csdavis's Archive

Tax Waste at UNM

With state revenues down, lobbyists from UNM are scrambling to secure funds from the legislature. Instead of working to cut a more crucial slice of the public pie this year, it might be a good time for citizens, legislators, and educators to come up with strategies for making higher education more self-sufficient.
In their ’08-’09 [...]

Posted on March 2, 2009 at 5:39 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Higher education vouchers will ensure that schools operate efficiently and effectively

There is a lot of talk at UNM about making the school more environmentally responsible. A new degree is even being offered in sustainability studies. In keeping with this trend, the University and the state government should also consider making UNM more fiscally responsible.
With President David Schmidly implementing a freeze on hiring and faculty raises, [...]

Posted on November 24, 2008 at 3:35 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Iron Curtain over Santa Fe

Democracy in New Mexico is hard to come by because most citizens don’t know what’s going on in the opaque shadows of government. Unless you’re actually attending the legislative sessions and committees in Santa Fe, odds are you won’t be able to see through the impenetrable iron curtain surrounding the Roundhouse.
New Mexico is one [...]

Posted on July 16, 2008 at 9:23 am by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Feds stall on Native sovereignty and economic development

The Navajo Nation is planning on building a coal-fired power plant near Burnham, NM. It applied for an air permit from the Environmental Protection Agency in early 2004, but still hasn’t received permission to begin construction. The Diné Power Authority, a Navajo enterprise, filed a lawsuit against the EPA on March 18 attempting [...]

Posted on May 27, 2008 at 12:51 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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$6 Million Wasn’t Enough for Santa Fe County

In 2006, Santa Fe County voters agreed to a tax increase to fund improved emergency medical services to outlying communities around the city of Santa Fe and throughout the county, according to Julie Ann Grimm of The Santa Fe New Mexican (911 Stretched Thin, May 20, 2008). So far, $6 million has been levied [...]

Posted on May 23, 2008 at 4:08 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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APS “Computer-error” had District $20 million in black

Yesterday’s Albuquerque Journal featured an article titled APS Will Cover $20M Funding Hit. Apparently, the state did an audit in 2007 that found that the Albuquerque Public Schools district was over-reporting teacher experience and special education staff. The state determined that it had given APS $20 million too much because of these errors.
Part [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 at 2:52 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Lone star Commissioner saves Santa Fe County residents from possible double taxation

Santa Fe County Commissioner Jack Sullivan was fighting the majority, according to The New Mexican (Official fights planned tax hike, Apr. 29, 2008), when he proposed that Santa Fe County drop out of the Transit District, which includes Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos, and Rio Arriba counties. The Transit District is trying to impose [...]

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 12:18 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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APS Has Problems Educating Students

According to Zsombor Peter of the Albuquerque Journal ($1M Spent on Truancy, With Little To Show for It, Apr. 22, 2008), the state government has recently released a report documenting that 67% of APS high school students are classified as habitually truant from class. The state high school average is 33%.
In his 2003 “state [...]

Posted on April 23, 2008 at 3:46 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Can the Government tell us what to do with our property?

More than two years ago, Juan Dominguez of Rio Arriba County entered into a leasing agreement with T-Mobile, allowing them to place a cell tower on his property. The tower gives reception to many cell users in the Chimayo area.
Some citizens in the area have banded together to form the Chimayo Council on Wireless [...]

Posted on April 6, 2008 at 2:40 pm by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Feds Propose Increased Financial Regulation

On Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson disclosed a plan to massively increase the powers of the Federal Reserve to regulate private financial institutions. The unveiling comes 11 days after House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank proposed a “Financial Services Risk Regulator” which would be managed by the Federal Reserve and would have the [...]

Posted on April 2, 2008 at 10:22 am by csdavis · Permalink · Leave a comment
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