Albuquerque blogroll DCF

Saying goodbye to a King

Peter St. Cyr — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:53:00 -0800

Bruce King, a three-term Governor of New Mexico,
will be laid to rest on Saturday (Photos: MG Bralley)

Hundreds of Bruce Kings friends and supporters will join his family in Moriarty on Saturday morning to celebrate the former governor's life and say their final goodbyes at a funeral service in Moriarty at 10am.

On Thursday, Gary King told reporters the family thanks everyone for the outpouring of condsolences and shared several stories about the beloved political legacy. He also told us stories about Kings campaigns, his favorite job Speaker of the House, and how the former Governor and his mother Alice King (who died in December) always tried to make life better for New Mexicans.

Listen to the audio from the Attorney General's news conference -- he tells us the "cowboy governor" thought his greatest accomplishments were his grand kids and developing new funding programs for schools in New Mexico.

Flags have been flying at half staff for more than a week, and on Friday hundreds of people filed past King's casket lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe.

This morning's service will be broadcast on several local TV stations digital stations, and streamed lived on other websites.

We'll have live reports throughout the morning on 770KKOB, and recap the services in our evening report and on Sunday.

(Updated) Ray Powell Criticizes Land Commissioner Pat Lyons on White Peak Land Swap

Democracy for New Mexico — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:23:00 -0800

Ray Powell talks about the land swap practices of the current Land Commissioner at his campaign kickoff last weekend

Updates: Governor Bill Richardson issued a statement criticizing the land deal. Also, Alexa at SFReeper has more on the press conference and proposed land swap.
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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons appeared at today's Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) meeting and reported on what's known as the White Peak land swap. The land office is preparing to trade a parcel of land made up of prime, public hunting habitat with an abundance of elk, deer, turkey and bear, as well as expansive water resources, for privately owned land that is mostly scrubland along a desolate highway. There has been no public input on the deal, and no serious analysis of the long-term impact of the trade has been performed.

In response, several statewide sportsmen groups held a press conference today raising serious concerns about large land trades in the White Peak area (near the Mora / Colfax County line in northern New Mexico). The State Land Office has put one parcel of the land out to bid with a closing deadline set for Tuesday at 5:00 PM. If no-one else bids on the land, the Stanley Ranch will get it without paying any cash to the State Land Office. Instead, the ranch owners will swap 3,300 acres of land they own nearby.

Ray Powell, former New Mexico Land Commissioner and current Democratic candidate for the job, weighed in on the controversy in a statement released this afternoon.

“The White Peak land exchange has not been an open process and people have not been invited to participate in what is best for the trust and New Mexico. I’m glad to see sportsmen's groups highlighting this issue and working to make people aware of this type of transaction at the land office,” said Ray Powell.

“As I travel around the state I have been working hard to alert people to the need to be engaged and aware of land transfers being proposed by the current administration at the land office," Powell continued. "As a former Land Commissioner, I can tell you, the White Peak land exchange is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. What we know is this: this is not a “like for like” exchange. We need to know what is being traded for what. Is the trust trading away good wildlife habitat and public hunting grounds for questionable pasture lands?”

“This trade seems to be similar to what we saw in Las Cruces,” said Powell, referring to a controversial land transfer in Las Cruces in 2006 where Land Commissioner Lyons transferred thousands of acres to a developer after shutting down the open bid process. It turned out that this developer contributed thousands of dollars to Lyons’ re-election campaign, leading to accusations of 'pay-to-play.' "And, like what we saw in Las Cruces, this was done without involving the community,” said Powell.

According to Powell, “Sunshine, transparency, and public involvement is the best antidote to these seriously flawed proposals.”

Powell is running for Land Commissioner on a platform of reform in the State Land Office, creating economic development and conserving and protecting New Mexico's valuable public lands. As Commissioner, Powell pledges to protect and carefully manage state trust lands." After eight years of controversies and distractions", Powell says, "it’s time to restore trust in the State Land Office."

A New Mexico native, Powell is from Albuquerque and lives in the North Valley with his wife, Jean. Powell served as Land Commissioner from 1993-2002, and was recognized for running one of the best land management agencies in the country. Ray is a veterinarian and currently works as a regional director for the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research Education and Conservation in Santa Fe.

Ray is facing Santa Fe County Commissioners Harry Montoya and Mike Anaya and Public Regulatory Commission Chairman Sandy Jones. The Democratic Primary election is June 1, 2010.

Perhaps Conservatism Really is a Mental Illness – Let’s Include Coverage Under a Public Option [updated 11/20/09]

mjh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

From week to week, you never know which conservative is going to say the most outlandish or stupid thing – even as their numbers dwindle, the competition seems to expand. But, we have quite a WTF?! with Virginia Foxx.

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

During a debate on the House floor today over designating 21 miles of the Molalla River as “wild and scenic,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who opposes the legislation, tried to claim a progressive environmental record for her party. “Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country,” said Foxx.

Foxx then extended her claims of the GOP’s progressive history to the issue of civil rights. “Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle,” said Fox. “They love to engage in revisionist history.”

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

It is especially important to remember that the major opposition to civil rights came from southern Democrats – the same people who now constitute the hard core of the Republican Party.

[updated 11/20/09]

Think Progress » New Missouri billboard tells Americans to ‘prepare for war’ against the government.

This billboard replaces one that warned that the socialist “Obama-Nation” is “coming for you.” It’s unclear who the owner of the billboard is, but the first one was the work of a “Missouri businessman.” (HT: Oliver Willis)

Think Progress » New Missouri billboard tells Americans to ‘prepare for war’ against the government.

Perhaps Conservatism Really is a Mental Illness – Let’s Include Coverage Under a Public Option [updated 11/20/09] is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Perhaps Conservatism Really is a Mental Illness – Let’s Include Coverage Under a Public Option [updated 11/20/09]

mjh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

During a debate on the House floor today over designating 21 miles of the Molalla River as “wild and scenic,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who opposes the legislation, tried to claim a progressive environmental record for her party. “Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country,” said Foxx.

Foxx then extended her claims of the GOP’s progressive history to the issue of civil rights. “Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle,” said Fox. “They love to engage in revisionist history.”

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

It is especially important to remember that the major opposition to civil rights came from southern Democrats – the same people who now constitute the hard core of the Republican Party.

[updated 11/20/09]

Think Progress » New Missouri billboard tells Americans to ‘prepare for war’ against the government.

This billboard replaces one that warned that the socialist “Obama-Nation” is “coming for you.” It’s unclear who the owner of the billboard is, but the first one was the work of a “Missouri businessman.” (HT: Oliver Willis)

Think Progress » New Missouri billboard tells Americans to ‘prepare for war’ against the government.

Think Progress » New Birther Billboard In Colorado Features Picture Of Obama And Asks ‘President Or Jihad?’

Today, a new birther billboard went up above Wolf Automotive off I-70 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The sign has a picture of President Obama wearing a turban, asking, “President or Jihad?” and exhorting, “Wake up America! Remember Fort Hood”:

ThinkProgress spoke with Phil Wolf, the owner of the car dealership. He said that the billboard is his personal project because he believes the American people have a right to know the facts about the president …

Think Progress » New Birther Billboard In Colorado Features Picture Of Obama And Asks ‘President Or Jihad?’

(Updated) Procedural Path for Passage of Senate Health Care Reform Bill Starts Today

Democracy for New Mexico — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:04:15 -0800

Update: The White House just released its Statement of Administrative Policy (pdf) on H.R. 3590 — Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Getting a bill passed in the U.S. Senate is tricky. Unlike the simple rules that govern the U.S. House, the rules in the Senate provide ample opportunity for the use of procedural roadblocks, and grant much more power to the minority party to slow things down or stop them altogether. The Senate's rules are complicated -- some say byzantine. Mastering them takes years and a tolerance for nitpicking detail. The better the Senate Majority Leader knows the rules and how to use them to his or her advantage, the more likely the majority party will get its legislation through all the hoops by managing to outflank the minority obstructionists. And the Senate these days has more obstructionists than ever. I wouldn't want to be Harry Reid right now.

In the case of health care reform legislation, the entire GOP Senate caucus is dedicated to stopping the bill in its tracks -- the Party of No is dead set against allowing Obama and the Dems a victory on this no matter how many Americans get hurt, or even die. According an article in the LA Times, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has characterized the coming floor fight as a "holy war." Who knew Orrin Hatch and GOP caucus members were jihadists?

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has been making a lot of noise about requiring the entire 2000+ page bill to be read aloud on the Senate floor. According to Congress Matters, he's backed off that threat due to a tradeoff that will permit debate on the bill all day today and tomorrow -- so Repubs can cram in as much criticism as possible, fact-based or not. In the bargain, the Dems got consent to combine a cloture vote on whether to allow a vote on the motion to proceed with a cloture vote on the motion itself to bring the bill to the floor by means of one single vote on the whole shebang. A little complicated, I know.

Suffice it to say that instead of taking two cloture votes, the Senate will now be required to take only one to get the bill to the Senate Floor. The motion must pass by a 3/5 majority, or 60 votes, given the way the Senate currently operates.

Normally, there's a 30-hour waiting period after the first cloture vote, which would have negated an up or down vote on bringing the bill to the floor on Saturday. With the negotiated deal, a vote on the combined motion to proceed is scheduled to take place Saturday night at 6:00 PM MST -- and then can proceed directly to the Senate Floor. All this should elate C-SPAN watchers everywhere. Expect some fireworks, and the tension will no doubt be thick enough to cut with a knife. Will Reid have the 60 votes needed to win the procedural battle? Even he's not making a firm prediction.

According to Open Congress, another point to understand is that:

The debate that begins today is, technically, on defeating a Republican filibuster of proceeding to debate of an unrelated House bill, H.R. 3590. The Democrats are bringing up the House bill instead of their own Senate bill because the Constitution requires all legislation affecting taxes or revenues to originate in the House. Since the Senate Democrats’ health care bill includes a number of tax increases and revenue provisions, they’re using the unrelated House bill as a “shell.” Its text will be completely replaced by the health care bill text, which exists in the form of a “substitute amendment,” if adopted.

For more info on the legislation itself, check out the New York Times' handy comparison of the House and Senate reform bills that examines 16 elements of the legislation.

Crazy, Cruel, Ugly Hatred

mjh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0800

Religion inspired the best in us all? Yeah, right.

Think Progress » New Right-Wing Craze Prays That Obama’s ‘Days Be Few’

Commentators have noted that it’s unclear whether the intent is to hope for an end to Obama’s time in office — or an end to his life. But a look at the lines in the rest of the psalm hint at the latter:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Think Progress » New Right-Wing Craze Prays That Obama’s ‘Days Be Few’

Let me know when someone on the Right denounces this one. I won’t hold my breath.

Crazy, Cruel, Ugly Hatred is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

The Lighter Side of Homophobia

mjh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:15:00 -0800

LOL?

Think Progress » Utah lawmaker claims he doesn’t ‘mind’ gays, but ‘I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time.’

BUTTARS: I meet with the gays here and there. They were in my house two weeks ago. I don’t mind gays. But I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time. Certainly not in my kid’s face.

Think Progress » Utah lawmaker claims he doesn’t ‘mind’ gays, but ‘I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time.’

The Lighter Side of Homophobia is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Food for Thought from Stephen Jones: A Professional Legislature

Democracy for New Mexico — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:10:52 -0800

This is a post by contributing writer, Stephen Jones, who is a progressive political activist and a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

I admit when I first arrived in New Mexico the romantic notion of a “Citizen Legislature” seemed quite attractive to me, particularly having spent so much time over the years facing off against well-oiled and high rolling lobbyists in the other kind of legislatures over much needed reform legislation that was good for the communities I was advocating change for, but not necessarily for the special interests the lobbyists were paid by.

Then reality set in. While tuning in and out of the recent session of the New Mexico legislature it occurred to me that a “citizen legislature” is not quite up to its billing. Actually, at points along the way, it seemed a bit like a Broadway musical production put on by the local high school. The experience has convinced me that I ought to rethink the whole “citizen legislature” thing. I expect that at some point New Mexico will need to pull itself out of its 19th Century Territorial past and pay the legislators who gather in Santa Fe like other states do.

Before denouncing me for heresy, let us just begin by considering that, if we don’t adopt a professional legisature, the squishy ethics of that body alone will keep New Mexico’s State Auditors fairly busy for decades to come.

Here’s another thing to consider. New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the nation. Other states with citizen legislatures can fit into one of New Mexico’s counties. Even on horseback, state representatives from Vermont are less than a day’s travel to Montpelier, where the State Capitol is located. By automobile, the entire legislative assembly can make the trip in less than two hours. Most of them just drive back home after the Speaker pounds the gavel for the evening.

In New Mexico legislators must travel long distances to the capital, then house and feed themselves in Santa Fe, one of the nations’ less than economical locations, while the Legislature is in session. Lobbyists, and various and sundry “associations” are more than happy to help out with the food and housing problem. Even when the ethically questionable closeness to these groups and individuals isn't an issue, the coziness that members of the Executive Branch offer our intrepid travelers from the hinterlands ought to raise an eyebrow or two. This situation alone can’t help but lead to legislation by way of a wink and a nod. Couple this with the fact that the citizen legislators themselves have business and professional interests that all too often coincide with pending bills in the capital.

At a time when a State Budget is reeling, it may seem odd to raise the idea of paying our legislators and allotting them funds for a basic staff. I have to admit, this is an issue; however on the other side of this equation is the fact that the folks back home actually do get something for their dollars. For one thing they get a full service representative with actual office hours and a staff to answer phone calls when somebody needs them. They also get a paid advocate for the community back in Santa Fe.

Beyond local advocacy a full time professional legislature would be a counterweight to the Governor’s office and to the other constitutional state office holders. This would, by its nature, create both the oversight and the creative and competitive tension to develop better laws and ensure the level of deliberation needed to assess and pass those laws, rather than having such a heavy reliance on the Executive Branch for drafting and proposing bills into the legislature.

Finally, a full time, professional legislature would be, by its nature, both in competition with the executive offices and a source for office holders to run for those offices that would already be familiar with the workings of the State structure and processes.

For all of these reasons, ethics chief among them, I believe it is time for New Mexico to enter the 21st Century, abandon its cherished “citizen legislature” and follow the overwhelming majority of states in implementing a full time, professional legislature.

Contributing writer Stephen Jones has a background in history, libraries and records management. He has been involved in many civil and human rights campaigns. He has previously lived and worked in Wisconsin and Illinois and served for three terms, in the late 1980's, as State Chair of the Independent Voters of Illinois, a leading progressive non-partisan political and legislative action community organization in that state. He has been a community organizer and he has been involved in numerous issue and political campaigns.

To read more posts by Stephen Jones, visit our archive.

Rep. Ben Ray Luján to Hold Open Office Hours in Clovis, Tucumcari

Democracy for New Mexico — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:45:12 -0800

Rep. Ben Ray Luján (NM-03) will hold open office hours in Tucumcari and Clovis to meet with constituents, discuss important issues before Congress and listen to their concerns. During open office hours, Rep. Luján will meet with constituents for five minutes each on a first come, first served basis.

Clovis Open Office Hours
Monday, November 23, 2009, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Rep. Luján’s Clovis Office
Clovis-Carver Public Library, 701 N Main Street

Tucumcari Open Office Hours
Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 11:00 - 12:00 PM
Rep. Luján’s Tucumcari District Office
404 W. Route 66 Blvd.

Maybe those “CO2 is Green” ads worked

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:04:32 -0800

New Mexico State Sen. Kent Cravens announced earlier this week that he is running for lieutenant governor. In a video of Craven’s announcement by reporter Peter St. Cyr, Cravens says “CO2, I didn’t think, is a harmful thing,” Cravens said. “I thought that’s what plants need. I don’t know, I’m not a scientist.”

Carbon dioxide is indeed used by plants, which need it to grow. But large amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere by the combustion of fossil fuels. That’s why it’s known as one of the primary “greenhouse gasses” responsible for global warming.

Around the 4 minute, 25 second mark, Cravens says, “We have to get real about energy policy. Right now there are groups in Santa Fe that are meeting to discuss a cap, or a tax on businesses for CO2 emissions.

“There’s groups out there that want to finish killing off the oil and gas industry,” he adds.

Cravens comments will be familiar to those who paid attention to the ad campaign from CO2 is Green.

That group writes on its Web site, “CO2 is necessary to plant and animal life on Earth. Unfortunately, the positive effects of CO2 in our atmosphere have not been given proper consideration within the legislative, judicial, and regulatory proceedings.”

While it looked like the CO2 is Green ads initially backfired, this may show that they succeeded a little bit.

Governor, sportsmen don’t like proposed land swap

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:37:42 -0800

Governor Bill Richardson echoed concerns made by sportsmen today about a land swap in the Whites Peak area. The Stanley Ranch is expected to get the land by exchanging 3,300 acres of its land for the 7,000 acres the State Land Office currently holds in the Whites Peak area.

In a five-paragraph statement, Richardson said he is “concerned” about the the swap, which he calls “ill-conceived.”

“I have heard from dozens of private citizens as well as members of our congressional delegation and local legislators echoing similar concerns,” Richardson said. “And contrary to statements from the Land Office, my Department of Game and Fish and the Game Commission were not consulted on this particular proposal.”

The New Mexican quoted State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons saying the area is hard to manage. “Trespassing, vandalism, theft and illegal off-road vehicle use in the Whites Peak area are rampant, and the site has become impossible to manage,” Lyons said in a statement to the New Mexican.

“I am told the swaps would result in a net loss of almost 4,000 acres to the state, much of it pristine mountain, alpine meadow, lake and riparian territory,” Richardson said. “These are some of the finest public hunting and sporting grounds in the state. ”

Last month, former land commissioner and former Albuquerque mayor Jim Baca criticized a similar land swap by Lyons.

“State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons is trading away valuable commercial property from the state land inventory along the border with Mexico for another ranch,” Baca wrote on his blog. “While this trade is even constitutionally questionable I wonder if the meager grazing fees it will bring in comparison with revenues that might be made off the border land isn’t another rip off of the trust.”

Richardson administration proposes overhauling low-income health insurance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:14 -0800

Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration is proposing to overhaul Medicaid, the government’s low-income health insurance program, to cope with a projected budget shortfall of $300 million next year, the Associated Press is reporting.

Human Services Department officials told lawmakers on Thursday that Medicaid benefits and eligibility probably would be limited to minimum federal requirements, such as covering low-income pregnant woman and some children.

The message is consistent with what the administration has been saying for months: the state may need to cut Medicaid drastically to address the potential budget gap.

New Mexico Human Services Department said much the same thing in September when they appeared before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

At that time, officials said thousands of low-income New Mexicans could lose medications, vision and dental services, hospice care and physical therapy because of the potential huge shortfall.

Here’s an excerpt from an earlier Independent story:

Officials said they were eying many previously off-the-table scenarios, including eliminating many, if not all, optional Medicaid services, because of the severity of the situation.

The potentially extreme measure is part of the mix this year because mandatory Medicaid services — such as hospital stays and physician services — are projected to grow to $550 million in early 2011. That’s compared to a projected $340 million for optional services, Hyde said.

If the state cuts $300 million to close the shortfall, very little money would be left for services that aren’t mandatory.

The implications of such deep cuts are potentially dire for New Mexico, where one in four residents gets health coverage in whole or part through some form of public assistance.

It’s difficult to gauge whether the state actually plans to cut Medicaid drastically or if it’s a way for the administration to help create momentum among legislators for tax-raising bills or other solutions to avert such deep cuts.

A confluence of factors is contributing to the state’s projected $300 million shortfall in Medicaid next year. But one of the biggest reasons is the disappearance of around $140 million in federal stimulus Medicaid dollars as of Dec. 31, 2010. The state must replace that money.

There’s a question of whether the federal government will step in to help New Mexico and other states dealing with the same issue of a ‘revenue cliff’ and, if so, how to go about it.

The AP reported Thursday that while New Mexico is looking at scaling back medical care services and eligibility to only those individuals that must be covered by federal law, such as lower-income pregnant women and children, others would have an option to obtain health services by paying premiums and copays, depending on their income.

NMI to present IPRA seminar Dec. 1

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:44:49 -0800

So you’re looking for some information that can only be found the public records of a government agency or office–but when you request those records, you hit a brick wall. What do you do? The New Mexico Independent is teaming up with the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government and KNME-TV to present a free seminar on the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) and how to obtain government information.

The seminar will be webcast live, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

It will also be archived here for you to watch any time.

We’ll talk about what’s considered a public record in New Mexico, how to request records, what the law requires of government agencies, and what options you have if you receive a denial. Arm yourself with the facts for your next records battle!

There is a very limited number of seats available for the free seminar, which will take place in the KNME-TV studio, and preference will go to KNME students and students in other journalism-related programs. The seats will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’d like to join us in person, send an e-mail to gwyneth@newmexicoindependent.com, including your name, the name of your school/program and contact information for your adviser or instructor.

Participants joining the webcast will have the opportunity to submit questions for the presenters.

News from around the state: As righty as they wanna be

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:37 -0800

KOB-TV wonders if Albuquerque mayor-Elect Richard Berry is being “as conservative as promised.” With a possible budget shortfall upwards of $30M when he takes office, he has been making several new hires. KOB looks into the numbers.The Santa Fe New Mexican writes on Somos un Pueblo Unido, a immigrant-rights advocacy group, and the steps they’re taking to reform federal immigration legislation, which involves creating a national network linked by e-mail, phone, and text messaging. One supporter suggests, “The reform is an economic need. There cannot be an economic recovery without the immigrant workers. It’s that simple.”

The Las Cruces Sun-News has it all on Barbara Couture, New Mexico State University’s new president. As the school’s first permanent female president, Couture will begin her five-year contract on January 1.

The New Mexico Environmental Department has found groundwater pollution at a local dairy, reports the Clovis News Journal. Now under new management, the current owner says he has decreased existing contamination. The dairy owner has submitted a plan to address the issue of nitrate pollution, which can have fatal consequences.

Trip’s morning reading

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:48:55 -0800

Here’s something New Mexico state officials can back up with experience: predicting revenues in this recession are incredibly difficult, says Stateline.org. Indiana hasn’t produced an accurate monthly tax revenue estimate in over a year. The state has never been so wrong, says an Indiana University professor who has worked on the state’s tax estimates for 30 years.

I included an item yesterday predicting that University of California Regents would raise student fees by 32 percent. Well, they did. And the New York Times followed that news with a profile of the diminishing state of campuses around the University of California system, including its crown jewel, Berkeley. Anyone who knows Berkeley’s history, and the prominent roles it has played over the years in math and sciences as well as cultural studies, will find it a much-chastened institution.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry refused Thursday to stop the execution of a man convicted of murder for his role in the 1996 shooting death of a Houston convenience store clerk despite a rare recommendation to commute a death sentence, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

From the media world, the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Conn., has sued The Hartford Courant, the state’s largest paper, charging that it plagiarized The Journal Inquirer’s work in articles published last summer, a time when The Courant was also, in a subsequent admission, lifting material from several other northern Connecticut newspapers, reports the New York Times. Can I just say: Whoa!!!!

According to FishbowlNY, the Associated Press finally divulges how many staffers it laid off this week — 90. That includes our own talented, smart and extraordinarily experienced Deborah Baker, who covered the Capitol in Santa Fe for close to 20 years. Frankly, I’m still in shock, which is why I haven’t written anything up to this point. Nothing I write will do justice to the injustice of this crappy situation. So let me just say that I’ll miss Deborah for her wonderful way with words; her wry, irreverent sense of humor; her institutional knowledge; her toughness; her compelling stories about West Virginia — where she lived once upon a time; her unflappability; and her wonderful singing voice. Deborah, other reporters and I will miss your expertise and reporting and writing skills. But, more than that, we’ll miss you.

Meet the new NMSU president

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:03:09 -0800

New Mexico State University’s new president – the school’s 25th – is the first woman to hold the job, at least on a permanent basis.

Waded Cruzado held the job on an interim basis for after Michael Martin left the university last year.

The Board of Regents introduced new President Barbara Couture on Thursday at a morning meeting in Las Cruces. She hit the ground running, making a quick trip to Santa Fe to meet with staffers for two legislative committees and the governor, then buzzing back to Las Cruces for a reception at the home of Regent Laura Conniff.

“I will work tirelessly to assure that NMSU fulfills its promise as the state’s great land-grant university, promoting educational access and cultural diversity, strengthening relationships across the university’s campuses and extension sites, and achieving excellence in teaching, research and engagement with the communities, businesses and industries across the state of New Mexico,” Couture said in a news release.

The immediate reaction to the regents’ selection of Couture was positive.

“With the appointment of Dr. Barbara Couture, NMSU is embarking on a new day — one that brings a permanent president who brings proven experience and the promise of a brighter future for our beloved university,” NMSU Regent Javier Gonzales said in an interview. “Her experience has made her the right fit for our university.”

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who will meet with Couture today in Las Cruces, sounded equally impressed.

“Her understanding of the mission and challenges facing land-grant institutions like NMSU make Dr. Couture uniquely qualified to lead the university,” Denish said in a news release. “I know that she will take NMSU to new heights and make sure that each year our state has a new class of educated, hard-working and motivated leaders.”

‘She immediately took to our campus’

Couture is the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and a professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Couture will start her job at NMSU on Jan. 1 at an annual salary of $385,000. Her contract also includes use of the presidential residence, a car, a country club membership and, at the end of five years, a $500,000 retention bonus funded by the NMSU Foundation.

Blake Curtis, chairman of the board of regents, said the retention bonus came “in response to the many stakeholders who expressed a desire for a long-term leader.” As I’ve reported before, the foundation doesn’t publicly release donor lists, so the funding behind that hefty bonus probably won’t be made public.

