Our View: Near the bottom of another list

It seems that every time a national report comes out, New Mexico seems to be near the bottom of it.

Well, it has happened again.

According to an annual Kids Count report, our state ranks 48th in the nation for child well-being with poor showings in its teen pregnancy and child death rate, as well as the number of high school dropouts and youths living in poverty.

And once again, the only places worse than us are Louisiana and Mississippi.

New Hampshire ranked No. 1 for child well-being.

Yet our governor likes to do almost anything but deal with these issues and our Legislature is worse. But it is too easy to blame government – as much as we feel they are lacking.

At the end of the day it is the responsibility of the parents to see that their children get an education, get medical care and have decent living conditions.

If parents look, there are programs out there and it is their responsibility – not the government’s – to do what is necessary for their children.

Lisa Adams-Shafer, Kids Count program manager for New Mexico Voices for Children, told the Associated Press that, “Eliminating poverty and having the state move up into the top half is going to take a long-term committed effort.”

We agree. But that effort cannot be laid solely at the feet of government.

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