Episode 090: Facebook and PNM, RGF in “The Hill,” and workforce participation

On this week’s conversation Paul and Wally discuss the ongoing saga of Facebook and the PRC’s demand they foot the $39 million bill for a new transmission facility. PNM has offered mea culpa in the Albuquerque Journal.

RGF appeared in The Hill on the destruction of local Right to Work laws in New Mexico and Illinois.

According to a new poll by TeacherFreedom.org an increasing number of teachers want to negotiate their own pay/benefits. This issue sets the stage for future legal efforts to increase worker freedom beyond the Janus decision which gave government employees the ability to opt out of paying union dues/fees. Now efforts are moving forward to free those who don’t want anything to do with unions from having their pay and benefits negotiated by them.

Albuquerque voters may be voting this fall on a proposal to increase the size of City Council. What are the merits of this proposal?

Finally, New Mexico’s workforce participation rate is not only lower than neighboring states, but it has actually declined since 2010. What is the relevance of workforce participation and how might this issue relate to the aging of New Mexico’s population?
[powerpress]