Swickard: Sort of a saga about an American hero

By Michael Swickard - A real live hero lives in Albuquerque. This hero witnessed something bad about to happen to a young child and only had seconds to save the child. He did not hesitate to put himself in mortal danger in her rescue. Like others I want to say that Antonio Diaz Chacon is a fine human being and an exceptional credit to his country, Mexico. And therein is the problem. ADC is not in the United States with legal status even though he is married to an American and has a job as a mechanic. Oh, he does not have to worry very much about politicians calling for his deportation due to his lack of legal status. There is no one in Congress or the New Mexico government with the nerve to insist that the law of the land be followed. Is that good or bad that the law which is very specific cannot and or will not be followed? The problem is that our country is full of people who on the one hand proclaim: the United States of America is a nation of laws. It is one of the most said things about our country and in some people’s minds is what separates us from many other nations. But as soon as some people proclaim that this is a nation of laws then many of these same people say: but we only follow those laws we want to follow and we flaunt all other laws because we can. The founders of our country envisioned that we would follow the laws or change the laws but we Americans would not flaunt the laws. Read column

Swickard: Sort of a saga about an American hero

State Sends Out More Letters To Foreign Nationals

From KOAT-TV.com - The motor vehicle department is sending out another round of letters to more than 100 foreign nationals as part of a survey ordered by the governor. The new round of letters was sent out because many went out and got new licenses instead of responding to the survey. State officials said not everyone is following the directions when it comes to a foreign national residency check. “We’re not going to try and second guess why they did it,” Demesia Padilla, with the Tax and Revenue Department, said. “Even if you go to get a replacement driver’s license, you still need to go in to make an appointment and go through the recertification.” So far, only 1,600 people have followed directions and successfully followed through with an appointment. More than 100 of those who came in are being investigated for bringing in suspicious or fraudulent documents. The state hopes the next batch of letters will get people to come in and register their information. A third of the 10,000 letters originally sent out were returned. Gov. Susana Martinez said she believes the results from the survey back up her position to repeal the law allowing licenses to people without a Social Security number. Read more

State Sends Out More Letters To Foreign Nationals

From 'art queen' to exile: Juárez muralist Mago Gándara seeks her 'revenge' in new show

NewsNM - Swickard: with the chaos in Mexico how much should we in New Mexico extend our hands of friendship? I welcome a great artist. From the El Paso Times.com - Margarita "Mago" Gándara fled Juárez with all the art pieces she could jam into a small trailer. "They threatened to kill me," she said. The well-known border muralist is still defiant, still outspoken. Her knees are too weak to climb scaffolds anymore, but the roaring laughter of a woman determined to reinvent herself still reverberates through her El Paso studio. At 82, Gándara refused to be a victim, refused to stick around when a sicario, a hired gunman, showed up six months ago and told her neighbors in Colonia Libertad that she would be killed if she did not pay her quota, or extortion money. "I got angry and left, simply did not go back. I'd be a perfect candidate to be sequestered," she said. "I survived. I'm making a new life here -- easier." As part of what she calls her "revenge," Gándara has been working on a series of paintings called "Immigrant Pilgrims" for a coming exhibition in the Union Gallery at the University of Texas at El Paso. She also plans to show some sculptures. "This is what I did to survive my emotions and to begin life all over," she said. Read more

From 'art queen' to exile: Juárez muralist Mago Gándara seeks her 'revenge' in new show

Roswell FM Film Wrapped in Wee Hours Sunday

roswellfm - The independent comedy film script "Roswell FM" was written more than four years ago. The financing for the project was finally secured just over seven months ago. The casting was completed just seven weeks ago, and the on-location shooting of the film was completed in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday August 21, 2011. Most members of the experienced Roswell FM cast have already caught planes flying out of the remote town of Roswell in the southeastern section New Mexico. Most are headed back to the west coast. Post production work on the film will begin almost immediately and also under the direct supervision of director Stephen Griffin (310 House Productions). In an interview just before the final filming session Griffin reported that he and Dave Brewer (Director of Photography) will remain in Roswell for a couple of additional days to shoot some footage for the project before also heading home. Griffin will go to the Dallas area and Dave Brewer will head back to Los Angeles. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Roswell FM Film Wrapped in Wee Hours Sunday

Squier: Medicaid Costs Will Jump $330-360 Million

Sidonie Squier

Capitol Report New Mexico - The secretary of New Mexico’s Human Services Department says she is trying to save the state’s Medicaid program by changing it. But by merely saying those words, Sidonie (pronounced “Sidney”) Squier is putting her head in the lion’s mouth … and there are people across the state who — figuratively — wouldn’t mind if the big cat clamps down. Squier says she’s aware of the political danger of adjusting a program that 1 in 4 New Mexicans participate in but says she’s willing take the risk because in her mind the numbers simply don’t add up. “Our costs are growing, our enrollment is growing and that doesn’t even count what we predict what will happen in 2014 when we’ll get 130,00 to 175,000 new enrollees,” Squier said in an interview with Capitol Report New Mexico from her office in Santa Fe. It’s estimated that those increases in participants will cost between $330 million to $360 million and that Medicaid costs will make up 16 percent of the state budget by next year. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Squier: Medicaid Costs Will Jump $330-360 Million

Foraging Bears Causing Problems

Santa Fe New Mexican - Drought, fire and hunger have prompted a lot of bears to roam into human-inhabited areas in recent weeks. One elderly female bear dubbed "Grandma" by state Department of Game and Fish wardens even wandered into a central Santa Fe neighborhood Aug. 9. But the wanderings can be deadly, usually for the bear. The state Department of Game and Fish reports 158 bears have been euthanized in New Mexico since April. Some died because they had lost their fear of humans and kept entering neighborhoods or coming near homes, said department spokesman Dan Williams. Some were killed for damaging property. Generally, if a bear returns at least three times to a human inhabited area, game wardens consider euthanizing them. "But it really depends on the circumstances," said Williams. "We base our decision on the individual bear. If it is a bear coming into a rural area apple orchard and not bothering anything else, it is hard to justify putting the bear down." Read full story here: News New Mexico

Foraging Bears Causing Problems

Feds Private Bailouts Disclosed

Ben Bernanke

Bloomberg - Citigroup Inc. (C) and Bank of America Corp. (BAC) were the reigning champions of finance in 2006 as home prices peaked, leading the 10 biggest U.S. banks and brokerage firms to their best year ever with $104 billion of profits. By 2008, the housing market’s collapse forced those companies to take more than six times as much, $669 billion, in emergency loans from the U.S. Federal Reserve. The loans dwarfed the $160 billion in public bailouts the top 10 got from the U.S. Treasury, yet until now the full amounts have remained secret. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s unprecedented effort to keep the economy from plunging into depression included lending banks and other companies as much as $1.2 trillion of public money, about the same amount U.S. homeowners currently owe on 6.5 million delinquent and foreclosed mortgages. The largest borrower, Morgan Stanley (MS), got as much as $107.3 billion, while Citigroup took $99.5 billion and Bank of America $91.4 billion, according to a Bloomberg News compilation of data obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, months of litigation and an act of Congress. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Feds Private Bailouts Disclosed