No. 1 hope for new year is economy
We asked readers leading up to the new year what their No. 1 hope was for Taos in 2017. The online poll is unscientific, but if there’s a thread of truth to it, it’s about the economy. About 40 percent of you said you hoped the Taos economy will improve for all. Another 13 percent hoped the town would generate more jobs. (See the results below.)
New Mexico, Taos County and even the state’s most populous city — Albuquerque — are arguably still in the throes of a recession that began almost a decade ago. It’s been a rough go, as the state has seen its first real out-migration in many, many years — particularly among the younger set. The unemployment rate ticks up and down a tenth of a point here and there; small businesses hire a few here and let go a few there. Any meaningful traction has been hard to come by. Meanwhile, budgets at every level of government continue to shrink — particularly here in New Mexico, where the decline in oil and gas revenue has severely tightened purse strings. The education system remains a huge challenge.
We hope the months of January and February, which can be particularly lean for small businesses after a holiday rush, will see locals and visitors in stores and restaurants spending money. Let’s also hope the upcoming 60-day legislative session in Santa Fe produces meaningful results for the entire state.
Questa water challenges continue
Going without water for five hours would be demanding for most of us. How about five weeks? Some village of Questa residents have experienced weeks without water, as well issues have plagued the community since early December. It’s a situation that begs for a scapegoat, but pinpointing one person or entity to completely blame would be tough to do. The issue is one that has likely been coming home to roost for more than a decade — an aging water infrastructure in decline under more than one mayor or village council. Public officials and private contractors have been hard at work, but it appears about one-third of the village is still affected. Kids have missed a significant number of school days and some residents are rightfully fuming after days and days of boiling water and seeing loads of laundry pile up. The crisis should bring a renewed focus to water infrastructure and backup plans for the village.
Thank you, readers
We took a little space this week on these pages to thank you, our readers. Taos County residents are a passionate bunch – passionate about a variety of issues from land use to water, zoning, the economy, education, crime, health care, roads, weather — you name it. Throughout 2016, we heard from many of you through “My Turn” submissions, letters to the editor and sometimes simply a phone call or an email with a concern that doesn’t always make the pages. The Taos News staff is a passionate bunch, too, but we need your eyes, your ears and your input throughout the year to provide the most valuable and essential coverage that we can.
Write to us, call us, email us. Tell us when we’ve missed something or perhaps gotten something right. We’re nothing without our readers, and we will do our best this year to stay connected with you in every way we can.
