New Mexico FBIHOP

New Blog

2007-02-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Folks, New Mexico FBIHOP is moving. For nearly one full year, my brother and I have been blogging from here about New Mexico issues (the first post, on February 21, 2006, was about eminent domain, in case you were wondering). The blog has grown by leaps and bounds, and we felt it was time to take the next step.

So, starting today, this blog will merely be an archive for the content we have already written. The new blog will be at NMFBIHOP.com. Why the move? Well, go and read the welcome post on the new blog for the details.

Thank you for reading this blog, and making this upgrade possible. I hope you will continue to read the blog; and as you will see, you can not only read, but participate in the blogging itself.

-LP

Richardson Meet Up Day a Mixed Bag

2007-02-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the grassroots organized Bill Richardson Meet-up Day. Richardson supporters -- Ken Camp and Emmett O'Connell of America for Richardson -- organized "meet-ups" around the nation to, well, organize. To help the excitement of a Richardson campaign grow and create a sense of community.

The Albuquerque Journal mentioned the meet-up.

O'Connell helped establish Tuesday as a Richardson "meet-up day" for the computer-centered groups to host small community meetings promoting Richardson's bid.

O'Connell and fellow blogger Ken Camp will have their meet-up at Mud Bay Coffee in Olympia, Wash. O'Connell said he expected that two dozen or so other Richardson meet-ups will be taking place in other states, and he's hoping they'll become a monthly happening.

"We're stereotyped as people in pajamas who sit around and blog endlessly about politics," Camp said. But, he added, "The goal is to spur people into action to support a particular candidate or cause. It will be face-to-face, and we've encouraged our friends to reach out to their local Democratic parties."

No comment on whether I blog in my pajamas or not.

A major organizing tool for the day was Zanby.com, where people from around the nation have been making Colorado for Bill Richardson and New York for Bill Richardson groups since as early as June of 2006. There are currently 61 such groups at the site.

Heath Haussamen wrote of the different responses around the nation to the Meet-Up day.

In Boston, more than 100 people turned out at an event organized by Jeff Gulko, a former Richardson staffer in the U.S. Department of Energy. In Minneapolis, Minn., a group also had high turnout.

But in Olympia Washington, despite an article in the local newspaper promoting the event, only four people showed, said organizer Ken Camp.

Over at America for Richardson, you can read about the success of the Minnesota Meet Up.

Haussamen also wrote about a conference call that Richardson gave to supporters, which I also listened in on. He started with a brief speech, talking about why he should be President, and what his supporters could do to help.

The major themes on the conference call were that he is experienced, but an underdog who would be using a positive, grass-roots campaign. He also spent time discussing global warming, and, of course, his experience. "A lot of candidates talk about doing it," Richardson said, "we've actually done it." He also came out strongly against the war in Iraq, with little wiggle room.

The Q&A session was marred by one ranting questioner, who was yelling into the phone. I couldn't understand much of what he said, but Heath Haussamen has a little better hearing (or a better phone connection) than me:

And, just as I was able to get my hands on the phone number and code to listen in on the conference call, so was a man from Nevada who doesn't want Richardson to be elected president.

The man didn't identify himself by name, but claimed he was a military veteran and said Richardson "stole my dog tags."

I have no idea what that was about. I thought he said something about cockfighting, but if he is from Nevada, I'm guessing that's not true.

So the first Bill Richardson Meet-Up day has come and passed. The next is scheduled for March 6, go to America for Richardson for more details, or for New Mexicans, Liberal Truth Sayer has created the New Mexico for Richardson blog.

Roundhouse Recap, Feb 7

2007-02-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

The legislature just keeps chugging along, and we're nearing that lovely midway point on Valentine's Day. How many of the bills that Governor Bill Richardson asked to be passed by the mid-point will be passed? Two word: not many.

But let's look back at yesterday and what DID happen.

Ethics packages are in the news, and the quote that is being repeated around the state is John Grubesic (D-Santa Fe) saying that making the Legislature talk about ethics reform is akin to "asking us to design our own noose before we stick our heads into it."

House Bill 818 has cleared the House Voters and Elections Committee. This bill "would extend a voluntary public campaign funding system to all statewide offices," and the voting was yet another party-line vote.

The same committee is scheduled Thursday to consider legislation that would establish expense accounts for legislators amounting to about $16,000 a year (HB 820) and a bill to limit campaign contributions (HB 821).

The ethics package also includes bills to create a state Ethics Commission with subpoena power; limit gifts to public officials; and set more restrictions on state officials and their family members doing contract work for the state. Identical bills have been introduced in the Senate.

Ethics packages are finally making their way through the Roundhouse, and it is long overdue. Let's just hope these ethics bills actually have teeth and stop the unethical behavior that has been a seemingly large part of our politics lately.

The state GOP is attempting to control what they call uncontrolled spending.

State spending should be reined in, with increases pegged only to population growth and inflation, Republicans in the Legislature said Tuesday.
[...]
Under the GOP proposal, if the state took in more money than the expenditure limit, 60 percent of the excess would be put into the severance tax permanent fund and 40 percent would be returned to taxpayers.

Democrats in the Roundhouse are against this, so it has little chance for success. It would cut into new programs, and stop any progress towards making New Mexico a top-state; one reason New Mexico is near the bottom in many rankings is because our government doesn't have the money to put towards education and health care. While spending should be controlled, this is probably not the best way to do it.

Two very popular bills -- if expensive -- are now working their way through the Legislature. These are bills proposing to cut taxes on retired military personnel. House Bill 368 would cut taxes on retired military personnel who are still working; about 13,000 out of the 22,000 in the state. A competing measure in the Senate (Bill 43), would exempt all military retiree pay from income taxes. It could be challenged in the courts, however.

House Bill 207 would exempt all active duty military personnel from their income taxes completely. This would help bring military here -- and would show them how much we appreciate their sacrifices.

The GOP has a new Director of Communications. Kate Nash says Charlotte Balcomb Lane, a former Albuquerque Journal reporter is joining the New Mexico GOP. Our little version of Tony Snow to the White House? Political Director Chris Atencio commented on Lane in a press release

"Lane brings a lot of journalistic experience and credibility to the position," Atencio said in announcing the position. "She is a New Mexico native with a background in Republican politics and a nose for news."

Stuff from the Santa Fe New Mexican's Legislative Roundup:

A statewide ban on talking on the cell phone while driving was bumped for the second time. House Bill 241 is looking less and less like it will become law. Sure there are 37 days left for the bill, but it does not show much enthusiasm for the bill in the House Transportation and Public Works Committee. It would not even allow hands-free devices, unlike the Santa Fe bill and the Albuquerque bill that is headed to Mayor Martin Chavez' desk.

