Author Archives: merilee

In a certain office of New Mexico government, a friend tells me, three clerical assistants work with a group of professionals.  One clerk is competent and hardworking.  The other two are incompetent and unreliable.  All the professionals try to snag … Continue reading →

Question One:  Do you remember how to pay with cash? Do you remember what it’s like to remove dollar bills from your wallet, hand them to a cashier, watch the cash register drawer spring open, and wait for the cashier … Continue reading →

Let’s pretend the company that provides the land line telephone service to your home institutes a new policy.   That company also owns an airline called PhoneCo Airlines.  So from now on, every time you try to call Southwest or American … Continue reading →

We New Mexicans dearly love to take advantage of one another’s ignorance.  It’s how some of us make a living. Title insurance, for example. You are required to purchase title insurance when you buy a house.  Since you probably buy … Continue reading →

More than a generation ago, inventive people with an entrepreneurial spirit, guts, and creativity developed a new kind of medium called listener sponsored radio.   It was supported initially by donations from listeners, who liked the eclectic programming.  It was a … Continue reading →

During the recent weather crisis, when schools were shut to save energy, several school districts were stuck going ahead with school board and bond elections.  The voter turnout was as low as you guessed it would be. It’s past time … Continue reading →

Oh, dear.  Sunset review is back again:  another great idea that may not work so well in New Mexico. Sunset review is legislative code language for kicking the can down the road.       If it worked, we would not today … Continue reading →

My friend’s life was dominated by her mentally ill son. He was schizophrenic and had dangerous delusions.  He would be committed to the New Mexico State Hospital in Las Vegas for six months at a time, but could not be … Continue reading →