Use Taxpayer Dollars to Glorify Yourself



Sheryl Williams Stapleton

Capitol Report New Mexico - In the summer of 2010, Capitol Report New Mexico started its periodic look at “Monuments to Me,” the practice in which sitting legislators end up getting public buildings named after them. One of the first examples we noticed was how the African American Performing Arts Center in Albuquerque has a wing named after state House representative and Democratic whip Sheryl Williams Stapleton: Last night (Oct. 27), KRQE-TV’s Larry Barker delivered one of his trademark investigative reports, disclosing that for years, Stapleton did not take leave from her job as an administrator at the Albuquerque Public Schools system and received pay while attending legislative sessions. It seems that APS superintendent Winston Brooks is pretty cavalier about Stapleton’s breaking of the rules. At the very least, she should repay the $167,000 she earned when she violated APS policy. After all, taxpayer dollars fund the APS budget. Read full story and see videos here: News New Mexico

Use Taxpayer Dollars to Glorify Yourself

First Major October Snow in New York Since Civil War

Daily Mail - The leaves may still be on the trees but it appears autumn has been bypassed, as the East Coast braces itself for snowstorms which could hit 60 million people. New England has already been struck by a very early snowstorm, while this weekend looks set to see huge amounts of sleet and snow covering the North East, invariably causing power outages and travel chaos. Forecasts for this nor'easter have changed in the last couple of days and the prospect of a snow-free Halloween weekend have now gone. Low pressure will track up the East Coast on Saturday possibly bringing significant amounts of the white stuff across the tri-state area, Pennsylvania and New England. Read full story here: News New Mexico

First Major October Snow in New York Since Civil War

Center for Biological Diversity Takes Shot at Noon

Marita Noon

According to a Center for Biological Diversity press release, four New Mexico conservation groups demanded yesterday that regular News New Mexico contributor Marita Noon, who the release calls a "fossil-fuel industry front-woman," cease her use of “watermelon-smashing” rhetoric in speeches and editorials and on websites. Below is an excerpt of the press release:

"Noon is notorious for whipping up hysteria at pro-industry rallies by chanting “smash the watermelons” after telling crowds that environmentalists are watermelons because they are green on the outside and red on the inside. Noon distributes “Smash the Watermelons” stickers at her anti-environmental rallies and has created a “Smash the Watermelons” Web page.

“Marita Noon’s vitriol pollutes civic discourse,” said Taylor McKinnon, public-lands campaigns director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Inciting violence against your fellow citizens is unacceptable. She needs to stop now.” Read the entire release here: News New Mexico

NewsNM note (Spence) CBD's Jay Linninger has also appeared on the show and has an open invitation to return and make the case for silencing Noon. 

Center for Biological Diversity Takes Shot at Noon

It All Depends on "What Your Definition of Lobbyist Is"

ABC - More than a dozen of President Obama’s top campaign financiers have close ties to the lobbying industry, despite his pledge to remain free from the influence of lobbyists and their cash, according to an analysis of donor lists by the New York Times. At least 15 Obama “bundlers,” or volunteer fundraisers who gather contributions from their deep-pocket friends, are actively involved in the federal policymaking process, working in law firms or corporate offices that focus on lobbying, the Times found. None of the donors are formally registered as federal lobbyists, the threshold the Obama campaign uses to regularly refuse contributions.

But the individuals’ activities, the Times contends, fit the definition. Pfizer executive Sally Susman, for example, chairs the company’s political action committee and leads its “public affairs activities, including relations with governments,” according the Pfizer website. She has bundled more than $500,000 in donations for Obama so far. Comcast executive David Cohen, who oversees the media giant’s government affairs and public affairs, also bundled more than $500,000 and has hobnobbed with Obama on Martha’s Vineyard. And Michael Kempner, whose PR firm MWW Group touts to its clients its “important relationships with both the Democratic and Republican leadership,” has also bundled half a million dollars for Obama. His firm includes seven registered lobbyists, according to the Times. Read full story here: News New Mexico

It All Depends on "What Your Definition of Lobbyist Is"

Democratic Party Strategist, GOP Voters Like Cain "because he's a black man who knows his place."

Karen Finney

Mediaite - Democratic strategist Karen Finney agreed with Taylor that Cain wasn’t serious about getting the Republican nomination. “I think Herman Cain might be coming out with a new show because he’s become the new Donald Trump in the race and it’s hard to take him seriously,” Finney assessed, though she did surmise it might be because he’s raising money. “I think he makes that white Republican base of the party feel okay, feel that they’re not racist because they can like this guy, I think they like him because he’s a black man who knows his place.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

Democratic Party Strategist, GOP Voters Like Cain "because he's a black man who knows his place."

Santa Fe Studios Continues to Ignore Press Inquiries

Lance Hool

Santa Fe New Mexican - The $10 million state economic development grant has been spent, and the film-production facility it paid for can be seen in the distance on N.M. 14 south of Santa Fe. But the opening date of the private movie studio — which garnered millions in incentives from public sources with promises of job creation and economic development — has still not been made public.

