Is Obama's NLRB Killing Jobs in South Carolina?

Charleston Regional Business Journal - The U.S. House oversight committee and National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Lafe Solomon haggled over Solomon’s participation in Friday’s committee hearing in North Charleston. The hearing, entitled “Unionization Through Regulation: The NLRB’s Holding Pattern on Free Enterprise,” includes Solomon in its list of witnesses. Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote Solomon on May 26 to request his testimony at the committee hearing in North Charleston. The hearing will explore the NLRB’s decision to file a complaint against Boeing for its expansion to North Charleston, where the aerospace company will assemble and deliver 787s. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Is Obama's NLRB Killing Jobs in South Carolina?

Smith: Time Frame Gap "Hard for me to accept"



Jan Goodwin

Capitol Report New Mexico - The executive director of the Educational Retirement Board (ERB) said Thursday (June 16) that by the end of last August “we realized there was a problem” as the ERB began mistakenly sending out interest overpayments to some beneficiaries. By early December the board started processing refunds but members of the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) — as well as other top state government officials — weren’t told of the problem until April of 2011. “There’s a time-frame gap there that is hard for me to accept,” LFC chairman Sen. John Arthur Smith (D-Deming) told ERB executive director Jan Goodwin, who appeared before the committee for the first time since media reports came out detailing the $1.69 million mistake.
“I apologize … I’ll try better next time,” Goodwin responded. “We’re not kept informed,” Smith replied. “We have to deal with the public on this … it’s the limited transparency that is aggravating to me … it irritates me no end and pushes me to the wall … the public has a mistrust of government … and we’re the ones painted with the brush.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

Smith: Time Frame Gap "Hard for me to accept"

King: "The Board It Needs to Take Care of This"

Clara Apodaca - NHCC Foundation

Veritas New Mexico - For the first time in nearly a decade, the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC)’s private fundraising foundation will pay rent for its state offices at the Center. The New Mexico Constitution’s anti-donation clause prohibits the donation of state goods, property or services to private entities. But for at least a decade, Center staffers say, the Foundation has used its offices rent-free. The NHCC Foundation has agreed to start paying the state $1,486 a month – or $17,840 per year — for its 1,220 square feet of office space and 650 square feet of storage space, according to a lease agreement reviewed by Veritas New Mexico at the NHCC’s June 9 board meeting. The one-year lease begins July 1 and the first month’s rent will be due that day. Center officials were hopeful the NHCC Foundation would honor the terms of the lease. “I hope this works out,” acting Center director Gary Romero said. “The AG’s been telling the board it needs to take care of this.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

King: "The Board It Needs to Take Care of This"

Los Alamos National Lab Facing Cuts

Los Alamos National Lab

Santa Fe New Mexican - The U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed a measure this week intended to cut a $1.1 billion chunk out of the Obama administration's $11.7 billion proposal for the National Nuclear Security Administration. NNSA funds the nuclear weapons complex around the country, including more than $4 billion annually for Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. The committee's Republican majority approved slicing nearly a half-billion dollars from nuclear weapons programs and slightly less from nonproliferation programs for securing nuclear materials around the world. Jack Jekowski of Albuquerque, whose Innovative Technology Partnerships provides consulting and support services in the national security arena, said Thursday he tends not to watch the "roller coaster ride that occurs during the budget process." But, he said, "We're seeing the beginning of a more aligned movement to address the overall budget gap. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Los Alamos National Lab Facing Cuts

Harbison: Ethanol is not the answer

Jim Harbison

Like many others in Las Cruces I am an avid motorsports racing fan. I must admit I spend much of every weekend watching the wide assortment of racing events on the television. This past weekend it included the 24-hours of Le Mans, Formula 1 of Canada, and the NASCAR Pocono 500. I also know every weekend that I will have to compromise between races and other activities my wife enjoys.