The Senate Public Affairs Committee unanimously supported Senate Bill 397, a bill which would require children under 18 to wear helmets while riding bikes, skateboarding, etc. It would carry a fine of $10 for the parents. I have a feeling that $10 fine would work its way back to the children from the parents, so this would probably be effective. And helmets are important -- ask anyone who has had a serious crash on a bicycle.

Richardson Interviewed by the Tribune

2007-02-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Kate Nash and Kate Nelson (the Kates!) of the Albuquerque Tribune recently interviewed New Mexico governor and Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson. For those of you behind-the-times internet users with dial-up (I'm one of you), they have a full transcript at the link above.

For those of you with high speed, here is the video.

They broached many subjects, from the Wen Ho Lee case to the role of his wife, Barbara. This is a good interview, and Richardson showed again that he is very good in the media.

Roundhouse Recap, February 5

2007-02-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

While all of New Mexico mourned Brian Urlacher and the Chicago Bears' loss to the Indianapolis Colts (on Brian Urlacher Day, no less), the State Legislature somehow found it within themselves to move on and get back to the people's work.

Over in the House, House Bill 15 passed in the full chamber by a 41-25 vote. The bill requires insurers to offer health coverage for domestic partners if requested by the parties involved.

But not all is good for health coverage for same-sex couples. Three lesbian couples has sued the state for health coverage. The state currently pays for health coverage for same-sex couples, but not once the worker retires. Meanwhile, for married couples, the health coverage for the spouse continues on after retirement or death.

And back to the crazy case of cockfighting. Steve Terrell writes in the Santa Fe New Mexican of another hurdle being leapt by the proposed ban. KUNM said in their news updates last night that supporters of cockfighting are growing increasingly resigned to the fact that cockfighting will not be legal in New Mexico after this year's session.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the ban on to the full house by a 7-3 margin. They did, however, amend the bill.

Before voting on the bill, the committee added an amendment making a first offense a misdemeanor for those who "cause, sponsor, arrange, hold, or participate" in a cockfight "for monetary gain or entertainment."

Second and subsequent offenses would be considered fourth-degree felonies. Under state law, misdemeanors carry a maximum jail sentence of 364 days. Those convicted of a fourth-degree felony, the least-severe felony category, can serve as much as 18 months in prison.

In 33 of the 48 states where cockfighting is illegal (only New Mexico and Louisiana still allow the practice), it is a felony for the first offense. I just cannot wait until the House votes on this, and the governor signs it into law. Not only because of the cruelty towards animals, but also so we won't have to read about it daily.

The Senate Reliable Eyewitness Identification Act narrowly passed the Senate Monday, 22-20. The Act would change laws for identifying accused criminals in a police lineup. Again, the New Mexican:

Under the bill, an eyewitness would be required to provide a description of a suspect before viewing a lineup, and there would have to be at least six people in a live lineup and at least 10 photos in a photographic one.

Senators on Monday approved eight amendments to the bill, including one allowing verbal as well as written descriptions of suspects before viewing a lineup. The Senate also lengthened the amount of time eyewitnesses could view a suspect outside of a lineup from one hour to three hours after the eyewitness saw the suspect.

Attorney General Gary King came out against the law initially, but said he will look at it again. Other attorneys are against the law as well.

Lemuel Martinez, district attorney for the 13th Judicial District, which includes Cibola, Sandoval and Valencia counties, said it's easier for witnesses to identify suspects under a simultaneous lineup, and he blasted the bill after the vote.

"It means more criminals will go free, and more people will be falsely identified," Martinez said.

Proponents of the bill argue that it will help guard against false accusations.

One state Senator is leadign the charge against red light cameras. Republican State Senator William Payne called the cameras "a guise for making money for the city of Albuquerque". Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez disputes the notion -- a popular one among the citizens of Albuquerque.

All proceeds from the cameras, which automatically generate citations for speeding and running red lights, go to support the maintenance and expansion of the program, Chavez said.

The only exception, he said, was a $250,000 outlay last year to support prosecution of methamphetamine production and distribution.

"These cameras are not a cash cow for the city," Chavez said. "I've tried everything to cut down on speeding and red-light violations, and this program is the first thing that has worked."

Payne wants yellow flashing lights on the cameras to warn drivers of a red light camera in operation at that intersection. Chavez says these are distracting. Personally, I don't have a problem with the red light cameras. The way the fines are given is troubling, but it is a tool for stopping people breaking the law -- a potentially dangerous law. Of course, I've never been caught by one of the cameras.

Medical marijuana took another step towards becoming a reality in New Mexico, passing the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 7-3 margin. The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act would allow marijuana for the treatment of certain conditions, like AIDS and cancer. It will go in front of the full Senate, where it has passed in the past. Former Governor Gary Johnson should be happy about this one.

The funeral protest ban passed the House Judiciary Committee, and will now go in front of the full House.

What did I miss?

If It's So Cold, Is There Global Warming?

2007-02-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is one argument that global warming skeptics like to throw about whenever it is colder than normal outside. How can it be cold if there is global warming going on outside as Al Gore and the scientists claim? Do they ever step outside to see the weather?

John Fleck at an ABQJournal blog had this response:

Scientists working on this question say one of the important things to understand is the distinction between weather and climate. Weather fluctuates widely over days, months, and even years. Climate is the long term average. In the short run, we will always have unusually cold spells and unusually warm spells. Climate change involves the long term patterns. Here in New Mexico, we've had substantially more unusually warm spells over the last decade than unusually cold spells. We've also had substantially more unusually dry spells than unusually wet spells. It's the sum total of all of those that make up the climate, not any one brief period.

So just as it would be wrong to say that the winter of 2005-2006 was proof of global warming because of how warm it was in North America (it was bitter cold that winter in Europe), it would be wrong to point to our recent cold spell and say it's proof that global warming is not happening. What the scientists do is study the long term averages, which provide the evidence to support their assertions about global climate change.

In other words, just because it is cold today or this month in Albuquerque does not mean global warming does not exist.

Richardson At the DNC Winter Meeting

2007-02-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Bill Richardson was at the DNC Winter Meeting. He didn't get to speak on the same day as the top-tier candidates (though Chris Dodd did), but spoke with Joe Biden and Tom Vilsack this morning. Note: video of all the speeches is available at the Democrats.org website. Expect the Richardson video to be up later today.

Bu, apparently, Richardson was well-received. From the Hotline's stats, Richardson received the most standing ovations of any candidate over the two days of speeches. Granted, he also did speak for 18 minutes, going a little bit over the seven minute time limit. But it's all right, Dodd did (sorry, can't resist the word play) Richardson two better, by speaking for 20 minutes.

