Immigration reform more than just driver’s licenses

From NM Politics.net - Commentary by State Senator Steve Fischmann, District 37 - We can continue the political soap opera over driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants or comprehensively tackle immigration issues impacting our daily lives. I’m sponsoring legislation that attempts to do the latter. I invite others to help me improve it. I have introduced guest worker legislation (SB 14) that addresses immigration issues in a manner that can significantly improve our security, our economy, and our quality of life; and that addresses driver’s license issues to boot. SB 14 creates a predictable immigration policy for New Mexico in partnership with the federal government. It ends policies that make lawbreakers out of employers and workers who serve the economic interests of our state, while protecting jobs for legal citizens, and increasing accountability for unscrupulous employers. It also creates a funding mechanism that requires no new taxes and will actually add money to our state coffers. Read more

Immigration reform more than just driver’s licenses

AP: NM driver's license data points to fraud

From KOB-TV.com - By: BARRY MASSEY Associated Press - SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - An Associated Press investigation has found that addresses of dozens of the same businesses and homes across New Mexico were used over and over again by people to get driver's licenses in a pattern that suggests potential fraud by immigrants trying to game the system. In one instance, 48 foreign nationals claimed to live at a smoke shop in Albuquerque to get a license. In another case, more than a dozen claimed to live at an automotive repair shop over a one-year period. The scenario has been repeated at other addresses since New Mexico changed its law in 2003 to allow illegal immigrants to get the same driver's license as a U.S. citizen - one of just two states allowing that. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez is pressing the Legislature to scrap the law because of public safety concerns about widespread fraud. She contends New Mexico has become a magnet for out-of-state immigrants seeking a license, which can be used to board airplanes, conduct financial transactions or get another license in some other state. The governor's proposal will be considered by a legislative committee on Thursday. Having an address in New Mexico is a critical part of getting a license. Applicants without a Social Security number must prove their identity with multiple documents such as a passport or notarized English translation of a foreign birth certificate. They also must show New Mexico residency with other documents, including property lease agreements, utility bills and bank statements. Of the more than 90,000 licenses issued so far to foreign nationals, it's impossible to know how many are illegal immigrants because the state doesn't ask a person's immigration status. Read more

AP: NM driver's license data points to fraud

Compassion or Enslavement?

Jim Harbison

The recent Republican presidential debates have largely focused on media-generated folklore intended less to edify than to attract attention and sell air time. One such issue is the claim that mean-spirited Republicans want to totally eliminate welfare, unemployment, food stamps and all other social safety net benefit programs. It is true that conservatives oppose these programs, at least as they exist in their current forms. Conservative objections have never been about the need for assistance to the unfortunate; but rather on how to develop programs that create the climate for long term opportunity for employment, job security, independence, economic growth, and self reliance.
What is missing from meaningful public discussions are accurate portrayals of the alternatives conservatives advocate to replace this unfortunate and growing dependence on well meaning but singularly misguided and spectacularly failed government programs. There are more Americans dependent on food stamps today than at any time in our history. The inescapable truth is that after nearly 50 years of the "Great Society" programs and over $40 trillion of well-intentioned assistance, generations of Americans still live in ignorance, poverty, crime, and government dependency. These programs offer transient relief but no viable path out of dependency; and, as a practical matter, represent little more than a 21st century form of government sanctioned economic and social slavery.  Read rest of column here: News New Mexico

Compassion or Enslavement?

Savers Will Continue to Subsidize Government Borrowing - Interest Rates Likely on Hold Until 2014

Ben Bernanke

NewsNM note (Spence) - Are you hoping you might be able to get a higher rate on a CD sometime soon because the economy is improving? THINK AGAIN

The bond market has already shifted expectations that there will be no changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve until 2014. The market reacted to this excerpt on the Fed's statement regarding its January meeting:

To support a stronger economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at levels consistent with the dual mandate, the Committee expects to maintain a highly accommodative stance for monetary policy. In particular, the Committee decided today to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and currently anticipates that economic conditions–including low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation over the medium run–are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014.

Don't believe what any politician tells you about economic recovery. Watch the Fed for signs that we are returning to a stronger economy.

