Time again for another edition of the always popular Reader Vox Populi. 

And we're off. . .

Our Thursday May 29 report exploring homelessness in ABQ drew a number of insightful responses. Former Dem state Senator Jerry Oritz y Pino writes: 

Joe, you are pinpointing one of the real causes for the dilemma of homelessness, the growing wealth disparity in the country as a whole. It has little to do with any local Mayor or City Council's ability to reduce the cost of housing or to increase the earning power of most families. We are reaping the result of national policies that have incentivized billionaires and discouraged working people. 

Trump's "big, beautiful bill" will drastically reduce Medicaid funds for working age adults—precisely the funding source that New Mexico and other states have made use of to pay for the treatment, rehabilitation, and supportive services needed by mentally ill and drug and alcohol addicted persons if they will ever leave the streets. Adding in the "work requirement" before someone qualifies for Medicaid is a cruel joke or hoax. Which employer in their right mind would ever hire actively psychotic or addicted people before they get treatment? 

Trish Livingston writes:

Joe, I really enjoy your blog each morning and learn quite a lot! Finding solutions for homelessness is quite a challenge but not insurmountable. New Mexico politicians need to look outside their box and get creative by looking at models around the world that work. Houston has reduced homelessness by more than 60 percent by bringing together local government, nonprofits and faith-based groups under one clear goal - get people housed quickly and permanently. They use a "Housing First" approach, which means no hoops to jump through—just stable housing first, then support with things like jobs, addiction, or mental health. It’s been incredibly effective. To me, that’s the kind of model that deserves more attention—practical, compassionate, and results-driven. It shows we can make real progress when we focus on what actually works. Hopefully your words can be the impetus for our state leaders to look into some of these solutions for our state. 

Reader Jim McClure writes:

Low-cost housing won’t eliminate the homeless crisis but it’s an important part of the solution. Mayor Keller deserves credit for converting old motels and encouraging casitas, but Santa Fe bureaucrats are moving in the opposite direction by adding environmental regulations that increase the cost of new homes. Rent controls and breathtakingly expensive public-housing projects aren’t much help. Government can encourage the building of more starter homes by modifying zoning regulations, streamlining permitting and removing restrictions on the use and financing of manufactured homes. The Navajo Nation is moving in this direction with a plan for manufactured homes. 

Homeowners get tax breaks but renters get squat. How about a refundable tax break for renters that could be set aside for a down payment? If politicians are serious about helping their constituents become homeowners, there’s a lot they can do. 

MAYORAL MONEY 

Joe Monahan

The email also came in (newsguy@yahoo.com) as we ramped up our coverage of the ABQ mayoral candidates seeking public financing for their campaigns. . .  

An anonymous reader reacts to that tongue-lashing former Dem Lt. Governor Diane Denish gave to mayoral hopeful Alex Uballez after he complained that qualifying for public financing is too difficult and he's switched to private fund-raising:

Joe, thank you for sharing Diane Denish’s submission. I think it does nothing but prove Mr. Uballez’s point. Well, there it is – she’s in a club where she got her ”public voice” card stamped a long, long time ago and Keller just renewed it for 2025. A few more blog submissions and she gets a free sub sandwich. 

What is she saying? - don’t you dare run for office until you bend the knee and kiss the ring of the political class because before you try to actually help the people, you have to kiss their butts?  Thanks for proving the point by running an opinion of someone that hasn’t been viable in a decade and a half but still has her current NM La Politica membership card so her "public voice" should be heard. 

Reader Barry Simon writes of the proposal we floated here Wednesday for modest reform of the current public financing system:

I would add to the suggested changes for public financing that a citizen can contribute $5 to more than one candidate.  

3,780 individual $5 donations from registered voters are necessary to qualify for $756,000 in public financing for the mayor's race.

(City Clerk Ethan Watson clarified after this report that voters can make the $5 contributions to more than one candidate.) 

We began our coverage of ABQ mayoral races with the very first one in 1974 for KUNM radio. There were over 30 candidates on the ballot! It was in the middle of the Watergate scandal when public financing campaigns first got a serious look. And over fifty years later, here we are today. . .

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