Treasury Secretary Warns of Prolonged Joblessness

Timothy Geithner
U.S. treasury secretary Timothy Geithner said he expects the economy to heal gradually and “we want to do what we can to reinforce that process because it’s not coming back as quickly as we like.” Geithner said U.S. unemployment may rise again before it falls and the economy isn’t recovering rapidly enough. “It’s possible you’re going to have a couple months where it goes up,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program. “People start to come back into the labor force, and that can cause the measured unemployment rate to go up temporarily.” Read more here:
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Governor Candidates Will Debate on August 19th

Democrat Diane Denish and Republican Susana Martinez have agreed to the first gubernatorial debate and it will tackle education. The debate will occur Aug. 19 at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, according to a news release sent out by the Denish campaign Monday afternoon. The event will be hosted by Albuquerque Public Schools. Read more here:
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NewsNM - Weekly City Council Meeting Notes

City Hall Building - Las Cruces 
Presentations and Proclamations:· The Pet of the week was presented by the local animal shelter
· The Mayor presented Roberto Estrada the Mayor’s Community Service Award for his efforts with the Whole Enchilada festival.
· Both Mayor Miyagishima and the Mayor of Laredo, Mexico exchanged gifts in honor of our sister city agreements.
· Tuesday, August 3, 2010 was proclaimed National Night Out for Las Cruces.
· Andy Hume, MPO announced that Las Cruces has been selected for a grant from NMDOT for the Outfall Channel Trail. This will create a 6-mile multi-modal path from I-25 to the Rio Grande River. The grant will require the City to provide $252,000 in matching funds. This was #4 on the City’s unfunded project list and it now must be a funded project in the Budget. City staff will prepare a resolution to clearly identify where the matching money will come from.
· Andy Hume, MPO provided a “Bicycle Friendly Task Force” update. They are adding more than 3 miles of additional bicycle lanes which now total in excess of 40 miles. The City will reduce 4-lane traffic to 2 lanes with a center turn lane and 2 bicycle lanes on the following roads:
o Solano (Missouri to University)
o 3 Crosses Rd (Spitz to Dona Ana Rd)
o They are also working out the details to make similar changes to Spruce (Triviz to Calle Sosa)
o The will add bicycle lanes to Motel Blvd (Amador to Picacho)
o Councilor Silva wants Espina restriped as soon as possible to add similar bike lanes

