Slowdowns? European Public Union Tactic

Kevin Hassett

Bloomberg - By Kevin Hassett - Europeans have grown accustomed to seeing government workers shut down their countries when provoked. At this time of huge deficits from Washington to the smallest towns, government workers in the U.S. also face significant cutbacks. Americans may have had their first taste of what that will mean. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor David Paterson are both calling for an investigation of allegations that city workers intentionally dragged out the cleanup of the Dec. 26 blizzard as a way to protest cuts in the city budget. The New York Post, citing City Councilman Dan Halloran, reported that some snow-plow drivers skipped streets on their routes or kept their plows too high to clear streets.

In October, the Bloomberg administration said it would eliminate 200 supervisory positions in the Sanitation Department and hire 100 entry-level workers to lower salary, benefit and overtime costs by about $20 million, part of an effort to close a $3.3 billion deficit in the 2011 budget. The mayor is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.

Slowdowns? European Public Union Tactic

Two Californias: Coming to a State Near You

Thomas Sowell said in a recent column: Dr. Victor Davis Hanson's quietly chilling article, "Two Californias," in National Review Online, ought to be read by every American who is concerned about where this country is headed. California is leading the way, but what is happening in California is happening elsewhere-- and is a slow poison that is being largely ignored. Professor Hanson grew up on a farm in California's predominantly agricultural Central Valley. Now, as he tours that area, many years later, he finds a world as foreign to the world he knew as it is from the rest of California today-- and very different from the rest of America, either past or present. Here is the article:

Two Californias: Coming to a State Near You

ANWR Still Off Limits: Oil Approaches 27 Month High

U.S. Energy Policy

Bloomberg - Oil traded near a 27-month high in New York on signs that the economic recovery is gathering momentum and reining in excess fuel stockpiles. U.S. crude inventories probably fell a fifth week, a Bloomberg News survey showed before an Energy Department report tomorrow. Futures advanced as high as $92.58 a barrel in New York yesterday after the Institute for Supply Management’s U.S. factory index climbed to the highest in seven months. European manufacturing also grew more than estimated, powered by an export-led expansion in Germany. “The actual situation remains quite bullish after some supportive figures on the U.S. economy,” said Hannes Loacker, an analyst at Raiffeisen Bank International AG in Vienna. “But for the next couple of weeks it will be hard for crude to move substantially higher as fears about Chinese growth exert some drag, and the euro debt crisis will be back on the table.” Crude for February delivery traded at $91.60 a barrel, up 5 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:30 a.m. London time. Read full story here:

ANWR Still Off Limits: Oil Approaches 27 Month High

Regulatory Runaround

WSJ - More than two months after the Obama administration lifted its ban on drilling in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, oil companies are still waiting for approval to drill the first new oil well there. Experts now expect the wait to continue until the second half of 2011, and perhaps into 2012. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns on April 21; the spill halted deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico for months. The administration says it is simply trying to enforce new safety rules adopted in the wake of the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which killed 11 workers and set off the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Environmental groups say the administration is right to take its time because the Gulf disaster exposed the risks of offshore drilling. Read full story here:

Regulatory Runaround

DNA Lab Equipment: Back to Albuquerque

Governor Martinez

Capitol Report New Mexico - On her first business day in office, new Gov. Susana Martinez ordered the return of all equipment from the state’s DNA lab back to Albuquerque and announced she will push for an expansion of the collection of DNA samples to include all those arrested for felony offenses in New Mexico. Back in 2007, the state legislature passed what was called “Katie’s Law,” named after Katie Sepich, a New Mexico State student who was raped and murdered. Under the provisions of that law, DNA samples in New Mexico are collected for certain types of felony arrests, predominantly those of a violent nature. Read full story here:

DNA Lab Equipment: Back to Albuquerque

Heather Wilson Weighing Senate Run

Heather Wilson

Capitol Report New Mexico - Former congresswoman to the US House of Representatives Heather Wilson tells Roll Call, the online newspaper of Capitol Hill, that she’s thinking about running against Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Here’s the story: Former Rep. Heather Wilson is considering running for Senate in New Mexico, giving the GOP a potential top-flight challenger to Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman. “I am considering running for the Senate, as well as other opportunities,” Wilson told Roll Call on Monday. “A number of factors go into that. Ultimately it’s a decision about what is the best use of my talents and gifts.” Read more here:

Heather Wilson Weighing Senate Run

Democrats Start Clearing Out OFA Deadwood

From redstate.com -Well, that didn’t take long.  I mean, when I wrote this post indicating that Tim Kaine’s retention as DNC chair meant that the Democratic leadership had decided to concentrate solely on the President’s re-election*, I did not expect that I would receive some sort of confirmation of this within minutes.  But, thanks to Doug Heye I see this report that the DNC is laying off… selected… Organizing for America staffers.  Which ones?  Well, Roll didn't give specifics but it’s fairly clear that the firings reflect the final abandonment of Howard Dean’s Fifty-State Strategy: they’re removing field staffers, which means that the leadership is writing off entire states.  Smart move for a Presidential campaign that’s starting kinda-sorta on the rocks; dumb move for a political party that wants to avoid regional status. More here

Democrats Start Clearing Out OFA Deadwood

GOP Will Move to Repeal Obamacare This Week

From gatewaypundit.com -The GOP will move to repeal Obamacare this week. Republicans will unveil repeal legislation Monday night.  CNN reported: CNN has learned that Republicans plan to try to repeal the health care law almost immediately after taking control of the House, setting the stage for an early confrontation with President Obama. House GOP sources tell CNN that they will unveil repeal legislation Monday night, even before they claim the majority Wednesday. Then, on Friday, Republicans will hold a critical procedural vote – the first step towards passing the repeal. A final House vote will likely take place next Wednesday. Republicans have said for some time the House would take up repealing health care, a top GOP campaign issue, during the first month of the new Congress, but up to now have not revealed exactly when. Regardless, the repeal has little chance of passing the Senate.  More here

GOP Will Move to Repeal Obamacare This Week

Martinez proposes expanding DNA sampling law

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - Gov. Susana Martinez proposes expanding state law to require DNA samples from people arrested for any felony. Martinez made the announcement Monday at a news conference on her first business day as governor. She also reversed a decision by former Gov. Bill Richardson's administration to move a state DNA center to Santa Fe. Martinez directed that equipment be returned to Albuquerque. She previously promised to take the action. She will ask the Legislature to broaden a DNA sampling requirement enacted in 2006. It's called "Katie's Law" in memory of Kathryn "Katie" Sepich, a New Mexico State University student who was raped and killed in 2003. Currently, DNA samples are required for those arrested of some felonies, such as murder, kidnapping and sex offenses. Read more

Martinez proposes expanding DNA sampling law

Change in Substance and "Style"

Susana Martinez

New Mexico will be seeing a change of "style" in 2011. Susana Martinez and her husband, Chuck Franco, will eventually move into the Governor's Mansion. But exactly when they make the move is still unknown. It would seem that there is simply too much work to do for now. Martinez and Franco plan to keep their home in Las Cruces and the new governor also has no plans to use the two chefs at the Governor's Mansion. Additionally, the number of State Police officers in the security detail will also be reduced.

Governor Martinez and Chuck Franco on Inauguration Day

January figures to be a hectic month for Martinez. She must submit a budget proposal to the state legislature by Jan. 10. There is a $400 million deficit gap to be closed. The Martinez team will also be appointing another ten people to fill out the leadership positions at Cabinet-level departments. Roughly 360 appointees, often referred to as exempt employees remained on the payroll as Martinez was sworn in Saturday. According to the Albuquerque Journal, in a memo dated December 30th, Martinez's deputy chief of staff Brian Moore indicated that all exempt employees who have not submitted their resignations by Friday would be fired on Saturday. Apparently a handful of the holdover exempt employees from the Richardson regime will be retained.

Change in Substance and "Style"