Pearce to Attend Otero County Tree Cutting Event

Steve Pearce

Congressman Steve Pearce will participate in Otero County’s emergency tree cutting plan on September 17, 2011. Cutting will take place on one acre of the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft in efforts to clean up the forest and decrease the spread of fires. “This is an important day for New Mexico,” said Pearce. “I look forward to joining in this effort to restore common-sense forest management to New Mexico. It has been an uphill battle to begin logging again in New Mexico, but September 17th will mark the beginning of increased public safety and local environmental resource management.

Fires have devastated overgrown forests, and it is time to take back our forests and protect our families. I commend the Otero County Commissioners for their efforts to bring the power back to local government.” The Otero County Commission voted in June to create an emergency plan, allowing the county to forego U.S. Forest Service policy and cut trees in the event of an emergency. They created an 80,000-acre plan that calls for responsible management to protect local watershed and prevent fires that have threatened Cloudcroft for many years. The media and public are invited to attend the event, which begins at 12:00 noon on September 17th. Congressman Steve Pearce will address a crowd attending “Lumberjack Day” at the Cloudcroft Ice Rink, across from Cloudcroft High School, to kickoff the event.

Pearce to Attend Otero County Tree Cutting Event

Ruidoso Residents Upset Over Local Gun Ban

From kvia.com - Some Ruidoso residents are upset over a mayor's recent executive order banning guns on village property. KRQE-TV reported that residents plan to voice their outrage at a city council meeting today over an order issued by Mayor Ray Alborn banning firearms from village buildings except for law enforcement. They called the order illegal. Village officials said this ordinance was the result of a July case, when a resident at Village Hall had his gun removed by the police chief. Alborn said he took action as a protective measure.  Alborn said the village attorney assures him he has the right to make the executive order.  In 1986, New Mexico residents voted to amend the state constitution forbidding local regulation of firearms.  More News New Mexico

Ruidoso Residents Upset Over Local Gun Ban

NM Sheriff Rejects Complaints From Fire Chief

Sheriff Todd Garrison

From policeone.com -A fire chief and a paramedic have accused Dona Ana Sheriff's Office supervisors of withholding critical support during times of need, an allegation the sheriff rejects.  The fire chief and paramedic, who have more than 35 years combined experience, spoke to the Sun-News under the condition of anonymity as both fear retaliation. Both said the problem is a recurring theme, happening almost daily.  More News New Mexico

NM Sheriff Rejects Complaints From Fire Chief

Earthquake Hits NM

From the washingtonpost.com -A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck near the New Mexico-Colorado border, rattling residents in both states. The U.S. Geological Survey says the light temblor hit at 11:24 p.m. Monday. It was centered 17 miles west of Raton, N.M., with a depth of 3.1 miles.  It came several hours after a magnitude 3.4 quake hit the area. The USGS says the smaller quake struck at 7:37 p.m. and it was centered 22 miles southwest of Trinidad, Colo.  More New New Mexico

Earthquake Hits NM

$50,000 of Taxpayers Money for Three Hour Workdays

Tom Taylor

NewsNM note - Spence - There's an old joke that goes like this. Do you know many people work for the government? The answer: About HALF of them. During the first five days of the Special Session, House Democratic majority limits work to an average of less than 3 hours per day. Today, Republican Floor Leader Tom Taylor and Representative Nate Gentry introduced a resolution calling upon the majority Democrats to schedule legislation for committee hearings and encourage active debate and action by the House of Representatives.

Andy Nunez

The resolution was signed by House Republicans and the one independent, Andy Nunez. After a full five days of session, the majority Democratic Party has limited the House to work a total of 13 hours, an average of less than 3 hours per day. "This is unacceptable to New Mexicans who expect us to work on a few pressing issues facing this state, including repealing the dangerous law that permits illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, creating jobs in New Mexico, and improving our educational system," said Taylor. “It is important to note that while yes, redistricting is the primary focus of this session; we only have 28 bills in the pipeline. In previous sessions, we have had up to 150 by the time Monday rolls around.”

Ben Lujan

"The majority Democrats have the sole power to schedule committee hearings so that we can consider the very important issues facing this state. There has been a great deal of complaining by the Democrats that there is too much to do, but I have yet to see the majority convene committees for any significant period of time to get it done. It’s time we get to work," Gentry said. Historically, standing committees begin meeting on the second or third day. The Special Session is costing the tax payers of New Mexico approximately $50 thousand a day and is budgeted for 21 days.

$50,000 of Taxpayers Money for Three Hour Workdays

Senate Democrats Accuse Martinez of Risky Business

NewsNM note - We received this press release from the Senate Democrat's Leadership - Santa Fe, NM- The Governor's proposal to transfer $130 million out of state reserves to prop up the Unemployment Insurance Fund (Fund) could jeopardize the business community, teachers, the state's most vulnerable citizens, public employees, and the state's bond rating. The Governor used her line-item veto to kill a bi-partisan business supported bill that would have provided additional money to the Fund to prevent its insolvency. "Rather than admit her veto was misguided and will actually hurt businesses, the Governor is now trying to take money from the state's cash reserves.

