News New Mexico

The Week in Review

We began the week with a, “So what else is new,” story. No, it wasn’t about the federal debt ceiling fight. It was a story of the how the oil and gas industry in New Mexico continues to pay a large portion of our bills for us. Amazingly, certain segments of our political system continue to use oil and gas for their cars and trucks, cash oil and gas checks, spend oil and gas revenues, and brand oil and gas as evil. Biting the hand that feeds seems to be a favorite state and national past time.

The news spotlight continues to shine on two district court judges who find themselves under scrutiny in the state. Facing charges of rape in Albuquerque, Judge Pat Murdoch announced his retirement. And facing multiple felony counts in Las Cruces, Judge Michael Murphy was arrested on yet another bribery related charge late in the week. It has not been a good year for the news flow on district judges in the state.

Jan Goodwin

Speaking of bad news flow, the Education Retirement Board (ERB) has crammed twenty years worth of bad news into 2011. Earlier in the year, ERB head Jan Goodwin allowed as to how the ERB had issued a bunch of monthly checks for incorrect amounts all the way back in August of 2010, including one for about a quarter of a million dollars. She conceded she has not recovered all of those funds yet. This week, Goodwin allowed as how the ERB had cost itself over $700,000 when it prematurely terminated the contract of an asset management firm based in New York.

Goodwin said originally the ERB thought the early cancellation would “only” cost the ERB about $88,000. Later she said it was discovered that the ERB would have to pay the terminated firm over $700,000. Nobody, including Goodwin, stepped forward to take the blame for the latest “miscalculation.” In the wake of the latest revelation, many New Mexico-based asset management firms were left to lament how much they don't get paid to NOT manage a portion of the state’s ERB funds. And the state’s revenue coffers were left to lament how much the total cost is of outsourcing asset management services to non-New Mexico firms. It is also good to know UNM and NMSU are training finance students to find jobs in the asset management business.... somewhere else. (Full disclosure requires me to say I work, hire people, and pay all sorts of taxes in New Mexico through my owenership interest in an in-state asset management business.)

The Tea Party AKA the "Boogie Man"

We noticed a change in blame game tactics this week in Washington. It seems the so-called “Tea Party” has become the new boogie man of Democrats. We are told the Dems haven’t passed a budget in more than two years mainly because the “rich” need to be taxed more to save our country. Dems also say the Tea Party is ruining everything. Fortunately for NM House members Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, the leader they voted for to guide them in the House in the wake of last November’s electoral wipe out, is still Nancy Pelosi. And former Speaker Pelosi is once again taking her powerful message to the New Mexico people, as well as the rest of the nation. Apparently Nancy, Ben Ray, and Martin want everyone to know they are fighting as hard as they can to keep us on the same path........even if the damn Tea Parties try to get the nation to change directions. Good to know.

Environmentalist radicals seem to have unfettered access to lawyers. And they had another good week in New Mexico. Once again the New Mexico Supreme Court provided the mercenary alarmists with “standing” in an action that will enable them to drive up the price of electricity and save the planet at the same time.

In another item of interest on the planet saving front this week, the City of Las Vegas, NM learned it cannot fix leaks in its water supply because it might disturb the habitat of the creatures that love the muddy mess below Peterson Dam. According to creature sensitive federal officials in the Obama administration, once Peterson Dam started leaking the city’s precious water supply, ownership of the water and control of the way the dam performs somehow magically transferred. Now the water needs of the human beings living in Las Vegas are secondary. The lawyers representing toads, tadpoles, and salamanders claimed the critters are now "owed" the water coming from the leaks. They are entitled to them because……get this…..they are "wetlands."

There was some very bad news for one planet saving “scientist.” This one had decided a few years back that his data proved that polar bears were facing extinction. Turns out he was placed on administrative leave this week in the wake of what looks like serious evidence that he “fudged” his data. Who’d have thought with billions of dollars in climate change research grants on the line that somebody would fudge data?

