N.M. Share of Foreclosure Settlement: $91.7M

From krqe.com -A nationwide settlement over alleged fraud and abuses in mortgage foreclosures will net New Mexicans a share of the proposed $25 billion payout. New Mexico Attorney Gary King estimated the state will receive $91.7 million for mortgage relief, refinancing and direct payments related to mortgages issued by five banks: Ally, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase. The deal requires the banks to reduce loans for about a million homeowners in danger of foreclosure and make payments of $2,000 to about 750,000 people whose foreclosures were handled improperly. The settlement resolution is spread over three years.

N.M. Share of Foreclosure Settlement: $91.7M

Joint Task Force Teams Up With Border Patrol

From svherald.com - Joint Task Force North will be deploying military personnel and equipment starting in mid-February to support the U.S. Border Patrol in southern Arizona and New Mexico, according to a Tucson Sector press release issued Thursday. The ongoing collaboration between Customs and Border Protection and JTF-North supports the mission of the Border Patrol while providing training for the military, the release states.  The units and equipment will be under the control of the federal law agency.  JTF-North spokesman Armando Carrasco said because the mission will be under Customs and Border Protection, he cannot talk about specifics. However, he said there will be multiple active duty and reserve component resources from different military services involved. The importance is JTF-North continues to provide support to federal law enforcement agencies while at the same is an excellent avenue for the military to receive additional training, Carrasco said. The press Border Patrol release noted communities in southern Arizona and southern New Mexico should expect to see additional military personnel, vehicles and equipment traveling throughout the border region in the near future.  More News New Mexico

Joint Task Force Teams Up With Border Patrol

Mexican Drug Cartel Activity Increasing in N.M.

From therepublic.com -Officials say smaller, rural New Mexico counties are becoming staging areas for Mexican drug cartels because of their major interstate highways and back roads. KRQE-TV reports that New Mexico sheriffs recently heard about the increased cartel activities at a conference near the U.S.-Mexico border. Torrance County Sheriff Heath White said authorities may never know the true extent of the cartel operations in New Mexico because their purpose here is not violence.  Torrance County Sheriff Heath White said authorities may never know the true extent of the cartel operations in New Mexico because their purpose here is not violence. Instead, he said Mexican drug cartels simply want to move their drugs and remain undetected.  Investigators fear that's why the cartels here will likely remain quiet.  White said federal agencies like the federal agents are taking the lead in identifying and arresting suspects linked to the cartels, but local authorities also need to know how to identify them. 

Mexican Drug Cartel Activity Increasing in N.M.

Rail Runner Reform Blocked in the Senate

Capitol Report New Mexico - A provocative bill questioning how to handle the steep expenses heading down the track for the Rail Runner was unable to get through committee but it is sparking debate about the future of the train that serves the greater Albuquerque-Santa Fe corridor.
Senate Bill 247, which was introduced by Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) addresses a question that number of voters who aren’t serviced by the Rail Runner have been asking ever since the train was unveiled six years ago: “Why are we paying for it when we don’t get to use it?” Muñoz said in an interview with Capitol Report New Mexico.
SB247 answers that question with a suggestion that intrigues some and horrifies others – creating an excise tax that would be paid only by taxpayers who live in the counties that the train serves and exempting those taxpayers who don’t.
“How are we going to fix this problem, $781 million in bonds we’re going to have to pay,” Muñoz said.
The bill was a longshot at best. First, because supporters of the Rail Runner hated the idea, as did a number of legislators whose constituents live in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Rail Runner Reform Blocked in the Senate

Sanchez and Carruthers Highlight Friday Guest List

Garrey Carruthers

Two major newsmakers highlight the guest schedule on News New Mexico today. At 7:00am Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez will take questions from Michael, Rachel, and Aaron about the decision to drop his bid for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate. Sanchez, who first announced his candidacy on News New Mexico last year, made his widely anticipated withdrawal official yesterday in a press release. This will be his first live interview since the press release.

John Sanchez

Former New Mexico Governor Garrey Carruthers will join us in studio at 7:30am to talk about the thirty day session. We will ask him what he thinks about the performance of current Governor Susana Martinez so far this year. Also we will ask him to provide his views on the proposed Public Regulatory Commission reforms that are being stalled by Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez. Carruthers is associated with the policy think tank, Think New Mexico,which helped develop the PRC reform proposals.

