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After nearly a year, Lion’s Gate Entertainment Corp. is still negotiating with the State Investment Council on how much the state will give to build a $15 million film studio in Rio Rancho. Public records indicate several deals have been considered, including the state lending the entire $15 million to the company.
New Mexico’s public school achievement gap shows another gap: kids who are minorities or poor are being left far behind. As disappointing as the scores are for all students, scores for Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and poor students are significantly lower than scores of Whites and Asians in reading, math and science. The results were just released by the state Public Education Department.
The 1994 law that created the state’s seven regional housing authorities gives them many means of operating. That includes issuing bonds to fund housing projects. The practice is like “teenagers using credit cards,” says Olivia Padilla-Jackson, director of the state Board of Finance. “The reality is, if they issue these bonds, it’s like a teenager using a credit card: they’re not using the parents’ money, they’re using the ability to borrow themselves.” But ultimately, like parents of careless teens, taxpayers may end up paying the consequences. This concludes a three-part series.
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