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Tuesday, July 29, 2025Reader Vox Populi: They Opine On School Vouchers, Declining Film Shoots, Nukes In ABQ, The Guv Candidates And Obscene Texting At APS Board Of Ed Joe, I think you missed a big part of the education equation: Parents. If the parents are involved, in their children’s education, the children will learn better. You might argue that vouchers help this but I maintain that vouchers generally go to households who do not need assistance. The legislative process is the same. Add a fig leaf for the face of the program (poverty, disability etc) and then find another way for the top 10% to receive a societal preference (see Poverty By America—Matthew Desmond (2023). And we will not get into the fiscal aspects of “pilot” voucher programs costing the state huge sums of money (see Ohio, Texas). They morph into massive transfers of income. Thanks, Karl. That's a bit cynical for our blood. Designing a bipartisan, limited voucher program with firm income guidelines etc. seems doable as we absorb the lessons from state's that have gone overboard. SCARY FILM OUTLOOK A reader following our coverage of the state's declining film industry comes with this: Joe, One major detail the state Film Commission seems to continually overlook is the growing perception in Hollywood that New Mexico's film crews are unprofessional, disorganized and full of “wannabes.” There's even a growing superstition that “filming in New Mexico is bad luck” — a sentiment fueled by the tragic Rust shooting. The reality is both the Film Office and the union leadership are well aware of this stigma. Yet instead of addressing it head-on, they continue to deflect blame, citing COVID-19 delays. It’s been nearly six years. That excuse no longer holds. The Rust shooting has cast a long shadow over New Mexico's film industry and rightfully so. A young, inexperienced armorer should never have been placed in such a critical position on only her second job. That falls squarely on the shoulders of the union. Earning a job like that should take years of proven skill and discipline. The silence from within the union is deafening. Rank-and-file members should be demanding accountability, yet leadership seems to have everything on such lockdown that no one dares speak out. NUKE SAFEGUARDS?  Joe, I guess everyone has forgotten how DOGE fired hundreds of people who were in charge of safeguarding our nuclear arsenals. Thankfully, they were hired back but let me tell you, the stupidity of firing those who safeguard these weapons has to be the worst fiasco by any known leader of the free world. I have not forgotten how vulnerable we were. My two cents. BACK TO VOUCHERS Reader Kerrie Cox writes: Joe, In my opinion--as the wife of a public school teacher and three public school children--the actual reason "so many public school students are failing" has nothing to do with education. It's the same reason that we will never be able to overcome our homeless problem by building houses. The underlying problem is drugs and alcohol. Vouchers are not going to alleviate this problem. The only parents who will utilize vouchers are parents who care about their child's education. These other kids will never attend ABQ Academy on a voucher. What public schools need is actually the opposite of school choice. Instead of constantly demonizing the public schools we need to show good parents that our public schools are amazing and that they should invest in their existing community rather than constantly searching for greener, yet still free, pastures. Sincerely, A Public School advocate who is also a Republican. GRILL THE GUV CANDIDATES
Joe: You might consider asking the folks running for Governor what specific changes to the Children’s Code they think are necessary to put a dent in juvenile crime. For example, does the current law give prosecutors and judges enough tools to hold parents accountable for their child's actions? If the answer is no, what changes are needed? In addition to amending current laws, what other concrete steps will they pursue if elected (e.g., curfews: yes or no)? If you want a second topic for Governor-wannabees to opine about, ask for their ideas regarding people with cardboard signs asking for money, ingesting illegal substances in public places, and relieving themselves in public. Don’t let them avoid the issue with feel-good meaningless slogans. What are the specific items they will push for if elected? Good luck avoiding the platitudes. Thanks, Jeff. Those are good questions that we will move to the front and center as the campaigns progress. Dems Deb Haaland, Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagishima are running for their party's nomination. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is running for the GOP nod. APS NAME CALLING  Joe, so a woman calls another woman stupid (the Stewart story) and it's front page news in the newspapers and your blog. But a man calls a woman a cunt and it's nowhere to be found. That wreaks of a patriarchal double standard. What gives? With social media (including text messages) so often off the rails it is hard to decide when coverage is merited. But here we are, and pleading not guilty to the charge of a "patriarchal double standard." By the way, the only media outlet we have seen cover the incident is KRQE-TV. Their full report is here. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. |
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