King Aide Used State E-Mail for Political Updates

Gary King

KOB - A spokesman for New Mexico Attorney General Gary King used state email accounts to send political updates about the prosecutor's 2010 re-election opponent.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that at least two emails released by King appear to mix politics and state business.
The emails from state and campaign accounts were released through an Inspection of Public Records Act request from the state Republican Party.
King, a Democrat, has said he's reviewing hundreds of other private emails that address public business to determine which are required for public release.
King, however, called the Republican requests a political ploy intended to distract from his investigation into allegations of political work being done on government time by members of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration. Read full story here: News New Mexico

King Aide Used State E-Mail for Political Updates

New Study: “Right to Work” Law Could Spur New Mexico’s Economy, Create Thousands of New Jobs

Errors of Enchantment - According to a new Rio Grande Foundation report by adjunct scholar Eric Fruits, PhD, New Mexico would benefit greatly from passage of Right to Work legislation. The full study, “Right-to-Work and Economic Growth A Comprehensive Analysis of the Economic Benefits to New Mexico of Enacting a Right-to-Work Law” is available online. Such legislation would, prohibit agreements between labor unions and employers that make union membership, payment of union dues, or union fees a condition of employment, either before or after hiring. Right-to-work laws also prohibit “closed shop” agreements in which an employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed. Looking backward, the analysis finds that if New Mexico had enacted right-to-work legislation in 1980 (such a law passed the legislature—but was vetoed by the governor—in 1979 and 1981):

• New Mexico’s employment in 2011 would have been approximately 21 percent higher (169,400 more people working);

• New Mexico’s 2011 personal income would have been 21 percent higher ($15.7 billion); wage and salary income also would have been 21 percent higher ($7.4 billion).

Looking forward, if New Mexico enacts right-to-work legislation effective 2013, the empirical results indicate that the state would see a permanent boost in employment and income growth.

• By 2020, New Mexico would have 42,300 more people working as a right-to-work state, with more that 2,000 in increased manufacturing employment;
• By 2020, the state’s personal income would be nearly $5 billion higher and wage and salary income would be $2.2 billion higher.

Read More News New Mexico

New Study: “Right to Work” Law Could Spur New Mexico’s Economy, Create Thousands of New Jobs

Fire from the sky: International Space Station astronaut captures stunning image of New Mexico wildfires at night

Daily Mail - No human being has a more commanding view of the world than the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which is why it was only a matter of time before someone up there captured a truly amazing aerial view of the wildfires ravaging the U.S. Nasa has been releasing some daytime shots of the Colorado fires as seen from space, with long trails of smoke rising from clearly defined hotspots on the ground. But an image recently released from the ISS shows a completely new view from space - New Mexico fires captured at night. Read More News New Mexico

Fire from the sky: International Space Station astronaut captures stunning image of New Mexico wildfires at night

Attempt to Tax the Rich in Maryland Backfires

CNBC - A new report says wealthy Maryland residents may be moving out due to recent tax hikes – a finding that is sure to escalate the battle over taxing the American rich.

The study, by the anti-tax group Change Maryland, says that a net 31,000 residents left the state between 2007 and 2010, the tenure of a "millionaire's tax" pushed through by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The tax, which expired in 2010, in imposed a rate of 6.25 percent on incomes of more than $1 million a year.

The Change Maryland study found that the tax cost Maryland $1.7 billion in lost tax revenues. A county-by-county analysis by Change Maryland also found that the state’s wealthiest counties also had some of the largest population outflows.

In total, Maryland has added 24 new taxes or fees in recent years, Change Maryland says. Florida, which has no income-tax, has been a large recipient of Maryland's exiled wealthy.
“Maryland has reached the point of diminishing returns. We're taxing people too much and people are voting with their feet," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. “Until we change our focus from tax increases to increasing the tax base, more people are simply going to leave, leading to a downward spiral of raising revenues on fewer citizens." Read full story here: News New Mexico

Attempt to Tax the Rich in Maryland Backfires

83% of Doctors Consider Quitting Over Obamacare, Shortages of Doctors Loom

Daily Caller - Eighty-three percent of American physicians have considered leaving their practices over President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, according to a survey released by the Doctor Patient Medical Association. The DPMA, a non-partisan association of doctors and patients, surveyed a random selection of 699 doctors nationwide. The survey found that the majority have thought about bailing out of their careers over the legislation, which was upheld last month by the Supreme Court.
Even if doctors do not quit their jobs over the ruling, America will face a shortage of at least 90,000 doctors by 2020. The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65. Read full story here: News New Mexico

83% of Doctors Consider Quitting Over Obamacare, Shortages of Doctors Loom

Courtesy of Conservative Daily News

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Tuesday Guest 7:30 - Jack Swickard

NewsNM Swickard - A distant cousin Jack Swickard will be in studio Tuesday morning to talk about a National Geographic special, Helicopter Wars which features him as a young man while in Vietnam in an incident where he and another helicopter saved over a hundred infantry trapped in an enemy area. Click here for info.

Tuesday Guest 7:30 - Jack Swickard

Swickard: If two wrongs don't make a right, try three

Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - The Confederate Flag controversy in Las Cruces last week is captured perfectly by Laurence Peter, “If two wrongs don't make a right, try three.”  The controversy started because of an Independence Day parade float by the Las Cruces TEA Party. It had the Confederate Flag among 21 other flags that have flown over New Mexico. The flag was displayed among the other flags but not prominently. Regardless, it jumps out at you. The TEA Party theme was: what flags have flown over New Mexico in its history? While that was not the centerpiece theme of the parade, the Centennial of our state’s founding, it was good enough New Mexico history that the judges awarded the TEA Party float the grand prize including a thousand dollars. It seems a political operative who was a TEA Party opponent realized that if this issue was falsified and twisted it could put the TEA Party in a bad light. So this operative protested that the Confederate Flag on the TEA Party float was the only flag flown, and you know what that means, wink wink nod nod. Not true but the political operative chortled at the chaos created. Let us look at the three wrongs in this story. Read column

Swickard: If two wrongs don't make a right, try three

DOE allocates $715,000 to NM to expand energy-savings in govt. buildings

New Mexico Business Weekly - New Mexico will receive $715,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand energy efficiency efforts in state buildings. The money will be used to bolster projects by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, the Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD), the General Services Department (GSD), and the New Mexico Finance Authority. New Mexico was one of 13 states to receive funding following a winning proposal by the ECMD and GSD at the DOE’s 2012 State Energy Program Competitive Solicitation last spring. Winning proposals were judged on their ability to effectively demonstrate plans for programs that will increase energy efficiency in public buildings. New Mexico’s winning proposal was called “WISE,” or Whole-Building Investments in Sustainable Efficiency. “This award will help establish New Mexico state government as a leader in increasing energy savings in public buildings and lay the groundwork for expansion of energy efficiency in the private sector,” said ECMD Director Louise Martinez. “This is a win-win for New Mexicans,” said GSD Cabinet Secretary Ed Burckle, “The mission of GSD is to make state government more efficient. By making these energy-saving upgrades, we will save taxpayer money, while leading by example in the field of energy conservation.” Read More News New Mexico

DOE allocates $715,000 to NM to expand energy-savings in govt. buildings

New System Passes Most NM Schools

KOAT - A new state rating system gives most of New Mexico's schools passing grades, although the bulk of those are Cs and Ds. Gov. Susana Martinez on Monday unveiled the first report card under a new grading system that allows officials to consider more than just annual student test scores. The grades were developed after the state won a waiver from the federal government to include others factors, like past test scores, academic growth, attendance and college preparedness. Read full story here: News New Mexico

New System Passes Most NM Schools