‘Don’t Screw Around With Me’: Biden Defends ‘Rape’ Comments, Gets into Heated Exchange With Reporter

From The Blaze.com - Vice President Joe Biden defended and repeated assertions he made last week that rape and murder rates will continue to rise if President Barack Obama’s jobs bill is not passed, and had a testy moment with a reporter who questioned the appropriateness of his comments. Speaking at a Capitol Hill rally Wednesday to promote the jobs bill, Biden repeated his earlier remarks that police layoffs in cities like Flint, Mich. have resulted in higher crime rates. “In many cities, the result has been, and it’s not unique, murder rates are up, robberies are up, rapes are up,” Biden said. Human Events reporter Jason Mattera questioned Biden on his comments after Wednesday’s event, asking whether he regretted “using a rape reference to describe Republican opposition to the president’s bill.” “I didn’t use, no no no,” Biden said. “What I said, let’s get it straight guys, don’t screw around with me….I said rape is up three times in Flint. There are numbers, go look at the numbers. Murder’s up, rape is up and burglary’s up,” Biden said. “And if Republicans don’t pass this bill, rape will continue to rise?” Mattera pressed. “Murder will continue to rise, rape will continue to rise, all crimes will continue to rise,” Biden answered. “Do you think it’s appropriate for the vice president to use language in such a way?” Mattera asked as aides interrupted him and hustled Biden away. Read more

‘Don’t Screw Around With Me’: Biden Defends ‘Rape’ Comments, Gets into Heated Exchange With Reporter

House GOP demands White House release Obama’s emails on Solyndra

From The Hill.com - By Andrew Restuccia - House Republicans are pushing forward with their request for all internal White House communications related to the now-bankrupt solar firm Solyndra, including President Obama’s emails. In a letter to White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler on Tuesday, top Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee argue that the White House should turn over internal emails and documents related to the $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra. They rejected arguments from the White House that it has already turned over hundreds of documents, and said efforts by other administrative agencies are not enough. “The fact that other agencies are in the process of attempting to comply with our request for documents does not excuse the White House from producing its own responsive documents,” the letter from committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Oversight and Investigations subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said. “Our request to the White House is not duplicative of our requests to other executive-branch agencies.” Read more

House GOP demands White House release Obama’s emails on Solyndra

"What Goes Around Comes Around"

  Courtesy of Conservativedailynews.com

"What Goes Around Comes Around"

Massive dust storm's aftermath

From KRQE-TV - by Gabrielle Burkhart - PORTALES, N.M. (KRQE) - It wasn't a tornado, but it could have fooled some people in Southeastern New Mexico. Massive dust clouds rolled in through parts of the state yesterday, turning the sky an eery brown. On Tuesday, residents dealt with the aftermath. A giant wall of dust came plowing into Portales Monday, garnering enough attention for those in it's path to snap photos before taking cover. "We were in the shop and we had a lot of customers, and we heard a lot of wind coming so we all stepped outside," recalled Hamilton GM Country dealership employee Kendall McDaniel. "We seen a huge wall right behind us, coming right behind us coming this way, of just a bunch of dirt." The Portales car dealership was surrounded by the dust wall. "We get a lot of dirt, but the one yesterday; I haven't seen one like that in a long time," said McDaniel. Viewers sent News 13 photos of the storm plowing through Clovis, hitting Portales and trudging through Hobbs. Read more

Massive dust storm's aftermath

State revenue from oil and gas will come up short, officials say

From the New Mexico Independent - Officials in the Martinez administration announced Tuesday that revenue for the state government will be lower than previously estimated. The Associated Press reports: A new revenue forecast released Tuesday lowered projections for tax collections by $123 million in the fiscal year that starts next July and about $21 million in the current budget year. Much of the decline is because economists expect oil and natural gas prices to be lower than anticipated. The Legislative Finance Committee was told in July they had around $350 million in “new money” to use in the next legislative session. The decreased oil and gas revenue means only $200 million will now be available. Read more

State revenue from oil and gas will come up short, officials say

Dept. of Tourism works to create new brand on flat budget

From KOB-TV - The message to lawmakers was clear, tourism in New Mexico can be much better with out more money. And the timing of that message from Tourism Secretary Monique Jacobson seemed impeccable as it came on the heels of new economic forecasts that show state revenue sloping down over the two years. On Tuesday in a presentation before the Legislative Finance Committee, Jacobson presented new findings from research that showed New Mexico is 36th in the nation for tourism travel. Jacobson also told legislators that while doing research into brand perceptions, people from out of state often though Arizona offered better skiing than New Mexico. "I think it's an overall statement to this lack of knowledge and understanding about what New Mexico is and what we have," said Jacobson. The research also showed that New Mexico is often overlooked as a tourist destination and many of the tourism dollars that flow to the state come from tourists who are only driving through on their way to another state. Jacobson told lawmakers that she plans to re-focus the tourism department on creating a consistent brand that can tap into the story of New Mexico and do so, on a flat budget. "We have got to bring to life this idea about adventures steeped in very rich culture," Jacobson said. Recently the tourism department wrapped up a statewide campaign encouraging people to participate in a scavenger hunt for "Billy the Kid," in which a $10,000 prize was given. Read more

