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Sunday, May 12th

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How media keeps the government honest

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The first sentence in New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act Compliance Guide states,”Access to public records is one of the fundamental rights afforded to people in a democracy.”

Citizens can hold public institutions in the state to account through IPRA, and the Open Meetings Act. These acts mandate...

Should I buy Long Term Care insurance?

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I have been asked that question many times in my career, and of course, the answer is simple, it depends. It depends on several things, your assets, your marital status, your income, and your state of residence.

A recent article in “Forbes” stated that less than 8 percent own LTC insurance and less than 10 percent even have an LTC plan in place. Most people are just not prepared to deal with the expense and life change an LTC situation would bring. Costs can easily exceed $7,000 a month or more, and frankly, most people can’t afford the expense.

Many people want to depend on the government for this level of care, but frankly, the truth is Medicare will not take care of your...

Help is here for New Mexico renters

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Up to 15-months of rent, utility assistance available

As New Mexico families emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us find life incredibly different than it was 15 months ago. Our households, our communities, and our jobs have all been impacted and likely look very different now.

The pandemic was an indiscriminate hammer, fracturing the lives of people across the spectrum and far too many New Mexicans now find themselves struggling to make ends meet, or are employed, but behind on housing costs like mortgages, rent, or utilities.

Fortunately, thousands of renters in New Mexico are likely eligible to receive funds to cover up to 15 months of rent and utility payments. These...

FOG’s Transparency: Key to Democracy Project

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Transparency issues often focus on elected bodies and whether they follow the law governing public meetings, or executive agencies and whether they comply with statutes like the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.

Important questions, to be sure. But a judicial system that is open and accessible to the public is every bit as important, or perhaps more so, when we consider its role in a functioning democracy. It is the courts, after all, that arbitrate disputes on access issues involving other branches of government. And it is the courts and jury system that resolve civil disputes and ultimately decide whether criminal conduct merits the deprivation of liberty.

Chief Justice...

Are traffic roundabouts in Gallup’s future?

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According to traffic statistics, Gallup has an extremely high rate of car/truck crashes.  The New Mexico Department of Transportation looked at all of the crashes in the Gallup area — driving, walking, biking, etc. The area around the Interstate 40/U.S. 491 interchange emerges as a top priority. According to an accompanying report, the interchange area has almost 15 percent of the crashes that occur in the Gallup area “making the facility unsafe and unreliable.”

The report indicates that a crash occurs approximately every three days in the interchange area. Over the last five years there have been over 200 rear-end, 121 side-swipe and 97 head-on accidents.

Remember that this...

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