Let's Talk New Mexico

Let's Talk New Mexico 5/23 8a: Call now (505) 277-5866. Higher than average rainfall and snowpack means we're experiencing one of its wettest springs in decades. The Rio Grande is running ten times higher than it was at this time during last year's drought. So much water increases flood risks and challenges us to remain conservation minded. Has all the rain changed your plans for farming or planting gardens? How are you remaining water conscious? Do you plan to go river rafting or sailing on one of our state’s lakes this year? Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org, tweet us using the hashtag #LetsTalkNM or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 5/16 8a: All around the country, more people who are walking are hit by drivers in neighborhoods with low incomes and in communities of color. Here in Bernalillo County, one out of every five times there’s a pedestrian crash, it happens in the few square miles of Albuquerque’s International District. Residents say a big part of the problem is bad street lighting, speeding drivers, big roads, crumbling sidewalks, and not enough intersections or bus stops.

Let's Talk New Mexico 5/9 8a: Communities across New Mexico are stepping up to help migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. What kinds of assistance and services do these folks need the most? And how can you get involved if you want to help out? This week we're talking to the folks who are organizing volunteers and providing food, shelter, clothing and medical care to asylum seekers who are being released by the federal government here. We'd like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org, tweet with the hashtag #LetsTalkNM or call in live during the show. 

Let's Talk New Mexico 5/2 8a: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that public sector employees can’t be required to pay union fees. Here in New Mexico, private sector employees can be required to pay union fees, or even join a union to get a job.

Local officials in some communities around the state passed ordinances prohibiting these union fees, but the governor and state lawmakers blocked them during this year’s legislative session.

This week we're talking union fees and right to work laws and we want to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org, tweet with the hashtag #LetsTalkNM, or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico, 4/25 8a: This month, at least ten people have been killed in acts of violence or child abuse in Albuquerque alone. Each sudden death is a deep loss, and the ripple effects are felt throughout New Mexico families, neighborhoods and schools. How have you or your community been affected by violence? What kinds of support do you need? This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll remember those lost to violence and discuss ways to cope with grief and community trauma. To share your experience, email LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 4/18 8a: Bans on plastic are sweeping the nation, and New Mexico is no exception. Santa Fe banned plastic grocery bags several years ago. Albuquerque just limited single-use plastics in grocery and retail stores. Businesses and consumers are having to adapt to a new normal that emphasizes the re-useable over the disposable. Do you take reusable bags to the grocery? Are concerned about how a plastic bag ban will hurt your business' bottom line or your customers’ pocketbooks? We want to hear from you! Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 4/11 8a: From the film industry to welding to culinary arts, technical training programs can help people find careers. This week, we’re talking about apprenticeships and vocational training, and we want to hear from you. 

What kind of career and technical education would be helpful for you? Have you been in a program like this? How accessible are these opportunities to job-seekers of different ages and backgrounds? Call in live during the show or email LetsTalk@kunm.org. 

Let’s Talk New Mexico 4/4 8a: Call now 277-5866. There’s nothing better than resting in the shade of a tree filled park, but did you know that the trees in our cities offer other benefits besides giving us a lovely place to relax? From cleaning the air we breathe, to helping reduce the intense heat given off by unshaded pavement, trees are an important part of our human habitat. This week, we’ll be talking about the trees that make up New Mexico’s urban forest, including native species that have adapted to city life, as well as introduced varieties that literally grow like weeds.

Let’s Talk New Mexico 3/21 8a: It’s spring, so planting, sprouting and growing are on the agenda. We’ll look at how farmers are bringing traditional agricultural practices into their fields. We’ll explore what we can learn from past generations about sustainability and talk about local programs to support this kind of work. We want to hear from you! Are you a small farmer or home gardener? What sort of tips do you have to share with aspiring growers? Does your family use heirloom seeds? How did your grandparents teach you to grow food Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 3/14 8a: The 2019 state legislative session ends this weekend and lawmakers have been busy. Background checks for gun sales, recreational cannabis, funding for early childhood education, an ethics commission - what have lawmakers done this year - and what have they set aside? We talked with reporters who've been covering the session. 

