Firefighter & Pecan Growers Arrested in Federal Bust
Santa Fe Woman Pledges $1M for Food Bank
"Johnny" Lee, Former Otero County Sheriff died at 58
Frostbitten Man Pulled From Rio Grande
KOAT TV - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Fire crews rescued a man from the Rio Grande River on Saturday. Officials said a biology teacher and her students from La Cueva found Clayton Senn, 35, tangled in some reeds in the river. Albuquerque police said tall grass and vegetation caused Senn to get disoriented as he took a nature hike around the Bosque. "It was very tough. We're dealing with a couple feet of mud and two feet on top of that. The going was really slow," said Capt. Richard Campos, of the Albuquerque Police Department. The Albuquerque Fire Department said the man claimed to have been in the river for three days. Read full story here: News New Mexico
Dona Ana County Leaders Do Damage Control Tour
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| Dona Ana County Building |
N.M. National Guard Deployed to Egypt/Israel
Border Patrol Seized 400 Pounds of Marijuana
Swickard: The Occupy Santa Fe movement needs to move differently
© 2012 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.Occupy Santa Fe Press release: “… OSF understands the continuing corruption of our democracy is a matter of sheer survival with 146 million Americans at or below the poverty line. A noisy interruption of the ALEC $250 dinner is mild compared to the economic, social, and environmental devastation caused by corporate domination… ALEC members choked two women protesters with their own scarves while simultaneously punching them in the back, one by Representative Kintigh of Roswell. Following them to the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, an ALEC member punched a male protester in the face, and shoved another male protester to the wall in a chokehold. Four security guards from the Eldorado Hotel contained the violent ALEC legislative member.”
I was not there nor have I spoken to any of the participants. However, I am gravely concerned at two things: first, that a peaceful group of elected New Mexico legislators on private property were subjected to a frightening violent interaction. Second, that the Occupy Santa Fe group was able to barge into a private dinner.
If the Occupy Santa Fe protesters had remained at their protest outside the hotel it would be a non-story. Instead they came onto public property, a hotel dining room and caused a fuss. They called causing a fuss civil disobedience, but they are wrong.
Be noisy, be in the face, be on public property. Step onto private property without permission and it is not fine. The hotel, while open to the public is still private property. The protestors have no right to walk into any store, restaurant or hotel without permission.
The authorities and security forces were absent and that left it up to the legislators to protect themselves. There is a charge of excessive force against Rep. Dennis Kintigh when he removed at least one person. He is a New Mexico certified police officer and a retired FBI agent. That he felt compelled to act speaks volumes as to the safety of the legislators in the room.
Where do we go from here? I hope Occupy Santa Fe troops are not trying to force the legislators to huddle behind protected walls. We have a great citizen legislature where anyone can walk almost anywhere in the Roundhouse without hassle. The dialog may have started to try to contain the “terrorist” effect of protestors.
I do have to protest the protestor press release, “…the continuing corruption of our democracy is a matter of sheer survival with 146 million Americans at or below the poverty line.” So one half of all Americans are at or below the poverty line? Yet most have a house, car and cable. How is that poverty? I suspect the fragile population is closer to five percent and yes, they do need our prayers and our help.
Also, the New Mexico Legislature has been firmly in the hands of the Democrats since before World War Two. The Occupy Santa Fe group was yelling at Republicans who rarely if ever have any say in what the Legislature does. If corporations have bought the New Mexico Legislature protest the Democrats.
I would like to give some honest helpful advice for the people in the Occupy Santa Fe movement. Stay on public property. We hear you and dare I say it, I agree with some of your more reasonable concerns. I have raised them myself as to money and politics.
Importantly, if you really want to make a difference, go to each legislative district and put up a candidate against the incumbent so that a year from now the entire 112 members of the New Mexico Legislature could all be newly elected Occupy members who will completely cleanse the political process. Do the change right.
The Occupy people all over our nation do have our attention but we will not be bullied, we will not be intimidated and they cannot come on private property and attack New Mexico citizens without the full response of angry citizens being conveyed to them. If they want to change the political process it is open to them to do so. Do it in the way that our US and New Mexico Constitution allows, get elected and lead us to a better world.
Martinez: Won't Sign a Bill That is a "Sham"
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| Michael Sanchez |
NewsNM note (Spence) Think it is easy to clean up this state? Think again. New Mexico's driver's license issuance law has created a sanctuary for crime syndicates. And those crime syndicates were heard cheering wildly this week. Why? Because Democrats in the New Mexico legislature led by Michael Sanchez of Belen in the Senate and Speaker Ben Lujan in the House, consciously chose to either look the other way, or actively work in unison, mostly behind closed doors, to kill reform that would send these crime syndicates packing. Not a single Democrat was heard condemning the obstruction and none lifted a finger to put a halt to what was happening. This is true despite the fact that early in the week an Associated Press report showed that unidentified and undocumented foreigners are as a matter of routine, fraudulently and repeatedly using the same addresses at smoke shops and auto-repair shops to get state driver's licenses. The conditions are creating nightmares for law enforcement. Governor Martinez spoke out.
KOAT TV - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Gov. Susana Martinez called an alternate bill that aims to tighten the state's driver's license laws "a sham." Martinez told Target 7 that she won't stop until illegal immigrants are banned from getting licenses in the state.
On Thursday, Martinez's bill was shelved in committee and Democrats offered an alternative that would, in part, require license renewal after two years.
"What they've done is actually drafted a sham. They're still going to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and I won't sign a bill that does that," Martinez said.
This is the second time in two legislative sessions that the bill has disintegrated.
"I will never give up doing what New Mexicans want me to," Martinez said. "Every opportunity I have, I need to fight to repeal this law." Read full story here: News New Mexico
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| Ben Lujan |
On Thursday, Martinez's bill was shelved in committee and Democrats offered an alternative that would, in part, require license renewal after two years.
"What they've done is actually drafted a sham. They're still going to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and I won't sign a bill that does that," Martinez said.
This is the second time in two legislative sessions that the bill has disintegrated.
"I will never give up doing what New Mexicans want me to," Martinez said. "Every opportunity I have, I need to fight to repeal this law." Read full story here: News New Mexico
Martinez PRC Appointment is "News"
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| Susana Martinez |
Strangely enough, and despite the fact there is hardly an extended family in America of any size whatsoever that doesn't have at least one gay member, this story is still considered "news."
There are several factors at work that make this story news. First, it is a complete contradiction to the stereo-type perpetuated mostly by progressive activists seeking leverage for additional group rights, that goes like this: all Republicans are gay bashing bigots. Second, there are more than a few naive, narrow-minded, and/or hateful people, who claim they are for limited government......except when the subject of sexual orientation comes up in policy debates. Third, there is the vast majority of what could best be described as "the rest of us." This is the huge majority in New Mexico and in America that simply wants government to leave us alone and also leave our family members, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who happens to be gay, alone.
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| Doug Howe |
The truth is Governor Martinez did not do anything extraordinary when she appointed Dough Howe to the PRC. She simply did what successful business people do every day. She hired a very talented individual with the credentials to get the job done. All of us who want to live in peace will be far better off when fringe groups that continue to stir up prejudices wise up and shut up. And we will also be better off when those that traffic in paranoia about prejudice, and do so strictly for political purposes, shut up too.
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