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| Don Bratton |
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| Bill Gray |
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| Brian Egolf |
Chair Brian Egolf Puts Gag on Bratton
License renewals could change for elderly drivers
From KOB-TV.com - State lawmakers will soon consider a bill that would affect license renewals for elderly drivers. Democratic state Senator Peter Wirth is proposing that drivers 75 to 84 would have to renew their license every two years, ages 85 to 89 would have to renew every year, and drivers 90 and older would have to renew every six months. The renewals would be free. Wirth's measure also calls for anyone over 75 to undergo tests of reflexes, reaction times, motor skills and coordination with each license renewal. Drivers over 90 would take eye and reflex tests twice a year. Read more
On This Day In New Mexico History - February 1
On this day in New Mexico history February 1, 1896 – One of the most enduring mysteries of New Mexico occurred on this date. Albert Fountain and his eight year old son Henry disappeared on a trip from Alamogordo to Las Cruces in a buckboard wagon. They were never found. Fountain had gone to Lincoln New Mexico to testify against cattle rustlers and was returning home. He brought his son along in the mistaken thought that no one would harm the boy. It is widely accepted by historians they were killed on the trip and their bodies disposed of without record. Fountain was both loved and hated, equally, his friends were legend and his enemies numerous. As an aside, he was the attorney assigned to defend Billy the Kid when he was tried in Mesilla and then sentenced to hanging when found guilty. That was fifteen years earlier. Famous lawman Pat Garret was brought in to solve the mystery as were the Pinkerton detectives, to no avail. There are a number of websites and books about this subject that are worthy of your interest. I have posted a couple websites to get started on what happened to Albert Fountain and his son Henry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Jennings_FountainThe good people of New Mexico were outraged at this murder and it was one of the moments that delayed statehood until 1912. The lawlessness of the territory in those times knew no bounds.
Pearce Talks Problem Solving
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| Steve Pearce |
Parker: No More Debt Until Spending Cuts
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| Star Parker |
DNA Testing Bill Introduced
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| Al Park |
Under the provisions of that law, DNA samples in New Mexico are collected for certain felony arrests. Those include sex offenses, death, great bodily harm, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, larceny, robbery, aggravated stalking, the use of a firearm or an explosive or violation of the antiterrorism act. HB 256 would require anyone over 18 years of age arrested for any felony to provide a DNA sample. The bill alters the original DNA restraints of the current law. “We hope that this bill will remedy some of the state’s cold cases and provide justice and closure for families,” Rep. Park said. HB 256 heads to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. 
Governor Martinez Ends NM "Sanctuary" for Illegals
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| Governor Martinez |
Judge Vinson: Obamacare is UNCONSTITUTIONAL
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| Judge Roger Vinson |
Judge Vinson said President Obama can continue to enforce the law while the case winds its way through the courts toward an eventual Supreme Court showdown, but said in his ruling that if the individual mandate is unconstitutional, the entire law must fall. “I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the act with the individual mandate,” Judge Vinson wrote in his 78-page ruling, adding that while Congress can do some things to address health care, “the principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here. Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire act must be declared void.” Read full story here:
Excerpts from Today's Obamacare Ruling
Gaza Militants Fire Barrage of Missiles at Israel
Ban Ki-moon: World's Economic Model is 'Environmental Suicide'
From The Guardian -The world's current economic model is an environmental "global suicide pact" that will result in disaster if it isn't reformed, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, warned today. Ban said that political and business leaders need to embrace economic innovation in order to save the planet. "We need a revolution," he told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on how best to make the global economy sustainable. "Climate change is also showing us that the old model is more than obsolete." He called the current economic model a recipe for "national disaster" and said: "We are running out of time. Time to tackle climate change, time to ensure sustainable … growth." The Guardian revealed yesterday that Ban is ending his hands-on efforts to reach a global climate deal through UN negotiations, and move to focus on a broader sustainability agenda. More here
Napolitano: “It’s Just Plain Wrong to Say Border Is Overrun With Violence and Is Out of Control"
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| Janet Napolitano |
Sustainable Growth – A Threat to Private Property (Part 1)
This editorial is based on an article from the American Policy Center and is the first of two parts. In his book “Earth in the Balance” Al Gore warned that a “wrenching transformation” must take place to lead America away from the horrors of the Industrial Revolution. The process to do that is called Sustainable Development. The objective of Sustainable Development is to integrate economic, social and environmental policies in order to achieve reduced consumption, social equity, and the preservation and restoration of biodiversity. Sustainable Development calls for changing the very infrastructure of the nation, away from private ownership and control of property through central planning of the entire economy – often referred to as top-down control. Truly Sustainable Development is designed to change our entire way of life. It is a form of wealth redistribution. It is a masterful mixture of socialism (with its top-down control of the economy) and fascism (where property is owned in name only-with no control).
