Education secretary issue heads to Senate

Hanna Skandera - Public Education Department

From KRQE-TV.com - ANTA FE (KRQE) – A plan to get rid of New Mexico’s education secretary is headed to the Senate floor after a panel approved it. Democrat Michael Padilla’s constitutional amendment would create an elected state board of education with an appointed superintendent to manage New Mexico’s education system.
     That’s how the system used to work until 2003 when voters chose the current system. Republicans claim Democrats are backing the idea because they don’t like Gov. Susana Martinez’s current education appointee Hanna Skandera.
     Padilla denies that. He says he wants to take politics out of education, give voters more input, and create more stability. “It allows for a state superintendent that’s appointed by a state board of education that represents the people to be in place for a month or 28 years. I mean, if they’re doing a good job, they’ll keep their job. If they’re not doing a good job, they’ll be out of there,” said Padilla, D-Albuquerque.
     Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, said, “When they had it before, besides one superintendent, they were switching every two to three years. So it’s not going to bring the continuity they claim is their purpose.”. More

Education secretary issue heads to Senate

NM student rank below national average in AP tests

New Mexico high school students ranked below the national average on Advanced Placement tests last year. But the scores have improved over the past decade, and New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanic and low income students who passed the tests. 

The 10th annual report from the College Board shows 43 percent of Hispanic students in New Mexico who took an AP test scored three points or more - the highest percent nationally. 

 At 53 percent, New Mexico also has the highest number of Hispanic high school students, and 46 percent of them took an AP test. Nearly 40 percent of low income students in New Mexico who took an AP test passed. 

Overall, 12 percent of New Mexico students passed, compared to a national average of 20 percent.

Information from The AP. 

NM student rank below national average in AP tests

AG's office says Gov. helicopter use was legal

Gov. Martinez

A senior official of the state Attorney General's Office says Gov. Susana Martinez didn't break the law when she flew on a State Police helicopter to avoid missing a commercial flight to attend political fundraisers in Texas in 2011.

However, General Counsel R. David Peterson also says it would be appropriate for Martinez to reimburse the state the $800 that the flight cost taxpayers. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Martinez says she doesn't plan to do that. Her campaign spokesman has said the helicopter flight was proper because Martinez stayed at a Board of Finance meeting that ran late.

The Attorney General's Office looked into the matter because of a complaint by a political advocacy group, ProgressNow New Mexico. 

AG's office says Gov. helicopter use was legal

Voluntary recall on Bueno green chile

Bueno Foods has announced a voluntary recall of its frozen non-ready-to-eat green chile. 

According to the company, the measure is being taken due to the possibilty of low levels of the listeria bacteria being present in the product.

 In a press release, Bueno Foods President Jackie Baca said, “Bueno is taking this action because we are committed to providing a safe food supply to our customers.  We pride ourselves as having some of the highest health and safety standards in the industry and are taking this action as a precaution.” 

The company states that no other products are being affected by the recall.

 For more information, call Bueno Foods at 505-243-2722, extention 127, or visit their website at buenofoods.com. 

Voluntary recall on Bueno green chile

Marijuana proposal likely dead this year

A proposal to let New Mexico voters decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana has stalled in committee and is likely dead for the year. 

The state Senate Rules Committee voted 5-5 on Tuesday against sending the constitutional amendment to another committee for consideration. 

The proposal would have made it legal for adults 21 and over to possess and use marijuana. 

The plan likely would have faced difficulty in the Legislature. And Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, an Albuquerque Democrat who sponsored the measure, says he sees little chance of the issue being revived this session. But he says he will try again next year. Colorado and Washington state have legalized marijuana. 

Pot stores opened in Colorado last month, and sales should start in Washington later this year.

Information from The AP. 

Marijuana proposal likely dead this year

FBI offering reward to find people pointing lasers at planes

From KOB-TV.com - The FBI is offering big money to anyone who has information on people who are pointing bright lasers at planes. It's a growing and dangerous trend called "laser striking." In a reenactment video given to KOB Eyewitness News 4 from the FBI, you can see a green light beaming from a laser. 

     It's so bright that the pilot used his arms to block it; a distraction that could cause the pilot to lose control. "[If] you take the eyes away from a pilot, you've basically put the whole crew in danger- the passengers of the aircraft and folks on the ground as well. So having my eyesight is very important and we take this very, very seriously," said Steve Jangelis, a pilot.

