Rep. Johnson Says Fast and Furious "Manufactured"



Hank Johnson

Daily Caller - Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson accused the tea party movement and the National Rifle Association of creating an “manufactured” controversy over Operation Fast and Furious Thursday. Johnson’s comments came during an interview with The Daily Caller outside the House Judiciary Committee hearing room. Attorney General Eric Holder was testifying before the committee about Fast and Furious — a Justice Department program where Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents facilitated the sale of about 2,000 guns to Mexican drug cartels. “I think this is another manufactured controversy by the second amendment, NRA Republican tea party movement,” Johnson said.

Brian Terry



Johnson sung a different tune during the hearing, though, comparing the scandal to what he considers a surge in illegal gun sales to criminals. After asking Holder for the specific number of guns the Justice Department and ATF helped smuggle into the hands of drug cartels — to which Holder responded there were about 2,000 — Johnson alleged that the “gun show loophole” was far worse. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Rep. Johnson Says Fast and Furious "Manufactured"

Missing Powerball Ticket Creates Merry Christmas

KOAT TV - ALBUQUERQUE -- An Albuquerque woman is $200,000 richer after she found a winning Powerball ticket she had misplaced while cleaning her house Wednesday. Frances Dominguez's quick-pick ticket matched the five white balls in the Nov. 19 drawing.

Frances Dominguez

She missed out on that night's $60 million jackpot because she didn't match the Powerball. Dominguez found the ticket in a drawer where she puts things found in her pockets before putting clothes in the laundry. She found out how much the ticket was worth when she took it to the lottery headquarters. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Missing Powerball Ticket Creates Merry Christmas

Obama's NLRB Backs Down on Boeing Complaint

The Hill - The National Labor Relations Board has dropped its controversial case against airline manufacturer Boeing, which had become a lightning rod for conservatives. The labor board argued for much of the past year that Boeing decided to locate a new plant to build its new 787 Dreamliner jets in South Carolina, a right-to-work state, in retaliation for strikes by unionized workers at its existing facilities in Washington state. But the panel appeared to bow to political pressure Friday, saying that a deal the company reached this month with the International Association of Machinists to build a different type of airline, the 737 Max, in Washington satisfied its concerns. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Obama's NLRB Backs Down on Boeing Complaint

Balancing Economic Development and Conservation

Steve Pearce

By Congressman Steve Pearce - Like all Americans, I want to protect wildlife in both good and bad times. Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service once said, “Conservation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.” I concur wholeheartedly. Mr. Pinchot was one of the most publicly known conservationists of the 20th century, and recognized that to have healthy forests controlled thinning operations must take place. He believed as I do that conservation should never mean tying our hands to economic development or good stewardship of our lands, but instead should be about finding a balance between jobs and resource protection.

I have always advocated balance, which is why I support the cooperative efforts between private stakeholders, federal officials and local governments through the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA), which allows private landholders to enroll their land and money in a program designed to protect the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard without listing it. This is a reasonable approach that will serve New Mexico well by protecting our environment and our economy simultaneously. Of course, common sense is usually in short order when it comes to DC lawyers and lobbyists with their hands on taxpayer dollars.

As Congress moves forward in the appropriations process, various special interests often state that while they understand that we are in tough times, their specific program is just too important to face any sort of belt tightening.

Science - My efforts to cultivate cooperation and common sense conservation of the lizard are based on sound science. Earlier this year, a study conducted by the Range Improvement Task Force at New Mexico State determined that much of the data used as evidence for a listing of the lizard is “not scientifically defensible.” Read rest of column here: News New Mexico

Balancing Economic Development and Conservation

Holder, Blago, Richardson: Triangle of Sleaze

Michelle Malkin

From michellemalkin.com -It was a rough week for the corruptocracy. White House officials better ho-ho-hold on tight because the sleigh ride isn’t going to get any smoother. On Wednesday, disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D-Ill., received a 14-year prison sentence for scheming to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate office, along with several other pay-for-play schemes. Blago played the distressed daddy for the federal judge, invoking his young daughters and wife (who held her notoriously foul tongue in check) to bemoan how his “life is in ruins.”

A.G. Eric Holder

How far Blago’s fallen from the glory days of 2008, when he was gloating at the prospect of naming a candidate to fill then-President-elect Obama’s seat. “I’ve got this thing, and it’s f**king golden,” he crowed. All that glitters now, though, are the paparazzi flash bulbs that Blago faces on his perp walks. Earlier this week, Bill Richardson, former Democratic governor of New Mexico, disgraced former presidential candidate and failed Obama Commerce Secretary nominee, faced new reports of a federal grand jury into his possible violations of campaign finance laws. The funny-money business is tied to an alleged mistress payoff a la disgraced former presidential candidate and Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reports, investigators are probing how “Richardson’s close allies steered more than $2 billion of public money into investment funds run by money managers who in turn agreed to pay millions of dollars in consulting fees to high-profile Democratic fundraisers and other supporters of Richardson.” Read full story here: News New Mexico

