News New Mexico: 10/19/11

Patients: Gov. Martinez is killing pot program: NM Department of Health has backlog of applications

From KRQE-TV - ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Is Governor Susana Martinez trying to stomp out the state's medical marijuana program? Some patients say absolutely; by leaving them in limbo. “In my opinion there is a lack of compassion that the Department of Health is not viewing the patients as patients in serious need of a medication,” Len Goodman with New MexiCann Natural Medicine told the Medical Marijuana advisory board Wednesday. The board got an earful at its meeting from patients and suppliers. The program monitors more than 5,000 licensed medical marijuana users in the state, but there's a huge backlog when it comes to approving and renewing licenses. Stacie Wysong has multiple sclerosis; she said going without cannabis is painful. “I wake up in the morning pretty much throwing up my toenails unless I have something to calm that,” said Wysong. She's been waiting almost two months for the DOH to renew her card, something that by law has to be done within 30 days. Wysong and other patients believe the Martinez administration knows exactly what it's doing by keeping the DOH program underfunded and understaffed. Right now it only has three workers. Read more

At Air Force hearing, more opposition to proposed flyovers plan

From the New Mexico Independent - By Devon Jackson - As part of the required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, officials from the U.S. Air Force and Clovis’s Cannon Air Force Base held another public hearing last night in Las Vegas about its plans for low-altitude tactical navigation (LATN) training flights over southeast Colorado and eastern New Mexico. As has been the case at other meetings held over the past year, more opponents than supporters showed up. But for the first time, one of the plan’s legislative doubters made an appearance. The mission flights would occur Monday through Friday and often at night, with 700 missions planned annually, and the LATN map includes 36 Colorado counties and 19 in New Mexico and consists of parts of Santa Fe County and the towns of Las Vegas and Taos. The military says the flights are essential to national security (and operates them as part of a special operations program at Cannon). The aircraft flying at altitudes as low as 300 feet would include the C-22 Osprey and the C-130 Hercules. In the eyes of Carol Miller, of the Peaceful Skies Coalition, one of many groups who’ve organized in opposition to LATN proposal, and who also attended last night’s hearing, these flights are about far more than just property rights. “It’s destructive to the environment, it’s destructive to the community economies, and it’s a waste of money for more militarism while many more important needs are being cut or eliminated,” said Miller. Citing the possible impact of the flights on tourism, on outdoor recreation, on local wildlife, and pointing out too the possibility of airplane crashes (the Osprey has a notorious reputation as being accident-prone) or refueling accidents, as well as pointing out the concerns over the high decibel levels of noise generated by the planes, Peaceful Skies and other groups and opponents again voiced their dismay at the proposed flights, which constitute 60,000 square miles and would comprise an area four times larger than the current largest U.S. Air Force airspace in Nevada. Read more

State mulls 1 office for immigrant licenses

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - by Trip Jennings - The state is considering opening an Albuquerque office to exclusively handle applications from foreign nationals seeking New Mexico driver's licenses, Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla said Wednesday. Currently, 300 to 400 foreign nationals a week apply for licenses through in-person appointments at Motor Vehicle Division field offices across New Mexico, Padilla told state lawmakers on the Legislative Finance Committee. At each office, one or two employees are dedicated to handling the applications, and that takes away from customer service, Padilla said. "We're saying, how do we provide the best customer service to all New Mexicans," Padilla said. "What makes sense within our budget? What makes sense within our labor force?" The idea of centralizing the application process for foreign nationals is "just one of the many things we are toying with," the secretary said, stressing that the idea was still in the conceptual stage. An immigrant rights advocate questioned the agency's motives, however. "It's really hard to tell how much of this is real or whether it's just Taxation and Revenue continuing their campaign against immigrants," said Marcela Diaz, executive director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, an immigrant rights group. The appointment requirement began during Gov. Bill Richardson's administration to make the application process more efficient, Diaz said. "It appears that the goal is to just make it as difficult as possible for immigrants to get licenses," Diaz said. Read more

