Gallup Sun

GALLUP— During the upcoming general election, community members and voters in our area will have the opportunity to support UNM-Gallup and higher education with their vote on the General Election Bond (GO Bond) C on Nov. 3. As chancellor of UNM-Gallup, I’d like to outline the benefits contained in GO Bond C and why this bond is deserving of your support.

First and foremost, our students need and deserve high-quality learning environments. GO Bond C will provide funds to accomplish this goal with no increase in taxes—as verified by the New Mexico State Department of Finance and Administration. This bond is also estimated to result in around 1,500 jobs statewide including here in...

At the top of the state initiatives section of your ballot this November you will see Constitutional Amendment 1. It seems straightforward enough. It reads like a ho-hum good government measure. Unfortunately, the ballot description of Amendment 1 deliberately conceals its real purpose - taking away your vote.

The ballot summary reads “amend the Constitution of New Mexico to provide that the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) consist of three members appointed by the Governor from a list of professionally qualified nominees.” It fails to tell you that the current commission consists of five members elected by the general public.  Would it be that hard to include this bit of...

In New Mexico, due to the many nuclear sites, at any give time there are several new and ongoing threats to our communities, our public health, and our Mother Earth. Currently, the various federal and state agencies and respective contractors are planning to expand activities while there is still much to clean up at each site.

In the northern part of the state, plans for increased plutonium pit production for nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Labs is underway. In the southeast, proposed changes to the types and amounts of radioactive waste that can be stored in New Mexico are ongoing, including expansions to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant facility and the two proposed nuclear...

2019 Census data show increased median income, but racial inequities persist

ALBUQUERQUE—Data released Sept. 17 by the U.S. Census Bureau show a significant improvement in the poverty rate in New Mexico between 2018 and 2019. That tracks with an increase in the median income during that timeframe. However, the data show little progress for children younger than five, and inequities continue to persist along racial and ethnic lines. The data released Sept. 17 – which are from 2019 – show that the poverty rate for all children ages 0 to 17 decreased from 26.3 percent in 2018 to 24.9 percent in 2019.

“While it’s always great to see improvement, we know that the COVID-19...