Inept management core of economic problem

Articles in the May 4 paper were just another example that local economic development officials and leaders are not facing up to the root causes of our economic condition. Sen. Pete Domenici identified the fact that Sandia invented fracking. Sandia and LANL (labs) are filled with brilliant and inventive scientists and engineers; the challenge is how to manage this brilliance for local economic growth. I see no evidence that Sandia’s prowess in fracking created a unicorn — a company that has at least 1 billion in sales annually — located in New Mexico. The problems at Sandia and LANL are their managements’ inability to turn their technical talent into local economic resources. Furthermore: 1. Texas is also dependent on oil and natural gas discovery, but its economy has not suffered like New Mexico’s.

2. Even though there has been a reduction in federal spending on defense, I do not believe that Sandia and LANL have had their funding decreased; in fact, nuclear weapons are experiencing increased funding to rebuild old systems.

3. How does a person design a job training program for New Mexico when the only new jobs being created are at call centers?

4. Stop blaming K-12 education for NM’s economic problems; Utah’s K-12 education is also underfunded, but Utah’s economy is growing, in part, because BYU and the University of Utah know how to spin off unicorns. BYU alone has spun-out six. UNM, Sandia, LANL, and NMSU have not reported spinning off any. The root cause of New Mexico’s economic problems are inept management and leadership at all levels! JAMES GOVER Rio Rancho