Postal Service unveils New Mexico centennial stamp

NewsNM - Swickard: Gosh, given all of the financial woes, I sure hope the Post Office can find the bailout money to continue in operation until at least New Mexico gets its stamp to celebrate the centennial. From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - In observance of New Mexico's centennial anniversary in 2012, the United States Postal Service unveiled its stamp commemorating New Mexico's admission to the union. The stamp, unveiled Wednesday on the Santa Fe Plaza goes on sale Jan. 6, 2012. More pictures

Postal Service unveils New Mexico centennial stamp

Three Juárez police officers killed, woman injured by armed group

From the El Paso Times - JUAREZ -Three members of the Juárez police department were shot to death Wednesday afternoon after they finished their shift at the Babicora police station, authorities said. A woman walking near the area also was wounded and taken to a local hospital, officials said. The officers were in a green Chevrolet Impala when they were surprised by an armed group on Avenida de Las Torres and Hacienda de las Torres street. More than 30 shots were fired toward the car, which then crashed into a pole. At least one of the men was in his uniform. The shooting created a large police mobilization and a search for the shooters in nearby streets, but there were no known arrests. In the past year, 52 police officers have been killed in Juárez. Read more

Three Juárez police officers killed, woman injured by armed group

Obama Administration Sent Aid to Mexico to Fight Wildfires But Not Texas

From Gateway Pundent.com - by Jim Hoft - The Obama Administration sent aid to Mexico to battle a 386 square mile fire but refused to consider the 2.5 million acre fire in Texas a disaster area.KTRH reported, via Free Republic: Just last month the U.S. sent two Air force cargo planes to help Mexico battle back wildfires in the northern part of it’s country, fires that burned 386 square miles. It’s a move that West Texas Congressman Francisco Canseco (R-Fort Stockton) thinks is a hypocritical one by the Obama administration as Texas has requested the same sort of federal aid but has been denied it. “386 square miles pales with the 2.5 million acres of land that have been burned and scorched beyond recognition,” says Canseco. And Former FEMA Director Michael Brown thinks that a “snub” like this reeks of politics as he believes Texas deserves a similar response from the federal government. Read more

Obama Administration Sent Aid to Mexico to Fight Wildfires But Not Texas

Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes

From Human Events.com - by Audrey Hudson - Nearly half of the federal government’s firefighting air tankers are siting idle at a California airport, grounded by the Obama administration in a contract dispute just weeks before wildfires swept through Texas killing a mother and her child, and destroying 100,000 acres. The massive blazes forced Texas Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry to abruptly call off a campaign appearance in South Carolina earlier this week to respond to the crisis, and may force him to cancel his first debate appearance Wednesday night. The U.S. Forest Service terminated the contract with Aero Union five weeks ago to operate seven P-3 Orions that are critical to the agency’s firefighting mission, leaving the federal government with 11 tankers under contract to help battle more than 50 large uncontained wildfires now burning nationwide. That’s down from 40 tankers used by the Forest Service just a decade ago, according to Rep. Dan Lungren (R.-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Administration, who is challenging the decision to dismiss the largest provider of heavy air-tanker support to the federal government. Read more

Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes

NBC picks Packers over Obama in Milwaukee

From Campaign 2012 The Washington Examiner - He probably didn't know it at the time, but when President Obama greeted Green Bay Packers quarterback (and California Golden Bears alum) Aaron Rodgers at the White House this August, he was shaking hands with the competition. And not because Obama is a Chicago Bears fan. The NBC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WTMJ TV announced yesterday they will not be airing Obama's jobs speech at 7 PM EST Thursday night. instead they are opting for their own pre-game coverage of the Packers Saints game scheduled to kick off at 8 PM. Green Bay's NBC affiliate, NBC 26, will also go with the Packers pre-game show over Obama. Read more

NBC picks Packers over Obama in Milwaukee

Boston Set to Restrict Knife Sales

From The Blaze.com - Legally buying a handgun in Boston is already impossible for most citizens, but soon it may become much harder to purchase even a pocketknife in Beantown. Yes, some Boston politicians believe that if you make it harder to buy something with a sharp edge, there will be fewer stabbings. Apparently, Boston has had 1300 such attacks over the past two years. The Boston City Council will meet tomorrow to vote on the ordinance, which would require a licensing process for the sale of knives. Boston already dictates the type of knives that can be sold, but this new legislation would allow the state to continuously keeps its hands on anyone who sells everything from Swiss Army Knives to machetes. It is unclear if sale of chef’s knives, which often have 8-inch-long, razor sharp blades, will be covered by the new regulations, but the impact on fine dining around Beacon Hill could be severe. Read more

