Dancing in the End Zone

Jim Harbison

I read with great interest a recent editorial by Michael Hayes who wants to “dance in the end zone” and celebrate what he believes was a victory by Democrats to wrest control over the Las Cruces City Council from the “evil” Republicans. I don’t believe at any time, and certainly not in recent history, has the Las Cruces City Council had more than token republican representation let alone been controlled by Republicans. His argument was pretty shallow because the true battle for control over the local government for years has not been between Republicans and Democrats but actually between the moderate wing of the Democrat party and its extreme progressive-socialists.

Las Cruces City Hall

The progressive-socialist wing of the Democrat Party has won 17 of the last 18 City Council elections. Their major focus and success has been in unseating more moderate democrats like Dolores Archuleta, Gil Jones, or Jose Fritz than republicans. Going back in time the progressive dominance began with the influence of environmental activists from Albuquerque. It wasn’t long before the local progressive wing included two paid environmental lobbyists, Nathan Small and Jeff Steinborn, within their ranks. Both were subsequently elected locally to political offices. The progressive’s power has become so strong that moderate democrats are now afraid or unable to oppose them. Read rest of column here: News New Mexico

Dancing in the End Zone

New Centennial Stamp to Honor N.M.

From nmcentennial.org -Governor Susana Martinez today unveiled a new U.S. Postage stamp to commemorate New Mexico’s Centennial of Statehood in 2012. The Governor was joined on the Santa Fe Plaza by Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Veronica Gonzales, Santa Fe Postmaster Yasmin Montaño and artist Doug West, whose artwork is featured on the first-class “Forever” stamp. West’s image titled “Sanctuary” is a view of the Rio Puerco looking northeast at sunset. The Rio Puerco is a tributary of the Rio Grande and flows west of Albuquerque.  More News New Mexico

New Centennial Stamp to Honor N.M.

Governor Martinez V.P. ? : "Absolutely Not"

Rob Nikolewski

Capitol Report New Mexico - In an interview with Capitol Report New Mexico on Tuesday (Dec. 27), New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez swatted down rumblings that she could be a possible vice-presidential candidate for the future 2012 Republican presidential nominee and said she will definitely place a bill repealing the state’s controversial law that grants driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants on the agenda for the upcoming 30-day legislative session.
We’ll start with the national politics first. Martinez has had her name floated as a possible GOP running mate and on Tuesday, the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call came out with a story saying:

Susana Martinez

"The eventual Republican presidential nominee is likely to come calling for some additional reasons: Martinez is female and Hispanic, and she could be an effective surrogate as the GOP tries to oust President Barack Obama by targeting those key demographics."

With the Iowa caucus just one week away, Capitol Report New Mexico asked the governor about whether she’s favoring one Republican candidate over the others and then asked her about the vice presidential rumors. Here’s what she said: See video and read rest of story here: News New Mexico

Governor Martinez V.P. ? : "Absolutely Not"

"Best of the Rest"

  Courtesy of Conservativedailynews.com

janice2012.us

"Best of the Rest"

Lobo Village: "A Wild Atmosphere"

Albuquerque Journal - Residents of the University of New Mexico’s privately owned and operated Lobo Village like the swimming pool, the fully outfitted gym and the movie theater, but there is another feature dividing the student population: Residents 21 and over are allowed to drink in their rooms. Underage residents aren’t supposed to but are not subjected to discipline if they are caught doing so. Some students say that’s what attracted them to the new South Campus dorm, but others say a “wild” atmosphere is a distraction that requires them to go elsewhere to study. Read full story here (subscription rquired) : News New Mexico

Lobo Village: "A Wild Atmosphere"

NM urges taxpayers to file electronically

From KRQE-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico no longer will automatically mail out personal income tax packages to individual taxpayers. The Albuquerque Journal reports that the move is expected to save the state more than $70,000. The Department of Taxation and Revenue says that last year, it mailed tax packages to 88,000 individuals at a total cost of $140,000. This year, the department will send those same taxpayers a postcard urging them to file electronically, and tax packages will be mailed only if requested. Officials say that paper filings have an error rate around 28 percent because of illegible information that results in human errors. Read more

