Here they are in all their glory--or their infamy--just in time for your summer reading. It's the ABQ 2019 Mid-Year 2019 Crime Stats. They cover everything from traffic stops to auto burglary to homicides, The cops say crime is down in the city compared to the same time last year. You might ask how could it not be as ABQ has been crushed by historically high crime rates for several years.

Homelessness is another major problem for the state's largest city. Here's a pretty insightful column from Brie Sillerly of the NM Coalition to End Homelessness. She urges the proposed new homeless shelter for near downtown ABQ not be a permanent way station for the homeless but a gateway to secure them permanent housing.

Voters will be asked in November to approve $14 million for the homeless facility. A second phase will cost another $14 million On that point, shouldn't the BernCo legislative delegation be lining up in Santa Fe for for that second $14 million as the state's coffers overflow from oil boom money?

Back on the crime beat, for the first time in five years APD will conduct a gun buyback program in an effort to reduce the high rate of gun violence. City Councilor Pat Davis has put up $30,000 from his councilor-directed funds for the program which will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at Cesar Chavez Community Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Needless to say, but Lt. Adam Anaya says it: guns presented for payment must be unloaded and operable.

ANOTHER ART?

No one is asking yet so we'll go first. Aren't the massive multi-million dollar plans being proposed to renovate the long vacant historic railyards near downtown sounding a bit like the disastrous ART project on Central? Not even the consultants hired to draft the plans seem to have a good idea on exactly what the renovation should entail and even whether it would succeed. Another question. Would it be sacrilegious to suggest that most of the railyards should simply be torn down? Just 'askin.

(Wonder what all those candidates for City Council think?)

THE BOTTOM LINES

The first of what will be a stack of fundraising reports for the many Dem northern congressional candidates is circulating. Santa Fe County District Attorney Marco Serna's campaign says he raised $233,000.

The FEC reports will be made public July 15. Dem Rep. Ben Ray Lujan is leaving the seat to run for US Senate.

The NM GOP writes:

A new episode of Chairman Steve Pearce's radio show is available. Tune in to listen to lively discussion about critical issues facing the country and New Mexico. Click to listen:

The radio show is new but are the ideas?

While the Governors of New Mexico and Colorado debated the merits of their respective chile crops this week, we spotted this headline:

A Giant Leap for Española Chile, the First to be Grown in Space

When it comes to green chile New Mexicans will settle for nothing less than world and intergalactic domination. Nice try, Colorado.