Let's Talk New Mexico 3/7 8a: Many people in New Mexico count on their retirement benefits to see them through their golden years, but some state pensions are reporting a major shortfall in the system looming on the horizon. Unless some big changes are made, officials say, the pension system may not be able to deliver in the future. Are you dependent on a pension? How might future changes affect your life? How the state can serve the needs of its retirees, while making sure that future generations aren’t left in the lurch? Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet us using the #LetsTalkNM hashtag, or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 2/28 8a: Public charter schools play an important and often controversial role in our education system. On the show, we'll ask how charter schools can be great at meeting students’ unique needs, even while the charter school system can exacerbate inequalities between public schools. Do you or someone you know work at or go to a charter school? How did that go? We’d like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet your comment with the hashtag #LetsTalkNM, or call in live during the show.

Let’s Talk New Mexico 2/21 8a: Rural libraries reach around 500,000 New Mexicans in rural towns and pueblos and provide a range of services including tutoring, healthcare, business incubation, and voter registration. Lawmakers are considering a bill this session that would create a $50 million endowment fund to support the state’s 50 rural libraries. What could this financial support mean not only for rural communities but for the state as a whole? Are you a supporter of your local rural library? What would library support mean to your community? Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet using the #LetsTalkNM hashtag, or call in during the live show. 

Let's Talk New Mexico 2/14 8a: Many people across New Mexico experience homelessness or housing insecurity. We'll look at how local governments and other organizations are working to help those folks get back home. There are immediate needs for some people, but what about long-term solutions? What are the most effective ways to help people get housing? Have you experienced homelessness? What worked best for you? Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet us using the #LetsTalkNM hashtag, or call in live during the show.

Let’s Talk New Mexico 2/7 8a:  Early childhood is a crucial time for learning and development. It’s on the minds of many lawmakers this session, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared universal pre-K one of her top priorities. But where will funding for those programs come from? And how can the state better coordinate the various services to ensure kids don’t miss out? We’d like to hear from you! Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet us using the #LetsTalkNM hashtag, or call in live during the show.  

Let’s Talk New Mexico 1/31 8a: Politicians are promising to boost the economy in New Mexico and slow our warming climate with renewable energy and green jobs. It’s being called a Green New Deal. People in New Mexico have heard talk of this before. So what's worked? What hasn't? How about our new governor, and our congressional leaders—many of whom campaigned on green jobs? What green economy promises do you want to make sure don’t die on the vine?

Let’s Talk New Mexico 1/24 8a: Fixing inequalities in New Mexico’s public school system is a top priority for lawmakers this year. This Thursday morning we’ll explore how to do this huge, complicated task and balance the needs of so many diverse students.  Are you an educator, an administrator, a student, a parent? Do you have your own ideas on how to create equity in public schools? We'd like to hear from you! Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 1/17 8a: How is the partial federal government shutdown playing out in New Mexico as it drags on for its fourth week with no end in sight? Over 10,000 federal workers here are either furloughed or working and not getting paid. Residents are also having trouble getting healthcare, selling products, finalizing loans and deciding how much crops to plant this year. How is the shutdown affecting you and people you know? 

Let's Talk New Mexico 1/10 8a: Education is the top priority for New Mexico's new governor and Democratic legislative leaders as the 2019 State Legislature begins a new session next week. What would you like to see lawmakers achieve in the session? What issues are most important to you? And what would you like to see news organizations cover during the session? Our panel of local journalists will discuss the top issues for the session and our coverage priorities. And we'd like to hear from you! Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org, tweet to #LetsTalkNM or call in live during the show. 

Let’s Talk New Mexico 12/20 8a: Sitting down to a delicious meal brings families and friends together on the holidays for good conversation and a connection over something well all have to do, eat! Is there a particular food that brings up fond holiday memories? Does your family have a special holiday tradition of eating turkey, posole, or tamales? Or maybe your holiday favorite eats don’t fit any tradition? What is that one thing that makes your holiday table complete? Email your favorite recipes and food memories to LetsTalk@KUNM.org, tweet #LetsTalkNM, or call in live during the show.