· The Council met in closed session on August 2, 2010 to discuss pending litigation
Public Participation:
· Elmo Baca, Downtown Design Committee announced that the Chinese Elder tree adjacent to White’s Music Box must be removed as part of the Main Street Redevelopment. He said when the project is finished there will be 57 new trees in the development.
· Russ Warner complimented Dr. Sutter for his performance & professionalism as Director of Finance for the City and that the City’s loss will be El Paso’s gain.
· The Mayor announced that the work session scheduled for next Monday will be to honor of Dr Sutter
Resolutions and/or Ordinances for Consent Agenda
Items #2 & 4 were removed from the consent agenda and all others were approved by a vote of 7/0
Resolutions and Ordinances for discussions
1. Items #2 (Grant for $6,800 for Microfilming City Documents) & #4 (Police Department Victims Assistance grant for $30,450) were discussed for administrative clarification only and were passed by the council by a vote of 7/0
2. Item #10 to Authorize Condemnation of Moongate Water Company was discussed for more than 2 hours. It was passed by the Council by a vote of 6/0 (Councilor Silva recused himself). Seventeen people spoke and the main issues presented were:
o Those who live outside the City limits (Talaveras, Organ, Baylor Canyon and other ETZ areas) will not have any official representation (they can’t vote in City elections).
o Everyone who is serviced by Moongate Water is satisfied with the water quality and service. They expressed a concern about EPA findings that Las Cruces Water was in the 10 worst city categories.
o They were concerned about the water rate increases as a result of City acquisition. Dr Garcia tried, unconvincingly, to explain their rates would be lower.
o Councilor Sorg gave the residents his assurance that the level of service, including fire hydrants, would be the same as in the City.
o Others expressed extreme concern about the City using Eminent Domain to eliminate a competitive private business.
o Others stated they lived in the County by choice and did not trust City officials, did not want City services and feared it was only a ploy to annex and tax them.
o The Council insisted that their efforts to pursue eminent domain were solely to protect public safety and the environment (Jornada Bolsan) which they claim was being exploited and depleted by Moongate Water and its expansion plans. Their actions are an effort to reduce the costs of litigation as a result of the numerous lawsuits filed by Moongate. Eminent Domain action is only the beginning of the process to force Moongate into meaningful discussions with the City. Mayor Miyagishima commented that” the City cannot allow them (Moongate) to compete with us on the East Mesa”.
o It was pointed out that this action by the City would be in contradiction to their draft Vision 2040 plan which states the City will not provide any public utilities (sewer, water, gas, etc) to any property outside the limits of the City
3. Item # 11 authorized the City to apply for a $1 million HUD grant for low income housing. It will require the City to allocate $500,000 to the Land Bank. Passed by a vote of 7/0.
4. Item #12 concerned the City acquisition of properties at 1734 Seldon Avenue for low income housing renovation and renovation of a historical site at 342 N. Tornello which will also be sold as low income housing.. Passed 7/0.
5. Item #13 concerned extending the compliance date of the 2000 Lighting Ordinance from August 7, 2010 to August 7, 2012. Councilor Thomas felt 10 years was more than adequate for compliance with this ordinance.
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Feds Now the Enemy of Local Law Enforcement

Sheriff Paul Babeu
(CNSNews.com) – Pinal County (Ariz.) Sheriff Paul Babeu is hopping mad at the federal government. Babeu told CNSNews.com that rather than help law enforcement in Arizona stop the hundreds of thousands of people who come into the United States illegally, the federal government is targeting the state and its law enforcement personnel. “What’s very troubling is the fact that at a time when we in law enforcement and our state need help from the federal government, instead of sending help they put up billboard-size signs warning our citizens to stay out of the desert in my county because of dangerous drug and human smuggling and weapons and bandits and all these other things and then, behind that, they drag us into court with the ACLU,” Babeu said. Read more here:
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Fewer NM Schools Meet Goals

State officials say New Mexico students have improved their performance in math, reading and science during the past six years, but about three-fourths of schools missed this year's goals for boosting student achievement. Public Education Secretary Susanna Murphy released the latest testing information on Monday that showed 644 schools — or 78 percent — didn't reach state-established improvement goals this year. That's up from 560 schools, or 68 percent, in 2009. Read more here:
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Rains Delay Mesa Middle School Opening

Mesa Middle School
LAS CRUCES -The opening of the new Mesa Middle School will be delayed until at least early October, Superintendent Stan Rounds announced Monday. The delay is due to recent rain storms hindering construction, and the October opening remains contingent upon the weather. Until the classrooms are ready, students who will attend Mesa this school year will temporarily attend other schools. Sixth-graders will attend Monte Vista Elementary School, located near the middle school, and seventh-graders will attend Camino Real Middle School. In March, LCPS announced that Mesa eighth-grade students will attend their same school for the upcoming year. Herb Torres, associate superintendent for operations, said the media center, cafeteria and multipurpose facility and the gym will likely open at the start of the second semester. Read more here:
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City Uses Eminent Domain to Seize Moongate Water

