Musk Chainsaw III: Asperger Syndrome and Empathy
The President's attack Dog-e often mentions that he has Asperger Syndrome. What does this actually mean, and why should we think about it?
Max Yeh
Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project’s board president Max Yeh is a novelist and writes widely on language, interpretation, history, and culture. He has lived in Hillsboro, New Mexico, for more than 30 years after retiring from an academic career in literature, art history and critical theory.
The Water Security Act: Water doesn’t come from the tap
The state has reopened the comment period on its draft Rules and Regulations on Regional Water Security Councils. This article explains what this means, why it is important, and why we should all engage in these new entities of grass-roots self-government. Bottom line: water is your life.
Musk Chainsaw II: Isleta Pueblo sues the Bureau of Indian Affairs over firings
This posting continues my analysis of the federal government's cost cutting actions by looking at the harm done to two native American universities and their students as a result of indiscriminate and across-the-board firings of staff that threaten their accreditations as universities.
The Elon Musk Chainsaw
Elon Musk brandished a chainsaw at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference and shouted that it symbolized his intention to cut government spending. In this article I analyze the meanings that chainsaw carries, and my conclusions are different from what the media has said.
Free Speech and Abuse of Free Speech
I compare the weekly Kingston demonstration against federal governmental actions with the County Commissioners' Resolution against federal governmental actions relative to the concept of First Amendment's protection of speech.
What you need to know, February 27, 2025: A Medley on Healthcare
I link to and comment on three articles about medical care: 1) the death of a child from measles; 2) meddling with the VA's health system in ways that will reduce available health care for veterans; 3) NM's debate on excessive malpractice insurance costs.
What you need to know, February 24, 2025: Texas Measles Outbreak Spreads into New Mexico
This posting republishes an original article by Amy Maxmen in KFF Health News. The article also appeared in CBS News. Since the federal government and some state governments no longer concern themselves with containing infectious diseases, more people will get infected, some die, just as in the great old days.
What You Need to Know, February 23, 2025: Federal Firings in New Mexico
I link to Searchlight New Mexico's article which interviews three people recently fired from the Forest Service. I follow with an opinion piece discussing the continual firing of civil servants as the product of a new idea of government, not imagined in the country's past.
What you need to know, January 19, 2025: Public access victory for the State
After the 2022 New Mexico Supreme Court decision that allows the public to fish and boat on all waters of the state as a matter of the public trust doctrine, the landowners filed suit in federal district court for relief. Thursday, the federal court dismissed their case.
What you need to know, January 19, 2025: Big Pharm, little Pharma, and in between
In the past year, the Federal Trade Commission has been studying how drug pricing works. In July, it published an interim staff report on the role of pharmacy benefit managers. Last week the FTC published a second report on how the biggest three PBMs control prices.
What you need to know, January 7, 2024: Malpractice insurance threatens New Mexico’s doctors and hospitals
Doctors are leaving New Mexico. Hospitals essential to small, rural counties (and that is most of them in the state, including Sierra County), find it difficult to stay in the black. The Searchlight New Mexico reporter Ed Williams thinks the cause is malpractice insurance. His analysis has started a controversy.
Judge orders landowners to open road to Aldo Leopold Wilderness trailhead
The Citizen republishes here Ben Neary’s article from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s website. There will be a follow up from Steve Morgan and Nichole Trushell on behalf of the Percha Creek Association, the other successful claimants in this litigation.