The Sustainable Development Hoax

Pulaski note:  Agenda 21 is directly linked to "Sustainable Development"  From americanthinker.com- "Sustainable Development" (SD) is basically a slogan without a specific meaning.  Linked to Earth Day (April 22), it masquerades as a call for clean air, green energy, and suggests a pristine bucolic existence for us and our progeny -- forever.  But in reality,  it has become immensely useful to many groups who use the slogan to advance their own special agenda, whatever they may be.  For Earth Day 2011, the National Association of Scholars, composed mostly of Conservative-leaning academics,  released a Statement that critiques the campus sustainability movement.   NAS president Peter Wood said:  "Sustainability" is one of the key words of our time.  We are six years along in the United Nations' "Decade of Education for Sustainable Development." In the United States, 677 colleges and universities presidents have committed themselves to a sustainability-themed "Climate Commitment."  Sustainability is, by a large measure, the most popular social movement today in American higher education.  It is, of course, not just a campus movement, but also a ubiquitous presence in the K-12 curriculum, and a staple of community groups, political platforms, appeals to consumers, and corporate policy.  More News New Mexico

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West: Obama Like a Low-Level Socialist Agitator

Allen West
Newsmax - Florida GOP Rep. Allen West says he stands by his statement that President Barack Obama exhibited “Third World dictator-like arrogance” in his speech last week on the budget and America’s skyrocketing debt, and he is sick and tired of the president’s “Marxist demagogic rhetoric. I do stand by those words — and perhaps one of the things that many people need to understand is that the truth needs to be said,” West Thursday said on Fox News, referring to a comment he made Tuesday on Laura Ingraham’s radio show. “When I go around and I talk to people down here in my district, and we get phone calls, that speech that was given last week Wednesday was absolutely beneath the statesmanship, or the atmosphere, or the aura of the personality that the president should show. “I am sick and tired of this class warfare — this Marxist demagogic rhetoric that is coming from the president of the United States of America,” he told Greta Van Susteren.
“It is not helpful for this country, and it’s not going to move the ball forward as far as rectifying the economic situation in our country — and I’m not going to back away from telling what the truth is.” West said it is time to “stop playing games” when it comes to discussing America’s deteriorating fiscal situation. “I don't think it's very presidential when Barack Hussein Obama refers to my colleague, [House Budget Committee Chairman] Paul Ryan, as a simple little accountant, either,” he said. “So I think that when you look at what a community organizer [Obama] is turning out to be, it does seem to be like a low-level socialist agitator. Read full story here: News New Mexico

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Luevano: GOP Become Viable Option for Hispanics

Johnny Luevano Jr.
NMPolitics - Just over a year ago, I wrote a column that praised the New Mexico Republican Party for its efforts in fielding highly qualified Hispanic candidates. Well the article didn’t go over very well with many folks; I was chastised for not mentioning other GOP Hispanic candidates and for basing my argument on select tidbits of New Mexico political history. All valid points, but the intention of my argument was merely to give the GOP credit for making a concerted improvement in reaching out to Hispanics both locally and nationally. As the sayings go, the proof is in the pudding and results don’t lie. The 112th Congress has a record number of Hispanic Republicans including Senator Marco Rubio from Florida and Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler from the State of Washington (Yes, I did say Washington). Of course our own Susana Martinez became the first female governor of New Mexico and Republican Brian Sandoval became the governor of Nevada. Republican Hispanics made other great gains in many state-level elections as well, which includes our own history-making Secretary of State Dianna Duran and Lt. Gov. John Sanchez. Read full column here: News New Mexico
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Chavez: Is Trump a Closet Obama Supporter?

Linda Chavez
Townhall - Is Donald Trump a closet Obama supporter? That's the only logical conclusion to draw from the Donald's recent foray into presidential politics. If he keeps up his kooky bid for the GOP nomination, he'll damage the party and its chances to win the White House in 2012. And if he's seriously considering running as an Independent -- as he's hinted he would if he fails to win the Republican nomination -- he virtually guarantees Barack Obama's re-election. Trump may be entertaining -- millions of fans of his reality television shows seem to think so, though the appeal eludes me. But it's one thing for Trump to play rich bully for ratings and another to use his celebrity status to peddle wacky conspiracy theories that harm political discourse. Trump single-handedly has given the "birther" issue new legs. In an advertisement this week in USA Today, Trump asks Obama "to be transparent with the American people and provide his birth certificate for forensic review.
Donald Trump
"Birthers" -- and Trump seems to have joined their ranks -- claim that Obama is not eligible to be president because he isn't a "natural born citizen" as required by Article II of the Constitution. They base their theories on the false charge that Obama has never produced a valid copy of his birth certificate and therefore must be hiding something, namely that he was born someplace other than Hawaii, as he maintains. During the 2008 election, people sometimes sent me newspaper articles that "proved" Obama was born in Kenya. When I'd point out the fake dateline or incorrect style headings attributed to the Associated Press or other newswires and numerous misspellings and grammatical errors that even a high school editor would have caught, they'd just send me more "evidence." I soon found that there's no convincing people whose ideas are based on hatred, not facts. Read full column here: News New Mexico
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Jim Harbison: Is Your Local Government Representing Your Views?

