Columns

“Space trash” and “space junk” are terms for the man-made litter that is floating in space or otherwise stuck there.
Much of it orbits Earth. We know the problem is real when we hear about the Orbital Debris Program Office of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Johnson Space Center, Houston.

Consultants to the Public Education Department have been in the news the past few weeks.
Use of the consultants has been called everything from a waste of money to insulting to a scam, the latter epithet coming from an Albuquerque Journal columnist.
Before addressing the charges, consider public education in New Mexico. In general, we spend more money and get less than nearly every state.
According to the National Education Association, during 2009 we spent $10,999 for each student in our public K-12 schools.

Water hasn’t gotten much legislative attention this year. Maybe that’s why one bill with far reaching consequences has passed its first committee.
HB 109 would allow water permit applicants who disagree with the state engineer’s initial decisions to appeal directly to district court. In other words, a dissatisfied applicant could bypass practice and precedent and see if the courts would hand down a more favorable decision.

When it comes to insurance, many people face the Goldilocks dilemma: Am I buying too much coverage, not enough, or just the right amount?
How do you determine your proper insurance levels while ensuring you don’t waste money on unneeded coverage – or worse, leave your family exposed?