News New Mexico: June 2010

G-20's Disappointing Compromise

Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, one of our favorite economists and author of the book, When Markets Collide, offers critical commentary on the recently concluded G-20 summit in Toronto. While the language of his analysis is sometimes a bit wonkish to the laymen, El-Erian has often offered great insight into what is going on in the global economy. Read his summary here:

Maureen Dowd - The Tale of Two Generals

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd weighs in with her views on the Congressional testimony of General David Petraeus on the Obama policy in Afghanistan. She also offers some observations on Solicitor General/Supreme Court Justice nominee Elena Kagan's assertions about her treatment of the military at Harvard. Read her take on both appearances here:

Checkpoints Planned - Don't Drink & Drive

Las Cruces City Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department, and the New Mexico State Police will be out in force this weekend with sobriety checkpoints. With drunk driving being one of the primary dangers to public safety they will be stopping vehicles looking for people behind the wheel who are not sober.

Walter Williams - Poor?

Columnist Walter Williams explores what it means to be "poor in America." The statistics he uses come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They might come as a surprise to some. Read the data and Williams thoughts here:

Supreme Court takes Arizona migrant-hiring law

From the Arizona Daily Star - PHOENIX - The nation's high court agreed Monday to review Arizona's law that punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Without comment, the justices said they want to review lower-court rulings that found the law does not infringe on the exclusive right of the federal government to control immigration policy. Both a trial judge and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Arizona law fits within a narrow exception to federal statutes. Monday's decision could be the best chance for a coalition of business and civil-rights groups to strike down the law. It takes the votes of four of the nine justices just to hear a case. Sen. Russell Pearce, the Mesa Republican who was the architect of the law, said he was "very concerned" that the court might have taken the case because of political pressure from business interests. And Pearce said he always assumed three of the justices would never see things his way."They don't believe in states' rights," he said. "They don't believe in the Constitution, really." Read more

Armstrong Williams - Too Old To Govern?

Columnist Armstrong Williams discusses the age of elected officials and the implications on public policy and accountability. Perhaps the passing of Robert Byrd on Monday prompted the thoughts. The 92 year old senator from West Virginia, was an occupant of the upper body of Congress for 51 years. We'd say that is long enough to make the subject of "too old" fair game. Read Williams comments here:

Terrafugia Transition 'flying car' gets go-ahead from US air authorities

From the United Kingdom Telegraph - The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The Transition was designed as a "light sport" aircraft, the smallest kind of private aeroplane under FAA classification, with a maximum weight of 1,320lb. The two-seater Transition can use its front-wheel drive on roads at ordinary highway speeds, with wings folded, at a respectable 30 miles per gallon. Once it has arrived at a suitable take-off spot - an airport, or adequately sized piece of flat private land - it can fold down the wings, engage its rear-facing propeller, and take off. The folding wings are electrically powered. Its cruising speed in the air is 115mph, it has a range of 460 miles, and it can carry 450lb. It requires a 1,700-foot (one-third of a mile) runway to take off and can fit in a standard garage. Read more

Wimbledon Wrap-up

Serena Williams advanced to the women's semi-finals at Wimbledon yesterday, but there will be no Williams sisters final this year. Older sister Venus was beaten by a Bulgarian player who was ranked 82nd in the world. Kim Clijsters was also beaten. Read match and tournament summaries here:

Consumer Confidence Falls Off a Cliff

It isn't any one thing, it is everything. The explanation for the plunge in the Consumer Confidence Index in June cannot be narrowed down to any one development. Consumers know instinctively that the policy reaction to the gulf oil spill is not helping. Plans to shrink supplies of energy will only raise fuel prices. The Thatcher prophesy, (the trouble with socialism is pretty soon you run out of other people's money) is coming to pass in Europe. Congress, fresh off a government takeover of health care looks to have engineered another plan for central planning style micro-management. This time government is looking to run the financial system. And finally, how can anyone have confidence now that the Gore romance has imploded? Are consumers already kissing the shaky recovery goodbye? Read the details of the numbers here:

Google Gives In to China Censorship

We heard plenty of blather and bluster coming from CEO Eric Schmidt and other executives at Google regarding censorship in China. The jawboning involved spelling out exactly what sort of principles Google would never compromise. However, when push came to shove, and the huge search giant realized it would lose its application to renew as a search engine in China if it did not comply with China's laws Google knuckled under. Read the details here:

Senators Do Ask and Sometimes Kagan Don't Tell

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan admitted she personally decided to make it much harder for military leaders to recruit on campus at Harvard due to her feelings about the Clinton Administration's "don't ask don't tell policy" in the military. Not one senator bothered to ask President Obama's nominee if she had also banned the military from rushing to Harvard's defense in case of a terrorist attack. When asked if her political views would affect her legal judgment, she said they wouldn't. It was all very interesting posturing by all the participants on Capitol Hill yesterday. Read details of the second day of her testimony here.

Blue Cross takes rate hike fight to NM Supreme Court

From the New Mexico Independent - By Bryant Furlow - Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico Friday petitioned the state Supreme Court to block acting insurance superintendent Johnny Montoya’s suspension of a controversial 21 percent health insurance rate hike. “This case is about fundamental fairness and adherence to the law,” Blue Cross Blue Shield attorneys wrote in the petition, which described Montoya’s suspension as “unlawful and unconstitutional.” The company is represented by the Sutin, Thayer and Browne law firm of Albuquerque. The Independent received no response to a request for comment from Montoya Monday. Montoya’s suspension of the rate hike approval was “right and necessary,” according to Public Regulation Commission (PRC) commissioner Jason Marks. An expert hired by the state Attorney General’s office had concluded the rate hike was unjustified and the company had “inflated” its losses. But just a day before a scheduled public hearing on the proposed rate hike, a weekend deal was stuck between the Attorney General’s office, Blue Cross Blue Shield attorneys, and Insurance Division staffers, leading former insurance superintendent Morris “Mo” Chavez to approve a 21.3 percent rate hike. Marks had denounced that weekend settlement at the time as “a back room deal.” Read more

Federal Law Enforcement: Martinez Ad True

More great investigative journalism by NMPolitics.net. Looking into allegations by the Diane Denish campaign that Dona Ana Country District Attorney and GOP candidate for governor Susana Martinez has exaggerated her prosecution record, Heath Haussamen spoke with Ernesto Ortiz who is director of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA). According to Ortiz, Martinez has in fact taken on members of the most violent Mexican drug cartels.” Read the entire story at NMPolitics.net by clicking here:

Supreme Court extends gun rights to states

From the Washington Times - The Supreme Court on Monday said the Second Amendment gives all Americans a right to keep and bear arms for self-defense that can't be infringed by state and local laws. In a 5-4 decision, the court rejected arguments that overturning Chicago's near-30-year-old handgun ban would have grave implications for cities and states attempting to control crime, with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. noting that gun ownership is "not the only constitutional right that has controversial public safety implications." "The right to keep and bear arms must be regarded as a substantive guarantee, not a prohibition that could be ignored so long as the states legislated in an evenhanded manner," Justice Alito wrote for the majority. The majority did signal that some gun restrictions could pass constitutional muster. The ruling considering Chicago's ban was similar to the court's decision in the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized the right of D.C. residents to register handguns and keep them in their homes for their protection. Read more

Media Takes a Look at Tunnel

With calls for comprehensive immigration reform coming out of Washington along with threat of Arizona lawsuits, the basic task of securing the border remains undone. A recently discovered tunnel going underneath the Rio Grande from Juarez to El Paso illustrates the large number of pathways for people to enter the U.S. illegally. Members of the media were given the opportunity to take pictures of the tunnel yesterday. See the pictures and read the story here:

Thomas Sowell - Gun Control

On the most recent gun control law case to make it to the Supreme Court, the final vote was 5-4. This means a fundamental constitutional right, guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, was affirmed by a whopping majority of "one." Columnist Thomas Sowell has some very specific views on yesterday's ruling from the Supreme Court on gun control. Read his ideas here:

New Mexico Spaceport Coverage

The Denver Post had an interesting story on the New Mexico Spaceport over the weekend. Governor Richardson is quoted as saying the project would have trouble getting funding now. See the pictures and read the story here:

Jimenez Wins 14th

Everything was beautiful until the 6th inning, then Ubaldo Jimenez stumbled. He still was the winning pitcher for the Colorado Rockies last night in San Diego notching his MLB leading 14th victory. Things weren't as easy on the other side of the country. In Atlanta, rookie pitching phenom Stephen Straburg was brilliant against the Braves, but his teammates played shoddy defense behind him and failed to provide run support. Strasburg took his second loss of the season to fall to 2-2. Read details of the Jimenz win here:

Senator Robert Byrd Dead at 92

West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd died earlier today at the age of 92. Byrd spent 51 years in the Senate, more than any other person in U.S. history. Byrd was perhaps the greatest creator of pork barrel earmarks in the history of government. A former KKK member, he managed to transform his image over a half a century as he funneled many billions of taxpayer dollars to his state and toed the partisan voting lines. Read details of his life and death here:

G-20 Agrees to Delay Tough Choices

The battle lines were drawn in Toronto this past weekend. While clueless protestors destroyed property outside, elected officals debated the destruction of national balance sheets inside. Would the "leaders" of G-20 nations curtail the sort of borrow and spend habits that have given drunken sailors a bad name? Or would they simply choose to rationalize ONLY behaving irresponsibly until the global "recovery" is assured. It was a classic case of setting up false choices, since no recovery is EVER assured. Still policy makers anounced their agreements (three unnamed leaders at the G-20 conference are pictured above right).
Readers are offered two guesses as to which path the collection of career politicians chose (the first guess doesn't count). Yep, most of you got it right with one guess. The G-20 chose to keep borrowing and spending like drunken sailors. Our apologies for besmirching the integrity of members of our Navy. Read the details here:

Coach Walker Looking at Local Players More

According to the Las Cruces Sun News, Coach DeWayne Walker (left) and his NMSU football program are trying to recruit more local players. Read Teddy Feinberg's report here:

Broadcaster Lorn Brown Passes Away

The broadcasting commuity in Las Cruces lost a friend last week with the passing of Lorn Brown. Brown served as the play-by-play caller of NMSU Women's basketball games and also as P.A. announcer at the Women's softball games. Services will be held today at Getz Funeral Home. Read details of Brown's outstanding career here:

Pitching Sensations Take Hills Tonight

The Yankees, Twins, Rangers, Braves, Reds, and Padres continued to lead their respective divisions last night after the final weekend MLB game was played. Tonight two pitching sensations take the mound. Stephen Strasburg (bottom left) goes for the Washington Nationals when they play the division-leading Braves in Atlanta in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Ubaldo Jimenez (top left) will take the mound for the Colorado Rockies when they play the division-leading San Diego Padres. See standings here:

They Keep Stealing - Why Keep Paying?

Commentary by Dylan Ratigan in the Huffington Post - The dire straits of the middle class of America has made it near impossible for our politicians to keep up the pretense that our current government truly works for the "people." Between the multiple overt and secretive bailouts, the massive bonuses and the circular use of our tax money to lobby for these continued handouts, you can no longer hide from the evidence. When Senator Durbin said "The banks... frankly own this place," you realize it was not in jest. Well, it is becoming time to take matters into your own hands... I suggest that you call your lender and tell them if they don't lower you mortgage by at least 20%, you are walking away. And if they don't agree, you need to consider walking away. Read more

Inside the Black Panther case: anger, ignorance and lies

Commentary in the Washington Times by former Department of Justice By J. Christian Adams - On the day President Obama was elected, armed men wearing the black berets and jackboots of the New Black Panther Party were stationed at the entrance to a polling place in Philadelphia. They brandished a weapon and intimidated voters and poll watchers. After the election, the Justice Department brought a voter-intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party and those armed thugs. I and other Justice attorneys diligently pursued the case and obtained an entry of default after the defendants ignored the charges. Before a final judgment could be entered in May 2009, our superiors ordered us to dismiss the case. Based on my firsthand experiences, I believe the dismissal of the Black Panther case was motivated by a lawless hostility toward equal enforcement of the law. Others still within the department share my assessment. The department abetted wrongdoers and abandoned law-abiding citizens victimized by the New Black Panthers. The dismissal raises serious questions about the department's enforcement neutrality in upcoming midterm elections and the subsequent 2012 presidential election. read more

Star Parker - Being Strangled by Government

Columnist Star Parker talks about how government, which is the greatest growth industry in America is strangling economic activity. Read Parker's views here:

Holder Weighs Answers to Tough Questions

One has to wonder with the U.S. Government now borrowing three billion dollars a day (yes that is billion with "B") if suing the State of Arizona for passing a law that simply enforces the federal law on border security is the best use of our resources. Three Democrats from Arizona, each running for re-election in the U.S. House of Representatives, don't think so. They are urging the Justice Department and Attorney General Eric Holder to drop plans to file a lawsuit against their state. Read their thoughts here.