News late in the week told us what we already knew about the difference between Susana Martinez and Bill Richardson. State government is getting smaller under the leadership of Martinez. Observers believe that the lack of presidential ambition has made it unnecessary for Martinez to hire state employees to help with a huge out-of-state national campaign. The headcount in Santa Fe for those serving the governor’s office as “exempt” employees has already dropped 40% and figures to fall farther. How will she possibly manage?

And finally, the state is providing Medicaid benefits to those in New Mexico living as much as 235% ABOVE the poverty level. Now it looks like the federal government’s matching Medicaid dollars are sure to be reduced. Naturally, an “angry” crowd showed up at an Albuquerque meeting. They demanded New Mexico taxpayers be charged with making up the difference. Unfortunately, according to observers at the meeting, there weren’t many taxpayers at the gathering to argue for more self-reliance and fewer handouts. Most of them were at work pulling the economic wagon that those yelling at the meeting were sitting in.

More Wolf Protection Demanded

KOB TV - Now that state game officials have cleared the way for furbearer trapping to resume in southwestern New Mexico, environmentalists want the federal government to do more to protect the Mexican gray wolf. WildEarth Guardians this week asked forest and wildlife officials to reconsider a petition that seeks an end to trapping throughout the wolf's range in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Will St. Vincent Nurses Go on Strike?

KOB - TV - Christus St. Vincent union nurses are deciding whether they will go on strike Sunday in an ongoing battle with the administration. A contract between the two expires at midnight Sunday and if nothing is done, the nurses will take action. The union said they have already given up millions in worker benefits to hospital administration to make sure the nurse to patient ratio stays at safe levels. Contentious negotiations over the issue have been going on since April and the union said the out of state company that runs the hospital has been in the business of union busting. The union also said the reason they are fighting so hard is to make sure there is enough staffing to make the hospital safe for patients. Santa Fe Mayor David Coss along with several high ranking officials, including Speaker Ben Lujan attended Saturday's meeting to show their support. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Harbison: What is Your Mayor Doing?

Jim Harbison

The 79th Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors held its meeting in June 17-21, 2011 in Baltimore, MD. Mayors from across the nation attended and “represented” their cities. From my perspective I would say they misrepresented my values and supported positions I strongly oppose. The Mayor of Las Cruces was there and it is a good chance your mayor was a participant as well. The record of their proceedings can be found here.
These mayors get together each year to discuss issues and build consensus to formulate national policy initiatives. They are a powerful group that lobbies, individually and collectively, for more money for their cities. Money that by the way is collected from the tax payers. The resolutions they pass send strong messages to the U.S. Congress about the type of legislation they want to be passed and the social programs that should be retained or created.

I would bet you are unaware of some of the resolutions adopted during this last conference. Without going into great detail of all the resolutions contained in this 192 page document I will highlight some of those that impact our freedoms or property rights, increase government control or raise our taxes. Most of them can be directly linked to the social programs enumerated in the various chapters in UN Agenda 21. They cover nearly all aspects of our daily lives including open space, nuclear weapons, immigration, public funded housing, urban redevelopment, climate change and environmental protection, controls over public lands, educational policies, public transportation and high speed rail, restrictions on residential and commercial development, agricultural reform, electric vehicles and even red-light cameras.

There is a common trend in all the adopted resolutions. They propose expansion of both the national and local governments and greater government control over our daily lives. They are clearly designed to restructure America. It seems it will be impossible to satisfy the unquenchable demands for more of your tax dollars to support these programs. The “wealthy” middle class taxpayers will again be contributing a disproportionate share of the financial burden to support their mayor’s liberal policies.

They passed a resolution to implement the Dream Act expeditiously and adopt comprehensive immigration reform and asked for $1,825 billion next year for affordable housing. Another resolution assumes we are all advocates of the electric vehicle and willing to contribute significant taxpayer funding for research and development to get 1-million electric vehicles on the highways by 2015. They also requested $556 billion for high speed rail.
There were a host of climate change and environmental resolutions that each mayor adopted on your behalf including funding Climate Showcase Communities at $20 million per year.