Curtis also praised Couture in a news release from the university.

“She immediately took to our campus, and her interaction during the open forums demonstrated an ability to relate to our students, faculty, staff, community members and statewide partners,” he said. “She will bring valuable insights from her experience at land-grant universities. We are confident in her leadership skills and value her commitment to being a long-term participant in NMSU’s future.”

In her position in Nebraska, Couture “initiated efforts” to create an outcomes-based general-education program that was nationally recognized, the release states. Also from the release:

“… she has led efforts to engage UNL in international partnerships, developing targeted partnership degree programs in China and increased global research opportunities. She is currently the principal investigator on a $3.8 million National Science Foundation-funded ADVANCE grant, and has led campuswide efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of a high-quality, diverse faculty. Nationally, she chairs the Executive Committee for the Council on Academic Affairs for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.”

Couture has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she also earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in English language and literature. An award-winning writer, Couture received the Outstanding Book Award at the 2000 Conference on College Composition and Communication for “Toward a Phenomenological Rhetoric: Writing, Profession and Altruism.”

‘Sheep-dip, chile, calves and weed control’

Even Michael Swickard, an educator and columnist for this this reporter’s site, who has long been involved with NMSU, expressed optimism about the hiring of Couture. Swickard had previously authored a commentary stating that “only professionals who have worked closely with agriculture and engineering for their entire professional lives are really qualified to lead NMSU.”

But on Thursday, Swickard had this to say after the regents announced the hiring of Couture:

“I was quite surprised in 1970 when Dr. Thomas was selected, a little-known ag dean. He became the best NMSU president ever. Could happen again. I hope our new prez values sheep dip, chile, calves and weed control as much Dr. Thomas.”

Cassandra Yazzie-Hotchkiss

Coco la Boca — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:55:14 -0800

Jeff Bingaman Pays Tribute to Bruce King in Senate Floor Speech

Democracy for New Mexico — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:43:58 -0800

Senator Jeff Bingaman remembered the life of the late Bruce King in a speech on the Senate floor yesterday. You can watch the video above or read the text version below:

"This week New Mexicans of all political persuasions have been recalling the life of a legendary figure in our state, Bruce King, who served as governor during three different decades and who taught by example that public service is an honorable calling. Governor King died last Friday at the age of 85.

"Bruce used to tell the story about a former governor who was the speaker at his high school graduation who looked at the very small class of teenagers and said, “One of you could grow up to be governor of this state.” Bruce looked around at his other classmates and figured that the governor had to be speaking to him. Sure enough, in the course of time, and after service in the Santa Fe County Commission, state legislature, and speaker of the House in New Mexico, he was elected governor.

"He served as governor of our sate for 12 years, longer than anyone else in the history of New Mexico. In all of those years he never failed to make the people of New Mexico his first priority. With him at every step of the way from their family ranch in Stanley to Santa Fe and back again was the remarkable Alice Martin King, his wife. She was a great force in her own right. She was a champion for children in our state; she died last December.

"My own history with Bruce King began when I was just out of law school. I was serving then as an assistant attorney general in New Mexico and I was assigned the job of counsel to the Constitutional Convention, which our state had in 1969. Bruce, who was then the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, was elected president of that convention. I learned a great deal about the legislative process, about New Mexico history, and about our state in general as a result of the effort to work with Bruce in that important capacity. His management of the process and the people involved with the convention was masterful. He was always inclusive. He was always listening. And he was always working to get the best result. In short, he was the model of a legislative manager.

"I also recall being privileged to serve as attorney general during Bruce’s second term as governor from 1979-1982. We worked closely together on a number of issues and I was impressed all over again at his knowledge of New Mexico and his genuine love for its citizens.

"He was gregarious and kind. He never knew a stranger. He shook every hand in our state, whether there was a voter attached to it or not. People were delighted to see Bruce coming and to hear his famous reply when asked “How are you doing, governor?” He would rely, “Mighty fine” regardless of the circumstances that the state and he were facing.

"Our friendship extended for 40-plus years. And along with my fellow New Mexicans, I will miss him greatly. His sons Bill and Gary, his brothers Don and Sam, and the entire King family have lost tremendously. Every New Mexican feels this loss and joins his family in honoring his life."

Campaign to Inspire

Coco la Boca — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:17 -0800

Bobbi and Me Cruising

Jim Baca — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:59:00 -0800

Bobbi has laid out all of her clothes for our upcoming cruise to the Caribbean next week. We will be joined by friends this time and it will be a more relaxing cruise than we usually embark on. Lots of beaches and lazy days. Panama and Costa Rica are included along with all of the tropical isles. As usual our home is protected by gun toting guards and alarms.

We were thinking today how great it would be when cruises can start off loading in Cuba. A visit there by Americans dropping dollars would do a lot of good. I guess Fidel has to croak first so the right wing Cubans in Miami can't complain.

We will sail on Holland America's Zuiderdam. It is a bigger ship that we are used to being on so it might be different. However, I will never get on those new behemoths that carry 7000 passengers and crew. If I want to stay in a city I could just choose not to cruise.

Our next cruise is in March. Rio de Janiero to Buenos Aires and back. Lots of heavy duty excursions on that one.

Perhaps Conservatism Really is a Mental Illness – Let’s Include Coverage Under a Public Option

mjh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:15:00 -0800

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

During a debate on the House floor today over designating 21 miles of the Molalla River as “wild and scenic,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who opposes the legislation, tried to claim a progressive environmental record for her party. “Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country,” said Foxx.

Foxx then extended her claims of the GOP’s progressive history to the issue of civil rights. “Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle,” said Fox. “They love to engage in revisionist history.”

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

It is especially important to remember that the major opposition to civil rights came from southern Democrats – the same people who now constitute the hard core of the Republican Party.

Perhaps Conservatism Really is a Mental Illness – Let’s Include Coverage Under a Public Option is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

WARREN BUFFETT: I’m talking about sharing the prosperity.

mjh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:47:00 -0800

Warren Buffett recognized that wealth doesn’t just happen due to hard work or luck, that society – our commonwealth – provides the basis of any individual’s wealth. “Share the prosperity.” Constant bleating about unfair taxes is a fool’s game that destroys the commonwealth. TAX THE RICH! They can afford it.

http://www.charlierose.com/download/transcript/10711

WARREN BUFFETT: I think that if we’re looking for more money, we ought to look to guys like me. I mean, I am still paying a lower rate on dividends and capital gains than my cleaning lady. It’s, you know, in terms of her payroll tax, just to start with. And so, I just think that we’ve gotten so far out of whack in terms of who’s been prosperous in recent years, and most of the economy — most people have been left behind, you know. So we learn that a rising tide lifts all yachts. (LAUGHTER) …

CHARLIE ROSE: Does that mean that the American system is in a sense a bit unfair and geared to the rich?

WARREN BUFFETT: Well, I think it has become more geared to the rich as time has gone by, and I think that the rich have, you know, obviously a disproportionate impact, you know, on how Congress behaves, and… if you have a very rich country with a great number of superrich, you have to fight against a plutocracy.

WARREN BUFFETT: And you want a prosperous country so you want a whole bunch of rich people, but you also want everybody to do reasonably well in something as prosperous as we have. … but we’ve got — we’ve got almost 60 million people living in households where 20 — the top income is $21,000 or less. That’s the top of the 60 million people. So we can do better. Now, we have done better over time. I mean, we put in Social Security and we’ve done things in the country that have worked in the direction …

WARREN BUFFETT: But a prosperous country should not just be prosperous for the people like me who are wired in a particular way at birth — no credit to me ….

WARREN BUFFETT: And you don’t want to mess up the market system that works to bring out of people what their best talents are, but the market system is not perfect in any kind of distribution of wealth. And taxation is a way where you get to the excesses of what the market system produces and where you take care of the people that get the short straws. In a country as prosperous as we are, nobody should get a really short straw.

CHARLIE ROSE: You know, some people are going to hear you say that and they’ll say, "Warren is talking about sharing the wealth. There he goes .."

WARREN BUFFETT: Well, I’m talking about sharing the prosperity. I’m prosperous because of the society around me.

WARREN BUFFETT: So they benefit from society. We all do. And some like me benefit enormously from society, you know. I can’t do it by myself. Stick me on a desert island, you know, you do not want to be on the same island.

CHARLIE ROSE: So, all these people who think that somehow there’s some new idea about — they use the word "socialism," but something else in terms of …

WARREN BUFFETT: Yeah, Barack Obama …

CHARLIE ROSE: You don’t buy that.

WARREN BUFFETT: Barack Obama wants a much more prosperous economy, embodying the principles that have made it prosperous, but I think he does want to make sure that the bottom 20 or 30 percent does better than it has done in the last 20 years while the top has prospered so much.

http://www.charlierose.com/download/transcript/10711

BBC NEWS | Europe | Rich Germans demand higher taxes [hattip to Jas.]

A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes.

The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany’s economic recovery.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Rich Germans demand higher taxes

The Associated Press: AP POLL: How to pay for health overhaul? Tax rich

WASHINGTON — Americans don’t want to shoulder the cost of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul themselves. They think the rich should pay for it.

The Associated Press: AP POLL: How to pay for health overhaul? Tax rich

WARREN BUFFETT: I’m talking about sharing the prosperity. is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Friday Clippings From My Newsroom Floor: GOP MIA On Lower Ballot Races, Plus: The Readers Debate The Blogger

Joe Monahan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:00 -0800

An old worry is back for NM Republicans. They are top heavy. While there is no shortage of 2010 GOP candidates for Governor or lieutenant governor--four Guv contenders are on the field--there is nary a Republican yet seeking to become State Auditor, State Treasurer, or Attorney General.

The R's do have a spirited three way race for Land Commissioner, a position they currently hold and have had some luck with in the past, but efforts to recruit candidates for the other statewide offices seem to have hit the wall.

Not that even a solid R candidate has much of a chance in Dem dominated NM to take a statewide office. The last GOP Auditor and Treasurer was in the 60's and the last GOP attorney general was elected in 1986. But with no names on the ballot, there is zero chance of pulling an upset.

R's expect to eventually have candidates for the offices, but with no early entrants raising money, they are signaling they are not prepared to seriously contest the re-election bids of of Attorney General Gary King, Auditor Hector Balderas or Treasurer James B. Lewis.

THE MAILBAG

Let's catch up on the mail. Reader Jane Babcock has a bone to pick when it comes to coverage of the candidates for Bernalillo County Sheriff. The county commission Nov. 30 will name a replacement for Darren White who is going to work for the city. Here's Jane:

Why are you ignoring the most qualified candidate for the Sheriff's position, Marie Miranda? Is it because she is not part of the old boys network? She recently retired as a Deputy Chief II, has a masters, cleaned up the (ABQ police department) evidence room mess, was a Deputy Secretary of the NM Department of Public Safety and started up the ABQ Homeland Security Department...

...Her integrity is unquestioned, her management ability is first rate, her resume doesn't have to be padded...and unlike your buddy, she is devoid of questionable activities and background. Perhaps, your prejudices are showing.

Give me a break, Jane. We don't have a dog--or a "buddy" in the sheriff's fight. We blogged what the insiders and Alligators told us--that Cris Sanchez and Conrad Candelaria were leading prospects to get the appointment. Sanchez has since dropped out. We're not slighting Marie. We're handicapping the game.

But you did get your plaudits in for your choice. Just don't confuse the message coming from downtown with this messenger.

OUR CONTRARY MARY

Let's do some more back and forth. First, reader Mary Vermillion weighs in and then we respond:

I've been surprised twice this week by comments on your blog. The first was when you referred to what you called "do nothing as policy" in the (Governor) Johnson years. As I recall, the policy of those years was fiscal restraint, and as a result, New Mexico was in good shape when the dot com bubble burst and things went south after 9/11. In contrast to the spend as if there's no tomorrow of Bill Richardson, that "do nothing" looks pretty sane.

The second was your description of the AP as a pure news gathering organization without an agenda. I seem to remember reading this year about AP's having adopted a policy of "accountability journalism"--a euphemism for the inclusion of substantial bits of opinion in "news" stories. And AP's having assigned eleven (!) reporters to fact-check Palin's book doesn't look much like pure news gathering.

Thanks, Mary. Well, the Johnson years were indeed ones of fiscal restraint, but we made little, if any progress, in moving the needle on NM social ills and continued to rank near the bottom in key measurements throughout his term.

Also, the major economic development program under Gary was pueblo-run Indian gambling, not known for high-paying salaries. The hi-tech boom--whose ill effects Mary contends we were spared--passed us by. Johnson was unable to deliver on his campaign pledge to bring more private business and high paying jobs to the state (Not that the current administration has had much success, either).

History will give high marks to Johnson for being a responsible manager and for running a government free of major corruption. He served honorably. However, his inability to work with the Legislature resulted in a "do nothing" administration when it came to attacking the myriad social ills that plagued the state then and now.

As for the AP, we don't see "accountability journalism" that reveals bias in their New Mexico coverage, which is our primary concern. And what's wrong with fact-checking the book of a major national political figure like Sarah Palin? Isn't that what we do when people talk about becoming President of the United States?

FROM THE FRONT LINES

We're also fielding mail from state employees about the five day furlough ordered by Governor Richardson to deal with the huge budget shortfall. This writer vented anonymously:

I am a state employee who is faced with trying to determine where to cut groceries, utilities, Christmas spending...I can accept the furlough...However, I looked at the salaries at executive agencies and must ask how did the agency on aging become a full Department? Military affairs? Where did some of these commissions come from? Do we need them or should we place higher expectations on persons employed in these areas? For example, why isn't the Department of Homeland Security part of the Department of Public Safety?

Why not consolidate programs and eliminate some high salaried executives? Why are we paying outlandish rents for private buildings when there are vacant government buildings? I am not placing the blame on any branch of government, just venting.

And a good vent it was. And it's also a reminder to the public and policy makers that most state workers are pulling down decidedly middle-class salaries. It is the excessive bloating at the top of the pyramid that is the big problem.

Could we make a suggestion to the Guv and Legislature?

If we have to have more furlough days can't those making salaries of over $80,000 be required to take more days off than the secretaries, custodians and other working stiffs who are the backbone of the government? It may sound equitable that all state employees have to be furloughed for the same amount of time, but in reality it is not.

A SWITCH?

We omitted the name of GOP activist Bea Sheridan as an R candidate for lieutenant governor when we blogged recently about the entry of ABQ state Senator Kent Cravens into the race. That's probably because insiders expect her to switch gears and seek the Secretary of State slot under the R banner...

We had a typo in our blog on the latest city appointments by Mayor-elect Berry. Robin Dozier Otten, the incoming Family Services Department director, served as Human Services Secretary in the Johnson administration, not Human Resources.

By the way, KOB-TV reports that while most of the department heads Mayor-elect Berry announced this week have been given starting salaries of $97,000, Dozier Otten is starting at $107,000 a year. Valerie Vigil, who has served in the post for eight years, currently makes $97,000.

Thanks for tuning in this week. Send along your news and comments via email.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Pro Publica writes about "phantom districts"

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:15:37 -0800

The non-profit news organization Pro Publica wrote at the New Mexico Independent, for which I write, about the phantom districts in the recovery package.

The package, doing actual journalism on the subject, is worth a read

And if you're asking, "What is Pro Publica?" Then here is something from their About page:

is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with "moral force." We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.

What I remember from Pro Publica most is an amazing story about a hospital after hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

New Mexico US Senators honor Bruce King

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:54:16 -0800

The U.S. Senators from New Mexico, Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, spoke about the late Bruce King on the floor of the Senate.

Senator Jeff Bingaman:

I don't have video of Senator Tom Udall's speech, but his remarks as prepared for delivery are below.

"I rise today to celebrate the life - and mourn the passing - of one of New Mexico's great public servants.
"This past Friday, Bruce King - the three-time governor of New Mexico and a constant advocate for the average person - left this world after 85 years of devotion to his family, to his community and to his state.
"Bruce King was a self-made man who came from modest roots. Back in 1918, his parents traveled to New Mexico from Texas and traded their Model T for a homestead track, where they raised Bruce and his siblings. Along the way, the elder Kings instilled in their children an appreciation for a hard day's work, a compassion for people, and a love of public service.
"Bruce carried those lessons into adulthood, and into a life defined by public service.
"He served in the Army in World War II, as a Santa Fe County Commissioner, as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives and later Speaker of that House, and finally, as a three-term governor elected in 1970, 1978 and once more in 1990.
"Bruce's legacy as Governor will be felt for generations. Due in no small part to the advocacy of his devoted wife, Alice, Governor King created a new Cabinet-level department focused on the welfare of New Mexico's children - we call it the Children, Youth and Families Department. Thanks to Bruce and Alice's vision, more New Mexico children are safe and secure. More are healthy and ready to learn. And more have the support they need to follow their dreams.
"Governor King's contributions didn't end there. His leadership was instrumental to the creation of New Mexico's large and enduring "rainy day" funds, which to this day continue to provide substantial support for education. He reformed New Mexico's school funding formula so that money is equally distributed across the state. Thanks to Governor King, state education funding now follows the student, regardless of income or geography. He also was an advocate for aggressive economic development, recruiting a new Intel plant to Rio Rancho; for the creation of better, safer roads statewide; and for the establishment of a new border crossing with Mexico.
"But despite all these achievements, what New Mexicans will most remember Bruce for is something more simple, and much harder to come by in politicians these days.
"Bruce wasn't in politics for the power or for the prestige. He was in politics because of the people. He loved the people of New Mexico, and the people of New Mexico - from Lordsburg and Clayton to Shiprock and Carlsbad and everywhere in between - they loved him right back.
"Bruce enjoyed nothing more than talking to New Mexicans. And almost every morning you would find him doing just that at El Comedor Restaurant in Moriarty. He had a booming voice, and was famous for greeting friends and strangers alike with a handshake and a down-home, 'How y'all doing? Fine. Fine.'
"I will always remember Bruce as a true cowboy from Stanley who had the most generous spirit. He always saw the best in people. He always did the right thing for New Mexico.
"My family was fortunate to call Bruce and Alice our friends. Our daughter, Amanda, even went to work for Alice in her first job out of college, and had stayed close with them ever since.
"New Mexico will miss the Kings. And we all know our state is a better place for their service and their dedication to its people. As Governor King is laid to rest this week, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable public servant."

Court Grants New Mexico Nonprofits Full Attorney’s Fees

Democracy for New Mexico — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:16:42 -0800

State District Court Judge Judith Herrera ruled yesterday that the State of New Mexico must pay $72,000 in attorney fees and costs to the Center for Civic Policy and the Southwest Organizing Project, according to a statement released today by the two organizations.

The Court ordered the state to pay the two nonprofit organizations’ court fees after Judge Herrera ruled last August in favor of the nonprofit organizations in their lawsuit against New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera.

Satisfying -- except that the taxpayers will have to pay for the fight against the bogus ruling against nonprofits that appeared to be part of an all-out attack in response to several status quo Dems being ousted in primary elections in 2008 by reformers. And except that the nonprofits had to waste time and energy to ensure their constitutional rights.

In 2008, the two organizations were forced to seek protection in federal court against Secretary of State Herrera’s decision to require New Mexico Youth Organized and Southwest Organizing Project to register as “political committees.”

In August, Judge Herrera issued a decision granting summary judgment in favor of the nonprofits, ruling that the speech of NMYO and SWOP is protected by the First Amendment -- and the Secretary of State is without power to regulate it.

Despite the decisive victory in District Court and despite the clearly settled law in this area, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King has decided to appeal the ruling to the 10th Circuit Court. If that appeal is unsuccessful, it could cost taxpayers even more in attorney's fees and costs.

Today the two groups hailed Judge Herrera’s decision both as a vindication of their work to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans and as a strong statement against attempts to intimidate them. The huge legal fees the groups had to spend to defend themselves would have buried many small nonprofits in New Mexico, they noted.

“This is further evidence that nonprofit organizations are well within their right to hold public officials accountable,” said Center for Civic Policy chief operating officer Matt Brix. New Mexico Youth Organized is a project of the Center for Civic Policy.

But the groups also lamented the fact that taxpayer money will now be spent because of the Secretary of State's baseless order.

“It is upsetting that state money is being spent on frivolous pursuits like this when a deficit is prompting discussion of cutting education and health care for children,” said SWOP communications director George Lujan.

The nonprofits also prevailed against a lawsuit filed earlier by Shannon Robinson, Dan Silva and James Taylor -- the three legislators who lost primary races against Dem challengers.

Should we raise taxes on soft drinks?

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:56:52 -0800

Interesting blog post from Marjorie Childress, my coworker at the New Mexico Independent:

As it turns out, there's a lot of analysis nationally about taxing sodas. In looking around the web, I came across a soft drink calculator on how much revenue adding a "soda tax" would generate, provided by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.
Using the calculator-which is based on this research, and these data and assumptions-adding a one cent per ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages would yield $95 million. If you added in diet drinks, it would yield $153 million.

And it isn't as if soft drinks are some sort of need or that a tax on soft drinks would put people out of work; Coca Cola and Pepsi would still send their products into the state and people would still buy them.

And if someone decides not to buy soft drinks because of slightly higher prices, that isn't exactly a bad thing.

Campaign Petition Party Tonight: Vino, Vampires and State Auditor Hector Balderas

Democracy for New Mexico — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:44:52 -0800

From Campaign to Re-elect Hector Balderas as State Auditor: Come to Cafe Green, have some wine, watch some vampires and sign some petitions for Hector:

Cafe Green, SM Cubed Consulting,
Veronica Martinez, Helen Anderson,
Meridith Griego and Denise Balderas
present
Vino, Vampires and
State Auditor Hector Balderas
for an evening of
Twilight
Thursday, November 19th, 8:00 - 10:30 PM
Cafe Green
319 5th St NW, Albuquerque (map)
refreshments served, cash bar
Silent Auction featuring chocolate from The Candy Lady and
tickets to the sneak preview of New Moon
Themed dress is encouraged
Click for FLYER
Please RSVP to Veronica Martinez at ronilynn75@hotmail.com

US House delegation honors former Gov. Bruce King

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:28:32 -0800

The three members of the U.S. House delegation spoke on the House floor today in honor of the late Bruce King. King, a three-term governor, passed away last week.

Videos and excerpts of their prepared remarks are below, the full transcripts are below the fold.

Congressman Heinrich:

Across our state, we were all touched by this one-of-a-kind New Mexican who personified a rare brand of leadership, perseverance and integrity.
That brand of leadership epitomizes what I love about New Mexico and I believe it was a result of his humble upbringing on a ranch near the small-town of Stanley, New Mexico.
There, his parents raised him to always provide water to the travelers passing through their homestead, no matter their background, and certainly never asking whether they were Democrat or Republican.

Rep. Lujan:

With the helpful guidance of his wife Alice, he made the Children, Youth and Families Department a new state agency to look out for New Mexico's children. And he made sure that students statewide had access to kindergarten and that their schools had steady funding, no matter if they lived in a growing city or on a quiet farm. He valued the land and made sure it was protected through an environmental improvement agency. And his common sense approach to finances led to the creation of the state's rainy day fund and the mineral trust.
Governor King's accomplishments were many, but his legacy will be shaped his deep affection for our state and his ability to connect with New Mexicans.
He remembered names and family members, asking about a mother, daughter or cousin many years after his first meeting.
When he walked into a general store, a local restaurant or a farmhouse, he'd extend his hand to everyone and ask, "How y'all?" When they returned the question, he'd answered, "Mighty fine," before starting a friendly conversation.

Rep. Teague:

During one of his terms as Governor, Bruce King had to contend with an energy crisis like the rest of the country, he didn't just tell New Mexicans that they had to save energy; he showed them by trading in his motorcade for a horse. For a while Bruce would actually ride his horse from the Governor's mansion in Santa Fe to the State Capitol as a way of showing folks that he was willing to do his part!
You know, when I ran for Congress, I kept telling voters that I was running to put New Mexico families first in everything I did. Governor King did that when he created the Children Youth and Families department in New Mexico that looks after the wellbeing of our children and our loved ones. He put New Mexico families first because in a lot ways the people of New Mexico were his family.
He put the education of our kids first when he changed the way we fund our schools back home. In too many states, wealthy neighborhoods have the best schools while poor rural areas or inner-city schools have to scramble for funds every year because their families are poor. Governor King changed that. He made sure that every single child in New Mexico got a shot an education when he made sure that all money for education was doled-out equally to every school district. He knew that one child's education was not more important than another's and countless New Mexicans have benefited from that change.

All remarks are as prepared for delivery.