Starter pistol prompts lockdown at Logan school

From the Clovis News Journal - Police said Logan school was locked down almost two hours Wednesday after a teacher took a starter pistol from a student. “The gun was a starter pistol which shoots blanks,” said Logan Police Chief Bob Gore. Gore said a teacher noticed a student in the hallway with the pistol. “The teacher took the pistol and locked down the school until police arrived,” Gore said. Gore said the school locked down from 9:01 a.m. to 10:50 a.m., while police spoke with the student and others involved. “Through the course of our investigation we learned only two juveniles were involved,” Gore said. Gore said there was no fight or argument involving the pistol. “There were no threats made or threatening gestures made with the pistol,” Gore said. “It appears the juveniles only brought it to the school to show it off.” Gore said the matter has been turned over to the juvenile courts. Read more

Barney Frank supports protesters, raises Wall St. cash

From the Politico.com - By ANNA PALMER & ROBIN BRAVENDER - Rep. Barney Frank might sympathize with the Occupy Wall Street protesters, but he’s still got friends in the financial world. The Massachusetts Democrat is heading to New York hoping to raise tens of thousands of dollars Thursday at a fundraiser at the home of Charles Myers, a senior investment banking advisor at Evercore Partners. Myers is one of several Wall Street execs listed on the invite soliciting up to $2,500 from attendees for Frank’s reelection committee, according to a copy obtained by POLITICO. Frank, the co-author of the sweeping financial regulatory reform bill signed into law last year, said in a recent interview with POLITICO that he didn’t see any conflict between supporting the protests and taking financial services money. “If you take money from them, but you don’t vote [for] the things they want, how does that put you in conflict?” Frank questioned. Read more:

OBAMA’S TELEPROMPTER STOLEN — White House Speechless

From Politicons.com - OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE: “Uhm, er, well, umm, uhhhhhh, ummmmm, millionaires and billionaires, uh, PASS THIS BILL, uhmmm, well, er….” The TelePrompter of the United States was stolen last night, after thieves raided official White House equipment. The equipment was valued at nearly $200,000 and included several presidential seals. NBC 12 reported:NBC12 has uncovered one of those stories that makes you think: “How in the world does that happen?!” A truck filled with President Obama’s podiums and audio equipment was stolen in Henrico just days before his visit to Chesterfield. We confirmed an investigation with the U.S. Defense Department. There are still a lot of questions. The biggest one being did the thieves intentionally target the President’s truck or did they take advantage of a crime of opportunity and give a big “uh-oh” when they saw what was inside. When you see President Obama speak, there is a pretty typical setup including the presidential seal on a podium, the see-thru Teleprompter and a portable sound system. Thieves saw the truck carrying that equipment and couldn’t resist the target. Conan's spoof of the situation.

‘Don’t Screw Around With Me’: Biden Defends ‘Rape’ Comments, Gets into Heated Exchange With Reporter

From The Blaze.com - Vice President Joe Biden defended and repeated assertions he made last week that rape and murder rates will continue to rise if President Barack Obama’s jobs bill is not passed, and had a testy moment with a reporter who questioned the appropriateness of his comments. Speaking at a Capitol Hill rally Wednesday to promote the jobs bill, Biden repeated his earlier remarks that police layoffs in cities like Flint, Mich. have resulted in higher crime rates. “In many cities, the result has been, and it’s not unique, murder rates are up, robberies are up, rapes are up,” Biden said. Human Events reporter Jason Mattera questioned Biden on his comments after Wednesday’s event, asking whether he regretted “using a rape reference to describe Republican opposition to the president’s bill.” “I didn’t use, no no no,” Biden said. “What I said, let’s get it straight guys, don’t screw around with me….I said rape is up three times in Flint. There are numbers, go look at the numbers. Murder’s up, rape is up and burglary’s up,” Biden said. “And if Republicans don’t pass this bill, rape will continue to rise?” Mattera pressed. “Murder will continue to rise, rape will continue to rise, all crimes will continue to rise,” Biden answered. “Do you think it’s appropriate for the vice president to use language in such a way?” Mattera asked as aides interrupted him and hustled Biden away. Read more

