Opinion

Wallin: Study Shows $1 Billion Potential Bill For New Mexico Oil And Gas Clean Up Without BLM Rule Change

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By AMBER WALLIN, MPA
Executive Director
New Mexico Voices for Children

From a young age, we teach our children the importance of taking responsibility for their actions and cleaning up after themselves when they make a mess. We should expect the same from the oil and gas industry working in New Mexico.

But for far too long, antiquated policies under the current leasing system have left our families on the hook to pay to clean up messes left behind by bankrupt oil and gas companies – messes involving orphaned wells with decaying and leaking infrastructure that can pollute our air and water. This has Read More

Legislator OpEd: New Fines And Fees Law

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By Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth
Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley, and
Rep. Christine Chandler

At a time when politics are more divisive than ever, New Mexicans have meaningful bipartisan change to celebrate. A new state law went into effect June 16 mandating the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) no longer suspend driver’s licenses for simply missing an appearance or payment in minor traffic cases. While this highly technical change may sound tedious, it has an enormous impact. 

License suspensions are a severe punishment in a state like ours that relies so heavily on driving. When people lose Read More

Ozment: Thank You To DPU Staff And BPU

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By CAT OZMENT
Los Alamos

I wrote to the community and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) last week about the Utilities Assistance Program (UAP), and I want to thank members of the public who reached out to BPU with support for strengthening the program.  I want to also thank DPU staff for their swift response.  

Even before Wednesday’s BPU meeting, DPU staff who administer the UAP updated the online application to show simpler requirements. They also updated their presentation with extra detail and deserve a huge thanks for their responsiveness.

Karen Kendall gave a fantastic presentation Read More

Letter To The Editor: Los Alamos Faith & Science Forum Responds To Unauthorized Opinion Piece

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By Susan Sprake, president, LAF&SF
Eric Ferm, vice president, LAF&SF
Robert Dryja, treasurer, LAF&SF
Amy Birnbaum, member of Board of Directors, LAF&SF
Daniel Holladay, member of Board of Directors, LAF&SF
John Singleton,  member of Board of Directors, LAF&SF
Kirk Weisbrod, member of Board of Directors, LAF&SF
Nels Hoffman, member and past president, LAF&SF

We, the above signed members and officers of the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum (LAF&SF, or the “Forum”), were dismayed to read a recent opinion piece written by Gary Stradling, published Read More

Huang: To Lead Campaign For ‘Cluster Munition Free World’

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By ZHEN HUANG
Los Alamos

When we hear somebody say or do something out of “common sense”, we instinctively would ask millions of rational “whys”. But in reality, oftentimes we are obsessed with what we love or hate to hear or see, and are very much driven by a one way channel of thinking to arrive at our preconfigured conclusion.

In the case of “sending cluster munitions to Ukraine”, we have seen two divided responses: 

  • A. Support as long as it might help Ukraine to win the war at any cost; and
  • B. Oppose since it will create everlasting nightmares for Ukraine people.

I don’t know if anyone ever thought Read More

Rickman: Can We Please Just Say ‘Enough Already’ To Personal Fireworks?

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By JAMES RICKMAN
Los Alamos

A week has passed since the Fourth of July, and yet our evening skies continue to boom and glow with errant aerial fireworks displays launched from residential areas without a second thought about our tinder-dry landscape beneath. Oh, sure, I get it: Fireworks are all about ‘Merica! and the freedom to do whatever the hell we damned well please whenever we get the urge to bust a patriotic nut; it’s what Our Founders wanted us to do, right?

I wrote that last sentence with only the tiniest bit of facetiousness, because I really do understand where that sentiment comes from. Read More

Skolnik: Open Letter To LAPS School Board On Its July 11, 2023 Meeting

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RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

During the last school year, the LAPS faced an exceptionally high rate of absenteeism, at least an important part of which appears to have been due to health issues, such as COVID, RSV, and a range of other viruses.

In addition, COVID is not over, much of the US population has waning immunity to COVID, and the latest studies make clear that children are major spreaders of COVID and can suffer both short-run and long-run consequences from it.

Moreover, Los Alamos seems to be in the grip of a fentanyl epidemic, which has led to the tragic deaths of a number of young people.

In Read More

Bourque: North Mesa Roundabout Hazard

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By ROBERT BOURQUE
Los Alamos

On May 24 I struck a boy on a bicycle at the roundabout in North Mesa. He was coming from Barranca. He received minor scrapes and is OK.

It was not possible to see this boy despite a witness claiming he had entered the intersection first. I first saw him only when he was darting in front of me, even though I had looked to the left more than once.

The reason is that my view of him was blocked by the roundabout itself. It has overgrown vegetation, large boulders, a mountain lion statue, and two evergreen trees whose branches reach the ground.

I have attached a photo, taken from my car Read More

Stradling: How Can We Understand Each Other?

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By GARY STRADLING
Los Alamos

Having written about the scientific validation of the relatively excellent outcomes for mothers, children, and fathers, through the social institution of marriage, over the reproductive alternatives (divorce, cohabitation, hook ups, isolation), and noting correctly that reproduction is the future of mankind, with technologically-advanced nations being at risk across the world because of their falling birthrates, with some at below-replacement level, Stephanie Nakhleh has had a field day making up alternative meanings for my statements.  

She suggests Read More

State Auditor: Shedding Light On Opioid Settlement Funds … A Path To Transparency And Accountability

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By JOSEPH MAESTAS
New Mexico State Auditor

More than a billion dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements are heading to New Mexico coffers, with some monies already hitting state and local government bank accounts. These funds represent a golden opportunity to mitigate the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic—but making sure the money is spent the way it is intended is critical to ensuring that this opportunity and money aren’t wasted.

Opioids have taken a heavy toll on our State, claiming the lives of hundreds, shattering families and exacting long-term economic and social damage on Read More