There’s yet another story about Tesla in today’s Albuquerque Journal. While the headline is mostly about the likelihood that the new giga-factory will be located near Reno, to my mind, the real news came from John Boyd, the principal at his namesake site selection firm (he helps businesses figure out where to locate). Said Boyd of New Mexico’s chances to lure Tesla “manufacturing companies look for reasons to scratch off states when considering where to build major facilities — and no right to work law is at the top of the list.”
Boyd continued saying, “I can’t underscore how critical right to work status is.” In conclusion, Boyd again reiterated the dire need for a right to work law in New Mexico saying, “New Mexico has enormous potential to become a manufacturing hub, especially if it were to adopt right to work legislation.”
We at the Rio Grande Foundation have been talking about the importance of right to work for years with no action by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in Santa Fe. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, right to work is not on the agenda of some crazy people who apparently are also hired by institutes of higher education who want to do “whatever it takes” to bring Tesla to town. Nor is right to work on the agenda of legislators who want to play politics with the Tesla factory but won’t advocate for right to work.
I am a former New Mexico resident of 25 years who now has resided in southern California for thirteen years. I was raised in an area that was ruled with an “iron fist” by unions and democrats. That however was a different time with different people. As a youngster I knew grassroots Democrats to be hard working, patriotic, independent and self-sufficient. They and most of the union members were only motivated by what they perceived to be best for their families, community and country ( i.e. God and Country ). My how things have changed. It is easy for us to heap blame and criticism on elected political leaders and community officials but unless they lie about their positions on critical issues………… he said tongue-in-cheek …….we, those who care enough to vote, are responsible for who reach office, exercise power and set policy .
I blame those who don’t vote more than those who disagree with my point of view. It is sinful, in my opinion, not to vote. The argument that “my vote doesn’t count” is totally lame. Anyone should know that not too many critically placed votes could have changed the results in 2012. Over the years the systematic.cultivation of national empathy, ignorance, and narcissism have been injected into the well intentioned (?) rise of political correctness and multiculturalism. My point is that too many of us, no…all of us, are responsible.for the state of our economy and sense of insecurity. The policy of unions and/ or government towards issues that affect us all lie in the hands of an active and informed electorate. God Bless America. Jim Baun