I have been honored to work these past two years with the Rio Grande Foundation. But I’m off to other adventures. My farewell from New Mexico Watchdog is here.
A Costly Ride on the Rail Runner
Like the train has money to burn. How about blowing the annual salary of a teaching assistant on an overnighter to Raton, just to show off? Latest report
on the Great New Mexico Train Robbery at New Mexico Watchdog.org
RailRunner Costs Are Eating New Mexico Alive
Jim Scarantino and Steve McAllister review the RailRunner’s red ink and its consequences for our state. Read the latest report at New Mexico Watchdog here.
Fed Stimulus Grows NM Government More Than Broader Economy: No Surprise There
The latest report on the stimulus spending shows that government continues to benefit while unemployment rises in the broader economy. I’ve done two reports crunching data from recovery.gov, the official U.S. government website to track stimulus spending and employment impacts. The first showed that the number of jobs funded by stimulus dollars dropped during the last quarter of 2009 by 13% while the cost per job soared over 50% to $484,505 per job. That report is over at New Mexico Watchdog here.
Today’s report shows that government is gobbling up the stimulus dollars, consuming most of the funding and funding most of the jobs claimed. That report is here.
What is definitely growing is the public sector. Unemployment for everyone, though, is up sharply, to 8.3% from 7.8% in the previous quarter.
Rail Runner FY 2008 Losses Top $19 Million, $37.6 Million Since Service Began
New Mexico Watchdog updates its August report. The red ink lubricating the wheels of the Red Runner is getting redder. This pic from inside the Rail Runner during service between Santa Fe and Albuquerque speaks volumes.