Tipping Point New Mexico

On this week's Tipping Point NM Paul and Wally discuss:  What happened during the special session? The federal budget shutdown and NM's recent special session are connected in some pretty profound ways.  APS is asking for a $350 million bond. New Mexico resident puts up billboards discussing New Mexico's problems. Fusion company plans to invest $1 billion in New Mexico research and manufacturing f...

On this week's Tipping Point interview Paul talks housing policy with Salim Furth, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses on housing production and land use regulation. They discuss New Mexico's housing shortage and what can be done about it. What policies can be enacted at New Mexico's state and local gov...

Paul's been on jury duty. Mayoral polling: https:// errorsofenchantment.com/ albuquerque-mayoral-poll-is- actually-good-news/ MLG and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox talk "bipartisanship" on 60 Minutes. 61,000 jobs could be lost if NM doesn't start improving its roads (but the Gov. couldn't get her own party to support road issues on Special Session agenda). MLG: trial attorneys would kill any compacts or m...

On this week's interview Paul sits down with Professor Chris Erickson.  Chris is an economics professor at New Mexico State University.  Paul and Chris discuss (and debate) two big issues: 1) Chris' economic impact study of Spaceport America which found that the Spaceport generated an impact of  $240 million in 2024.  2) We  discuss recent statements made by Erickson that Gov. Lujan Grisham's "fre...

On this week's Tipping Point NM conversation Paul and Wally discuss the Charlie Kirk memorial and Jimmy Kimmel's suspension/restoration. John Trever had a great cartoon in Sunday paper outlining concerns about MLG's universal day care proposal. New Mexico's medical provider shortage is so bad that one in five airmen assigned to a base in New Mexico must turn down the post. Sam Bregman outlines his...

On this week's "interview" Paul sits down with co-host Wally Drangmeister to wade into a Facebook post shared by Democrat House Speaker Javier Martinez. The post is essentially a defense of New Mexico's poor rankings on a variety of issues that RGF works on. Martinez and the post's author (former news reporter Jeremy Jojola) wish to ignore comparisons between our state and others due to our cultur...

On this week's Tipping Point conversation Paul and Wally discuss the events of last week and what they mean. Specifically, the murder of a young Ukrainian girl and Charlie Kirk shooting (and what it means for the future of political discourse).  Paul believes that MLG's "Free" Child Care scheme is a diversionary tactic.  Also,  fewer New Mexicans are taking advantage of the existing subsidy. RGF i...

On this week's Tipping Point interview Paul talks to Reilly Stephens. Reilly is Senior Counsel at the  Liberty Justice Center  which is  representing Paul and the Rio Grande Foundation in court against the City of Albuquerque  in a case (that was recently heard in Court) related to what RGF believes is a clear violation of the State's anti-donation clause. Between the "leak" of the  Dobbs  decisio...

There is a lot to discuss on this week's conversation and both Wally and Paul are perplexed by the approach Gov. Lujan Grisham (and others) are taking to myriad policy issues in New Mexico NM politicians plead poverty on roads. Why can't Albuquerque be nice, clean, and safe all year round? What's new with Maxeon solar? Not a whole lot. MLG awards her friends in government (again). MLG calls a spec...

On this week's show Paul talks to Jeff Apodaca. Jeff ran for governor in the Democratic Party primary in 2018 and comes from a political New Mexico family. Jeff is also a businessman and political activist. Paul and Jeff discuss the latest political issues in New Mexico and some of the forces shaping the 2026 elections, but they also talk about the accumulation of massive amounts of money in New M...

On this week's Tipping Point conversation Paul and Wally discuss Paul's recent work trip to New Orleans. The trip coincided with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Paul also bumped into former  NM PED secretary Hanna Skaandera. Santa Fe looks to raise its already high minimum wage due to cost increases in the City Different.  What could go wrong?   The athletic directors of UNM/NMSU look f...

On this week's interview Paul talks to Dr. Deane Waldman. Deane was a pediatric cardiologist at University of New Mexico Hospital. He also served on the board of Rio Grande Foundation before moving to Texas. He now works to advance the "Empower Patients Initiative" with economist Vance Ginn.  You can read more about that here. Deane and Paul discuss the health care situation in the US as a whole a...