Rep. Harry Teague's remarks:

Thank you M. Speaker and I thank my colleague from the great state of New Mexico. I also want to thank the Gentleman from New Mexico's third district, Congressman Ben Ray Luj?n for helping to arrange this tribute to one of New Mexico's greatest citizens.
Bruce King is without a doubt a New Mexico legend. If you never got a chance to meet him, then all I can tell you is that you missed an opportunity to meet someone who really was a dedicated public servant and a good man. And many of us that are public servants in New Mexico today, have learned from his example.
One thing I learned from Bruce King was how important it is to stay in touch with the people you represent. In fact, I first met the Governor in the steer barn at the Lea County Fair. And over the years, it seemed that you would run across the Governor shaking hands at nearly every Fair in New Mexico.
Bruce King was New Mexico. A lot of people described him as the "Cowboy Governor" and that could mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but for Bruce King --
It meant his heart was as big as our skies.
It meant his handshake was as good as his word.
It meant the only way he knew how to work was hard.
It meant his family and the people he represented always came first and that he was always willing to look out after their needs.
It meant that when he had to make tough choices he stuck by them even when that meant that he had to make sacrifices.
It also meant that he led by example.
During one of his terms as Governor, Bruce King had to contend with an energy crisis like the rest of the country, he didn't just tell New Mexicans that they had to save energy; he showed them by trading in his motorcade for a horse. For a while Bruce would actually ride his horse from the Governor's mansion in Santa Fe to the State Capitol as a way of showing folks that he was willing to do his part!
You know, when I ran for Congress, I kept telling voters that I was running to put New Mexico families first in everything I did. Governor King did that when he created the Children Youth and Families department in New Mexico that looks after the wellbeing of our children and our loved ones. He put New Mexico families first because in a lot ways the people of New Mexico were his family.
He put the education of our kids first when he changed the way we fund our schools back home. In too many states, wealthy neighborhoods have the best schools while poor rural areas or inner-city schools have to scramble for funds every year because their families are poor. Governor King changed that. He made sure that every single child in New Mexico got a shot an education when he made sure that all money for education was doled-out equally to every school district. He knew that one child's education was not more important than another's and countless New Mexicans have benefited from that change.
In a recent interview, Bruce told a story about how he started making a few people angry on the Santa Fe County Commission angry when he, as a first-term Commissioner kept pushing the county employees to get roads paved faster. He remembered that one person took him aside and said "Bruce, you're new here and you don't know how things are done." He just smiled and told him, "I understand the ways things are done, the people pay their taxes on time and they expect us to do our work on time. That's how it's done."
Governor King's service to our nation and our state should never be forgotten. As a County Commissioner, Speaker of the House and as Governor, he was one of those unique public officials who never forgot where he came from. He listened sincerely to the needs and concerns of his constituents and then got to work addressing those issues because he cared deeply about the state of New Mexico.
He showed the rest of the country what it meant to be a New Mexican. He brought out the best in all of us, that's probably why so many of his political rivals became friends of his afterwards. For so many years, Bruce King was ours. Now, the Cowboy Governor's ridden off into the sunset one last time...and he will be missed.

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan's remarks:

Today, I join my friends Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague to celebrate the life of Bruce King.
For so long, Governor King has been a constant and warming presence in New Mexico- dedicating himself to our state and touching the lives of New Mexicans from border to border with his kind words, hearty laugh and friendly drawl
It's tough to go far in New Mexico without talking to someone who has a story about Governor King, and I'm no different. When I turned one, Governor King sent my parents silver cup from himself and Ms. King that still holds a prominent place in my mom and dad's house. It's a practice he followed just to let people know that he cared and that they were in his thoughts- even as he presided over a growing and emerging state.
I'm sure there are silver cups and similar stories throughout New Mexico - memories sitting on mantles and stories retold around family dinner tables.
His thoughtfulness and down home way of reaching out to the people of our state made him a legend.
Raised in the fields of New Mexico and instilled with a sense of value in public service and a kindness toward all, Governor King went to work early in life for our country and our state. He served in the Army in World War II and, when he came home, he settled at the family ranch in Stanley.
He was always a rancher and a genuine cowboy above all. And the values he learned on the ranch guided his service in our state.
Governor King used to say that when cowboys came through the ranch to water their stock, his parents never asked if they were Republican or Democrat and he took this lesson to heart - working across the aisle in his time as a county commissioner, state legislator, speaker of the house and finally as our Governor.
When he got a question about a tough piece of legislation or a tough issue, his approach to bipartisanship was highlighted by his wit.
"Well, some of my friends are for it," he would say. And then he'd continue, "Some of my friends are against it, and I always support my friends."
This steady and collaborative approach to governance led to many accomplishments that were only overshadowed by the strength of Governor King's character and the size of his heart.
With the helpful guidance of his wife Alice, he made the Children, Youth and Families Department a new state agency to look out for New Mexico's children. And he made sure that students statewide had access to kindergarten and that their schools had steady funding, no matter if they lived in a growing city or on a quiet farm. He valued the land and made sure it was protected through an environmental improvement agency. And his common sense approach to finances led to the creation of the state's rainy day fund and the mineral trust.
Governor King's accomplishments were many, but his legacy will be shaped his deep affection for our state and his ability to connect with New Mexicans.
He remembered names and family members, asking about a mother, daughter or cousin many years after his first meeting.
When he walked into a general store, a local restaurant or a farmhouse, he'd extend his hand to everyone and ask, "How y'all?" When they returned the question, he'd answered, "Mighty fine," before starting a friendly conversation.
Governor King's words and deeds will long echo in our state.
For generations, people will remember Governor King's legacy and benefit from his work. And I hope that New Mexicans will heed his most important lessons and take some time to talk to their neighbors, help their communities and give a little back to our state.
And if we do this--if we all work a little harder, with a little more compassion and a little more common sense, when someone asks you how you're doing, we'll all be able to answer, "Mighty fine."

Rep. Martin Heinrich's remarks:

Madame Speaker, it's difficult to put into words the tremendous loss that New Mexicans are suffering due to the passing of an unforgettable New Mexico public servant.
Last Friday, we lost former Governor Bruce King, at the age of 85.
He was our revered "Cowboy in the Roundhouse" who served three terms as Governor of New Mexico.
Across our state, we were all touched by this one-of-a-kind New Mexican who personified a rare brand of leadership, perseverance and integrity.
That brand of leadership epitomizes what I love about New Mexico and I believe it was a result of his humble upbringing on a ranch near the small-town of Stanley, New Mexico.
There, his parents raised him to always provide water to the travelers passing through their homestead, no matter their background, and certainly never asking whether they were Democrat or Republican.
From the very beginning, Governor King's philosophy remained that New Mexicans needed to "work together and be one large family." to be successful, whether from rural New Mexican towns like Stanley or urban centers like Albuquerque.
Wherever he went in our state, New Mexicans felt like Governor King spoke their language and they felt like his agenda was to address their family's struggles.
It was clear that he loved New Mexicans, he loved spending time with them, and he loved bridging peoples' differences to get things done.
His leadership united New Mexicans and as we near our 100th anniversary of statehood, I have no doubt that his impact will be a central chapter in that history.
Governor King passed away Friday on the ranch where he was raised in Stanley, New Mexico, almost one year after the passing of his wife of 61 years, Alice King.
Alice was equally revered for her contributions to the state.
Together, their humanitarian legacy includes equalizing funding between wealthy and not-so-wealthy schools, as well as establishing the Children, Youth and Families Department to tackle struggles faced by youth across our state.
We're heartbroken at the loss of Governor and Mrs. King, but we're comforted that they are together again.
Madame Speaker, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire King Family and I thank them for sharing such an incredible public servant with our state.
It is an honor to be able to serve in the kind of state that loved two public servants like Alice and Bruce King and that was so deeply loved by the both of them.

Martin Heinrich Stuffs USO Care Packages for Women Serving in the Military

Democracy for New Mexico — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:05:43 -0800

Rep. Heinrich with Second Lady Jill Biden at the first
“USO Care Package for Women” party,
at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

Yesterday, Rep. Martin Heinrich joined Second Lady Jill Biden and the United Service Organizations (USO) for a care package stuffing event to honor and recognize women in the military. Operation USO Care Package was initiated by the USO in 2001 to provide our troops deployed overseas with much needed items such as wet wipes, playing cards, sun screen and calling cards so they can stay in touch with the loved ones they left behind. This year, for the first time, special care packages for women in the military were created.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi led off the event with remarks about the project, and praised Jill Biden for her work on behalf of tour roops and their families:

"As you know, Dr. Biden is a mother and an educator, a Blue Star Mom. She has worked tirelessly to help the loved ones of those who are serving in the military as well as those who serve. Through her work with 'Delaware Boots on the Ground,' she visits bases here and in Germany, and it is hard to think of a more passionate advocate for our men and women in uniform and doing something about recognizing that than Dr. Biden.

"I want to join you in acknowledging the important work that USO has done for our troops, for our men and women in uniform, and for when they come home. This event reflects the mission of the USO to bring our troops a little closer to home wherever they are, to boost the morale of our service members and to strengthen the bonds between our armed forces and the American people.

Since the program’s inception, the USO has distributed more than 1.8 million care packages to our troops. To send a gift to our service members or learn more about USO programs, click here.

See more photos from the event.

Soft drink taxes could raise a lot of dough

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:37:20 -0800

The second meeting of Governor Bill Richardson’s budget balancing task force happened today.

Not on the list of revenue options under consideration is adding a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. When New Mexico eliminated its tax on food a few years ago, it also eliminated the tax on those kinds of drinks—which generally don’t have nutritional value and contribute to high rates of obesity in the U.S.

As it turns out, there’s a lot of analysis nationally about taxing sodas. In looking around the web, I came across a soft drink calculator on how much revenue adding a “soda tax” would generate, provided by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Using the calculator—which is based on this research, and these data and assumptions—adding a one cent per ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages would yield $95 million. If you added in diet drinks, it would yield $153 million.

That’s a lot of dough.

The Rudd Center is unabashedly in favor of taxing soft drinks, for health reasons, and provides quite a bit of analysis to support its position.

New Mexico’s budget balancing task force was put together by the governor to examine and give advice on various revenue raising options in advance of the state legislature’s regular session, which will convene in January. The legislature is going to have to plug deficits in this year’s budget, and craft a fiscal year 2011 budget with a major deficit between projected revenues and expenses. Estimates on what that deficit are vary, with some as high as $1 billion.

There are a number of different revenue options being considered by the task force, including increased taxes on liquor and tobacco, a revival of the food tax, the surcharge on top income earners, and various measures to increase taxes collected from corporations.

On Monday, task force members heard presentations explaining New Mexico’s tax system, principles of tax policy, an overview of the 2003 Blue Ribbon Task Force on New Mexico’s tax system, and an overview of revenue options that the task force is being asked to consider.

Questions surround State Investment Council money manager

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:38:20 -0800

Hassan Nemazee, a longtime Democratic moneyman, was arrested last August and later accused of perpetrating a $292 million Ponzi scheme. Nemazee has pleaded not guilty to the bank fraud charges, but “it may be unsettling for New Mexico citizens to now learn that a New York firm that Nemazee partly owns has a four-year contract to manage $200 million of New Mexico public money,” Forbes magazine reports in a piece posted today on its website.

Nemazee and others connected to Carret Asset Management gave campaign contributions to Gov. Bill Richardson before and after receiving the contract, according to the magazine. “The contract with the State Investment Council, which oversees $12 billion in trust funds from oil and gas leasing fees, has so far yielded $1.7 million in fees for Carret,” the author of the article, Nathan Vardi, reports.

Vardi goes on to get reaction from the governor’s office and the State Investment Council:

Richardson’s spokesman says the governor, who is chairman of the New Mexico State Investment Council, played no role whatsoever in the hiring of Carret. According to the New Mexico State Investment Council, the decision was made by Gary Bland, the state’s chief investment officer, who was appointed by Richardson and resigned in October amid pay-to-play scandals unrelated to Carret that have dogged Richardson’s administration.

It’s hard to discern what exactly the Forbes piece means, except that it’s just one more thing on top of everything else that has thrown a cloud of suspicion over how New Mexico has invested public money in recent years. Bland resigned last month amid a growing investment scandal here in New Mexico that has led both the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Attorney’s office to subpoena records from the State Investment Council in recent months for separate inquiries.

Forbes reports that in July 2006, about the time Carret started trying to secure the New Mexico business, Nemazee contributed $5,000 to Richardson’s gubernatorial campaign.

“A month later, a company run by Alan Quasha, who has been the co-chair of Carret and longtime business partner of Nemazee’s, gave $20,000. Two years later, in late 2008, Nemazee, Nemazee’s wife, Quasha and two other top Carret employees, contributed a total of $11,500 to Richardson’s presidential campaign,” according to the magazine.

Nemazee’s lawyer declined to comment. But Quasha was blunt, Forbes reports.

“‘We did not pay to play,’ he said, meaning the contributions had nothing to do with Carret’s New Mexico contract. He also insisted Nemazee, until recently co-chair of the firm, was a “minority shareholder and had no executive responsibilities” at Carret.

Video: Attorney General King, 'I'll miss his advice'

Peter St. Cyr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:37:00 -0800

'He'd be tickled. He and President Clinton were good friends. They fought a lot of political battles together' -- NM Attorney General Gary King.

Former President Clinton will attend services

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King confirmed that the former President Bill Clinton will attend the funeral of his father, former three-term Gov. Bruce King on Saturday inside the Moriarty High School gym at 10am.

"The Clintons have certainly said that they developed a lot of their campaign style -- a lot of their philosophy of how policy should be approached -- by watching my father and my mother," King said. "We are very touched that President Clinton wants to come."

King, who is still recovering from neck surgery, is still wearing a neck brace, and says that being raised on a farm helped prepare him for his parents deaths -- former First Lady Alice King died last December.

"He sort of taught me to be philosophical about this," King said. "I think those of us who grew up on farms and ranches are more comfortable with life and death, because you see a lot of it, I think, growing up on a ranch. We know that it's a part of the natural cycle of life. In actuality we miss him sorely."

Picking up the slack

King revealed that he use to call his father at home for advice whenever things are "rough" at the office and for political advice. Now he says he feels like he'll have to pick up the slack and continue the family philosophy of public service.

"I think that there's still a lot of things that need to be done for children in New Mexico," King said. "I think that there is a lot of things to be done, you know, to make New Mexico the place he thought it should be, and I suspect that I will give some speeches as we go through that encourage a lot of other people to adopt that philosophy of focusing on what's the best for the people of the state of New Mexico and let's get together and get that done."

Funeral Arrangements

Flags continue to fly at half staff around the state and the former governor's body will lie in state on Friday at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

King said his father's wishes were for a simple service "without a lot of speeches and eulogies," but they are going to make an exception and let the former President, who became Governor of Arkansas during King's second term, say a few words. He also does not want pictures taken of the family during the service or burial.

"Not everyone in the family -- the nieces, nephews, and grand kids -- they didn't all sign up for public service," King said.

Security has been tightened but the public is still invited to the funeral. Parking is expected to be very limited near the high school.

King's burial in the Estancia Valley will follow the funeral service.

GOP state Sen. Kent Cravens to run for lieutenant governor

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:31:54 -0800

Cravens

Sen. Kent Cravens, a Republican from Albuquerque, announced yesterday that he will join the race for lieutenant governor, the AP reports. He joins a field already crowded with nearly a dozen other candidates, mostly Democrats. Cravens has become known for his work on DWI laws since four of his relatives were killed by drunk driver Gordon House on Dec. 24, 1992.

Two in a row

Fitzerman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:19:00 -0800

Well, that's two "please hold" messages in a row. Just too busy this week with catching up after our trip, I'm afraid. Should have one up for next tuesday, though, if all goes as planned!

Two in a row

Fitzerman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:19:00 -0800

Well, that's two "please hold" messages in a row. Just too busy this week with catching up after our trip, I'm afraid. Should have one up for next tuesday, though, if all goes as planned!

Senate introduces health care reform bill

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:40:00 -0800

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced a health care reform bill which would cost $849 billion over 10 years, reduce the deficit by $127 billion and cover 94 percent of the country's population according to the Congressional Budget Office (pdf -- embedded below).

President Barack Obama praised the introduction of the bill, including the savings.

"From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country," Obama said in a statement. "Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles."

Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who sits on the two committees that passed the legislation through to the Senate floor, said the bill is "on the verge" of debate on the Senate floor "after decades of discussion."

"Our goal is to control escalating costs, improve quality and extend coverage to those who do not have it now," Bingaman said. "And we do this in a fiscally responsible way that will actually reduce our deficit by more than $100 billion over ten years."

Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., said in a statement to the New Mexico Independent that he is "impressed" with what he has seen of the bill so far and cited the deficit savings.

"I'm encouraged by the projections from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that show this bill would cut the budget deficit by $127 billion over the first 10 years and by as much as $650 billion in the second decade," Udall said. "It also achieves the goal of covering more people by extending guaranteed coverage to more than 94% of Americans, including 31 million uninsured, which would make a big difference in New Mexico. I look forward to a thorough review of the merged Senate bill in the days and weeks to come."

The House already passed a health care reform bill earlier this month, with New Mexico Congressmen Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan voting for the bill while Congressman Harry Teague voted against it.

The full text of the bill and the CBO letter to Reid is below:

Misc.

Jim Baca — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:42:00 -0800

Bobbi and I went to see that disaster movie last night. 2012 seemed to be a satire on the republican party. Yuk.

The Associated Press has laid off many veteran reporters including Deborah Baker in Santa Fe. They now have one staffer left in Santa Fe. This is really bad. The AP could always be depended upon for reporting not dictated by publishers of local newspapers. This is really bad.

Mayor Berry is still filling out his team. He is taking many long time city employees and putting them in charge. That will result in a mixed bag of results. Some good and some bad. Like I said in my blog yesterday about the federal Bureau of Land Management, will folks like this serve the well being of the bureaucracy or the new policy initiatives of the Mayor elect? It may not come to that since the financial mess Mayor Berry is inheriting will trump everything.

This is a picture I found from my Land Commissioner campaign in 1991. We all won that year. This was Bruce King at his best. What ever happened to Casey Luna? I wonder if he will visit the Capitol tomorrow as Governor King lies in state. I certainly plan on going.

Here Comes the Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:32:16 -0800

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tonight unveiled the Senate version of health care reform legislation as an amendment to H.R. 3590, and named it the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (pdf). According to the CBO score (pdf), the bill would spend $849 billion over 10 years to insure 31 million Americans who currently lack coverage, and would reduce the federal budget deficit by $127 billion over a decade. Click to read a two-page summary (pdf) of the bill prepared by Senate Democrats.

According to The Hill:

Democrats invoked the memory of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who called healthcare reform the cause of his life. “I intend to ensure that we do everything we can to fulfill Ted Kennedy’s dream,” said Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

On Saturday, the Senate will convene for an unusual weekend session to focus on a procedural vote on closure so that the procedural debate can end and a motion to take up debate on the bill on the Senate Floor can be offered. There are no guarantees that Reid has the 60 votes necessary to move the bill forward.

Late holdouts on the Dem side include Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), who are being wooed, cajoled and pressured by a team of advocates led by Vice President Biden, Interior Secretary and former Senator Ken Salazar and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Sen. Joe Lieberman (ME Party-CT) has, of course, pledged to oppose the bill because it contains an opt-out public option.

Every single Republican Senator is against the bill, including Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who has indicated she'll vote against cloture. I guess all that ass kissing on the part of the Senate Finance Committee and others didn't help much after all.

The New York Times provides a rundown of provisions in the bill. A particular favorite of mine is Reid's addition of a 5% tax on elective cosmetic surgery to help fund the bill. Some differences with the House bill:

increases Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and imposes a new excise tax on high-cost “Cadillac health plans” offered by employers to their employees
imposes less stringent penalties for not obtaining health insurance
continues adherence to the Hyde amendment instead of the Stupak amendment regarding women's choice
many provisions wouldn't kick in until 2014, a year later than the House bill
states can opt out of public option by enacting legislation

John Nichols at The Nation explains the Senate's provisions related to women's choice:

The Senate plan does not contain the draconian "Stupak" language, which was written into the House bill with the intent of establishing radical new limits on access to reproductive health services.

... It preserves existing limits on public-funding of abortions. But, as part of the exchange set up by the bill, families and individuals who participate in the new program could purchase insurance plans that provide abortion coverage.

Open Congress has a comparison chart of the CBO reviews of the House, Senate Finance and Reid's bill.

Water Grab in Central New Mexico – Greedy & Destructive Madness

mjh — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:58:00 -0800

El Defensor Chieftain: Protesters to fight ‘water grab’

The New York City based corporation [Augustin Plains Ranch LLC] filed an application with the state Office of the Engineer two years ago, to drill 37 wells with 20-inch casings in order to pump 54,000 acre-feet of groundwater (about 17.6 billion gallons) from the San Agustin Basin each year. The wells would be located north and south of U.S. 60 just inside Catron County’s eastern boundary, between the Very Large Array and the town of Datil.

An amended application, filed in May 2008 and approved by the State Engineer in August of that year, called for an increase in the depth of the drilling from 2,000 to 3,500 feet. It also expanded the area of proposed places of use to any areas within Socorro, Catron, Sierra, Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties that are in the Rio Grande Basin.

El Defensor Chieftain: Protesters to fight ‘water grab’

Water Grab in Central New Mexico – Greedy & Destructive Madness is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Guest Blog by Dr. Tyler Taylor: Responding to Carol Miller's Op-Ed Criticizing Health Care Reform

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:15:32 -0800

This is a guest blog by Tyler Taylor, M.D., who has a solo, patient-focused medical practice in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The piece was written in response to Sunday's op-ed in the Albuquerque Journal North by Carol Miller.

As a member of Physicians for a National Health Plan for over five years, and an enthusiastic Obama supporter, I find Carol Miller's op-ed in the Albuquerque Journal disturbing. When people on the right misrepresent the facts, all of my capacity for surprise has been exhausted. It's more upsetting though when my progressive kin seem to be doing that.

I disagree with several of Carol Miller's main points. For example, there is much more in this bill than "health insurance reform." It also is not accurate to say that the "reference benefit package" will include fewer services than most insured people have today, since the commission that will decide that won't even be created till this bill is passed. I fully agree that waiting till 2013 for most of this bill to take effect is unacceptable, but assuming that's a cynical political ploy by Obama seems unjustified. Is it not more likely this was one of many compromises needed to get some Blue Dog support?

Some of Carol's key criticisms relate to the costs to the public, after health care reform takes effect. Because the proposal offers two types of cost controls on insurance costs for those with incomes at 133-400% of the Federal Poverty Line, the burdens on these folks seem likely to be greatly reduced, by my reckoning. I calculate that a family of four earning $35,000 annually would have health coverage expenses of $1750 for premiums and $1,000 for out of pocket expenses (for deductible and co-pays). Thus all four people would be covered for $2750/yr., about 1/5 of what that insurance would cost now. Also, keep in mind that the cap of $5-10,000 on total out of pocket costs that Carol mentions is for those making $77,000-88,000 a year; that cap is certainly not great protection, but is far better than those folks have now (i.e. NONE!).

Basically I think there are three possible starting points for evaluating the current reform proposals in Congress: a) our current healthcare system, b) the likely healthcare system in 5 to 10 years without serious reform, and c) a single payer (or other radically different) system that could be created over the next 5+ years. Carol has used the latter starting point, not accepting that our current political climate has made a single payer system completely impossible to accomplish. I too wish that had not been true, but the financial crash of 2008, the Depression of 2007-2009, the bailouts, the breadth of the Democratic Party, and 28 years of right-wing empowerment have made Medicare for All much too hard a sell at this critical juncture.

If the House bill is judged based on where we currently are, or where we'll be without a major change, I would say it has at least 10 very positive features. I confess that I haven't taken a week to read the actual 1900+ page bill, but the 10-page "Detailed Summary" (at www.house.gov [HR 3962]) and many months of public discussions, convince me this bill would:

Provide insurance for tens of millions of currently uninsured people
Prevent most of the 44,000 deaths now occurring annually for lack of health insurance (I've always suspected this is a very conservative estimate)
Dramatically reduce the illness-related bankruptcies, and associated fears, crimes, divorces, domestic violence, etc.
Substantially increase the authority for federal regulation of health insurance companies
Eliminate the antitrust special treatment of insurers
Start the process of revising the wasteful incentives in health care, and take a few first steps regarding hospital care incentives
Encourage more training of primary care providers
Encourage more preventive care
Begin systematically evaluating what treatments are/aren't of value
Gradually reduce drug costs for Medicare patients (closing the "donut hole")
Make choosing health insurance a much more rational process, from both a financial and a quality standpoint.

Ultimately, the paradigm shift I keep hoping we can make is to viewing a simplified, quality, universal health care system as something that will require patience, determination and many steps to create over the next decade. I believe that is the long view that the Obama administration is taking. I also truly believe that this issue is the Civil Rights movement of today. As it took multiple Supreme Court decisions, and many landmark laws to gradually establish equality of opportunity for all races, our reshaping of something this huge and this profitable can only be done in steps.

Each step establishes new foundational principles, and shifts power away from the health care profiteers. Also, by taking moderate steps, we set up the dynamic for the next round. In a few years, when the financial cost of the coming reforms is causing even more outrage in the wealthier, "unsubsidized" public, eliminating much more of the waste of private health insurance will be the obvious next step. The right-wing hysteria and exaggerations will have been disproven by then, and I believe further progress will be possible. This has been the way of progress on many issues throughout U.S. history.

We probably all agree that this is an imperfect approach, and will be expensive and complex. But as a transitional step, I think it's the best we can get for now, and does accomplish a great deal. Aren't saving those hundreds of thousands of lives and reducing the fears of tens of millions enough to keep us pushing for this?

This is a guest blog by Tyler Taylor, M.D. Dr. Taylor grew up in Birmingham, AL, and went to college in Virginia, where he returned after his medical training. He was a small town family physician in the Shenandoah Valley for 21 years, and then moved, with his wife and daughter, to New Mexico in 2000. He has a solo, patient-focused practice in Los Alamos, and has gotten seriously involved with health care reform only in the last five months.

More than 20 patients and friends helped Dr. Taylor get a full-page newspaper ad campaign going this summer, explaining the top 14 reasons why reform is a must in 2009. With the sponsorship of Health Action New Mexico, it ran in five New Mexico markets this summer/fall, probably reaching 250,000 or more New Mexicans.

If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Tom Udall Honors Former Governor Bruce King on Senate Floor

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:16:16 -0800

Senator Tom Udall took to the Senate floor today to honor former Governor Bruce King, who died last week at the age of 85. The following is the text of Udall’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“I rise today to celebrate the life – and mourn the passing – of one of New Mexico’s great public servants.

“This past Friday, Bruce King – the three-time governor of New Mexico and a constant advocate for the average person – left this world after 85 years of devotion to his family, to his community and to his state.

