Senator Asbill wants feds to quit seizing cattle

From the Carlsbad Current-Argus by Stella Davis, Current-Argus Staff Writer - CARLSBAD — The federal government has been called many things, with the latest being "cattle rustlers." Sen. Vernon Asbill, R-Carlsbad, has introduced legislation that would prevent the federal government from seizing cattle on federal leased land when the rancher's lease is revoked as a result of a dispute between a federal agency and the lease holder. Senate Bill 13 requires that livestock shipped or driven out of district - or out of state - be inspected by a state brand inspector. The inspector must make a complete inspection record that will remain on file for three years. Livestock may not change hands prior to issuance of the brand inspector's certificate. The bill also addresses the circumstance of livestock seized by the federal government. It prevents a state brand inspector from issuing a brand inspection certificate for livestock seized by federal land managers unless the owner consents, the owner is unknown, or the federal government has obtained a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction. Asbill said. "This so-called cattle rustling by the feds will not happen in New Mexico. The feds will have to abide by this new law and stop the confiscation of livestock without permission." Read more

Senator Asbill wants feds to quit seizing cattle

Feeding the pigeons could cost you $100 in bread

From KOB-TV.com - By: Taryn Bianchin, KOB.com - An Albuquerque council committee recently approved an ordinance that goes after people who feed or harbor pigeons. Currently, there are no rules in place to prevent the feeding of pigeons. The city says it wants to cut down on pigeon droppings which are considered a potential health hazard. The ordinance now goes to the full council for a vote. If it passes, violators will be slapped with a $100 fine. Read more

Feeding the pigeons could cost you $100 in bread

Gov Martinez: passports for domestic flights unless law allowing illegal immigrant driver’s licenses is changed

NewsNM (Spence and Swickard) wonders why people who already have a Mexican driver license that works in New Mexico, need another one issued by the state of New Mexico? If the NAFTA truck drivers from Mexico can use a Mexican license while driving in the United States, why can’t everyone else from Mexico? Unless the whole issue is really about sanctuary politics instead of New Mexico driving laws.

From Capitol Report New Mexico - Gov. Susana Martinez says if the state does not pass a bill this legislative session revoking driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, New Mexicans would have to show their passports in order to board airplanes, even for domestic flights, because New Mexico driver’s licenses will be in violation of the federal government’s Real ID Act. At a news conference in support of a House bill that would require driver’s license applicants to produce valid Social Security numbers, Gov. Martinez listed the Real ID Act as one of a number of reasons why she opposes the state’s current policy of issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Read more

Gov Martinez: passports for domestic flights unless law allowing illegal immigrant driver’s licenses is changed

Ag Secretary ‘not worried’ about effect of Ethanol subsidy

From CNSNews.com - Washington – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he supports the extension of tax credits and protective tariffs on corn ethanol and is not worried in the long term about the U.S. economy’s capacity to produce corn for food, fuel, feed, and exports because of it. “I’m certainly not worried in the long term about our capacity to produce enough corn to meet our food and feed needs as well as our fuel needs,” Secretary Vilsack said Wednesday in a news conference with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu held in the Department of the Interior building. Vilsack said he is not worried about the inflationary effect ethanol subsidy might have on food prices. Read more

Ag Secretary ‘not worried’ about effect of Ethanol subsidy

A Devastating 1% Cut

News New Mexico - Santa Fe, NM – After much deliberation, the state’s $2.4 billion public education budget sponsored by Rep. Rick Miera (D-Albuquerque) unanimously passed the House Education Committee (HEC) today. House Bill 3, as amended by the HEC, appropriates funding for the State Equalization Guarantee (commonly referred to as the Public School Funding Formula), the public school transportation distribution formula, the Public Education Department, other recurring school appropriations, including the Regional Education Cooperatives, and initiatives that support public school students statewide.

The bill passed with a vote of 7-0. Four members were excused. Rep. Miera, the Chairman of the HEC, said, “This budget is a culmination of countless hours of deliberation and I am happy to see it move forward. The committee and advocates fought hard on Saturday to keep an across the board reduction in the funding formula to a minimum – that is, to maintain the funding that is distributed to all school districts.

This budget takes into consideration many factors with minimal cuts to education funding.” Rep. Miera added, “The committee did not include any changes to the base amount in the funding formula to reflect Educational Retirement Act employer/employee contribution swaps due to the number of bills that have been introduced that may impact both the employee and the employer contribution rates. Once these bills have been reviewed, a better assessment of these numbers will be included in the overall budget.”

A Devastating 1% Cut

Hassett: Laffer Curve More Valid Than Ever

Arthur Laffer

Bloomberg - by Kevin Hassett - The U.S. is about to have the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world because our competitors have noticed that revenue goes up as rates go down. Multinational corporations today nimbly move their profits to the friendliest environment, rewarding tax havens like never before. It looks as if President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are going to miss out on the single biggest policy opportunity for the U.S. this year because of their ideological resistance to the idea that lower rates can increase revenue, also known as the Laffer curve.  Read full column here:

Hassett: Laffer Curve More Valid Than Ever

If At First You Don't Confiscate....

Bloomberg - President Barack Obama proposed a budget that would raise the taxes of the highest U.S. earners, multinational corporations and oil and gas companies, reviving revenue provisions that Congress has rejected or brushed aside before. The budget, released today in Washington, would bring back pre-2001 tax rates on income and capital gains for individuals earning more than $200,000 annually and married couples making more than $250,000. The estate tax would return to 2009 levels with a $3.5 million per-person exemption and a 45 percent top rate. Under a law Obama signed in December, lower rates expire at the end of 2012. Read full story here:

If At First You Don't Confiscate....

