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Columns

  • Session may prove moot

    Little may happen this legislative session. It reminds me of two heavyweights feeling each other out in the first round of a boxing match.
    Since Gov. Susana Martinez is new to the game and since she is new to nearly all legislators, it takes awhile to get a feel for each other. We saw much the same situation during former Gov. Gary Johnson’s first year.

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  • Cupid's sweet lament

    The Chocolate Doo Doo Drop gift bag. Now, I bet you never had anyone start off a conversation by saying that, eh?
    A chocolate doo doo drop is an extruded pile of milk chocolate “attractively packaged and nestled on a small pile of green grass” and wrapped in cellophane. The perfect gift for that special friend who gave you that yellow and purple checkered sweater for Christmas.
    Of course, if $30 a pound for “extruded” chocolate is a bit more than you want to spend, there are other organic options.

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  • Good customer service is business no-brainer

    Mistakes happen, but good customer service is one way to set a business apart.
    Owners need to build and maintain a stellar perception of their companies so that conversation about it is always positive.
    This is especially important for startup companies, which are more likely to experience stiff competition from entrenched organizations already in the marketplace.
    A savvy owner of a startup business will do research to make sure there is a market for any product before launching it; what customers want from it; and how to price it.

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  • Semiautomatic up for state firearm

    New Mexico has 20 official state symbols and may have a 21st before this legislative session is over.
    Senate Bill 109, introduced by Sen. George Munoz of Gallup designates the squash blossom necklace as New Mexico’s official state necklace.
    Before you get upset about lawmakers wasting time with such trivia, let me say that bills such as this consume very little time and effort of legislators. They are indicative of a state’s culture and provide help in advertising.

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  • Lack of sidewalks on Trinity is concerning

    In regard to the NM502/Trinity Corridor, citizens who live on Arroyo Lane/Verde Ridge would like to address issues/concerns regarding the lack of sidewalks and the ability to cross Trinity Drive/East Gate Road with out going a half mile, or more, to get to a crosswalk safely in order to go to the grocery store or Atomic City Transit stops.

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  • The downside of a good fortune

    The rates of China’s economic growth are often reported in a wide variety of sectors. But China is experiencing another bonanza, too. It doesn’t get the headlines commanded by economic figures, but it catches the attention of geologists and anyone with an interest in the history of life on Earth.
    What’s at issue is the absolute tsunami of fossil specimens that are dug up in China and make their way around the world.

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  • Faster for less money

    We are a nation of laws. By nature most of us resent laws that restrict what we do. At the same time, I hear no one singing the praises of lawlessness.
    The burning interest in laws misses a third option that is freer of pitfalls than either rules or lawlessness. The creative path has gained some notable ground on pollution problems.  
    The approach can be described as “voluntary,” “pursuing ideas” or “jawboning,” if you would call it that. They all mean achieving better pollution control than the law demands.

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  • A governor still on the campaign trail

    It borders on cruel and unusual punishment, the way we require newly elected governors to stand before the Legislature and hold forth on “The State of The State” barely two weeks after taking office.  
    Think about it: They get themselves elected on the first Tuesday in November, whereupon they have a couple of months to catch their breath after a grueling campaign, collect their wits and begin the process of assembling the rudiments of an administration before raising their right hand and taking the oath of office on Jan. 1.

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  • Employers' concerns matter

    If opening day of the legislature is any indication, business – especially small business – sure has a lot of friends. But some of those friendships are fleeting.
    This was evident in an unlikely context. Former Gov. Gary Johnson spoke to a spirited Tea Party rally outside the Roundhouse.
    They cheered enthusiastically as Johnson talked about cutting government by 43 percent, balancing the federal budget and reducing taxes.
    But as he talked, the crowd cooled, and it wasn’t just the temperature.

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  • Alternative lender helps kids find their castle

    Sandra Monica has a passion for working with children. That’s why after 15 years as an employee, Monica decided it was time to start a day care center of her own.
    Starting out was no easy task, but with her husband’s support and financing from The Loan Fund, Monica opened Kid’s Castle Child Development Center in Las Cruces.
    The center offers early education to children six weeks to 12 years of age. Kid’s Castle serves more than 100 children and employs approximately 25 full-time teachers.

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