I recently brought up a variety of ridiculous aspects relating to divesting UNM’s investments from the oil and gas industry. Mark Mathis, a film maker and someone who “gets” oil and gas, had a very humorous column in the Albuquerque Journal mocking the efforts.
The effort to divest is being pushed by the profoundly radical 350.org which is the creation of the radical environmentalist Bill McKibben.
Unfortunately for McKibben and his radical allies, Americans are less concerned (and rightfully so) about the state of the environment, than in years past (according to Gallup):
Budget for 2016-2017
While the state budget will not be finalized until the Legislature adjourns on Thursday, it is now clear this will be one of the most challenging years we have encountered. The drop in oil and gas prices has led to a very low estimate of state revenue, which combines with the growth of Medicaid expenses to create a dire scenario. We anticipated a difficult year and have been carefully paring our budget since September, but the magnitude of the potential cuts is far greater than we previously expected. Over the coming weeks we will revise our plans to deal with the new reality. We won’t be able to avoid every painful decision, but we will always keep the best interests of the University and our students foremost. We will continue to keep you informed of these issues as they develop because we will need the help of the entire campus to address this challenge.
Thank you for your comment. There is no question that New Mexico needs to reduce the number of branch campuses in higher education statewide. I hope that is being seriously-considered.