House GOP demands White House release Obama’s emails on Solyndra

From The Hill.com - By Andrew Restuccia - House Republicans are pushing forward with their request for all internal White House communications related to the now-bankrupt solar firm Solyndra, including President Obama’s emails. In a letter to White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler on Tuesday, top Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee argue that the White House should turn over internal emails and documents related to the $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra. They rejected arguments from the White House that it has already turned over hundreds of documents, and said efforts by other administrative agencies are not enough. “The fact that other agencies are in the process of attempting to comply with our request for documents does not excuse the White House from producing its own responsive documents,” the letter from committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Oversight and Investigations subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said. “Our request to the White House is not duplicative of our requests to other executive-branch agencies.” Read more

"What Goes Around Comes Around"

Courtesy of Conservativedailynews.com

Massive dust storm's aftermath

From KRQE-TV - by Gabrielle Burkhart - PORTALES, N.M. (KRQE) - It wasn't a tornado, but it could have fooled some people in Southeastern New Mexico. Massive dust clouds rolled in through parts of the state yesterday, turning the sky an eery brown. On Tuesday, residents dealt with the aftermath. A giant wall of dust came plowing into Portales Monday, garnering enough attention for those in it's path to snap photos before taking cover. "We were in the shop and we had a lot of customers, and we heard a lot of wind coming so we all stepped outside," recalled Hamilton GM Country dealership employee Kendall McDaniel. "We seen a huge wall right behind us, coming right behind us coming this way, of just a bunch of dirt." The Portales car dealership was surrounded by the dust wall. "We get a lot of dirt, but the one yesterday; I haven't seen one like that in a long time," said McDaniel. Viewers sent News 13 photos of the storm plowing through Clovis, hitting Portales and trudging through Hobbs. Read more

State revenue from oil and gas will come up short, officials say

From the New Mexico Independent - Officials in the Martinez administration announced Tuesday that revenue for the state government will be lower than previously estimated. The Associated Press reports: A new revenue forecast released Tuesday lowered projections for tax collections by $123 million in the fiscal year that starts next July and about $21 million in the current budget year. Much of the decline is because economists expect oil and natural gas prices to be lower than anticipated. The Legislative Finance Committee was told in July they had around $350 million in “new money” to use in the next legislative session. The decreased oil and gas revenue means only $200 million will now be available. Read more

Dept. of Tourism works to create new brand on flat budget

From KOB-TV - The message to lawmakers was clear, tourism in New Mexico can be much better with out more money. And the timing of that message from Tourism Secretary Monique Jacobson seemed impeccable as it came on the heels of new economic forecasts that show state revenue sloping down over the two years. On Tuesday in a presentation before the Legislative Finance Committee, Jacobson presented new findings from research that showed New Mexico is 36th in the nation for tourism travel. Jacobson also told legislators that while doing research into brand perceptions, people from out of state often though Arizona offered better skiing than New Mexico. "I think it's an overall statement to this lack of knowledge and understanding about what New Mexico is and what we have," said Jacobson. The research also showed that New Mexico is often overlooked as a tourist destination and many of the tourism dollars that flow to the state come from tourists who are only driving through on their way to another state. Jacobson told lawmakers that she plans to re-focus the tourism department on creating a consistent brand that can tap into the story of New Mexico and do so, on a flat budget. "We have got to bring to life this idea about adventures steeped in very rich culture," Jacobson said. Recently the tourism department wrapped up a statewide campaign encouraging people to participate in a scavenger hunt for "Billy the Kid," in which a $10,000 prize was given. Read more

