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Independent voters can swing the election

The primary election is approaching and for the first time, unaffiliated voters, aka independents, can vote in a party primary. Last year a majority of New Mexico legislators, all of them members of major parties, voted to change election laws and give nonparty members the right to vote in primary elections. Those legislators looked beyond party power and politics and bravely voted to open the door for independents to join the process.

I am one of those unaffiliated voters and this letter is an ask, a plea 鈥� OK, an admonition 鈥� to those like me, whose right to vote had been restricted by election law: Let鈥檚 not waste those legislators鈥� efforts. This primary, go to a polling place and proudly ask for a major party ballot without having to join that party. We can help determine which candidates we will vote for in the general election. There is an open governor race. Start with that. We independents can now swing primary elections like we have swung general elections. We make up more than 25% of registered voters and can do some serious swinging.

A significant primary turnout by us independents will encourage candidates to increase their winning chances by appealing to independent voters. Voting rights are under threat in many other states, and we have a responsibility to exercise our newly obtained rights and doing so may provide momentum to grant us additional rights in the future. I鈥檒l see you at the polls!

Rock Tope 

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sa国际传媒官网网页入口 should use ranked choice voting

Last December we spent $1.8 million on our city鈥檚 runoff elections for city councilors and mayor. In that election, only 33% of eligible voters turned out 鈥� 6,000 fewer voters compared to the November election just weeks earlier. That鈥檚 6,000 fewer voices heard in the final decision of who will serve as our mayor. Ranked choice voting uses instant runoff elections, it is the fiscally responsible thing to do, but our City Council continues to vote against using this system.

Our taxpayer dollars should fund our schools, our libraries, our communities 鈥� not wasteful runoff elections when there is a better alternative. New Mexicans value responsibility, and running two elections when one would suffice just doesn鈥檛 make sense.

Ranked choice voting would save our city millions of taxpayer dollars every other year. With the instant runoff system that ranked choice voting allows, we could be putting money right back into our community and neighborhoods. It鈥檚 simple. It鈥檚 less confusing for voters. It鈥檚 the responsible thing to do for our city.

John Martinez

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PRC should wait for feasibility study of public utilities before taking action on PNM

For the past 19 years I have been advocating for the state of New Mexico to purchase Public Service Company of New Mexico to create a publicly owned electric utility. The Legislature has taken action to provide money to the University of New Mexico to conduct a 鈥渦tility affordability鈥� project. Though the specifics of the legislation are not as detailed as the original document that I created and passed on to our legislators, the important message this legislation sends is that the Public Regulation Commission should not approve Blackstone Infrastructure鈥檚 purchase of TXNM Energy, PNM鈥檚 parent company, at this time, and that they should at least wait until the results of the study are completed, which will weigh the options of creating a publicly owned electric utility.

Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Sen. Harold Pope, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, and their legislative aides created and supported the memorial to have the UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research conduct and oversee a study to determine the feasibility of creating a publicly owned electric utility. The legislation was championed by Speaker of the House Javier Mart铆nez, who ensured its incorporation into the final bill.

The memorial clearly outlines the benefit of public power: providing electric rates lower than private investor-owned utilities, which are also expanding to meet the rising demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers. A publicly owned electric utility will also make it easier to provide more electric power generated by renewable sources like wind and solar power, which yields less dependency on fossil fuels.

Lee Gamelsky

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Private equity firms shouldn鈥檛 own electric utilities

Private equity firms have no business being involved with public infrastructure like electricity. What happens when private equity firms purchase a business? The business files for bankruptcy and/or closes. Miss shopping at Joann鈥檚? Thank the private equity firm that purchased it. Miss Party City? Thank the private equity firm that bought it. Miss the Limited Stores? Thank the private equity firm that bought them. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of relatively small businesses that have been destroyed by private equity funds that are in it only for the dollars they can wring out of the business.

How can we trust any private equity fund to be in charge of our electricity? Do we really want to try and see how they will destroy it? Do we really want to see how much the price of our electricity will increase? Remember, private equity firms only care about their bottom line 鈥� they have no concern about the people they take jobs and pensions from.

Marie Lobo

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SAVE Act is voter suppression

Never in my entire life did I imagine that my right to vote might be threatened. Like many New Mexicans, I have been voting absentee for many years. Years ago, I lived out of the country and learned that I could vote absentee. It's a process that worked for me, enabling me to fully participate in America's vital democracy. Then, when I returned to live in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, I chose to continue voting absentee.

Now, it's possible that absentee voting may be taken away. The SAVE Act, being debated in the U.S. Senate, if passed would essentially do that. The other requirements of the SAVE Act to require proof of citizenship to register to vote would constitute voter suppression beyond imagining. Fortunately, both New Mexican senators have spoken out strongly against this legislation. You might contact them to let them know that you support their opposition.

Susan Gorman

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