Editorial: NM secession spat reveals our state’s deep rural-urban divisions

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 9, 2021 | Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board

[CedarDave]

“(Secession is) just a response to the lack of respect toward southeast New Mexico.” – Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell

“If you like Texas better, just pack up your bags and move, it’s not that far.” – Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque

While it’s easy to dismiss a secession measure introduced by state Sen. Cliff Pirtle as silly, doing so would only ignore – and feed – the deep political and cultural divisions that exist in our state.

New Mexico has always had a rural-urban political divide. Lawmakers from Albuquerque’s metro area combined with legislators in Santa Fe are usually able to carry the day when the votes are tabulated in the Roundhouse. And with others they are working on an ambitious and progressive agenda.[Emphasis mine]

In recent years, the divisions between oil-producing southeast New Mexico and urban New Mexico have deepened with the passage of gun restriction laws, the imposition of business and school closures due to the pandemic, and perceived threats to the oil industry. Pirtle says proposals introduced this year to ban animal trapping on public lands and restrict pesticide use are a “direct attack” on N.M.’s rural way of life.

That’s not a new concern. But until last week, no state lawmaker had introduced a secession measure, according to research conducted for the Journal by senior legislative librarian Joanne Vandestreek. We made it through 109 years of statehood before hitting this point.

~~snip~~

But [the effort] can not be dismissed out of hand. Not considering where we are today. The Legislature and especially the Senate are supposed to be deliberative bodies where the people’s voices are heard. Is New Mexico still a state that takes pride in its diversity of cultures and opinions?

Or one that tells folks who speak up “there’s the door?”

[CedarDave]

The recent elections (the primary in June and the general in November) widened the divide even further with the few remaining moderate state senators booted from office to be replaced by RadDem progressives. One item not mentioned in the editorial is abortion when Dems are working to, and will likely succeed, in removing restrictions in state law so that any and all abortions up through birth of the child will remain legal no matter if the US Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade to return the matter to the states. This effort is receiving widespread help by ads promoting a woman's right to chose appearing here on the Journal website and in social media including YouTube.

[CedarDave]

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[Jonty30]

That’s basically what happened in this election, aside from the massive electoral fraud, the demographics of the country is now large enough in the cities that they can flip the country towards them.

That does not bode well for the country.

[Jacquerie]

To those who think "One Man One Vote" is cool, they should understand that the scotus, in 1964, did away with county representation in state legislatures and guaranteed urban dominance.

JProgressing the Constitution - One Man One Vote.

[Bookshelf]

From visits, I would think some thirteen counties in south and southeastern New Mexico would jump to Texas tomorrow if they could.

[Bookshelf]

From visits, I would think some thirteen counties in south and southeastern New Mexico would jump to Texas tomorrow if they could.

[campaignPete R-CT]

Bravo

I never knew that the NM eastern border is not completely a straight line. There’s a notch near Seneca. In NE NM.

PS Expel Albuquerque

[DrPretorius]

Refer to the county by county electoral map of the USA as a guide for secession. When state by state secession starts there will be many red counties in blue states that will not want to be left behind in enemy territory. Why should pre-secession state boundaries apply any longer? Since the Constitution is now a dead letter any prior agreement established in accordance with its terms will no longer be in force. In the end, there will be isolated pockets of blue urban areas surrounded by a sea of red everywhere else. The cities will become untenable since they have no resource base to be sustainable, only large numbers of bummers, looters, and moochers waiting for their next welfare check.

[hanamizu]

“To those who think “One Man One Vote” is cool, they should understand that the scotus, in 1964, did away with county representation in state legislatures and guaranteed urban dominance.”

---

SCOTUS basically said that states that modeled their governments after the government created by the Constitution were somehow unconstitutional. I’ve never understood that.

[LegendHasIt]

Thanks for the ping Dave. I had no idea that there was anyone in the Roundhouse that was willing to entertain such a good idea.

I've been saying for years that I wish Texas would secede, and then annex the southern half of NM.

Although while I'm dreaming a nice fantasy, actually I'd prefer all the contiguous conservative counties of in our southern 2/3 of NM and along the north and central eastern edge form our own State or independent republic.

[rktman]

Western states are WAY different than our eastern friends. NM is ALB and the rest of the state with minor BS from Santa Fe. NV is vegas with some increasing BS from Reno. We know how it goes. And it ain’t pretty.

[CedarDave]

I never knew that the NM eastern border is not completely a straight line. There’s a notch near Seneca. In NE NM.

You have hit upon a little known piece of American history. It's a result of a surveying error about 1860 and resulted in awarding almost 1,000 square miles of New Mexico land to Texas. It's a fun story to read and as a piece of obscure trivia you will be one of the few to know that some towns in west Texas (Farwell and Plains come to mind) really belong in New Mexico. Enjoy:

How A Bad Survey And Powerful Connections Added 1,000 Square Miles To Texas’ Lands (Land that should, by rights, have been part of New Mexico ended up remaining in the Lone Star State, thanks to presidential intervention)

[blueplum]

The cities will become untenable since they have no resource base to be sustainable,

ah, but they do. Milking the suburbs for ‘local taxes’.

https://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/remote-workers-want-to-stop-paying-city-income-taxes

https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-local-income-taxes.html

[wardaddy]

No kidding

Take Santa Fe and some of Albuquerque and Taos out

Got a great state

Los Alamos is probably lefty today.....

My quasi home state

My dad and three aunts born there

My g grandma and grandma buried there

And g uncle and his wife at vets cememtary in Santa Fe

I’ve a little New Mexico creed no....

And my grandpa built the Carlsbad to the caverns road

Cant take Santa Fe and Taos out either....they are treasures

[wardaddy]

I love New Mexico...for decades I could go to the Pink Adobe in Santa Fe and talk with owner and sometime chef Rosalea Murphy about her memories of my paternal grandpa whom she adored and my g uncle who lived in Santa Fe year round as a road builder and considered the Pink Adobe his watering hole and eatery

He was also fond of the Palace...

Yep I’m claiming partial New Mexico citizenship....I love the state and have since I was a boy watching hippies and Indians in the plaza..

My boys love it too....

Rosalea died 2000....quite a lady.....beautiful as a young woman.....New Orleans raised which is why she liked us I think...

[Jacquerie]

That’s right. The majority decision said to the effect that any “superficial resemblance” to the US Senate was irrelevant.

Few even know of these old and awful decisions that have probably done irreversible damage to our governing form.