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| Jim Harbison |
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| Al Gore |
Locally, the operative term is Sustainable Growth. The language which the City Council now uses includes such terms as “community development,” “historic preservation,” “public-private partnerships,” ”visioning,” “open space,” and “consensus.” These terms are all necessary to implement Sustainable Development which has come to mean denied use of and protection of resources from the people. It has become a code word for “social justice.” Accepting the perception that Sustainable Growth is simply good environmental stewardship is a serious and dangerous mistake. It insists that society be transformed into feudal-like governance by making nature the central organizing principle of our economy and society. Every societal decision must be determined by how it might affect the environment. To achieve this transformation sustainable growth initiatives focus on three components: global land use; global education; and global population control. Private property is incompatible with the premise of Sustainable Growth especially when you consider the UN’s report from the Habit conference which said “Land … cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principle instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth, therefore, contributes to social injustice.” Read rest of column here:
House Members to Conduct Border Study
Las Cruces, NM (January 30, 2011) This week, Congressman Steve Pearce will join other U.S. Representatives in a congressional delegation studying border security in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Mr. Pearce is expected to be the only member of the delegation from a border district, and is eager to draw a spotlight of national attention to the violence and exploitation that occur along the border.
“For too long, Democrats and Republicans in Washington have given lip-service to the disturbing situation at our borders,” said Pearce. “Their response has been inadequate and it is time to act. I look forward to joining my colleagues to see firsthand the changes we face along our borders. Ideally, these visits and meetings will help to bring about focused and responsible solutions from Washington. I want to help get beyond the beltway rhetoric of border security, and work toward solutions that reflect the complexity of the problem. Lives are at stake on the border, and lives have already been lost.”
Drug cartels operate in the area with increasing power and boldness, feeding a culture of rampant violence. Illegal drugs and weapons flow across the border each day. Human traffickers, too, thrive on inaction, preying upon countless innocent victims. Our nation’s enemies, including terrorists, are known to exploit our weaknesses at the border. For the sake of national security, policies are needed that address every aspect of the crisis. In addition, the millions of undocumented immigrants who take advantage of weak border security must be addressed. The issues created by a porous border range from vast administrative and safety issues in the United States to environmental damage in heavily-travelled areas.
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| Steve Pearce |
The delegation, led by Rep. Phil Gingrey from Georgia, will tour border sites in El Paso before visiting Columbus, New Mexico, to discuss border security with local ranchers, residents and business owners in a public hearing to be held at noon on Tuesday, February 1 at the Columbus Community Center, 500 N. Broadway Ave. The group will also visit Playas, New Mexico, to review training methods for border security personnel. The delegation will meet with members of both the Retired Border Patrol Officers’ Association and local officials, including Hispanic civic leaders, while touring sections of the border.
Southwest Environmental Center Urging NM Senate To Reject Schmitt Post
NewsNM (Swickard) This statement by the Southwest Environmental Center makes me glad Schmitt was selected. I share his view of global warming as a political scam. If it were real, why have we no dialog about when you have gone too far in your efforts, and, how shall we arbitrate the correct climate for the Earth, given it changes constantly. Answer those two questions if you support the claim of man-made global warming.From KRWG-TV.com - LAS CRUCES, NM (krwg) - Southwest Environment Center Executive Director Kevin Bixby says the nomination of Harrison Schmitt Nominated to Head New Mexico Department of Energy and Natural Resources is irresponsible. New Mexico lawmakers are urged to vote against Schmitt's confirmation because of what the center calls his "extreme" 
views on climate change and other issues. On his website, Bixby states the global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision-making. The Southwest Environmental Center is a Las Cruces-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of native wildlife and their habitats in the Southwestern Borderlands. Bixby says, "Schmitt's views are not in the main stream and frankly it's dangerous to put someone like Schmitt and his extreme views in a position of such great importance and responsibility for the state of NM is absolutely irresponsible. It is both irresponsible for NM and the southwest environment, but also for our economy because climate change has the potential to do great economic harm. I think putting Mr. Schmitt in this position is sending the wrong message and taking us in the wrong direction." Read more
views on climate change and other issues. On his website, Bixby states the global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision-making. The Southwest Environmental Center is a Las Cruces-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of native wildlife and their habitats in the Southwestern Borderlands. Bixby says, "Schmitt's views are not in the main stream and frankly it's dangerous to put someone like Schmitt and his extreme views in a position of such great importance and responsibility for the state of NM is absolutely irresponsible. It is both irresponsible for NM and the southwest environment, but also for our economy because climate change has the potential to do great economic harm. I think putting Mr. Schmitt in this position is sending the wrong message and taking us in the wrong direction." Read more
Small school districts could be assimilated
From the Alamogordo Daily News - by Milan Simonich, Santa Fe Bureau - The high plains village of Mosquero in northeastern New Mexico has a school district with 43 students. A crowded classroom in Albuquerque has more kids. Roy has a school district, too. It has 51 students. Wagon Mound has 71 in its district, House 79 and Des Moines 97. Isolation, geography, a weak economy and tradition are reasons that places too small to appear on many state maps have school districts. All told, 49 of New Mexico's 89 school districts have fewer than 1,000 students. State Sen. Stephen Fischmann, D-Mesilla Park, has introduced a bill to close each of those small districts. His proposal, SB 80, is not as radical as it may sound, Fischmann said. Read more
On This Day In New Mexico History - January 31
On this day in New Mexico history - January 31, 1958 - the product of much research in New Mexico, Explorer 1, first US satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The research work starting in New Mexico at White Sands Proving Grounds, later called, White Sands Missile Range.Captured V2 German rockets at the end of WWII lead the way. Experience with the V2 (black & white photo on right) gave scientists data they needed to develop our own rockets. The first was the WAC Corporal flown
17 times, reaching an altitude of 80 miles. It would be a test bed for multi staging. Explorer I followed the first two Earth satellites in space the previous year, Soviet's Sputnik 1 & 2. Explorer 1 was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt, returning data until batteries exhausted four months later. It remained in orbit for 12 years. It reentered the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on March 19, 1970 after more than 58,000 orbits.
