Line Item Veto?

Bloomberg  - Businessweek - Republican Gov. Susana Martinez is looking at a maneuver once used by her predecessor, Democrat Bill Richardson, to end run the Legislature and selectively reject a tax increase that lawmakers approved. Martinez is considering using her line-item veto powers to eliminate a $128 million tax increase on businesses in a measure the Legislature passed to keep the state's unemployment compensation program from running out of money next year, Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell said.

Taking that approach would allow the governor to stop the tax increase, which she's already promised to do, but preserve nearly $80 million in cost savings and benefit reductions that could improve the solvency of the unemployment fund. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Line Item Veto?

Martinez Has 284 Bills to Review

Susana Martinez

Capitol Report New Mexico - For Dwight Eisenhower, D-Day was June 6. For Susana Martinez, decision day for the bills from the 2011 legislative session is April 8. By that day, the Governor has to decide whether she’ll sign, veto or pocket veto the bills that managed to get through both houses of the state legislature. Here are some facts, figures, questions and answers leading up to that date:
Total number of bills on the Governor’s desk: 284
Total she has already signed (as of 10:53 a.m. Thursday, March 31): 15
Total she has already vetoed (as of 10:53 a.m. Thursday, March 31): 1
Read full story here: News New Mexico

Martinez Has 284 Bills to Review

News New Mexico 9 Months Old

April Fools Day fittingly marks the nine month anniversary of the launching of News New Mexico. We are grateful for the contributions of our staff, our strategic partners, our affiliates, our guests, and our contributors. Most of all we appreciate everyone who visits our site every day and listens to our show around the state and country.

Speaking of foolishness.......on the first day of each month we visit usdebtclock.org. It is a painful practice that continues to sharpen our sense of mission. Since we took the airwaves and launched our website nine months ago the Federal Government has borrowed $19,328 for every taxpaying married couple in America. If you are unmarried, the government has borrowed $9,664 since then. That is $1,078.78 per month in borrowing for each taxpayer in the nation. The New Mexico congressional delegation in Washington includes four elected officials who think is is "extremist" to try to stop the borrowing binge through spending cuts. This group includes Jeff Bingaman, Tom Udall, Ben Ray Lujan, and Martin Heinrich. These four men purportedly oppose borrowing. If spending cannot be cut without being extreme, clearly these four men must favor raising taxes to eliminate the borrowing insanity. On the other side of the borrowing question is Congressman Steve Pearce. Pearce says he wants to cut spending to reduce borrowing. Taxpaying New Mexicans should be thinking about these positions and decide whether or not they want 1) their elected officials to continue to allow the government to borrow $1,078 per month on their behalf, cut spending, or increase federal income taxes. We will check back on this next month. Before April 15th, the amount borrowed on behalf of every married couple since we took the air last July will soar above $20,000. Can I opt out and get a new car?

News New Mexico 9 Months Old

Grand Jury Probing Bribe Allegations

Bill Richardson

NMPolitics - NMPolitics.net is reporting that a Las Cruces Grand jury will consider allegations that Mike Murphy paid a bribe in exchange for Bill Richardson naming him to the bench, and that he may have solicited bribes for Richardson from other judicial applicants. Third Judicial District Judge Mike Murphy has been notified that a grand jury meeting next week may charge him with paying a bribe in exchange for then-Gov. Bill Richardson appointing him to the bench in 2006. The grand jury is scheduled to meet Tuesday in Las Cruces to consider charges against Murphy, a source with knowledge of the case confirmed. In addition to the allegation that he paid a bribe for his appointment, investigators have been looking into allegations that Murphy may have solicited bribes for Richardson from applicants for other judgeships. The bribe or bribes were allegedly paid as political contributions, the source said. No one besides Murphy, including Richardson, has received notification that they may be indicted, the source said. The investigation is ongoing. Murphy said he could not comment on the situation. “I can’t discuss that at all Heath, and one better be careful about that. Those are sequestered, sealed proceedings,” he said. “I’m not either confirming or denying that.” Richardson’s executive assistant had not gotten back to NMPolitics.net with comment by the time this story was published. Read full story at NMPolitics.net.

Grand Jury Probing Bribe Allegations

Martinez Signs Public Safety Bills in Farmington

Governor Martinez

FARMINGTON – Governor Susana Martinez visited the Boys and Girls Club in Farmington yesterday to sign two key public safety measures into law. Joined by Sen. Sander Rue, Mayor Tommy Roberts of Farmington, Mayor Sally Burbridge of Aztec, Farmington city councilors, San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen, police chiefs from Farmington, Aztec, and Bloomfield, San Juan County legislators and other state and local officials, Governor Martinez signed Senate Bill 102, requiring palm prints from individuals arrested for a crime and Senate Bill 134, banning the possession and sale of synthetic marijuana. “One of the most basic duties of state government is providing for the safety of all New Mexicans,” said Governor Martinez. “I have made it a top priority to protect and promote communities in which our children can feel safe and New Mexico’s families can thrive. These two important pieces of public safety legislation will help us to further create a positive environment for our citizens and I’m thankful to Sen. Rue and Sen. Wilson Beffort for their leadership.” SB 102, sponsored by Sen. Rue, requires a palm print to be taken from anyone arrested for a crime, just as law enforcement officers take finger prints. Last month, the FBI began using new technology to compile a palm print database and several other states, including California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut also use palm prints to identify criminals.