Here's the Hotline blog's take on Richardson's speech:

Standing Ovations: 7

Introduced by: DNC Finance Chair Phil Murphy

Subtle Theme: Be positive and my resume rocks.

Overt Theme: I’m “calling on all other candidates to agree to run only positive campaigns.” I “call on the Democratic National Committee to pass a resolution” calling for clean campaigns. We need a president who “brokered international agreements … served as a governor, balanced budgets … turned an economy around.” And I went to Darfur.

Bragging: In New Mexico, we’ve created jobs, many in the high tech industry and we “didn’t abandon union families along the way.” “One of the first things I did as governor was re-instate collective bargaining for employees.” “Rather than using tax cuts to reward the wealthy, I used them to put people to work.” “The first thing we did was give teachers a raise and we did it every four years.” “Expanded health insurance -- we insure every child under the age of five.” “My state has become the clean energy state.” “We need someone who can win in every region in the country.” “As someone who’s served in Congress 14 years …”

Playing to the Crowd: Intro written by the wife of journalist Paul Salopek, the reporter Richardson rescued from the Sudan. Richardson, referring to the time limits on the speeches - “I don’t need seven minutes – I can do it in four words – elect a Democratic President.” Giving the nod to the other ‘08ers: we’re “better off with any of them serving in the White House – as my vice president.”

Cliches: “Don’t tear each other down,” “We believe in offering them a hand and help them up.” “I’m tired of hearing the Democrats don’t stand for anything – we do.”

Discordant Note: Played to the crowd so much he had to shout over applause.

Howard Dean Suck Up: “I just told Gov. Dean I’m almost finished and he said ‘Yeah right.’” “By the way Howard Dean was right about rebuilding our party in 50 states.”

Self-deprecation: “I know that rap on governors – that we don’t know anything about foreign policy. Maybe you can say that about certain governors from Texas but not this governor.”

Blooper: Speech time limit was seven minutes (as Howard Dean pointed out at the beginning of the morning). Richardson spoke about 18 minutes.

Maybe playing to the crowd too much isn't that bad a gaffe, since I have heard a criticism of Richardson is his lack of charisma while giving speeches. That many of those criticizing Richardson then admit to not having heard Richardson give many speeches (if any) is beyond the point -- the thought is that Richardson gives boring speeches, so it becomes conventional wisdom (the Wikiality effect, if you will).

Since newspaper accounts of Richardson's speech seem to be, well, nonexistent at this point, I went to the blogs.

I'll start out at the top of the heap, so to speak. From MyDD.

Bill Richardson: "Stay lose, we gotta year to go", says Richardson regarding his stand in the polls. Richardson's intro is "lean on me" by Bill Withers [the hip hop remix], and closes with some cha-cha music. He looks great-- Richardson might be getting tips from Huckabee. He is one of two that I believe can break out of the second tier. Richardson has a big opening in Nevada, if he is able to mobilize Latino voters to show up. If he does, in a week when it's the only contest and there's not a competing Republican contest for media attention, he's gonna pop onto the radar in a very big way. Then, maybe Florida? Don't count out union support for Richardson either, as he's got a record in New Mexico that's very union-friendly. Teachers too, Richardson came with NM at 47th in pay and is now in the 20's-- AFT. NM's enacted equality legislation, enacted the Kyoto standards, it's impressive. I really like Governor's as Presidential candidates, they have accomplishments they can point to, and Richardson has foreign experience as well. He was very well recieved by this audience, with multiple standing ovations, and Richardson probably moved up a few nothes in their views. Richardson believes in a "reconciliation" effort in Iraq, and calls for a deadline by the end of this year for the US to be out of Iraq.

Here's the take of Adam Lang, from the College Democrats at the University of Wisconsin Madison:

I think, and the consensus in the room I'm sitting in agrees, that Richardson did the best job of putting out a solid plan for America with details where details were due while at the same time conveying a feel good message.
[...]
Full disclaimer: I took home a Bill Richardson rally sign and put a Bill Richardson bumper sticker on my laptop. I was sold on him today.

From a Burnt Orange Report diarist.

Remember how Bill Clinton did better in NH than expected and the other candidates did worse than expected; propelling him forward. Richardson is poised to do the same. He sure as hell did it this weekend.

I had medium expectations of him and he blew me away. He was funny and smart and at-ease. And Presidential. He gave the best speech of the weekend when handicapping for the audience and purpose of the speech.

That diarist says he believes Richardson will either be a spoiler to a candidate (ala Clark was to Edwards in '04) or the dark horse candidate. Richardson is looking to get more editorials calling him the dark horse than just an also-ran, spoiler candidate.

DemNotes (written by Colorado State Party First Vice Chair Dan Slater) speaks about the acceptance of those at the event.

I think the best example of the power of Richardson’s speech can best be seen by what we saw in the "meet and greet" rooms after the session this morning. Each candidate has a small conference room where DNC Members can come and meet the candidate personally and ask questions. Governor Richardson was the only candidate besides Hillary Clinton to need an "overflow room" for DNC Members to wait because of the crowd in the main conference room assigned to him. (In fairness, Senator Obama was unable to attend his "meet and greet," instead holding an event the night before that was heavily attended, and Senator Edwards was not in his room for his meet and greet, sending Elizabeth Edwards instead.)

From what you can see here, the response to Richardson was overwhelmingly positive. I don't think I saw anything negative about Richardson's DNC speech. Perhaps it will help with Richardson's fundraising (which will be his major problem in his Presidential run).

Whatever happens, it looks like Richardson wowed the crowd and gained some converts in DC.

Roundhouse Recap, Feb 2

2007-02-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

It was Groundhog Day yesterday. Bill Murray was on Letterman a night early (celebrating Letterman's 25th anniversary on late night TV). But instead of watching Groundhog Day all day on TBS, the legislatures were actually getting some work done.

Friday was American-Indian Day at the Roundhouse. And some laws affecting the Navajo Nation were the big movers and shakers of the day. One was the issue of tax breaks for the controversial power plant. It was tabled earlier this week, but the Navajo Nation elite wants it back on the table.

"We need that thing," Navajo Nation Vice President Ben Shelly told legislators. "We need to un-table that."

Health care was also a big issue for Native Americans on Friday.

Jemez Pueblo Gov. Raymond Gachupin, chairman of the Ten Southern Pueblos Council, asked lawmakers to back legislation that would provide $10 million to shore up health-care services and develop plans for improved delivery of health care to Indians.

Sponsored by House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, the measure also would establish a Native American Health Council and create a deputy secretary of Native American health in the state Health Department.

