time when politics are more divisive than ever, New Mexicans have meaningful bipartisan change to celebrate. A new state law went into effect June 16 mandating the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) no longer suspend driver’s licenses for simply missing an appearance or payment in minor traffic cases. While this highly technical change may sound tedious, it has an enormous impact.
License suspensions are a severe punishment in a state like ours that relies so heavily on driving. When people lose Read More
Amateur Naturalist: Butterflies & Thistles
Picture 1: One of 11 butterflies sipping nectar from the florets of a thistle bulb. Three thistle bulbs are next to the butterfly. Photo by Bob Dryja
By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos
The slopes going up mountain sides often are covered in snow during the winter. There is not much to see up close since plants are hidden under the snow and insects are not active. Most birds have migrated to lower and warmer elevations. Only the footprints of animals in the snow are occasionally apparent. This situation reverses with the arrival of summer. A great variety of plants, insects, birds and animals become apparent. Read More
McQuiston: You Just Had a Car Wreck … Now What?
By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963
Being involved in a car wreck is a scary event. There are many things to think about after. Is everyone okay? Are there any witnesses? How is this going to affect my auto insurance rates?
If the accident is serious enough that your vehicle is a total loss, it can magnify the scariness and confusion. Here, we explore some of the steps you can take immediately following an accident that you believe might result in a total loss declaration for your vehicle.
What is a Total Loss? After an accident occurs, if it is determined that the Read More
Superintendent Jennifer Guy: Welcome Back To School!
By JENNIFER GUY
LAPS Superintendent
Welcome back to the 2023-24 school year! I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer. I am excited to have your children back in our classrooms and am looking forward to a positive, productive school year. At LAPS, we are committed to ensuring that 100% of the students in our district are successful in three key areas: Academic Success, Social Emotional Well-being, and Civic Responsibility.
This year, our focus will be on providing consistent, rigorous instruction that builds strong foundations for learning, develops critical thinking skills, promotes Read More
Liddie’s Traditional New Mexican Dishes: Plum Pastelitos
By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley
Nobody wants to bake in the summer. Given the record temperatures and weeks of enduring the heat wave, a hot kitchen is the last place you want to spend time. But on the day the monsoons finally arrive, you will want to celebrate! I had a handful of ripe red plums that I had enjoyed fresh a few days ago but were now very soft to the touch; I thought that I would make a quick celebratory dessert with what I had on hand. Red plums are tart, which makes them a perfect choice for pastelitos. Since I happened to have puff pastry, I decided to use that and get a jump start. The beauty Read More
