New Mexico Mercury

Friday Voyage: Lessons from Uruguay Part 4

Union strength and a collective willingness to stand up to the neo-liberal agenda has empowered the working classes in Uruguay.

Education Reform About Corporate Profit and Campaigns - Not Kids

These feel-good phrases sound great to the general public: "We need to raise education standards in New Mexico." "Our kids deserve better." "Kids First."

No one in our state, which has ranked persistently in the bottom of the nation in child poverty and graduation rates, would argue. But dig deep into the world where concerned parents, students and teachers are operating, and Gov. Susana Martinez’s reforms are not about kids. Her reforms -- spearheaded by Hanna Skandera, a non-teacher and a non-parent -- are really about corporate money and re-election campaign slogans...

Insight New Mexico - Sen. Tim Keller

V.B. Price talks with State Sen. Tim Keller talks about why he's running for State Auditor.  Keller gives a description of what the position entails as well as his take on the behavioral health audit, school testing and more. 

APD Shooting Stats Reaffirm Grim Situation

In a recent column on this site, Jewel L. Hall of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Center called for greater action by citizens, elected officials, and the Albuquerque Police Department themselves to address the all-too-common occurrence of officers shooting suspects who are quite frequently unarmed.  I agree that more should be done, but I do think that Mrs. Hall is dramatically understating how truly atrocious the situation has become.

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Hanna Skandera’s Reforms Cause More Than ‘Discomfort’

Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera recently wrote an editorial to the Albuquerque Journal stating more untruths, vague ideas, and plenty of blame against those who are questioning her initiatives.  She suggests that there will be some “discomfort” during her period of reforms.  I suggest that discomfort isn’t the problem; what we’re fighting against is the actual damage being done...

Finally an honest book about the New Mexico Legislature

After her first New Mexico legislative session in 1997, Sen. Dede Feldman said it was “like riding a motorcycle in a thunderstorm in the nude.”

When she left the Senate 16 years later, the liberal Democrat from Albuquerque’s North Valley still felt like “Alice in Wonderland” in this “crazy unpredictable place” dominated by “peculiar personalities [and] strange alliances"...

Albuquerque Police Shootings - We Must Have Answers!

On November 27, 2012 the Department of Justice, in a joint statement with Mayor Berry and Chief Schultz announced that it was launching an investigation of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) after a string of officer-involved shootings and high profile abuse cases that allege the use of excessive and deadly force.

APD officers have fired on 34 suspects since early 2010. APD has justified ALL of them...

A Year in Which Hope Can Be Renewed

In a world of clashing ideologies, renewal begins with tolerance and an open ear.

El Machete: No Regrets

El Machete: No Regrets

Friday Voyage: Lessons from Uruguay Part 3

After examining Uruguay's education, healthcare and energy policies, Margaret Randall explores the progressive laws that are reshaping Uruguay's social fabric.