Morning Word: Prison Safety Questioned

Guards say long hours now a public safety concern

Prisons Called Unsafe

New Mexico prison guards are sounding alarms about the safety of state correctional facilities.

, they claim, are putting stress on operations. The guards have launched an online petition urging Gov. Susana Martinez and legislators to address the situation and provide more funding to recruit guards. They’d also like to see their wages, still among the lowest in the nation, increased.

Musical Relief

Speaking of stress, a veterinarian suggests playing music at animal shelters

with being locked up in kennels.

Identity Theft

In case you missed it on Friday night, Secretary of State Dianna Duran now faces

 this time for identify theft, after the man she listed as her campaign treasurer denied he handled any financial transactions for her. Meanwhile, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says Duran’s attorney's claim that he has a

is way off base. Steve Terrell says the current

for former attorney general Gary King, who appointed a special prosecutor to handle former secretary of state Rebecca Vigil Giron’s criminal case.

Think Reform  

After this year’s “capital outlay meltdown” in Santa Fe, Think New Mexico, a nonpartisan advocacy group, wants to see the way big state projects are funded reformed and says lawmakers should

Griego Rumors

Phil Griego, the former chair of the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee, who resigned after an SFR series questioned his ethics, says, despite the rumors, that

, but  he appears to have left the option if he’s drafted to run against Liz Stefanics in the Democrat primary next year.

Reading Bill Battle Brewing ... again

Gov. Martinez plans to push her three-grade reading bill when legislators reconvene in January. Rep. Mimi Stewart says for the sixth straight year, it has no chance of passing, "because it's bad policy." But supporters say kids need to

. Robert Nott reports a legislative staff analysis of last year’s bill found about 6,187 third-graders out of 25,462 tested were in the lowest level of reading proficiency and could be held back. But many of them would still be passed on to fourth grade because of the various exemptions.

Outside Money

A municipal election in Albuquerque tomorrow

in the state’s largest city. For that to happen, Democrats need to pick up one more City Council seat. If they do, they’ll have six seats and would be able to override Mayor Richard Berry’s vetoes, like the one last week decriminalizing marijuana. Meanwhile, it looks like a few outside groups, including one managed by the former chairman of the Santa Fe County Democratic Party, are spending a lot of money in this election.

Director Quits

Gary Camarano, the City of Las Cruces’ economic development director since April 2014, has resigned, but

Jumping Line

Foreign nationals

and pledge to create at least 10 full-time jobs can jump to the front of the immigration line.  It's good for the economy, but what about families who've been waiting for years to get into the country legally?

Class Action

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company is facing a

over the wording on their cigarette packages. Howard Houghton reports a Florida law firm this week filed the first attempt at a class-action lawsuit against the Santa Fe-based company and its parent, Reynolds American Inc. of Winston-Salem, N.C., claiming the cigarette maker’s packaging and advertising are intended to mislead smokers into thinking American Spirit cigarettes are healthier than other tobacco products.

Out of Space

With operations shut down at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are

.

Back to Church?

While millions of Americans cheered Pope Francis on during his visit to the United States, Santa Fe Archbishop

if the pope’s popularity will be enough to bring people back to the Catholic Church. After all, no church doctrines have been changed.

Critical Perspectives

Lots of guest editorials and letters to the editor over the weekend. Winthrop Quigley is frustrated that

. Katie Myers says it’s time for a

system. Bill McCamley suggests New Mexico should be

or a drier climate.  Media attorney Kevin Goldberg wants

. The

, Cate Moses suggests, is too “destructive.” Decades after nuclear tests in New Mexico, others say it’s time to

“decimated” by the blasts.   And Albert Hunt points out that tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations

Improving Conditions

Good news for skiers: A new, 5-million-gallon water tank at Ski Santa Fe means

 Copper Mountain, in Colorado,

this past weekend.

Lobos Rally

The University of New Mexico

New Mexico State on Saturday night, 38-29.

Hoop Dreams

Meanwhile, the Lobo’s Men’s basketball team is

and hoping to have a better season than they did under Coach Craig Neal last year.

Letters to the Editor

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