Holder has not commented lately on his Arizona plans. Reportedly, the Attorney General is still trying to decide if the forces of Radical Islam are a source of terrorism around the globe. And as such, it is unclear whether Holder will decide first, what his answer is on the question of Radical Islam as a source of terror, or to borrow more money so he can sue Arizona. Both seem to be tough questions for him.

State's tax amnesty program reeling in residents

From the Santa Fe NewMexican - by Kate Nash - Paying taxes may never be popular, but it looks like the state's tax amnesty program could be. So far, 2,000 people have made inquiries about the program, under which individuals and businesses who disclose unpaid taxes that were due before 2010 won't have to pay penalties. The program, announced June 7, doesn't forgive the taxes owed. The state expects the amnesty, for which delinquent taxpayers must apply by Sept. 30, could raise about $7 million. Of that, $5.5 million would go to the state's general fund, while $1.5 million would go to various local governments, depending on where it was collected. So far, 180 people have applied. Because it takes a few months for the Taxation and Revenue Department to establish what a taxpayer owes, it's unclear how much the state is on track to collect, department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said. Residents will have 180 days to pay back taxes in order to avoid having to pay interest. Read more

Elena Kagan Confirmation Hearing Begins Today

President Obama's counsel in the White House is convinced Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan (left) will prove herself "Supremely Qualified." Robert Bauer made the prediction during a conference call last week. The confirmation hearings for Kagan, the president's second Supreme Court nominee since he took the oath office begin in the U.S. Senate today. Read the details here:

Frank Rich Gets Final Say on McChrystal

News New Mexico has posted a number of columns on the firing of General Stanley McChrystal. New York Times columnist Frank Rich (left) offers his viewpoints on the McChrystal firing, the situation in Afghanistan, and the media circus surrounding the event. It is always interesting to read the Rich take and see which media rival(s) he takes a swipe at. This week the obligatory swipe is at ABC's George Stephanopolis and the Washington Post (a usual suspect). Read the Rich column here:

Only in Washington D.C.

The U.S. House of Representatives extended special exemption privileges to special interests in a bill it passed to curb the influence of special interests. The status of the so-called Disclose Act in the U.S. Senate is still very much in doubt. Clearly this must be described as reform Washington D.C. style. By the way, all three New Mexico House members (Rep.'s Lujan, Henrich, Teague left to right) voted for this bill. Read the details here:

Dig This: A Narcotics Tunnel Discovered

U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered a 130 foot long drug smuggling tunnel that spanned the width of the Rio Grande near the Bridge of the Americas Friday. News New Mexico searched the news wires for any comments from President Felipe Calderon on this development. Calderon remained silent. Unconfirmed reports have placed Calderon in Mexico City where he is said to be collaborating with U.S. Justice Department officials as composes his next scathing attack on the State of Arizona for its inexplicable paranoia over drug smuggling and border security. Read details of the tunnel here:

Rest of G-20 Resists Obama's Call to "Borrow & Spend"

President Obama might have a difficult time convincing leaders from other G-20 nations to listen to his ideas on stimulative fiscal policies. It would seem that the credit markets have already strongly signalled to many countries in Europe that they are already default threats (i.e. Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain). Though the global markets are still willing to loan the White House three billion dollars every day for the continued "stimulation" of the U.S. economy (view U.S. debt clock here), the markets have tightened the credit terms and pointed in the direction of austerity elsewhere. Read details of this aspect of the G-20 summit in Toronto here:

A.P. - Border Shooting Victim an Active Smuggler

According to Associated Press reports the fifteen year old Mexican boy killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during the apprehension of a border security violator had a long history of engaging in human smuggling activities and being arrested on the U.S. side of the border. The records A.P. reviewed show that Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca had been arrested at least four times since 2008 and twice in the same week in February 2009 on suspicion of smuggling illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Read the details here:

World Cup Bid Ends for U.S.

