Election Day

Tuesday was local election day here in New Mexico, but since I am not yet a registered voter here, I wasn't able to cast one of the fewer than 500 ballots that were handed in. The hardware store owner mounted an insurgency against the incumbent mayor. The incumbent had had what could only be called a wretched term of office, with one damn thing after another -- culminating with the recent refusal of Santa Fe to approve stimulus funds to improve the area water supply and sewage treatment. "Dead Man Walking" came to mind when I saw the incumbent holding court in a parking lot down the street from the city hall.

Actually the vote was closer than I thought it would be. The final results were 211 votes for the incumbent, 275 for the insurgent. I really thought it would be a blow out, given all the issues involved, and the Endless Recession and its effects on the local economy, but it was a fairly even fight, and the candidates are good friends. Or were. I don't know how they'll get along now.

The incumbent is a rancher. The insurgent is a merchant. There's always been a tension in the West between the two economic interests, but in a down economy like this one, their differing interests may turn into hostility. We'll see how it goes.

There was a burst of economic activity in town when some stimulus funds were provided for fixing roads and spiffing up signage and stuff. Things seemed to stabilize for a while, then a slow slide down commenced. People are still leaving the area because there's no work. I pointed out in an earlier post how difficult the local situation is even for plumbers.

Just looking around, not having any statistics at hand, I'd say the local population has declined by 10% or 15% since the advent of the Endless Recesssion. The area's biggest employer shut down early in the economic downturn, and nothing has taken their place -- though a couple of businesses (including a micro-brewery) have opened.

In a tiny way, I don't doubt that the anti-incumbent spirit that manifested itself here on Tuesday was part of what will be felt very strongly in the elections this fall. The fact that the Recession will not End, as a matter of policy, and that there is no work for many, and there won't be, no matter what, as a matter of policy, is having a profound effect on the psyches of Americans. Rejecting incumbents is natural under the circumstances, but so often the alternative is worse.

Unfortunately, Americans haven't wrapped their minds around that simple fact yet.

So here's a picture of the pronghorns I saw out in the field yesterday. They were shy and were going to run away when they saw me, then they decided to pose for one picture before they bolted.