“Bruce King was a self-made man who came from modest roots. Back in 1918, his parents traveled to New Mexico from Texas and traded their Model T for a homestead track, where they raised Bruce and his siblings. Along the way, the elder Kings instilled in their children an appreciation for a hard day’s work, a compassion for people, and a love of public service.

“Bruce carried those lessons into adulthood, and into a life defined by public service.

“He served in the Army in World War II, as a Santa Fe County Commissioner, as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives and later Speaker of that House, and finally, as a three-term governor elected in 1970, 1978 and once more in 1990.

“Bruce’s legacy as Governor will be felt for generations. Due in no small part to the advocacy of his devoted wife, Alice, Governor King created a new Cabinet-level department focused on the welfare of New Mexico’s children – we call it the Children, Youth and Families Department. Thanks to Bruce and Alice’s vision, more New Mexico children are safe and secure. More are healthy and ready to learn. And more have the support they need to follow their dreams.

“Governor King’s contributions didn’t end there. His leadership was instrumental to the creation of New Mexico’s large and enduring “rainy day” funds, which to this day continue to provide substantial support for education. He reformed New Mexico’s school funding formula so that money is equally distributed across the state. Thanks to Governor King, state education funding now follows the student, regardless of income or geography. He also was an advocate for aggressive economic development, recruiting a new Intel plant to Rio Rancho; for the creation of better, safer roads statewide; and for the establishment of a new border crossing with Mexico.

“But despite all these achievements, what New Mexicans will most remember Bruce for is something more simple, and much harder to come by in politicians these days.

“Bruce wasn’t in politics for the power or for the prestige. He was in politics because of the people. He loved the people of New Mexico, and the people of New Mexico – from Lordsburg and Clayton to Shiprock and Carlsbad and everywhere in between – they loved him right back.

“Bruce enjoyed nothing more than talking to New Mexicans. And almost every morning you would find him doing just that at El Comedor Restaurant in Moriarty. He had a booming voice, and was famous for greeting friends and strangers alike with a handshake and a down-home, ‘How y’all doing? Fine. Fine.’

“I will always remember Bruce as a true cowboy from Stanley who had the most generous spirit. He always saw the best in people. He always did the right thing for New Mexico.

“My family was fortunate to call Bruce and Alice our friends. Our daughter, Amanda, even went to work for Alice in her first job out of college, and had stayed close with them ever since.

“New Mexico will miss the Kings. And we all know our state is a better place for their service and their dedication to its people. As Governor King is laid to rest this week, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable public servant.”

Bruce King will lie in state at the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Funeral Services will be on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the Moriarty High School Gymnasium at 10:00 AM, with Reverend Dr. Russell C. Lee, Lutheran Pastor officiating.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the New Mexico Children's Foundation.

See our earlier posts on Bruce King's passing here and here.

NM Media Beat: Thinning Reporter Ranks In Santa Fe; On-Line Watchdog Barks; Will There Be More? Plus: Berry Juggles Fire; That & More On Transition

Joe Monahan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:36:00 -0800

News coverage of the state capitol took a major hit this week as industry insiders passed word that longtime Associated Press reporter Deborah Baker was included in the national layoffs the AP announced. Baker had been on the Santa Fe scene some 20 years. Her departure means bureau chief Barry Massey is the lone Santa Fe staffer for the storied AP which started distributing news over 160 years ago (An editorial assistant in the ABQ bureau also was also laid off).

We were struck by Baker's sudden departure because we had only recently mentioned to friends the obit she had written of former Governor Bruce King. It hit all the high points, had just the right pitch--and important to the AP--was on the wires within a couple of hours after the announcement of King's death.

And there was an AP piece she penned on complicated capital outlay issues. We leaned on that for our own analysis.

The AP is the main link for government news for many New Mexicans outside the ABQ/Santa Fe media market, and Baker's departure will have particular impact there.

But it's not just the AP hurting. The ABQ Journal now has only one full-time capitol staffer. They do send up troops for the legislative session and at other times when needed, but they used to have several full-timers up there. The Journal has protected its franchise by not dismantling its investigative reporting division which often finds itself uncovering government shenanigans. But if the shoe drops there, the politicians will have even more free rein.

The AP has proven irreplaceable, even as new sources of "journalism" appear. The wire service is the one source that you know is not agenda driven. There seems to be a school of thought these days that it's how you write a news story that matters, but we all know the decision of what to write is a key editorial decision.

What we are now getting as a replacement for traditional newspapers is "agenda driven" journalism financed by philanthropy from individuals and institutions on the left and right (More on that below). Which is fine. But it's not always objective news gathering. No way. No how. On the other hand, the AP is financed by fees from subscribing newspapers and other media outlets. It is not out to save the world, but just report about it.

The AP covers the news without ideological concerns. It does not advocate. And going into this new information paradigm, we are going to need that more than ever. That's why these layoffs here and elsewhere are unsettling.

WATCHDOG GROWLS AT DI

Scarantino

New Mexico's first on-line investigative news site comes not from a traditional journalist, but from a lawyer. ABQ Republican Jim Scarantino, who has been an on and off commentator for a number of media outfits--including the ABQ Journal--shook things up recently with a report on the spending of some 2003 federal stimulus money by Lt.Governor Diane Denish. It was another sign of the slow, but certain migration of all aspects of journalism--even complicated ones like investigations--to the Internet. The on-line report from the New Mexico Watchdog made its way into the dead-tree editions of the newspapers who are suffering from so many cutbacks that they may welcome another voice doing some digging--even if it is not their own.

Denish and company called Scarantino a right-wing nut job, but that did not stop the story from making real news or from her having to respond to what she said were the report's inaccuracies. Also, one of Di's GOP rivals scored statewide TV coverage by citing the report.

Scarantino, an unabashed conservative, is supported by the like-minded Rio Grande Foundation (RGF), which under the stewardship of Paul Gessing has made significant strides in influencing the conservative agenda here.

Scarantino takes no advertising, only funds from the non-profit, a new media model. A similiar nonprofit model is the NM Independent. However, the Independent, backed mainly by foundations of a liberal or "progressive" bent, has positioned itself as a daily news source, not an investigative operation. But the competing conservative RGF may have an edge, if the goal of both outfits is to help shape the public affairs agenda.

Scarantino is a one-man band who is not reporting every day, but like ABQ Journal investigative reporters is given time to develop his stories. He then hits with a splash. The Independent, staffed with several full-time and part-time reporters, is not affording itself that luxury. Instead, it is covering many of the same breaking news stories as the Journal and AP. Would foregoing some of that replication and incorporating the Watchdog model give it further reach?

If the conservative Watchdog scores more coups, will the Independent's sponsors bark back with their own investigative themes aimed at their progressive audience? The answer will be on-line.

TV NEWS

No, we haven't seen the ratings for the 10 p.m. KOB-TV news since Jay Leno became host of the lead in show. Leno's poor ratings performance is drawing boos from a number of NBC affiliates who are seeing their ratings drop because Leno does not draw audiences similar in size to the dramas that formerly populated the prime time spot. KOB has been running a close second to #1 KRQE for several years. We will see where things stand at the end of the current November ratings. If Jay craters here, it may give KOAT, #3 at 10, a shot at the runner-up spot. But industry experts say the audience is so fractured nowadays it is uncertain what stations those drama fans would drift toward.

BREAKING CITY NEWS

First, this clean-up from Wednesday:

City Councilor Debbie O'Malley says she supports the reappointment of ABQ Police Chief Ray Schultz. She says a TV news report that stated she did not support Schultz was inaccurate. We keyed off that report and blogged that O'Malley was opposed to Schultz. However, the Democratic councilor does say --as we blogged---that she is firmly against the appointment of current city chief administrative officer Ed Adams as the city's chief operating officer. Mayor-elect Berry is reported to be considering such a move.

Let's get into the Adams play. Insiders are wondering if Berry pushes Adams down O'Malley's throat whether she will bolt and oppose his nomination of David Campbell as chief administrative officer. Right now, Campbell is poised to win council confirmation on a 5 to 4 vote when the new council meets Dec. 7. But the Republican mayor needs Democrats, including O'Malley. Three GOP councilors are opposing Campbell. If Berry keeps Adams on the 11th floor, O'Malley could join with the three R's, persuade one of her fellow Dems to also oppose Campbell and that would be that.

Adams is a Republican, but he is so close to Mayor Chavez they can smell each others mouthwash. That is rankling those like O'Malley who want a clean break from the past. They are not buying the argument that Ed can change his stripes now that Berry is the new zoo keeper.

Berry is now juggling fire. A rejection of Campbell would be a near-crippling blow. If Adams has a deal where he has to have a city gig, we notice that there is still no permanent airport director. Maybe that's the way to put out those flames that are starting to singe Berry's brow. We'll see.

BERRY PICKING
Barbara Bruin
The mayor-elect continues to unveil his key appointments. Here's the latest round: Robin Dozier Otten as director of Family Services, Barbara Bruin as director of Animal Welfare, Jorja Armijo-Brasher as director of Senior Affairs, Barbara Baca as director of Parks and Recreation and Eugene Moser as director of Human Resources.

Barbara Bruin, a native of Roswell, is a University of New Mexico School of Law grad who has recently headed up the NM Alliance for Legal Reform, a nonprofit with a conservative bent that aims to be a thorn in the side of the trial lawyers. Sheriff White sits on its board of directors. She's also worked on Capitol Hill and with the US Department of Justice. Her father, Jim Bruin, is a well-known Roswell attorney who served a term in the state Senate in the 60's. The new director of Animal Welfare has been long involved in animal protection causes. She is a member of the board of Animal Humane NM and has two cats--Frank and Tony.

Robin Dozier Otten, also a UNM law school grad, is a public affairs consultant. She served with incoming public safety director Darren White in the Guv administration of Republican Gary Johnson. She was Secretary of Human Services when White was head of the Department of Public Safety. She ran for the GOP nomination for US Senate in 1994.

Jorja Armijo-Brasher is a city government veteran who replaces Blanca Hise who managed Mayor Chavez's 2001 campaign and shortly after took the senior affairs position. Armijo-Brasher has been manager of the city's Child and Family Services Development Division. She is the wife of GOP Bernalillo County Commissioner and KANW-FM radio general manager Michael Brasher.

We told you Monday about Gene Moser, an analyst with the Legislative Finance Committee, who was named Human Resources director. Check that blog for details.

Barbara Baca, the new head of parks and rec, is a Recreation Division Manager with the department.

MORE ON DOUBLE DIPPING
Schultz
We told you this week that the new mayor will not ban double-dipping. We cited the employment of retired state worker Tito Madrid as head of constituent services who will receive both city and retirement checks. But some double dipping is apparently not kosher with the mayor-to-be.

Police Chief Ray Schultz, paid $145,000 a year, will no longer draw the police pension he has been getting along with that handsome salary. Berry has yet to say what the chief will make. Also, there have been no reports yet on what chief administrative officer designate David Campbell will take home or the salary of public safety director Darren White. The mayor makes about $110,000 a year.

Should anyone other than the police chief and chief administrative officer make more than the mayor?

For fiscal conservatives one of the first tests of Republican Berry will be whether he comes with a smaller mayor's office budget than Mayor Chavez. He should be able to do that while applying realistic salaries to White, Campbell as well as Schulz.

CYA

We want to do some CYA (cover your ass for the uninitiated) on the city budget outlook. We recently linked to a newspaper story quoting finance officials from the Chavez administration as predicting no layoffs or furloughs of city employees will be needed to reduce the deficit. They are putting the shortfall for the budget year that ends June 30 at about $10 to $12 million. But not everyone agrees. Some city councilors believe the deficit could hit $30 million. That's a huge sum considering that cuts of that amount would have to be done over a six month period. If we go north of $20 million, look out below, city workers.

And one other note. The psychological taboo surrounding furloughs of New Mexican government workers has now been broken by Big Bill. That may make it easier for Berry to go that route if he chooses. As for layoffs, expect Berry to go there last, but don't rule them out until we get concrete numbers on just what kind of deficit we're facing.

GOODBYE, BRUCE

TV news is reporting that former President Clinton plans to attend the funeral of former Governor Bruce King Saturday at Moriarty.

New Mexico senior US Senator Jeff Bingaman took to the Senate floor Wednesday to mourn the passing of King who died last week. Here's an excerpt and here's a link to the video:

He was gregarious and kind. He never knew a stranger. He shook every hand in our state, whether there was a voter attached to it or not. People were delighted to see Bruce coming and to hear his famous reply when asked “How are you doing, governor?” He would reply, “Mighty fine” regardless of the circumstances that the state and he were facing. Our friendship extended for 40-plus years. And along with my fellow New Mexicans, I will miss him greatly...

Senator Tom Udall also honored the former Governor in a Senate floor speech.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Since we've been talking about media today, how about some self-criticism? Well, the best part about this blog is the unique information you get on state politics. It's stuff you won't get anywhere else and certainly not with the context and analysis you get here from the state's best political minds. The worst part is our weakness as a grammarian and speller. With no editor looking over our shoulder, we let some big ones slip by. For example, yesterday we posted "your" instead of "you're." And someone really needs to invent a souped up spell checker for us.

In that regard, we appreciate your indulgence (and emailed edits), if not your pity.

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

President Obama on the introduction of health care reform in the Senate

Matt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:16:46 -0800

Here is the statement from President Barack Obama on the introduction of health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, legislation in the Senate:

"Today we passed another critical milestone in the health reform effort with the release of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I was particularly pleased to see that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the next ten years and as much as $650 billion in the decade following, saving hundreds of billions while extending coverage to 31 million more Americans.
From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles.
Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of more than 20 leading health economists released a letter urging passage of meaningful reform and praising four key provisions that are in the Senate legislation: a fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans, the establishment of an independent Medicare commission, reforms to the health care delivery system, and overall deficit neutrality. The economists said that these provisions 'will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing.' Those are precisely the goals we should be seeking to attain.
The challenges facing our health care system aren't new - but if we fail to act they'll surely get even worse, meaning higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage. Today, thanks to the Senate's hard work, we're closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible."

Look for more on this tomorrow.

NM Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee to Meet in Santa Fe Nov. 23-24

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:59:21 -0800

The interim committee on Courts, Corrections and Justice will hold its next meeting in Room 307 of the State Capitol in Santa Fe on Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th. The Committee will convene at 9:00 AM on both days, according to a press release from the New Mexico House. Public comment will be received at the end of each day's meeting.

“This meeting will focus on legislative proposals for the upcoming thirty-day session beginning in January, 2010, including whether to endorse a state ethics commission. We will hear presentations from the Governor’s DWI and Domestic Violence coordinators and from the State Auditor. We will take public comment at the end of each day and invite the public to attending and share their ideas,” said Senator Peter Wirth.

“After much study during the interim on a variety of topics, the Committee will focus in this meeting on proposed legislation. We will hear about legislation proposed by the Executive Branch, the Uniform Law Commission and the State Auditor. As always, we welcome public comment on any of the issues on the agenda,” said Representative Al Park.

After the Committee convenes on Monday, it will spend the morning going over ethics issues and proposals with the members of the Ethics Commission Subcommittee. Monday afternoon will be devoted to reviewing legislative proposals from the Governor and the Uniform Law Commission. At about 4:30 PM, the Committee will hear public comments.

On Tuesday morning the Committee will cover topics ranging from contractor and subcontractor liens and the State Auditor’s legislative proposals, to missing persons and domestic violence and liquor establishment liability. On Tuesday afternoon, the Committee will review legislative proposals for possible Committee endorsement. Tuesday afternoon will end with the taking of public comment before the Committee adjourns.

Click for details of the Committee agenda, including the most recent updates.

Rep. Brian Egolf Guest Blog: I Need Your Help on Re-Election Campaign

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:23:22 -0800

This is a guest blog by Democratic State Rep. Brian Egolf, who represents House District 47 in Santa Fe.

I am running for reelection to the New Mexico State House, and I’m writing to ask for your help. I would be honored to have your support in my reelection campaign.

During my first term, New Mexico has faced unprecedented challenges, but we’ve also made incredible progress in renewable energy, open government and campaign reform. We have also faced our budget crisis head on and have made tremendous progress in finding innovative solutions to our fiscal problems while protecting education and our children’s future. There remains a lot to do, and that is why I am seeking another two-year term in the Legislature representing Santa Fe.

In the coming months, I will be gathering signatures on my nominating petitions to gain access to the ballot and raising the funds necessary to communicate with my constituents. I am asking you for help as both a volunteer and a contributor.

Would you please join me this weekend for my first petition canvass in Santa Fe? Please click HERE.

I am also asking that you make a contribution to my campaign by clicking HERE. Your early support is critical; it funds not only my reelection efforts but also pays for constituent update letters, constituent surveys and my website.

Your help is needed so that I can continue to work in support of green energy, local economic development, ethics reform, and education. Please join me this weekend on our canvass, and please make a contribution today.

Thank you for your time and for your continued support.

Follow me on FaceBook at www.FaceBook.com/BrianForNewMexico
and on Twitter at
www.Twitter.com/BrianEgolf.

This is a guest blog by State Rep. Brian Egolf. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

To see other guest blogs, visit our archive.

The real numbers on the ACES Act

Matt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:09:22 -0800

In attempting to show the "pros and cons" of cap and trade legislation, a writer for the New Mexico Free Press erred in using outdated Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers.

The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, which passed the House in June, is actually much cheaper than the outdated CBO numbers say..

Brad Buck wrote, "The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the resulting increases in consumer prices from the cap-and-trade bill would raise the cost of living of a typical household by $1,600 a year."

But the Pew Center on Global Climate Change debunked this myth:

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) testified before a Congressional hearing in May 2009 that household costs would be $1,600 per household. But this number was based on a CBO study done nine years ago when energy prices and economic growth were very different. Nor did this statement take into consideration the potential to lower costs through the use of offsets and the use of allowance value to reduce household costs as specified in the Waxman-Markey bill. In June CBO released a new analysis that states that costs in 2020 would average $175 per household and that those households in the lowest twenty percent by income would actually receive a net benefit of $40 per year.

Here is the exact language from the CBO (pdf):

On that basis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the net annual economywide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $22 billion-or about $175 per household. That figure includes the cost of restructuring the production and use of energy and of payments made to foreign entities under the program, but it does not include the economic benefits and other benefits of the reduction in GHG emissions and the associated slowing of climate change. CBO could not determine the incidence of certain pieces (including both costs and benefits) that represent, on net, about 8 percent of the total. For the remaining portion of the net cost, households in the lowest income quintile would see an average net benefit of about $40 in 2020, while households in the highest income quintile would see a net cost of $245. Added costs for households in the second lowest quintile would be about $40 that year; in the middle quintile, about $235; and in the fourth quintile, about $340. Overall net costs would average 0.2 percent of households' after-tax income.

So for the wealthiest, it will cost $245 -- but for the lowest quintile, it would be a net benefit of $40.

This $1,600 has been touted by member of Congress from before the initial CBO score and has lived on in the conservative blogosphere since then.

Valencia Magistrate Court to Hold DWI Drug Court Graduation This Friday

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:02:32 -0800

Graduation day arrives this Friday, November 20, for five participants in Valencia Magistrate Court Judge Danny H. Hawkes’ DWI Drug Court program. Each graduate received a year of intensive monitoring, supervision and treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Graduation ceremonies will take place during a full DWI Drug Court hearing which begins at noon.

As part of the graduation ceremonies, the five participants will describe to the court, family, friends and the fourteen current participants in the program how the DWI Drug Court program changed their lives.

“Participants in the DWI Drug Court program are non-felony DWI offenders with two to three prior convictions,” said Judge Hawkes in a statement released by the office of the New Mexico Judiciary. “They were not dealing with a major root of their problem -- their substance abuse. We offered these five who are graduating on Friday an opportunity to get treatment for their substance abuse, continue to work and support their families or attend school, and basically turn their lives around. They took us up on our offer, and with hard work they succeeded. I am proud of them and wish them productive lives.”

The Valencia County DWI Drug Court began in March of 2008. Participating defendants cannot have a violent history or prior felonies. The current offense cannot involve an accident with injuries. Only those exhibiting true remorse and a desire to make a permanent lifestyle change are approved for the program. A maximum of 20 people may participate at a time.

The Valencia Magistrate Court’s DWI Drug Court Coordinator Gilbert Romero said, “This program benefits both defendants and the community. The cost of the program is $20 per day per individual, which is an annual rate of $7,280. Without this program, defendants would likely be incarcerated in the county jail for 364 days at a cost to taxpayers of $85 per day, or $30,940 a year, with no substance abuse treatment or ability to earn a living or attend school. Further, DWI offenders who serve prison sentences are significantly more likely to be arrested again for DWI than drug court participants.”

The Valencia County Magistrate Court is located at 901 West Castillo, Belen, NM 87002. For further information, contact Gilbert Romero at 505.864.7509, or Angela Peinado, AOC’s CIP/DC Statewide Coordinator, at 505.827.4729.

Emerge NM Recruiting Democratic Women: Application Deadline 12.1.09

Democracy for New Mexico — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:28:57 -0800

From Emerge New Mexico:
Have you ever thought of running for office? Apply now to the Emerge New Mexico Training Program. The deadline will soon be upon us -- Dec. 1, 2009.

Do you know a woman who you think would make an excellent candidate? Encourage her to Emerge! Pass the word -- have her go to our web site at www.emergenm.org today.

Emerge New Mexico is a non-profit political training organization seeking Democratic women interested in running for all levels of elected office. We are seeking women who have political leadership experience, meaningful workplace or community involvement and are interested in making a difference. We are committed to embracing diversity at every level.

For more information go to our website and download the application for our 2010 training program (our training dates are listed within the application).

Emerge is unique. We are helping to build a pool of highly qualified candidates that reflect the breadth and diversity of the Democratic Party.

our training is intensive -- seven months long
we bring together the best local and national trainers/experts
we offer women a powerful network that lasts beyond the program
we continually refine and improve our program
our alumnae program keeps our graduates connected and offers continuing education opportunities

Download our application at www.emergenm.org and apply for acceptance to our 2010 class. Our deadline for application submission is December 1, 2009.

PASS THE WORD TO WOMEN YOU KNOW -- ASK THEM TO EMERGE!

The Bureau of Land Management

Jim Baca — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:44:00 -0800

I need to understand something. Why is it that after 10 months in office that the Obama administration has allowed all of the bush appointed Bureau of Land Management state directors to remain in their jobs? Some of them should be transferred out for their complicity in ignoring environmental laws and allowing destructive practices on the lands they manage. Some of the Directors are nothing but political operatives of the republican party. One example is the state director in Utah who has no land management experience but did work for the GOP in New Mexico and Washington.

I was worried that the new BLM Director, Bob Abbey, would not take action. He is a former career employee of the BLM and a favorite of Senator Harry Reid. I felt if he was appointed that he would not want to rock the boat with the BLM bureacracy. So far, I have been right. For the sake of our western public lands Abbey(a generally good guy) needs to take action on some of these directors. Not all of them, but certainly a few of them to send a message that there is a new ethic in the Interior Department.

It is all to often that Democrats in power help their enemies more than their friends. Can you imagine the bush administration or any GOP management team doing that? Right now the Obama administration needs to put the health of western landscapes and watersheds in front of the politics. A lot of folks worked for them to do so last year.

No, this is not the most important agenda item for Obama. He has his hands full. But the Interior department needs to cover him on this and do the right thing.

Sarah Palin is comin' to town

Matt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:20:00 -0800

Sarah Palin is headed to a town near you... provided you live in one of the deepest-red areas of a deep red part of New Mexico.

Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Palin is headed to Roswell as part of her book tour.

Palin is scheduled to appear Dec. 1 for a book signing of her just-released autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life, at Hastings Books Music & Videos in Roswell.
She's on a national promotional tour that has included network TV appearances. Several national news organizations have noted that she's skipping big metropolitan areas for her personal appearances, instead hitting small towns and midsize cities, which tend to be more conservative.

Ahead of her book tour, a number of polls have come out showing that the Palin brand isn't very popular in many sections of the United States. One would assume these aren't part of the real America.

A CBS poll showed that just 23 percent of Americans had favorable views of Palin, compared to 38 percent who had an unfavorable view of the former governor from Alaska.

An ABC News poll showed that 43 percent of Americans had unfavorable views of Palin, compared to 52 percent who had favorable views of Palin.

Somewhat remarkably, a Rasmussen poll was the first poll in more than a year to show that Palin had a favorability rating of above 50 percent, though Rasmussen has had an oddly rightward bent on public approval polls since Obama was elected.

You can see all of Palin's approval numbers, in addition to the chart embedded to the left, at Pollster.com.

Those numbers have seemed to scare off at least two of the Republican gubernatorial candidates -- spokespeople for Doug Turner and Susana Martinez both told Terrell they would not be seeking Palin's endorsement. Allen Weh did not respond by press time, and Janice Arnold-Jones was busy campaigning in Grant County and couldn't be reached (some areas of rural southern New Mexico have no cell phone reception, let alone internet).

This isn't a surprise either -- in New Jersey, the Republican candidate distanced himself from the Palin brand. And the Republican, Chris Christie, won. In Virginia, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, initially wanted Palin's help, but then changed his mind as the election drew nearer. McDonnell easily won election.

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss; Chief Schultz Stays; CAO Ed Adams May Survive; Berry's Latest Picks And What They Mean On How ABQ Is Led

Joe Monahan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:41:00 -0800

Schultz, Berry & White
You're a new mayor with no executive experience and the culture of City Hall looks about as familiar as a map of Slovakia. So what do you do? In the case of ABQ Mayor-elect RJ Berry you keep around a lot of old faces who know plenty about government geography and let them map out the details of what's to come.