Boston Set to Restrict Knife Sales

Same Police Department has action in two separate camera incidents

NewsNM: Swickard - I would not think either of these stories were possible if something like it had not happened to me in May. My column here - From Long Island Lawyer Blog - The first story - A cameraman was arrested in Suffolk County Friday night for videotaping the end of a police chase from public property, a completely legal activity.Phil Datz, a cameraman for Stringer News Service, recorded the end of a Suffolk County Police chase while standing on a public sidewalk. While recording, a SCPD Sargent approached him, threatening him with arrest if he didn’t “go away”. The cameraman attempted to cooperate, by asking the Sargent “Where do you want me to go?”, and moving a block away where other pedestrians were standing. But apparently since the cameraman continued to do his job and videotape the officers, he was singled out for harassment one again by the SCPD Sargent. ”I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and there’s nothing you can hold over my head!” screams the Sargent. Phil Datz was then placed under arrest and charged with obstruction of governmental administration, a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail. Read more - The second story - This case is a frightening example of what can happen when a photographer encounters ignorant bullies with badges. According to the complaint filed in Federal Court, Nancy Genovese, a mother of three, was driving home on County Road 31 past Gabreski Airport in Suffolk County. Gabreski Airport displays a decorative helicopter shell by the roadway to the public, which is visible to all who pass by. Nancy Genovese stopped her car on the side of the road across the street from the airport in an area that is open and accessible to the public, and crossed over the road to the airport entryway that is also open and accessible to the public to take a picture of the helicopter display. While still in her car, she took a picture of the decorative helicopter shell with the intention of posting it on her personal “Support Our Troops” web page. Read more

Same Police Department has action in two separate camera incidents

Martinez Says "No" to Utah Compromise

Susana Martinez

Capitol Report New Mexico - A call to rescind New Mexico’s law allowing driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants figures to be the most hotly-debated issue of the legislative special session. Gov. Susana Martinez wants the statute repealed while the law’s defenders have vociferously argued to keep it in place. Yesterday (Sept. 6), after a rally outside the state capitol in support of the governor’s call, I asked a Republican activist if she thought the conservative base might support a possible compromise — by seeing New Mexico adopt something similar to the law Utah recently passed that grants driver’s licenses to foreign nationals but prohibits the licenses as a legal form of identification. Sheryl Bohlander of Santa Fe said she thought GOP backers might support that (click here for that interview). But on Wednesday, Gov. Martinez said she would be against a Utah-type law. Earlier this year, during the regular 60-day legislative session, a bill introduced by Rep. Andy Nuñez (I-Hatch) in conjunction with the governor’s office passed the House of Representatives but failed in the state Senate. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Martinez Says "No" to Utah Compromise

Achieve redistricting agreement and save $5 million

Jay Miller

Inside the Capitol - by Jay Miller - SANTA FE -- What is most important about the current legislative special session on redistricting? Is it getting as much of Gov. Susana Martinez's add-on agenda enacted? Numerous opinion pieces have been written about the importance of various of the items she wants lawmakers to consider. Is it keeping the session as short as possible? Much has been written about the $50,000 a day cost of the session. If the session is wrapped up in 10 days, as many hope, it will cost a half-million dollars. If it lasts the maximum allowable 30 days, it will cost a whopping $1.5 million. That's a lot of taxpayer money, isn't it? But the figure pales in comparison to the cost of not getting the redistricting job agreed to by the Legislature and governor. That's what happened 10 years ago -- and Gov. Gary Johnson didn't add any extra items to the agenda. The legal costs of straightening out the mess that time came to $3.5 million. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Achieve redistricting agreement and save $5 million

Haussamen Weighs in on Smartness and Readiness of Both Palin and Martinez to Be Vice President

Susana Martinez

NMPolitics - by Heath Haussamen - The media, pundits, and some GOP strategists like to label N.M. Gov. Susana Martinez as a potential 2012 vice presidential candidate. But I’m confident that Martinez isn’t angling for the job and won’t be on the Republican ticket next year. Put simply, Martinez isn’t ready to be vice president (or, by extension, president). And, unlike Sarah Palin, Martinez is smart enough to realize she’s not ready. So she’s focused on governing New Mexico – and she’s still growing into that job. I don’t expect politicos to stop talking about what Martinez could bring to the GOP ticket next year. A Hispanic woman to compliment a white man on the ticket?

Sarah Palin

For the party that often gets accused of not looking out for women and minorities, she’s a dream come true. Martinez is strong on crime and one of the tea party’s favorite issues, border security, which makes her even more appealing. She’s a popular GOP governor in an important swing state, which is rare these days. Martinez isn’t wealthy and has spent most of her life in a corner of America that is often ignored by the political class. That adds to the ways in which she could compliment a wealthy, privileged candidate like Mitt Romney or Rick Perry. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Haussamen Weighs in on Smartness and Readiness of Both Palin and Martinez to Be Vice President