It used to be that New Mexicans could say “Thank God for Mississippi…or West Virginia…or whatever.” As oil and gas prices have dropped, federal spending has shifted to “entitlements,” and the Democrat-controlled NM Senate has remained staunchly-opposed to needed reforms, the new mantra for New Mexico my be “New Mexico….we’re 51st.”
That was already the case recently when a national construction trade group labeled New Mexico the dead-worst place for the construction trades in the USA putting us even behind Washington, DC. Among the factors included in the report was “right to work” and “prevailing wage laws,” both of which New Mexico remains on the wrong side of thanks to the State Senate. And, as if losing to Washington, DC, wasn’t bad enough, our neighbor, Arizona, placed first.
Now, we have the November unemployment rates placing New Mexico…wait for it…51st (again). At 6.8 percent, New Mexico’s rate is higher than that of Washington, DC or West Virginia. Notably, West Virginians, realizing that their previously-blue state is in dire economic straits thanks to the Obama Administration’s “war on coal,” are seriously looking at becoming the nation’s 26th “right to work” state.
It would be great if West Virginia and New Mexico which have a great deal in common economically despite very different cultures, became the next two “right to work” states as a means of kick-starting their respective economies.
This is seriously a site? Surely you don’t consider this a valid source for news and information. Writing with a slant is just that; not news, just opinion. Please stop.
Kevin, ALL writing has a slant. What you choose to write about in the first place is driven by one’s own perspectives on the world around them. I hardly think it is slanted to note that NM now has the highest unemployment rate in the nation and that West Virginia, a state that is in many ways similar to NM (and was recently tied with NM for highest unemployment rate in the nation) is also looking at economic reforms.
I learned years ago that in court the truth is an absolute defense.
Where’s the slant? Unemployment in NM is 10% higher than a year ago.
25 states have embraced the Right to Work doctrine and our Governor is advocating New Mexico should join them: Ala, Ariz, Ark, Fl, Ga, Id, Ind, Iowa, Ks, La, Mich, Miss, Neb, Nev, NC, ND, Okla, SC, SD, Tn, Tx, Ut, Va,Wis, and Wyo.
According to the U.S. census for 2014, 17 states households median income is under $50,000 a year of which 14 are Right to Work states. 14 states households median income is above $60,000 but only 3 are Right to Work states. Paul how do you equate this with your advocacy of right to work? http://www.census.gov