Maybe you really do want a lot of change, but not before you at least learn where the bathrooms are, so you keep ABQ Police Chief Ray Schultz on the job, give Darren White, the Sheriff turned public safety director, a beefed up portfolio and keep Mayor Chavez's Chief Administrative Officer, Ed Adams, but bump him down to Chief Operating Officer (That word from KOB-TV).

Mayor-elect Berry says he is a big believer in experience, and through these appointments seems to readily admit he has yet to accumulate enough of it to make any bold strokes.

"He is sending a signal that he is not going to micromanage. These are experienced personalities who know their way around. He will not be a hands-on administrator. I think we will see him much more in the figurehead role than we did Mayor Chavez," analyzed Mike Santullo, communications officer under ABQ Mayor Ken Schultz (1985-89).

But by design or happenstance Berry has formed a team of rivals that will keep power in check while he's off cutting ribbons or addressing the Rotary Club. The new chief administrative officer, David Campbell, will be checked by the old CAO and now COO Ed Adams. If David screws up, Ed is ready to take over. And if Ed screws up, David will be ready to call him out.

For White, who it appears will be more deeply involved in police department operations than previous public safety directors, the check on him will be that increased power. He is going to own police department failures and infighting as well as successes. There will be plenty of both.

And checking all of the above is the nine member city council where grumbling broke out only moments after it was announced last night that Schultz and Adams--both Republicans--would be retained.

THE CRITICS CORNER
Councilor O'Malley
Councilor Brad Winter scored the new mayor on KOB-TV for not delivering on the change he had promised. The powerful police union leadership signaled approval of the Schultz retention, but Winter warned that is not an opinion shared by many rank and file cops.

Councilor Debbie O'Malley wasn't pleased with the possibility of Adams becoming COO, saying the culture he represents needs to change

And Alligators were snapping at Berry, chiding him over his campaign TV spots that unloaded both barrels on Chavez for the runaway property crime rate in the city, yet he retains the chief who presided over what Berry said was a failed policy? In that regard, Chief Schultz, who tried to position himself as an agent of change as his reappointment was announced, was doing the big stretch.

Then there were those West Side serial killings of young women that have dominated news of the department. Wouldn't now be a good time for some new faces at the APD?

Well, who is to say that Schultz, chief since April '05, and Berry's Team of Rivals on the 11th floor will be there a year or two from now? While Schultz is the first chief to be retained by an incoming mayor in the modern era, the long knives are out for him and one big mistake will have the peanut gallery calling for his ouster. How long he wants to live with a sword over his head is anyone's guess.

Berry was as surprised as anyone over his first round election victory and while he may have been caught unprepared to fully take the helm, he is smart enough to know it. The question is does he grow from here and gradually take back some of the power he is so generously doling out, or is what you see what you get for the next four years?

ANOTHER SPINNER?
T.J. Wilham
While Berry is talking about running a tight fiscal ship, that isn't stopping him from creating a new public information slot. In fact, in addition to keeping the police and fire department PIO's, incoming Public Safety Director Darren White will get his own communications staffer. That's a new position and to be held by ABQ Journal police beat reporter T.J. Wilham. He will do spin patrol for the city’s public safety departments such as police, fire, emergency management and the Safe City Strike Force.

Observers immediately asked why the job was necessary. To help White garner more publicity? He sure doesn't need much help doing that. And It seems the responsibility of the APD and fire department PIO's is being substantially reduced with the addition of Wilham, so will self-described fiscal conservative Berry also reduce their salaries or working hours?

The ABQ Journal says Wilham will make $75,000 and that that is less than his predecessor, but Wilham has no predecessor. There has never been a PR flak to oversee public safety agencies. Chris Ramirez, who will handle PR other than public safety for Berry, will also make $75,000. That is less than Deborah James who held the job under Mayor Chavez, but together the two new PR spinners are making $150,000, considerably more than James and, I believe, her one assistant.

Well, Mr. and Mrs. Albuquerque will look the other way on this and other patronage plays---for now. But tight economic times--and a more grouchy city council--should keep the leash from getting too long.

RJ'S DOUBLE DIPPERS

Mayor-elect Berry also isn't showing any fiscally conservative stripes when it comes to the issue du jour---double dipping by government employees. Tito Madrid, his pick to become constituent services director, has been retired from the state environment department for 10 years, drawing a monthly retirement check. Now he will add his $75,000 city hall salary to that retirement.

(What about other new mayoral appointments? Double dippers? Maybe the newspaper can give us a story.)

Double-dipping has become a red flag for the electorate who see the retirees taking the jobs of a new generation and also costing taxpayers money because the retirement contributions for these jobs are paid by the government agency they work for, not the double dipper.

During the campaign Mayor Chavez asked his double dippers to make a choice--either city employment or retirement. We did not see Berry quoted on the issue, but we watch what they do, not what they say. In this case, that appears to mean the green light for double dippers, unless the Legislature flashes the stop sign.

THERE ARE FIVE

With the death of Bruce King last week, there are now five living former Governors. They are: David Cargo, 80, (1967-71); Jerry Apodaca, 75, (1975-79); Toney Anaya, 68, (1983-87); Garrey Carruthers, 70, (1987-91) and Gary Johnson, 56, (1995-03).

There have been 26 men who have served as Governor since statehood in 1912. We had Spanish Governors from 1598 to 1822, Mexican Governors from 1822 to 1846, Pre-Territorial Governors from 1846 to 1851 and Territorial Governors from 1851 to 1912.

A records check shows that since 1598, Bruce King, who served three, four year terms, served longer than any New Mexico Governor under any flag.

THE SHERIFF CHASE

The jockeying goes on for the Sheriff's chair. The Bernalillo County Commission will meet Nov. 30 to name a replacement for Republican Darren White who resigned to become the city's public safety director. From our email:

...You have neglected to mention the candidacy of Manny Gonzales for Sheriff. When he announced September 26, there were over 400 supporters on hand...Manny is a lifelong resident of Bernalillo County...served honorably in the military, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management...He is a Captain with the Sheriff’s Department...Manny has spent his entire career in public safety...He is an effective administrator, a knowledgeable and first-rate police officer..Make no mistake about it, he is a strong contender.

The commission--three Dems and two R's--will pick someone to fill out the remainder of White's term. It runs until 2011. Gonzales and others are lining up for the 2010 election to go after the next four year term.

WINSTON'S WAY
Brooks
ABQ Public Schools Superintended Winston Brooks and APS School Board President Marty Esquivel disagree with those who argue that NM public school districts are top heavy with administrative costs. But the latest edition of the Legislative Finance Committee newsletter makes the case:

New Mexico spends less of its public school dollar on instruction than the national average and, while it spends about the same on school-level administration, it spends 40 percent more on state and district-level administration, according to the Digest of Education Statistics. Nobody wants to cut classroom spending but maybe we can save on spending outside the classroom.

But administrators and school board members are going to have to reckon with reality if we are going to trim the administrative ranks. It isn't easy. Superintendent Brooks claims only 1 percent of the billion dollar plus APS budget is for administration. Just what does the Super consider administrative costs? Sounds like good subject for a legislative hearing.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

When stats were released on attendance for the 2009 NM State Fair, they showed a slight increase over last year. But that is far from the story. Again, from the LFC newsletter:

Attendance at this year’s State Fair increased by 1.5 percent but paid attendance was down 20 percent. Overall total revenue for the 2009 fair was down 8 percent...

The persistent recession is the obvious factor for the decline, but the fair may have been remiss in not cutting prices enough.

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Video: Letters swayed Berry to retain Chief Schultz

Peter St. Cyr — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0800

Updated with Audio at 10:45p

Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz will keep his
post in Richard Berry's administration.

Mayor elect Richard RJ" Berry who made crime, especially reducing property crimes, one of his top campaign issues in this Fall's municipal election is retaining Police Chief Ray Schultz.

Berry, who met with Schultz several times before tonight's announcement, says letters from businesses and citizens' groups, and even members of the police union, helped sway his decision.

"I know he shares my vision for a safer Albuquerque, a better quality of life for our citizens--he's committed to using innovative approaches to attack property crime and gang violence," Berry said this evening. "I'm very excited that he'll be joining me in my administration."

Schultz told us he will consolidate his organization-- on the 5th floor of police headquarters -- by reducing the number of bureaus and is making other changes to improve the efficiency of the police force.

Keeping politics out of policing

Two commanders get three stars

Berry also announced that commanders Beth Paiz and Allen Banks will become deputy police chiefs. Berry called each of them "rising stars."

Schultz immediately gave them three stars signifying their new rank.

We interviewed Paiz and Banks for our morning newscasts. You can hear them starting at 6am on 770KKOB.

Paiz says she's excited to get down to "business" heading up the investigations unit.

Dan McKay at the Albuquerque Journal reports Paiz will be only the second woman to be a deputy chief to serve in APD, and Banks is the first African-American deputy chief since the 1970s.

Banks had been heading up the internal affairs department at APD before tonight's appointment to the lead APD's support bureau.

Union supports reappointment

We also interviewed APOA Union President Joey Sigala who says that his members have always been able to work with Chief Schultz. He says while labor and management don't always agree they always feel comfortable sitting down to discuss issues with him.

Sigala told us that his team sat down with three different "branches" of the transition team and provided input on the Chief based on various questions they were asked.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, who was appointed Public Service Director, was sentimental in welcoming Schultz to the Berry Administration, calling him "a dedicated professional who's done a fantastic job for the city."

White says he's personally responsible for contributing to some of the gray hairs on the side of Schultz' head -- recalling how then Sgt. Schultz had welcomed him to the APD police force's overnight shift in the SE Command when he was still just a patrolman.

Berry told reporters he is still "in the process" of considering appointments at the Albuquerque Fire Department. Chief Robert Ortega did not attend the evening news conference.

White told reporters that the team has made no decisions regarding changing any APD policies dealing with how police officers can deal with questioning suspects about their immigration status. He said those discussions and decisions will be made after Berry is sworn in on December 1st.

Heinrich speaks in favor of conservation bill in front of subcomittee

Matt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:30:57 -0800

Congressman Martin Heinrich from the 1st Congressional District was in front of the House Subcommittee On National Parks, Forests And Public Lands for a legislative hearing on H.R. 3339, the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA). This is a bill which Heinrich has sponsored.

You can see the video to the right.

"In my home state of New Mexico, FLTFA has funded critical acquisitions like the Elk Springs Area of Critical Environmental Concern and La Cienega Area of Critical Environmental Concern," Heinrich said.

He continued, "Because of FLTFA, these areas will be protected for future generations of New Mexicans. As a sportsman, I especially appreciate FLTFA's role in protecting critical wildlife habitat. Outdoor recreation is an important part of New Mexico's economy, and FLTFA helps us preserve the beautiful places that draw visitors from around the world."

So what does it do? According to the official summary via OpenCongress:

Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act to reauthorize the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the Act non-applicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws.

In addition to Heinrich, the subcommittee heard testimony from , National Wildlife Federation Regional Director Kent Salazar, Director of the Bureau of Land Management Bob Abbey and Director of Natural Resources and Environment at the United States Government Accountability Office Robin M. Nazzaro.

Liberal media

Matt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:08:42 -0800

Incoming mayor RJ Berry, a Republican, has made two more picks for his administration, which starts on December 1.

Chris Ramirez will be the Communications Director for the city. From the Berry press release:

Ramirez worked at KOAT-TV for the last several years as a news reporter, covering issues important to New Mexicans. He's been awarded by the New Mexico Associated Press for his coverage and his work has appeared on CNN, ABC News, and the Weather Channel. Before reporting for KOAT, Ramirez worked at commercial news stations in Myrtle Beach, SC and El Paso, TX.

T.J. Wilham will also be joining Berry's staff.

For the past five years, Wilham has covered public safety for the Journal. Prior to coming to Albuquerque in 2004, Wilham, who lives on Albuquerque's West Side, covered public safety in Indiana for nine years. In his years as a journalist Wilham's writing has received more than a dozen awards and most recently one of his stories was named Story of the Year by the Associated Press.

Obviously, Berry is trying to pacify the liberal media.

Tongue in cheek.

New Mexico compared to Chernobyl

marjorie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:27:00 -0800

marjorie says...

“Ground Zero. In some ways, New Mexico comes a close second to Chernobyl.”

So begins a review, published this week in the Akron Beacon Journal, of an exhibit of photographs of Patrick Nagatani. The New Mexico photographer’s work is on display at the Akron Art Museum for the next few months, in an exhibition titled “Nuclear Enchantment.” Nagatani’s work is “…all about questioning society’s blind faith in the so-called experts, in particular the expertise of science.” Nagatani’s work not only questions that faith but ridicules it, the piece states.

It then labels the New Mexico moniker “Land of Enchantment” as more accurately our “Better Business Bureau nickname.”

Known by its Better Business Bureau nickname as ”Land of Enchantment,” New Mexico is also the birthplace of the nuclear age. It has sites linked to research and development, weapon stockpiles, uranium mines, test sites and reactors alarmingly close not only to large population areas, but also to the tribal lands of the Hopi and Pueblo Indians, the oldest continuous culture in our country.

While the piece doesn’t show the actual pictures, it has great descriptions of the work. Here’s an example:

Uranium Tailings, Anaconda Minerals Corporation, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico is a 1990 lifocolor print that illustrates a common misconception.

”If you’re on the right side of a Southwest Airlines 737 heading west and look down [if you're not over the wing],” Nagatani noted, ”you see beautiful white deposits below that make a striking contrast with the gray-brown landscape.

”I have to laugh to myself when I hear people around me admiring these ‘natural’ formations. They’re uranium tailings deposits, acres and acres of them.

”They’re all hot, they’re all radioactive.” And they’re mostly on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, believed to have been settled in 1699.

It doesn’t stop there. Nagatani has chronicled mishap upon mishap, outrage upon outrage, presented often as bucolic landscapes layered with symbols of benign authority.

The entire piece is worth a read, especially if you can’t get to Akron to see the photographs. We can hope that the exhibition will make it to New Mexico in 2010.

Reading about Nagatani’s exhibit brought to mind a 2006 feature length piece in the Los Angeles Times that details the history of uranium mining and its human consequences in the Navajo Nation, and describes how the mines led to high cancer rates in a place where the disease had previously barely existed.

The U.S. government hasn’t done a systematic study of the human impacts of its nuclear industry on the communities in which it located it’s mines, mills, and experiments during the cold war, but various academic and individual scientific studies combined with oral histories and community based assessments over the years don’t make the comparison to Chernobyl a stretch.

A contentious debate over the future of uranium mining in New Mexico is currently underway. The Navajo Nation in 2005 banned uranium mining on its land, but mining companies are pursuing the development of new mines on the public and private land that snakes into and around Navajo land due to an expectation that a new uranium boom is looming.

Iglesias supports military commisions for Gitmo detainees; says waterboarding "is torture"

Matt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:33:09 -0800

Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, who is now among those prosecuting detainees at Guant?namo Bay in Cuba, was profiled in this month's edition of Esquire magazine. Iglesias spoke about waterboarding ("I don't know if you've ever seen waterboarding, but it's torture.") and his belief that military commissions are the best place to try those held at Guant?namo Bay.

There are no alternatives to the military commissions, so far as Iglesias is concerned, and that's why he has faith that he will ultimately get to try his case - that it's simply "implausible" that civilian prosecutors and civilian courts will be able to rise to the challenge not only of terrorism but of what we've done to the terrorists. Sure, it's a negative faith: We're going to keep the military commissions because we're stuck with the military commissions. And it would sound like an admission of defeat if it didn't also mean we are stuck with David Iglesias.

The writer is clearly impressed by Iglesias, and the piece says those who made the decision to fire Iglesias "didn't realize that Iglesias's truest belief was in himself - that he believed in his personal ethics as fervently as he believed in his personal Jesus."

Overall, one of the better profiles of the former U.S. Attorney, a Republican, that I have seen.

Nothing new today

Fitzerman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:07:00 -0800

Just got back from a week in D.C., so I'll spend today recuperating. Check back on Thursday!

Nothing new today

Fitzerman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:07:00 -0800

Just got back from a week in D.C., so I'll spend today recuperating. Check back on Thursday!

Richardson announces draft furlough proposal

Matt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:55:00 -0800

Governor Bill Richardson took to his official blog to unveil a draft plan to implement the five days of furloughs that state workers would have to take as part of a plan to bridge the budget gap that the state is currently suffering through. The furloughs would be mostly be on days before other scheduled days off, giving workers four-day weekends.

The initial plan for the furloughs, which would include all employees except for "critical public safety and welfare positions," is as follows:

The draft plan outlines the following possible furlough days:
Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009 (Friday, Dec. 25 is a paid holiday)
Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009 (Friday, Jan. 1 is a paid holiday)
Friday, Jan. 15, 2009 (Monday, Jan. 18 is a paid holiday)
Friday, April 2, 2009 (Furlough day would replace 4 hours of administrative leave)
Friday, May 28, 2009 (Monday, May 31 is a paid holiday)

As reported by the New Mexico Independent last week, the plan "is projected to save nearly $11 million with the furloughs, which will work out to the rough equivalent of a 2 percent salary cut for state workers."

Payment in Advance?

Jim Baca — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:43:00 -0800

I see where Mayor Marty Chavez is getting a workman's compensation settlement for injuring his back jumping a fence. One might consider this compensation for the pending storm of criticism he will have to endure on the budget he is leaving the Mayor elect. I heard yesterday from a pretty good source that the outlook is very grim and that furloughs or layoffs for city employees are likely. I have been harping that the budget shortfalls at city hall are a lot more than what the outgoing administration have said they were. We will find out in just a few weeks.

I offered to go in and chat with incoming Mayor Berry a couple of times. So far his staff hasn't even called me back. They must think however that my administration could not have been too bad since they are hiring people who were involved in my four years at city hall. They are good people. Dave Campbell, the incoming CAO, was always willing to take on issues for me during my term in office. Bruce Rizzeri will now take up the post as head of transportation replacing Greg Payne.

I had to chuckle when I read the story yesterday about all the new riders on Albuquerque's transportation system. They would not be riding if it were not for my initiative on passing a transportation tax back in 1999. That has made possible all the new infrastructure over the last ten years. All I got out of it was the hatred of the right wingers in town who thought I was just a taxing SOB. They just didn't think it was worth the money to have a modern transportation system in Albuquerque. Well, they were wrong. Ask one million people in the last year who have used it.

Chavez Cashes In

Coco la Boca — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:56:17 -0800

Water and Community at Quail Ranch

Coco la Boca — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:52 -0800

Berry: Out With The Old And In With The Old; We're On The Transition Beat, Plus: Lunch With Joe; Inside VP's ABQ Visit, And: Executive Order 2009-046

Joe Monahan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0800

Garcia & Madrid
Old government hands are beginning to populate the new administration of ABQ Mayor-elect RJ Berry, signaling that this is going to be a time of mechanics not architects. The big vision days are gone, a victim of the new and miserly economy. A trio of names were announced Monday by Berry. Here's the take.

John Garcia, former head of economic development in the long ago Guv administration of Gary Johnson and more recently the economic development officer for the University of New Mexico, will take the econ role for Berry. Garcia won't be the sort to set the city on its ear with shiny new proposals, but he should have accumulated enough wisdom to keep from falling head over heels for things like the now failed Eclipse Aviation.

Bruce Rizzieri will head the transit department, replacing Greg Payne. Rizzieri has "been there and done that," having served in high-ranking positions in the department during Jim Baca's term and more recently working at the Regional Transit Manager for the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG). That's the place where you hang out with MRCOG boss and Dem Light Guv candidate Lawrence Rael.

Berry will look to Rizzieri to administer but not necessarily innovate. The mayor-to-be campaigned heavily against a "trolley" car and even opposed the extension of the quarter cent gross receipts tax dedicated to transit and other transportation needs.

Tito Madrid was an underpaid aide (really) to former ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson who will now head up Berry's constituent services, a new post. He was a key campaign aide for the mayor-elect and will be able to help Berry keep his ear to the ground at the neighborhood level.

.

Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor Marty Chavez is getting $37,000--in a workers' comp settlement for a back injury he suffered on the job. That strange tale here.

THE HATCHET IS HERE
Campbell
Meanwhile, Berry has found what every mayor needs--a hatchet man. City Hall was buzzing with the news Monday that incoming Chief Administrative Officer David Campbell was personally delivering "thanks, but no thanks" letters to more than a few high ranking members of the outgoing Chavez administration.

The new CAO-to-be paid unwelcome visits to the offices of agency directors Valerie Vigil and Pat Miller, among others, to tell them the not so good news--that the exit signs are meant for them.

Campbell may have the sharpest axe in the bunch, but Darren White also took a turn swinging the blade Monday. We're told the Bernalillo County Sheriff--soon to be city Public Safety Director--visited another former Sheriff, Joe Bowdich, who is now deputy director at the ABQ police department, and personally notified him that he was out the door. Bowdich, a diehard Dem, was succeeded by White at the Sheriff's office.

Meanwhile, three of the conservative Republican city councilors--White, Lewis and Cook--are bitching mightily in the op-ed pages of the ABQ Journal that Democrat Campbell has yet to turn over personal financial information they've requested. The trio opposes the Campbell nomination, made by fellow R Berry, saying the land use lawyer has many potential conflicts of interest.

But there's only one relevant piece of information in this power game. Campbell has the support of six of the nine councilors, and they have all the information they need.

Councilors Lewis and Cook, welcome to La Politica.

NEW SPINNER

Insiders say KOAT-TV reporter Chris Ramirez will become Berry's new public information officer, replacing Deborah James who held the post under Mayor Chavez. Ramirez is a NM native with no PR experience. But that means he will probably be nice to the press for a couple of months before he learns otherwise.

And another tidbit. Leonard Garcia, head of the Solid Waste Department, won't have to worry about broken trucks and filled up landfills anymore. Insiders say he is on his way to Exit City.

LUNCH WITH JOE

A car crash in the motorcade of Vice-President Joe Biden seemed to make the biggest splash of news during his Monday ABQ fund-raising visit on behalf of NM Dem US Reps Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague, but there was some news going on inside the Hotel Albuquerque. In fact, it was a bit of news that the Veep was even at that particular hotel. The just opened Hotel Andaluz downtown--the former La Posada--was supposed to host the event, but a throng of protesters outside the hotel holding signs indicating a labor dispute had Biden steering clear and heading to the Hotel ABQ near Old Town. Lunch was served there with the cheap seats going for $1000 a pop and $2400 for a private meet, greet and photo with Biden.

Alligators on the inside report a couple of dozen takers for the $2400 reception and about 100 for the $1000 luncheon featuring grilled chicken. Our estimators estimate the take in the neighborhood of abut $150,000 with the proceeds split between Teague and Heinrich.

If that doesn't strike you as striking for a lunch featuring the USA's #2, you're right. The economy is clearly taking a toll on fund-raising. But many of the usual top Democratic suspects reliably turned out. They included NM House Speaker Ben Lujan, whose son, US Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, did not share in the booty raised by Biden but sported the nickname "special guest" for the occasion.

Also spotted in the crowd was Light Guv Diane Denish; University of New Mexico regents Raymond Sanchez and Jamie Koch; former US Senator Fred Harris who served in the Senate with Biden in the 1970's; former NM Dem Party Chairman Art Trujillo and current chair Javier Gonzales; Bernalillo County Assessor Karen Montoya; Santa Fe finance heavy Gerald Peters and Ed Romero, former US Ambassador to Spain and a long ago Bernalillo County Dem Party chair.

Biden was making western campaign swing that also included stops in Nevada and Arizona. Some of the national press is tagging along. They were not permitted inside the lunch, but the White House gave them the money quote as noted by CQ Politics:

Biden told the audience that Heinrich and Teague are "good Democrats, but they also have heads of their own and minds of their own and it seems to me that's what you guys produce out here."

CQ has Heinrich's seat rated "likely Democratic" and Teague's southern contest as a tossup. No one around here is arguing with that assessment.

Insiders say after the lunch Rep. Lujan caught a ride back to D.C. with Biden on Air Force Two. We don't know if Teague or Heinrich were also aboard, but if they were don't tell us the political newbies weren't at least thinking about pinching themselves.

MORE MONEY STUFF

They can't say US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer isn't doing his part to protect New Mexico's two competitive US House seats in the 2010 cycle. Hoyer, who made an impromptu stop at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo with southern Dem Congressman Harry Teague in early September, will be on the cocktail circuit in D.C. for ABQ Dem US Rep. Martin Heinrich today. Hoyer will host an evening reception for Heinrich. Contribution levels are put at $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000.

THE BEAR MARKET

Is the bear market in Santa Fe and ABQ real estate over yet? In SF, the answer is not even close. There were near bubble conditions in that market and the unwinding is brutal and lengthy.

In ABQ, the Sunday paper said median home prices have now cracked below the $180,000 mark. If we lose more jobs or don't gain any in the coming months, we're probably going lower.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 2009-046

From the office of Governor Bill Richardson comes the official executive order that will have flags flown at half-staff until sundown Monday, November 23 in honor and mourning of former New Mexico Governor Bruce King. An excerpt:

Governor King’s patriotism, bravery, and dedication to the Nation and the State of New Mexico will always be remembered. The affectionately known “Cowboy Governor” was a true servant to the State of New Mexico whose legacy will continue for many years.

Bruce King was 85 when he died Friday. He will lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda from 9 am to 5 pm Friday. The public is invited to pay their respects.

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Mary Jane and The Alvarado

Coco la Boca — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:35:58 -0800

Big Bill's Birthday: Time To Reenergize? State Awaits Solutions To Budget Debacle, Plus: Fund-Raiders, Double Dippers And More On Bruce's Passing

Joe Monahan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0800

Look who's eligible for Social Security. Big Bill celebrated #62 Sunday, and with the state budget deficit looming over the Roundhouse, early retirement may actually look attractive. But how about a national job with Obama? The buzz over that was intense when Bill traveled to Cuba a couple of months ago. Not so much now. From Politics & Policy:

"His chance of landing another big-time national position," says political scientist Gilbert Sanchez of the University of New Mexico, "has come and gone."