Dept. of Tourism works to create new brand on flat budget

New Mexico MVD chief resigns post

From the Santa Fe New Mexican - Keith Perry, head of the state's Motor Vehicle Division, abruptly resigned last week after Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla "raised some concerns" about the general management of the division. A spokesman for Padilla stressed that the secretary "wants to take assertive steps to improve customer service and overall operations" at the agency. Padilla told KOAT News that Perry "is a great team player. He just wasn't as aggressive as I would have liked for him to have been." Spokesman S.U. Mahesh stressed that Perry's resignation after eight months had "absolutely nothing to do" with the recent controversial effort by the agency to verify the residency of foreign nationals who have New Mexico driver's licenses. "In fact, Keith Perry was very supportive of repealing the foreign national driver's license law and worked very diligently on the residential certification program," Mahesh said in an email. Read more

New Mexico MVD chief resigns post

Gas Thieves Drill Through Tanks

From KOAT-TV - RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- Drivers in Rio Rancho said they are getting ripped off not only at the pump by the rising gas prices, but also by thieves who are drilling through their gas tanks in the middle of the night. Resident Robert Atencio said he woke up Monday and found his pickup truck running on empty after someone drilled a hole right into his gas tank. "We awoke to the smell of gasoline fumes. I figured I had a ruptured tank. I didn't know what was going on," Atencio said. "It's damaging the asphalt." Rio Rancho police said aside from Atencio's truck, about half dozen other cars were also drilled with holes along Peach Road before the thieves moved in the Northern Meadows neighborhood, where residents reported a number of SUVs and trucks with both plastic and metal tanks punctured. Police said they started noticing more gas thefts last month, but they had never seen anything like what happened Monday morning. Read more

Gas Thieves Drill Through Tanks

An idea to revamp the way unemployment works — and how you could enhance your retirement at the same time

From Capitol Report New Mexico - We’ve reported about how New Mexico has racked up more than $200 million in overpayments in unemployment checks in the last two years. On top of that, there’s been plenty of discussion about how the state’s unemployment fund may be in jeopardy if the economy stays flat. Maybe it’s time to rethink how unemployment is structured — not just in New Mexico but across the country. This week, a study from the Tax Foundation, a think-tank based in Washington DC, released a detailed look at unemployment compensation and among some of the highlights of the report was a call for changing the system so that taxes are lowered (for employees as well as employers) and workers can actually access their unemployment contributions — even if they never lose their jobs. How would that work? By instituting what’s called “Individual Unemployment Benefit Accounts.” In essence, these accounts have employers and employees combine to build up a fund for each individual worker. One chronic problem with the current system states use (through federal government oversight) is that since every state posts how long it will pay unemployment benefits (in New Mexico, it can range from 26 weeks to 86 weeks — and in some states the duration is as long as 99 weeks), there’s an incentive for an unemployed worker to sometimes wait until the “perfect” job comes along. That drives up costs. But under an individual account system, the worker looking for a job has an individual account he or she can draw from for up to five months. If the unemployed person finds work after, say, a month, the balance of the account remains and is carried over should the worker lose his or her next job. On top of that, once workers retire, they can access their individual unemployment account and place it into their own retirement portfolios. Read more

An idea to revamp the way unemployment works — and how you could enhance your retirement at the same time

Environmental groups join San Juan Generating Station appeal

From the Farmington Daily Times - Environmental groups on Tuesday filed a motion to intervene in a case challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ruling that San Juan Generating Station must install new pollution control technology. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver approved the motion to intervene, so the environmental groups will be able to present their position to the court. In Tuesday's decision, the Navajo group Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, Durango, Colo.-based San Juan Citizens Alliance, the National Parks Conservation Association, New Energy Economy and the Sierra Club won the right to participate in the case. "Defending EPA's ability to implement clean air rules will set the stage for nationwide action to reduce dangerous air pollution from antiquated, inefficient coal plants," Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, climate and energy program director at Western Environmental Law Center, said in a prepared statement. Public Service Company of New Mexico, which operates the coal-fired power plant west of Farmington, did not oppose the groups' participation in the case. "It's clearly an important case, and there's room at the table for all voices," PNM spokesman Don Brown said. "Their opinion will be heard, as well as ours." PNM set the case in motion by appealing the EPA's order that the plant must install pricey selective catalytic reduction technology in order to cut pollution. Read more

Environmental groups join San Juan Generating Station appeal