Obama Budget Sent to Capitol Hill

Bloomberg - President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.7 trillion budget that projects the federal deficit will exceed $1 trillion for the fourth consecutive year in 2012 before falling to more “sustainable” levels by the middle of the decade. The deficit for the current fiscal year is forecast to hit a record $1.6 trillion -- 10.9 percent of gross domestic product -- up from the $1.4 trillion the administration estimated previously. It would be $1.1 trillion in 2012, 7 percent of GDP. By 2015 it would decline to $607 billion, or 3.2 percent of GDP. The president’s budget plan would reduce federal shortfalls by $1.1 trillion over a decade through spending cuts in areas ranging from heating subsidies for the poor to grants for airports and water-treatment plants, and revenue increases including letting taxes rise for married couples with more than $250,000 in annual income and ending some tax breaks for oil, gas and coal companies. Read full story here:

Obama Budget Sent to Capitol Hill

The Governor's "Right Hand Man"

Governor Martinez

NMPolitics.net - Some love him, others loathe him, but there’s no doubt that political operative Jay McCleskey has a record that’s impressive. Some would call Jay McCleskey brilliant – the Karl Rove of New Mexico, perhaps – while others would say he is notorious and lucky. Whatever the case, he’s currently the most successful political operative in New Mexico, and hugely influential. He was the mastermind behind the election of Gov. Susana Martinez, the first Hispanic woman to be elected governor of any state in the nation. She describes him as her “top adviser.” Read full story here:

The Governor's "Right Hand Man"

Diversity Industry Franchise Holder in NM

Al Sharpton

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Rev. Al Sharpton came to New Mexico last week to address the state legislature and Gov. Susana Martinez during the state’s budget crisis. Sharpton is one of the most well-known and vocal civil rights activists in the country. He said that every American should have been proud to see Martinez become the first Latina governor in U.S. history. According to Sharpton, Martinez’s historic win shows great progress. However, Sharpton, who’s a Democrat, said that she needs to keep in mind that she’s the result of years of struggle, especially while she comes up with ways to curb the budget deficit. “I didn’t come, despite the fact that I’m from another party, to attack her. Hopefully to appeal to her to remember the people that we hope she keeps the doors open and not penalize the wrong people in her budget cuts and in her economic decisions for the state,” Sharpton said.

Diversity Industry Franchise Holder in NM

WMD Have Been Found in the US

From dailymail - A port official has admitted that a 'weapon of mass effect'  has been found by 'partner agencies' in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up.  The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego's assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city.  The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland.  Wikileaks whistleblower website revealed terror groups were plotting a 'nuclear 911.'  In the interview screened by San Diego’s 10News, Al Hallor, assistant San Diego port director, said ‘weapons of mass effect’ had been found, although he did not specify exactly where or what they were. Reporter Mitch Blacher asked Mr Hallor: ‘Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponised device?’ ‘At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things,’ the customs official replied.
Television interview and more here

WMD Have Been Found in the US

State senator proposes Westside split of APS

NewsNM (Swickard) Isn't it interesting that some state senators say we need to consolidate school districts and in this case some say we need to make more districts?

From KOB-TV.com - by Eddie Garcia, KOB Eyewitness News 4; Taryn Bianchin, KOB.com - The latest move to split the Albuquerque Public School district in half arrives at the state senate in the form of a proposed bill - the first of it's kind. As it stands, 60 percent of Westside voters must sign a petition to obtain a hearing to split APS into two districts. "There are 68,385 registered voters on the Westside...that would mean 40,800 petition signatures--that's impossible," said Senator Bernadette Sanchez, a Democrat who represents part of Albuquerque's Westside in District 26. State Senator Bernadette Sanchez's bill (SB 219) proposes dropping that number to 10 percent meaning the petition would only need around 6,800 signatures. Sanchez says she's met opposition from State Senator Linda Lopez (D) District 11, who also represents the Westside. Lopez has introduced a bill (SB 351) that would require 60 percent of all registered voters in the entire district to sign a petition. Read more

State senator proposes Westside split of APS

West Rocks CPAC

Allen West

The Hill - Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) gave a speech to close this year's Conservative Political Action Conference that earned a more enthusiastic reaction from conservative activists than those given by most rumored 2012 presidential hopefuls over the past three days. The first-term congressman brought the audience to its feet several times late Saturday, repudiating President Obama's social and economic policies and promising "a new dawn in America." West took the coveted speaking slot that was rejected by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who declined to attend CPAC for the fourth straight year. Read more here:

West Rocks CPAC

Budget Brawl Looms

Washington Times - When President Obama rolls out his 2012 budget Monday, it will sound the starting gun on a three-month sprint that will determine just how serious Washington is about translating its cost-cutting rhetoric into serious action to reduce staggering deficits. Mr. Obama’s budget marks the beginning of the 2012 budget fight, but it also sets the tone for how Congress tackles the debt ceiling, likely in April.

With the federal government still operating on stopgap spending, Congress and the White House still have to hash out the 2011 spending bills that are more than four months overdue. At stake is nothing less than the fiscal health of the country. “The next few months are absolutely critical,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “The process of putting the budget pack on track will either begin in earnest, or politicians will collectively bury their heads in the sand and continue their partisan bickering, pushing off the moment of change to beyond the next election cycle and potentially risking that a fiscal crisis hits us before we make changes on our own terms.” Read full story here:

Budget Brawl Looms