Did your mayor seek your opinion when they voted to reaffirm the right of state and local governments to exercise liens or assess special taxes or other property obligations for energy efficiency improvements? I didn’t think so. And if the costs of goods and services weren’t high enough they proposed creating an Affirmative Sustainable Procurement Program where all products purchased will need a third party validated climate neutral certificate guaranteeing that there are no hidden carbon liabilities And lastly, I know we must be thrilled to know that our mayors recognized the vital work of United Nations Association of the United States of America in cities across America and encouraged us to become well-informed about international issues and how they affect our communities. Finally, something I can agree with. We all need to know what our mayors, as well as the United Nations, are doing to fundamentally change and dismantle our society.

Pearce Explains Reid Bill

Steve Pearce

Washington, DC (July 30, 2011) Today, Congressman Steve Pearce joined his colleagues in the House to vote down H.R. 2693, a debt limit increase proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
“Americans have been clear: no more budget tricks, no more accounting gimmicks, no more empty promises,” said Pearce. “Now is the time to change our course and get our debt under control. The American people said in November that they want change; they want Washington to stop spending money we don’t have. Today’s legislation simply does not show that Washington is listening. It contains accounting gimmicks to exaggerate its savings, and it does not provide the lasting, structural reform we need. The House has passed two bills for long-term debt solutions. Now is the time for the Senate and President to set aside party politics and join the House in finding a solution to our crushing debt crisis.”

While Rep. Pearce hopes an agreement can be reached before the deadline, he will not support a debt limit increase that does not include fundamental, lasting solutions to America’s debt crisis. Last week, he joined colleagues in the House from both sides of the aisle to pass the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011.” Yesterday, he voted in favor of another plan, the “Budget Control Act of 2011.” He encourages the Senate and the President to join the House in passing a plan for significant, long-term debt solutions.

“Job creation, not temporary cuts, will be the key to truly solving our national debt problem,” Pearce explained. “We need to reform the burdensome taxes and unnecessary regulations that are preventing small businesses across America from creating the jobs we need. Only by putting Americans back to work can we hope to truly solve our debt crisis.”

Rep. Pearce has been in active communication with constituents on the debt limit issue, including discussions at town hall meetings, email surveys, on Facebook, and through other interaction. On Thursday, he reached out to 40,000 New Mexicans through a telephone town hall meeting to seek further input. The vast majority of constituents on the call favored the House’s “Cut, Cap, and Balance” plan that Rep. Pearce voted for last week, and nearly a third favored the compromise passed by the House yesterday.

The first ever Medical Marijuana & Natural Health Expo is underway this weekend at the Convention Center and it's attracting quite a crowd.

From KOB-TV.com - By: Heather Mills, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - The first ever Medical Marijuana & Natural Health Expo is underway this weekend at the Convention Center and it's attracting quite a crowd. Medical marijuana is a growing industry in New Mexico and judging by the long line of people hoping to get a medical marijuana card at the Expo, it's likely to continue the pace. KOB Eyewitness News 4 wanted to know, what does it take to get a pot card? The process is difficult. To start, in New Mexico there are 16 qualifying conditions including cancer, Crohn's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, epilepsy, even severe anorexia. To receive a card is expensive. The card can cost as much as $280 an individual can get the necessary doctor approvals and there is a yearly renewal fee. The pot itself is also expensive. Mario Gonzales owns Budding Hope. He said it costs about $40 for an eighth of an ounce. Card holders can legally possess 6 ounces. That would be nearly $2,000. Read more

