Udall Wants To Kill DUI Checkpoint Apps

From computerworld.com -Makers of applications that locate drunk-driving checkpoints are misunderstood, defenders said Wednesday, a day after four U.S. senators called for smartphone makers to pull applications from their services. The applications do more than identify drunk-driving checkpoints set up by police, and the DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoint functionality actually aids police, said Joe Scott, CEO and founder of PhantomALERT, one of the companies targeted by the senators. "They're misjudging us," Scott said Wednesday. "It's a safety tool. It's approved by a lot of police departments. How is that we're being sanctioned? It just doesn't make sense."  More News New Mexico
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Obama Signs NM Disaster Declaration

From whitehouse.gov -The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Mexico and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm and extreme cold temperatures during the period of February 1-5, 2011.  Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by a severe winter storm and extreme cold temperatures in the counties of Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba, Sierra, Socorro, and Taos and the Tribal jurisdictions of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Santa Ana Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, and the portions of Santa Clara Pueblo that lie entirely within Rio Arriba County.  More News New Mexico
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Network Reporters and Flashy Danger Zones

Jim Spence
As the images pour in from literally countless temporary U.S. media outlets in Libya I can’t help but shake my head in disgust. The national media in the U.S. should be ashamed of itself. Each night we see news clips of President Obama attempting to justify sticking America’s nose in a civil war occurring halfway around the world. While the president opts for the remarkable twist that America’s vital interests are at stake, Mexico bleeds. All along the New Mexico – Mexico border our neighbors bleed every day.
Where is our thrill-seeking media? In many areas near our border life has been a war zone. Particularly in rural areas, any semblance of law enforcement presence fled long ago for their own personal safety. There are so many stories for the adrenaline seeking reporters at Fox and CNN to cover. It does not trouble me that they seem to want to do their jobs in sensational “danger zones.” However just about anyone could show them how to save airfare by simply taking up war zone broadcast positions in and around Juarez. Is the lawlessness having a spillover effect on life in our state? Of course it is. Increasingly emboldened Mexican drug lords are running kidnapping and extortion operations on the U.S. side of the border.
Human smuggling has reached epidemic proportions. Middle Eastern terrorists are beginning to recognize the law enforcement vacuum just across our border. New Mexican citizens can anticipate an increase in activities by those who hate us and see a soft spot on this border in weeks, months, and years ahead.

While the U.S. borrows additional funds for military experiments such as “no fly zones” half way around the world, all of our leaders continue to ignore a horrific civil war raging on the New Mexico border with Mexico. What is wrong with our media? Apparently the network reporters find it more stimulating to ride around with rebels in rural Libya than to spend a few weeks in the life of embattled law enforcement officers in rural communities just across the U.S. border. Shame on them. We deserve better and so do our neighbors. Everyone who lives in this region, on both sides of the border, is being dismissed by Washington D.C. as insignificant, every single day.

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Nikolewski: Martinez vs. Senator Sanchez

Governor Martinez
 Capitol Report New Mexico - In boxing, Ali had Frazier. In tennis, Borg had McEnroe. And in this past 60-day legislative session, Susana Martinez had Michael Sanchez – a rival, a foe, a foil, a bĂȘte noire. The newly-elected Governor and the long-standing Senator from Belen mixed it up on a number of issues and, while neither says in public that they harbor any personal animosity, you can bet they won’t be exchanging Christmas cards either. The Governor singled out Sanchez for holding up bills that were near and dear to her heart (click here for that story) but her criticisms also seemed intent on casting Sanchez as a symbol of New Mexico’s entrenched political status quo that many voters hold in low regard. For his part, Sanchez thinks the freshman Governor has taken a “my way or the highway” attitude towards the legislature. Here’s what Sanchez calmly but pointedly said right after the session adjourned last Saturday: Martinez says she’s not campaigning; she advocating. A mere parsing of words? Not in her mind: Read full analysis here: News New Mexico
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