News New Mexico

Fitch Affirms NMSU Revs at 'AA'

From marketwatch.com -Fitch Ratings has affirmed its 'AA' rating on approximately $143,420,000 of revenue bonds and revenue and improvement bonds issued by the Regents of New Mexico State University (NMSU, or the university). The Rating Outlook is Stable. More News New Mexico

N.M. Sixth Largest Recipient of Federal Funds

From bizjournals.com -New Mexico’s dependence on federal government spending increased in FY10. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, federal government spending during the year grew to $28 billion, up from $27.5 billion in FY09. New Mexico ranks sixth among the states in terms of per capita federal spending. In FY10, the federal government spent $13,577 per capita for every New Mexican. More News New Mexico

Bachman, Santorum & Huntsman Fail to Make VA. Ballot

From hotair.com -That’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that Perry and Gingrich, either one of whom could still become the Great Grassroots Hope against Romney, might not have qualified either. You need 10,000 signatures to make the ballot but 15,000 are recommended since a bunch are bound to be thrown out as false or duplicative as the petitions are scrutinized. You also need at least 600 signatures from each of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. Romney submitted 16,026 and Ron Paul submitted 14,361. Perry’s total: 11,911. Gingrich’s: 11,050. If they end up getting bounced, the Republican primary ballot for one of America’s key swing states will consist exclusively of … Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. You know who that benefits? More News New Mexico

Alb. Rolls Back Energy Code

From businessweek.com -Albuquerque city councilors have narrowly agreed to roll back the city's strict energy code, which was intended to make the city a leader in energy conservation. The council voted 5-4 along party lines Monday night to abandon the code in favor of the less strict -- and less costly -- state code. Republicans supported the rollback, saying it will make Albuquerque more builder-friendly. Some developers and environmentalists said Tuesday the city has taken a step backward by adopting the new code, which is based on the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, a collection of standards that have been vetted by architects, engineers and builders from across the country. More News New Mexico

Latest in N.M.'s Largest Ponzi Scheme

Douglas Vaughan

From forbes.com -Last year, we first told you about the activities of Douglas F. Vaughan, a New Mexico real estate broker who authorities said orchestrated that rural desert state’s biggest-ever Ponzi scheme. Since the early 1990′s the popular Albuquerque businessman sold to his fellow New Mexicans promissory notes touting high annual returns–averaging 17.5%–and no risk.Vaughan, 64, pleaded guilty in a Santa Fe federal courtroom to two of those counts, mail fraud and wire fraud. He formally admitted to running the state-record Ponzi, which was put at $75 million. More News New Mexico

Curtis: "Not Being a Politician, I Don't Understand"

Capitol Report New Mexico - We’ve written how it looks like Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has no choice but to seat a Democrat and president of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, Lisa Curtis, to serve out the final year of the term of state Sen. Kent Cravens (R-Albuquerque). Cravens resigned his post to become a lobbyist for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and while the district he represents is largely a GOP stronghold, the Bernalillo and Sandoval county comissions on a party-line vote nominated Curtis to replace Cravens. In an interview with Capitol Report New Mexico earlier this month, Gov. Martinez said, “The people in that district elected Kent Cravens as a Republican and wanted a Republican representing them and the commissions have played politics instead and have submitted a Democrat and only one name. It looks like that’s the only option we have [to select Curtis to fill the seat] and if it is, I will do what I have to do but it’s a shame that politics has to play a part in this when, in fact, what the people want should be first and foremost.”

Lisa Curtis

Recently, Curtis sent an e-mail to reporter Milan Simonich of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership claiming she’s apolitical:

“Not being a politician, I don’t understand why anyone would be appointed based on party,” Curtis said. “Right now I represent one New Mexico family at a time … All this talk about parties divides us and is completely unproductive.”
But a quick review of records by Capitol Report New Mexico shows Curtis has made $9,200 in personal political contributions in just the last two years and all of them went to Democrats. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Carter Offers Kim Jong-Un "Condolences"

Kim Jong Un

Washington Times - Former President Jimmy Carter has sent North Korea a message of condolence over the death of Kim Jong-il and wished "every success" to the man expected to take over as dictator, according to the communist country's state-run news agency. A dispatch from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Mr. Carter sent the message to Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il's son and heir apparent. "In the message Jimmy Carter extended condolences to Kim Jong Un and the Korean people over the demise of leader Kim Jong Il.

Jimmy Carter

He wished Kim Jong Un every success as he assumes his new responsibility of leadership, looking forward to another visit to [North Korea] in the future," the KCNA dispatch read. When contacted by The Washington Times for comment, the Carter Center provided an email contact to a spokeswoman who is out of the office until the New Year.

North Korea is routinely labeled as one of the world's most oppressive governments under an eccentric personality cult surrounding the Kim family. Harrowing reports from defectors describe North Korea as a dirt-poor nation filled with concentration camps and Communist propaganda. Kim Jong-il ran the reclusive country according to a "military first" policy since the mid-1990s, after a famine that may have killed as many as 2 million people. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Pearce: "A two month tax cut extension will not work"

Steve Pearce

NewsNM - Congressman Steve Pearce issued the following statement, reiterating his insistence that the Senate and President Obama work with the House of Representatives to ensure year long tax cuts for Americans. “The Senate voted to decrease the length of tax cuts for Americans and then promptly went on vacation, attempting to tie the hands of House Members and force us to increase taxes on hard working Americans,” said Pearce. “Their plan did not work. The House recognizes what the public knows and what experts have affirmed—a two month tax cut extension will not work. Specialists have declared the 60 day extension by the Senate unworkable. It will increase economic instability and disable job creators from hiring additional workers, growing their businesses, and spurring economic growth.” Read full statement here: News New Mexico

Border Patrol Enforcement Actions Non-Stop

NewsNM - Business has been brisk at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry in the El Paso section in the week leading up to Christmas. Officers working at El Paso area ports of entry identified more than 125 violations during the past seven days. CBP officers seized drugs, arrested illegal immigrants, captured fugitives and stopped prohibited agricultural items from entering the U.S. at ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico. During the past seven days CBP officers recorded a total of 20 drug busts. They seized 1,405 pounds of marijuana in 18 incidents and five pounds of methamphetamine and 1.3 pounds of cocaine in two additional enforcement actions.

UNM Will Announce Schmidly's Successor on Jan. 4th

KOB - TV - The University of New Mexico is planning to name a new president on Jan. 4. The agenda for a special board of regents meeting on Jan. 4 that calls for both an executive session as well as “final action regarding decision and announcement of UNM’s 21st president. The university selection process involved interviewing five finalists for the presidency that is being vacated by President David Schmidly in the spring of 2012.

News New Mexico

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