Water must be treated as a commodity

By |

© 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Are we in New Mexico working toward a sustainable water supply? No. Rather, we are using political solutions for non-political water-supply problems. The Swickard Principle: Never use a political solution for anything other than a political problem. The problem with water supply is that we are not treating water as a commodity, where, when there is increased demand, there is a move to increase supply. The government’s solution, instead, is to urge conservation. Continue Reading

Understanding war veterans who became silent dads

By |

© 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. This Sunday is both Father’s Day and my dad’s 86th birthday, though he died in 1993. He was one of those silent dads, not given to unnecessary conversation, similar to Chili Palmer in Get Shorty, who said, “I’m going to say as little as possible, if that.” Thankfully, my dad was a dignified, thoughtful man. Not the Hollywood fare like Chevy Chase portrays in the movie Vacation or the cartoonish joke of a man played by the character of Homer Simpson. I learned very little from his words and much from his deliberate actions. I am methodical and meticulous like him, though he never told me to be. Continue Reading

Swickard no longer part of The Morning Show

By |

Michael Swickard and Radio Las Cruces have parted ways. Effective immediately, The Morning Show on KSNM-AM 570 won’t be hosted by Michael Swickard, both Swickard and the radio station’s parent company confirmed today. Swickard said the decision was mutual. Ernesto Garcia, operations manager for Radio Las Cruces, said Swickard “decided to end his participation with the show.” The Morning Show will continue, Garcia said, adding that Radio Las Cruces “hopes to have a new host soon.” The show focuses on the Las Cruces area and has regular interviews with guests on topics ranging from politics to sports to special events. Swickard, who was named Division 2 talk show host of the year by the New Mexico Broadcaster’s Association three times, is generally a conservative, but sometimes took a viewpoint on his show that shocked those on the right. Continue Reading

Developer deserves apology, clear annexation policy

By |

© 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. The annexation controversy in our area has people writing letters to the editor and calling me on talk radio. Many of the comments make me think of Josh Billings, who said, “The trouble with people is not that they don’t know but that they know so much that ain’t so.” Many of the comments have been simply not true or not germane. For example, the fight over annexation is not about whether houses will be built; it is about which government entity will supervise the process. Regardless of whether the city annexes the land under consideration on the East Mesa, the houses will be constructed. Will it be the planners for the City of Las Cruces or those who work for Doña Ana County who oversee it? Continue Reading

Massacre reveals the need for guns in schools

By |

© 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. A visitor to an Old West town thought it would be a great practical joke to whip out a pistol during a poker game and fire a couple of blanks at the ceiling. He died of multiple gunshot wounds from bullets fired by several players before anyone knew it was a joke. But that was a different time. The Virginia Tech massacre is the latest in a long litany of school shootings, but it was assuredly not the last. Initially, in school shootings, the only person armed is the perpetrator, while all the students and staff can do is run and hide. Continue Reading

I’ll show vision and vote to approve spaceport tax

By |

This is the fifth in a series of guest columns debating whether Doña Ana County voters should approve a 1/4 percent gross-receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. Public officials and other readers are invited to participate in this debate. To submit a guest column for publication, e-mail me at heath@haussamen.com. Baseless personal attacks will not be published. © 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “I have vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid The spaceport tax vote is more one of style than substance. Continue Reading

We must focus on collecting facts and developing better theories to combat impaired driving

By |

© 2007 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “… facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world’s data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. … Einstein’s theory of gravitation replaced Newton’s but apples did not suspend themselves in mid-air pending the outcome.” – Stephen Jay Gould, 1981.It is a fact people drive while impaired. Continue Reading

Michael Swickard: Don’t vote unless you care

By |

This is a guest column submitted by radio talk show host Michael Swickard that takes an unusual stance. Tell us what you think by submitting a comment after you read it. © 2006 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. The election this year has felt like going to the dentist and having the same tooth filled every day for a whole year. As a talk radio host I am attuned to the political winds, but I have not enjoyed this year. In fact, I have been more offended and troubled with this election than any other. Continue Reading

No Child Left Behind fails because it doesn’t inspire

By |

This is a guest column submitted by radio host Michael Swickard. © 2006 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. After more than a hundred years of education research in the United States it would seem that public schools would be getting better rather than worse. Why are they not? Because public school administrators ignore the three legs of the education table. First, children must be curious. Continue Reading