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| Martinez - Inaugural Address |
NewsNM has condensed the "State of the State" address by Governor Martinez. Her message can be reduced to several key points of emphasis. These points provide a reference guide for measuring success in the current 60-day session of the legislature. Below are the points of emphasis in the Governor's address: New Mexico is in a state of financial crisis. State Budget Mess - "We face an historic budget deficit that will require candor to address and courage to resolve. No more shell games. No more rosy projections. We must tell New Mexicans the truth: our financial house is a mess and it's time we clean it up."
Business Friendly - "When a small business needs to get a permit from one state agency, they must abide by one process. And when that same small business needs a permit from another state agency, the process is completely different and they have to jump through a whole new set of hoops. So, I propose standardizing these administrative practices by passing the Red Tape Reduction Act."
Educational Reform - "When it comes to educating our children, we can no longer throw more and more money at the same system and expect different results. Our 'Kids First, New Mexico Wins’ plan is comprised of four key initiatives. First, we will get money out of the bureaucracy and into the classroom. Second, we will adopt an easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement system of grading. Schools will be assigned letter grades of A, B, C, D or F, and these grades will be posted to the web. Third, we will end social promotion. Finally, we will reward New Mexico's best teachers."
Public Safety - "Expand Katies Law. Reinstate the death penalty." Culture of Corruption in State Government - "First, we must institute criminal penalties for public officials who know about, but fail to report, pay-to-play activity.
Second, when public officials are found guilty of corruption they should be immediately removed from office, receive mandatory prison time and be forced to surrender their pension. Third, it is imperative that we formally adopt legislation that prohibits the State Investment Council or any state investment agency from paying finder's fees to those who help direct state investments. And fourth, it is time to establish a Public Corruption Unit in the Department of Public Safety." In the days and weeks ahead we will monitor the progress of the three branches of state government in taking action to meet these goals.
Blueprint: Tracking the Agenda of Susana Martinez
On this day in New Mexico History - In 1880, there was a gunfight in Las Vegas, New Mexico which featured a Deputy Town Marshall by the name of "Mysterious" Dave Mather. The details of the gunfight are less important than this "shootist" is part of the lore of New Mexico. The short of it was that some bad guys were asked by the City Marshall to check their guns but instead they pulled them and in the gunfight the Marshall was killed and Mather was able to drop one and wound the other two. They were later found and while on the way to be "strung up" the widow of the Marshall intruded and shot them both dead. No charges were filed. Mather was appointed as the Las Vegas Marshal. However, Mather soon moved on again after being accused of "promiscuous shooting” in his capacity as marshal. Next he was known to have served for a short time as Assistant Marshal in El Paso, Texas. However, after an altercation in a brothel in which Mather was slightly wounded, he returned to Dodge City where he was hired as Assistant City Marshal. Later, Mysterious Dave moved on San Francisco, where he took a ship to Vancouver. There is some dispute as to what happened to him and he just sort of faded off the pages of history. Why was he called, Mysterious? He was not talkative and did not disclose anything of his past. Some old west shootists talked a lot, Mather talked rarely, if that.
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