Columns

Dannemann: New Mexico Leaders Respond To Trump Radical Changes

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By MERILEE DANNEMANN
© 2025 Triple Spaced

When Donald Trump was elected to his second term, it was a foregone conclusion that he would attempt to make radical changes to our federal government. But we didn’t know what he would do first or how it would affect us, nationally and personally.

It also was predictable that his proposed changes would encounter massive opposition from many sides, ranging from Democrats in Congress to state governments and numerous advocacy organizations. Many of these efforts, we could anticipate, would go through the courts, some with frustrating slowness. Meanwhile, Read More

Sigmon: HB342 & SB527 Will Be Good For New Mexico

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By LANCE SIGMON
Principal
Allen Sigmon Real Estate Group

As a past chair and current board member of NAIOP New Mexico, I am recommending legislators pass HB342 & SB527, which will provide equitable property tax reform for non-residential real estate. I’m a registered Republican. Many of the Assessors across the state are Democrats. I’ve been complaining to my wife about the divisiveness and partisanship our country and communities have been engaged in. Instead of complaining about divisiveness, we wanted to be an example to the state of how compromise could actually work.

Instead of Read More

Fr. Glenn: Point By Point

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By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, it’s Lent again already. Ash Wednesday is March 5 for most Christians, and as we move toward the remembrance of the Resurrection of Jesus in about seven weeks, Lent is our “time in the desert” to reflect on what we have done well … or not … in our lives, correcting lapses and seeking to conform ourselves ever more in the image of Jesus.

But distractions have always plagued us. This may be a reason Jesus apparently covered a lot of points in a relatively short time in His talks—making the most of the time He had with audiences. As any preacher knows, dwelling too long on a particular Read More

Op-Ed: Reform The Medical Malpractice System To Address The Doctor Shortage

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By FRED NATHAN
Executive Director
Think New Mexico

New Mexico’s lawyer-centered medical malpractice system, with no statutory caps on attorney’s fees or punitive damages and the lowest standard in the country for awarding punitive damages, is out of balance. It is driving up medical malpractice rates for New Mexico doctors to nearly twice what doctors pay in neighboring states.

That in turn is causing doctors to retire early or leave the state. In fact, New Mexico is the only state in the nation that experienced a loss of practicing physicians between 2019 and 2024. This is why so many New Mexicans Read More

McQuiston: Is Your Teen Ready To Drive? What Parents Need To Know Before Handing Over The Keys

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By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963
Let’s be honest—handing over the keys to your teenager is terrifying. One day, they’re in a car seat in the back; the next, they’re adjusting the mirrors, putting the car in drive, and you’re gripping the passenger-side handle for dear life.
If you’re at this stage, you’re not alone. Every parent has that moment of realization: Oh wow, I’m about to let my kid operate a multi-ton machine surrounded by other people who may or may not be paying attention.
Breathe. You’ve got this. And more importantly, your teen can be a safe driver—with
Read More

Robinson: DOGE’s Undisciplined Flunkies Know Nothing Of Government

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2025 New Mexico News Services

In the who-what-when that’s the architecture of news stories, it’s usually the who that’s most important and the how that’s least important. But in recent federal firings, I find the how equally compelling.

Consider the slash and burn of Elon Musk and his DOGE groupies at the National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency of the Department of Energy.

NPR pieced together an account from interviews with fired employees. They were shut out of their email accounts before learning they were fired. Some were not notified they were Read More

Denish: Building A Barn

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By DIANE DENISH
Corner To Corner

Building a Barn takes a carpenter or a legislature.

I was reminded recently of a quote by former U.S. House Speaker Sam Rayburn: “Any Jackass can tear down a barn. It takes a carpenter to build one.” 

In a recent Senate Rules committee on Feb. 17, Senate Joint Resolution 6, sponsored by Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Bernalillo) had its first committee hearing. This is the Early Childhood Trust Fund Constitutional Amendment. If approved by voters in the next general election, SJR6 will mandate the fund be spent only on prenatal and early childhood programs and services Read More

Gessing: State Gets Richer, You Get Poorer

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By PAUL GESSING
President
Rio Grande Foundation

New Mexico’s Legislature continues to meet in Santa Fe. Sadly, it continues along the same trajectory it has been on in recent years where the government spending grows while also keeping more of our money and (often) adding an ever-increasing number of taxes for us to pay.

For starters, the House recently passed a budget that increases spending across all areas of New Mexico government. An amendment was offered by Republicans to rebate a portion of the money ($600 each) to average New Mexicans. The plan was rejected by Democrats.

That’s by no means Read More

Catch Of The Week: Tax Season Scams

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By BECKY RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos

Spring is in the air, and online scammers are just gearing up for another big season…tax filing time. As always, the IRS is warning the public to stay alert against a variety of scams via email, text, phone calls and even mail.

These threats are certainly present all year long, but with the approaching tax season scammers will be ramping up efforts to trick taxpayers and tax professionals.

The IRS urges taxpayers and tax professionals to be alert to fake communications posing as the IRS or State tax authorities, and other legitimate organizations in the tax and financial Read More

Pawlak: Why Ask Why?

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By JOHN PAWLAK
Los Alamos

We go through our lives in constant wonder, asking how, who, when, where, what, which, and of course, why. Most answers are fairly definitive, but the “Why” questions are often answered with a “Because” … when the real answer is “I don’t know.”

Why do we have fingertips, but no toetips? Why can we tiptoe, but not tipfinger? Why isn’t a butterfly called a flutterby? Why can a door be ajar, but a jar can’t be a door?

Why, why, why! Ah, but why stop asking why?

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways? Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? Why is ‘abbreviation’ Read More