Santa Fe County is administering the $10 million grant that Santa Fe Studios LLC received from the state, and the county has kicked in another $3.6 million worth of infrastructure improvements for the project. It also is guaranteeing $6.5 million worth of a $10 million loan the studio's principals secured from Los Alamos National Bank. But county spokesman Kristine Mihelcic said in a written statement Tuesday that "Santa Fe County at this time has not received current information in relation to the opening date of the studio, scheduled projects, job opportunities or [the studio's] board of directors."

Javier Gonzales

The website for Santa Fe Studios — which is owned primarily by father and son Lance and Jason Hool — previously said the facility was supposed to open in August. The site has since been amended to state that the project will open "in 2011." The Hools have not responded to repeated requests for interviews from The New Mexican, but they stated in a news release regarding a fundraiser for the Santa Fe Film Festival that the studio is slated to open next month. Ballentines PR and Marketing, the firm representing the studios, said it was working to get answers to that question and others submitted by The New Mexican on Sept. 14. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Santa Fe Studios Continues to Ignore Press Inquiries

Eric Holder's War on Border Patrol Continues

Jesus Diaz

Free Republic - Since February 24, 2011, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jesus Diaz has been sitting in a prison cell, following a conviction on one count of excessive force and 5 counts of lying to Internal Affairs. Given the circumstances of his case, and this government’s seeming crusade against Border Patrol agents, Agent Diaz could arguably called yet another political prisoner for Mexico. His crime? On October 16, 2008, Agent Diaz responded to a location near Eagle Pass, TX, after a report came in that several drug smugglers were in the area after crossing the river. Once the illegal aliens were apprehended, Agent Diaz allegedly pulled on the handcuffs of one of the smugglers as he was placing him in a vehicle…That’s it.

Eric Holder

Though two separate oversight agencies conducted their own investigations and cleared Diaz of any criminal wrongdoing…U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton brought charges against Diaz, and in September 2010, the case ended in a mistrial. However, the Obama Justice Department brought charges against Diaz again, and this time--they received a conviction. In this trial, the feds would not allow testimony introduced which showed that prosecution witnesses committed perjury in the first proceeding. Diaz faces up to ten years in federal prison when is sentenced in November. The drug smuggler, who was a minor at the time of his arrest, was given full immunity in exchange for his testimony against Agent Diaz. Agent Diaz has is an 8-year veteran of the Border Patrol, has four children with his wife, Diana who is a Field Operations Supervisor with the Border Patrol. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Eric Holder's War on Border Patrol Continues

Egolf Pressures UNM to Continue to Accommodate Occupy Protestors at State Expense

Roundhouse Roundup - by Steve Terrell - State Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe is asking University of New Mexico President David Schmidly to hold off on clearing UNM's campus in Albuquerque. The university announced a day ago that the school wouldn't renew (Un)Occuppy Albuquerque's permit, citing safety concerns. The school ordered protesters to leave Yale Park by 10 p.m. I realize that the presence of the protestors poses serious issues for campus management and security, but there are important and compelling First Amendment issues involved that bear serious consideration by you and your staff.

Brian Egolf

As you know, the University occupies a special place in Albuquerque - both literally and figuratively. By forcing the protestors out, you are preventing them from making their views known to a large audience. I also believe that the University - as both a state-funded institution and as a place where debate and the exchange of ideas are encouraged - has a special role to play in the ongoing protests. Egolf was the only legislator I saw at the Occupy Santa Fe event I covered on Saturday. Read story here: News New Mexico

Egolf Pressures UNM to Continue to Accommodate Occupy Protestors at State Expense

One More Thing to Blame on Global Warming

KOB TV - The drought parching New Mexico and West Texas has long range climate scientists worried about an increase in catastrophic forest fires, especially in the Jemez Mountains where the largest forest fire in New Mexico history broke out this summer. They blame it on global warming - and more than a century of mismanagement of forests and fires. The Las Conchas fire broke out on June 26, when a dead tree fell into power lines in the Jemez. It devoured 43,000 acres on the first day, crowning through the treetops in densely overgrown forests where no surface fire had cleared space in the woods since the 1880s. The forests were all dried up by a dreadful drought, the worst since the 1950s. "In terms of precipitation the 1950s drought actually looks worse than the 2000s drought, but it was significantly cooler then," said Dr. Craig Allen, a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. "The warmer conditions in the 2000s mean that the water stress on trees is greater. It also means the fire season is longer and more severe." Read full story here: News New Mexico

One More Thing to Blame on Global Warming

More Tourists for Less Money?

Jay Miller

Inside the Capitol - SANTA FE – New Mexico can attract many more tourists without spending any more money. That was the message from state Tourism Department Secretary Monique Jacobson to the Legislative Finance Committee last week. Jacobson says we just have to work smarter and elevate our game. And that we can do without any increase in appropriation. The message, of course, was music to legislative ears. But will it work?

Monique Jacobson

Our neighboring states spend many times New Mexico's $2.5 million advertising budget already. Jacobson says the secret lies in how we spend our money. New Mexico's measly $2.5 million will be switched from tourism services to tourism generating expenditures. "We've got to serve the traveler and not the destination," she explained. The New Mexico tourism industry has not appreciated the new secretary from the beginning. This will ice it. But frugal-minded lawmakers likely will be willing to give Jacobson's austerity program a chance. Read full column here: News New Mexico

More Tourists for Less Money?