When it comes to soccer, Ghana is a tough foe. The tiny African nation proved too much for the U.S. soccer team in the Round of 16 game yesterday at the World Cup in South Africa. Read the game story here:

Lawmaker faces heat for remark

From the Washington Times - Already locked in a tight re-election race, Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski did not help his cause after Republicans jumped on his offhand comment this week implying minorities are not "good American people." Conservative websites promptly highlighted the lawmaker's remarks Wednesday at a Capitol Hill negotiating session over a new financial reform bill, recorded by the C-SPAN cameras and viewable on YouTube. Trying to argue the reform bill will help a broad number of people struggling in today's economy, Mr. Kanjorski remarked, "We're giving relief to people that I deal with in my office every day now, unfortunately." Read more

N.Y. mayor pushes immigration bill

From the Washington Times - NEW YORK Chief executives of several major corporations, including Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Disney and News Corp., on Thursday joined New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to form a coalition advocating for immigration reform - including a path to legal status for all undocumented immigrants in the United States. The group includes several other big-city mayors and calls itself the Partnership for a New American Economy. Amid signs an immigration overhaul bill faces a steep climb in Congress, the group seeks to reframe immigration reform as the solution to repairing and stimulating the economy. Read more

Hugo Chavez Stealing Again

Oh that crazy Hugo Chavez. With Oliver Stone's glorification "documentary" of Chavez released to theaters just yesterday, what is the Venezuelan dictator going to do for an encore? Let's see.....how about confiscating oil rigs after reneging on payments owed to the rig's owners. Filmmaker Stone, a serial U.S. denouncer (see the Denunciatory Ethic) may have to return to Caracas and do a follow-up very soon so we can all learn more from the amusing and wacky adventures of this madcap statesman. Read about Hugo's latest theft here:

China Press on G-20 Conference

China's state run news agency (Xinhua) reports on what to expect from the latest G-20 meeting this weekend in Toronto. The perspective on which issues are important shifts when the view of China is taken into consideration. Read the Chinese perspective here:

Winning Battles Losing the War?

After passing a stimulus package that borrowed and spent nearly 1 trillion dollars last year to prop up a debt-plagued economy, President Obama has now claimed new victories on both health care and financial regulations in 2010. Somehow his legislative victories are not translating into victories in the polls. Read the latest findings from various polling agencies here:

1st Quarter GDP Growth Slower Than Previous Estimate

The U.S. Commerce Department revised the first quarter estimate of GDP growth in the U.S. down to 2.7%. The previous estimate had been 3%. Read the details of the report here:

Where my election gullibility went

Michael Swickard column - I was talking at the coffee shop recently about the upcoming elections and I indicated that my gullibility does not run deep. I used to be much more gullible than I am now. I was cured while taking pictures at a rodeo. Read more

Krugman - We Need Higher Prices or a Trade War

According to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman (left), those dastardly Chinese are selling the rest of the world goods they want to buy, at a price that is just too low. He says this action comes at the rest of the world's "expense." Hmmmm. This complex line of economic thinking might be a little too subtle for most of us working stooges to grasp. In any event, while Kruggie doesn't come right out and call for price hikes on items we all purchase, he does indicate that the Obama administration should start a trade war with China if it cannot convince the Chinese to raise the value of their currency and therefore their goods. It is an interesting take, especially from an ecnomist who was constantly lamenting budget deficits from 2001 to 2009, before falling curiously silent on fiscal discipline issues since then. Read Krugman's his latest ideas on China here:

Kathryn Lopez - GOP Longshot vs. Weiner

Columnist Kathryn Lopez looks into a very interesting Congressional race in Queens (New York City) where Bob Turner a retired businessman and brand new political participant is taking on high profile incumbent Anthony Weiner. Weiner has served six terms for his district. Read the Lopez column here:

Linda Chavez on Stanley McChrystal

Columnist Linda Chavez throws in her two cents worth on the departure of General Stanley McChrystal.

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