Blog Posts

Dec 05 2018

Inaction by Congress could endanger New Mexico’s parks and monuments

Alex McCausland2024-04-04T15:29:33-06:00Blog Posts, Health Blog, Health News Coverage, News Coverage|

NMPolitics.net--One of the best things about living in New Mexico is the abundance of great natural beauty and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it’s the view from just about any rural highway or one of the many state and national parks and forests, New Mexico boasts some of the most beautiful land in the nation. It is a heritage that all proud New Mexicans want to protect for future generations, a pride woven into our culture. The preservation of our public lands is a sacred trust, but it’s being made more difficult by the inaction of Congress.

Nov 14 2018

Speaking out against proposed changes to Public Charge

Alex McCausland2018-11-14T13:43:30-07:00Blog Posts, Health Blog, Human Rights/Civic Participation Blog, Racial and Ethnic Equity Blog|

A proposed rule change by the Trump administration may lead to thousands of New Mexico children not receiving health insurance and food assistance even though they're eligible -- all because of where their parents were born. Find out more about 'public charge' and what you can do to help stop these changes.

Nov 03 2018

The next governor should improve our tax system and increase wages

Alex McCausland2024-04-04T15:32:33-06:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Economic Security News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget Blog, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

NM Political Report--First, we recommend that the new governor work to make our tax system fairer and more stable. Thanks to 15 years of failed trickle-down tax cuts, New Mexico is now much too dependent on revenue from oil and natural gas extraction to fund our state services like education and public safety. But the amount of revenue we collect from oil production is based on prices that are set at the global level, so we’re stuck in a boom-or-bust cycle.

Oct 23 2018

Child advocates offer voters info on candidate positions

Alex McCausland2024-04-04T15:33:36-06:00Blog Posts, Human Rights/Civic Participation Blog, Human Rights/Civic Participation News Coverage, News Coverage|

NMPolitics.net--Election issues are at the very heart of the values that matter most to us and our families – educating our children; improving our communities; and protecting our rights, safety and the world around us.

Oct 22 2018

Local conference will focus on childhood trauma

Alex McCausland2024-04-04T15:34:13-06:00Blog Posts, Health Blog, Health News Coverage, Kids Count Blog, Kids Count News Coverage, News Coverage|

Las Cruces Sun-News--This year’s conference Childhood Trauma: From Symptoms to Systems Change, will take a hard look at ACEs – what causes them, what can be done to prevent them, and how we can promote resiliency. We will look at the importance of building trauma-informed practices throughout our agencies and organizations.

Oct 19 2018

To make all kids count, we must count all kids

Alex McCausland2024-04-04T15:35:03-06:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Education Blog, Kids Count Blog, Kids Count News Coverage, News Coverage, Racial and Ethnic Equity Blog|

Searchlight NM--This is a perilous moment for New Mexico’s children. There’s no getting around it. Yet the future is not predetermined for kids in New Mexico. This state’s leaders can be inspired by this moment to do better by its children. They can choose to collaborate inclusively and act boldly and swiftly. That’s what it will take — both to position the state well for the 2020 census and to give children a better chance to thrive.

Oct 10 2018

State agencies (still) need a culture shift, and fast!

Alex McCausland2018-10-10T09:40:47-06:00Blog Posts, Health Blog|

Prior to the ACA, the Human Services Department (HSD) played the role of gatekeeper for the programs they administered, such as Medicaid. Instead of working hard to enroll everyone who was eligible, they seemed to view their job as making sure that as few people got enrolled as possible – even though they were eligible.

Aug 29 2018

Fighting the current: Why New Mexicans need a higher minimum wage

Alex McCausland2023-02-15T11:40:47-07:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Health Blog, Racial and Ethnic Equity Blog|

A minimum wage increase is long overdue – it hasn’t been raised in almost a decade. As prices increase, purchasing power erodes, and families find themselves sinking deeper into dire straits. Our $7.50 minimum wage is now worth just $6.30.

Jul 24 2018

Ruling in K-12 funding lawsuit is movement in right direction

Alex McCausland2018-07-30T12:32:05-06:00Blog Posts, Education Blog, Kids Count Blog|

Given the many challenges faced by our children, New Mexico should be making whatever investments are necessary to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive and achieve success. Instead, over the last decade New Mexico has made some of the deepest cuts to K-12 education in the country. While some funding was restored during the 2018 legislative session, we are still far behind where we should be on a per-student, inflation-adjusted basis.

Jun 15 2018

On Father’s Day and every day, families belong together

Alex McCausland2018-06-23T13:54:06-06:00Blog Posts, Racial and Ethnic Equity Blog|

As a recent college graduate returning to my home state after four years, I feel grateful to be able to celebrate Father’s Day with my family this summer. We devote time every year to celebrate our parents and all that they do for us because, as Americans, we value family. But this Father’s Day, I cannot help but think about the current immigration policies that are tearing young children away from their moms and dads and ignoring the importance of family.