Dipping into our savings has to be the last resort. It makes no sense to take money from the reserves when the compromise reached during the regular session is still a viable option," said Senator John Sapien (D-Sandoval-9).

"Paying a slight increase in the employer's share as part of the cost of doing business to guarantee solvency is more acceptable than paying almost twice as much if the Fund becomes insolvent," said Senator George Munoz (D-Cibola, McKinley-4). "It is unfortunate that the Governor refused to accept the compromise reached by those most directly affected. The veto was detrimental to business," he added.

"There are many unpaid bills that we have to take care of, including the Medicaid shortfall of $100 million, and the loss of nearly $40 million in Tobacco Settlement funding. Also, the revenue projections for the current fiscal year could be off by as much as $55 million. By adding the Governor's proposal to shore up the Fund, the State's reserves may be down to nearly 3.9%. Anything below 5% could negatively impact the State's bond rating," explained Senator John Arthur Smith (D-Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, 35).

John Arthur Smith

"If our reserves go below 5%, teachers and public employees will have to wait at least another year to have their wages reinstated to levels from 3 years ago. Using money from the reserves will also mean less money will be available to help many New Mexicans dependent on state programs for their most basic needs," said Senator Howie Morales (D-Catron, Grant, Socorro-28). "I cannot support a proposal that will negatively impact those least able to afford it."

Senate Democrats Accuse Martinez of Risky Business

Making the Case for Obamacare: Win - Win for NM

NMPolitics - by Kelly O'Donnell - Federal health-care reform (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009, or PPACA) will provide health insurance to tens of thousands of previously uninsured New Mexicans and, in doing so, will bring billions of new federal dollars into our state’s economy, creating jobs, prosperity, and almost a billion dollars in new state and local tax revenue by 2020. However, if New Mexico is to receive this vital economic boost, we must do our part by aggressively implementing the new law.
Some of this new tax revenue will be used to offset New Mexico’s pennies-on-the-dollar contribution to the cost of the new coverage (the state must pay only about 4 percent of the cost, while the feds pick up the rest), but most of the new tax revenue generated by federal health-care reform will be money that New Mexico’s Legislature and local governments can spend to meet the specific needs of their constituents by creating new programs, funding existing programs like education and public safety, forestalling future tax increases, or even reducing taxes.

PPACA will bring new federal funds into New Mexico in a number of ways. Beginning in 2014, Medicaid will expand to cover all low-income New Mexicans under age 65. The New Mexico Human Services Department projects that by 2020 New Mexico will have added between 133,000 and 183,000 new Medicaid enrollees, primarily adults previously unable to afford health insurance.
Also during that period, between $6 billion and $8 billion in new federal Medicaid funds will flow into the health-care sector, creating thousands of new high-wage jobs and reverberating throughout the state economy in the form of increased economic activity and employment. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Making the Case for Obamacare: Win - Win for NM

Weiner's Seat Up for Grabs

Politico - Republicans are poised for a dramatic upset in next week’s special election for a New York City congressional seat, according to a new poll out Friday. The survey, conducted by the Siena Research Institute, found Republican Bob Turner holding a 50 percent to 44 percent lead over Democrat David Weprin. The poll comes as national Democrats grow increasingly nervous about Weprin’s prospects in the race for a Brooklyn and Queens-area seat that has long favored the party.

Courtesy of conservativedailynews.com

Weiner's Seat Up for Grabs

Yum! NM builds 'world's largest Navajo taco'

From KRQE-TV.com - GALLUP, N.M. (AP) - Residents in Gallup have set the record for world's largest Navajo taco using 150 pieces of fry bread and, of course, more than 30 pounds of green chile, New Mexico officials and organizers said Monday. According to volunteers and state officials, the Navajo taco created Saturday was more than 10 feet in diameter and also needed 65 pounds of ground beef, 65 pounds of beans, 50 pounds of lettuce and 90 pounds of cheese. Bill Lee, executive director of the Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce, said there was no record for the world's largest Navajo taco in the Guinness Book of World Record, so residents created one. "We just decided we would establish the record," said Lee. "There wasn't anything on the books officially." Lee said the objective was to highlight tourism in Gallup, a city located near the Navajo Nation, and to bring residents together for a cause. Read more

Yum! NM builds 'world's largest Navajo taco'

Rivals press Gov. Rick Perry on Social Security

NewsNM Swickard - Anyone with any sense knows that the collection of money for Social Security was unhooked from paying that money into an annuity fund. Therefore, no money collected is ever saved to pay the premiums. Ponzi Scheme? Of Course it is. From the El Paso Times - TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Republican presidential hopefuls plan to use a televised debate Monday to press front runner Rick Perry to justify his criticism of Social Security, which has dominated the contest in recent days. Perry, the Texas governor, partly explained his remarks in an op-ed article in USA Today. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has sharply criticized Perry for calling Social Security's funding arrangement a "Ponzi scheme" and "monstrous lie" in a California debate last week. Read more

Rivals press Gov. Rick Perry on Social Security