CNM, especially Main campus, has a serious infrastructure problem. Some of the buildings have leaky roofs; others are in desperate need of replacement carpeting.
Many of the security kiosks are out of commission, which could leave students or employees without a way to contact help during an emergency.
While it is great to see CNM purchasing property near Main campus, as well as demolishing damaged buildings in the area to help beautify the neighborhood, there is a much more important issue at hand.
Several departments and student organizations have been displaced because of fire code violations, many of which do not appear to have been resolved.
The portable buildings near the Student Resource Center are sadly dilapidated and infested with ants and feral cats.
Many of the restrooms campus wide are damaged, covered with graffiti and often plagued with plumbing issues.
There are recently installed concrete steps leading from Ted Chavez Hall to Ken Chappy Hall that are already crumbling.
These are all issues that should be handled with a higher priority than the purchase of a neat place to hold meetings.
The CNM administration needs to address the condition of the campuses before taxpayers are stuck with the bill for completely renovating buildings and other infrastructure that could be saved at a fraction of the cost with simple proactive maintenance.
This is just the local evidence of something that is happening nationwide. Infrastructure maintenance and repair are being delayed in order to stay under budget.
Our country, our campus, is not disposable. We need to put effort and money into preserving what we have rather than allowing those in the future to deal with the broken remains.
