The scholarships now only cover 60 percent of higher education tuition, down from 100 percent. Can't Santa Fe find a new revenue stream instead of trying to keep this flawed ship afloat? The lottery is handing out about $40 million annually. In the scheme of things that is not onerous. Let's assign this one to the think tank Think New Mexico. Maybe the numbers nerds there can hatch a better deal for the stressed out students and get legislation going.

--Legal Mary Jane is a dead duck in the state senate so why don't pro-marijuana backers nudge the process by switching gears and going all in for decriminalizing the weed? That would stop the unfair arrests they claim are being made for small possessions of pot. Decriminalizing also might make for a smoother path later for legalization. This one is assigned to longtime decriminalization backer State Senator Joe Cervantes. Hello, Joe? Get Emily Kaltenbach on the horn.

--Rather than raise the royalty rates on the oil industry, which is a sure loser at the Roundhouse, how about if State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard instead works on the possibility of getting the major oil companies in the Permian Basin to pay for a portion of badly need road repair and maintenance there? Hundreds of millions of the cash surplus are forecast to go to statewide road repair. Can't Big Oil afford some small change to keep those profits pumping in the SE? Knock, Knock. Stephanie?

700,000 OR BUST

We keep seeing newspaper references that the turnout in the November election in the state was 698,976 or 55.4 percent. But according to the Secretary of State the actual turnout was 701,654 or 55.61 percent of registered voters. We're unsure why this bothers us. Maybe we're channeling our inner Brian Sanderoff.

CHEAP EATS; CAN THE COLLEGE

Reader JoAnne Allen of Nathrop, Colorado writes of recent blogging here:

Hi Joe, I'm a big fan and read every day. About the cost of living comments for NM retirees from Tuesday's blog:

We left NM, our home of 50+ years, to retire in Colorado. The cost of living here is notably higher than in the Land of Enchantment (LOE). Everything is higher, housing, trades, food, gas, taxes, everything. When we return to the LOE to visit family and friends, we come with long shopping lists and coolers for food.

And about the Electoral College;

In Colorado there is a bill now going through our legislature to award our Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Holding on to the Electoral College is like trying to hold on to straight ticket voting. Maybe for a short while, but the writing is on the wall. It is better for our democracy to listen to the voice of the people. Consider that it might work the opposite of what you think in that New Mexico's votes will matter more and be worth courting because we could become greater than our 5 electoral votes in the larger picture. Have a great day, Joe. Thank you for your most excellent work.

Thanks for writing, JoAnne.

HENRY "KIKI" SAAVEDRA

The news of the death of former ABQ Dem State Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra was like a bolt out of the blue Monday. Although gone from the Legislature since 2014, he was part of the state's political furniture and you expected to run into him any day at the Barelas Coffee House in the South Valley or one of his other favorite haunts. But Saavedra was afflicted with Alzheimer's and passed at the age of 82.

While not much was heard from him in retirement, he cast a long shadow during his tenure in Santa Fe where he served as chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. It takes seniority to get that seat and Kiki had it, first elected in 1976 and launching a 38 year run at the Roundhouse. He was popular, likable and rarely had any serious opposition in his heavy Dem district.

Affable, friendly, funny and dapper were some of the adjectives used to remember him Monday. His earlier years in Santa Fe with House Speaker Raymond Sanchez and other members of that posse were probably his happiest. In his later years his chairmanship of Appropriations was marred by the austerity era and the rancor of the new politics. This was a fellow who wanted to bring home the bacon and make a difference but you can't do that without cash. One day after a long series of hearings where everyone and their brother had their hands out, he declared in frustration: "But we don't have the money!" And then it was time to go.

For most of his career New Mexico was a state on the go. The papers were not filled with horror stories of child killings, rampant crime and people leaving.

Leaving New Mexico would have been unspeakable to Saavedra's generation, so deep were their feet planted in their native soil. They were the inheritors of a tradition of La Politica dating back hundreds of years. It had its flaws but it worked and so did the state. Today's politics? Not so much.

Representative Henry Saavedra served long and served well. Most of all, he cared. That was a pretty good run, Kiki.

Here is the Governor's full statement on his death:

“I was incredibly saddened today to hear of former Representative Saavedra’s passing. I had the good fortune to work with and learn from him for many years and knew him to be deeply devoted to his community. As a veteran, a city employee, and a legislator, he lived his life in service.

“He was a treasured leader in the state House, looked up to by new legislators of both parties as a welcoming teacher, and he championed projects like funding New Mexico’s Special Olympics. I especially appreciated his warmth, fairness, and delightful sense of humor. He was a gentleman through and through, and the Legislature is a better place because of him.

“Representative Saavedra lived his life as an example of leaving a place better than he entered it, and the entire state of New Mexico is better off for his work and service. My deepest condolences go out to his family.”

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018