Stuff you need to know, 5.13.24
Wildfire risk is expected to be above normal for much of New Mexico this summer because of ongoing drought and a potential transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions.
Category Analyses
Water projects report is full of holes, but better than nothing
$41.4 million in water projects given about 10 minutes and no discussion during the May 8 city commission meeting.
Political considerations, 5.10.24
Who's funding Albuquerque businessman Jeff Apodaca's new PAC, whose mission is to support pro-business moderate candidates for the New Mexico legislature?
Infrastructure Capital Improvements Plan—planning ain’t in it
Rubber-stamping is expensive. The Infrastructure Capital Improvements Plan is soon to be adopted by the city commission using its same low-information process. Is it any wonder we have infrastructure that is 60 and more years old and emergency repairs that cost twice as much as planned projects?
Stuff you need to know, 4.29.24
Recent studies finding "forever" chemicals and plutonium in New Mexico's rivers and groundwaters indicate that our water pollution problem has reached crisis proportions.
Political considerations, 4.26.24
Why did Las Cruces Democrat Nathan Small receive a windfall of political donations last year, and what other patterns can be discerned from the recently disclosed campaign contributions made to New Mexico legislators in the final quarter of 2023?
Second tranche of $3M in general obligation bonds goes the way of the first tranche
We don't know how the first $790,000 tranche was used and now the second tranche is to be issued. There was talk that the G. O. bond money would only be used to "leverage" or match grant/loan requirements. No reports, no follow-up.
T or C first budget workshop—baby steps
In 447 BC, when the Parthenon was built, they knew the value of fiduciary transparency in government. Athena's dress was made of gold, in sections, so they could be regularly weighed and recorded, since it was part of the city's treasury that was kept in the public's eye.
King Hechler alludes to his plan for water and sewer problems
The great artist Diego Velazquez painted royalty as they were, often blank-eyed and taken up with amusing themselves with court jesters instead of serious matters of state. There are Velazquez-like parallels with the supposedly democratic T or C city commission.
Stuff you need to know, 4.15.24
New Mexico places high for risk from consumer predation by private-equity investments in the state.
Stuff you need to know, 4.12.24
Why is New Mexico the only state that has seen a drop in its foreign-born population over a 10-year period?
T or C City Commission hands out more blank checks to city department heads
Another four years of 'on-call' contracts that short-circuit city commission and public oversight of capital projects. Department heads have carte blanche to hire architects and engineers behind closed doors.