Savers Will Continue to Subsidize Government Borrowing - Interest Rates Likely on Hold Until 2014

Martinez to Scale Back Scope of Session

Susana Martinez

NMPolitics - After receiving criticism from some Democratic legislative leaders that she had put too much on their plate for the 30-day session that’s in progress, Gov. Susana Martinez plans to scale back the scope of the session later today. Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell said a final list of messages allowing the consideration of various topics should be published today on the governor’s website, and it will include the rescinding of most of the more than 40 messages the governor sent to the House last week. He gave no clues about what would be cut. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Martinez to Scale Back Scope of Session

Heather Wilson to Appear on News New Mexico

Heather Wilson

Former U.S. Congresswoman Heather Wilson will appear on News New Mexico on Tuesday morning at 7:30am. We will be talking to Wilson about her plans to run for the U.S. Senate Seat being vacated by Jeff Bingaman in 2012. Wilson served in Congress from 1998 to 2009. She is the second female veteran to have been elected to Congress. Wilson opted not to run for re-election to the House in 2008 and sought the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Senator Pete Domenici, but finished second in the Republican primary to Congressman Steve Pearce, who then lost the general election to Democrat Tom Udall. Please email your questions for Heather Wilson to jim@newsnm.com

Heather Wilson to Appear on News New Mexico

"Decline of the Union Address"

  Courtesy of Conservativedailynews.com



janice2012.us

"Decline of the Union Address"

Man receives $22 mil. for inhumane treatment in Dona Ana Co. solitary confinement

From KOB-TV.com - By: Marissa Torres, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - It is one of the largest prisoner civil rights settlements in the history of this country. On Tuesday, a federal jury awarded Stephen Slevin $22 million for inhumane treatment while in solitary confinement at the Dona Ana County Jail. Slevin was arrested in August of 2005 for a DWI then tossed in jail and completely forgotten about for two years. Slevin said he made countless requests to see a doctor and get medication for his depression, but that was denied until just a few weeks before he was released. He also said during the two years, he was forced to pull his own tooth because they would not let him see a dentist. During his time in confinement, Slevin never saw a judge and was released when the DWI charges were dropped. Slevin said taking Dona Ana County to court was never about money, it was to make sure this never happened to anyone else. Read more

Man receives $22 mil. for inhumane treatment in Dona Ana Co. solitary confinement

Social media takes off when rumors fly about Depp's visit to Farmington

From the Farminston Daily Times - By Kurt Madar - FARMINGTON — Johnny Depp might have visited the Four Corners over the weekend, but he definitely was not at Arby's, Target, Three Rivers Brewery or buying a mutton-and-green chile sandwich on fry bread in Shiprock. If the star was here, it was entirely on his own and not in any official capacity for the film "The Lone Ranger," said a publicist for Jerry Bruckheimer Films. What did happen over the weekend and could have fueled the rumors was members from the production company scouting shooting locations, an inside source said Monday. What is almost as interesting as the star himself is how quickly the rumors of Depp's appearance spread, and how nearly everyone heard of him visiting the same places. People who have never met, let alone talked, were reporting the same information, and after reading it on Facebook or hearing it from somebody who had read it on Facebook. Gas station attendant Emerson Napoleon was told by a customer that Depp had been seen at Arby's, Target and Three Rivers Brewery. Arby's Manager Molina Begay got a phone call from the Farmington Chamber of Commerce asking if Depp had developed a craving for a roast beef sandwich. "The rumor was that he came in on Sunday," Begay said. "I worked all day Sunday, and he definitely wasn't here. It would have been nice, though." A search of Facebook showed that the most repeated Depp sightings were Walmart, Arby's, Three Rivers Brewery and Olive Garden. Read more

Social media takes off when rumors fly about Depp's visit to Farmington

Beauty Health and Science Innovations could bring 350 jobs to Clovis

From the Clovis News J0urnal - Clovis’ newest industry has plenty of work to do in the run-up, but officials are confident Beauty Health and Science Innovations could be moving products out of Clovis by the end of April.Brian Sperber, owner and CEO of BHSI — a product of merging Minnesota-based Z. Bigatti and California-based COBE Chem Labs — will start hiring maintenance crews in February to do a few weeks of refurbishing on the former FrozFruit facility. Sperber said while the cleanup is taking place, supplies and five production lines will be shipped to the plant. Production test runs could take place in March, while the company goes through a few weeks of inspections from the state. About half a dozen chemists will be coming from outside of the area, but most of the hiring will be of eastern New Mexico residents with numerous skill sets. The first-year estimate is 120 to 150 jobs, with a three-year goal of 350.
The Clovis City Commission agreed to provide up to $3 million in forgivable economic development loans, and $1 million of that is tied to BHSI employing 300 people for a 12-month period. The target products coming from the Clovis plant, Sperber said, will be skin care products and energy drinks, but future endeavors could include Prestige soaps and candles.
Sperber said BHSI will not do animal testing for its products. The only possible exception, he said, would be if BHSI produces dog shampoo on-site and then washes a dog with the shampoo to test its effectiveness. Read more

Beauty Health and Science Innovations could bring 350 jobs to Clovis