GUEST COLUMN: Investing with purpose: Building New Mexico’s future

New Mexico’s capital outlay efforts have fueled remarkable progress on projects throughout the state. We have replaced aging infrastructure and built new roads, dams and public buildings. In turn, the construction activity has spurred economic activity through high-paying construction jobs and the purchase of equipment and supplies.

But we have more to do.

A purposeful approach to capital outlay is not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about shaping a future where resources are allocated with a vision of how New Mexicans will be served. We must not just build but build with an eye on the whole of New Mexico and solutions that will address the weaknesses in education, health and public safety.

We can start with roads. The safety of our roads is a growing concern. An increasing number of 18-wheelers — pulling travel trailers and hauling goods across the country, building materials, oil-field equipment, wind turbine blades, and logs from burn scars — cross our state daily, eroding highways and interstates and creating unsafe driving conditions. We have invested heavily in roads over the last few years, but we must continue.

Local projects also need attention. Recent spending has funded improvements in water and wastewater systems, streets and lights, hospitals, public safety and fire protection, libraries, and parks. Proper, wise planning results in reliable community services and attractive community facilities fuel neighborhood vitality and build community spirit and trust.

We are entering a challenging environment in which federal cuts — to health care, public schools and colleges, community grants, the natural environment and environmental quality, and supports for the vulnerable — will force state governments to prioritize which spending is most important and which we cannot continue to support. More than ever, we will need to invest the state’s resources with thoughtfulness and farsightedness. We must invest with an eye on how to best serve our children and our elders, elevate all populations, support local business, protect our environment and natural resources, and make health care more accessible.

If we embrace smart planning and bold investment, our communities can flourish for generations. I remain committed to digging deeper, identifying weak points in current operations, and offering actionable solutions that make New Mexico stronger, smarter, and more prepared for the future we all deserve.