Jim Harbison
Have you ever attended a City Council or County Commissioners meeting? Do you attend frequently or just when you are concerned about an issue? Most people have never attended a local government meeting. And yet they vote to elect and re-elect City Council members, a Mayor, or County Commissioners without ever having witnessed or evaluated their performance. Everyone should attend their appropriate local government meeting as often as possible just to see what their elected representatives are doing. In the City I am most familiar with, the Council passes resolutions and ordinances that satisfy their personal agendas without regard to the values, needs, or wishes of the majority of their constituents.
Dona Ana County Building
As evidenced by the attitude of so many politicians today “they simply know better than you” what needs to be done. It is as if when they are elected they somehow become intellectually superior to their constituents. Politicians make plenty of public appearances before election to “hear” what issues confront the public and what actions the public demands to resolve them. Once elected, these officials take on a new persona - that of the all-knowing, all-wise, and all-caring benevolent ruler. By default their goals become your goals, without your consent, because after all you elected them to represent you and your values, or so you thought.
Las Cruces City Hall
At a recent City Council meeting a citizen took the time to appear before the Council and on behalf of a large well known and established organization, expressed objections to one of the proposed resolutions. While some members of the Council appeared to listen to his objections, others were too busy focusing on their computer screens and doing other things except listening to this constituent. No one from the public spoke in support of this resolution. When the opportunity came to remove this item from the consent agenda so it could be more adequately discussed the Council failed to do so and the resolution was passed without a single word of discussion.
Passing resolutions by unanimous consent prevents the public from any real discussion or opportunity to share their concerns or support of any proposed resolution or legislation. Public input is apparently unwanted, unneeded, and obviously disregarded. Why was this resolution passed when the only comments were in opposition to it? How did the City Council determine the vote on this resolution without discussion? Was it predetermined?
Local governments arrogantly perceive the authority to create and pass legislation without any public input. Failure to comment, either for or against, is neither consent nor agreement. It is simply the absence of any expression. What is different from this type of governance and that of a Marxist/Socialist dictatorship?
There is an increasing trend across America where the consensus of the few, the benevolent elected elites, is imposed on the majority without their expressed consent and often in spite of their publically opposing views. Local governments are supposed to be non-partisan but their actions demonstrate the opposite. Implementation of green agendas without regard to costs, mass transit, restrictive zoning and development codes, and support of a particular political party or controversial positions by these “benevolent” officials adversely impact many members of the community.
Americans need to get involved and attend their local government meetings. They need to witness the self-righteous arrogance of their elected officials and their apparent disregard for the views and values of any opposing group or segment of the community. It is time to speak out loudly and often and let them know that our views are just as important as theirs and must be considered.

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Health Exchanges: OK Gov. Refuses Grant Money

NewAmerican - Back in February, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, announced that the Sooner State would be accepting a $54.6 million grant from the federal government to help create a health insurance exchange for Oklahomans that's required by the new healthcare law dubbed ObamaCare. But last Thursday, Fallin reversed her position, saying the state would not accept the federal grant. Fallin, a former Congresswoman, voted against ObamaCare in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was elected Governor of Oklahoma last November, and though she has continued to express her opposition to ObamaCare, she has also said that the federal legislation is now the "law of the land," that it requires states to set up healthcare exchanges by the end of 2013, and that Oklahoma faces a budget shortfall this year. In her mind, it made sense to accept the federal grant to develop the exchange’s infrastructure. (The grant was requested by former Governor Brad Henry, a Democrat.)
This, to prevent the FedGov from foisting its own plan on Oklahoma, in the absence of a state plan. Legislation to create a governing board for the state plan — HB 2130 — was drawn up in the Oklahoma House of Representatives by Speaker Kris Steele (R-Shawnee) and passed by a razor-thin margin. Then resistance came. A funny thing happened to the bill on the way to the Oklahoma State Senate. Its leadership, led by President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), feared that accepting the big bucks from Washington would wed the state to ObamaCare. Not only that, but Governor Fallin decided that, instead of accepting the $54.6 million federal grant, it would be better to reject it. Activist Charlie Meadows, of Guthrie, Oklahoma, credits the conservative grassroots, having been educated on the issue at hand and speaking against it, with exerting much-needed, bottom-up pressure against taking the money. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Palo Verde Re-Licensed for 20 Years

