Author Archives: merilee

Four years ago, county commissioners in Otero County caused a minor national embarrassment for New Mexico by refusing to certify the primary election. One commissioner claimed he had proof. With no reason given, he didn’t trust the voting machines. Eventually, … Continue reading →

If you have never heard of the term “loss ratio,” consider yourself lucky. That means you have never had to learn a certain unpleasant truth. “Loss ratio” means how much insurance companies have to pay for losses and other expenses … Continue reading →

General election season is now in full swing, and without doubt the hottest contest in New Mexico this year is the race for Congressional District 2 between Democratic incumbent Gabe Vasquez and businessman Greg Cunningham. While only voters in that … Continue reading →

New Mexico voters in many districts will find that voting this November is a little simpler than they expected. Legislators are making one decision easy for about half of New Mexico voters. In our House of Representatives, there are currently … Continue reading →

In New Mexico, we say we love small business. But our government is not very nice to it. Small business was mentioned by the gubernatorial candidates in the recent primary with the customary platitudes about how New Mexico should reduce … Continue reading →

The Democrats in Maine, anxious to beat US Senator Susan Collins in November, nominated a charismatic outsider and then pressured him to withdraw his nomination as his flawed personal background came to light.  The state party then undertook a hasty … Continue reading →

Several Democratic nominees for the state legislature have received a special recognition that might not be so special. These nominees were publicly recognized after each of them beat a fellow Democrat in the recent primary. One of them might be … Continue reading →

Last November, New Mexicans went to the polls to vote in the relatively new unified local elections, which cover nonpartisan local districts including school boards, municipal governments, and miscellaneous districts such as soil and water conservation districts. But not for … Continue reading →

If you are reading this article on or before June 25, and you might like to make this year’s governor’s race a little more interesting, there’s something you can do. Go to the Secretary of State website and sign the … Continue reading →

“The next governor must be laser focused on lifting New Mexico out of multigenerational poverty—the driver of all of our societal problems.” I am borrowing that line from a social media comment about the governor’s race. There’s nothing wrong with … Continue reading →