New Mexico is a unique state, with many different ethnic groups, including a sizable American Indian bloc. We have to remember not to let them fall by the wayside.

It looks like those ethics bills that were promised are finally starting to drop. They should be working their way through committee soon. Some are basic, such as House Bill 820, which "would prohibit legislators from using campaign funds for purposes other than campaigning." Seems like something that should have already been done.

The Senate Minimum Wage bill overwhelmingly passed Friday. The bill would push the minimum wage in the state to $7.50 by 2009. There is a similar bill in the House, pushed by Speaker Lujan. The House proposal would up the minimum wage to $7.50 by 2008. It's unclear which will win approval, though by the Senate vote, it looks like a good bet that one or the other will become law.

The Senate bill would not allow local governments to raise the minimum wage further until 2013. It would also exempt agricultural activities. Republicans criticized the move as purely political, saying Richardson just wanted to beat the federal government to the punch.

And the battle between oil companies and private property owners is heating up. House Bill 827 was introduced by Andy Nuñez from Hatch, NM.

Oil and gas companies would have to notify surface owners at least 30 days before they begin drilling. If the landowner and the company could not reach an agreement for drilling, companies would have to obtain a blanket $25,000 surety bond or a $10,000 bond for each well drilled.

Landowners would be compensated for any damage done by the oil or gas company.

Bob Gallagher, President of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association called the New Mexico Oil & Gas Accountability Project, supporters of Nuñez's bill, "wide-eyed obstructionists."

The ignition-interlock tampering bill is now headed to the House floor. House Bill 125 would would say that tampering with an ignition interlock system "may subject the applicant to penalties for driving with a revoked license".

Anything I missed? Anything I got wrong? And look, a whole post without mentioning cockfighting!

Insight New Mexico Tomorrow at 3:00!

2007-02-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to listen to the best damn local radio show tomorrow at 3:00 on 1350 AM. It's Eric Griego on Insight New Mexico.

Here is the guest list:

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino. He has gained a lot of attention for co-sponsoring the Impeachment bill this year, but he has also introduced some other great legislation. Included are the Working Family Tax Credit and the Cost of Living Adjustment for Medicaid. It should be interesting to hear the Senator from Albuquerque talk about this year's session.

Also on the show is Eric Mack, who I will admit that I know nothing about. So I'll just quote from the Insight NM site.

Eric Mack is the head producer for the New Mexico News Connection, a radio news service heard throughout the state. His broadcast work has also been heard on many public radio programs worldwide including All Things Considered, Living on Earth, BBC's The World, Justice Talking, National Native News and the Voice of America. As a print reporter, his work has appeared in the National Catholic Reporter, High Country News, the Albuquerque Journal, Business 2.0, Sierra, Alternet and other publications. He lives in Taos with his wife and dog and avoids any restaurant that serves a burger with potato chips instead of fries.

In the Notes from the Blogosphere section, Democracy For New Mexico will be discussing local issues. This is one of the local blogs that I read daily. And if you are reading this post right now, you probably already read it as well. Or if you don't, you should.

And Griego will be talking with some APS and CNM board candidates. So tune in, and listen to progressive local talk radio. It's the only time you'll get the chance until next week.

Roundhouse Recap, Feb 1

2007-02-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

The first day of February meant some big-name and controversial bills made news in the New Mexico legislative session. One of those bills is the cockfighting ban. Sorry if it seems like Groundhog Day.

Cockfighting survived what KOAT's Matt Grubs called this a "killing ground" for the ban. The Senate Conservation Committee passed the bill on a 5-3 vote. Kate Nash adds some perspective:

The move is significant because the committee in the past has always rejected the move.

Mary Jane Garcia, the Senate Majority Whip and the bill's sponsor, says she has the votes in the Senate. It looks like this is the year the bloodsport dies in New Mexico.

Gay marriage has been a divisive "wedge issue" in the US over the past couple of years. New Mexico is no different, from when the Sandoval County Clerk Victoria Dunlap gained national attention for giving out marriage certificates to same-sex couples, to this year's proposed gay marriage bans.

The two Republican-proposed bills died in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, on party-line 4-3 votes. From the Santa Fe New Mexican:

House Joint Resolution 2, sponsored by Rep. Gloria Vaughn, R-Alamogordo, would have let state voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

House Bill 395, sponsored by Rep. Nora Espinoza, R-Roswell, would have put that definition of marriage in state statute.

The committee voted to table the bills, effectively killing them.

On the other side of gay issues, comes House Bill 15, which is headed to the House floor for a vote. Again, the New Mexican:

Under the bill, insurance companies would be required to provide coverage to domestic partners of employees who work or are expected to work an average of at least 20 hours a week over a six-month period if an employer requests such coverage. The bill defines domestic partners as unmarried people who are older than 18, who have lived together for at least a year, are jointly responsible for each other's "common welfare," share financial obligations and are in a "mutually exclusive, committed relationship."

I hope this bill passes, it is something that will end one small part of discrimination in the state.

A piece of DWI legislation pushed by the family of Arissa Garcia also died.

Senate Bill 191, introduced by Sen. Joseph Carraro, R-Albuquerque, would prevent gas stations from obtaining liquor licenses and require stations that hold licenses to give them up. Several hundred gas stations in New Mexico have liquor licenses, according to a lobbyist for Giant Industries.

I didn't think this would have much of a chance because of the outcry from gas stations that have liquor licenses. For many gas station operators, selling alcohol is a huge profit-maker, much more than gasoline itself.

Gerald Collins, Garcia's great-uncle, said they "received absolutely no support" on the bill.

Medical marijuana is once again on the docket. A bill sponsored by Jerry Ortiz y Pino, a busy man, passed the Senate Public Affairs committee, and is now headed to the Senate floor. Last year, a similar bill passed the Senate, but ran into trouble on the House floor. Ortiz y Pino thinks this is the year that the controversial bill will pass.

A parental notification bill was tabled in the House today. House Bill 239 would have required doctors to tell parents of teenage girls looking for abortions about their daughter's decision. It was another 4-3 party line vote in another hot-button issue. Senate bill 442 is still alive, however.

The Dee Johnson Clean Air Act, House Bill 238, which would effectively end smoking indoor in public areas unanimously passed the House Health and Government Affairs Committee. It is now in the House Business and Industry Committee. The bill would end smoking in restaurants, bars, and all workplaces, and has inspired some lively debate over at Duke City Fix. Personally, I do not see how inhaling smoke of any kind can be anything but bad for my health.

There was oh so-much going on, so for all the things I missed, read the Santa Fe New Mexican Legislative Roundup and the Albuquerque Tribune's Per Diem. And yell at me in the comments for anything you think I should have included.

