The 2018 New Mexico primaries are in the books and one thing is clear: the “progressives” are in firm control of New Mexico’s Democratic Party.
The distinction is one of more style and social issues than substance on economic issues. New Mexico is dominated by “big government” politicos on both sides of the aisle, but the so-called “progressives” are generally more active in their desire to destroy the State economy by locking up oil and gas while spending prodigiously and taxing and regulating in ever greater amounts.
Last night’s primary elections saw the defeat of three so-called “moderate” Democrat representatives: Carl Trujillo, Debbie Rodella, and Bill Gomez. By most any measuring stick (like the RGF Freedom Index) these are three typical “liberal” New Mexico Democrats. However, in the fun-house world of New Mexico politics, each of them were successfully challenged by a more “progressive” Democrat running to their left.
Perhaps the fact that 2 of the 3 defeated Democrat legislators (Trujillo and Rodella) opposed a 2017 bill that would have placed a moratorium on charter schools was a factor, but the fact is that the leftward lurch among Democrats in this primary was felt in both the CD1 and CD2 wins by Deb Haaland and Torres-Small victories as well as the race for the PRC which is now dominated by “progressives” as well as the land commissioner race which was won by former Rep. Garcia-Richard.
It’s always amazing how willing New Mexicans are to believe the “progressive” pitch that New Mexico’s problem is that it is just not far enough to the left politically. After all, since 1931 New Mexico Democrats have controlled the Legislature for 162 combined years while Republicans have controlled the Legislature for just 10 years and they’ve never had both houses at the same time.
After November it is likely that Democrats will control both houses again and the House at least will be even further to the left than it was in the 2017-2018 sessions. Everything is riding on the race for Governor this November, so buckle up.
Which is precisely the reason for a deliberate effort to put our conservative money and words to use for Congressman Pearce. As taxpayers and business owners, we cannot afford (literally) to elect a progressive governor.
As bad as our state is now, it will become a third world country within the first term of Michele Lujan Grisham.
I agree..most people don’t know that the term “Progressive” is another word for “Socialist” which is of course another word for “Communist”..guess the schools don’t teach world history. I morn the loss of my home state,,I can only compare it to Detroit. Years and years of Democratic rule and we’re no better off than the year I was born.
New Mexico Democrats are barely left of center. Perhaps when you consider the extremist views expounded on sites like this they might appear left. New Mexico and the rest of the US is experiencing the damage from years of Neo-liberal policies. These policies led to the destruction of our schools, infrastructure and even civil discourse. A recent court decision proved that the schools were underfunded, and even worse this was along racial lines. We can see the abject denial of facts it takes to keep up the charade.
The hysterical language of “locking Up oil and gas” sounds ridiculous when we look at the facts. Global Climate Change is a fact, and so is drought in New Mexico. The facts are frightening. We have Range land drying up, and unable to support cattle, while extremists complain about Big Government. The Government should not have to step in and demand ranchers keep their cattle from overgrazing, as out top soil blows away. Climate Science indicates that the drought will only get worse, while the taxpayers get to pay for lost stock, land improvements, and roads.
This state along with the federal government has subsidized the Oil and Gas industry to the tune of billions of dollars. That means that the amount of money we got back in taxes and royalties is a lot smaller than presented here. The local media typically leaves out this kind of factual information in order to amplify extremist views. The state conveniently could no find the data, on how much money they gave away in tax breaks and subsidies to oil adn gas and large out of state corporations.
The Oil and Gas industry Boom Bust Cycle, is entirely dependent on a few Saudis, who may at any time raise or lower prices, as they have done in the past. If they lower the price, it will not be economically feasible to exact oils and gas, and the rigs will be abandoned. The little boom towns require tax payer investments in healthcare, infrastructure, and police. Violent crimes,, drug addiction and criminal behavior all increase when the oil business comes to town. The Oil Companies do not release information on injured workers, who end up on our Medicaid roles, and even the number of dead workers are not reported.
In our Fact Free State, a few slightly “progressive” politicians who support the corporate agenda, have been painted as leftists or Socialists, by extremists, who believe in even more corporate power. Our local media fully endorses them since they are slightly more rational than the republicans. They will still mislead the public about their corporate subsidies. it is much easier to hoodwink the gullible when the facts are not available. This state is at the bottom for education and child welfare due to these extremist ideas. Cuts made by both sides, led to an increase in poverty and child murders. The rates of child abuse in this state will have long term ramifications, and led to higher rates of crime and drug abuse, which are expensive. We have both sides gaming the system, taking food away from children, while announcing how much money they saved the tax payers. it is all a bait and switch. We saw the damage to this state when they decided to privatize the prisons, and we are all paying for it now. We will be paying for the cuts to education for decades, if global Warming does not lead to massive global collapse, and our demise.
It was really sickening when one of our local “journalists” turned to Mr Gessing for a dismissal of racism in our schools. It shows how fact free our local news is, and how it perpetuated the racism, intolerance and destruction of our schools, social standards and communities. Denial is really prevalent here, and it is getting really expensive, especially when we look at all of the facts, not just the cherry picked ones presented in our local media. This false narrative is going to be really expensive.
A lot of assertions and very little evidence. Global warming…bad. That’s about it.