NMPolitics.net (https://nmpolitics.net/index/category/swickard-columns/page/10/)
Rather than be troubled by those without legal status, maybe we should step back from the debate and learn from their use of our informal American economy. Why not live in an informal economy as they do since our government does not seem to care? Continue Reading
Are the current border defenses adequate to protect Americans? No. Can the federal government close the border? Yes if there is the will in Washington. Can New Mexico close its portion of the border? Perhaps, if there is the will in Santa Fe. Continue Reading
There are many more ways to bring new money to our state but first we must have leaders who can see the potential of our state. I completely endorse the state leaders making state government bigger for the purpose of really supporting the private sector. Continue Reading
While I have enormous respect for the people and movement I, like many others, have not joined the tea party, but I am in complete agreement with those who think the government is reaching too far into our lives. Continue Reading
A column last week by State Senator Steve Fischmann lamented, “Everybody wants to improve public education, but nobody seems to know how to do it.” While Senator Fischmann made several very good points, he, like others, missed the big picture. Continue Reading
At Easter there is always a temptation to buy your kids a few adorable chicks as pets. Years ago my friend Judy mentioned she was going to buy two chicks for Easter. I protested, “Don’t do it, they turn into chickens.” Continue Reading
While listening idly to someone the other day a remark flew by, “And those receiving entitlements do not even say thank you.” I forget who said it. Still, I knew I had heard something important. Continue Reading
Most Americans have little interest in the congressional health-care debate other than to wonder how much worse government will make our lives. Given their track record, most people realize there is little chance of Congress making anything better. Continue Reading
What started as something to protect each of us against catastrophic loss has turned into a question of how I can get my neighbor to pay my health-care costs. Voting to change our health care to be more like Medicare will come back to haunt politicians in November. I guarantee it. Continue Reading
The entire staff of a Rhode Island high school was fired last week as part of a school improvement project. One headline opined that the mass firing of school personnel may signal a trend. Actually, it is a trend already in place of doing stupid things in the management of schools. Continue Reading
Tiger Woods needs to go to Africa not as a celebrity but as a worker and spend the next two years obscurely making things better in a country 99 percent of the world does not even know exists. Take no cameras nor press people and leave no trail. Spend two years undiscovered by the press serving humanity as penitence. Continue Reading
Schools have adopted a rigorous curriculum aimed at increasing test scores that disallows fun activities and naps so there is more time to concentrate on academics. This does not have any research to support it. Continue Reading
When a truth is out of favor, it is still a truth. One such truth is that protecting your family, or children at school, is only possible with a force at least equal to an attacker’s force. Continue Reading
My complaint is not about stupidity, which at times is my middle name; rather, it is that our political leaders think Ron White is wrong and they can legislate stupid out of our society. They are being stupid trying to outlaw stupidity. Continue Reading
Here in New Mexico there are a number of disasters locally and statewide just waiting to happen, and our political leaders are fighting over things like transparency in government as if that is the end-all and be-all. Continue Reading