Sander Rue

“Requiring palm prints from anyone who is arrested is a common-sense measure that is already being used by the FBI,” Governor Martinez remarked. “This law will require a palm print to be collected in the same manner that we collect finger prints – and it can be equally effective. When finger prints are smudged or non-existent, palm prints can be used to identify and convict criminals. This is an important tool that the law enforcement community needs to put criminals behind bars.” SB 134 outlaws synthetic cannabinoids such as Spice, K2, Blaze, and Red X Dawn, substances that were easily available online and at smoke shops in New Mexico. The substances typically consist of plant material coated with chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. In January, Farmington became the first city in the state to ban them.

Regarding SB 134, the Governor stated, “I’m proud to take statewide what Farmington started. These drugs are no less harmful just because they are known by catchy names and are chemically different than the substances they are supposed to replicate. They can pack a powerful punch and can hold devastating consequences for anyone who uses them. New Mexico now joins the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and a number of other states in recognizing that ‘synthetic’ does not mean "harmless."

Martinez Signs Public Safety Bills in Farmington

The Department of Energy

Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the Department of Energy during the Carter Administration? The DOE was institution August 4, 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil which was at that time 30 percent. In 2010 the budget for the DOE was $242 Billion a year. It employs 16,000 federal workers and has about 100,000 contract employees. So when it started working on the problem of our dependence on foreign oil that dependence was 30 percent. Today 70 percent of our oil consumption is from foreign sources. What is the chance we could do away with the Department of Energy? About the same as the DOE actually doing the job it was founded to do… no chance whatsoever.

The Department of Energy

When a society really means to tax the rich

From NM Politics.net - Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - I have heard many times our legislators talk about how unfair it is for our society to allow the evil rich to keep their ill-gotten gains. These legislators keep changing the tax code to take more and more from the rich, but if we are to have a just society, they have not taken enough until they take all of it. Example: Last week someone plunked down a dollar in the Mega Millions lottery drawing and came away with more than $100 million after taxes. How can we Americans allow this to happen in our country? Remember, this is someone who does not need $100 million. They were getting by fine and, in fact, had an extra dollar to waste on the lottery. The media covers it like it is a good thing. They ignore the fact that this money came from all of the poor people of our land who essentially got nothing in return for putting their dollars in the lottery. We cannot allow prizes to be awarded from the lottery because that would be ill-gotten gains – like when someone in a company gets a golden parachute. We must confiscate all lottery winnings if we are to have a just society. P.S. – I am not a nut. Read full column

When a society really means to tax the rich

Unclear: Wilderness Designations in Dona Ana County

NMPolitics - New Mexico’s U.S. senators are continuing to push for new conservation and wilderness areas in Northern New Mexico, but they have not decided whether to try again this year for permanent protection of land in Doña Ana County including the Organ Mountains. From the Associated Press: “U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would preserve about 236,000 acres of public land (in Taos and Rio Arriba counties) managed by the Bureau of Land Management by designating a combination of conservation and wilderness areas. “Much of the land – 214,600 acres – would be managed as a conservation area. “Two other parcels would be managed as wilderness. “Fellow New Mexico Democratic Sen. Tom Udall is cosponsoring the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act.” Asked if there are plans to try again this year for permanent wilderness designations for land in Doña Ana County, Bingaman spokeswoman Jude McCartin said that’s currently “unclear.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

Unclear: Wilderness Designations in Dona Ana County

Americans Not Buying Obama's Libya Justification

Muammar Gadaffi

Rasmussen - Despite President Obama’s address to the nation Monday night, most voters still aren’t clear about why the U.S. military is engaged in Libya. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States has a clearly defined military mission in Libya. Fifty-six percent (56%) disagree and say the military does not have a clearly defined mission. Nearly one-in-four voters (23%) are not sure. The president apparently did not close the sale with his address explaining his decision to commit U.S. forces to Libya. The survey was taken Monday and Tuesday nights, and the findings from the first night prior to the speech and the second night after the speech showed little change. The numbers also didn’t change over the two nights when voters were asked if Libya is a vital national security interest for the United States these days. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Americans Not Buying Obama's Libya Justification

Reigning in Fannie and Freddie

Steve Pearce

WASHINGTON, DC – House Financial Services Committee Republicans today unveiled their plan to reform government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, issued the following statement: “Today marks the start of a process – a process to begin winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Beginning today, and over the course of the next few months, my colleagues and I on the Financial Services Committee will introduce multiple rounds of very specific, very targeted bills to end the bailouts, protect the taxpayers and get private capital off the sidelines.

The culmination of our efforts will formally wind down the GSEs and return our housing finance system to the private marketplace. “With the American taxpayers on the hook for $150 billion and counting, the bailout of Fannie and Freddie is already the most expensive component of the federal government’s intervention into the financial system.

Americans are tired of the ongoing bailout of the failed government-backed mortgage giants, and they are tired of Democrats’ refusals to address the driving force behind the financial collapse. While Democrats chose to ignore the problem last Congress, House Republicans stand ready to end the bailout and protect American taxpayers from further losses.” Read rest of story here: News New Mexico

Reigning in Fannie and Freddie