Topless Setup at City Hall?

KOB TV - A Sunland Park mayoral candidate says an unidentified man threatened to blackmail him by releasing a video of a topless woman dancing for him if he didn't drop out of the race.
Mayoral candidate Gerardo Hernandez said Wednesday that an unidentified topless woman danced for him in his office and believes it was a set up by another mayoral candidate. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Topless Setup at City Hall?

Calls for Full Disclosure a Little Spotty

Things are changing in New Mexico. We have a functioning Sunshine portal, a Foundation for Open Government to insure more open and above board processes, and bipartisan calls for transparency in campaign finance related to the recent Citizen United court ruling. However, before you get caught up in the new wave of higher ethical standards it is best to understand that not everyone is calling for a full accounting of everything that desperately needs full disclosure.

It has been nearly three years since agreements by Santa Fe County and the State of New Mexico paved the way for millions of dollars in funding and other considerations to go to private developers of a movie studio in Santa Fe. The terms of the scheme were nothing if not remarkably brazen.

Santa Fe Studios

Somehow, Santa Fe county commissioners and the New Mexico state government agreed to give Santa Fe Studios partners: which included Current State Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales, Lance Hool, Jason Hool and Conrad Hool, free land, free water utility hookups, a $10 million grant, and a $6.5 million government backed loan. Why?

These very clever men managed to convince elected officials and/or decision makers in Santa Fe that it was in the “public interest” to construct this particular facility to “lure” Hollywood producers to New Mexico. How could such an incredible scheme come off? It seems that a longtime friendship between the principals and former Governor Bill Richardson provided significant political lubricants during the funding process.

Later when State Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales was questioned about his good fortune with the project he said he had “detached himself” from it. However, numerous attempts at convincing Gonzales to actually provide full and complete disclosure of what “detaching” actually meant in financial terms, have been completely ignored.

Javier Gonzales

The Sunshine Portal, the noble efforts of the Foundation for Open Government, and calls for full disclosure of the fund sources of PAC’s and Super PAC’s are reasonable. Is it also reasonable and ethical for a State Democratic Party Chairman to be on the receiving end, along with his partners, of a $10 million grant, a $6.5 government guaranteed loan, free land, and free utility hookups from government entities where he is presumed to have so much influence? If this is reasonable, is it also reasonable that he do so without being required to provide full disclosure of the financial details after his exit from a taxpayer financed deal?

If it is not reasonable for Gonzales to remain silent, why are so many otherwise reasonable elected officials and media members ignoring this situation while spending so much time pounding the table calling for full disclosure and transparency?

Calls for Full Disclosure a Little Spotty

Labor Activist Announces Bid for House Seat

Christine Trujillo

One of the most aggressive labor activists in the state, who observers say was able to successfully block bi-partisan efforts to reform education in New Mexico, has announced she will be running for the House of Representatives.

Christine Trujillo of Albuquerque told the Albuquerque Journal she will provide primary opposition to incumbent and fellow Democrat Danice Picraux in House District 25. Trujillo who is in her sixth term as president of the American Federation of Teachers in New Mexico, worked tirelessly behind the scenes for more than a year to stop the social promotion bill sponsored by Representative Mary Helen Garcia of Dona Ana County and supported by Governor Susana Martinez. The bill would have halted the widely discredited practice of moving school children on to 4th grade when they are unable to read at the third grade level.

Labor Activist Announces Bid for House Seat

Second Gun Involved in Murder of ICE Agent Linked to Fast & Furious

Brian Terry

From cbs.com -Prosecutors recently sentenced a Texas man, Manuel Barba, for trafficking a weapon connected to the murder of Immigration and Customs (ICE) Agent Jaime Zapata. Nobody was more astonished to learn of the case than Zapata's parents, who didn't know that Barba had been arrested or linked to their son's murder. "The family was obviously surprised to learn that there was a case involving a weapon linked to the Zapata incident," attorney Trey Martinez told CBS News. Martinez represents Zapata's parents and the surviving ICE agent in the assault, Victor Avila. "They were surprised they had never been contacted in the capacity as victims so they could give a response or some kind of reaction at the time of sentencing."  Barba was sentenced to 100 months in prison on January 30th. When we asked why the Zapatas weren't contacted, prosecutors in Houston told CBS News they only handled the weapons charges: conspiracy, false statements and exportation/receipt of firearms. Zapata's actual murder "is being handled by another US Attorney's office and... is separate and apart from the firearms case that was handled by our district," said a spokeswoman. She added the firearms offenses "are crimes that do not involve victims in the legal sense of the word and therefore, notifications are not part of the legal process."   In a related development, CBS News has obtained documents showing that Barba was under ATF surveillance for at least six months before a rifle he trafficked was used in Zapata's murder. Zapata's government vehicle was ambushed by suspected cartel thugs in Mexico Feb. 15, 2011.  More News New Mexico

