On Sept. 29, child care providers received their first hint of good news after suffering a long bout of budget cuts: $2.4 million in stimulus funds would be used to offset the $13 million slashed from child care budgets in the fiscal year 2011 budget.

In 1987, the Santa Fe City Council voted to eradicate Hacky Sacks in the Plaza. Twelve years later, the council decided to re-examine the restriction. Before voting to amend the ordinance banning Hacky Sacks, the meeting was opened to public comment. Seven citizens said they supported allowing Hacky Sack playing on the Plaza. No one spoke against it.

Eleven months have passed since SFR first published Diane Moore’s concerns about hiring and financial practices at the New Mexico Department of Health. For most of that time, Moore has been simul

On Oct. 22, State Auditor Hector Balderas released a list of 54 local government agencies—cities, school districts, villages, water conservation districts and the like—that are behind in filing their audits. Some of those named are behind by almost a decade.

Between the fusillades of scathing ad hominem attacks by the state’s gubernatorial candidates, one agreement has been made: the New Mexico Rail Runner needs to be re-examined. At least in car country, the train is easily seen as a charity case.

Judicial races often provide respite from the mudslinging and TV attack ads of, say, swing-state gubernatorial campaigns. This year’s contest for the first position in the New Mexico Court of Appeals is no exception.

On Oct. 12, Matt Hughes, senior vice president of Albuquerque firm Research & Polling Inc., presented the results of a two-week survey of the priorities of 709 Santa Fe County residents living outside the city.

On Oct. 18, the Foundation for Open Government and the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office teamed up to release an opinion on an issue close to SFR’s heart: public records.

Twenty-one months after Barack Obama was inaugurated on a wave of hope for change in America’s politics and policies, at least two important and seemingly contradictory things can be said. There has been a series of significant progressive reforms and the nation’s politics are more toxic than ever.