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Thursday, Mar 28th

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You are here: Opinions Viewpoints Accept blame Sen. Munoz: Provide bold, new solutions

Accept blame Sen. Munoz: Provide bold, new solutions

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While addressing Gallup’s vagrancy problem at a public meeting last year our state senator George Munoz proclaimed “This is not a blame game, we need solutions”. My initial thought was, how can any solutions be offered without first knowing the root cause? My second thought was, those who avoid the blame game are usually part of the problem.

Whatever the solutions are to our region’s myriad of problems it should be obvious that everything we’ve tried thus far has been a colossal failure. Yet, the same old solutions are proposed over and over again by our Gallup Establishment consisting of elected officials, bureaucrats, public schools, academia and local media.

Gallup and McKinley County’s national notoriety includes vagrancy, alcoholic suicide, payday loan markets, multicultural segregation, #2 national ranking for poverty, the top tier for welfare dependency, #1 state ranking for violent crime, bottom 1% in labor force participation rate, bottom 1% on the Economic Freedom Index, and arguably the worst economy in the nation.

All of that despite $billions in federal money funneled into our region – yes, we are also in the top 1% for federal dependency. Gallup is indeed America’s poster child for what can be described as failed progressive statist policies. Blame is indeed appropriate - as long as it is accurate.

The easy scapegoat for the Gallup Establishment is the private sector, even though there isn’t much of one, ours being primarily a government town. Payday loan markets are targeted by elected officials without even pondering why people would be so ignorant or so desperate. Why can’t they get loans at banks? Why doesn’t the Navajo Nation offer easy low interest loans to its own citizens? Could lack of property rights, economic freedoms, individual freedoms and resulting lack of job opportunities on the democrat plantation have something to do with it?

Liquor dealers are also easy targets of blame for the vagrancy, alcohol abuse and exposure deaths yet have the accusers considered the desperation of those on the reservation escaping the deplorable conditions of their homeland, traveling long distances without a place to stay nor transportation home, endangering their lives just to experience the freedoms of Gallup? Maybe they do it because of the false sense of security Gallup offers with free room and board by way of protective custody, NCI and other charities.

Those good intentions become enablers of self-destructive behavior. Has the Navajo Nation warned their citizens that in the land of freedoms personal responsibility is required for survival? If they are not willing to provide jobs and freedoms, why hasn’t the NN provided food and shelter in Gallup for those tribal refugees who escape oppressive reservation conditions? Why hasn’t the Gallup Establishment confronted the NN concerning their dereliction of human rights?

Senator Munoz and our local elected officials may say they want solutions to our problems however they must first prove they have the courage to challenge their politically correct sacred cows which keep us careening toward more #1 rankings.

Joe Schaller

Gallup