Imus Insults Richardson

2007-02-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Don Imus is not a fan of Bill Richardson. In fact, he's the exact opposite, going by his tirade this morning on his radio show. I first saw it on KOAT, and the remarks were pretty crazy.

Media Matters also reported on it.

On the February 1 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus offered a message to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM): "Besa mi culo," which loosely translates as "kiss my ass" in Spanish. Imus was talking about his frustration with officials in New Mexico, and particularly in the governor's office, over a project that he described as "renovating a school in ... Ribera, New Mexico, to provide a community center for a devastated part of New Mexico." After calling Richardson "that fat governor," Imus said, "How 'bout if I whip your fat ass, Bill?" before an unidentified voice said "Besa mi culo," which Imus echoed. Later in the program, Imus referred to Richardson as "Gordo," which is Spanish for "fat one."

Imus is, of course, a blowhard that is aired locally on 610 The Sports Animal in Albuquerque and surrounding areas. Why he is on the sports channel instead of getting a full compliment of Mike and Mike in the Morning is beyond me. But I digress.

Imus runs Imus Ranch in Ribera, NM.

Its sole purpose is to provide the experience of the great American cowboy to children suffering from cancer or serious blood disorders, and children who've lost brothers and sisters to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

A very laudable cause. But the whole problem comes from that small community in Northern New Mexico.

Imus is apparently mad at Richardson because of a proposed community center in Ribera, headed by Gloria Garcia. Garcia wrote Imus asking for money for the center. Imus gave some money, and suggested she ask Governor Richardson for money. She did so, and Richardson was initially receptive. But, remember, this is all according to Imus, Richardson is now just "jerking Gloria's chain." Richardson says the expense needs to be approved by the Legislature.

Imus just went on insulting Richardson, and his Presidential campaign. "If he wants to run for President, he has to get his act together," Imus said, "And stop being a fat baby about all this." He insulted Richardson's staffers as well. "He doesn't have a ready for prime time staff. I mean, Bill Richardson has no more business running for President with this staff than [co-host] Syd does." He even went after Richardson's wife.

Maybe Imus has a point. But when he hides his point with insults, calling him a "fat sissy", it loses some of its effectiveness. It's reasons like this that I don't take people like Imus seriously.

Then again, he got me to write a whole blog post about it, so I guess he at least has my attention.

Roundhouse Recap, Jan 31

2007-02-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, January has come and gone, and, as of yet, lawmakers have yet to pass any of the governor's key agenda. It is still early, but I'm not sure how many of Richardson's ideas will be passed in the first 30 days; remember, Richardson asked the legislature to pass significant pieces of legislation in the first 30 days.

"We'll be able to maybe get to two of them," said Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra, an Albuquerque Democrat. "Due to hearings and everything, it's not that easy to get bills passed."

So we're aiming for two! That's two more than zero, for those of you non-math majors out there.

So what happened yesterday up in Santa Fe (or down in Santa Fe depending on your location)?

Lydia Lovejoy was appointed to the Senate by Bill Richardson. And not all liberals are happy. Joe Monahan:

Lovejoy is not getting any love, however, from liberals who resent her comments on abortion and homosexuality during her recent presidential run and which were circulated against her on the Net. Here's how the New Times of Phoenix wrote her up:"I''m anti-abortion on an individual basis," she stammered, with more umms and ahhs than The Bird has room to reproduce. "But I know families whose children have gone through abortion . . . but personally I would not tolerate it except when a person doesn't have a choice."

Safe enough answer, despite the Navajo pol's near incoherence. But her remarks on homosexual rights made her sound like some 19th-century eugenicist.

"I feel the same way about that as I feel about abortion," spat Lovejoy. "I know we are all . . . some of our children are born with physical impairments and it's not the baby's fault. That person is special. I feel the same way about sexual orientation."

Ugh. Are you serious, Lovejoy?

Questa Senator Carlos Cisneros (D) introduced a bill called the "Health Security Act." KUNM called the bill a possible first step in the direction of universal health care in New Mexico. The bill is different than the plan outlined by Richardson in the State of the State address. But is it necessary?

Never mind that the state already shelled out $310,782 for Mathematica to study three options for expanding health care coverage in New Mexico. Even though the report is due in June, proponents of the Health Security Act — one of the three plans — want lawmakers to appropriate $500,000 for yet another cost analysis on just their model. After Sen. Cisneros introduced SB 720 and SB 721, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, in a hallway interview, said, "It seems like a duplicate of expense for what we've already done."

The bill has been assigned to the Judiciary and Finance committees.

A bill that is gaining attention is one that would ban smoking in restaurants statewide. The Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Act passed the House Health and Government Affairs Committee, and will now go to the House Business & Industry Committee. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have similar laws in effect, but this one would affect bars as well.

Arissa Garcia and her family spoke yesterday in favor of DWI legislation. The bill they were speaking in favor of would stiffen penalties for tampering with ignition interlock systems. Garcia was the sole survivor of a car crash caused by a drunk driver who was served drinks on Frontier even though Frontier does not have a liquor license, as is required by New Mexico law.

Are you going through withdrawals from the lack of news about the cockfighting ban in New Mexico? Well, I'm here to help you out. The Albuquerque Tribune takes a look at the history of the efforts to ban cockfighting. Meanwhile, House Minority leader wants to give (don't laugh) fighting cocks a suitable retirement. Read it -- then you can laugh.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the appropriate state agencies be requested to design and implement a retirement program befitting the majesty of the fighting cocks that includes twice-weekly visits from the very best cage-free hens the state has to offer, one high-definition television for every six cocks and a subscription to ESPN, animal planet and CMT pure country, but not to the food network or FOX news.

Maybe Taylor missed his true calling, and should become a comedy writer.

Oh, and competing minimum wage bills were introduced yesterday.

Although Lujan is a close ally of Gov. Bill Richardson, the governor is backing a competing bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City, that would bump the current state minimum wage of $5.15 to $6.50 on Jan. 1 and to $7.50 in 2009.
It passed the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee 5-4 Wednesday on a party-line vote.
"When the governor sent this down to me, he said this is the version of the bill that I like," Altamirano said. "We almost have a guaranteed signature on this bill."
But the governor's nod didn't stop Lujan from introducing his own bill Wednesday. It calls for the state's minimum wage to go to $6.50 in July and to $7.50 in January 2008.

We'll have to see how this plays out -- and hope the competing measures don't cause legislators to kill the competing one off.

Roundhouse Recap, January 30

2007-01-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

So what happened in the Roundhouse yesterday? Joe Monahan says this year's legislature is a bust so far. He also exposed Steve Terrell's whoopie cushion plot. Yeah, I know you're curious.

