Sowards: The True Conservative

Greg Sowards

NMPolitics - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Greg Sowards visited Washington, D.C. earlier this week in an attempt to establish himself as the true conservative in the race. “There will be no one to my right, and I believe the other candidates are more conglomerated around the moderate area,” Sowards said in an interview with Politico. “I don’t see how anyone would get between me and conservative principles. They can go to the loon right, which is, as far as I’m concerned, like coming back around on the left.” From Politico: “Sowards is in D.C. this week to meet with an array of conservative touchstone groups like the Club for Growth, the National Rifle Association, FreedomWorks, Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund, the Tea Party Express and the National Republican Trust. Representatives with The Prosper Group, which handled fundraising for several high-profile tea party candidates like Sharron Angle and Rep. Allen West, flew into meet with Sowards recently, according to an adviser.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

Sowards: The True Conservative

Sanchez Says Wilson's Time Has Passed

Heath Haussamen

NMPolitics - During a Thursday visit to Washington, D.C., Lt. Gov. John Sanchez sounded very much like a candidate for U.S. Senate. In fact, in an interview with The Hill, he called Republican U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson a “moderate-type” leader as he sought to portray himself as the conservative alternative. “I think Heather served honorably,” The Hill quoted Sanchez as saying about the former congresswoman. “But if we consider the choices that were made by former establishment candidates, I think it’s clear the choices will be very easy for the people of New Mexico. “Do they want a return back to the days of moderate-type leaders (whose) conservative compasses (weren’t) pointed in the right direction?” he asked.

John Sanchez

“Or are they looking for somebody who doesn’t have to reinvent himself? I think the choice for U.S. Senate is abundantly clear.” Sanchez is considered by many to be the toughest potential GOP primary challenger to Wilson if U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce stays out of the race. Sanchez, who was in Washington for a meeting of the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association, was quoted by The Hill as saying he will make a decision on whether to run for Senate “in the spring.” In an interview with the Washington Post, Sanchez was quoted as saying he is “very close” to entering the race. Read full analysis on NMPolitics.net here: News New Mexico

Sanchez Says Wilson's Time Has Passed

O'Reilly: The Triumph of Evil

Bill O'Reilly

Townhall - The opposition to military action in Libya is fascinating. President Obama is taking incoming fire from both the left and the right as various agendas collide against neutralizing Moammar Gadhafi. The dissent is all over the place, so let's try to simplify the situation. We begin with a quote from Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." That's true. We have seen it time and again throughout history. When evil is not confronted, it can win, often with devastating results. There is no question that Gadhafi was on the verge of slaughtering his opposition. His mercenaries and highly paid military were closing in on rebel strongholds, and amnesty would not be forthcoming, as the colonel himself publicly proclaimed. Finally, the U.N. acted, and a no-fly zone was approved. After waffling for weeks, Obama swung into action, ordering U.S. planes and missiles into the skies. Then he went to Brazil. Immediately, the far left erupted. Ralph Nader is calling for impeachment. Michael Moore has suggested that Obama give back the Nobel Peace Prize. Congressman Dennis Kucinich wants to cut off funding for any military action against Libya. Read full column here: News New Mexico

O'Reilly: The Triumph of Evil

Walker's Legislation Has Unions Caving Already

Scott Walker

Townhall - by Kyle Olson - Apparently Gov. Scott Walker knew exactly what he was doing. Before he signed the bill limiting collective bargaining privileges, teachers unions throughout the state were slow to respond to calls for salary and benefit concessions. They believed their members should be held harmless during a period of necessary cost-cutting. They didn't seem to care that Wisconsin schools were operating with multi-million dollar deficits that were forcing the layoffs of younger teachers and the cancellation of student programs. Their only answer was to raise taxes at a time when few people could afford it. They didn’t want to sacrifice anything, despite the fact that schools spend about 80 percent of their budgets on labor costs. But now, with Walker's legislation set to become law once it clears legal hurdles, the unions are suddenly coming to their senses. They are jumping at the chance to extend their collective bargaining agreements, in exchange for meaningful concessions that will help schools survive the financial crisis. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Walker's Legislation Has Unions Caving Already

Federal Aid Boosts N.M. Personal Income Growth Rate to Top Rank

From istockanalyst.com -The state's rate of personal income growth was the highest in the nation last year, according to new information from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Although the growth rate of 4.2 percent is good news for one of the country's lowest-income states, it doesn't mean New Mexicans are rolling in cash. When the federal government tallies up income, it includes things like unemployment benefits, Social Security payments and help from Medicaid and Medicare. Those earnings, known as transfer payments, accounted for 2.19 percent of the 4.2 percent income growth -- a rate also the highest in the nation. "We are up there because of our huge transfer payments to New Mexico," said Lee Reynis, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at The University of New Mexico.  More News New Mexico

