Leftist editorial: ‘Ironic’ MLG failed to ‘diversify’ economy despite big talk

Although the far-left Santa Fe New Mexican editorial board noted how Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s attempts at “diversifying” New Mexico’s economy with leftist policies has failed, it now proposes spending a large chunk of the state’s projected $2.45 billion in new revenue on social programs and broadband.

The board wrote, “Despite the continuing efforts to diversify the state economy — cannabis, film and television, outdoor industry, local agriculture — the state is growing more dependent on oil and gas, according to figures from the Legislative Finance Committee. About 45 percent of the state budget will be tied to that industry in fiscal year 2024, economists said last week at a committee meeting in Chama.”

“That’s ironic, considering the efforts Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has put into transitioning New Mexico to renewable energy sources that won’t run out or pollute. New Mexico is moving to renewables, but oil and gas dollars still pay the bills — and will for years to come,” it continued.

Then, the board lauded Lujan Grisham’s far-left policy proposals, including passing taxpayer-funded daycare programs, $75 million annually for taxpayer-funded college, and other social programs that drain the state’s coffers. 

Therefore, to fix “climate change” and, “generational poverty,” the New Mexican’s editorial board says the state needs to “reform” its tax structure and invest in broadband while saving “some” of the billions for when “the budget goes bust again.” 

The notion of saving some money for a rainy day is the opposite of what many Democrats in Santa Fe and Gov. Lujan Grisham have in mind, with a hankering to spend as much money as possible on recurring socialist programs while failing to “diversify” the state’s economy despite demonizing the oil and gas industry. 

According to reports, the Permian Basin in southeast New Mexico and Texas has enough oil to last 200 years. Because of this, oil and gas remain a stable and lucrative resource New Mexico would be wise to continue utilizing for a long time.