NMSU Beats Big Ten Minnesota on the Road

DeWayne Walker

DeWayne Walker’s New Mexico State Aggie football team was embarrassed at home last week against Ohio University. And things didn’t figure to get any better this week in Minnesota when Walker’s squad took on a Big Ten team that lost by only two points on the road at mighty USC a week ago. It really didn’t work out too well for the Golden Gophers. The Aggies, led by sophomore quarterback Andrew Manley and star wide receiver Taveon Rogers played their best game in years. NMSU never trailed in the game and when the final gun sounded NMSU had delivered a stunning 28-21 upset of Minnesota before a hushed crowd.

Manning finished a great day going 20 for 30 through the air for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Four of Manning's passes were completed to Taveon Rogers for 88 yards and two scores. The game came down to a fourth down and ten situation for Minnesota at the Aggie 25 yard line with twenty seconds to go when Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill suddenly collapsed on the sideline. Kill, who has a medical history of suffering seizures was tended to for twenty minutes while both teams kneeled in prayer and the stadium fell silent. Coach Kill was taken to a local hospital where he was reportedly in stable condition. When play finally resumed the Aggie defense got the stop on the big 4th down play and a subdued celebration began on the NMSU sideline with all in attendance mindful of the condition of the Gophers coach in mind. It was easily DeWayne Walker’s biggest win as NMSU’s head coach. The Aggies return to Las Cruces for a home engagement with archrival UTEP next Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium. Read game recap here and box score here.

NMSU Beats Big Ten Minnesota on the Road

Dam Jobs Bill

Courtesy of conservativedailynews.com

Dam Jobs Bill

$535 Million and Counting, Obama's "Green Job Investment" in Solyndra is the Gift That Keeps on Taking

Former "Green Jobs Czar" - Van Jones

Iwatchnews - Federal agents have expanded their examination of the now-bankrupt California solar power company Solyndra, visiting the homes of the company's chief executive, a founder, and a former executive, examining computer files and documents, the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News and ABC News have learned. Agents visited the homes of CEO Brian Harrison and company founder Chris Gronet. Agents also visited the home of a third executive involved in the company from the start, according to a source who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because of the legal sensitivity of the situation. Gronet, reached at his home Friday morning, did not dispute that his home was visited by federal agents a day earlier.
“I’m sorry,” Gronet said in an interview. “You probably understand full well that I cannot comment.” Solyndra spokesman David Miller confirmed agents visited Harrison’s home on Thursday, when the FBI and Energy Department Inspector General arrived at the company's headquarters in Fremont, Calif., seizing boxes of records. “Yeah, they did go to his house and speak to him briefly,” Miller said. “I don’t know what they may have taken. I believe they took a look at his computer.” They took nothing from the house, he added. Read full story here: News New Mexico

$535 Million and Counting, Obama's "Green Job Investment" in Solyndra is the Gift That Keeps on Taking

NMSU Enrollment Drops

KOB - TV - New Mexico State University officials say student enrollment is down across the state, declining nearly 20 percent at one campus. The Carlsbad Current -Argus reports that official announced Thursday that Fall 2011 census numbers showing 1.2 percent drop in enrollment at NMSU campuses from the all-time high recorded last fall. NMSU Grants was hit hard by declining enrollment and tallied 1,257 students, a decrease of 19.6 percent. NMSU Alamogordo's enrollment was 3,372, down 12.5 percent. The Carlsbad campus enrollment declined more than 7 percent. Read full story here: News New Mexico

NMSU Enrollment Drops

Ten Years Later, Lujan Just Doesn't Get It

Ben Lujan

In the face of multiple indictments of crime rings accused of duping the State of New Mexico so thousands of people who have entered the country illegally can obtain driver's licenses that provide the appearance of legitimacy, NM Speaker of the House Ben Lujan wants to revive an idea that has already been soundly rejected as inadequate. Instead of simply allowing an up or down vote on a corrective bill that was overwhelmingly approved during this year's 60 day legislative session, Speaker Lujan's bill seeks to "reduce the number years" before these dubious driver's licenses expire. Given that the anniversary of 9-11  is approaching, Lujan is rolling the political dice. Seven years ago the bi-partisan 9-11 Commission called for driver's license issuance reforms that Lujan seems to insist on ignoring. Will he get away with this approach? Only time will tell. His position seems doubly suspect with fresh evidence suggesting these previously mentioned crime rings are bringing people to New Mexico for less than 24 hours to game the New Mexico system.

9-11 Hijacker Mohammed Atta's License

The speaker's proposal is actually very similar to what was loosely characterized as a "compromise" bill that failed in the House earlier this year. Lujan's new bill (HB 22), which can be seen here, also adds a few additional document requirements to the process and some after-the-fact penalties to those who are sure to be long gone before what they have done is uncovered.

Thus far, early reports on this year's "special session" seem to suggest the legislature is moving at a snail's pace. Costs for the stalling is forcing taxpayers to foot a $50,000 per day tab. And there are no reports coming from the Democratic Party caucus in the NM Senate suggesting there is much attention being paid to the wishes of the voters on driver's licenses. Instead, Senate Democrats seem to be taking their cues on their positions from Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez. Minus Senator John Arthur Smith of Luna County, who is as independent as Representative Andy Nunez, every other Democrat in the NM Senate seems to be fine with the hopes that voters are not paying attention. Readers who are paying attention and want to assert their concerns can find contact information on their legislators here should they want to send a message to them and voice their concerns.

Ten Years Later, Lujan Just Doesn't Get It

GOP Calls for Delay of Game Penalties

This press release we received yesterday from the Republican Party of New Mexico accuses their counterparts of stalling legislation the public overwhelmingly supports.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — It is fitting that today is the first regular season NFL game. New Mexico Democratic legislators are employing the tried and true NFL strategy of running out the clock on hard-working New Mexicans by slow-playing substantive legislation. “Democrats are content to waste taxpayer dollars and tell the people of New Mexico that the issues they face will have to wait until next year,” said Republican Party of New Mexico executive director Bryan Watkins.

