Editor,
On June 8, the New Mexico Legislature was called back into a special session to reconsider passing the $295 million capital outlay bill that died in the final days of the 2015 legislative session. The special session requires that lawmakers return to Santa Fe to reconsider spending on capital projects critical to higher education and communities throughout rural New Mexico. Not only does capital outlay provide improvements to public facilities in local communities, but it also provides much-needed jobs through the construction and improvements of facilities in a state that currently ranks 48th in job growth.
The special session is an opportunity to restore some of the funding request made my colleges and universities throughout New Mexico. Gov. Susana Martinez and House Republicans had proposed a 44 percent cut to institutions of higher education throughout the state during the 60-day regular session — now is the time to restore these cuts. Some of those cuts included building and infrastructure improvement such as roof improvements to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, a tech center at UNM Gallup, and improvements to UNM’s Health Education Building.
Smaller institutions critical to the state mission of higher education, such as Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, also depend on capital improvement funds to maintain buildings, and have requested $500,000 to upgrade a fire alarm system to be in compliance with fire regulations.
New Mexico’s research facilities, such as the New Mexico State University Sustainable Agriculture Research Center in Alcalde, are in dire need of repair and maintenance. This research facility is providing cutting-edge research in regard to climate change and preparing New Mexico’s farmers to adapt to the potential of climate variability. However, lack of adequate research and learning facilities threatens the critical mission of these research institutions.
Today, New Mexico is facing a migration problem from both small rural communities as well as some urban centers because of the lack of jobs and an economic opportunity. The development of a long-term, sustainable economic development plan needs to be developed that considers developing entrepreneurs that evolve from within our local communities. The economic development model based on attracting large corporations such as Tesla is not likely to happen, given our natural resource constraints in New Mexico.
However, investment in higher education that can build new innovative economic systems is a more practical approach for long-term economic development in this state. The investment in higher education is the first step in developing this model.
It is not only my scholarly or professional opinion as an urban designer and urban and regional planning educator at UNM that cuts to higher education will further degrade the economic condition of this state. Our institutions of higher education rely heavily on funding support from the capital outlay bill to maintain research and educational facilities provided by the New Mexico legislature.
Lack of investment by our elected officials will begin to unravel the success of these local institutions in training New Mexico’s professional workforce in the future. And, most importantly, the state could use the infusion of capital funds into local communities to provide some immediate relief to New Mexico’s struggling economy.
Sincerely,
Moises Gonzales
UNM faculty
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