Second Gun Involved in Murder of ICE Agent Linked to Fast & Furious

courtesy of conservativedailynews.com

     

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Mayor Berry Hosts Japanese Ambassador

Richard Berry

Alamogordo Daily News - Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry is set to host the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki is slated Thursday to attend a private reception with Berry and will tour the Sasebo Japanese Garden at the Albuquerque BioPark.
Fujisaki is in New Mexico related to Japan's investment of more than $30 million in smart grid research and demonstration projects in the state. He is scheduled to get an update from Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization agreements in Los Alamos with state officials, the Public Service Co. of New Mexico, and Mesa del Sol in 2010.
The project includes a large-scale battery storage system and a home that will incorporate solar, batteries, smart metering and an energy management system. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Mayor Berry Hosts Japanese Ambassador

Governor to Sign Tax Reform Bill Today

Susana Martinez

Efforts to make New Mexico a bit more competitive were successful in the recent legislature. Governor Susana Martinez will sign tax reform legislation today at Yearout Mechanical in Albuquerque.
House Bill 184/256 will change some of the most unfair and burdensome double and triple taxation of goods and services in New Mexico's construction and manufacturing sectors.

The tax reform package will reduce the financial burden on small business construction contractors, as well as on manufacturers, allowing for new hiring, reducing the cost to consumers of products and new construction. Expected to be on hand for the signing are, Economic Development Department Secretary Jon Barela, Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford, Rep. David Doyle (R-Albuquerque), Rep. Conrad James (R-Albuquerque) plus a number of New Mexico business leaders.

Governor to Sign Tax Reform Bill Today

High School's plan for random student drug testing is hard sell to parents

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - by Robert Nott - St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe is going forward with random drug testing of students using hair samples in fall 2012.  Principal Sam Govea made that announcement during a parental forum the school hosted at its Siringo Road campus early Wednesday morning.  About 15 parents attended the meeting, and based on the comments some made, opinions regarding the policy remain divided. Earlier this month, the private Catholic school, which serves about 700 students in grades seven through 12, notified parents that it was considering enacting a drug-testing policy. Parents immediately posted comments on the school's Facebook page, some supporting the plan and others criticizing it. During Wednesday's 7:30 a.m. meeting, Govea said the policy will become effective next semester, and that the school is altering some of its original thoughts regarding the plan. He said the policy will be called "random +" -- with the + sign emphasizing education, intervention and support for students who test positive for drugs the first time. He added that the school is talking with staff and faculty members about the possibility of testing employees as well. Read more

High School's plan for random student drug testing is hard sell to parents

Pacheco will run for Doyle’s seat in NM House, Doyle aims for Senate

NM Rep. David Doyle

From Capitol Report New Mexico.com - And the candidates just keep on comin.’ Retired Albuquerque Police Department officer and Republican Paul Pacheco has announced Wednesday (Feb. 22) he’ll run for the state House of Representatives in District 23, a seat that is currently held by Rep. David Doyle, who is stepping aside to run for the state Senate. Pacheco, who ran for the seat – which is comprised of northwest Albuquerque and Corrales — back in 2010 and finished in a close second place to Doyle, said in a statement that he’ll “focus on reforming education by increasing accountability, creating a more business-friendly environment to grow jobs, and improving public safety by repealing the law that gives driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.” A former “Detective of the Year” at APD, Pacheco has spent the last five years helping his wife run a small business that provides drug and alcohol treatment. As for Doyle, he’s announced that he’ll run against Democrat John Sapien of Corrales for the state Senate in District 9. According to a brief story in the Albuquerque Journal, Doyle says he’s switching chambers because he thinks he can make a greater impact in the Senate. Read more

Pacheco will run for Doyle’s seat in NM House, Doyle aims for Senate

Denish sticks neck out with endorsements

Former NM Lt. Gov. Diane Denish

From NMPolitics.net - by Heath Haussamen - Former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who was the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2010, is sticking her neck out by endorsing candidates in two high-profile primaries some consider underdogs. In July, Denish endorsed Hector Balderas, who polls have shown has an uphill battle against Martin Heinrich in the U.S. Senate primary. And earlier this month, Denish gave her support to Michelle Lujan Grisham in a three-way 1st Congressional District primary. She said she doesn’t consider Lujan Grisham an underdog. Whether such endorsements matter is a long-standing debate in politics, but Denish built a statewide network, and the candidates hope her endorsements will at least energize their supporters. Balderas and Lujan Grisham are touting Denish’s backing, which shows she still has influence in a party that is in some ways soul-searching after a 2010 shellacking that included her loss to Republican Susana Martinez. Denish said she thought carefully before making the endorsements. By backing candidates who are or may be underdogs, she’s taking a chance, but she doesn’t seem concerned about that. “I endorse the candidates who I think have the opportunity to be the best public servants in the jobs they’re running for,” Denish told NMPolitics.net. Read more

Denish sticks neck out with endorsements