Las Cruces City Hall
LAS CRUCES - If you are a customer of Moongate Water Co., you're water bill could drop, or so claims city Utilities Director Jorge Garcia.Mayor Ken Miyagishima, an insurance agent by trade, added that home owner insurance for Moongate customers could also also be cheaper if the city were to acquire the utility by condemnation through eminent domain, as the city council voted unanimously to do Monday.
    But the response from numerous Moongate customers who attended Monday's city council meeting was a flat, resounding "No."
    "We are appalled by the city's brazen move to steal our water company," said Ruth Barker, a 12-year Organ resident. "By taking this action, the city of Las Cruces is implying that they are running low on water. It is well known that the city has long since exhausted its surface water resources, which recharge slowly in this desert environment." Miyagishima and councilors Sharon Thomas, Gill Sorg, Nathan Small, Olga Pedroza and Dolores Connor listened politely to the naysayers, many who do not live within the city limits. But the council listened most to the advice of Kurt Wihl, an Albuquerque lawyer hired to represent the city in legal matters that deal with water. Read more here:
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Maxine Waters Facing Ethics Charges

Rep. Maxine Waters (D- Cal)
The U.S. House ethics committee announced a charge against Democratic Representative Maxine Waters of California, who is alleged to have intervened to help a bank in which her husband held stock. The allegation marks the second time in two weeks that the ethics panel announced charges against a House Democrat. Last week the panel outlined 13 charges against Representative Charles Rangel of New York. Both likely will face trials this fall as the November elections approach. Read more here:


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Thomas Sowell - Democrats Fighting Openly

Thomas Sowell
You expect Republican politicians to criticize Democratic administrations and vice versa. But when Democrats start criticizing Democratic administrations, that is news. Someone once said that the headline "Dog bites Man" is not news, but "Man bites Dog" is. We are now starting to get "Democrat bites Democrat" news. Long-time Democratic pollsters Patrick Caddell and Douglas Schoen last week took on one of President Barack Obama's most bitter betrayals of his campaign rhetoric and the high hopes of people who voted for him. Read more here:

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Garcia Calls for New House Speaker

Rep. Mary Helen Garcia
    Long time New Mexico House of Representatives member Mary Helen Garcia of Dona Ana County called for a change in the "speaker position" on News New Mexico a week ago during her guest appearance on the show. Of course she was referring to the Speaker of the House in New Mexico, Ben Lujan.
    In the days and weeks ahead we will report on the reactions of lawmakers around the state including any comments from Speaker Lujan. Garcia indicated during the interview, which can be heard in its entirety by clicking the KSNM logo on this website, that there are many other members in the house who share her view that it is time for a change.
House Speaker Ben Lujan
Lujan, (D- Santa Fe) struggled to win versus a Democratic opponent in the June primary election. His margin of victory was just 71 votes. Lujan has been in hot water with members of his own party since 2006 when he quietly slipped a $75 million capital outlay provision into the budget without letting many of his own party members know what he did. Since that incident Lujan has been plagued by accusations of impropriety and double-dealing. Rumors circulated in Santa Fe earlier this year of attempts by fellow Democrats to remove Lujan in favor of Dona Ana County house member Joseph Cervantes. Lujan has already survived an open challenge which came from Ken Martinez not long after the $75 million back room deal.
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Bill Gross - Spending to Maintain Consumption a Waste

Bill Gross
Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Bill Gross said deficit spending by governments that seek to maintain artificial levels of consumption “can be compared to flushing money down an economic toilet.”  Without acceleration in population growth, developed countries finance more consumption to maintain economic growth, the world’s biggest bond-fund manager wrote in his August commentary today on Newport Beach, California-based Pimco’s website. Leveraged spending, he said, is not a substitute for demand created by people. Read more:
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Virginia AG Rules Officers Can Check Immigration Status

Virginia's top prosecutor, after issuing a legal opinion that seemed to align his state with Arizona in the battle over local immigration enforcement, told Fox News on Monday that the two states' policies aren't a perfect match. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued a legal opinion Friday saying state law enforcement officers are allowed to check the immigration status of anyone "stopped or arrested." Read more here:
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Diane Denish to Appear on NewsNM Tuesday

Diane Denish
New Mexico Lieutenant Governor and Democratic Party Gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish will appear as a guest on News New Mexico Tuesday August 3rd. From Hobbs, Denish faces Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez in the November general election.
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