Sanchez and Carruthers Highlight Friday Guest List

Michael Sanchez is Blocking Reforms......Again

KOB TV - Legislation to reform the state's scandal-plagued Public Regulation Commission appears to be stalled in the state Senate. Thursday, Governor Susana Martinez and other reform-backers wonder what went wrong. Three proposed amendments to the state constitution would go on the ballot for voters to make the ultimate decision in the November general election, but a powerful lawmaker says - not so fast. Senate
Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez (D-Belen) calls the shots in the state Senate. Sanchez said the legislature should take another year to consider the PRC amendments.
"A 30-day session is a very short session," Sanchez told our news partners at the Santa Fe New Mexican. "I don't think it's enough time for us to vet these constitutional resolutions carefully enough. Let's do it deliberatively, not just do it in the next five days." The disgrace of PRC Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. inspired the reforms. He ripped off taxpayers to fuel a drug habit and currently resides in a prison cell.
The House of Representatives passed the amendment resolutions unanimously. Governor Martinez said the Senate should do likewise. "I think it should be common sense to Senators as well as Representatives," Martinez said. "I don't think that should be a problem. We need to hold corrupt elected officials accountable and they should not walk away with taxpayer dollars in their pockets when they've been stealing from the taxpayers." Read full story here: News New Mexico

Michael Sanchez is Blocking Reforms......Again

The Obamacare Arena

 
   Courtesy of Conservativedailynews.com

janice2012.us

Spaceport or Space Ghost? Susana asks committee members to reconsider Spaceport liability bill

From Capitol Report New Mexico.com - Capitol Report New Mexico has learned that Gov. Susana Martinez sent a letter Thursday (Feb. 9th) to members of the two committees that tabled bills that would have protected Spaceport America from legal liability if any spaceflight passengers are injured and there is no “gross negligence” or ”willful/wanton disregard for safety.” Martinez wrote to the members of the House Business and Industry Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee that “simply put, this would make it extremely difficult for Spaceport America to achieve its mission of providing commercial space flights and boosting local economies in the southern part of the state.” The letter was signed by the Republican governor as well as three Democrats — Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Richard Martinez of Española, Rep. Dona Irwin of Deming, and Sen. Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces — and one Republican, Rep. James White of Albuquerque. The two committees blocked the liability exemption on Wednesday, despite appeals from Spaceport officials who told lawmakers the exemption was necessary because other states with interests in commercial space flight had instituted similar laws. “But where does it end,” asked Sen. Eric Griego (D-Albuquerque), “just because a company says they’re going to move to Nebraska or China we have to do the same?” Sen. Lisa Curtis (D-Albuquerque), who is a trial lawyer, argued that by rejecting the exemption, New Mexico could actually attract more people to Spaceport because the state would have stronger protections for passengers. Read more

Spaceport or Space Ghost? Susana asks committee members to reconsider Spaceport liability bill

Senate’s contractor disclosure vote toys with absurdity

From NM Politics.net - By Heath Haussamen - I’m a big fan of transparency, and I believe private contractors who do public work could use more sunshine. But the N.M. Senate toyed with absurdity on Monday by approving an amendment to the Sunshine Portal law that would require all state contractors to disclose the names, titles and salaries of all employees. One example of a company the legislation would affect is a business that runs a prison for the state. I absolutely believe the names and salaries of the company’s employees who work at that prison should be publicly disclosed. But on the other extreme is a company that does 99 percent of its work in the private sector and has one tiny contract with a state agency for a couple thousand dollars. I don’t believe such a company should have to give out that much proprietary information. Somewhere in between is a gray area in which a line should be drawn between what’s public and what’s not. I’m glad lawmakers including Eric Griego, D-Albuquerque, have brought this issue into the debate about government transparency. But the way they’ve done it – with an overly broad amendment to the Sunshine Portal – is simply not appropriate. Read more

Senate’s contractor disclosure vote toys with absurdity

Eric Griego's "Amendment"

Eric Griego

NewsNM comment (Spence) Some things that happen are so amazing they sound made up. And this man wants New Mexicans to send him to Washington.
New Mexico Watchdog - Politics often makes strange bedfellows, yet who would have guessed that one of the Occupy movement’s friends in the Roundhouse would carry water for Occupy’s arch-enemy, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Or so it seems.
Sen. Eric Griego attached to a piece of pending transparency legislation an amendment that would require future administrations to include on the state’s new statutory Sunshine Portal “a directory of all employee positions of every person, corporation or entity with which the state contracts, identified by position title, salary and the name of the individual that holds the position.”
Good luck with that, Gov. Martinez. The legislature – if they keep this amendment – wants you assemble “a directory of all employee positions (including name, title and salary) of every person, corporation or entity with which the state contracts.”
The state contracts with thousands of companies, non-profit agencies and – don’t forget – other public agencies including the United States government. Near the top of the list are some large construction companies like Jaynes Corp., A. S. Horner and Mountain States Constructors. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Eric Griego's "Amendment"