Politics

Udall, Heinrich Fight For Equal Pay For Women

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U.S. SENATE News:

  • Women in New Mexico make 85 cents compared to their male counterparts — and Hispanic women make just 56 cents compared to white men

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich marked Equal Pay Day and reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.

“It’s long past time that Congress passed the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure that women in New Mexico and across the country receive equal pay for equal work,” Udall Read More

Udall Opens Application Process For Military Service Academy Nominations

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall:

  • Service academy information sessions Begin April 13

Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced that he has begun accepting applications for nominations to U.S. military service academies. Throughout April and May, members of Udall’s staff will host information sessions across the state for high school students and recent graduates who are interested in applying to enter an academy in the fall of 2018. The first session will be held on April 13 in Santa Fe.

Four of the five service academies — the U.S. Military Academy (West Point),

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Letter To The Editor: Glad You’re Sorry, But…

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By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos
 
While I’m glad to see that Daren Savage is sorry, (link) (Sorry, that is the correct legal term for people who enter the United States without legal immigration documents), he still is making a common error: Nothing is definitely illegal until a judge (or jury) says so in a court of law.
 
Even ‘undocumented’ is an incorrect term, as those involved may well have some documents. Or they may qualify for refugee status. The only factually (independent of politically) correct term is ‘unauthorized’.
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Op-Ed: When Native Students Succeed, NM Thrives

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By Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, D-Los Alamos
Chairwoman of the House Education Committee
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Rep. Derrick J. Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo

 

When Native American students succeed, the state of New Mexico thrives. This principle was the driving force behind House Bill 484. House Bill 484 would have provided a mechanism for New Mexico’s Native American students to obtain the culturally relevant support they need to achieve academic success, helping to close the achievement gap and instilling the importance of education after high school.

 

But last week, Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed Read More

Letter To The Editor: So Let’s Stop Hyperventilating

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By KHALIL SPENCER
Los Alamos

I was out of town for a week but managed to read Pete Sheehey’s proposed resolution (link) while sitting in a Washington, D.C. area hotel and thought it was interesting but not anything to set off anyone’s blood pressure.

Therefore, I am a little amazed at the hyperbole in Mr. Antos (link) and Ms. Shin’s (link) letters. Nothing in the resolution says anything about being a “sanctuary city”, but it does reaffirm our commitment to treat everyone here with “respect, justice, and compassion”. So what exactly is wrong with that?

As far as Lisa Shin’s comment regarding Read More

Letter To The Editor: Sanctuary City … Los Alamos?

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By GERALD M. ANTOS
Los Alamos
 
I absolutely agree with Dr. Shin (link) and would also like to add that this is a country of immigrants but … sneaking into a country doesn’t make you an immigrant, just as breaking into a house doesn’t make you a homeowner. There is a really huge difference between legal and illegal.

Our constitution only covers the legal.

Go ahead and try and sneak into Mexico and try and receive their benefits like all the illegals are doing here in America. You’d find yourself behind bars so fast your head would spin!
 
Our County Government should keep their
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Council Proclaims Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 2-8

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County Councilor Chris Chandler, center, presents a crime victims’ rights week proclamation to Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone and Cpl. Adele Girmendonk during Tuesday’s Council meeting. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Los Alamos County Councilor proclaimed April 2-8 as Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

The proclamation states that between 2015 and the first half of 2016, while violent crime in the nation increased 5.3 percent, Los Alamos experienced an 11.4 percent decrease in violent crime and property Read More

Letter To The Editor: Pay Equity Makes ‘Cents’

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By JUDY PRONO
Public Policy Chair
AAUW-Los Alamos 

Equity pay makes “cents” … that’s an understatement. In fact, for women in the workplace, pay equity would increase lifetime earnings by as much as $2 million for those with graduate degrees and by more than $1 million for those with undergraduate degrees.

That would mean more money to pay off student loans, put food on the table, and save for retirement. And pay equity isn’t just a women’s issue—it’s a family issue. Research shows that half of all households with children include a mother who is either the sole or primary breadwinner for her Read More

Letter To The Editor: Is Los Alamos A Sanctuary City?

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By LISA SHIN
Los Alamos

Wikipedia defines a sanctuary city as one that permits residence by illegal immigrants to help them avoid deportation. Municipal policies include prohibiting law enforcement and city employees from questioning people about their immigration status. Mayors of sanctuary cities would certainly proclaim that “we are a nation of immigrants and refugees. It is our moral obligation to treat all people as we would be treated, with justice and compassion.”

Los Alamos County Councilor Pete Sheehey has assured us that his proposed resolution is “not about sanctuary cities Read More

Governor Announces Teacher Evaluation Changes

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Gov. Susana Martinez

STATE News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announced changes to the teacher evaluation system that were created with support and input from teachers across the state.

Under the revised system, the number of grace days will double from three to six and the weight of student achievement growth will be set at 35 percent and observations will be increased. Teachers requested that these policy changes be kept for the next five years to continue to create stability.

“Our teachers have spoken, and we’ve listened,” the Governor said. “These changes Read More