17 times, reaching an altitude of 80 miles. It would be a test bed for multi staging. Explorer I followed the first two Earth satellites in space the previous year, Soviet's Sputnik 1 & 2. Explorer 1 was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt, returning data until batteries exhausted four months later. It remained in orbit for 12 years. It reentered the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on March 19, 1970 after more than 58,000 orbits.
A Look at the New E.I.B. Board
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| Rob Nikolewski |
Pearce to Appear on NewsNM
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| Steve Pearce |
New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce will be in the News New Mexico studio for an extended discussion on what is happening in the U.S. Congress on Monday January 31, 2011 at 8:00am. Topics to be covered during the hour long interview will be the repeal of the Affordable Heathcare Act (also known as Obamacare), the ongoing crisis in Egypt, raising the debt ceiling limit, evaluating current national energy policy, and the process of job creation. If you have questions you would like the hosts to read on the air please submit them to contact@newsnm.com.
Clinton Walks Tightrope
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| Hillary Clinton |
Martinez Considers Judicial Appointments
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| Governor Martinez |
President Calls for Free Elections in Arab World
Will One Form of Totalitarianism Replace Another?
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| Hosni Mubarak |
O'Reilly: Winning the Future
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| Bill O'Reilly |
Investing and Borrowing
I often meet with organizations and people seeking investment counseling. One of the first steps in personal “investment” counseling is to encourage the contribution of the maximum amount allowed under law to tax-advantaged retirement accounts. If one is already deferring income and reducing taxes, and still has excess reserves, I always recommend paying off DEBTS first.
The only exception to this rule would be mortgage debt, which is usually tax-deductible and carrying a very low interest burden. The logic of this approach is pretty simple. If you already have debt outstanding, essentially you are making interest payments on the “investment” made by someone else. To make personal after-tax investments while still carrying debt burdens owed to others is essentially to have a “margin” account. Margin accounts are widely considered to be ultra-speculative by financial planners. Borrowing someone else’s money to “invest” for yourself implies you are sure you can earn a higher rate of return than the entity that loaned the money to you. In most instances, if you are a borrower, you are pretty much by definition short of investment funds. Aggressive opportunists with big plans often like to use other people's money. However, it is my experience, that aggressive opportunists with big plans, that constantly require other people’s money (OPM), usually implode at some point. Constantly operating on borrowed money is almost always a recipe for financial disaster. Accordingly, I found it financially comical that our president was calling for  |
| Bernie Madoff |
Perhaps I am simplistic. But in the real world, "borrowing" is not investing. Borrowing is using the investment capital of others as a form of financing. There seems to be a great sleight of hand going on here. The “focus group-tested” use of the term “investing” is merely a semantic substitute for the increasingly less popular term, “borrowing.” While it might help conjure up some great vision of a bright future, seasoned investors realize that borrowing even if under a different name, is merely the continuation of the national margin account. America ’s government has not been “investing,” America
Greenberg: The Games NPR Plays
Townhall - Paul Greenberg - When it comes to bureaucracies, corporate or public, it's not just jobs that can be delegated but any sense of responsibility. This isn't just a familiar pattern, it's standard operating procedure by now. When the head of the outfit is confronted by a scandal that can no longer be ignored, and the public has grown more outraged than usual, protocol demands that the top exec submit ... somebody else's resignation.
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| NPR's Vivian Schiller |
It could almost be Washington's motto: The buck stops somewhere else. Now it's happened at NPR. Which is one of the many public-private hodgepodges that gets all kinds of funding from all kinds of sources -- and so is hard to pin down when things go embarrassingly wrong. There are more of those around than ever -- Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Government Motors, AIG, American health care in general ... you name it. Their structure tends to resemble that of a medieval chimera, only without the charm.
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| Juan Williams |
NPR never looked so much like the politically correct fraud it's long been than when it fired Juan Williams, one of its news commentators, for daring to comment on the news -- on FOX yet. It took a while for the suits at national headquarters to come up with some transparent excuse. In this case, Mr. Williams was said to have been hired as an analyst, not a commentator, and so had overstepped his bounds. Read full comun here:
Regent Appointments Will Be Based On "Constitution"
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| Governor Martinez |
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