The death-penalty repeal bill has passed its 'first hurdle'. The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee passed the bill on a 4-3 party line vote. But as with everything in this year's session, Bill Richardson's Presidential run is complicating this.

Two years ago, when asked about how a bill to abolish capital punishment would affect a Richardson presidential campaign, Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told a reporter, "That bill is deadly to his campaign if he becomes a candidate for president. It's a no-win proposition for him. He needs to make certain that bill never makes it to his desk."

However, Sabato now says he doesn’t think signing a death-penalty bill necessarily would sink Richardson's presidential dreams. In fact, he said, it could help during next year’s primary season.

"Opposing the death penalty is certainly not a plus in the general election, and a Republican nominee would be sure to use it against Richardson," Sabato said in an e-mail in response to a reporter's question Tuesday.

"But Richardson's big problem is getting nominated, and opposition to the death penalty would help, especially in Iowa, where anti-death penalty fervor is substantial among the voters who participate in the early caucuses," Sabato said.

The bill now moves on to the House Judiciary Committee. It was in the Senate Judiciary Committee where it died by a one-vote margin last year.

The bill banning protests at funerals cleared its first hurdle. The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee also passed this one, but on a 3-2 vote. It will also go to the House Judiciary Committee. There is, however, opposition to the bill.

Diane Wood of the American Civil Liberties Union testified against the bill, saying the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, even that which is "cruel, distasteful and upsetting."

The Rev. Holly Beaumont of Santa Fe said she was sympathetic to the veterans, but she opposes the bill. Beaumont is the coordinator for Standing Together, a project of the New Mexico Conference of Churches that deals with hate groups. "If you pass this bill, Fred Phelps will celebrate," she said. "He'll be happy he was able to compromise freedom of speech." Beaumont said the best way to deal with Phelps' group — which she described as a "family cult" — is to ignore it.

The bill is pretty much directly against Rev. Fred Phelps and his church that protests military funerals because they believe the military deaths are God's punishment for tolerating homosexuality. Just as Jesus would have done, right?

A gaming compact with 11 tribes that would increase state revenues and extend the compact to 2045 will be explored by a joint committee. The House has named its eight members (Reps. Dan Silva, D-Albuquerque; Nick Salazar, D-Ohkay Owingeh; Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe; James Roger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo; Larry Larrañaga, R-Albuquerque; Tom Taylor, R-Farmington; W.C. "Dub" Williams, R-Glencoe; and Eric Youngberg, R-Albuquerque). The Senate has yet to do so.

The compact may not pass, but it may reach the floor. From the Albuquerque Tribune:

Legislators might not approve proposed new compacts between the state and its gambling tribes, but they'll get a chance to vote this session, said House Speaker Ben Lujan.

"I think it's doable to get to the floor," said Lujan, a Namb‚ Democrat. "Now what that vote turns out to be is hard to say."

House Minority Whip Dan Foley doesn't think that it will make it to the floor, however. "He gave us a 30-day agenda and we haven't got much of that done," he said. "You would think that with that ambitious of an agenda, his bills will be flowing out of committee.

The compact would give the state greater control over the casinos, and would edge out competition from racetrack slot machines. The racetracks that currently have slot machines would be allowed to keep them, but could not add any or expand hours.

A surprising thing that I found out recently is that oil companies do not have to pay property owners for any damage done while drilling the oil.

Rep. Andy Nuñez, D-Hatch, introduced a bill Tuesday that would require oil and gas companies to notify private property owners before entering their land to drill. Under the bill, companies would also have to compensate property owners for any damage from drilling. A similar bill passed the House last year, but was not heard in the Senate.

Around the West, private property owners often don't own the mineral rights on their land. Currently, under state and federal law, private property owners receive no compensation or notification from oil and gas companies.

This should be a no-brainer to pass. That said, it will probably be heavily debated and opposed by those in the pocket of the oil companies.

Meanwhile, in ethics news, some lawmakers want the US Attorneys office and New Mexico Attorney General Gary King to take a look at the Housing Authorities.

The letter was signed by 12 of the state's 112 lawmakers.

"We know each of you are aware of the serious allegations of possible wrongdoing, including potential criminal wrongdoing, at the regional housing authorities in the state. We urge you to investigate these allegations fully," the letter says.
[...]
This will be a big deal. Eyes are on the authorities in part because of a report that a high-paid aide to House Speaker Ben Lujan was getting free housing from an authority.

I'll just echo Nash; this will be a back deal.

Finally, a bill asking for an automatic recount in close statewide or federal elections was introduced yesterday.

Any race for statewide office, such as governor, or for the U.S. House or Senate decided by one-half of 1 percent of votes cast would automatically trigger the recount.

The proposal also calls for the recounts to be paid for out of a new $500,000 state fund if the Legislature passes the bill and Gov. Bill Richardson signs it.

Other states have similar legislation. Currently, a candidate can ask for a recount, but they must pay for it themselves. If the results are overturned, then they get the money back.

Anything that I missed? Add them in the comments.

DC Lawmakers Threaten to Close Down LANL

2007-01-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

From the Associated Press:

Fed-up lawmakers on a House oversight committee said Tuesday they want to strip a federal nuclear agency of its security responsibilities and threatened to shut down Los Alamos National Laboratory to correct a decade of security lapses there.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., said he has sat through nearly a decade of hearings in which the Energy Department and the northern New Mexico nuclear weapons lab have promised to fix security problems.

"I've been hearing these promises for a long time, and they've become somewhat tedious," he said.

Los Alamos has had a history of bad security and mismanagement. I'm sure the Bomb Town Observer will have more coverage on this.

Roundhouse Recap Jan 29

2007-01-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Some measures died a quiet death in committees Tuesday. Other more
controversial measures went out kicking and screaming. I'll start with
an annual measure that never seems to go anywhere and was a victim of a
party-line vote: a measure to open
up committee meetings.

Republican lawmaker's alternative approach to prying open legislative conference committees was shot down Monday by a House panel.

Majority Democrats killed GOP Whip Dan Foley's measure on a party-line, 11-7 vote in the Rules and Order of Business Committee.

House Majority leader Ben Lujan said he is not completely opposed to it -- only in one occasion.

Lujan said he supports opening conference committees except on the budget bill. He said public scrutiny of those discussions would be too tough on the conferees and would lengthen the negotiations.

There are more similar bills in the works, though it is unlikely that any will pass. The Democrats don't seem open to the idea, and since they have a healthy majority, it probably won't pass. I think that transparent government is a great idea.