As I watched the Sunday NASCAR race I was continually bombarded by the message that ethanol is good for NASCAR and good for America. Here is another case where an original American institution has been co-opted by the environmental movement. Ethanol is clearly inferior and far less efficient than regular gasoline. It does not deliver the same level of miles per gallon as regular gas. Furthermore, it is considerably more expensive to produce and according to the CBO it costs $1.68 more per gallon than regular gas.

The last several races have become gas mileage races where the drivers and the crew chiefs had to develop race strategies based on the poor ethanol fuel mileage. Some fans may claim that this has made the races more exciting and others, like me, would claim its purpose isn’t to make racing more exciting but to promote an environmentalist agenda. What is the advantage of ethanol? Proponents claim it is better for the environment because it produces fewer of the harmful pollutants and that may be true per gallon. I would ask how effective it is if you are required to user more gallons to drive the same distance. In the final analysis does it truly have any significant impact on the environment? Just think about this. The volcanic ash emitted into the Earth's atmosphere in just four days by the recent volcanic activity in Iceland, has totally erased every single effort the environmentalists have made to reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, there are around 200 active volcanoes on the planet spewing out carbon at any one time - EVERY DAY.
Converting our grain supplies to Ethanol has driven up the cost of food for every person in America and disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable in society. The EPA has concluded that ethanol subsidies have increased corn prices at least 8 percent. Ethanol currently receives triple protection: with a $6 billion per year tax subsidy, an import tariff and a usage mandate.

The current economic realities demand that government policies be reality based, cost effective, and encourage job growth. Production of ethanol fails on all counts. Those who stand to benefit the most from this government policy are not the public or even the environment but the farmers that receive ethanol subsidies. These policies are designed to environmentally re-engineer American society and are based on unreliable scientific studies.
Even many green groups now oppose ethanol subsidies because they do nothing to improve the environment. Again, where is the cost benefit analysis of this program? The increasing costs on the food supply to the public alone should nullify this government intervention in our free-market system.

This is another example of the government providing subsidies to special interest groups to dictate ineffective economic policies. Ethanol is not about reducing our dependence on petroleum but rather it is an environmental scheme to eliminate petroleum related jobs in America. To achieve a better balance in society and reduce our dependence on FOREIGN oil we need to make the most effective use of our abundant natural resources. We need to re-invigorate our petroleum industry and use our agricultural crops for food production and not the production of Ethanol.

Harbison: Ethanol is not the answer

NM Protective Services: "Too Many Chiefs"

KOB - TV - SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The state agency charged with investigating child abuse allegations is top-heaving, and caseworkers are carrying "dangerously high" caseloads. That's the conclusion of an audit presented to lawmakers on Wednesday.The audit from the State Legislative Finance Committee recommends that the Protective Services Division of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department shift some supervisors into front-line caseworker positions. Caseworkers are the first people to contact a child and a family when abuse is alleged. Read full story here: News New Mexico

NM Protective Services: "Too Many Chiefs"

Union Head: N.J. is Nazi Germany Led by "Adolf Christie"

Chris Christie

Daily Caller - Welcome to the new civility. At a Thursday rally in New Jersey protesting Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s pension deal that would cut pensions and benefits to public workers, a union leader charged Christie with acting like a Nazi. And not any ordinary Nazi, but Adolf Hitler himself. “Good afternoon brothers and sisters. Welcome to Nazi Germany,” Communications Workers of America District 1 Vice President Christopher Shelton is seen raving in a video posted on YouTube. “We have Adolf Christie and his two generals trying to make New Jersey Nazi Germany.” The two Nazi “generals” apparently refer to two Democratic state legislators instrumental in reaching the pension deal with Christie.