New Mexico  $485 million in new money next session . RGF in National Review . PNM merger details revealed . There is a  new executive building on tap for Santa Fe to add even more office space for government.

On this week's show Paul sits down with Albuquerque mayoral candidate Darren White. Darren has had a long track record in New Mexico politics and law enforcement and they discuss some of that history as well as Darren's plans to address public safety, homelessness, and the local economy. You don't want to miss this important conversation! 

On this week's Tipping Point NM Paul and Wally discuss the fact that New Mexico is now sitting on  $64 billion  while the NY Times calls New Mexico "poor."  Further details on New Mexico's massive sovereign wealth fund and the inability to use it effectively can be found here. EV market share plunged in Q1 of 2025 including here in NM despite the continuation of state and federal subsidies. Paul a...

On this week's Tipping Point NM interview Paul interviewed  rancher and president of NM Cattle Growers, Bronson Corn.  They primarily discussed a proposed power line through Eastern New Mexico that could wind up involving use of  eminent domain and taking land up to 15 miles wide.  Why does this project require so much land? Where is this electricity going?  Also, Paul and Bronson discuss New Mexi...

On this week's conversation Paul and Wally discuss how New Mexico's  health care crisis and education crisis (along with other problems facing the state) share similar patterns  and how/why the politicians have failed to address things for their own self-interest.  Environmental groups say New Mexico's clean fuel standard could worsen environmental issues. Paul and Wally discuss how the situation...

On this week's Tipping Point Paul interviews  Marcos Gonzales who heads up economic development efforts for Bernalillo County.  Marcos and his team are currently hosting a  series of public meetings across the county. Paul and Marcos discuss those meetings, the economic development situation and programs within the State and County, and some of the challenges facing the County when it comes to att...

On this week's podcast Paul and Wally take a  closer look at the Gov.'s comments on Face the Nation . MLG rarely gives televised interviews to the NM media, so each conversation with the national media is worth scrutinizing. Even when she says factual things her remarks often make us wonder what about her statements and their accuracy and intent.  Paul's opinion piece on New Mexico's film industry...

On this week's interview Paul talks to former Cuba Schools teacher and author of an impactful op-ed Blake Gumprecht. You can read his opinion piece from the  Albuquerque Journal  here in which he decried the pressure he and other teachers experienced to pass unprepared students along. He also had concerns about the vast gulf between student achievement and graduation rates.  Gumprecht and Gessing...

A UNM professor recently spoke to a business group and called New Mexico an emerging economy . What's that supposed to mean? Santa Fe Studios recently was put up for sale amidst a depression in Hollywood filmmaking . What's the deal? NM's new automatic voter registration law will create big problems. The East Central Ave. rework isn't going to solve our pedestrian death issues. I have it on good a...

On the latest Tipping Point NM Paul talks to Carter Swanson. Carter has been an intern with the Rio Grande Foundation for over a year. He is heading to Australia to study abroad. Paul and Carter discuss what "the kids" in New Mexico think of free markets and freedom, his educational and career aspirations, and more. If you are concerned about the next generation this episode may alleviate your con...

New Mexico's impending demographic disaster.   State Sen. Harold Pope is running for Lt. Gov., but all he can talk about is Trump.   Surprising absolutely no one, a  Wallethub report finds New Mexico dead last in education.   Trump  cancels $4 billion in federal funding for CA high speed rail. RIP Ed Fuelner of Heritage Foundation. Paul discusses his family vacation to DC, Philly, and NYC.

There are many factors that make Gallup a unique place to do business.  Paul visits with Bill Lee of the Gallup Chamber of Commerce about the challenges and opportunities that businesses face.

According to  CNBC's "Best States for Business" 2025 report New Mexico is among worst states. That's troubling, but what is really concerning is how fast it has fallen in the report over the past decade. The  US Supreme Court lets Trump fire Education Department employees. Is it finally the end for USDOE? The  recent Ruidoso flooding is yet another blow to one of New Mexico's prettiest communities...