Tag Archives: susana martinez

Secret Settlements Scrutinized | The Line

November 22, 2019LineBrian Colon, ethics commission, government transparency, Hector Balderas, legal settlements, New Mexico government, State Attorney General, state auditor, state police, susana martinez, transparencyPetyr Xyst

November 22, 2019 – Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss State Auditor Brian Colón’s special audit of questionable legal settlements in the final days of Governor Susana Martinez’s second term. News of the settlements first surfaced in 2018. Colón says many of those settlements were approved with little examination or scrutiny and totaled in the millions of dollars of taxpayer money.

Line Panelists:
Michael Bird, public health consultant
Dede Feldman, former State Senator
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR
H. Diane Snyder, former State Senator

For Further Reading:
State Auditor Alleges ‘Abuse of Power’ in Secret Settlements – The Albuquerque Journal

State Auditor Says Millions Shelled Out in Secret Settlement When Governor Martinez Was in Office – KOAT

$1.7 Million Paid in Confidential State Settlements – KRQE

Behavioral Health Shortages Plague New Mexico | The Line

September 27, 2019Linebehavioral health, Children Youth and Families Department, CYFD, emergency care, healthcare shortages, mobile crisis response, peer support, public health, service providers, susana martinez, youth behavioral healthPetyr Xyst

September 27, 2019 – A new report from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department outlines the ongoing pressure on the state’s behavioral health system. Rural communities are definitely hit the hardest, and many of those communities have no way to respond to urgent situations in a timely manner. Host Gene Grant and The Line opinion panelists discuss why it’s so important for New Mexico to focus its efforts on behavioral health resources, especially after the challenges the system has faced in the last 5-10 years.

Line Panelists:
Merritt Allen, Vox Optima LLC
Michael Bird, Public Health Consultant
Jeffrey Candelaria, Konnection Now & KKOB
Laura Sanchez-Rivét, Affirm

For Further Reading:
Report: New Mexico Needs to Boost Mental Health Services – U.S. World and News Report

New Mexico Delegation Announces $3 Million Grant for Youth Behavioral Health – U.S. Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small Press Release