By Diane D. Denish
As the year winds down and we prepare to spend the holidays with our families and friends, it’s a good time to look back and reflect on all that has happened over the last year. When historians look back on 2008, they will highlight the election of Barack Obama and the increase in youth activism and excitement that carried him to victory, the spectacle of the Beijing Olympics, the historic financial crisis, the continued wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the see-sawing oil prices that put our state into a budget shortfall.
It was a remarkable year! However, when I think back on 2008, I will also remember what happened here, in our communities.
While the last year was plagued by economic crisis, forcing many states into unmanageable deficits, New Mexico is riding out the storm and we have some things to brag about. We have seen tremendous growth in the film industry. More and more, Hollywood has come to appreciate New Mexico for the beauty of its natural landscapes and the potential of a versatile workforce.
This year we have seen feature films like Terminator 4, Transformers 2, and the Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men providing opportunities for New Mexicans to engage in a booming industry. New Mexicans, young and old, across the state had the opportunity to work on these and many other exciting productions. We must continue to look to industries that will help build our economy and build our workforce now and in the future.
This year was notable for the number of entrepreneurs eager to jumpstart the market for alternative energy. Mesalands Community College recently celebrated the dedication of a wind turbine that will provide electricity for the campus and increase training opportunities at the North American Wind Research and Training Center.
We also welcomed two new job-creating businesses in the solar industry: Shot and Signet. New Mexico is at the forefront of an industry that will help to reshape America’s energy infrastructure and is poised to lead the green revolution. Alternative energy investment is also a very sustainable rural economic-development strategy.
The number of our small businesses statewide also increased this year. Through our microlending programs, microloans for expansion and start-up have benefitted 1,500 businesses to date, including 263 in 2008. Thank you to our partners in this effort, ACCION, the Loan Fund and WESST Corp.
Investing in people
More importantly, we continued investments in our most precious resource, the people of New Mexico. This year, PreK served an additional 1,314 children at an additional 65 sites. One of the most important elements of a strong economy is a strong education system that includes the critical years between 0-5. New Mexico’s focus on education reform is beginning to realize the fruits of our work.
Leading up to New Mexico’s centennial statehood anniversary, I launched an initiative for our freshmen students who will be centennial graduates in 2012. To date, I have visited 14 high schools to talk to students all over the state about the advantages of staying in school so we can increase graduation rates significantly in four years. 2009 will see many more of these visits.
As our 100th anniversary of statehood approaches and the future remains uncertain, let’s remember that we faced great challenges in the past and have always risen to meet them. The citizens of Ruidoso demonstrated incredible resiliency, strength and community support after devastating floods this year. On my statewide Roundhouse on the Road tours, I was continually reassured that New Mexico’s strength is its people, and I have confidence that our future is bright.
I spoke with people in more than 30 communities and, while some told heart-wrenching stories and talked about challenges, many came to talk about opportunity and offer their suggestions for the future. I learned firsthand just how passionate New Mexicans are about finding solutions to issues in their communities.
Saying goodbye
While we welcomed some things in 2008, we also said goodbye. Among the most talked about is Gov. Richardson’s beard. The accessory that made its first appearance during the legislative session finally was let go in the fall. The departure of the beardless governor to Washington D.C. to serve our nation with President Obama brings pride to New Mexicans and an unprecedented transition. I am honored to look forward to 2009 as New Mexico’s incoming governor.
On a serious note, we bade farewell to Alice King. She was a much loved leader for our state and a staunch and effective advocate for children and families. We thank her for her efforts to establish the Children, Youth and Families Department and for her work on behalf New Mexico’s most vulnerable children. Her legacy lives on in the work of many dedicated New Mexicans. As the holiday season progresses, I ask that you keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.
2008 also marks the final year that Sen. Pete Domenici will represent New Mexico in the U.S. Senate. Over his 36-year career as our senator, he fought hard for those things in which he believed. He is a champion for mental health parity and expanding funding for our national labs. He served New Mexico with distinction and honor.
As we celebrate this holiday season, the end of 2008, and the prospect of 2009, I ask you to think of our brave men and women in uniform who are not home for holidays and of those who may not have a home at all. May we all count our blessings and share together hope for peace in the New Year. Happy holidays, New Mexico!
Denish is the state’s lieutenant governor and is poised to become the state’s first female governor, assuming the U.S. Senate confirms Obama’s nomination of Richardson to be U.S. commerce secretary.