During the height of this decade's recession/rural Depression/stagnation we often said:

You're going to see and hear things you never thought possible.

Well, that turned out to be more than true, even as the worst seems to have passed. However, previously unthinkable stuff is still happening as the state continues to absorb shockwaves from the historic economic dislocation. For example:

--ABQ Public Schools reports its enrollment is still dropping sharply, from 91,000 ten years ago to the just announced projection of 80,000 for next year. Officials say a severe drop in kindergarten enrollment, sparked by young families seeking economic opportunity out of state, is a leading cause.

--Earlier the University of New Mexico shocked the state when it announced fall enrollment had plunged over 7 percent. That came on top of a decline the previous year. The head count now stands at 24,000, well down from its peak of 29,000. The usual suspects are in play: better opportunities out of state and the crime-soaked ABQ culture are two.

--Attendance at the crown jewel of UNM sports--Lobo basketball--has literally crashed in recent years. The famous "Pit" now struggles to fill even half its 15,400 seats. Did anyone see that coming ten years ago? Changing times indeed.

In the decade to come New Mexico will face an increasingly aging population (predicted to have in 2030 the 4th oldest population in the nation), an entrenched, mostly low-wage economy and an educational system with a broad swath of its youth wrestling more than ever with poverty, crime and drugs.

The good news--if you can call it that--is that most of the state's political and social elites have stopped denying the historic realignment we have been through. With that capitulation to reality, many people are now working vigorously--and not just in politics--to turn it around.

TIM'S TOPGOLF

Maybe ABQ Mayor Tim Keller may want to deal a bit more in reality when it comes to the $39 million Topgolf project. He fought it every step of the way, saying it would cannibalize existing businesses and not live up to attendance expectations, but other elected officials ignored him and approved hefty financial incentives for Topgolf.

The project on I-25 broke ground this week and plans to open next year, but the Mayor was notably absent from the groundbreaking, even though Topgolf will provide 132 full time jobs and dozens of part-time slots. It should also become a major tourist attraction in the tourist driven economy. The Topgolf jobs are not high paying, but they are desperately needed. And they are not much different in pay than the downtown call center jobs that the Mayor has boasted of bringing to town.

Topgolf critics cry "corporate welfare" and it is--but small potatoes compared with what was done for Facebook and Netflix. And any economic benefits will be directly measurable, unlike the film industry where ambiguity about the value of the incentives persists across the nation.

Keller's absence from the groundbreaking does not match his generally collaborative nature and we suspect that it won't be long before he acquiesces and Topgolf is embraced by his administration as part of his One ABQ.

On another front, the mayor may be on the edge of a major breakthrough in addressing the city's homeless problem--by opening a year round, full-time center for the homeless complete with a behavioral health component and other services. The center/shelter would be located in or near the downtown area. His proposal has garnered nearly unanimous support. Now it needs a financial boost from Santa Fe. It's estimated cost is $35 million.

NO DOC IN HOUSE

One of the problems of a generally low-wage economy is attracting high-paid professionals, like medical doctors. The shortage is in many places but in New Mexico it is pronounced, leading to long wait times for accessing health care. Also, the doctors here are aging out, with most now in their 60's. That and more in this series from the Journal which demonstrates that if you have a long wait for medical attention, you're far from alone.

Turning it around is complicated and costly. San Juan Regional Medical Center in the Four Corners is advertising for a neurosurgeon and offering the princely sum of $750,000--and they're still waiting. But with that kind of pay on the line some of the doctor shortage might abate on its own accord. You can almost hear ambitious moms bringing back that proud declaration from days of yore: "My son. The Doctor!" Or daughter.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019