Category: Commentaries

Walt Rubel Commentary: Ask county candidates how they will end this cycle

6/2/2026

Unable to resolve their long-standing differences, leaders of the County Sheriff’s Department and County Commission both called for a full audit last year, certain it would find that the other side was in the wrong. It did.

There were no winners in the report released last week by the State Auditor’s Office. It took the office 14 months to complete the report and 355 pages to compile it all, because there was a lot on both sides in need of correction.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Should the increased use of dirty words be alarming?

5/26/2026

I heard an old phrase for the first time in decades recently when a fellow volunteer at the community radio station said she was bothered by how casually young people use profanity these days, especially “in mixed company.”

I was probably five or six years old when my grandfather first explained that concept to me and my cousin Johnny. We were tagging along behind him as he tended a small field next to the house when grandpa did something that caused him to blurt out the word “shirt” without the “r.”

Walt Rubel Commentary: Nation is again at war as we honor the fallen

5/19/2026

Another Memorial Day with our nation at war.

There have thus far been 15 US service members killed and 530 wounded in our war with Iran. It’s estimated that about 3,400 Iranians have been killed by US and Israeli airstrikes.

Walt Rubel Commentary: AI brings fatalism to a new generation

5/12/2026

There were two emergency drills conducted at the start of each new school year during my childhood, the fire drill and the duck-and-cover drill.

For the fire drill, we were instructed to calmly and quietly line up behind the teacher and then walk at a leisurely pace down the hallway, around the corner and then down another hallway before reaching the door, all while flames were lapping at our pants legs.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Thanks to candidates who are trying to beat the odds

5/5/2026

With early voting starting this week, I want to thank the men and women who are directly responsible for the continuation of our democracy, the candidates running for office in this year’s election. Especially those who are running for the first time.

The old phrase, “I’m going to throw my hat into the ring” makes it sound easy. As if the only thing to lose were a fedora. In fact, this is an incredibly challenging moment to enter the political fray.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Did partisan politics influence Dow decision?

4/28/2026

There are two positions on this year’s ballot that I don’t think should be selected by the voters, judges and election officials.

Dona Ana County voters will choose between Isabel Jerabek and Dania Gardea in the Democratic primary to replace Rebecca Duffin as the Division 4 judge. I doubt if most voters have ever heard of any of those three people.

Walt Rubel Commentary: County out of its league with Project Jupiter

4/21/2026

We got snookered.

The Dona Ana County Commission gave the green light to Project Jupiter, a massive $165 billion data center being built in the south county, based on its belief that the project would use an average of 20,000 gallons of water a day, capped at 60,000 gallons.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Bombing power plants would make us the bad guys

4/7/2026

Teddy Roosevelt once advised that we should “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Donald Trump, like all modern presidents, carries the biggest stick in the world. And it has performed marvelously, including the daring rescue of a downed airman inside Iran last weekend. The skill and bravery of both the airman, who hid for days in a mountain crevice until his rescuers arrived, and those who risked their lives to save him, should serve as an inspiration for all of us and a reason to celebrate.

Walt Rubel Commentary: NM jury tries to hold social media accountable

3/31/2026

Congratulations to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, who was able to win a small slice of justice for children in our state who have been victimized by social media.

Last week, a jury in Santa Fe found that Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) violated state law by misleading consumers about their safety and allowing children to be sexually exploited.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Shutdown won’t change ICE, but elections will

3/24/2026

It’s my hope that by the time this column is printed, Democrats in Congress will have ended the government shutdown and federal workers will be getting paid again.

Democrats aren’t wrong about the need to dramatically reform ICE, just like they weren’t wrong about the need to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing. But they are foolish in thinking a government shutdown will somehow change the equation.

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