ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – While all eyes are on New Mexico during the Albuqeurque International Balloon Fiesta, resident of 40 years Joseph Digangi wants to make sure they get the full picture. “I’m doing this because I love New Mexico. I care about New Mexicans, and I simply think that we deserve better,” said Digangi. “I timed it for this time of year. People are here, and it’s not to make New Mexico look bad, it’s to make New Mexicans want to do better.”
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Through his LLC, Land-of-enchantment.org, he paid $5,000 for five billboards. The signs read, “N.M. National Rankings. Lowest in education, highest crime and drug use. Why can’t we do better?”
While not all sources have New Mexico at the bottom of these lists, the boards include a link to his website with sources to support his claims. People can see three smaller billboards in Albuquerque and two bigger ones on I-40 near Moriarty and Grants. “We have some problems, and in order to address them, we have to acknowledge they exist,” said Digangi. But not everyone is on board with the billboards.
“The timing of these billboards is not helpful to our community as we are trying to showcase our city during the Balloon Fiesta. So, it’s not helpful to that end. That being said, our education and public safety issues are persistent and must be dealt with. They are our priorities at the Chamber, and we must all work together to fix them,” said Terri Cole, President and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, in a statement to News 13.
“The whole purpose is to create change. It’s not to malign or be malicious, and if anyone thinks that then they’re not thinking the same way I am,” said Digangi.
He hopes it encourages community members to help turn things around. “It’s up to New Mexicans to first care and then to do something about the problem. If you don’t care, that sign will be up ten years from now, and it’ll say the same thing,” he said.
Of note, New Mexico does have a higher-than-average crime rate overall, but Alaska has a higher rate of violent crime.
KRQE News 13 reached out to the Governor’s Office, but a spokesperson said they had not seen the billboard, so they couldn’t comment on it.
The billboards will be up until October 12.
