New Mexico

The Environmental Improvement Board rule is unsustainable

Published

2 years ago

December 2, 2023

The Environmental Improvement Board rule is unsustainable

Paul Gessing
| President, New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation

After four long days of testimony and public comment the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) decided recently to move forward with Gov. Lujan Grisham’s plan to follow California’s “clean vehicle” standard. In practice that means New Mexico’s car dealers will have to increase sales of EV’s in New Mexico from the current 3 percent of all new vehicles to 43 percent by summer of 2026 and 82 percent by summer of 2031.

That may seem like a long time away, but the summer of 2026 is less than 3 years from now. New Mexico’s car dealers are the ones with the most to lose under this policy, but the new rules will negatively impact all New Mexicans. Car dealers rightly fear that New Mexicans will travel to neighboring states to purchase their cars. There is nothing to stop them. In fact, online super-seller Amazon just announced that it would begin selling vehicles online.

Amazon’s presence in the auto market alone is a problem for car dealers but if Amazon (and out-of-state dealers) can sell whatever consumers want and New Mexico dealers can’t, that is a big problem. Many car dealers are small businesses. New car dealers average 56 employees per dealership and employ a total of 6,314 New Mexicans statewide. Car dealers also pay numerous taxes (like property, payroll, and income) that Amazon and Texas dealers won’t pay when they sell cars to New Mexicans.

The EIB’s process is hugely problematic. New Mexico’s Democrats talk endlessly about defending “democracy” but when push comes to shove, elected bodies like the Legislature refuse to guard their own power. Every Democrat in the Legislature needs to go on the record in support or opposition to the Gov.’s mandate when seeing reelection in 2024. Notably, every single Republican in the Legislature signed letters in opposition to the proposal.

Sadly, despite overwhelming numbers of New Mexicans expressing their opposition (including 3,517 individual opponents through our KeepYourCarsNM.com website), the SEVEN-member Board voted on a mere 3-2 basis to adopt the mandate. The Gov. couldn’t even get an outright majority of her own appointed board to support her policies.

So, who supported it? Major environmental groups led the charge of course. But, in attending the hearings a common refrain from supporters (many of them wealthy, Anglo, EV owners from Albuquerque and Santa Fe) were that “EV’s work great for them.”

That attitude ignores the dire lack of charging infrastructure throughout rural New Mexico, an issue that is even more acute in Navajo Country. Apartment dwellers and those who do not own single family homes, while often living a “green” lifestyle will inevitably struggle to charge their mandated vehicles.

Factually speaking, this mandate cannot and will not work. New Mexicans will simply not have enough EV’s available to comply with this mandate with vastly more populous California having already embraced similar rules. Car dealers will go out of business and either Lujan Grisham or some future Gov. will either delay or modify this unworkable mandate.

The question is how many jobs will be killed in New Mexico? How many people and businesses will leave our state or choose not to come here due to the adoption of another ill-conceived public policy? We don’t know, but what we do know is that despite having the benefit of a large federal infrastructure (and the jobs and tax dollars it brings) and being the 2^nd-leading oil producing state in the entire country, New Mexico remains poor and is losing its young people.

In the name of environmental “sustainability” our Gov. has made New Mexico’s future less sustainable.

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility

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New Mexico

Sun Tours is hosting a Sail Away Showcase Cruise Event to help plan your next trip

Published

9 hours ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Sun Tours is hosting a Sail Away Showcase Cruise Event to help plan your next trip

Since 1978, Sun Tours has been helping people travel the world worry-free. Their new catalog is now available, featuring all-new North American and Canadian tours, Southwest and Regional Tours, Bucket-list international journeys like Switzerland’s Alpine Wonders, a Mediterranean Solar Eclipse Cruise, and a Kenya & Tanzania Adventure.

Sun Tours is hosting a Sail Away Showcase Cruise Event on Saturday, October 25, at the Albuquerque Museum. Head over to learn more about their incredible cruise offerings and to meet cruise line partners who will be the experts in each cruise to meet you and answer your questions. Enjoy refreshments, presentations, special offers, giveaways, and more! Plus, meet other travelers who might be on your next cruise!

To learn more about Sun Tours and their Sail Away Showcase Cruise Event, click here.

Sponsored content disclaimer: The information and advice displayed in this story are those of individual sponsors and guests and not Nexstar Media Group, inc.

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New Mexico

New Mexico’s Epic Whitewater Run Is A Thrill-Seekers Dream Hidden Between Stunning Southwest Cliffs – Islands

Published

1 day ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

New Mexico’s Epic Whitewater Run Is A Thrill-Seekers Dream Hidden Between Stunning Southwest Cliffs – Islands

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment thanks to its otherworldly desert landscape, star-filled night sky, and the oldest capital city in the United States, filled with a rich history and culture. But some know it as a land of excitement, since it’s a premier whitewater rafting destination. Just 25 minutes outside of Taos, thrill-seekers will find the Taos Box, an epic whitewater run where foaming rapids, dramatic drops, and massive boulders are bordered by stunning cliffs. It’s these 800-foot basalt cliffs of the Rio Grande Gorge that give this area its name, as they box the river in.

The Taos Box refers to two separate reaches: the 15-mile Lower Box has Class IV rapids, while the Upper Box is a 6-mile Class V+ stretch that’s for experts only. With rapids like the “Boat Reamer” and “Screaming Left-Hand Turn” in the Lower Box, it’s not hard to imagine what you’re in for: frothy water and wild rapids course through the canyon and under the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, a steel behemoth that’s the fifth-tallest bridge in the country, hanging 650 feet above the water’s surface.

The last four miles of the Lower Box are especially thrilling … or harrowing, depending on who you ask. Cisco Guevara, owner of Los Rios River Runners, describes them (via High on Adventure): “The last four miles are just screaming huge big stuff.” There’s a single 13-foot drop and the infamous rock garden that still gives him butterflies. These whitewater runs aren’t for the faint of heart, but rather for those seeking an adventure in pristine wilderness, as the canyon doesn’t have a railroad or road next to it, and you may see wildlife like bighorn sheep, beavers, and eagles soaring above.

What to know when rafting the Taos Box

Getting to the Taos Box is convenient, since Taos is only a 1.5-hour drive from Santa Fe and 2.5 hours from Albuquerque, both of which have airports. Taos also has a small airport, which services direct flights from several regional locations. Taos may be famous for its unbelievable 1,000-year-old world heritage site and Taos Ski Valley, its winter sports destination, but its whitewater rapids are close behind, as seen by the number of rafting companies in the town. It can be hard to choose, but some favorites are Los Rios River Runners and New Mexico River Adventures, both of which currently have a 4.9 rating on Yelp.

The rafting season is from spring to fall, typically from March to October, depending on weather conditions and water levels. The Rio Grande is not only one of the longest rivers in the U.S., but it’s also one of the most endangered due to climate change, pollution, and agricultural overuse, so its water levels can change greatly throughout the year. It’s possible to check them online or speak to the company you’re booking with to determine the best time for your trip.

The Upper Box is only suitable for expert kayakers and rafters who can navigate Class IV and V rapids, as well as self-rescue. If you’re a beginner or intermediate, it’s highly recommended that you tackle the Lower Box with an expert or someone who’s run it before. The Box isn’t the only option near Taos either; the Racecourse is a stretch just south of the town that has Class III rapids, which are family-friendly but still exciting and challenging enough to offer an exciting adventure for everyone.

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