OP/ED

Gibson: What Is Causing Utility Rate Increases?

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By ROBERT GIBSON
Chair
Board of Public Utilities

You’re right. Los Alamos utility rates are increasing – although not as much as some suggest. Why? What can be expected for the future?

The basic driver of our utility rate increases is inflation.

Inflation pushes up the cost of almost everything. Utilities is no exception. We are most familiar with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as its measure. That index follows prices of a specific basket of consumer goods.

We are all aware that many products and services often experience increases far higher than CPI. That is true of many things the Dept. of Public Read More

Mr. Davis: To The LAHS Senior Class Of 2026-2027

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By ADAM DAVIS 
Formerly Eng. 9
LAHS 

I hope your first day as seniors was out of this world. You guys are a very special group to me. I saw many of you through your first year of high school.

This year is now your year! Your time! Walk like you own the halls of Los Alamos High School because this year, you do!

I am very proud of you all! Make this last year of high school a fantastic year. I crown you kings, queens, and rulers of LAHS.

Make this last year of high school a fantastic year. Read More

Op/Ed: Creating A New Future For Former CB FOX Building

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By PHILLIP GURSKY 
Representative for 1735 Central Investment, LLC
Los Alamos

To continue our transparency with respect to redevelopment of the old CB FOX building, the developers of this project are taking this opportunity to provide more public information on what our project is and does, who the developers are and our commitment to the vitality of this Community Dept.

The Project

When we set out to return this major building to life, we focused on meeting long-sought community needs and desires for downtown Los Alamos. We will have a boutique hotel centered on high-quality full-service Read More

Gessing: NM Rail Runner Express Is A Costly, Environmentally Harmful Boondoggle

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By PAUL GESSING
Rio Grande Foundation

The New Mexico RailRunner Express recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. When it was created, the brainchild of then Gov. Bill Richardson was sold to us as necessary to reduce traffic on I-25 and that it would be good for the environment.

Richardson clearly wanted some “big” ideas as part of his run for the White House. Other supporters claimed that having commuter rail was part of making Albuquerque a “big” city.

These arguments were doubtful at the time and we at the Rio Grande Foundation were one of the few organizations that called out their numerous Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Vargas: The Right Information Can Change Everything

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By CHIEF JUSTICE JULIE J. VARGAS
New Mexico Supreme Court

As Chief Justice, one of my priorities is to ensure that access to justice is not just an abstract ideal, but a reality for the people of our state. Nearly half of all newly filed civil cases in district courts in the past three fiscal years involved at least one party who represented themselves without an attorney.

To assist people in navigating the state court system, the Judiciary has launched a critical new resource: the New Mexico Courts HelpLine at 855.268.7804.

The HelpLine expands access to justice by connecting callers directly Read More

Op-Ed: Looking Beyond The Plastic Bag

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By JASON CHAPPEL
Candidate for Los Alamos County Council
‘Building Bridges. Empowering Citizens.’
ElectJasonChappel.com

This week, the Los Alamos Environmental Sustainability Board voted not to recommend the proposed single-use plastic bag ban to the County Council after hearing comments from members of our community. I appreciate the Board’s willingness to listen to a variety of perspectives before making its recommendation.

I was one of the community members who spoke during public comment. As Assistant Store Leader for Operations at Smith’s Marketplace, I shared my perspective Read More

Op-Ed: The Problem With Trump Accounts Isn’t The $1,000. It’s The Design.

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By HON. LAURA M. MONTOYA and DR. DARRICK HAMILTON

On July 4, Trump Accounts (530A) launched, providing eligible children born between 2025 and 2028 with a $1,000 investment account.

Who wouldn’t welcome a financial head start for every child?

But policymakers and the public should not allow themselves to be misled by the fool’s gold called Trump Accounts.

The truth is, $1,000 is not enough to put most children on a meaningful path to building wealth. The building blocks of wealth—a college education, a home, a business, or retirement savings—cost far more than a one-time deposit. Read More

Saenz: County Councilors, Public Funding For CB FOX Redevelopment Could Put Existing Local Businesses At Risk

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By ALLAN SAENZ
Owner
SALA Los Alamos Event Center

I want to start by saying I support downtown redevelopment. We all want to see vacant buildings come back to life, like the former CB FOX building.

That is exactly what I did when I brought back the old movie theater and turned it into SALA, a community event center, with private funds and private risk. We took a vacant building and brought it back to life for movies, events, rentals, community programs, watch parties, performances, and gatherings. We have also tried to work with the County and seek support through LEDA or similar economic development Read More

LeDoux: Don’t Let Them Forget The Victims Of New Mexico’s Fentanyl Crisis

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By SAM LEDOUX
Española City Councilor

When I first learned of the whistleblower allegations that the Drug Enforcement Administration knowingly allowed thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico unchecked, I was outraged. Outraged, however, does not begin to describe the anger I feel at the possibility that federal officials may have treated the lives of New Mexicans as an acceptable cost of doing business.

For more than 15 years, I have urged New Mexico’s leaders to take the opioid epidemic seriously. Yet despite occasional headlines, press conferences and brief moments of public attention, Read More

Marker: Mamdani’s Fourth Of July Speech Is Communist Subversion Dressed In American Flags

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Larry Marker

RPNM News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Larry Marker today condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Independence Day address as a deliberate attempt to rewrite American history as a story of shame, exploitation, and oppression—and called it one of the most anti-American speeches ever delivered from a podium bearing the seal of an American city.

“Mayor Mamdani stood at City Hall on the Fourth of July and used the 250th birthday of the United States to tell Americans they should be ashamed of their country,” Marker said. Read More