     On Tuesday morning at the Albuquerque Sunport, the FBI announced a reward of up to $10,000 for anyone who has information on people who aim lasers at planes. In Albuquerque, the FBI and FAA saw 27 laser strikes in 2013; almost double from the year before.
     The jump puts Albuquerque on a list of just 11 other cities, including New York City and L.A., where laser striking is happening. If you're caught, the FBI said, you can face up to 5 years in prison.
The FBI said it can be hard catching the "laser strikers", that's why they're offering the reward, hoping people will speak up. If you have information, call the Albuquerque FBI at 505-889-1300 More

FBI offering reward to find people pointing lasers at planes

Marita Noon: Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up

Commentary by Marita Noon - If you find oil or natural gas on your property, the value goes up. If you find an endangered species, your land becomes virtually worthless because the critter prevents productive use.
     Most people would be excited to have a Jed-Clampet moment when, while hunting for dinner, the shot resulted in bubbling crude coming up from the ground. Like the Clampet family, your life would change dramatically. Your land would suddenly be worth more than you’d ever dreamed!
     If, while hunting for dinner, you instead find an endangered species—the half-jest, half-serious advice would be “shoot, shovel and shut up.” Kent Holsinger, a Colorado attorney whose work centers around endangered species issues, told me that he has seen many landowners lose significant value due to a listed species being found on their property.
     The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Richard Nixon to preserve, protect and recover key domestic species. Though well intentioned at the start, the ESA has since been used as a tool to hinder or block economic activity from logging and farming to mining and oil-and-gas development—often to protect species that don’t truly need it. Read full column

Marita Noon: Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up

State budget fails in NM House on tie vote

From KOAT-TV.com - SANTA FE, N.M. —A proposed budget providing $6 billion for public education and state government next year has failed in the House on a tie vote. Republicans were joined by one Democrat - Rep. Sandra Jeff of Crownpoint - in opposing the measure on Friday.
     The 34-34 vote will force Democrats to regroup and potentially revamp portions of the budget. Two Democrats are absent this session because of health problems.
     Republicans objected that the measure didn't fund a number of the governor's educational initiatives, including merit pay for teachers. Before the final vote, Democrats rejected a GOP attempt to revamp the spending plan to shift more money to Martinez-backed programs.
     The budget proposed to increase spending on public education and government programs by 4.8 percent or $280 million next year. More

State budget fails in NM House on tie vote

Swickard: Repeal all minimum wage laws now

© 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. The minimum wage is an example of wage control. There has never been any country where wage controls have helped the workers. Wage controls always cause lots of economic problems and it gives government much more control of our lives.

      We do not need polls, advice columns, or politicians sputtering, the economic data is compelling. When a minimum wage is imposed, it excludes the very members of the society that need a first job. Further, it treats employers improperly making them fund socialist benevolence via an unequal trade with their employees.

     How so? Businesses take a product and convey it to customers. Done correctly there must be a profit so the process can continue. The employer trades money with employees for their productivity in this process.

     If the value of the employee productivity is less than the money the employer gives the employee then there is an uneven trade. Both employer and employee must prosper for the relationship to continue. The employer must pay enough that employees can exist while employees must give employers enough productivity that customers are satisfied by quality and price.

     Further, customers decide how much they will spend so prices must conform to customer behavior. Therefore, if the cost of the product including the cost of the employee productivity is more than the customer is willing to spend, the customer will not buy. Often businesses will fail. This is Economics 101.

     So when the government forces employers to make a bad bargain of paying employees more than their productivity is worth one of two things will happen: the loss is passed on to the customer who is free to buy or not because the product costs more than it should. Customers are free to buy from any vendor so employers who lower the employee cost can lower purchase price.

     The second thing is that some employers may mechanize to keep from paying more for the employees than the employees can deliver in productivity. This is an adaption many businesses have used because of the minimum wage laws. Currently, many low-skilled jobs have been mechanized or moved off-shore.Read full column

Swickard: Repeal all minimum wage laws now

Hanna Skandera on News New Mexico Thursday

Hanna Skandera from the Public Education Department will be on News New Mexico Thursday to discuss the education budget. She will be interviewed by Dr. Michael Swickard and Bob Endlich in the second half of the show's second hour. Besides being on a number of radio stations, the program is streamed here

Hanna Skandera on News New Mexico Thursday