A councilor who represents some of the most impoverished areas of the city wants to use recreational-use cannabis tax revenue to implement a basic income program for her constituents.

Guaranteed basic income is essentially a monthly stipend given to a specific community that usually lasts a year. Not to be confused with universal basic income, a cash payment that all people receive regardless of their income.

This is actually a pretty cool idea for the funds.

What will it take for something like this to be successful in Abq?

The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) will administer New Mexico’s Solar for All Program, designed to make solar power available to an estimated 20,910 New Mexico households that otherwise might not be able to access this clean, renewable form of energy.

“Our Solar for All Program is designed to reach New Mexico’s underserved communities by focusing on supporting shared solar access projects in rural and tribal communities,” said EMNRD Deputy Secretary Dylan Fuge.

Also https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-state-new-mexico-will-receive-over-156-million

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.

During a community event in Sandoval County today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Public Land Order 7940 protecting more than 4,200 acres of Bureau of Land Management-managed public lands in the Placitas area.

The final mineral withdrawal protects, preserves, and promotes the scenic integrity, cultural importance, recreational values and wildlife habitat connectivity of the lands and the surrounding area. The lands will be closed to new mining claims, mineral sales, and oil and gas leases for the next 50 years, subject to valid existing rights.

In case of paywall: https://archive.is/DbraV

I've loved this track since I first heard it on a CMJ cd from 1997(v44). The version I know is only 4 minutes. There are versions from 1992 as well. This version is about 2 minutes longer, but it has the same intro as the CMJ track.