Holder, Blago, Richardson: Triangle of Sleaze

When Public Unions Successfully Bargain for Special Benefits Taxpayers Foot the Bill

USA Today - Special retirement benefits once reserved for police, firefighters and others with dangerous jobs are now being given to tens of thousands of state workers employed as park rangers, foresters, dispatchers, coroners, even highway laborers, museum guards and lifeguards. The trend will add heavily to the $70 billion that state taxpayers owe state retirement funds each year and is costing states such as Florida and Maryland $15 million to $30 million annually, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

Thirty-one states have passed laws since 2000 that expand the range of workers who can retire when they turn 50 or 55 or after working 20 or 25 years, then collect special pensions that will pay some an extra $1 million or more in retirement. The pensions are enhanced because they are usually based on a higher percentage of a worker's salary than pensions for ordinary state workers. In 10 other states where lawmakers have expanded early retirement eligibility since 2000, the number of workers in those plans increased by twice as much as the increase in workers in regular retirement plans. The states are Arizona, California, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, Vermont and West Virginia. Read full story here: News New Mexico

When Public Unions Successfully Bargain for Special Benefits Taxpayers Foot the Bill

N.M. Has Weak Animal Cruelty Laws

From kob.com -A pet owner accused of leaving her two dogs trapped inside a house for months without food and water will not face felony criminal charges, according to the City of Albuquerque.  Greg Wheeler, Assistant City Attorney, referred the criminal case to the District Attorney’s Office, but this week learned the DA cannot prosecute the case as a felony citing New Mexico’s laws aren’t strong enough to ensure a conviction. “I was disappointed,” Wheeler said. “When I looked at the law and compared it to other states, I saw (New Mexico) was behind the times and we need to get our statutes amended.”  More News New Mexico

N.M. Has Weak Animal Cruelty Laws

DWI Unit reports one-third of Albuquerque DWI cases tossed out

From KOB-TV - By: Heather Mills, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - The number of DWI arrests in Albuquerque is on the rise. The Albuquerque Police Department's DWI Unit is reporting a 15 percent increase so far this year. If that is not bad enough, nearly one-third of those cases are thrown out and never prosecuted. As of November 23, 2011, there have been 3,159 reported DWI arrests in the City of Albuquerque. 1072 were dismissed. In 848 cases, the reason was because "the prosecution was unable to proceed." KOB Eyewitness News 4 asked Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg what that means. "I wish I could point the finger at someone and say, it's because of them," she said. Paul Heh is a retired APD Sergeant. He said officers are often double-booked at court and since they cannot be in two places at one time, there is a hierarchy for appearances. Heh said there is incentive for officers to go to court, beyond the conviction, but sometimes, they just cannot get there. "In APD, if you don't show up for court, you get a missed court notice, there's discipline involved," Heh said. Heh calls it "forced overtime." If an officer does not show up, the case gets tossed. But so many times, he says cases drag on, which means overtime, each time. "I have personally shown up 23 times on one case." He said. "The defense is just hoping that I don't show up one of these times and when I don't show up, they'll move for a dismissal." That is costing tax payers money. Brandenburg said the percentage of dismissed cases has not changed in the last 20 years. She added that there is no easy fix. Read more

DWI Unit reports one-third of Albuquerque DWI cases tossed out

Funeral homes struggle as violent deaths in Juárez decline

From the El Paso Times - By Lourdes Cardenas - JUAREZ - More than a year ago, things looked good for Juan H. Pharo, a funeral home representative. But recently he finds it very difficult to get money to support his family. "The last time that I booked a service was a week ago," said Pharo while waiting outside of the state prosecutor's office in Juárez for the relatives of those who have died in violent incidents. As he has done for more than three years, Pharo daily goes to the prosecutor's office to offer funeral services to the families who show up there to identify the body of a relative or to fill out the paperwork needed to release the body. There, Pharo and his colleagues from other funeral homes, wait for the families to offer them the best deal for a funeral. "Today (Tuesday) there are five dead people, but (the families of) two have already chosen a service," he said. "Three remain and there are five representatives of funeral homes." What represents a problem for Pharo is now a relief for most of the people in Juárez, who have seen a decrease in the violence, particularly in the number of homicides in the city. According to figures from the Fiscalia del Estado de Chihuahua, the prosecutor's office, the number of homicides has been declining this year. In January, there were 215 homicides, while in October the number reached 144 and this month there have been 98. Read more

Funeral homes struggle as violent deaths in Juárez decline

N.M. Voters Strongly Support Tax Credits

From marketwatch.com -Survey results show large majorities in favor of creating programs that would allow children to attend schools of their parents' choice New Mexico voters strongly support tax-credit scholarships for students to attend the school of their choice, including private schools, parochial schools, and public schools, according to a survey sponsored by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. The American Federation for Children--the nation's voice for school choice--praised the survey, in which registered voters were asked about a legislative proposal to allow individuals and corporations to receive tax credits for donating to scholarship funds for New Mexico students. The scholarship funds would then create scholarships for students who want to go to schools better suited to their needs.   More News New Mexico

N.M. Voters Strongly Support Tax Credits