Southwest Public Policy Institute
Originally published at abqjournal.com on October 18, 2025. Jeff Tucker is right about one thing: New Mexico needs to think big. His recent call for a billion-dollar NBA arena in Albuquerque is exactly the kind of visionary thinking our state has lacked for decades. But where Tucker sees an opportunity for government to build a […]
This guest commentary was written by Ed Harris, CEO of Harris Northwest Advisors and a Visiting Contributor at the Southwest Public Policy Institute. In his argument about APR, Patrick Brenner is wrong but inadvertently correct on a larger point he doesn’t address. An APR calculation is mathematically accurate. Most fixed-rate 30-year mortgages are priced similarly, […]
In his letter responding to my column in The Wall Street Journal, “The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages,” former Freddie Mac executive David Andrukonis defends the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as a transparent, borrower-friendly product. In “A Confused Case Against 30-Year Mortgages,” he argues that such loans are fully prepayable, giving homeowners flexibility to refinance or pay […]
When you publish in The Wall Street Journal, you have to expect a few readers to come out swinging. Some disagree on principle; others on tone. And then there are those who lecture you like you just flunked Econ 101. Read the full series here. Meet Jay Wright, Adjunct Professor of Finance at Georgetown University. […]
The responses to my article for The Wall Street Journal “The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages” keep coming… They’re thoughtful, challenging, and occasionally humbling. What started as a critique of an outdated lending standard has evolved into a larger conversation about financial literacy, honesty in measurement, and the way we misunderstand the true cost of money. […]
When The Wall Street Journal published my op-ed, “The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages,” I expected disagreement. What I didn’t expect was the flood of thoughtful, funny, and occasionally fiery responses from readers across the country. Read the full series here. Some wrote to debate, others to commiserate, and a few to wonder aloud whether the […]
After my recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, “The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages,” readers had plenty to say. Some were critical, most were kind, and many brilliantly insightful. Below is a selection of responses, shared anonymously for privacy, that reveal how deeply Americans feel about the strange alchemy of homeownership, debt, and the illusion […]
New partnership program invites leaders to advance liberty, transparency, and prosperity across the nation.
The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) has been awarded the 2025 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar), the premier recognition for nonprofit transparency and accountability. The Platinum Seal is the highest level of distinction offered by Candid, achieved by fewer than 1% of registered nonprofits nationwide. It recognizes organizations that provide clear, comprehensive […]
The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) is proud to announce the unanimous appointment of Zachary Fort to its Board of Directors during the Institute’s quarterly board meeting held Monday, August 11th. Fort’s appointment comes as SPPI recognizes the dedicated service of three outgoing board members—Megan DeLaRosa, Becky Ingoglia, and Patrick O’Brien—whose terms have reached their […]