New Mexico Issues...

So far, over the past several months, I have been talking about National issues. I think that now it’s time to discuss New Mexico issues.

You may ask the question: why? And the simple answer is; because I want too. But actually it’s more than that. As a prospective candidate for the United States Senate for New Mexico, it’s important that I have an understanding of the needs and problems of my state.

It’s also important that you, the reader, have a clear understanding of what New Mexico represents.

For the most part, unless you’re from the Mid-west or west, you have very little understanding of this state. To many easterners New Mexico is thought of as a foreign county somehow tied to Mexico. Historically perhaps, but in point of fact New Mexico has a rich American History as will as one that spans over 400 years.

The U.S. acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. Union troops captured the territory from the Confederates during the Civil War. With the surrender of Geronimo in 1886, the Apache Wars and most of the Indian conflicts in the area were ended.

Since 1945, New Mexico has been a leader in energy research and development with extensive experiments conducted at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Sandia Laboratories in the nuclear, solar, and geothermal areas.

Minerals are the state's richest natural resource, and New Mexico is one of the U.S. leaders in output of uranium and potassium salts. Petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and molybdenum also contribute heavily to the state's income.

The principal manufacturing industries include food products, chemicals, transportation equipment, lumber, electrical machinery, and stone-clay-glass products. More than two-thirds of New Mexico's farm income comes from livestock products, especially sheep. Cotton, pecans, and sorghum are the most important field crops. Corn, peanuts, beans, onions, chilies, and lettuce are also grown.

New Mexico became an organized territory on September the 8th, 1850 and joined the Union ranks on January the 6th, 1912 to become the forty-seventh state.

On the surface it sounds like things are going fairly well for the state. But now it’s time for a dose of reality.

Currently New Mexico’s unemployment rate is riding at 8.6%. We have the highest welfare, and Medicaid payments of any state in the union, with the exception of California. We also have the lowest GDP.

While the state’s richest natural resource is minerals, thanks to the environmentalist we can’t get to them and mine them. What industry we had in manufacturing and lumber are no longer existent because they have been sent overseas or curtailed because of environmental concerns.

At one time New Mexico was considered the meat platter of the country because of ranching and cattle. Now days if a cow farts you have the EPA and every environmentalist in the country on the backs of the ranchers.

It is important to understand that thanks to liberal politicians New Mexico and its people have been victimized to the point of mindlessness.

Don’t despair however. There are solutions to the problems and answers. But like so many other things it is going to take like minded people and a lot of hard work to get things turned around.

At this very moment in history, New Mexico has a rare opportunity to take the lead and bring the state and the entire world into a bigger and brighter future. Seriously!!

At this very moment the New Mexico State Government is working toward establishing a center for the future of the commercial space industry. This represents the first link in the chain of prosperity to come. It also represents the beginnings of mankind’s move from earth onto new planets and eventually the stars.

The second link in the chain is jobs in fields such as construction, skilled labor, energy, engineering, sciences, manufacturing. Also in intra state commerce and agriculture, with new transportation routes and quicker/faster access from the eastern part of the state to the western part.

The list goes on and on, but it’s going to take people of vision and the willingness to fight for the state as well as for America.

I believe in the immutable right of all New Mexicans and all Americans to prosper and live in a state that can provide a sound stable economic base, jobs, and security without unnecessary, unwanted, and unneeded interference from big government.

I also believe that it is the responsibility of our elected officials in Washington D.C. to see to it that our governor and state legislature have the means and necessary tools to see it happen.

Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports (Congressional Research Service)