Swickard: All we get from our goldmine is the shaft

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Most people in New Mexico care about a lot of things. They have the requisite concern about the endangered species along with a clean and fertile Mother Earth. They signed on to Earth Day when Global Cooling was the concern, and then signed on to the Global Warming alarmists.
     What we know for sure is that the solution to everything from Global Cooling to Global Warming is to put the government in charge and stop doing as much capitalism. America hears loud and clear when the voices of environmentalism shout, “Whatever you do, stop making money to save the planet.”

     Most Americans are unaware that the millions upon millions of dollars wasted in environmental causes come in one form or another from their pockets. Each wolf, owl, lizard and New Mexico jumping mouse takes money from each American, regardless of if we agree to the theft.
     Know this: our nation is a lesser nation because it cannot be energy independent and still comply with all the political agendas. We need not import another drop of oil or gas if we so desire. Take New Mexico for example: it is rich in potential for oil and gas. However, while some of the oil and gas is being harvested, much of that potential is not being used. This is thanks to lots of political action which seeks to shut down oil and gas rather than expand it.
     More so, it is not obvious that if the oil and gas production along with other extractives was to increase significantly New Mexico could match Alaska with a dividend paid to citizens instead of New Mexicans paying state income taxes. We could get a check rather than send a check. Read full column

Swickard: All we get from our goldmine is the shaft

APS discusses transgender guidelines

Wednesday evening, The Albuquerque Public Schools school board discussed a rough draft of possible guidelines for managing issues involving transgender students enrolled in the district. 

APS says right now, there are 12 transgender students in the district of nearly 90,000. 

APS Policy Analyst Carrie Menapace proposed initial guidelines. Those guidelines were based off insight from the district’s Transgender Task Force, as well as research on decisions made in other associations. 

The guidelines include requiring a court order to change a student’s name in school records, and a birth certificate to change the student’s gender in school records. 

They also suggest providing an alternative, gender-neutral bathroom and locker room for students. 

APS says the guidelines are a work in progress. 

APS discusses transgender guidelines

Navajo Nation gets wireless internet

The Navajo Nation has opened an $8 million data center that will make wireless Internet available to 70 percent of the reservation's population. 

The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has partnered with a wholesale wireless provider to upgrade telecommunications services on the Navajo Nation. The tribe has majority ownership of the venture, NTUA Wireless LLC., while Commnet Wireless owns the rest. 

The Farmington Daily Times reports that the data center in Shiprock opened on Tuesday, with officials opening up a laptop and quickly connecting to the Internet. 

NTUA spokeswoman Deenise Becenti says the broadband project is in the final testing phases and Internet service should be available to residents later this year.

Navajo Nation gets wireless internet