A bill saying that teachers would have "the right and freedom to objectively inform students of any scientific information that is relevant to both strengths and weaknesses" of the evolutionary theory was tabled by the House Judiciary committee. The bill earned the nickname the 'Creationism' measure.

But several scientists, teachers and others testifying against the measure said the resolution would embarrass the state and would redefine the very work of science.

On this Saturday's Insight New Mexico, Suzanne Prescott said something similar about the bill being an embarrassment, saying we would be compared to Kansas. Kansas became the butt of many jokes when the state school board passed an "Intelligent Design" bill. Of course, the Kansas decision did spawn the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, so it can't be all bad.

From the comments: Dave Thomas (must... stop... self... from... obvious... joke...) tells us about a discussion of the creationism bill (or rather, bills) at the Panda's Thumb.

A bill that would give tax breaks to build a coal power plant on the Navajo Nation was tabled Monday. The bill would give Houston-based Sithe Global Power $85 million to build the coal power plant.

The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a 7-6 vote decided to table the measure. The plant would effectively destroy any chance of meeting Governor Bill Richardson's alternative energy goals. While the plant would create many jobs, it would also have a huge negative effect on the environment.

The plant can still be built, but it will not have any of the tax incentives the company would have hoped for.

One measure that did pass the House Judiciary Committee was "legislation asking Congress to repeal a federal law that established tougher driver's license requirements." The so-called "Real ID Act" is an unfunded 2005 federal proposal that would cost New Mexico tens of millions of dollars. It also has significant privacy concerns; in other words, fiscal conservatives and the ACLU both can find support for the bill asking the federal government to repeal the act.

The committee voted unanimously for a "do-pass" recommendation.

Richardson Campaigns in Nevada

2007-01-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Governor Bill Richardson has started his campaign for President. I know, he already announced, but now he has begun to campaign, and has started in the state of Nevada. But not in Las Vegas, or even Reno. In Minden, NV. Richardson looks to be courting rural Nevada. A heavily Republican rural Nevada.

"Most importantly, I'm here to emphasize the importance of rural economies, of the rural way of life. I'm a Westerner who supports the Second Amendment. I am a westerner who supports the rugged individualism of the West," Richardson told a crowd of local and Las Vegas reporters he spoke to for 11 minutes before speaking to an audience of 250 for almost an hour.

"Only 15 percent of America lives in rural areas, and as a candidate, I'm going to pay attention to rural areas. I know this is Republican territory, but in a primary, I'm going to campaign everywhere."

But there is still plenty of time for Richardson to go to the big cities and Democratic strongholds.

After all, according to the Reno-Gazette Journal account of his visit, Richardson intends to visit each of Nevada's 17 counties. He is going for the door-to-door, grassroots, common man campaign. I've heard that Richardson has a big supporter in Senate Majority leader Harry Reid; but I haven't found any evidence, if anyone has any evidence confirming or disproving this, e-mail me.

Heath Haussamen has a response to Richardson's visit from Vicki Bates, a Democrat from Douglas County.

People here aren't necessarily ready to jump on the bandwagon yet - it's early and we have a lot of other candidates to hear from - but he was perhaps moved to the top of the list of contenders for many. The words I heard most often from those I talked to were "impressive" and "practical," and no one expressed any reservations about him.

Former General Wesley Clark spoke first and gave a rousing speech that was sort of like a pep rally. At first, it almost sounded like he was endorsing Gov. Richardson, but as the speech went on, he sounded more like a candidate himself, though he's still undeclared. He, too, was well-received.

Gov. Richardson's style was more pleasant and conversational, though he got charged up a few times too. He not only brought up issues and concerns that need to be addressed in this country, but used practical examples of how he's addressed such concerns in the state of New Mexico and during his diplomatic career.

Read the entire response by Bates here.

But Joe Monahan points out something that will hurt Richardson; with more states pushing their primaries up, it will be harder for the lower-tiered candidates to compete. It will be harder to get momentum from an early victory or strong-showing.

Over at MyDD, Chris Bowers gets more in depth, talking about Nevada specifically.

With no real time for the media to develop a narrative around the Nevada caucuses, I have a difficult time seeing how they will have a major impact on the media narrative, and thus the nomination process. Because they take place on a Saturday, only three days before the New Hampshire primary, at best they will be the focus of news of one weekend. Due to the lack of media attention, and due to the proximity to to the New Hampshire primary, many candidates, especially top tier candidates, might choose to ignore the Nevada caucuses.
[...]
It might be smart for second tier candidates to target a "better than expected" finish in Iowa coupled with a win in Nevada (this might especially be effective for Vilsack and Richardson).

If the big names (Hillary, Obama) choose to ignore Nevada, even a victory by Richardson will be seen as an empty victory. A loss to Edwards would be devastating for Richardson.

And New Hampshire, three days later, will be a tough state for Richardson. The locals are not happy with Nevada jumping in front of New Hampshire in the primaries. And Richardson was a huge proponent of a Western state getting that second-slot.

So that leaves Iowa and South Carolina before Super Tuesday. Iowa looks to be an uphill battle for Richardson. Vilsack is the home-twon guy, Edwards is polling very well, and Obama is from the Midwest. And I didn't even mention Hillary.

In South Carolina, the latest news on Richardson is his stance on the Confederate flag.

"This was and still is a very divisive issue, and I don't claim to know all the different positions," Richardson said in a statement issued Thursday in response to a reporter's inquiry. "But if I had been in the legislature when the vote had been taken, I would have voted to remove the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds altogether."
[...]
The flag flew above South Carolina's capitol in Columbia between 1962 and 2000. The state legislature approved a compromise that moved the flag to a Confederate monument in front of the statehouse.

To me, it's a no-brainer to come out against the Confederate flag. I would have liked Richardson to have come out even more strongly against the flag flying anywhere near a government building in South Carolina. To me, it represents slavery and the rebels in a Civil War. Not something I would like flying anywhere near me.

No word on anything out of Iowa, yet.

Dendahl Leaves New Mexico

2007-01-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

The GOP gubernatorial candidate who was on the bad side of the most lopsided defeat in the history of New Mexico gubernatorial races is moving out of New Mexico. The controversial former GOP chairman is going to Denver to be closer to his family.

Dendahl used the article to air some Parthian Shots about Governor Bill Richardson and the New Mexico Democratic party.

He said Richardson "has expanded what I think is corrupt conduct in government in New Mexico and people of New Mexico have accepted it."

"To govern through intimidation and fear and retaliation is corrupt conduct. ... To me, corruption goes beyond breaking laws. It's a style. It's a moral idea. It's a personal style."

Because of this, Jim Baca called Dendahl a hypocrite.