And we have been so looking forward to hanging in Havana, smokin' cigars with Bill, Paul Blanchard and the rest of the gang.

THE RETICENT RICHARDSON

Bill has been reluctant to embrace the state's budget crisis and get cooking on solving it. In fact, he recently said it wasn't even a crisis. But cracks in the dam finally appeared last week when he agreed to furlough state workers, something previously off the table. He is also saying that some tax increases may be needed.

In Santa Fe and in watering holes across the state, they speculate whether Richardson's reticence to own this crisis is simply to protect his cronies high-paying jobs and/or the special interests of the nominating wing of the Democratic Party or whether it is because he sees his legacy jeopardized by the revenue collapse. Or are his advisers whispering sweet nothings in his ear when he asks for a briefing on economic policy? Or is it all of the above?

If it is his first-term legacy, Bill does not have to agonize. Those four years are secure for posterity. Among other things, he won long overdue teacher pay increases; launched the Spaceport and Rail Runner; made tremendous strides on DWI and reinvigorated the film industry. The spending was exorbitant but so were revenues and the Legislature approved every penny.

In 2003, after eight years of doing nothing was a substitute for policy, New Mexico was ready to get moving. Richardson got us moving.

The second term, as with most second terms, is a different story. We all know the gory details--pay-to-play, the complete breakdown in legislative relationships; politics infesting the university; lagging public school performance despite buckets of money and no significant economic diversification.

LEMONS TO LEMONADE?

The Governor and his advisors can still turn lemons into lemonade in the January legislative session. But they will have to fully own the budget debacle. They have been reactive, taking little bites as the crisis deepens. But the lame-duck Governor has an opportunity to get bold again.

The times may be better suited for a conservative, but how about a comprehensive plan to restructure state government for the lean years ahead? What should stay and what should go? What about our over dependence on oil and gas revenue? Instead of waiting for prices to rebound, how about a plan to wean us off that morphine drip? The Governor has formed a task force to look into the tax side of the equation, but we await a more holistic approach from the state's leaders on how to deal with this new era.

The Guv has admitted the state's failings in educating large swaths of the Hispanic and Native American students and begun to deal with it. Why can't he do the same with the budget and economy in his next state-of-the-state address?

It will take more than a glass of Gatorade for Big Bill to get re-energized. But if he does, he could give the state and himself a birthday present by developing a pragmatic template for the future. It also might give him a few white marks next to those black ones that already color his second term legacy.

BERRY BEAT

We're getting word that Eugene Moser, a five-year analyst with the Legislative Finance Committee, will become the new head of Human Resources for soon-to-be ABQ Mayor RJ Berry. Like the mayor-elect, Moser is a Republican. This is an important gig as the new hires go through HR. Moser served on the city personnel board courtesy of an appointment by Mayor Chavez in 2002. He previously worked in HR at the UNM Health Sciences Center. Patricia Miller, an early supporter of Mayor Chavez, has had the job for the past eight years. Berry takes office Dec. 1.

DARREN AND SUSANA

While Berry prepares to fill out his administration, one of his first appointments--Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White as Public Safety Director--is getting in some last minute politicking. White, whose name recently popped up on a fund-raising letter for GOP Guv candidate and Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, has now waded directly into the four way GOP race and openly endorsed law enforcement colleague Martinez. White says in a direct mail piece:

We must get behind the strongest Republican candidate today. Susana Martinez has been elected District Attorney four times in Dona Ana County county where Republicans are outnumbered nearly 3 to 1. Martinez is the only candidate with a proven track record defeating Democrats in tough races. But she’s more than just a skilled campaigner. Susana Martinez shares our conservative values and is rock-solid on the issues.

White's formal endorsement comes just two weeks before he takes up with the city and when such an endorsement might cause waves. Martinez is trying to erase the perception that she is a regional candidate and White's endorsement will presumably help. However, Martinez appears to be reluctant to debut in the ABQ media. KKOB-AM radio has been talking with all the GOP Guv candidates--but so far no Martinez. We're told she is tentatively scheduled to appear on the conservative talker in a couple of weeks. She has also yet to make her way onto ABQ TV news, aside from some brief snippets when she announced her candidacy.

ON THE WIRES

The AP gets to that proposal from state Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez to have a constitutional amendment passed to allow up to $2 billion to be taken out of the state's Permanent Fund to solve the state's budget problems. Sanchez dropped that one in our laps when we ran into him at lunch earlier this month.

Does a constitutional amendment have any chance of passing? It would take a majority vote in both the Senate and House. It would seem unlikely, but if it does the measure would have to be approved by voters next November. That could make it easier for some lawmakers to vote in favor. However, legislative committees will have to approve it before it can get votes on the senate and house floors and that may be the stumbling block.

Speaking of having lunch, Jacob Candelaria and I will be doing just that soon. The recent Princeton University grad, now working in Santa Fe as a program evaluator for the Legislative Finance Committee, was the first to name all three Republican lieutenant governors since 1965. E. Lee Francis under Dave Cargo (66-70); Jack Stahl under Garrey Carruthers (87-90) and Walter Bradley (95-03).

Jacob's knowledge of La Politica wins him lunch. If we have our repast in Santa Fe, maybe we'll invite along one of those nicely paid political appointees who Big Bill announced Thursday would be losing their jobs. They really know the meaning of a free lunch.

DOUBLE-DIPPING

Why are New Mexicans increasingly outraged by the "double-dipping" in state government? Here's why.

Take, for example, the deputy cabinet secretary for the state General Services Department. Between the $99,424 Marilyn Hill earns at GSD, and the $68,000 yearly pension she takes home from the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), Hill makes more than $167,000 a year, state records show.

Another Richardson appointee, Jeffrey Riggs, makes $158,000, thanks to his $96,928 salary as Deputy Director of the state Educational Retirement Board (ERB) and his $61,656 yearly PERA pension, according to state records.

And don't forget the double-dippers at city and county governments around our enchanted land.

We would open up good paying jobs for future generations if the Legislature dumps double-dipping, And we save money. That's because unlike a regular employee, the state has to pay the retirement contributions of the double-dippers when they go back on the payroll.

If there is a leftover relic from the now deceased Great Bull Market, double-dipping is it.

BRUCE KING
Bruce & Alice
First, this update from the King family:

Former Governor Bruce King will lie in state at the NM State Capitol on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. Funeral Services will be on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the Moriarty High School Gymnasium at 10:00 AM, with Reverend Dr. Russell C. Lee, Lutheran Pastor officiating.

Lots of folks remember the '94 Guv campaign because every time we mention it--as we did in our remembrance of Governor King Friday--we get email about it. We said one of the reasons Bruce lost to Republican Gary Johnson was because he was not of the TV age (Not to mention that voters aren't prone to give anyone a fourth term and a bunch of other reasons). University of New Mexico professor Maggie Werner-Washburne wants to add this addendum:

When Bruce lost in 1994, it was not just his inability to get the vote. As I recall, his Lt. Governor, Roberto Mondragon, ran against him as the Green Party candidate. That split the Democratic vote and Johnson won. We are going to miss Bruce--and Alice. He knew almost everyone in the state by name.

It was really impressive.

Indeed it was, Maggie. And in this case that old saying: "We won't see the likes of him again" can be stated with certitude.

The New York Times took note of the King passing and came with this obit. And the former Governor's home county newspaper--the Santa Fe New Mexican-- toasted their native son in this farewell editorial.

Rancher King of Stanley was also important to rural New Mexico. Folks and politicians on the East Side remembered him in the Clovis News-Journal.

THE YEAR WAS 1994

Some analysts think King's opposition to legalized gambling on Indian reservations may have played a role in his '94 defeat. Maybe so, but Bruce was 70 years old and the times were changing rapidly. He was challenged in the Democratic primary that year by Lieutenant Governor Casey Luna which signaled the trouble to come. And, as Maggie mentioned, Roberto Mondragon, another Light Guv under Bruce, ran against him as a Green Party candidate and got 10 percent of the vote.

And you wonder why Diane Denish worries about who will win next year's Light Guv nomination?

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

We were just thinking. Can we get Governor King's memorial service carried live by one or more of the statewide TV stations and/or streamed on the Net? Many New Mexicans who knew King won't be able to attend and would appreciate a way of being there in spirit. We'd be surprised if this coverage wasn't made available, but we're are mentioning it now so the TV types know that we are counting on them.

HIDE THE KIDS!

Farmington GOP state Senator Bill Sharer on the next legislative session scheduled to begin January 19:

So hold on to your wallets, gather up the children and lock your doors, because the Democrats are coming, and they want what you have.

But, Bill, what part of the house do you stash the children in to keep them safe from the Democrats? Is it like a tornado and everyone gets in the bath tub?

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Reporting to you from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan.

Email your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Powell launches campaign for State Land Commissioner

Peter St. Cyr — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:04:00 -0800

Powell wants Oil and Gas Industry to pay their fair share of royalties.
(Photo: Peter St. Cyr)

Democrat Ray Powell, who served in the office from 1993-2002, formally launched his campaign for State Land Commissioner on Saturday in Albuquerque. He's calling for green-energy job creation and economic development, land conservation, and ethics reform within the State Land Office.

He said he wants to bring back his team and is looking for creative options to maximize the value of the state's lands, create jobs, and build a new energy economy while providing ethical leadership.

"As a candidate for State Land Commissioner, I bring a record of ethical leadership," Powell says. "I have worked to create thousands of new jobs for New Mexicans. I have a track record of generating more money for our schools and a proven commitment to healing and protecting our state lands. I’m eager to return to the State Land Office where there’s much to be done!"

In this video, Powell cautions against ideas to tap the state's permanent fund to help offset the state's current budget shortfalls

Powell faces three other Democrats including Santa Fe Commissioners Harry Montoya and Mike Anaya and PRC Commissioner Sandy Jones in the state's primary election. On the Republican side, GOP activist Bob Cornelius and retired law-enforcement agent Errol Chavez are running. They’re all battling to replace the GOP’s Pat Lyons, the current land commissioner who is term limited from seeking re-election.

The Best Line of the Week: “A rising tide lifts all yachts.” — Warren Buffett

mjh — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:55:00 -0800

I would watch this interview if only I could stand to listen to Charlie Rose for more than a minute. Rose asks his guest convoluted questions that almost always make clear how “smart” Rose is and the answer he’s expecting from them. I wish he’d just shut up.

Excerpts: Warren Buffett on Charlie Rose – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com

"I basically don’t like it (value-added tax) because it’s somewhat akin — it’s isn’t the same — but it’s somewhat akin to a sales tax . we don’t need more regressive taxes in the United States . I think that if we’re looking for more money, we ought to look to guys like me. I mean, I am still paying a lower rate on dividends and capital gains than my cleaning lady is, in terms of her payroll tax just to start with. And so, I just think that we’ve gotten so far out of whack in terms of who’s been prosperous in recent years. And most of the economy — most people have been left behind, you know. So, we learned that a rising tide lifts all yachts."

Excerpts: Warren Buffett on Charlie Rose – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com

The Best Line of the Week: “A rising tide lifts all yachts.” — Warren Buffett is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Clueless and Paranoid Republicans

mjh — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:50:00 -0800

Think Progress » Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment

Politico reports that Republicans are now scratching their heads at why the public is so incensed about their “no” votes:

Privately, GOP sources acknowledge that they failed to anticipate the political consequences of a “no” vote on the amendment. And several aides said that Republicans are engaged in an internal blame game about why they agreed to a roll-call vote on the measure, rather than a simple voice vote that would have allowed the opposing senators to duck criticism.

As BarbinMD writes, “Seriously? They voted against an amendment that was prompted by the brutal gang-rape of a young woman by her co-workers while she was working for a company under contract for the United States government, after which she was locked in a shipping container without food or water, threatened if she left to seek medical treatment, and was then prevented from bringing criminal charges against her assailants. And they failed to anticipate the political consequences?”

Thune is also claiming that Franken doesn’t really care about Jones and other rape victims whose employers have blocked them from seeking justice; he and other Democrats just wanted to “create a vote which they could use to attack Republicans.”

So basically, the only lesson they learned is that next time, they have to hide their votes when they decide to screw over women’s rights. That way, they can support their allies in the contracting business and the public will never find out.

Think Progress » Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment

Clueless and Paranoid Republicans is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Moon Water

Coco la Boca — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:29:53 -0800

Never a Finer Man

Jim Baca — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:19:00 -0800

I heard of Bruce King's passing on the way from Phoenix to Albuquerque this morning. I had a nice long drive to think about him. This is a picture of Bruce King and me in 1975. I was working as his news secretary during his first term in office. I had left journalism suddenly and was out of work. For a whole four hours. I was at home trying to figure out what I was going to do and Bruce King called on the phone to say he heard I might be available. He said he had ten or so people to interview for the news secretary position and that I should come by and be first in line. He called me on a Friday afternoon. Monday morning I was in his reception area in Santa Fe along with all the other folks looking for the position. He called me in first and asked when could I start. I said immediately and then asked him what he was going to say to the other applicants still in the lobby. He said he would make them all feel good and thank them for coming by. I know he did make them feel good because Bruce King had a gift for doing that. I never knew a finer man. He was one of the most influential people in my life. He hooked me on politics and I never looked back. He once told me, "You and me are a lot alike Jim. Were too dumb to be dishonest." He was an honest politician and I tried to emulate him. I just never could conjure up his great personality.

He was so decent to everyone and he liked everyone. He often quoted Will Rogers and said he never met a man or woman that he didn't like. I think that is true, although he did not suffer fools he always treated them well. As he always said to me, "Life is too short."

This is a picture of Bruce, Bobbi and me in 1978 when I worked his campaign for his second term as Governor. He always greeted Bobbi jubilantly and wondered aloud how I ever managed to get her to marry me.

Legendary New Mexico Governor Bruce King is Called By Death at 85; Remembering The Man And His Time

Joe Monahan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:52:00 -0800

History will record Bruce King as New Mexico's longest-serving Governor, a successful politician who united the diverse cultures of the state into an effective governing coalition and for the infamous 1980 state penitentiary riot. But he will be most remembered in the hearts of New Mexicans for his authenticity, integrity and love of people. King died Friday morning. He was 85.

(Coverage and links below this remembrance).

There are certain images that bring New Mexico to life. Our unique flag, the Roundhouse, a chile ristra. We would add to that list Bruce King shaking hands.

King's larger-than-life personality and down home charm endeared him to several generations of New Mexicans as well as national leaders like Bill Clinton. He has often been called the best one-on-one campaigner the state has ever produced.

King's first two terms began in the 1970's, a softer era when negative campaigning was just gaining a foothold. Personal handshakes and relationships mattered and no one shook more hands or cultivated more relationships than Bruce. He learned at the knee of the legendary US Senator Dennis Chavez, who he served as an aide in the early 50's.

King was the personification of the western American of the 20th century. He was an optimist, a doer who loved his land, family and friends.

In 1970, when he won his first term, New Mexico barely had a million residents. Our first sighting of him was on television and on horseback. He embodied the spirit of the state and was readily embraced by both native and newcomer. Back then, everyone knew "Bruce."

IN HIS TIME

There are many great anecdotes about Bruce King but one in particular stands out for us because it captures his unpretentiousness and colors in the character that endeared him to voters. It occurred at the General Mills ABQ plant where the Governor was given a tour of the factory and then a bowl of cereal to sample. He looked around for some milk, but there was none so he moistened the cereal with a cup of coffee and dug in.

This one may be apocryphal, but we love it nonetheless. Governor King is visited by a campaign worker who congratulates him and reminds him of the "promise" King had made to put him in a state job. Bruce mulls it over and replies: "I gave you my promise, but not my commitment."

There were serious occasions where King's gift of gab faltered. During the bloody 1980 state penitentiary riot, he described certain inmates as "smoke damaged." In 1994, seeking an unprecedented fourth, four year term, he could not rise to the demands of modern television. He lost to Republican Gary Johnson by ten points.

But it was the 1970's that were his heyday, as he campaigned in every corner of New Mexico with wife Alice, who was nearly as legendary as him, and tailored his stump speeches to each locale. Together they made an indomitable political team who truly were Mr. & Mrs. New Mexico. Theirs was the ultimate expression of politics as family. We will miss that and we will miss Bruce King.

Hasta la vista, Governor.

THE DEATH OF BRUCE KING

Bruce King, "The Cowboy Governor," has died at 85. He served three terms as Governor of New Mexico. He passed Friday morning at his ranch in Stanley. The Associated Press obit is here. Governor Bill Richardson had this reaction:

"Governor Bruce King's death leaves a huge void in our state. Bruce King was an innovative, far-sighted Governor who knew the state better than any living New Mexican. He was as genuine and colorful as his cowboy boots. I can just hear him say, 'Mighty fine,' as he shook another hand."

New Mexico congressional delegation comments are here.

Here's a 2008 video interview with Bruce and Alice King.

King's son, Attorney General Gary King, made the announcement:

"Bruce King would be the first one to tell us all that death is just another phase in the cycle of life and that we must go on with our lives trying to do the best we can while helping others make their way too. None of us in the family thought this day would come so soon after we lost my mom Alice King, but we are comforted by the thought that Bruce and Alice can be together once again," says AG King.

Governor King was with family members when he passed away this morning at his ranch in Stanley. Funeral plans are pending and will be publicly announced at a later time. The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the New Mexico Children's Foundation."

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Cowboy King

Coco la Boca — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:37:15 -0800

Cowboy Governor Bruce King dies at home

Peter St. Cyr — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:19:00 -0800

He served three terms as governor, now the Cowboy from Stanley has died -- he was 85.

Our blogging partner, Heath Haussamen has more details and reaction from around New Mexico on NMPolitics.net.

And to see pictures of our last visit with Gov. King (in August) at the New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranches view this Flickr photo set.

Reality Wins; Guv Gives; The "F" Word Crosses Big Bill's Lips; A Whiff Of Populism, Plus: Readers Blog The UNM Story

Joe Monahan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:34:00 -0800

BULLETIN: BRUCE KING DEAD. HELD GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR THREE TERMS; WAS 85

The Guv
Brutal economic reality has been stalking Bill Richardson and it finally forced the chief executive to pronounce the "F" word. He has now laid the groundwork for furloughs of state government workers in the budget year we are in and for the one that starts next July. (Guv's complete budget release here).

It was a major change in tone and substance for the chief executive who has continually said furloughs and layoffs were off the table, even as the budget shortfall skyrocketed to shocking heights.

The mantra was beginning to grate on the nerves of a state where unemployment has soared and business has soured. Richardson's insistence on protecting the government classes, while most everyone else suffered, was becoming politically untenable.

The mandatory five day furloughs cover nearly 20,000 state workers and are to be taken by June 30. However, there will probably be exemptions for public safety and other critical need employees.

It is salaries and other personnel costs that make up the bulk of state spending and where savings will have to be extracted in the years ahead (Yes, we said years).

The Governor started us down that road by announcing that he will permanently keep vacant up to 1,000 positions in state government that have gone empty because of the hiring freeze. Of course, there is no money to pay for those positions, but the Guv's acknowledgment of the need for a permanent downsizing of the state work force was, for him, a step in a new direction. That should be helpful when the Legislature convenes Jan. 19.

However, there was some grumbling heard about the furloughs around the Roundhouse. Wall-leaners point out that the Governor still has under his control $58 million in unspent federal stimulus money. The furloughs are estimated to save about $10 million. Couldn't Bill use some of that stimulus to avoid the furloughs? He probably could, but what about next year?

Lawmakers will have to cut at least $400 million in recurring revenue from next year's budget. While tax increases are in the mix, large swaths of the public is not going to want to shoulder this burden without state government sacrifice. Those furloughs and the 1,000 employee reduction is going to appeal to them. Maybe it will give a couple of tax boosts a fighting chance--even in an election year like 2010.

A WHIFF OF POPULISM

The whiff of populism in the air also moved the Guv to announce he will kill off some of those hot potoato political jobs, known as "governor exempt" positions. And he previously said he is reconsidering his position on double dippers--workers who get a retirement check, but then go back on the state payroll.

The Alligators and wall-leaners were quick to point out that many of the exempt positions he says he is cutting are currently vacant and that many of their previous occupants have found classified positions elsewhere in state government. And they also note that the several thousand double-dippers currently on the payroll would not be impacted by the Guv's new anti-dipping proposal.

For all his wailing and gnashing of teeth prior to his Thursday budget announcement, in the end Bill agreed to much of what the Legislature passed.

Which brings us to the other key word now in play in New Mexican politics: Flexibility. Richardson is starting to show some--and even if there is really no other choice--it is still welcome.

Call us optimists, but we're still hoping to someday see a photo of Bill and the conservative state Senate leaders congratulating each other on solving the state's budget crisis.

BLOGGING UNM: OUR READERS

We had some tough love for the University of New Mexico on our Thursday blog as we took a trip down commentary lane. And we received a lot of email in response. Here's a sample:

Virginia: I can only say that your suggestions (instructions) for righting the UNM ship are right-on, and in a perfect world they would indeed set the sailing of the ship on a correct course. But I fear there are too many oars in the water to get them implemented, and the ship will be rudderless until the captains are replaced...Maybe God (Big Bill) needs to reach down and set everything right (make it perfect Bill!).

Sylvia: I so wish that what you suggest could happen. The cancer of conceit, greed, back-stabbing and bald-face lying at UNM is awful! The departure of David Harris, along with Schmidly would be the best thing ever for UNM!!...I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to see the right thing in print! Thanks, Joe, just reading what you wrote eased, for a time, the sense of depression I have about UNM these days.

UNM professor: Thanks for your strong call for change at UNM and for your accurate assessment of where things stand. I agree that a reset of UNM's athletic aspirations are in order and that employing New Mexicans as coaches--and selecting them as players--is a healthy idea. Perhaps that might involve dropping football down to a lower division. Why not have a UNM football team composed largely of New Mexicans?

An issue that arose in the general faculty meeting last week is money taken from general funds to support the athletic programs...We learned of one small but significant item at the meeting: $175,000 for Mountain West Conference dues. You'd think that with all the money the athletic department has to pay coaches, furnish their offices, etc., that they could afford this fee, but according to (UNM) President Schmidly that fee was paid out of “general” university funds.

Anonymous: I have followed you for a long time...I grew up here and knew of you before the Internet. About half the time I don't agree with your politics which I guess is ok, that makes you in the middle...kind of like me. In any case, I applaud and totally support today's position on the University of New Mexico. You are absolutely correct and while they are at it they should get a new Human Resources Vice President.

EVEN MORE UNM BLOGGING

Loyola Chastain: My father was a Regent for Highlands University from 1968- 1970--back when Regent's were not necessarily political appointees. My father was not a political contributor and was a Democrat, when the governor was a Republican. He was the superintendent of Taos Municipal Schools. Governor Cargo appointed him because Taos was a feeder school to Highlands. He thought a superintendent might have a vested interest in ensuring the University met all standards to educate students from our district. This is how it should be done today. Thank you for your blog. It warms my heart that there are others out there that are not afraid to bring to light what others try to keep in the dark...

Michael Barnes: Great posting. Very courageous. Hopefully you have started what is needed to clean up UNM. Congratulations.

Mike English: I'm with you on the need to clean house, up to but not including your proposal for Alford to serve as Athletic Director and your point about resetting the bar on Lobo athletics. (Alford) would be no good as AD, wouldn't want to do it, and whether or not he's overpaid as basketball coach is a separate issue. But I also suspect you had your tongue in your cheek as you wrote that part.

As far as the expectations of Lobo athletics, I would argue there is an economic base in this growing city for the aspirations of winning programs. For basketball that history is already there. The lavish upgrade of the Pit will be looked at as a good thing. For football, well that's a jaw-dropping train wreck right now, but the potential to build a winning/financially sound tradition exists.

I think that ESPN report on (football coach) Locksley sealed the fate of Schmidly and (Athletic Director) Krebs. The lame cover up was exposed. Local media was embarrassed by getting scooped, and they are mad. There is no more slack in that rope. Your post captures the mood and the reality very well.

Hollie: Interesting analysis. I agree wholeheartedly. There was also an interesting blurb in the news about UNM's graduation rate. Something about a exercise in failure. Have you heard anything? As an employee at UNM, I desire to see the regents become elected, rather than political appointees. The atmosphere is definitely one of fear and distrust among the staff.

The news article Hollie refers to details the latest UNM graduation rate--42.7 percent--and quotes UNM President Schmidly as being "extremely disappointed."

UNM student parent: Really enjoyed your blog on UNM's failures and controversies under Schmidly and Harris. While you call for resignations and clean up of the UNM mess all around, everyone knows nothing will be done as long as Richardson is in office--nor by anyone else in the future. Unfortunately, politics, scandal, and corruption in New Mexico go hand-in-hand, and political cronies, pals and supporters, most of them inept, get the cushy jobs. After all, this is New Mexico.

Arthur Olona: Joe: You hit a major league home run on the problems at UNM! The column was factual, concise and to the point. The only way changes are going to be made is if all of us make noise. I’ve done my part in emailing the Regents, the UNM President, the Athletic Director. and friends of mine in the Lobo Club. Let’s hope your readers do the same. We need to save UNM, a New Mexico treasure. The present scandals make the Ellenberger scandal look like a cupcake in comparison.

Thanks to all who took time to email. We appreciate the insights. UNM has a lot of friends out there.

Have news? A comment? Email it in, anonymously if you wish.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Brad Winter appointed Weh's Bernalillo County co-chair

Peter St. Cyr — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:40:00 -0800

Photos: MG Bralley

New Mexico businessman and gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh announced his Bernalillo County campaign team today.

