Campaign Finance Reporting, Health Care Shortage, Film Strike Looms and Our Land Heads to the Great Outdoors with T4B | 10.15.21

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

The Line opinion panel breaks down the latest campaign finance numbers in the governor’s race. While the general election is still a year away, the most recent reporting period sheds new light on the Republican primary field. State Rep. Rebecca Dow says her $440,000 take makes her the frontrunner. Meanwhile, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took in $2.5 million as she looks to build an unassailable war chest.

The groups also explores the problem of a burned-out, stressed-out health care workforce. New Mexico’s health care system wasn't in the best of shape even before the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in rural parts of the state. Now, many health care workers are leaving the profession. Are vaccine mandates contributing to the exodus or is it mostly due to overwhelmed workers in an overwhelmed system?

New Mexicans love to get outside and hit the hiking or bike trails and explore our varied landscapes. But for people without cars, it’s next to impossible to reach most hiking trails, even state parks or national parks here in the state. For young men of color, there are even more challenges to feeling safe and comfortable outside. This month we head out with Together for Brothers, which works on issues like transit equity and raising young men of color to lead in their own communities—including to lead their friends and family members out to the trails.

With the IATSE strike deadline of Monday threatening to shut down film and television production, Gene Grant speaks with Gene Maddaus, a senior media reporter from Variety, and with local union members to find out what’s at stake and what workers are demanding from producers and studios. The movie and television industry’s largest union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike by “below-the-line" workers who do things like set dressing, lighting and accounting.

Host

Gene Grant

Correspondent

Laura Paskus

Line Opinion Panel:

Merritt Allen, Vox Optima public relations

Sophie Martin, attorney

H. Diane Snyder, former state senator

Guests:

Gene Maddaus, senior media reporter, Variety

Jessica Hoffman, IATSE Local 480 field representative

Shaun Garcia, IATSE Local 480 member

Christopher Ramirez, Executive Director, Together for Brothers

David Grubbs, Jr., Together for Brothers

Alejandro Villezcas, Together for Brothers

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