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station
KOB TV - PHOENIX (AP) - Federal regulators have renewed the operating licenses at the nation's largest nuclear power plant west of Phoenix for an additional 20 years. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday that the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station will be licensed to operate through 2047. The triple-reactor plant is located in Wintersburg, about 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix. Palo Verde supplies electricity to about 4 million customers in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. It's run by Arizona Public Service Co. for a consortium of power companies in the four states. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Obama: Send in the Nobel Peace Drones

President Obama with Nobel Peace Prize
CNN - U.S. President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drones in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. Gates told CNN the unmanned Predators would allow for "some precision capability" against the forces of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and will offer a "modest contribution" to NATO efforts to support Libyan rebels. NATO, meanwhile, has signaled it may ramp up air strikes on Gadhafi's regime. NATO issued a new warning to Libyan civilians to stay away from military areas - foreshadowing plans for attacks on targets seen as strategically significant in stopping the government's attacks against civilians, according to a NATO military official.
Predator Drone
Libyan rebels had recently complained that NATO was not being aggressive enough to protect civilians from Gadhafi's forces. Planes and missiles from a coalition including the United States, the United Kingdom and France began attacking Libyan air-defense targets March 19 in part to establish a no-fly zone. It was authorized by a U.N. Security Council resolution, which approved military action –short of occupation - to prevent Gadhafi's forces from attacking civilians and cities. Read full story here: News New Mexico

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Balderas Into the Senate Scramble

Hector Balderas
Santa Fe New Mexican - Count state Auditor Hector Balderas among the candidates for the U.S. Senate seat that fellow Democrat Jeff Bingaman plans to vacate next year. Balderas filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and formally will announce his candidacy next week, a source close to Balderas said Thursday. Balderas, 37, will face at least one other candidate in next year's Democratic primary: U.S. Rep Martin Heinrich of Albuquerque. The news of Balderas' FEC filing came shortly after the political committee of the largest public employee union — the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — voted unanimously to endorse Heinrich. Heinrich recently jumped in the race after Bingaman, a senator since 1983, announced that he won't be seeking re-election next year. Balderas is from the small northeastern New Mexico community of Wagon Mound. A lawyer by profession, he was elected to a state House of Representatives seat in 2004, defeating a Democratic incumbent, Benjie Regensberg. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Spiking: Only Possible in Public Retirement Plans

MIchael and Conrad
NMPolitics - Because of spiking, New Mexico public school teachers risk their retirements. Spiking only happens in the public sector. Here is the core problem: Public sector retirement plans allow participants to pay into the retirement plans, but what retirees receive is not closely connected to what they paid in. Spiking is working for most of the professional life at a lower wage and then working a few years at a higher wage and having the retirement account pay as if the contributions were always at the higher level. The crisis caused by spiking is that the money teachers and the State of New Mexico set aside for retirements is significantly less than it needs to be. For many years no one has done more than say, “Looks like a problem.” I understand the reluctance, because as soon as I started talking about it on my radio talk show some people wanted to shoot (metaphorically I hope) the messenger. I got several cases of the stink eye from people who thought I should not wise up the citizens. If teachers remain teachers throughout their careers and then go to their happy places of retirement, there is no real problem. Well, still a small problem, because, again, what they pay in is not directly connected with what is paid out, which always goes against economic principle. But it is close enough. Private retirement plans pay out entirely based on how much money is put in. But this is not the same in the public sector.
The people who set up the New Mexico public school teacher retirement instead went against every economic principle of good practice. The formula looks at years of service plus age to equal 75 and computes the payout based on the high five years of paying into the system. It is not based on how much money is put into the account. So, if a teacher pays into retirement for 20 years while making on average $40,000 a year and then works for five years as an administrator at $80,000 a year, the entire retirement is based on the high salary even though the retirement system did not collect the sufficient resources to sustain this deal. Most public school administrators first had a number of lower paid years in the classroom. So the retirement account of that administrator is always short dollars that someone else has to make up. Read full column here: News New Mexico

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Obama and Holder to "Investigate"

SFGate - President Obama said a Justice Department probe will examine the role of "traders and speculators" in oil markets and how they contribute to high gasoline prices. "The attorney general's putting together a team whose job it is to root out any cases of fraud or manipulation in the oil markets that might affect gas prices, and that includes the role of traders and speculators," Obama said Thursday in Reno. "We are going to make sure that no one is taking advantage of American consumers for their own short-term gain." Read full story here: News New Mexico
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