Category: Commentaries

Walt Rubel Commentary: Save debates by making them more boring

5/11/2022

As things stand now, there may not be any presidential debates in 2024. And I’m not sure that would be a huge loss.

The Republican National Committee has announced that it will no longer participate in debates managed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has been in charge since 1988. RNC officials say they will find, “newer, better debate platforms,” but anything they propose will have to be agreed to by the Democrats.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Great news; but let’s not celebrate yet

5/4/2022

The recent federal court ruling to relieve the state from judicial oversight of its mental health system stemming from the Jackson lawsuit of 1987 is a huge victory for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, state officials and taxpayers. The governor estimates that the case has cost the state $80 million during the last three decades.

The federal class action lawsuit was filed against the state by parents of those with developmental disabilities who were being held at state-run institutions in Fort Stanton and Los Lunas. The court found 18 different constitutional violations being committed at those facilities, and ordered the state to enter into corrective action. That corrective action continued, even after the two centers were shut in the 1990s.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Police PR video no substitute for bodycam

4/27/2022

Las Cruces Police clearly don’t want us to know the full story of what happened on the evening that 75-year-old Amelia Vaca was shot and killed by an LCPD officer.

According to the woman’s grandson, family members called 911 to report that she was undergoing a mental health crisis, and they needed help. Instead of professional assistance, their call for help resulted in her death.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Primary elections can sneak up on us

4/20/2022

One of the questions in a recent news quiz for the Saturday morning show from the farmer’s market on KTAL-LP FM community radio was, can you name any of the five Republican candidates running for governor? Not only was the contestant stumped, but so was just about everyone else who was there.

Greg Zanetti, Ethal Maharg, Mark Ronchetti, Rebecca Dow and Jay Block are engaged in a spirited battle for the opportunity to take on incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this November. Campaign filings show the five have spent a combined $1.36 million since October, trying to increase their name recognition and introduce themselves to voters, according to a recent story by the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Clear role needed for crisis triage center

4/13/2022

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a private mental health care provider from Arizona wins a government contract for services here by promising more than it is able to deliver.

Reading about recent problems at the county’s crisis triage center, under the management of Recovery Innovations International of Arizona, brought back bad memories from the Susana Martinez administration.

Walt Rubel Commentary: Local businesses don’t get equal chance

4/6/2022

The top priority for our state’s leaders, not just this year but for the next several years, must be to diversify our economy and break free from our complete dependence on oil and gas revenue.

It was with that goal in mind that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called legislators back into a special session last year after the regular session had failed to produce legislation legalizing the sale and production of marijuana. The state’s nascent cannabis industry took its first steps Friday as doors opened to customers for the first time.

Walt Rubel Commentary: An important first step for police reform

3/23/2022

Las Cruces residents joined with Americans throughout the nation during the summer of 2020 in protests demanding police reform.

While protests in other cities turned violent and destructive, ours were peaceful and respectful. Which isn’t surprising, given the generally positive relationship between police and our community. But that respect should not be confused for a lack of purpose or determination for real reform.

Walt Rubel Commentary: No solutions this week, only questions

3/16/2022

Can the United States avoid war with Russia?

Should we avoid war with Russia? Does a nation that spends so much on weaponry that it has built the strongest military force in the history of mankind have a moral obligation to act when lesser armies are slaughtering innocent people in another nation?

Walt Rubel Commentary: Go back to the basics on city spending

3/2/2022

The inability of the Las Cruces City Council to allocate federal relief funding in a way that is fair, efficient and transparent is concerning, not only for the more-than $10 million now in limbo but also for the future millions that will be coming our way as a result of federal bills for both pandemic relief and infrastructure.

Last week, the City Council put the brakes on plans to distribute $10.37 million it has received through the American Rescue Plan Act. And, as I write this, there is no agreement on how to move forward.

Walt Rubel Commentary: NM now stands alone with COVID mandate

2/16/2022

The recent decisions by Democratic governors throughout the country to end coronavirus face-mask mandates have left New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on her own.

Within three days last week, Governors John Carney of Delaware, Dan McGee of Rhode Island, Kathy Hochul of New York, Steve Sisolak of Nevada, Jay Inslee of Washington and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois all announced they were ending their mandares.

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