From a news release

City Councilor Brad Winter, former Marine and executive director of the N.M. Parole Board Robert Martinez, and supporter Nancy Roehl have joined the Allen Weh 2010 team’s grassroots effort as Bernalillo County campaign co-chairs to mobilize New Mexico voters. Among other duties, the three co-chairs will organize volunteers in Bernalillo County and ensure that Weh’s many supporters in that county turn out to vote.

Winter has served on the Albuquerque City Council for 10 years and was Council president in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2008. Winter serves as Chief Operations Officer for Albuquerque Public Schools and is the longest-serving member of the current City Council.

“Allen’s background of service and success in the business world make him an ideal candidate for governor of New Mexico,” Winter said. “I’m confident Allen can win this race and turn our state around.”

Roehl, a mother of four, lives in Albuquerque. Like many New Mexicans, she was concerned about the direction of the state.

“I am very concerned about the ridiculous spending that’s going on in Santa Fe,” Roehl said. “That’s why I’m getting involved. I want to help Allen become governor of this state, because I believe he has the background and experience to make the tough decisions and get the job done.”

Martinez is a native New Mexican and serves as the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Albuquerque Lodge No. 1. He served as a Marine in Vietnam and has held numerous high-ranking positions in public safety, including executive director of the N.M. Parole Board. Martinez spent 28 years in public service, filling leadership positions in the Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management and other federal posts.

Weh said he is proud to add Winter, Roehl and Martinez to his grassroots effort.

“With their backgrounds in education, family and public service, these three bring valuable experience to this campaign,” Weh said. “As we continue to expand our Coalition of the Willing, we’re recruiting New Mexicans from many backgrounds who are ready to make a difference in Santa Fe.”

Education Secretary Garcia reacts to budget cuts

Peter St. Cyr — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:39:00 -0800

Immediately following Gov. Bill Richardson's news conference -- at noon in Santa Fe -- we spoke with Education Secretary Veronica Garcia about cuts to education programs and whether or not tapping the state's permanent fund is a good idea or not.

'Spinning the numbers on education cuts is a dangerous game'

AFT Lobbyist Tiffany Fiser
Tiffany Fiser with the American Federation of Teachers - New Mexico tells us that the governor's decision will make it even more difficult for educators to provide quality programs to children in the classroom.

"Lawmakers are cutting classroom support," Fiser said. "The bottom line is that the state equalization guarantee funds every aspect of our schools. This new round of cuts certainly was not the outcome we had hoped for because it again cuts the state equalization guarantee. We don't think education can withstand another hit without severely impacting the education we are providing to children."

While teachers won't be impacted by the governor's mandatory five day furloughs, they will likely face some layoffs across the state because of the cuts already made.

"Spinning the number on the education cuts is a dangerous game," Fiser said. "This cut reduces the state equalization guarantee again this year (for the fourth time), and will also affect the 2011 baseline for education spending."

Fiser wants to know why lawmakers and analysts aren't talking about the true nature of recurring cuts to education funding and one-time money being used to obfuscate those cuts.

"The one percent cuts they keep talking about misleading," Fiser said. "Teachers can do the math on these cuts, and many feel betrayed."

The teacher's union Fiser lobbies for suggests the only long-term responsible way to solve the state's budget crisis is to enact revenue enhancements, including sin taxes, rolling back tax cuts for the wealthiest New Mexican's and making big box corporations pay their fare share.

"Government has got to reign in wasteful tax spending," Fisher said. "The budget will never be balanced and they are going to bankrupt education and public service."

Exercising his veto pen

The Governor’s budget action, combined with his efforts to save $150 million by freezing capital outlay projects, will put the state on a responsible path toward balancing the current-year budget.

“Since the session ended, I have heard from hundreds to New Mexicans, including many legislators – who want me to exercise my veto pen to preserve those services,” Governor Richardson said. “I understand and share their concerns, particularly in light of the previous budget cuts.

“However, it would be fiscally irresponsible to simply veto this bill and wait for the Legislature to meet again in January – more than half-way through the fiscal year. “Instead, I am signing an Executive Order today that directs more responsible budget cuts across state government.”

Il Divo

Coco la Boca — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:48:29 -0800

CO County Hearts Fracking

Coco la Boca — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:50:51 -0800

The first business in Albuquerque

Fitzerman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:06:00 -0800

When the first train pulled into the area that would soon become New Albuquerque, there was nothing, literally nothing besides the converted boxcars that served as a makeshift depot, there. The Villa de Alburquerque, where people lived, where saloons and inns and the post office were located, lay a mile-and-a-half to the west of the rail line, and only a rough winding road traversed the empty, sand flat between them.

Within a day, that had changed. On April 23, 1880, an enterprising ne’er-do-well named Peter “Shorty” Parker (no relation) dug a hole in the ground... [continued at the Examiner]

The first business in Albuquerque

Fitzerman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:06:00 -0800

Random Motor

Coco la Boca — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:12:06 -0800

UNM Today: A Rudderless Ship In The Night; Who Will Reset The Course? Our Analysis And Commentary Amid The Storm, Also: New GOP Lt. Guv Hopeful

Joe Monahan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0800

The slow motion destruction of the credibility of the University of New Mexico continues inexorably. It seems no one can or will stop it. Not the UNM Board of Regents. Not the Governor. Not the Lieutenant Governor who would be Governor. Not the powers that be in the Legislature. And not depressed university boosters who remain silent.

The university sails alone in troubled waters, captained by the politics of cronyism. The ship is listing badly, struck by too many torpedoes--the coach Locksley scandal, the faculty vote of no-confidence in the UNM president, the hiring of multiple Governor-backed political appointees and the blatant politicization of the UNM regents.

The leading figures at the helm of the university are locked so deeply in politically incestuous relationships that no one will check the other's actions. What is to be done?

THE PRESIDENT
Schmidly
The time for bashing university president David Schmidly is past. This administration is effectively over.

Now we can only beseech him to announce that he will resign his position within a year and spend that time attempting to clean up the mess (Ditto for Schmidly's right hand man, the politically connected executive vice-president David Harris). The president's best chance to preserve any legacy is to acknowledge that his has been a very troubled tenure, but that in the end reality was recognized.

Once his resignation is announced the president will need to dismiss UNM athletic director Paul Krebs and his key associates. He will also have to hand walking papers to UNM football coach Locksley which could mean a large severance payout, but there is no choice. The damage is done, and irrevocable if the same players remain. The cover-up culture must be purged and with it the elitist salaries and perquisites.

After securing Krebs' resignation, the president should then consider giving the title of athletic director to UNM Lobo basketball coach Steve Alford. Through this violent storm he has retained his credibility nationally and locally. Paid $1 million a year, Alford should have no problem handling both jobs on a temporary basis.

The search for permanent replacements for Locksley and Krebs should be confined to New Mexicans. There are many fine coaches and administrators at area high schools. UNM alumni, athletic boosters and the sports media cheerleaders need to have expectations dialed down.

In short, the bar needs to be reset on the aspirations of Lobo athletics. Student athletes--especially those in the football and basketball programs--have been subjected to unreasonable expectations which in turn leads to the chaos we now confront. Basketball coach Alford seems to be finding a balance--another reason why we see him as a prime choice for an interim athletic director.

THE GOVERNOR

There is apparently no chance that Governor Richardson will take any action to acknowledge the manifold messes strangling UNM. His forceful political personality, so effective in other matters, overwhelmed the institutional strength of the university and set in motion the events that are consuming the school. But if he were to see the light, he would call for the regents' resignations and begin replacing them with appointees who are not from the world of politics. (Is that possible?)

THE SENATOR

There is still a chance for the Legislature to prevent a complete shipwreck. We warned during the 2009 legislative session that the decision of state Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Linda Lopez not to hold an intensive confirmation hearing on the reappointment of regent Jamie Koch and the turmoil-ridden campus sent a signal that legislative oversight of UNM was not to be. Lopez could still hold that hearing in January and appropriators could start demanding change in exchange for dollars.

THE HOUSE

In the state House the current leadership is so deeply entwined with regent Koch and regents president and former longtime NM House speaker Raymond Sanchez, we don't know where to look for reform. But university area state representatives and senators are a start. That would be Sen. McSorley and Rep. Chasey. They have safe seats for life. Where are they?

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish has made education a banner issue, but she has yet to wade into the UNM waters. That will come when the campaign for Governor begins in earnest. But she needs to know now that deep concern is being expressed among major donors and supporters of UNM about her long political relationship with former Democratic Party chairman and regent Koch. It is causing worried speculation that her election as Governor would be more of the same--which in this case means an endless spiral of controversy, cronyism and damage to UNM's reputation. Will she have the political will to break with the past? Will she send any early signals?

THE OTHER REGENTS

And where are the regents you hear little from--Santa Fe attorney Gene Gallegos, car dealer Don Chalmers, attorney Carolyn Abieta and Farmington's Jack Fortner? These are all distinguished volunteers, but the time for being bumps on the log is long past. They have the power to pressure the UNM president and even the governor who appointed them. Being an "honorific" regent in the breaking point year of 2009 is not an option.

Change must and will come, but this rudderless ship is headed into the sandbars. How much more damage it will suffer before the rescue party arrives is the dreaded unknown hanging over the home of the Lobos and those who fret over its future.

KENT'S CRAVING
Sen. Cravens
Alligators are reporting that ABQ/Sandoval County GOP State Senator Kent Cravens is ready to take a free ride and toss his hat into what is becoming a competitive contest for the 2010 GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. They say he is poised to announce soon. The two termer is not up for re-election until 2012. He has owned and operated Alphagraphics with wife Melanie for ten years. She continues there, but Cravens also recently took a job as a broker with Vaughn Co.

This looks like a good move for Cravens. He is the only candidate in the race from the vote-rich ABQ area. His main challenger will likely be former State Rep. Brian Moore of Clayton. Santa Fe's J.R. Damron is also in the race.

We blogged last week how 2002 GOP Guv candidate John Sanchez told us he is now weighing a bid for the '10 GOP Guv nod. He also mentioned a light guv run. John is a former neighbor of Kent's. If they ended up on the GOP ticket together, that's one neighborhood they should carry big, unless they've kept the neighbors up with those loud Republican parties.

(P.S. Be the first to name all the Republicans who have served as lieutenant governor since 1965 and we're buying you a New Mexican lunch.)

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments, anonymously if you wish.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Cooperation “Weakens the Republican Brand”

mjh — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:15:00 -0800

The purge continues. Only true believers are welcome.

Think Progress » Under Pressure From Tea Party Activists, Charleston GOP Censures Lindsey Graham For Bipartisanship

On Monday, the Charleston County Republican Party’s executive committee “took the unusual step” of officially censuring Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The local GOP committee admonished Graham for stepping across party lines to work with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) on a bipartisan clean energy bill and other pieces of legislation. The censure stated that Graham’s “bipartisanship continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom.”

Think Progress » Under Pressure From Tea Party Activists, Charleston GOP Censures Lindsey Graham For Bipartisanship

Cooperation “Weakens the Republican Brand” is a post from: mjh's blog Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Heather Wilson Appointed to National Academies Committee to examine global science strategies

Peter St. Cyr — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:33:00 -0800

Photo: MG Bralley
Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson may not be running for governor in New Mexico, but she's keeping busy.

From a news release

Wilson announced that she has been appointed to a National Research Council committee to conduct a 12 month study of Global Science and Technology Strategies and Their Effect on U.S. National Security. The study is being sponsored by the Defense Intelligence Agency and will examine science and technology strategies of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, Japan and Singapore and compare them to U.S. strategies.

Dr. Dan Mote, President of the University of Maryland, will chair the sixteen member committee that will meet several times over the next six months before writing a report with recommendations.

The National Research Council (NRC) functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The four organizations are collectively referred to as The National Academies. The National Academies is one of the most respected scientific and technical institutions in the country.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the National Academies is a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology and health policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln that was originally granted in 1863. Publishing more than 200 reports and related publications each year, the institution is one of the largest providers of free scientific and technical information in the world.

The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health.

While in Congress, Wilson chaired the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence and was awarded Distinguished Service Awards from both the CIA and the Director of National Intelligence when she left the Congress.

Men Who Stare at Mules

Coco la Boca — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:09:12 -0800

A "Placeholder" For Sheriff? Who Invented That And Why? Plus: More Backfire from Bill's "Gift" To Di, And: Raiding The Rainy Day Fund

Joe Monahan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0800

Judging by the behind-the-scenes action, you would think they are picking a pope. The Bernalillo County Commission now says it wants to have three candidates to consider for sheriff who would pledge not to seek election to the office and three who would run. You might ask when the commission received the power to dictate what a sheriff can or can't do when he takes office. The answer is they can't and the option of naming a "placeholder" to fill out the term of GOP Sheriff Darren White who will resign Nov. 30, is purely their own invention.

The sheriff is an elected office and if someone takes the job with the pledge not to seek a full year term in the 2010 election, but then changes his mind after taking office, there's nothing the commission can do about it. They have no power to set qualifications for office, yet that is what they appear to be doing.

The three Democratic commissioners on the five member commission--Art De La Cruz, Alan Armijo and Maggie Hart Stebbins--have the power to name a sheriff who would not be a placeholder--but who would serve the remainder of White's term and try to do a good job because they would soon be seeking approval from voters.

Insiders are saying De La Cruz and Armijo are starting to come across as terrified of making a choice by forming a committee to narrow the 20 candidates to six. They say so many prominent politicos from the Valley want to be Sheriff that the two commissioners fear making enemies unless they appoint a placeholder--something that has never been done---and something that legally can't be enforced. And why does the commission have to have a panel outside the commission narrow the field for them. Even more fear?

Pressure from Dem Party types will increase on the D commissioners in the weeks ahead. Their concern is not necessarily ours--that the commission is overstepping-- --but that a placeholder would increase the chances of the R's retaining the position.

LET THERE BE PEACE

The peace has been made. After some over-the-top accusations leveled against one another and publicized on our Tuesday blog, Republican Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White and Republican Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Wiener say they are on the same page. White has agreed to resign at 5 pm November 30, rather than 2 pm, allowing Wiener, who will be traveling that day, to take part in the meeting via telephone. Wiener issued this apology:

I apologize for leaving a heated message on your voicemail and for sending a letter to a blogger before giving you the opportunity to address my concerns about the timing of your resignation...

White did not need the dispute to drag on and hit the papers and TV news, so this resolution has to have Mayor-elect Berry, who White will soon serve under, breathing the proverbial sigh of relief.

DRIP, DRIP
Diane Denish
If there's anymore surprises lurking on how she spent federal stimulus money from five years ago, Light Guv and likely 2010 Dem Guv nominee Diane Denish might want to get it all out. The first drip came last week when it was revealed that Di had used some of the $225,000 on PR, including work on a Christmas card. Now there's a second drip:

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish’s campaign fund will reimburse the state for money paid to a public relations officer who wrote press releases in 2004 related to election-year politics. The total amount of the reimbursement is less than $800 but a spokesman for Denish said Tuesday it’s important that there be no perception questionable political activities. The money spent was from federal funds allocated to the state as part of a 2003 economic stimulus package. Denish was state chairman of the John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign.

She received her share of the stimulus money from Big Bill, and it seems to be the gift that keeps on giving (Don't say he never gave you anything, Di). The amounts are small, but the news comes against a backdrop of numerous ethics scandals.

LAND RUSH

It appears Matt Rush, a fifth generation cattle rancher from Roosevelt County, has made official his run for the GOP nod for state Land Commissioner. We blogged last month that he was being introduced around the recent NM Oil and Gas Association conference in Santa Fe as a candidate. Now, the Bernalillo County Republican Party lists Rush as a candidate and says he will speak at the party's Friday morning breakfast.

Rush joins Lea County's Bob Cornelius and Dona Ana's Errol Chavez in the GOP race.

THE FUND RAID

Speaking of the land office, that blog we came with Nov. 2 on a controversial proposal from State Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez drew comments from several of the land commission candidates. Sanchez floated the idea of taking $2 billion out of the state's Land Grant Permanent Fund to get New Mexico over the budget hump for the next several years.

Republican Errol Chavez:

The intent may appear to be the solution to resolving New Mexico’s deficit, but taking this money is like taking a family’s savings intended for the children’s college education. The Congress of the United States created the Permanent Fund for the benefit of New Mexico’s Public schools. The interest that it realized from the investment of the Permanent Fund is mostly dedicated to the public schools and some public institutions. The duties of the Commissioner of Public Land are simply established to generate revenues that are invested by the State Investment Council. If we divert money from the Permanent Fund it can be devastating to the educational system that today needs all the help it can get.

Democratic land commission contender Ray Powell, Jr., who held the office previously, describes himself as "extremely cautious" when it comes to the withdrawal proposal:

I would be extremely cautious about using the permanent fund to pay for recurring government expenses. I strongly suggest that we first look at how we re-prioritize our spending, reduce high-salaried political jobs, rejuvenate our ailing employee merit system, institute strong ethics reform, and increase transparency and accountability of our state investment policy. If we don't look at a comprehensive reform of state government, we risk squandering our precious limited resources without creating real change.

Unlike the revenues generated from non-renewable resources on state trust lands, which go to the permanent fund, revenues generated from renewable sources go directly to the beneficiary institutions. Therefore, if we generate more money through a comprehensive commercial development and renewable energy program at the land office, we can aid the public schools and other beneficiaries directly.

Republican Bob Cornelius also chimed in:

Democrats would rather tax us more for food, than give state employees a pay cut. Instead of spending education dollars efficiently and effectively educating our children, New Mexico Democrats would rather rob $2 billion from our children’s Land Grant Permanent Fund to pay for planes, trains, and automobiles!

Unwise budgeting decisions and failure to adjust to projected revenues has put us in this situation. The last thing we need to do is mortgage our children's future to pay off these debts. Let's see some commonsense measures implemented first. These hastily drawn up plans to raid the Permanent Fund "because the money is there" should be the last thing the Legislature considers, if it is to be considered at all.

Have some news? A comment? Email it in.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Veterans' outreach impacted by state budget cuts

Peter St. Cyr — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:31:00 -0800

A delegation of New Mexicans places a memorial wreath to honor NM Soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider (below righ) at Arlington National Cemetery (above) last month -Photos by: Peter St. Cyr

New Mexico Secretary of Veterans' Services John Garcia, an Army veteran who served in Viet Nam himself, says he doesn't want across the board budget cuts to state agencies "laid on the back of my veterans."

We filmed this video with the Secretary on a recent "Boss Lift" trip to the nation's capitol, which was sponsored by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Veterans "have served the country to defend the free-enterprise system," Garcia said.

He believes cutting back on outreach to homeless vets and reducing veteran business development is a disservice to the more than 200,000 veterans who live in the state.

Garcia told us that when he took over the department, which was elevated to a cabinet level post in February, 2004, and has 17 field offices, its budget was less than $2 million dollars. After administrative expenses, including salaries for 20 accredited and certified veteran service officer, there was only $200,000 left for veterans, or $1 per vet. That budget as quadrupled, but still only provides $4 per veteran.

"With the recent war in Iraq and Afghanistan I've got an influx of new veterans - a new generation of veterans - and it's tough to find them," Garcia said. "Veterans just don't walk into our office and say 'I want my benefits.' We've got to find them. I don't want them to wait thirty years, like I did and many Viet Nam Vets did. We have to be very proactive and do our outreach of services."

Garcia says after meeting with Governor Bill Richardson, shortly after the special session, that both men are disappointed that the agency was marked for cuts similar to other agencies.

"It' difficult when you're talking about a budget cut and my veterans are on the firing line between the legislative body and the executive," Garcia said.

Garcia says after all veterans "give us the freedoms we enjoy!

Statewide Veterans Day celebrations planned

A host of ceremonies are planned across New Mexico today.

A parade at Bullhead Memorial Park gets underway at 9:30 in Albuquerque. It will travel down San Pedro, up Gibson and end at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial. Ceremonies there begin at 11.

Another event is planned at the Veterans Memorial Park in Santa Fe on Pinetree Road. A parade in the capital city gets underway, at Bishops Lodge at 10am.

Keep in mind, City, County, State and Federal offices are closed for the holiday. So are most courts, banks and the post office.

Editor's note:

On Veterans Day 2009 we've decided to add the New Mexico Veterans websiteto our blog roll. Please check out Floyd Vasquez' posts regularly to see what's happening, for veterans across the state, and to see how you can volunteer to help or participate in important events benefiting our state's honored veterans.

UPDATE: 9:26

The chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico Javier Gonzales has issued a written statement honoring veterans.

New Mexicans have a proud history of serving their country as members of the United States’ Armed Forces. The Democratic Party of New Mexico remembers and honors all New Mexicans who have served, are serving or have paid the ultimate price to our great Nation.

To read the rest of Gonzales' comments read his blog post at the state party's blog here.

On the Road

Jim Baca — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:52:00 -0800

I will be traveling for the next couple of days to a board meeting in Tucson. As I write this on Tuesday evening I haven't decided whether to fly or drive. I will decide in the morning when I leave the house.

The Lyon letters- On the road to New Albuquerque

Fitzerman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:44:00 -0800

Today- An omnibus north, a midnight meeting with Pat Garrett, the shysters of Socorro.

The Lyon letters are an on-going series on Albuquerque/New Mexico history as related through the letters of William B. Lyon to his fiancé Corie Bowman.

Once Corie Bowman had accepted his proposal of marriage, which occurred sometime between January and late February of 1882, Dr. William B. Lyon was ready to start a new life for himself and his imminent family. However, prospects for a successful physician's practice were dead in the water in the tiny town of La Mesilla, New Mexico, where he had lived for the past three years since retiring from the army, and where his bride-to-be's family resided. Lyon was ready to strike out on his own and make a success of himself in the frontier economy of the New Mexico territory, and in 1882 there was one obvious path for doing so: follow the railroad. [continued at the Examiner...]

The Lyon letters- On the road to New Albuquerque

Fitzerman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:44:00 -0800

Pariahs

Jim Baca — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:04:00 -0800

I often bemoan the art of scapegoating. So in the spirit of the art I will now scapegoat bankers. Yesterday I received a notice from CITI Bank that my credit card interest rate would be more than doubling to almost 20%. The letter just might as well have said, "Bend over your jerk."

I don't charge much on credit cards anymore unless there is a large amount we want to get travel miles for. And that is on our Delta Cards. But once in a while you come across a place that doesn't take American Express so you whip out the old Master Charge.

Here is my message to Citi Bank. You can bend over too while I deftly insert my credit card into the receptacle. Screw twenty years of being a customer with never a late payment. You bankers are a despicable lot in most peoples eyes right now and will be for some time.

"Because bankers measure their self-worth in money, and pay themselves a lot of it, they think they're fine fellows and don't need to explain themselves."
James Buchan

Mayor-elect Berry on the job before sunrise

Peter St. Cyr — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:51:00 -0800

On a chilly Fall day, Mayor-elect Richard "RJ" Berry was pounding the pavement -- busy introducing himself to city employees -- during a whirlwind tour around Albuquerque.

The tour began just after 5:45am at the Solid Waste Department.

After telling sanitation drivers, many who are members of AFSCME Local 624, that he would work hard for them, Berry listened to driver's ideas for improving customer service.

One union member told Berry that he wanted to go back to shifts that start at 4am or 5am at the latest. He told Berry, who will be sworn in on December 1st, that he believes getting started early helps drivers avoid the morning traffic rush and prevents accidents.

Berry told the worker he hoped he'd share his ideas with his transition team.

Accompanied by four members of his transition team, Chief Administrative Officer appointee David Campbell, Sherman McCorkle, Public Safety Director appointee Darren White, and Sara Lister, Berry also visited Fire Station 15.

He told firefighting crews, who had brewed a fresh pot of coffee for the team, he was reviewing the city's budget and anticipated some tough financial scenarios, but that he assured them they would have the resources they need to perform their jobs.

Next, the tour headed to the Albuquerque Police Department's Northeast Command Station.

Before addressing police officers, who were there for briefing, patrolman Kyle Curtis was recognized as officer of the month. Not a bad light for the next mayor and his public safety director to see you in for the first time.

Later Berry headed to a breakfast at Weck's with law enforcement officers.

The morning also included a tour to an economic development office in the Barelas neighborhood in Albuquerque's South Valley -- before ending up for a transition briefing back downtown.

White Vs. Wiener: A Bizarre Battle Breaks Out; More Republican Fratricide, Plus: Di And the Journal, Also: The New Mayor Watch

Joe Monahan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:39:00 -0800

Around noon Tuesday, Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Wiener and Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White made their peace. The Nov. 30 county commission meeting to name White's replacment will now be held at 5 p.m, not 2 pm

Wiener said: "I apologize for leaving a heated message on your voicemail and for sending a letter to a blogger before giving you the opportunity to address my concerns about the timing of your resignation. I was unaware that you agreed to change the time prior to me leaving the message."

This report was written prior to those developments.

White & Wiener
All hell broke loose Monday night between Republican Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White and Republican Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Wiener. The battle lines were drawn when White refused to change the hour of his November 30 resignation so Wiener, who will be traveling that day, could take part in the county commission meeting that will be called at the hour of the sheriff's resignation. The scrap has White consulting his private attorney over a phone message Wiener left him and Wiener unloading both barrels on White. It's all a reminder to Mayor-elect Berry that White, who will become the new public safety director December 1, is a media lightning rod that can strike at anytime. Let's start it off with Darren's email to Wiener that was released by the commissioner:

Commissioner Wiener: I received your phone message on Friday night where you threaten that if I do not change the time of my resignation from 2PM to 5PM (on November 30th), that the “consequences are not going to be good.” I have shared your phone message with my private attorney. Despite your demand that I “change the hour or my resignation” by today’s date in order to ensure that “everything goes away,” my attorney has advised me not to respond with an answer to your e-mail dated November 5th, pending a further review of the content of your phone message.

