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.
Gessing addressing a crowd in the Rotunda
About 40 protesters, some wearing “Santa Fe Tea Party” t-shirts, gathered in the Roundhouse rotunda Saturday morning to show their support for free market economics.
Paul Gessing, President of the Rio Grande Foundation said that he gives credit to Governor Bill Richardson for not wanting to raise taxes, but said that education cuts should be on the table; Marita Noon, Executive Director of Citizens Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE) said government regulations have chased six of 11 uranium mining operations out of New Mexico, to more business-friendly states.
Gessing cited Eclipse Aviation, Spaceport America and the Rail Runner as examples of out of control government spending.
He also said there was fat to trim in education: ”New Mexico, contrary to popular belief, spends a lot of money on education. We have the eighth highest per capita spending on education in the country. …We need more money in the classroom and less money for bureaucrats,” Gessing said.
Noon spoke about regulations that she says hamper the ability of oil, gas and coal companies to extract resources in New Mexico, saying she believes that oil and gas were put there by God “to help us to develop our natural resources.”
Gessing said the “tide is turning” in New Mexico and cited the election of Republican Richard “RJ” Berry as the new mayor of Albuquerque.
Noon said the tea parties on April 15th as well as a February Newsweek article that declared “We are all socialists now,” have energized the conservative base.
The theme of the tea party was less regulation and cuts to wasteful spending, with Gessing saying that special interests and left-leaning groups.
