ABQ Buyer's Remorse Event Asked Where Are The Jobs, Susana Martinez?

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This is a report by Mary Ellen Broderick, along with her photos and videos from the event.

Working America staged an interesting event last week at the Workforce Connection building in Albuquerque. It was called Buyer’s Remorse -- targeting people who voted for Governor Susana Martinez and asking whether they were sorry for it now. Those with buyer's remorse could submit ballots expressing their views. Susana promised to focus on job creation, but so far has done nothing of the kind. There was a steady flow of people coming and going out of the Workforce Solutions building that day and, I am sure, every day given our high unemployment rate. Does Gov. Martinez care?

Where Are The Jobs, Susana?
If you are one of the many people who are out of work in this state, it is very depressing. There is little to no relief in sight. People at the Workforce Connection site that day were commiserating and weighing their options. Of course there were activists there holding signs, and many passersby honked their car horns in support of them. However, the surprise to me was how many average people were going out of their way to sign the Buyer’s Remorse card and put it in the ballot box to show their disgust with Gov. Martinez's inaction.

People were asking one another, "How long are you out of work?" And, "What are you doing to find work"? Not many were smiling.

Unemployment in New Mexico
It's now obvious that the numbers of people leaving the state entirely to find work are growing. Right now, if you look at the statistics regarding unemployment in New Mexico, you would say we are not doing too bad. However, those statistics don't take into account how many have already left the state, or have just quit trying to find work that is nonexistent.

Here is a map of unemployment levels in the country. New Mexico does not look that bad at an unemployment rate of 6.7% -- except that the data does not include the terminally unemployed or the under-employed, and doesn't describe the long-term damage to the state caused by talented people leaving to find work elsewhere.

Even if you manage to hold onto your present job or find a new one, your income is probably not keeping pace with the cost of living. Here is an interesting calculator that tells you how much a dollar bought in 1980 vs. 2011. So, $1.00 in 1980 would buy the same as $2.74 today. Did salaries increase at the same rate? 

There is an abundance of information at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Get lost in the data, and think about what a horrific decline we are in. And then think about the weak actions our politicians are taking to fix things. In DC and Santa Fe, our elected officials seem focused like a laser beam on ... cutting budgets ... the worst thing you can do in a terrible recession. They seem bent on getting rid of jobs, not creating any.

Other discussions at the event were related to things we don't immediately realize are impacted by high unemployment and budget cutting -- like the all-important DUI program in New Mexico. The state has laid off people that help to implement this vital program. Many agencies that serve the disabled and help them find employment have also experienced large staff reductions:

The woman in this video sums up the unemployment crisis quite nicely, and stresses that New Mexican's need to speak out more strongly:

Fiddling While Rome Burns
As an unemployed American and New Mexican myself, I am increasingly scared and worried. I am an architect by profession. There is no public money flowing for design, construction or renovation of public buildings like schools, libraries, senior centers. The private sector is not building anything either, and banks are still not lending to fund needed projects. Everything is on hold. And architects in New Mexico and elsewhere are still being laid off -- not hired.

Unbelievably, New Mexico did not even pass any capital outlay funding this year, leaving it to the final hours of the session. This important bill -- which impacts the livelihood of many people in the state -- got sidetracked by silly political squabbling led by Gov. Martinez, and didn't even get a vote. Next time, I suggest our NM legislators vote on and pass the capital outlay bill at the same time as they pass their feed bill. It's just as important if not more so!

In addition, Gov. Martinez has put a moratorium on all higher education construction, which is yet another nail in the coffin. Susana also put the brakes on the movie industry. She has not kept her word about focusing on creating jobs. Instead, she is still talking day in and day out about eliminating driver's licenses for foreign citizens who reside here, and making wild claims about terrorists crossing the border and massive "voter fraud" taking place without providing any significent proof. Cut, cut, cut -- spending state employees, teachers -- is still the mantra with this bunch. And there is no end in sight.

Meanwhile, we are STILL spending 2 billion dollars a week on the Iraq Afghanistan wars. Imagine what 2 billion a week would do for the US economy. Now is the time to speak out in every way we can to get politicians moving on jobs, jobs, jobs -- and to demand that they stop putting so much time into minor but devisive issues that are meaningless BS meant solely to stir people up and get them hating -- and voting for right wingers.