Without democratic processes, a government can easily become a criminal enterprise that milks the people of their money while taking away their rights. Just like the police-building purchase, the public had no say and is told after the fact that it gave the city its approval.
We know a good deal more about long Covid than we did during the epidemic. However, we seem strangely unable to think clearly about this new knowledge. The consequences are not to be sneezed at.
On September 1, our Navy bombed a launch in the Caribbean headed towards Venezuela. Our President released a video of the killing. We see the open boat with the people we killed and very little cargo; though our President said the boat was loaded with narcotics bound for the USA.
It's little enough that Love's asked for in exchange for locating here. Some companies make cities compete for the jobs and taxes they bring. This time the city is getting the better end of the deal.
It's backing up. It's overflowing. It's close to the Rio Grande. Fixing it is finally a priority.
Whitehead to the rescue, along with "water bear." Looks as if the city was disregarding warnings about violations to its sewer-water-discharge permit, until Whitehead came along. He was a tad too late to prevent an administrative order being handed down by the feds, though.
The last functioning hospital in southern Gaza was attacked today by Israeli tanks. I try to understand the situation there from bits and pieces of news and reports from many online sources.
The T or C middle school is 40 years old and has a lot of problems. The school district's facilities master plan lays out the costs of repairs vs. new building, and new looks better, especially considering NMPED's possible match for a new building. Taxes will NOT go up.
Poly-cart customers have carried the costs of the city's solid waste department since it opened its collection center in 2013. The city imposed the suggested rates from the Parkhill study, now 1.5 years old, which didn't straighten out the inequities in the fees, but did quantify them.
Thank goodness the city is receiving about 70 percent grant money of the $60 million needed for capital projects. Local citizens will be paying off another $15 million in debt, which doesn't include interest.
Walmart has essentially set the local minimum wage at $15 an hour--which the city hasn't beat for years. The second compensation study in the last three years once again establishes market rate and competitive pay.
With the July 2020 flood and dam failure creating ongoing liability to the city, with the Office of the State Engineer requiring it be fixed "timely," this project became a priority. It will cost $9.725 million in engineering fees and construction costs, if the bids come in within budget.