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.
Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said Thursday that a federal government shutdown would have dire effects on New Mexico by increasing the unemployment. New Mexico’s unemployment as of February is 8.7 percent.
Udall said in a statement that a shutdown of the federal government “would be a raw deal for the people of New Mexico.”
“To put it in perspective, as of February, our state’s unemployment rate was 8.7 percent,” Udall continued. “A government shutdown could increase that by almost half. That’s the equivalent of half the population of Las Cruces – nearly 50,000 people — all being furloughed on the same day.”
Earlier Thursday, Udall and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., signed onto legislation that would ensure that military personnel, including those deployed overseas, would continue to be paid in the event of a government shutdown.
“The American people deserve both parties setting aside rigid ideologies and negotiating in good faith,” Udall’s statement continued. “I’m urging bipartisan compromise to overcome this impasse and make a deal before week’s end.”
Negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House John Bohener and President Barack Obama to avoid a shutdown so far have not yielded an agreement.
The current stopgap funding measure will run out on Friday.