After ranting more about “Adolf Christie,” the YouTube video shows Shelton comparing the pension battle in New Jersey to World War II. “Brothers and sisters, this is not going to be an easy fight,” he shrieked. “It took World War II to get rid of the last Adolf Hitler. It is going to take World War III to get rid of Adolf Christie. Are you ready for World War III?” Rally attendees are seen wildly cheering Shelton’s speech in the video. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Union Head: N.J. is Nazi Germany Led by "Adolf Christie"

UNM football player busted on airplane, sparks debate over airline authority

From Capitol Report New Mexico.com - For some people, DeShon Marman got what was coming to him. For others, they think US Airways flight attendants went too far.The 20-year-old who plays on the New Mexico Lobos football team was arrested Wednesday (June 15) at the San Francisco International Airport. His crime? Baggy pants. According to SF police, during boarding for the flight from San Francisco to Phoenix, three airline employess told him to pull up his pants because they were exposing his underwear. After being asked a second time, police say that Marman responded by saying that he didn’t have to because he had purchased a ticket.
A spokeswoman for US Airways said the incident began with Marman’s attire but escalated when “he repeatedly ignored crewmember instructions.” Police say the crew alerted the airliner’s captain to the disruption and police were called in to assist. Here’s more from CNN:
The captain made a citizens arrest of Marman for trespassing when he refused to leave the plane, according to Rodriguez. The captain decided to deplane the other passengers when Marman would not immediately leave the aircraft, [SF Police Sgt. Michael] Rodriguez said.
After leaving the plane, Marman resisted being handcuffed in the jetway, Rodriguez said, injuring an officer in the scuffle. One comment on the http://www.cnn.com/ site read: “Since when does a citizen, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, have to obey the orders of some security person who doesn’t like his clothes, and then submit to handcuffs for his ‘resistance.’ This is stupid. No one on any airline is going to tell me how to dress.” Either way, this is most national publicity the 1-11 Lobos have had in a long time. Read whole story here

UNM football player busted on airplane, sparks debate over airline authority

Swickard: Old west scum and a forgotten old west hero

Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - Years ago at an informal meeting of tourism planners I watched as they searched for money-making ideas. One said New Mexico wastes perfectly good weekends when there are no celebrations. The “Tourist to local ratio” turns heavily local. The group agreed that we already have the local’s money, we need more tourists. So they ordered another round of drinks and brainstormed celebrations. Here are a few of the “better” ones: Dust Days (March or April), Cow Chip Days (any month), Bow Tie Days, Horned Toad Days, Siesta Days, and my personal favorite, Hot Steering Wheel Days. But seriously folks... A while back a television crew from Phoenix came to Las Cruces to do a story on famed Old West Sheriff Pat Garrett. They called on me because the idea for the television story was inspired by one of my columns.

Pat Garrett was a real life hero who was honored and respected while Billy the Kid is a myth made up in the 1926 book by Walter Noble Burns. It is an insult to the Garrett family when people celebrate a myth and forget the real story. Over the last 30 years I write a yearly column because I feel we should not celebrate an outlaw scum, who rustled cattle, stole horses and killed unarmed people.Consider this: a celebration of Pat Garrett would get national attention and, even more importantly, send the correct message about gangs and outlaws to our children. It is true that Garrett had rough edges as did many people in those days. He was no saint, though comparing Garrett to the Kid is like comparing Charlie Sheen to Charles Manson. One is a bad boy while the other is a monster.In August each year there is the Lincoln Days Celebration in Lincoln County celebrating Billy the Kid. Each year I do not go celebrate an outlaw thug. Instead, I bore my friends and acquaintances with Garrett stories. Each year I bend every elbow and ear I can find by pushing the idea of New Mexico Pat Garrett Days in Las Cruces and at the same time to give tourists to our fair state a choice of who they want to celebrate. Read more

Swickard: Old west scum and a forgotten old west hero

China and Russia Warn Obama

Breitbart - "The sides believe that the search for settling the situation in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa should take place in the legal field and through political means," said the declaration signed by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Hu Jintao. "Outside forces should not interfere in internal processes in the countries of the region." Rather, the conflicts should be solved by "launching broad national dialogue about rebuilding stability and social order and the promotion of democratic and economic reforms," the statement said. The two presidents also expressed concern over the situation in Libya, calling for an end to hostilities between the forces of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and the rebels. Read full story here: News New Mexico

China and Russia Warn Obama