Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico policies for long-term success

It’s hard to beat Benjamin Franklin when it comes to your democracy do-gooders.

From the Declaration of Independence, to free lending libraries, public health and the postal service. If it put the “Way” in the “American Way of Life,” odds are Ben Franklin’s fingerprints were all over it. But in reality it is Franklin’s love of truth for its own sake that is proving to be his true genius. Especially when you consider how this moral courage sets him apart from today’s let’s dress up and pretend we’re patriots gang.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin

As Peter Goodman recently opined in his Las Cruces Sun-News column entitled “GOP’s Misleading and Evasive Campaign Strategy,” New Mexico is at a strategic inflection point. Now perhaps more than ever, we really need to talk. To each other. But when we allow divisiveness to be rushed in to fill a void of vision, we can’t hear ourselves think. Let alone listen to each other think. It’s just too noisy, and therein lies the rub. Do we yell louder? Or cover our ears?

Here’s an idea: let’s think. I won’t lie, when it was my face and my name plastered on that lurid and disturbingly racist postcard it infuriated me. For a minute (give or take 45 seconds). Which is how long it took me to figure out that it wasn’t being called a pal to pedophile nail technicians by the state Republican Party that was making me mad. That’s just nuts. It was that they could not be bothered to tell us where their candidates stood on abortion rights, voter rights, education or protecting our air, water and land. That’s just democracy malpractice.

So let’s just speak truth to each other, as New Mexicans, as men and women who want the best for New Mexico and each other. The fact is that we have made some big investments in addressing our biggest challenges over the past few years. Despite a global pandemic that rolled our social safety net and broke our hearts. Despite a divisive and duplicitous political climate that has shaken our faith in our democracy and each other. Despite roving packs of liars and fear mongers, bullies and con men. The truth is it is working and it will work even better if we give it the time it takes to grow something that endures. Booms and busts are easy come, easy go. But a real economy, a real future that works for us all that takes some doing and most of all some doing together.

So vote, for yourself, your family, your community, for what and who you believe in. Here’s why it’s worth it and why you should never let anyone tell you it is not.

New Mexico today:

  • Best job growth in a decade, ranked in top 10 US job growth state
  • Minimum wager raised
  • Paid sick leave for every worker
  • Comprehensive middle class tax cut
  • $1.6 billion invested in NM Education System
  • Highest graduation rate ever
  • Free college for qualified New Mexicans
  • Early Childhood Trust Fund doubled to $600M
  • Upheld right to choose
  • Capped monthly insulin copayments
  • Enabled import of lower cost prescription drugs
  • Largest renewable energy project in the country
  • In top 10 ranking for wind energy and community solar projects

New Mexico House Rep. Joanne Ferrary, D-37, is up for reelection.

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