Let's Talk New Mexico 12/13 8a: Doctors recommend getting a flu shot in the fall, but it’s not too late. A record 80,000 people died in 2017 from the flu and the CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months get vaccinated every year. Do you get the flu shot? Does it seem like you get sick anyway? Is it hard to find time or a place? We’ll explore myths about the flu vaccine and its effectiveness. We want to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show.

Guests:

Let’s Talk New Mexico 11/29 8a: This week, we’re focusing on transgender folks who thrive in our community, the growing acceptance in younger generations, and gains being made around the country. Media narratives often emphasize the discrimination and violence transgender people face. Those are essential stories, but we want to add to the conversation.

Let's Talk New Mexico 11/15 8a: Call now (505) 277-5866. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse continue to come forward in New Mexico, and many people are calling for the Catholic Church to come clean about what they knew and when. On the show, we'll explore what accountability could look like for crimes that happened years or decades ago. What are the effects of Church secrecy around clergy abuse? And how can communities heal from these kinds of trauma? 

We’d like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show at (505) 277-5866, Thursday morning at 8 here on 89.9 KUNM.

Let's Talk New Mexico 11/1 8a: The 2018 mid-term election is just days away on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. New Mexico voters will choose our next governor and candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress, and the state Legislature among other offices. What's driving you to the polls this year? What are the issues that you care most about this election? Are you hopeful and excited about the candidates? Or do partisan divisions and nasty campaign ads sour you on the democratic process? Maybe you can't vote, but you'd like to. Or maybe you are choosing not to vote. We'd like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show. 

Let's Talk New Mexico 10/18 8a: Immigration is a big issue in this year’s midterm election. The border wall, separating immigrant families and reforming the visa system are some of the issues that have politicians taking sides. But Congress has accomplished little on immigration reform and the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Action program is still uncertain. Is immigration a major election issue for you? Do you feel you’ve heard enough on immigration from the candidates? We’d like to hear from you – email LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show. 

Let’s Talk New Mexico 10/11 8am: A record number of women are running for elected office across the country this year and we’ll look at how the national conversation about sexual assault and misconduct is playing into this year’s politics.

Is 2018 going to be the next "Year of the Woman"? Are you satisfied with what you are hearing from women candidates this year? Do you know women who’ve decided to get political now because of sexual violence and discrimination? We’d like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet #LetsTalkNM, or call in live during the show. 

Let’s Talk New Mexico 10/4 8am: Around the country, voter participation is surging, and people are predicting the midterms in November will see a big turnout. Still, plenty of eligible people—even folks who are registered—don’t cast their ballots. Are you planning not to vote? Do you distrust politicians, government and the two-party political process? Are you tired of extreme rhetoric and ideological divisions? Do you dislike negative campaign ads? Are you frustrated with who’s on your ballot?

Let's Talk New Mexico 9/20 8 am: Prisons in New Mexico don’t have enough medical staff, and advocates say this means people don’t get the help they need—even when their injuries and illnesses are severe. Are you incarcerated? Or do you have friends or family members in state prisons? Are you concerned about their health? Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet #letstalkNM or call in live during the show on Thursday morning: 277-5866.

Let's Talk New Mexico 9/13 8 am: What do you do to keep the environment clean? Do plastic bans, eating less meat, taking fewer plane trips or carrying reusable silverware really matter? We'll talk about how to make choices that are good for the environment. We'll also look at lessons from tribes and communities across the region that have lived sustainably for generations. 

Let's Talk New Mexico 8/30 8a: We talk a lot about the need to bring more jobs to New Mexico, but what about remote workers? There are more opportunities for people to find jobs with outside companies and stay rooted in their own community here. But working from home or outside of an office requires internet access and specific skills to be successful. We'd like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show.