Category Archives: Articles

I have to inspect WHAT?

An insurance agent called me to ask about a letter one of her business clients had received from my former employer, the Workers’ Compensation Administration. The client was upset and confused. The letter was about safety inspections. I recognized the … Continue reading

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Don’t trust any politician with too much power

We New Mexicans don’t trust our politicians. That is built in to our history and the structure of our government. Some years ago I started wondering why we elect not just a governor but several independent statewide officials: attorney general, … Continue reading

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When we’re broke, what should we cut?

New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte, on a TV interview show recently, mentioned the state’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory. He was particularly proud that it is located adjacent to important facilities of the state Department of Health so that there … Continue reading

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For the inconvenient elderly: let them die

The way to save Medicare, some TV pundit said recently, is to cut Medicaid. Lots of people will die before they reach Medicare age. It was said only about half in jest. If low-income people can’t afford health care, some … Continue reading

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Love horses but let them starve

Of all the demonstrations of Americans’ political hypocrisy, what we’ve done about the slaughter of horses is right up there. We can thank our governor for a recent example, though she is hardly alone. Like other public figures, Governor Susana … Continue reading

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Foreign students help support higher ed

A charming young man from South America, whom I met at a party, was a graduate student in engineering at UNM. He said he wanted to stay in New Mexico and start a business. He was exactly the kind of … Continue reading

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Workers’ comp bill aims to reset the balance

The workers’ compensation system is full of temptations for people to behave badly. In response, many provisions of the law are attempts to create incentives so that people will behave constructively. That is the simplest possible summary of the amendment … Continue reading

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Losing my head from a computer invasion

When the horrible thing appeared on my computer screen, I was stunned. First I froze. Then I forgot everything I know about computer safety. I know enough not to have done what I did. I thought I was prepared for … Continue reading

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Health care law could hurt New Mexico

“In America, we don’t leave people bleeding in the doorway of the emergency room.”  I wrote that line for a presentation I used to give, some 25 years ago, about medical care in workers’ compensation. There had been a time … Continue reading

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Some administrative savings work better than others

If I were planning to run for the legislature, my list of priorities would look a little different from those you usually see. Instead of reciting the usual passionate platitudes about education and economic development, I would talk about saving … Continue reading

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