“Governor Martinez and Republican legislators know that New Mexicans deserve better than Democrats’ stall tactics.” In total, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has been in session for less than six hours in three days. “If the Democrats want to put people back to work they should move the Governor’s agenda through committee and get it to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. Republicans are ready to get to work, if only the Democrats would run the ball instead of taking a knee,” concluded Watkins.

GOP Calls for Delay of Game Penalties

Nunez Clashes with Lujan Over Stall Tactics

Andy Nunez

Santa Fe New Mexican - The 2011 special session is only three days old, but already the governor's agenda appears bogged down in a political squabble. Four bills related to Gov. Susana Martinez's biggest priorities haven't even been printed. They've all been sent to a committee of the House of Representatives that will determine whether they should be taken up, even though each subject was on the proclamation that called lawmakers into special session Tuesday. One of the bills would overturn a 2003 law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The others would merge state agencies, prop up the state's unemployment fund and give local authorities the power to ban fireworks. By comparison, most other bills introduced in the House so far have been printed and directed to committees for hearings. On Thursday, the sponsor of the driver's license bill, unaffiliated Rep. Andy Nuñez of Hatch, accused House Speaker Ben Luján of playing political games to delay the governor's agenda. Luján disputed the accusation, saying he wasn't deliberately delaying anything, and that he had told Nuñez as much. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Nunez Clashes with Lujan Over Stall Tactics

Third Fast and Furious Weapon at Terry Murder Scene

Brian Terry

Fox News - A third gun linked to "Operation Fast and Furious" was found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, new documents obtained exclusively by Fox News suggest, contradicting earlier assertions by federal agencies that police found only two weapons tied to the federal government's now infamous gun interdiction scandal. Sources say emails support their contention that the FBI concealed evidence to protect a confidential informant. Sources close to the Terry case say the FBI informant works inside a major Mexican cartel and provided the money to obtain the weapons used to kill Terry. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Third Fast and Furious Weapon at Terry Murder Scene

Wake Up Las Crucens

Jim Harbison

Here we are preparing for the next election and if the statistical trends remain constant that election will be decided by less than 18% of the voters. The other 82% of the voters won’t bother to vote and will abrogate their responsibilities to the progressives who have moved into and now control the City. WAKE UP Las Crucens your vote does count! Mayor Miyagishima claimed in a guest column last week that impact fees are not taxes. Any time the government takes your money for their use it is a TAX, plain and simple. “Fees” drive away businesses and employment. WAKE UP Las Crucens! Native Las Crucens can remember when they were able to drive out into the desert for recreation and enjoy miles of scenic vistas. For generations they have had open access to the lands of Dona Ana County. Now public access and use of them is threatened to be denied to them and future generations by environmental groups that have never stepped foot in them. WAKE UP Las Crucens! Read full column: News New Mexico

Wake Up Las Crucens

New Mexicans React to Obama Speech

Gary Johnson

We found initial reactions from three New Mexico elected officials (and former elected officials) on President Obama's "jobs" speech tonight. On Twitter former Governor Gary Johnson had this to say: Stop helping us to death.

Tom Udall

Senator Tom Udall had said this to his followers on Twitter: Great speech. It's time for Congress to stop bickering and; unite with a balanced - effective jobs bill to inspire confidence in the economy.

And we received this email from Steve Pearce's office: “The President has announced that he has a plan for stimulating the economy and creating jobs. Similar policies were put forth in 2009, and the price tag for economic stimulus was $1 trillion and rising unemployment rates. With 9.1 percent unemployment, I do not believe that America can stand another stimulus program. We need common-sense solutions. The House has been working since January to take action, sending numerous bills over to the Senate. No action has been taken on these bills.

Steve Pearce

The rhetoric needs to end, and the Senate and the President need to take action as well. This administration has claimed that over 13 million jobs would have been created through stimulus, green jobs, healthcare, and extending unemployment benefits, but these policies have instead resulted in the loss of 2.3 million jobs. We have seen too many failed policies and failed promises.”

John Sanchez

Lt. Governor John Sanchez had this comment: Entrepreneurs not Washington programs create jobs and grow the economy. When will the President and the Democrat controlled Senate realize this? The Obama administration is catering to his big labor buddies by mortgaging our kids’ future to save his reelection prospects. We need to cut the corporate tax rate so it is in line with the rest of the industrialized world, provide regulatory certainty for business so that they can make investments in the American economy, pass the pending free trade agreements, repeal Obamacare, stop job killing cap and trade policies and above all else get Washington out of the way of New Mexicans who are trying to create jobs.”

Hector Balderas

Hector Balderas said the following: Tonight, the President outlined a common-sense plan that will help create jobs in the short-term. At a time when too many New Mexicans are worried that the American Dream is becoming out-of-reach, getting our economy moving again must be Washington’s top priority. President Obama has the right approach and the initiatives he laid out will ignite our economy and put Americans back to work. Most importantly, President Obama’s plan will create jobs for the drivers of our economy, including small business owners, teachers, emergency first responders, veterans and construction workers. They will rebuild our infrastructure and our schools. By cutting taxes for small businesses and those that hire new workers, New Mexico’s small businesses will be able to hire and expand, ultimately providing hard working and middle class New Mexicans with more money. We can’t afford to continue giving additional tax breaks to big businesses. We need to close tax loopholes for large corporations and billionaires and invest in small businesses, the middle class, and the most vulnerable citizens. I applaud the President for taking that approach.

New Mexicans React to Obama Speech