MORE NEW MEXICANS ARE BEING LEFT OUT OF THE NATION'S ECONOMIC RECOVER. THE LATEST CENSUS BUREAU REPORT SHOWS MORE STATE RESIDENTS WERE LIVING IN POVERTY IN 2012 THAN IN 2000. IT SAYS NEARLY 21 PERCENT HAD INCOMES UNDER THE POVERTY LEVEL LAST YEAR. THAT'S ABOUT 426-THOUSAND PEOPLE. IN 2000, 18 PERCENT WERE LIVING IN POVERTY.
GERRY BRADLEY, AN ECONOMIST WITH NEW MEXICO VOICES FOR CHILDREN, ATTRIBUTES THE INCREASE IN POVERTY TO THE RECENT RECESSION. BUT HE ALSO SAYS THE NUMBERS SEEM TO INDICATE "THE BLEEDING HAS STOPPED" IN NEW MEXICO BECAUSE LAST YEAR'S POVERTY RATE WASN'T STATISTICALLY DIFFERENT FROM 2011.