Federal Aid Boosts N.M. Personal Income Growth Rate to Top Rank

NM Job Market Remains Stagnant

From newswest9.com -Federal labor statistics show most states have seen positive job growth over the past year, but New Mexico and several others remain on the negative side of the job market curve. Some New Mexico business leaders say small businesses - from plumbing contractors and car dealerships to real estate companies and architectural firms - have been forced to lay off handfuls of workers and those numbers are adding up.  More News New Mexico

NM Job Market Remains Stagnant

NM Gas Co. Seeks 8.5% Rate Hike

From NM Business Weekly -  The New Mexico Gas Co. is requesting an 8.5 percent rate increase to generate $34.5 million in additional annual revenue. The company filed its request Friday with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. If approved, the increase would take effect by February 2012.  The request comes as the PRC is investigating the gas company's response to the February outage that left more than 40,000 New Mexicans without natural gas for several days. Company President Annette Gardiner said the rate increase is necessary to recover rising costs, decreasing demand by consumers and $215 million in investment.  More News New Mexico

NM Gas Co. Seeks 8.5% Rate Hike

California ruling puts NM cap and trade program into a haze

From Capitol Report New Mexico - Will a judge’s ruling in California put cap and trade regulations in New Mexico on hold? That’s what supporters and critics of the New Mexico’s recently-adopted restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions are wondering — and nobody is quite sure of an answer. Back on Monday (March 21) a judge in San Francisco ordered a delay in implementing California’s cap and trade system of pollution credits. Why does that matter to New Mexico? Because, due to its sheer size, California is a crucial piece of the cap and trade puzzle. Without California as a trading partner, New Mexico’s cap and trade policy — which is scheduled to begin in 2012 — could fall apart. In order for the cap and trade program to exist, there must be a minimum of 100,000 allowances. Without California, experts say, New Mexico wouldn’t have sufficient partnerships with other states and provinces to reach the 100,000 threshold, thus putting the New Mexico program on hold until California’s program is up and running. More News New Mexico

California ruling puts NM cap and trade program into a haze

Time for a review of the Electoral College

From NM Politics.net - By Mary Helen Garcia - We live in the world’s greatest democracy, yet the U.S. Constitution does not provide for the popular vote of our president by all Americans. Bizarre as this may sound, it is true. The American people do not decide who their leader is – the Electoral College does. Article II of the constitution created the Electoral College and conferred to state legislatures the power to allocate their electoral votes. All but two states (Maine and Nebraska) have adopted the “winner-take-all” approach to allocating electoral votes. What this means is that all the electoral votes in a state (a number equal to the state’s representation in Congress, which in New Mexico totals five electoral votes: two for our two U.S. senators, and three for our three U.S. representatives) are allocated to the winner of the state presidential vote, regardless of the margin of victory. This creates a distorted election, which has on four occasions in U.S. history resulted in an individual being sworn into the office of president who did not win the national popular vote, but did manage to achieve a majority of votes in the Electoral College. The most recent occasion of this was in 2000. In four of 56 presidential elections, we have had a president in office who did not receive the most votes of the American people. This is an absurd result, particularly in this day and age. Our president should be elected on the basis of receiving more votes cast by the American people than any other candidate in the race. More News New Mexico

Time for a review of the Electoral College

Disaster preparedness has disaster written all over it

From NM Politics.net - Commentary by Michael Swickard - At the coffee shop the other day one person smugly mentioned having lots of water and food stored for any disruption, even if it lasts several weeks. He was not prepared for my question: “So you and your family have heat, water and food which are set to last a month. Tell me, do you have enough stored to serve all of your neighbors? What do you do when your cold, thirsty, hungry neighbors demand your supplies because they did not prepare? Are you prepared to use deadly force to protect your supplies?” That is the rub. Some people will prepare, but others will not. Your dilemma is that if you share your supplies they may only last a day instead of a month. Then what? That does not save the other people and condemns your family. If you were going to do that, why store food and water in the first place? By preparing for a disaster you are hoarding food and water. Will you defend your hoard of water and food? Mercy! I think this disaster preparedness has disaster written all over it. Read column News New Mexico

Disaster preparedness has disaster written all over it