NM urges taxpayers to file electronically

NM banks to work with renters, cut out the middle man

From KOB-TV.com - by Mike Daniels, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - Beginning January 1, 2012, a new law will allow banks to work with renters whose landlords are not paying the mortgage in New Mexico. In the past, the tenants would likely be evicted. With the new law, it gives the banks the option to cut out the middleman and work directly with the renter. Two days before Christmas, Gavino Rivera found out his landlord had not been paying the mortgage. “It's me and my children. I'm a single father. To hear something like this is devastating," Rivera said. Since March, he has paid $1,100 a month in rent. Rather than kicking him out, Wells Fargo will work with him to keep him in the house. All they are going to require is that he pay them $790 a month. Rep. Zachary Cook of Ruidoso, introduced H.B199. It was passed unanimously in March by the state legislature. "It will cut down on the bureaucracy that lenders have to do in order to collect money that's owed to them," says Rep. Cook. It will also cut down on the amount of renters evicted, which could mean less property crime because tenants are in the homes. Read more

NM banks to work with renters, cut out the middle man

Gary Johnson switches parties in run for president

From the Ruidoso News - by Milan Simonich Texas-New Mexico Newspapers - SANTA FE - Governor No is a Republican no more. Gary Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico known for wielding his veto power, will become a Libertarian candidate for president on Wednesday. Johnson, who turns 59 next week, plans to formally announce his change of parties at the Capitol in Santa Fe. He has been in the presidential race as a Republican since April, but has barely registered in the polls. Johnson was shut out of all but two of 15 presidential debates this year. "Anyone who looks at what has happened would say I've been treated unfairly," Johnson said in a recent interview. "I think I've been hung out to dry by the Republican Party." In turn, Johnson will defect from the GOP in hopes of pumping oxygen into a presidential campaign that even he said was dying. Read more

Gary Johnson switches parties in run for president

Solar system that heats home through air circulation doesn't qualify for tax credits

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - by Staci Matlock - Using an old technology that's gaining new attention, Alex Avery is partially heating her home with help from the sun. She's hoping the solar hot air circulating system she had installed in October will reduce her electric bill considerably. A duct system equipped with a small fan draws air from inside Avery's home near Santa Fe and funnels it up to a solar collector on her roof. The air flows through the collector, passing between a black-painted aluminum sheet and a special thermal glass, and is warmed by the sun. Then the air is blown by the system back into the house. Dampers control the air flow and a thermostat controls the temperature. So far, Avery's been pleased. "It can be 16 degrees outside, and inside it will by a steady 68 degrees [with no additional heat source]," she said. It only works during the day, and is best, of course, when the sun is shining. At night and on New Mexico's rare cloudy days, Avery uses a wood stove and electric heaters to boost the temperature. Read more

Solar system that heats home through air circulation doesn't qualify for tax credits

Wealth of members of Congress TRIPLED in 25 years - while average U.S. family suffered a DROP in their worth

From the Daily Mail Online.com - By David Richards - The wealth gap between those governing the U.S. and the people they represent has dramatically widened, research shows. Against a backdrop of a vast budget deficit and fears of the fragility of the economy, analysis by the Washington Post shows that the median net worth of a member of Congress has nearly tripled over 25 years while the income of an average U.S. family has actually fallen. It calculated that their median net worth, between 1984 and 2009 and excluding home equity, rose from $280,000 to $725,000. Over those same 25 years the wealth of the average U.S. family slipped from $20,500 from $20,600, a University of Michigan study shows. In 1984, one in five House members had zero or negative net worth and by 2009 that number had dropped to one in 12. 1984 was chosen as the starting point for the analysis because it is the earliest year in which consistent wealth statistics are available, Read more

Wealth of members of Congress TRIPLED in 25 years - while average U.S. family suffered a DROP in their worth