Job Statistics Harken Back to the Era of Jimmy Carter
What would be the expected results of repeatedly extending unemployment benefits and rewarding joblessness? The Obama Administration's own Labor Department provided the answer Friday when it reported work force participation statistics for April. It seems that the number of people NOT in the U.S. labor force rose by 522,000 in April from 87,897,000 to 88,419,000. This is the highest count of non-working Americans ever recorded. (see graph below)
In case you suspect this number was taken out of context consider that in the same report it was noted that the labor force participation rate dipped to a new 30 year low of 64.3%. Not since the days of one-term president Jimmy Carter has the U.S. economy performed so dismally. (see graph below)
23 Dead Bodies Found on Border
Fox – The bodies of 23 people were found hanging from a bridge or decapitated and dumped near city hall Friday in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, where drug cartels are fighting a bloody and escalating turf war. Authorities found nine of the victims, including four women, hanging from an overpass leading to a main highway, said a Tamaulipas state official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to provide information on the case.
Hours later, police found 14 human heads inside coolers outside city hall along with a threatening note. The 14 bodies were found in black plastic bags inside a car abandoned near an international bridge, the official said.
The official didn't release the contents of the note, or give a motive for the killings. But the city across the border from Laredo, Texas has recently been torn by a renewed turf war between the Zetas cartel, a gang of former Mexican special-forces soldiers, and the powerful Sinaloa cartel, which has joined forces with the Gulf cartel, former allies of the Zetas. Read full story here: News New Mexico
2003 Educational Reform Failed Miserably
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| Bill Richardson |
The last time the State of New Mexico tackled education reform was 2003 when the legislature enacted and Bill Richardson signed what was characterized as sweeping "reforms" to the system. Friendly to unions, the House and Senate dismissed all calls for school choice and there was zero consideration given to a simple market-oriented school voucher system.
An Ad Hoc Subcommittee paved the way for Democrat's policy proposals. The committee reached the conclusion that throwing more money at teacher and principal salaries was a big part of the solution to New Mexico's educational woes. The committee also proposed a Professional Development Fund to be administered by the State Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education. This policy cleared the way for teachers to take time away from the classroom for “professional development” sessions. Finally, the committee called for the funding of a Cabinet Post for a Secretary of Education. Ten years ago New Mexico threw more money at educators, provided more government administered professional development programs, and added more administrative oversight in Santa Fe.
To pay for the increased spending the Ad Hoc Subcommittee called for a raid on the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund. It also called for increasing the tax burden through a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax increase. The committee also recommended amending the New Mexico Property Tax Code to dedicate an additional two mills on the net taxable value of property to public schools. Amazingly, the committee even called for the phasing out the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Gross Receipts Tax exemption. Ironically, Los Alamos has always had the most successful schools in New Mexico. 
Most of the subcommittee's proposals were adopted. And nearly ten years have passed since Governor Richardson and Democrats in the House and Senate raised taxes and raided the Land Grant Permanent Fund so they could throw more money at the education problem. How did these policies fare in the real world?Graduation rates have continued to decline and New Mexico student proficiency has continued to rank among the lowest in the nation. Not surprisingly, proponents of those 2003 policies are not held accountable for their failures. These days many of the same people who supported throwing more taxpayer dollars at education continue to fervently fight any approach to educational reform that doesn’t first and foremost benefit those who collect their paychecks from the state education system.
Martinez Cleans Up Another Richardson Mess
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| Susana Martinez |
In February 2010, the Journal requested records relating to Governor Bill Richardson’s announcement in late 2009 that 59 exempt employees were being released due to the ongoing economic downturn. In June 2010, the Journal filed a lawsuit against the Office of Governor Richardson for failing to produce requested documents, failing to issue a proper denial of the records request or explain the basis for the denial, and failing to refer the records request to other state agencies that may have been in possession of responsive documents.
“I am pleased that we were able to reach a mutual agreement to resolve this lawsuit and avoid further expenditure of public funds,” said Governor Martinez. “State resources are better spent moving forward rather than defending a lawsuit under these circumstances.”
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