I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
So far, Albuquerque and New Mexico officials in charge of allocating federal stimulus money haven’t had much to do, but that may change soon according to a story in today’s Albuquerque Journal.
Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez has been critical of the way projects were chosen and now upped the ante by expanding his criticism of the execution of the bill.
“Not one person has been put to work yet,” the mayor told the Albuquerque Journal.
So what money has flowed into the state so far?
Five months after Congress approved the program, New Mexico has received only about 14 percent of the money expected to ultimately flow into the state.According to the state’s most recent report, $125 million in stimulus money has been received by New Mexico cities and state government agencies.
In addition, close to $300 million in stimulus money being directly administered by the federal government has also arrived in the state.
According to Recovery.gov, about $136 million has been “paid out” with over a billion dollars allocated.
Toney Anaya, the former governor in charge of overseeing the stimulus spending, puts the money allocated at $1.4 billion, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
Anaya also told the Albuquerque Journal that he thinks stimulus spending will begin “flowing a lot more rapidly” in the near future.
In recent weeks, President Barack Obama has urged patience when it comes to the economy, at least when it comes to the recovery package passed by Congress five months ago.
