NM Stars provide a galaxy of economic opportunities



RR Mayor Tom Swisstack, left, NM Stars owner/gm Dart Clark,

 From the Rio Rancho Observer - BY GLEN ROSALES  - Expectations are high for the New Mexico Stars in this, their inaugural season. Not necessarily on the field — where the success remains to be seen — but in the box office, in the tills around Rio Rancho and even in the community. The Stars kick off their Indoor Football League opener at 3:05 p.m. today at the Santa Ana Star Center. But, in reality, Stars Owner and General Manager Dart Clark began the sales pitch for the team months ago. “First and foremost, Dart came into the marketplace and wanted feedback on the community,” said Matt Geisel, Rio Rancho Convention & Visitors Bureau manager, who helps oversee the Star Center. “He wasn’t afraid to admit what he didn’t know, instead of coming in and saying this is how it was done elsewhere. That’s a positive first step.” The Stars have been advertising locally and in Albuquerque for several months, and that has translated into verifiable numbers in terms of recognition, Geisel said. In a survey during the recent Taste of Rio Rancho event at the Star Center, the team registered a 67.3 percent awareness rating, he said. And the survey showed that 66 percent were highly likely, likely or somewhat likely to attend a Stars game, Geisel said Read more

NM Stars provide a galaxy of economic opportunities

Rod Adair: Newspaper story wrong wrong wrong

State Senator Rod Adair

Commentary by State Senator Rod Adair via facebook: The front page story DEATH IN THE ROUNDHOUSE in today's Albuquerque Journal could not be further from the truth. The story purports to show "How Key Bills Died in the State Legislature." The entire story is---and I know this is harsh language---a blatant lie. Don't get me wrong, I am not blaming the reporter. I believe he is acting in good faith and writing what he sincerely believes is true. But ...the idea that any bill dies (let alone the "Social Promotion" bill) because of dramatic, suspense-filled "maneuvering," or "filibusters," or what-have-you, is just plain false.  The Democrat majority in both houses "want" people to believe that. Many journalists, most likely through no fault of their own, buy into these false scenarios. The fact is that ANY bill could be shepherded through the legislature in 24 hours, from start to finish. It's been done, numerous times. The notion that "it's difficult to get a bill through in a 30-day session" is just not correct. The key component is the WILL to enact a particular idea, concept, or reform. And that will just isn't there. It wasn't there in last year's 60-day session (when, strangely, there wasn't "enough time" for any number of measures) and it won't be in next year's 60-day session, UNLESS the make-up of the legislature is subtantially changed.  It isn't about "compromise," or "talking," or other such notions. This particular issue (and many more) have in fact undergone hundreds of hours of talks, and many compromises have been made. So those kinds of excuses are nothing more than a gigantic canard. The fact is the "educatocracy" (the combined forces of the ingrained public education establishment, its unions and many, many lifetime educators and administrators, though not all of them) does not want change.  An additional unseen fact is that the very idea that certain bills are, oddly, always "waiting" on the floor on the final day reflects an opposition strategy that takes tremendous fake maneuvering just to pull off. Those bills could have reached the floor a week--even two weeks-- earlier. Opponents have to connive--they actually have to scheme fairly carefully-- to get things to "look" as if they "just ran out of time."  Journalists need to stop buying this "Child's Garden of Verses" kind of storytelling. And New Mexicans need to understand what is really going on in Santa Fe. See post

Rod Adair: Newspaper story wrong wrong wrong

Getting Hosed at the Pump

From Jewish World Review.com - by Greg Crosby - Gas prices are going up. A lot. Already the cost of a gallon of gas has increased by 51.4 cents over the past year. By this summer don't be surprised to see $5.00 a gallon prices at the pumps. That will mean anywhere from $85.00 to $100.00 or more to fill up your tank. But before you start cursing out the big evil oil companies again, let me tell you that it's a lot more complicated than that. Several factors are at work here.  Even though we've had a warmer than normal winter across the country resulting in less demand for heating fuel (which usually means larger supplies of oil in reserve, and should translate to lower prices for us) our gas and oil prices have skyrocketed. As Fox's Lou Dobbs has pointed out, this is because oil companies HAVE NOT stockpiled the oil that we didn't use; they have sold it overseas to developing nations like China and India and jacked up prices to us here at home. But this is only half of the story.  President Obama is complicit in this rip off. He is simply fulfilling one of his campaign promises to turn the U.S. into a more "green energy" friendly country. Investors Business Daily has pointed out that during his presidential campaign, Obama admitted he didn't have a problem with sky-high gasoline prices, he just "would have preferred a gradual adjustment."  The idea is to make traditional energy sources such as gasoline and oil so expensive that it will force the public into using alternative fuels. His energy secretary, Steven Chu, told the Walt Street Journal before joining the administration that "somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe." Read more

Getting Hosed at the Pump

Courtesy of Conservative Daily News

     

janice2012.us

High Gas Prices and Now THIS !

KOAT TV - It probably was not their idea of a dream wedding, but one Albuquerque couple had little choice when they were married at pump three of an Albuquerque gas station Thursday. Police said when they swarmed a gas station at San Mateo Boulevard and Indian School Road to arrest 28-year-old Caleb Rogers, they had no idea he was on his way to marry his fiance.

When they found out, they cut him a little slack.

"He was standing there in handcuffs. They were all standing around and I thought, 'What's going on? This is very bizarre,' because they're just standing around talking," gas station cashier Ellen Coffman said.

Police helped to organize a simple wedding for the couple at the gas station.

Officers said they kept the ceremony short and simple in order to make sure everyone was safe and secure.

"Obviously they had the compassion to go ahead and allow the ceremony, but we were also safe about it. He was under arrest and handcuffed," Albuquerque Police Department Officer Mark Aragon said. Read full story here: News New Mexico

High Gas Prices and Now THIS !

One Pleads Guilty in Driver's License Crime Ring

NewsNM note (Spence) - For two years Democrats in the New Mexico Senate have blocked efforts to repeal a law that allows people in the U.S. illegally obtain a driver's license in this state.
Albuquerque Journal - A Polish man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a New Mexico driver’s license scam aimed at illegal immigrants, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gonzales announced Friday.

Under an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in federal court in Albuquerque, Pawel Skladnik, 38, admitted to transporting illegal immigrants into New Mexico and arranging for them to get driver’s licenses with the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. He pleaded guilty to a federal charge of transporting illegal immigrants.
Court documents show that Skladnik and Lukasz Koslik, 28, also a Polish national, were indicted in August for helping illegal immigrants not living in New Mexico get state driver’s licenses last year. Read full story here (subscription required): News New Mexico

One Pleads Guilty in Driver's License Crime Ring

Mayor ProTem & Manager of Sunland Park Arrested

Amy Orlando

El Paso Times - LAS CRUCES -- Sunland Park Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Salinas and City Manager Jaime Aguilera were arrested Saturday evening in an ongoing investigation into city government. Each faces identical charges -- conspiracy to commit extortion, tampering with evidence and conspiracy. They were jailed in lieu of posting $50,000 cash bonds.

Sunland Park City Hall

The investigation continues, said District Attorney Amy Orlando. No further information on the arrests was available Saturday night. The arrests Saturday came after searches were conducted by New Mexico State Police and investigators for the district attorney's office on Friday at the home of Salinas and at his office at Sunland Park City Hall.

Salinas is one of three candidates for mayor. Early voting in that election has started. One of his opponents, Gerardo Hernandez, alleged last week that someone was attempting to blackmail him in an effort to get him to drop out of the race. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Mayor ProTem & Manager of Sunland Park Arrested