You think that's over the top? Let's take it over to Wiener who takes it doubly over the top in his email response to White:

Dear Sheriff White,

Not only did I not threaten you in anyway, but I offered you a face-saving way to get out of this hole you have dug...Unfortunately, you have chosen to keep digging! You are the one who bullied and threatened me...when YOU told me..."You don't want to pick a fight with me Michael!"

I was willing to "move on" with this once you realized that the 2 pm time you had chosen to vacate your office was preventing the residents of District 4 from having a voice in the selection of the next Sheriff. I thought you would be reasonable..Either 4:30 or 5:00 pm--the time we ALWAYS have our meetings--would be perfectly acceptable.

As you now know, I will be on a flight at 2 pm Nov 30th and unable to vote by telephone until I reach my hotel in Manila at 5pm (Mountain time). I scheduled this trip on May 14th to visit my daughter on her 10th birthday. Changing my flight would cost me over $1,000; changing your letter of resignation cost you nothing ...and is the right thing to do. I had hoped we could get past this matter as it can only serve to diminish your legacy and possibly "hurt" the incoming Mayor's administration as his selection of you to oversee the Public Safety of Albuquerque may be called into question once all these facts are made known.

There has been previous bad blood between White and Wiener over sheriff's department policy. This latest episode doesn't seem to make either look good. However, it would seem Darren (and Berry) have much more to lose by playing at this level.

It's more Republican fratricide and comes on the heels of three Republican ABQ city councilors saying they will defy Berry and vote against his choice as chief administrative officer.

Alligators and insiders immediately commented on White's high-octane personality when Berry selected him for the top city job. But we've already passed high-octane and are at the Molotov Cocktail stage. What's next?

MORE SHERIFF ACTION

Meanwhile, the five member county commission will form a committee to comb over the several dozen resumes submitted for the sheriff's job and narrow the list down to a handful. They didn't say how many.

The meeting to pick the new sheriff is slated for 2 pm November 30th, unless Sheriff White has a change of heart. Commissioners do not want to leave the office vacant for any period of time, which is why they are scheduling the meeting to replace White at the moment he resigns.

MAYOR WATCH
Mayor-elect Berry
You can read about the appearance of Mayor-elect Berry and new city councilors Lewis and Cook before the ABQ Press Women here and here, and you can read the take of a Senior Alligator who was there:

Berry is very smooth. Lewis is pretty smooth, and Cook is rough. Lewis said he supports a West Side school district. No one asked about the chief administrative officer. (The ABQ Journal's) Dan Mayfield asked about (incoming public safety director) Darren White and immigration. RJ was able to defer responding until his transition team reports are turned in.

The questions from the audience, in this order: arts, tourism, meeting with the legislature, police dept, balloon park, climate action task force, TIDDs, downtown arena, Darren White and immigration, education, water & growth.

There is cautious good news on the city budget. We have a $12 million projected shortfall for the rest of this budget year, but a top city finance official is saying layoffs or furloughs can be avoided. That prediction is based on tax collections not getting worse.

DI AND THE JOURNAL

It was a mild rebuke, but a rebuke nonetheless to Light Guv Diane Denish from the editorial pages of the ABQ Journal, and it may signal the tone of the coverage going forward in the 2010 Guv battle. The Journal scored Denish for how she used federal stimulus money in 2004 given her by Governor Big Bill some six years ago. The amount of money involved was relatively small--less than $250,000--but she did use a contractor for several hours to design a Christmas card--a fact the R's have relished pointing out.

The editorial did not single Denish out for cronyism or corruption, as her R foes are trying to imply, but said the stimulus money she was handed was to be used for job creation, not the PR and other purposes she used it for.

The newspaper has of late had a bitter relationship with Big Bill, after years of mutually satisfying back scratching. It was the various pay to play scandals that seemed to move the paper away from their previous support.

More often than not, the paper endorses the GOP candidate for Governor, but they did endorse Bill four years ago. The landscape, riddled as it is with corruption cases, has changed since then. We anticipate a continued cool and skeptical reception--if not overly critical--to Denish's Guv candidacy from the state's largest newspaper.

THE HEALTH BEAT

We failed Policy Wonk 101 Monday when we blogged Monday that federal subsidies for low income New Mexicans to buy health insurance would be tied to the controversial public option provision in the proposed health care reform bill. They are not. NM Senator Jeff Bingaman's office clarifies:

Subsidies are not tied to the public option. In fact, regardless of what becomes of the public option, we expect that the vast majority of New Mexicans who currently don’t have health care insurance will benefit from subsidies...Keep in mind we won’t be able to describe the precise impact of reform until the proposals are finalized over the next month or so; and, even then, the exact degree to which our state takes advantage of reform is somewhat uncertain and will be dependent on many factors that are extrinsic to the bill.

Bingaman is long gone from the 101 level on health care and is now in advanced studies He may be there a while. It remains uncertain if a final Senate vote on a reform bill will take place this year.

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Heinrich won't predict Senate action on health care bill

Peter St. Cyr — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:51:00 -0800

U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, who cast his vote for the new House health care reform bill, is back in New Mexico. During the lunch hour, on Monday, he met with doctors, nurses and medical providers at the University of New Mexico Medical school.

While, he won't predict what the U.S. Senate will do with the bill when it moves to the upper chamber, he told reporters that he won a office pool with his staffers -- accurately predicting the measure would get 220 votes on the House floor on Saturday.

Heinrich also talked about how hard it was to get to consensus, what impact the bill will have on Medicare Advantage, and how it may help small businesses and the self employed.

We have two other videos from the news conference that we will post later tonight - so look for the updates and join our video channel on YouTube.

Bloggers

Jim Baca — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:15:00 -0800

I got a note from a friend the other day wondering why news organizations like CNN and others are now relying on bloggers and so called eyewitnesses to send in news stories. The nation's news organizations are literally on the skids financially so they might think that citizen journalists can fill in the gap. However, that only works if the news groups that takes this stuff in makes sure that it is accurate. How do they do that? It beats me.

Now I look at the Albuquerque Journal. It is turning more and more into nothing more than a republican rag....or worse. They take a highly discredited report by a right wingnut blogger, Jim Scarantino, and they turn it into an anti Diane Denish editorial in today's paper.

Then the editorial against health care reform and you begin to wonder where the publisher's head is really at these days. Who is really in charge at the Journal? Certainly not the day to day reporters who have seen no raises recently, but have seen their retirement program trashed by the publisher. What is next? Their healthcare insurance?

It might turn out that all we have to rely on soon for anything other than movie star news are bloggers. As a blogger myself I can tell you I get somethings totally wrong and that an editor is a crucial part of getting good information out. So if I need to be edited....just write a comment.

Jim Baca — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:49:00 -0800

John Sanchez Resurfaces; '02 GOP Guv Nominee Eyes Rerun, Plus: The Politics Of Health, And: The Dennis Chavez Legacy Updated

Joe Monahan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:38:00 -0800

John Sanchez
You mean they're not all in yet? Maybe not. 2002 GOP Governor candidate John Sanchez made us do a double-take when we ran into him in the ABQ North Valley over the weekend and he casually dropped the news that he was considering a bid for either the 2010 GOP Guv or Lt. Gov. nomination.

"I'm meeting with friends and supporters to decide which way to go." He said.

That way could include no way, but the 46 year old, well-off roofing contractor who took a drubbing from Big Bill in 2002, seemed excited by the prospect of renewing his political career.

We wondered why Sanchez would consider running for the Light Guv position, given his previous stint at the top of the ticket. The GOP Guv field is so jumbled, a run for the top spot seems to make the most sense. Sanchez has his own wealth to kick-start a campaign and has remained active with the front-lines of the GOP by hosting numerous fundraisers at his sprawling ABQ NE Heights home. If there's a move, it looks like Guv, with the Light Guv bid floated to keep the dogs off his trail for a while.

Sanchez came to political fame in 2000 when he ousted then-House Speaker Raymond Sanchez from an ABQ North Valley seat. But Sanchez served only one term before running for Guv, too soon to take on a heavyweight like Richardson. Maybe he runs this time with recitals of state budget woes and taunts of "I told you so."

THE SANCHEZ FILE

Sanchez was the only Hispanic GOP Guv nominee in the modern history of the GOP. This year, Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez is seeking the Guv nomination and Sanchez's entry could have particular impact on her. One of Sanchez's early consultants, Jay McCleskey, now of Lincoln Strategy Group, is working for Martinez as are other segments of the party that once backed John. And Sanchez still has some bad blood from his 2002 GOP Guv primary battle when he went nuclear on then Lt. Governor Walter Bradley.

But Republican analysts said a Sanchez candidacy would be a threat not only to Martinez, but also to Allen Weh. Sanchez's wealth and approval from conservatives puts him toe-to-toe with Weh. And a Sanchez bid, they said, could make things tight for Weh at the March 2010 GOP pre-primary convention where it will take 20 percent of the delegates attending to win a party-approved spot on the June primary ballot.

Even though he went underground after his trouncing from Bill, Sanchez probably has name ID surpassing the GOP field, and the party is in such a state of flux that a Sanchez bid, far from seeming quixotic, could find its footing and fast.

A run for Guv would pit him against Weh, Martinez, Doug Turner and Janice Arnold-Jones. The latter two are considered moderate. Sanchez is a conservative, but he's been gone for eight years. Will his loss nearly eight years ago make him more pragmatic if he takes another shot?

If Sanchez goes for the much less exciting Light Guv nod, he would face former Clayton area State Rep. Brian Moore and Santa Fe physician J.R. Damron.

The retirement of Senator Domenici, the decision by Heather Wilson not to run for governor, the '08 defeat of the Bush forces and the continued inability of NM R's to gain traction have set the party adrift, but also created opportunity for new and old faces alike. Who has the strength and character to captain this shaky ship? Who owns the GOP's future? Stay tuned.

HEALTH POLITICS
Speaker Pelosi & Teague
We blogged last week about how Dem US Rep. Martin Heinrich isn't giving much of anything away to the Republicans. His votes and politics have seemed to align, for the most part, with his centrist district. But will his vote this weekend on what the R's call a too liberal health reform bill change that? It will probably help the GOP's Jon Barela consolidate R support in the ABQ NE Heights. R's will have to do polling to find out if they can take it deeper. There may be an opening fpr them on Medicare which R's say could suffer under a public health option. Heinrich is taking it seriously enough that he held a telephone town hall on that topic alone. Still, Heinrich is going to satisfy his left-wing base with this vote, and that is a base that has been a bit antsy with him of late.

For southern NM Dem Congressman Harry Teague, the analysis is a no-brainer. He voted against the health care bill, depriving Republican Steve Pearce of a key issue on which to take his fellow Hobbs oilman out of the seat. The R's did score Teague for voting to allow the bill to advance to the floor, but on the plan itself he joined with the conservative Dems and said no. The reform measure passed by a narrow five vote margin. But the vote is not without grief for Teague among Dems. Some of them were e-mailing to us this page from his 2008 campaign Web site that outlines his purported commitment to health care. They accuse him of coming up short.

Northern Dem US Rep. Ben Ray Lujan did not have much political risk in his vote on the measure. As expected, he voted yes.

THE BINGAMAN VIEW

Meanwhile, NM senior Senator Jeff Bingaman was telling constituents in ABQ over the weekend that survival of the health bill in the Senate in its current form is "unpredictable." It needs 60 votes for the public option to survive and the Dem lawmaker, a key national player on this, indicated it's still anyone's guess on what kind of bill, if any, emerges from the Senate.

THE CHAVEZ LEGACY

He's been gone 47 years, but his legacy is large and few disagree that Democratic US Senator Dennis Chavez was the most significant Senator in state history. And that legacy will now be a permanent fixture at the University of New Mexico School of Law. The Dennis Chavez Foundation has donated $100,000 to the law school to establish an endowed lectureship/symposium on law and civil rights. The check presentation was made by Chavez grandson Jorge Tristani and Chavez foundation president John Cordova to UNM Foundation President John Stropp.

Senator Chavez introduced civil rights legislation as far back as 1947 that was similar to the landmark bill passed in 1964. He died in 1962, but is given a large slice of credit for the '64 act.

If 20th century New Mexican civil rights was about integrating the Spanish and Native Americans into a state under the flag of the US and ensuring their equal status, the 21st century civil rights challenge may be the inequality gap in public education between Hispanic and Native American children and their Anglo counterparts. Governor Richardson and others have begun to awaken to the challenge. He's proposed a high school drop out program and today will headline a solutions summit in ABQ on the Native American issue.

The new dean of the law school, Kevin Washburn, tells us the Chavez lecture and symposium will feature civil rights issues. We don't want to be presumptuous, but we think "El Senador" would consider the ethnic education crisis appropriate for the annual law school event bearing his name.

THADDEUS AND LAWRENCE
Lucero
My Alligators were snapping at me over the weekend, wondering if we had heard that Bernalillo County Manager Thaddeus Lucero was high on the list of possibles to head up the Mid-Region Council of Governments, replacing Lawrence Rael who will resign soon to campaign full-time for the Dem Light Guv nomination. Lucero just signed a fat renewal contract with the county (about $150,000 a year) but insiders say the MRCOG post is a real plum. Rael is making about $140,000 or so and he doesn't have to deal with a demanding five member county commission.

If Lucero did hit the exits to head to MRCOG, that would leave the county manager position open. Let the speculation begin. Or not, if the Gators are getting ahead of themselves.

THE FIRST ONE

Likely Dem Guv nominee Diane Denish seemed to escape major damage from the recent brouhaha over her use of federal stimulus money from six years ago. The amount was not large and she answered most of the issues completely, but she could not entirely close the door when it came to a contractor doing work on a Christmas card, apparently for a holiday open house party. That will be enough for the inevitable 30 second TV spot showing "Santa Di" handing out presents to her cronies and contractors. It might not sway many voters, but the imagery should be amusing.

A sidebar on this one: It appears former ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson has the self-assigned role of attack dog on Denish now that she has declined the lead dog role by ruling out a run for Guv. Wilson jumped on the Di stimulus story like a duck on a June bug:

A full federal audit needs to be done to find out whether Lt. Governor Denish has misused federal tax dollars for personal and campaign purposes.

Come on, Heather. Now you're shooting from the bleacher seats? If you want to party with us, put on those dancin' shoes. We'd love to have you. But doesn't this soiree require a formal invitation titled: "Declaration of Candidacy?" Otherwise, don't you get to enjoy that "private life" you said you pined for?

THE RJ BEAT

It will soon be a very public life for ABQ Mayor-elect RJ Berry. For past mayors that included frequent clashes with the nine member city council. RJ has already clashed with three of his fellow R's on the council over his nomination of attorney David Campbell as chief administrative officer. We expect everyone to be on their best behavior today when Berry appears with two of the new councilors who seem intent on giving him a hard time--Republicans Dan Lewis and Michael Cook. The trio will appear before a noon lunch sponsored by the ABQ Press Women. No need for green chile on the plates, ladies. These guys are already heating things up.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Some readers were confused by our reference to the Hotel Anadaluz in downtown ABQ, where VP Biden will appear, Nov. 16, as an original Hilton. They remember it as La Posada which it became in 1984. But the hotel was originally built in 1939, and was the fourth in the Hilton chain whose founder, Conrad Hilton, was born in San Antonio, NM. It's perhaps best known as the honeymoon headquarters for Hilton and his starlet wife Zsa Zsa Gabor...

Anthony Gonzales wanted to clear up any misunderstanding about a portion of our obituary last week of former Suprme Court Chief Justice Gene Franchini:

The scholarship fund for mock trial students was established by the Center for Civic Values in Justice Franchini’s honor as he is known nationally as the “godfather” of the New Mexico High School Mock Trial Program. Funds were contributed by numerous people.

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Reading versus Blogging

Coco la Boca — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:13:55 -0800

Slightly Busy

Fitzerman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:21:00 -0800

A bunch of stuff going on this week has put a slight delay on the Lyon letters series. Check back next Tuesday!

Slightly Busy

Fitzerman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:21:00 -0800

A bunch of stuff going on this week has put a slight delay on the Lyon letters series. Check back next Tuesday!

Michelle Obama awards local dance company for work with juvenile detainees

Peter St. Cyr — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:07:00 -0800

Shira Greenberg (Left), Keshet Dance Company Founder and Artistic Director; Elianna Boswell (Center), Keshet Arts Education Student Representative; First Lady Michelle Obama, Honorary Chair of the President's Committee for the Arts and the Humanities.

Albuquerque's Keshet Dance Company is getting some national recognition for their work with juvenile offenders in New Mexico.

On Thursday, at a White House ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama awarded the group the Coming Up Taller Award for its work with the YDDC, New Mexico's state juvenile detention facility.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this prestigious recognition from The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities," Shira Greenberg, Kesht's founder and artistic director said.

Greenberg traveled to the White house and was at the award ceremony yesterday.

"The power of the arts to change people's lives is something that we believe in whole-heartedly, and we strive to actuate these changes on a daily basis," Greenberg said. "This recognition brings new exposure to the work of Keshet so that our programs can serve more people and more lives can be positively affected in the coming years, building a stronger community one life at a time."

Outreach facilitators at YDDC teach daily dance classes to teach literacy skills, math skills and conflict resolution skills and help juveniles meet their high school curriculum requirements.

Keshet also incorporates a pre-release and post-release program to continue mentoring students while they transition out of the facility, providing a structured mentorship program through the parole and reintegration process.

Coming Up Taller is a national initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs for children, especially those with great potential but who have limited outlets for creative expression.

Tar and Feathers

Jim Baca — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:59:00 -0800

Lt. Governor Diane Denish has succumbed to mob rule and is now on the bandwagon of scapegoating so called 'double dippers' in state government. I have been one of those since I was called back from retirement about two years ago to serve as State Natural Resource Trustee. I had been gone from the position for 18 months. Now, I am just an evil person. Double dippers are being held up as a cause of the wracked up state and municipal budgets.

I wonder if Diane's jumping on this bandwagon with a large scythe will extend further? I mean, what is a double dipper? Is it a retired military person going to work for the state? Is it a retired career police officer going back to work on cold cases? (Cops are always given a break in the debate) Is it a retired federal highway engineer putting his expertise to work for the Highway Department? Is it a retired state judge filling in when the calendars get jammed?

Does double dipping include retired federal and military employees from working with the state? Really, is there a difference? Well, maybe just a little, but not much.

This whole thing is just a political scapegoating manipulation. It cuts a large swath with out looking at the real consequences of throwing experience overboard.

I don't think that employees should be able to walk out of the office one day and back in the next day as a double dipper. That is a manipulation of the system. Fix that manipulation and keep options open for calling on expertise when necessary.

ABQ Congress Race: Waiting For Some Sparks, Plus: Friday Clippings From My Newsroom Floor: Double-Dipping, Space Wars And Photo ID

Joe Monahan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:00 -0800

We'll start off with this invitation to the Nov. 16 ABQ fund-raising lunch Vice-President Joe Biden will host on behalf of NM Dem US Reps. Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague. Lunch is going for $1,000 a pop at the Hotel Andaluz downtown. That is the former Hilton, originally built in 1939 and recently reopened. A $2400 contribution gets you lunch and attendance at a reception for the Veep. The cash will be split evenly between Teague and Heinrich, but northern Dem Congressman Ben Ray Lujan isn't forgotten. He won't get any of the money but the invite dubs him "a special guest."

This is the ice-walking stage for Heinrich and Teague. We're all watching to see if they step to heavy and fall in the pond, giving their opponents an opening. Some say Teague already has by supporting controversial climate legislation. But what about Heinrich? He was castigated as a far-left Dem in '08 but he went on to rout his Republican rival by some 10 points.

If you are the R's, you have to be worried about the ABQ seat slipping away. Republican Jon Barela has had a so-so fund-raising start and the only available path right now to take Heinrich down is to tie him to unpopular national polices and hope Obama is sinking a year from now.

But Heinrich has access to the ABQ media market and has been forming an identity that connects with local issues and people. He is inoculating himself slowly but surely from the national environment. Even his opponents admit it has been well-executed--so far.

R's think Barela is an ideal candidate, a smart, Hispanic lawyer. His initial fund-raising efforts have been somewhat anemic, but he is more a victim of Heinrich's initial success. Barela needs an opening to get heard. Right now, when it comes to the ABQ congressional race, it's all quiet on all fronts.

DOUBLE-DIPPING

During this state budget meltdown we are hearing more than ever about those notorious double-dippers--government employees who retire with a nice monthly pension check, but then show back up on the state payroll at high-paying jobs, drawing two reliable checks. But how does that actually impact the budget? Someone would be doing the job the double-dippers were doing. The question popped up again this week when Light Guv Diane Denish said, if elected Governor, she could save $7 million a year by curtailing double-dipping. Reader Daniel Klein has the explanation:

...The state has to pay 100% of the double dippers retirement contribution (into PERA or ERA). So here is the math. The state says there are 2,200 double dippers. Let's say on average the double dippers salary is $50,000 and their average retirement contribution rate is 10%. That means the state has to pay $5,000 each year into the retirement fund for each double dipper. Multiply this by 2,200 double dippers and we get $11,000,000 that the state budget must come up with...

Now, I am sure the Lt. Gov. numbers ($7 million savings) are more accurate for each double dippers salary and retirement contribution rate. I'm just making the math easier to understand.

Denish says she would make some exceptions when it comes to double-dipping by public safety employees because she believes some of those positions are hard to fill, but Klein takes the opposite view:

There are plenty of great candidates out there. This is just a way for public safety to continue the good old boy system. Many will point to the ABQ police and say they have a hard time hiring. Hogwash. The problem is the hiring system. It can take months to hire a police cadet at $17 an hour. Yet Sandia Labs can hire someone who needs a security clearance within a month.

And the debate will go on, especially when the Legislature meets again on January 19.

SPACE WARS

Our defense Wednesday of the planned Spaceport for southern NM drew praise and darts. That's not surprising as there is no guarantee the public investment will pay off.

Here's a sample. First, Bill McCamley, a former Dona Ana County commissioner, who is now running for a southern Public Regulation Commission seat:

Though the cost is high, it is one of the few projects we have in the state that has the potential to bring private money in to our economy from outside the state. Furthermore, it gives us the chance to create jobs that will allow our talented young people to stay here in the state rather than having to move to nearby urban areas to find quality work.

But longtime reader Richard Anklam says we were way too indulgent when it comes to the Spaceport:

One thing we know for certain is that deadlines have slipped. They’ve yet to pave the runway, and Virgin Galatic is at least a year behind...The economy would likely dampen the optimistic projections even if Virgin and the Spaceport were really up and running. The $100 million (legislative capital outlay) you mention was only the initial investment, but the total price tag is much higher..We raised gross receipts tax in two counties...But capital spending aside, what economic activity is really taking place? And how much in the near future can we count on?

The report shows manufacturers’ headquarters, and assumes that propulsion, avionics, and airframes will be manufactured here...We have no good track record of attracting manufacturers, and the Spaceport doesn’t do much to change that...Our tax structure simply isn’t conducive...

Eventually the spaceport will see use and realize some of the promised benefits, but the less we get and the longer it takes to get it only reduces the return on investment and potentially to a point where it doesn’t make sense…

Total state investment in the Spaceport, including local taxes, is put at $198 million. MSNBC recently visited the project and filed this report.

WILL HE TAKE A CREDIT CARD?

From the NM GOP:

On Wednesday, Governor Richardson held office hours to hear constituent concerns...In order to speak with the governor, however, New Mexicans must verify their identity by presenting a valid state driver’s license. It’s curious that in order to talk with the governor for five minutes, New Mexicans are required to provide more proof of identity than when they participated in the very process which elected Mr. Richardson. And yet, research shows that New Mexicans overwhelmingly support legislation that would require individuals to show photo identification before casting a ballot.

Photo ID is required in ABQ city elections, but not statewide balloting.

THE BOTTOM LINES

We had spelling lapses with some names in Thursday's blog. For the record, it is Julie Dreike who was a district office manager for ex-Rep. Wilson and now is an employee of the federal Veterans Administration. Jeep Gilliland, also on Berry's transition team, is a former president of the New Mexico Federation of Labor-AFL-CIO, made up of various labor unions. And the first name of the wife of the late jurist Gene Franchini is Glynnie.

Thanks for tuning in this week. From Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan.

Email your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Misc.

Jim Baca — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:16:00 -0800

Albuquerque Mayor elect Berry's transition is a big yawner so far and it may well be indicating his style as a leader. He is not issuing hourly news releases nor is he getting his face on the evening news. One can't even be sure that there is any concerted message being conveyed on the type of administration he will be leading. It certainly won't be a fast paced one even if he wanted it to be. The city budget will not allow it.

The libertarians over at the Rio Grande Foundation have really showed their hand by coming after Lt. Governor Diane Denish. They are accusing her of improperly using federal funds that flowed to the state. This wingnut foundation also sent their mascot, James Scarentino, over to our office at the Natural Resource Trustee to do investigations into how money was spent during the administration of Congressman Martin Heinrich. Martin held this job for about two years before I returned to it. We got a request for public documents from the Foundation. After spending a lot of time and money in assembling them, Scarentino came over and spent 90 minutes looking over them before leaving with no copies. Just a big shoulder shrug. (Scarentino had been fired as executive director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance when Heinrich was on the board there.)

We can look forward to State Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry sticking around New Mexico for a while. The Obama administration sadly picked another Texan to run Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency. Ron was a very strong contender for this position. This administration is falling into the trap of bending over backwards to keep red states happy when in fact those folks will never ever vote for Obama. I plan on saying a lot about this kind of thing in the next few weeks and it won't be pretty.

Albuquerque blogroll DCF

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