Another Fort Hood Massacre Averted

Naser Jason Abdo

Aljazeera - Police in the southwestern state of Texas have arrested a US soldier for planning what they called a "terror plot" against Fort Hood, the military base where a fellow serviceman went on a deadly shooting rampage in 2009. Army private Naser Jason Abdo, who gave several television interviews last year saying he was opposed to deployment in Afghanistan, became the target of suspicion after a gun shop owner noticed his unusual purchases of weapons and tipped off police. Police tracked down the 21-year-old to a motel near Fort Hood and arrested him on Wednesday afternoon, police said on Thursday. A Texas native, Abdo served at Fort Campbell in Kentucky but had deserted since July 4. He had gone AWOL since early this month after being charged with possessing child pornography. "I would classify this as a terror plot," Dennis Baldwin, the police chief of Killeen, Texas, located next to Fort Hood, told the AFP news agency. "We have interviewed him and the information as a result of the interview and other leads ... leads us to believe that military personnel were targeted," Baldwin told reporters, adding that the suspect acted alone. "I can tell you that we would probably be here today giving you a different briefing if he had not been stopped." He called the suspect "very dangerous" and noted he had only been in Killeen for a "relatively short period of time." Read full story here: News New Mexico

Judge Murphy arrested on new bribery charge

Michael Murphy

From NM Politics.net - by Heath Haussamen - Third Judicial District Judge Mike Murphy, already indicted on bribery charges and suspended from the bench, was arrested this morning on a new bribery charge. Murphy was arrested at 8:45 a.m. and booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center on a $10,000 unsecured bond. He’s facing a new felony charge of bribery of a public officer or public employee. Murphy has bonded out of jail and was released just after 10:30 a.m. Special prosecutor Matt Chandler, whose office filed the charges, said Murphy is alleged to have offered “several promises” to District Judge Lisa Schultz in December 2010 if she would agree to be the tie-breaking vote to make Douglas R. Driggers the chief district judge in Las Cruces. Chandler said prosecutors have an audio recording of the conversation between Schultz and Murphy. Read more

Need for Open Government is NOT Partisan

Sarah Welsh

Veritas New Mexico - By Sarah Welsh, Executive Director, New Mexico Foundation for Open Government Well, we’ve come full circle. Five years ago, Bill Richardson’s administration was asked for state e-mails about an audit of the driver’s license program. It refused, claiming executive privilege, and the Republican Party of New Mexico filed suit. This year, Secretary of State Dianna Duran was asked for state e-mails about a similar audit – a cross-check between drivers’ licenses and voter rolls. Duran’s office refused, citing executive privilege, and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has now filed suit.
It’s a stunning parallel, and the bipartisan principles underpinning open government are rarely on such obvious display. Open government is not a tool of the left or the right, of Democrats or Republicans. It’s simply a tool to hold powerful people accountable. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Chavez: Obama's Leadership Deficit

Linda Chavez

Townhall - When the history of the debt limit fight is written, the failure of presidential leadership will constitute a major chapter. Once again, President Obama has proven himself lacking in the most fundamental attribute necessary to the office he occupies: leadership. His idea of leading his party and the American people in a crisis is to give a speech, as he did earlier this week in prime time. But when it comes to fashioning a concrete plan or rallying support of his own troops, he's missing in action. Contrast President Obama's leadership to that of House Speaker John Boehner, who not only has worked diligently to come up with real numbers matched to federal programs to reduce future debt but has been personally engaged in trying to persuade skeptics within his party to go along.

And when the Congressional Budget Office determined the GOP numbers didn't add up as claimed, Boehner went back to the drawing board to come up with new ones that delivered what they promised. As of this writing, the vote on the Boehner plan has yet to occur -- but win or lose, the speaker has demonstrated he's willing to lead.But Obama's only contribution to the debt-ceiling debate has been partisan, class-warfare rhetoric. In his televised address earlier this week, Obama blamed Republicans for failing to produce a bill he'd be willing to sign because it would not include a tax rate increase on families and small businesses earning more $250,000 a year. Those Americans already foot the bill for more than 60 percent of all federal income taxes collected in the U.S., despite constituting less than 5 percent of taxpayers. The wealthy pay their fair share and then some.
Even if fairness weren't a consideration, a tax increase at a time when the nation's economy is hovering on the brink of a double-dip recession is a dangerous idea. But it plays well to Obama's political base, which wants someone else to pay for their entitlements. Read full column here: News New Mexico

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