Invest in people more than oil, gas

ALBUQUERQUE - New Mexico Voices for Children’s Executive Director James Jimenez released a statement  in response to the state revenue estimates announced May 6.

“While the forecast is as grim as expected, the state is better prepared for this economic downturn than it has been in the past. With federal relief and the state’s record-high reserves, New Mexico is well-positioned to make a few minor budget adjustments in the June special session. However, next year we must make some changes to our tax code in order to create more stable revenue for the long term.

The revenue estimate highlights how overly dependent New Mexico is on revenue from...

Since launching my campaign in May 2019, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, an area nearly the size of Florida, and listen to the issues concerning members of our diverse communities. Whether in our rural, urban, retired, or working class communities, I hear the same themes repeated time and again: We need to improve our education system, expand our economic opportunities, and protect our environment.

In short, New Mexicans want to keep their families happy, healthy, and safe. It’s just one reason why I decided to put down roots and raise my family here, and today, it’s the reason why I’m calling on all of us to play our...

When you review the chart developed with data from “worldometers.info/coronavirus/” first remember this chart is dated as of:  April 29, 2020 at 12 noon.  It is interesting when you look at the data, you will note:

[1] Worldwide there 3,174,134 cases with 220,446 deaths for a death rate of 6.9% which means 93.1% live. Also, if you look at the total world population of 7,773,595,500 people and calculate the death rate based on the world population it is far less than 1% at 0.0028%. So, comparing this to other well-known past pandemics - Spanish Flu from 1918 - 1919 had a death rate worldwide of 2.8% and if you calculate the death rate base on number of cases it was 9 to 11%. For...

The future will find us looking back on the pandemic of 2020. Articles in newspapers will be archived. Children will grow up with school cancellation tales. Each individual will have a similar, yet a distinctive story about the coronavirus. The days of COVID-19 will be transcribed in history books.

I grew up inside of books. Escaping between the front and the back covers brought solace from external and internal chaos. Traveling faraway, but still staying home was possible within the pages. Each person is a story and each person has a story. Whether fiction or nonfiction, stories R US.

From the beginning of the beginning, humans lived and then told narratives about tragedy and...