Stuff you need to know, 1.15.24
Today's intelligence from state and/or national reporting: the issues that will dominate the abbreviated 2024 New Mexico Legislature session that begins tomorrow
Category Analyses
Waterline disaster declaration didn’t quite work out for Truth or Consequences
If at first you don't succeed. . .maybe the city will declare other water-system disasters that will open up state and federal coffers, but this first attempt probably failed.
The city commission continues to lie about the police building’s funding—a special election March 19 will reveal if the people believe them
Lying, reducing issues to one of personalities, suppressing fact-finding and shaming us for even thinking of defunding the police. We'll see if it works.
Lack of public oversight for years = public funds gushing out with emergency water/wastewater repairs
The water and wastewater departments are $1 million over budget before mid-year and not a word from the city commission.
City Commissioners don’t bother to explain because we “wouldn’t understand”
The city commission evidently thinks we are too stupid to understand capital projects and procurement procedures so they don't bother to explain them. An uninformed electorate dooms democracy and invites autocracy or kleptocracy.
T or C city commissioners continue to perpetuate ‘big lie’ about police department’s gross receipts tax
Abiding in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, fools go aimlessly hither and thither, like blind led by the blind.
— Katha Upanishad
Stuff you need to know, 12.14.23
Today's intelligence from state and national reporting: A roundup of the arguments presented yesterday to New Mexico's Supreme Court on whether state law takes reproductive health care policymaking authority away from local governments.
Stuff you need to know, 12.5.23
Today's intelligence from state and national reporting: How New Mexico paved the way for new national regulations curbing methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
City doesn’t answer, Wilson & Co. does—in engineering speak
The city almost ran out of water the week of Nov. 6 because Cook Street Station, the Grand Central of our water system, had a slew of problems. The $9.4 million downtown water project was supposed to include upgrades to Cook Street.
Secrecy over possible sale of T or C electric facility continues
Enough with the secrets. It's been two and a half years since the possible sale of the electric facility was floated by previous-City Manager Bruce Swingle. The people are paying for the studies, let us see them!
Petition to put the police building’s financing on the ballot may throw wrench in authoritarianism
The real question is: Can we afford it? The Truth or Consequences city commission hasn't even looked at the city's finances. This project wasn't in the July budget and wasn't on the Infrastructure Capital Improvements Projects turned into the state in September. Shouldn't we be addressing the water crisis instead?
Shocking report from water/wastewater director
The city almost didn't have water. The city's water and wastewater director gave a blow-by-blow of the crisis. It revealed the utter decrepitude of the system caused by long neglect.