Commentary by Marita Noon - It is not often that Americans look south of the border for solutions, but Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto seems to have figured out a few things in his first year of power that has, in six years, eluded Obama.
Late last month, Peña Nieto spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There, he highlighted his first-year achievements: “a legislative consensus with the two major opposition parties on the transformations and structural reforms that the country needed,” reports Mexico City’s The News. He pointed out that this has been achieved “in a climate of plurality and diversity.”
A few months ago, with great enthusiasm, I wrote about Peña Nieto’s proposed energy reforms—something his predecessor had been unable to achieve. (President Felipe Calderon’s critics believed his proposals violated the constitution.) The reforms passed on December 12, 2013, amend Articles 25, 27 and 28 of Mexico's constitution to allow profit- and production-sharing contracts, and licenses. The reforms also put an end to government monopolies in the operation of oil-and-gas fields, while maintaining the Mexican government’s ownership of the country’s resources.
“The current government’s ability to build coalitions puts Mexico on the verge of its biggest economic victory since the North American Free Trade Agreement,” states Arturo Sarukhan, who has served in Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Read full column
What Does Mexico’s President Know That President Obama Doesn’t?
Posted by
Michael Swickard
on Monday, February 17, 2014
New state police cadet trainer defends changes
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
The man who oversees basic training
for police cadets across New Mexico
is defending his new curriculum, which includes giving officers more leeway to
use deadly force.
Jack Jones, director of the state's Law Enforcement
Academy , has come under
some criticism since being given control in September of all basic training
courses. Jones' changes include more training in traffic stops involving
gunfire and use of possibly deadly force. He says officers need to be prepared
for any violence. Jones says previous training models have been too
restrictive.
The new training comes as the Albuquerque Police Department is
under a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation. The department is
facing allegations of excessive force and three dozen shootings by officers
since 2010.
Information from The AP.
New state police cadet trainer defends changes
Bernalillo County Commisioners oppose "Cops" TV shooting
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
Two Bernalillo County
commissioners are asking the county sheriff to reconsider allowing the
long-running TV show "Cops" to film in the area.
In a letter sent to
Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston on Saturday, Commissioners Debbie
O'Malley and Maggie Hart Stebbins says the show's "sensational focus on
criminal activity" would portray the county as a dangerous place to work
and live. They also argue members of the public may be reluctant to report
crimes if they think a TV crew might show up with authorities.
. However, Houston
announced Thursday that the show would start filming with his department in
April for its 26th season. The episodes would air in the summer.
Bernalillo County Commisioners oppose "Cops" TV shooting
Senate panel approves budget package
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
A Senate panel has approved a $6.2 billion budget package and
provided additional money for education initiatives of Republican Gov. Susana
Martinez.
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously endorsed the budget on
Sunday and sent it to the Senate for consideration.
The panel added $17.5
million for administration school programs. Republicans on the committee said
the goal was to give the Public Education Department some flexibility to work
with school districts on initiatives to improve educational performance.
The
budget provides for a $293 million or 5 percent increase in spending in the fiscal
year starting in July.
The committee's proposal is an attempt to break an
impasse over the budget and avoid a possible special session.
A budget bill
failed in the House, with Republicans saying it shortchanged Martinez 's school proposals.
Senate panel approves budget package
Conceal carry permits double in NM
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
Government records show that more
than twice as many concealed carry permits were issued in New Mexico last year when state and federal
policymakers considered whether to tighten firearms laws.
The Department of
Public Safety issued 10,601 licenses in 2013 compared with 4,793 the previous
year, according to state records obtained by The Associated Press.
The state
issued an average of about 4,500 licenses annually from 2008 to 2012.
Firearms
instructors attribute last year's license increase partly to a push by the
Legislature and Congress for new gun laws, including stricter criminal
background checks on people who buy firearms and proposals to ban
military-style assault weapons.
Information from The AP.
Conceal carry permits double in NM
Fire in Isleta Pueblo
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
Isleta Pueblo fire crews, with assistance from New Mexico State
Police, Valencia County and Bosque Farms, fought one of
the first big fires of 2014 Sunday night.
As of 9:30 Sunday evening, the fire
burned 30 acres of grassland, though it did not threaten any homes or other
structures. Fifty crew members fought for hours to keep it contained.
Investigators
are still working to learn what started the fire Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m.
Smoke billowed high, making it visible across the Albuquerque metro and warning residents of
the fire season to come.
Although the fire did not threaten any structures, the
pueblo set up an evacuation site at the recreation center just in case.
Fire in Isleta Pueblo
Senate to vote on Hanna Skandera
Posted by
Michael Swickard
From KOB-TV.com - by Jen Samp, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - Governor Susana Martinez handpicked Hanna Skandera and ever since has been by her side. Three times now, the senate has failed to take a vote, which would officially confirm Skandera as the education secretary.
Skandera self-proclaimed the title "education secretary” on her official website, the governor gave her the title “Secretary-Designate” until she is confirmed. “I think we need to have a vote and I think we should have had one before now", said Democratic State Senator and majority whip Tim Keller
He argues Skandera is not credentialed for the big job. She worked as a senior policy adviser to the U.S Education Secretary and was a deputy commissioner for Florida's education system, but she has never been a teacher.“Our constitution says clearly you need a qualified educator and for better or worse regardless of her ideas I don't believe she meets the criteria,” said Sen. Keller.
Skandera self-proclaimed the title "education secretary” on her official website, the governor gave her the title “Secretary-Designate” until she is confirmed. “I think we need to have a vote and I think we should have had one before now", said Democratic State Senator and majority whip Tim Keller
He argues Skandera is not credentialed for the big job. She worked as a senior policy adviser to the U.S Education Secretary and was a deputy commissioner for Florida's education system, but she has never been a teacher.“Our constitution says clearly you need a qualified educator and for better or worse regardless of her ideas I don't believe she meets the criteria,” said Sen. Keller.
A statement from the Department of Education reads: “Secretary Skandera has broad support from education leaders and business leaders throughout New Mexico. She is well-qualified for a position she has held for three years now and if she wasn’t, the senate would have taken action long ago. Last year, Senator Lopez staged a politically motivated and prolonged political circus at taxpayer expense that did nothing to help improve student achievement in New Mexico. Secretary Skandera looks forward to a fair confirmation process.”
Last year, the confirmation hearing on Skandera lasted for hours. Political insiders think if the Senate takes a vote, she would get the confirmation. But political games are not new to the Roundhouse. More
Last year, the confirmation hearing on Skandera lasted for hours. Political insiders think if the Senate takes a vote, she would get the confirmation. But political games are not new to the Roundhouse. More
Senate to vote on Hanna Skandera