New Mexico MVD chief resigns post

From the Santa Fe New Mexican - Keith Perry, head of the state's Motor Vehicle Division, abruptly resigned last week after Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla "raised some concerns" about the general management of the division. A spokesman for Padilla stressed that the secretary "wants to take assertive steps to improve customer service and overall operations" at the agency. Padilla told KOAT News that Perry "is a great team player. He just wasn't as aggressive as I would have liked for him to have been." Spokesman S.U. Mahesh stressed that Perry's resignation after eight months had "absolutely nothing to do" with the recent controversial effort by the agency to verify the residency of foreign nationals who have New Mexico driver's licenses. "In fact, Keith Perry was very supportive of repealing the foreign national driver's license law and worked very diligently on the residential certification program," Mahesh said in an email. Read more

Gas Thieves Drill Through Tanks

From KOAT-TV - RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- Drivers in Rio Rancho said they are getting ripped off not only at the pump by the rising gas prices, but also by thieves who are drilling through their gas tanks in the middle of the night. Resident Robert Atencio said he woke up Monday and found his pickup truck running on empty after someone drilled a hole right into his gas tank. "We awoke to the smell of gasoline fumes. I figured I had a ruptured tank. I didn't know what was going on," Atencio said. "It's damaging the asphalt." Rio Rancho police said aside from Atencio's truck, about half dozen other cars were also drilled with holes along Peach Road before the thieves moved in the Northern Meadows neighborhood, where residents reported a number of SUVs and trucks with both plastic and metal tanks punctured. Police said they started noticing more gas thefts last month, but they had never seen anything like what happened Monday morning. Read more

An idea to revamp the way unemployment works — and how you could enhance your retirement at the same time

From Capitol Report New Mexico - We’ve reported about how New Mexico has racked up more than $200 million in overpayments in unemployment checks in the last two years. On top of that, there’s been plenty of discussion about how the state’s unemployment fund may be in jeopardy if the economy stays flat. Maybe it’s time to rethink how unemployment is structured — not just in New Mexico but across the country. This week, a study from the Tax Foundation, a think-tank based in Washington DC, released a detailed look at unemployment compensation and among some of the highlights of the report was a call for changing the system so that taxes are lowered (for employees as well as employers) and workers can actually access their unemployment contributions — even if they never lose their jobs. How would that work? By instituting what’s called “Individual Unemployment Benefit Accounts.” In essence, these accounts have employers and employees combine to build up a fund for each individual worker. One chronic problem with the current system states use (through federal government oversight) is that since every state posts how long it will pay unemployment benefits (in New Mexico, it can range from 26 weeks to 86 weeks — and in some states the duration is as long as 99 weeks), there’s an incentive for an unemployed worker to sometimes wait until the “perfect” job comes along. That drives up costs. But under an individual account system, the worker looking for a job has an individual account he or she can draw from for up to five months. If the unemployed person finds work after, say, a month, the balance of the account remains and is carried over should the worker lose his or her next job. On top of that, once workers retire, they can access their individual unemployment account and place it into their own retirement portfolios. Read more

Environmental groups join San Juan Generating Station appeal

From the Farmington Daily Times - Environmental groups on Tuesday filed a motion to intervene in a case challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ruling that San Juan Generating Station must install new pollution control technology. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver approved the motion to intervene, so the environmental groups will be able to present their position to the court. In Tuesday's decision, the Navajo group Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, Durango, Colo.-based San Juan Citizens Alliance, the National Parks Conservation Association, New Energy Economy and the Sierra Club won the right to participate in the case. "Defending EPA's ability to implement clean air rules will set the stage for nationwide action to reduce dangerous air pollution from antiquated, inefficient coal plants," Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, climate and energy program director at Western Environmental Law Center, said in a prepared statement. Public Service Company of New Mexico, which operates the coal-fired power plant west of Farmington, did not oppose the groups' participation in the case. "It's clearly an important case, and there's room at the table for all voices," PNM spokesman Don Brown said. "Their opinion will be heard, as well as ours." PNM set the case in motion by appealing the EPA's order that the plant must install pricey selective catalytic reduction technology in order to cut pollution. Read more

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