Wasn't this guy the one who offered $100,000 to the Green Party to run candidates to hurt Democratic office seekers a few years back? If that is not blatant public corruption I don't know what is.

The Journal story does report on this, but only near the end of the story. It also claimed that Dendahl ruled the GOP with an iron fist.

Two Republican legislators claimed in 2002 that Dendahl worked against their re-elections because they opposed then-Gov. Gary Johnson's efforts to make some drug use legal.

This doesn't even go into the replacement of JR Damron in the 2006 Governor's race. The change was not all that successful; Dendahl couldn't raise cash, and blamed Richardson for intimidation. He might have blamed himself for making comments calling teachers socialists and other such gaffes.

Albuquerque Antiwar March

2007-01-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

In Washington, DC, there was a march with tens of thousands, perhaps 100,000 people protesting the Iraq war.

Here in Albuquerque, Democracy for New Mexico says 1,000 people marched protesting the war. In the post, Terry Riley reports on the event, and Tom Solomon has pictures.

What did we get done Saturday? We had about 1,000 people mobilized in Albuquerque to march from our three representatives' offices speaking out against the troop buildup AND against Bush. We all saw what was going on and the police saw what was going on. We did not affect many people's lives like we would if we shut down the Big I. What we did do though is we got coverage on ALL THREE Albuquerque network affiliates. We were interviewed and our signs appeared on TV screens all over Albuquerque. We got coverage in Sunday's paper as well. We collectively spoke out in support of SJR05, the resolution in the New Mexico Legislature to Impeach Bush and Cheney that is sponsored by Senators Gerald Ortiz y Pino and John Grubesic.

The Albuquerque Journal put the crowd in the "hundreds". The Trib asked Friday "Where have all the anti-war demonstrators gone?", just a day before the largest protests since the beginning of the Iraq War. The Joline Gutierrez column mostly lays blame to the UNM students who "have apparently not unhooked from their iPods long enough to read a newspaper or turn on NPR" to learn more about the war.

Overall, the protest was a success, both in Washington, DC and in Albuquerque. The opposition to the war is growing quickly. Fast enough and strong enough that perhaps Gutierrez will get her wish, and those iPod-listening college students may join the protests.

Insight New Mexico

2007-01-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder -- try to be around your radio today at 3:00, and tune your radio to 1350 AM. Why? Insight New Mexico, of course! The only local progressive talk radio show comes weekly on Saturdays at 3:00, and today should be another good episode.

Today's hour-long program will feature Democratic NM State Rep. Moe Maestas, Albuquerque Tribune columnist Gene Grant, NM conservative blogger Mario Burgos and a surprise guest. For more on the guests, check out the Insight New Mexico website.

So, on Saturday afternoons, there is no longer any college football to watch, so you might as well listen in to Insight New Mexico.

Martin Chavez to Join DNC

2007-01-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Martin Chavez is going to be part of the Howard-Dean led Democratic National Committee. From the ABQJournal:

Mayor Martin Chávez has been appointed to the Democratic National Committee as an at-large member.

He was notified this week by DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

Chávez, in Washington, D.C., for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said the appointment came as a surprise.

But Chávez has increasingly taken on a higher profile nationally, especially on environmental and water-supply issues.

Chavez, according to a press release, joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Evan Bayh (D-IN), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and eight other mayors calling on the President to make cities a bigger part of domestic policy. There were mayors from Philadelphia, Boston, Indianapolis and other big cities.

But back to the DNC announcement.

Chávez said his DNC appointment will be good for Gov. Bill Richardson, because he supports Richardson's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

I'm not sure how much pull Chavez will have in the DNC, and not sure how much help he can give Richardson. But, it is still a loyal statement by the Albuquerque mayor.

Three Day Weekend! Part 2

2007-01-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

I think the entire New Mexico Legislature has become allergic to a five day work week. Steve Terrell, the journalist from the Santa Fe New Mexican, says while it is normal for the legislature to take the first Friday off, he can't remember the last time they took the first two Fridays off.

This will probably lead to some long days and nights near the end of the session, says Albuquerque Tribune writer Kate Nash. But as any college student will tell you, a three-day weekend now is better than an easy day later in the semester (or in this case, session). Until that 'mental health day' comes back to haunt you.

State Sen. Dede Feldman is using the time off well, and has updated her blog, with a post about the State of the State address.

He wants us to pass four things in the first thirty days:

1. A $7.50 an hour minimum wage

2. A Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to export solar, wind and other renewable energy. A requirement that utility companies produce 15% of their energy through renewable energy sources by 2015 and 25% by 2020 (Go Bill)

3. Grip II to finish the giant road building project he begun in his first term

4. $123 million in tax cuts, including a Working Families Tax Credit, an extension of the personal income tax credit, and an elimination of income tax for active duty members of the military

There is more, including her looks at healthcare in New Mexico, in that post, it is definitely a must-read. OK, not MUST-read, but you'll be better of for having read it.

Today's Albuquerque Journal has an article saying that the proposed funeral protest ban is getting some opposition.

A bill that would prevent protesters from demonstrating near soldiers' funerals would violate the First Amendment's protections of free speech, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

House Bill 186, introduced by Rep. Tom Swisstack, D-Rio Rancho, would make it illegal to demonstrate within 500 feet of a funeral site for an hour before and after a scheduled service.

Though not limited to military funerals, a catalyst for the bill was a raucous Sept. 21 demonstration by members of Westboro Baptist Church outside the funeral of Army Spec. Alexander Jordan in Rio Rancho. Jordan, 31, was killed Sept. 10 in Iraq.

This is a tricky issue. On one hand, protesting a funeral is just disgusting. Completely and utterly disgusting. On the other hand, this reminds me of the laughable "free speech zones" in use during the Republican National Convention in New York City, where protesters were only allowed to protest in designated areas.

In this case, I have to say that I'm with Rep. Swisstack. As long as the bill is clearly worded so that it only can be used for funerals, and that it should not be used as a basis for any other similar laws restricting protests. Of course, the courts might shoot this down, but I think it is worth the effort.

Meanwhile, a Payday Loans bill is going through the House, but it looks like it doesn't make either the Payday Loan industry or consumer advocates happy. ABQJournal:

Payday loan operators found many flaws with the new bill, but most notably they said the allowed fees for lenders would not cover the costs of providing loans.

"The fees are just too low for the operation of the industry," said Steve Solomon, an attorney with Fast Bucks.

Consumer advocates said the bill still allows for an interest rate as high as 89.9 percent on a loan.

Michael Hely, with the Senior Citizens' Law Office, urged committee members to approve a 36 percent interest rate cap— similar to legislation approved by Congress and scheduled to take effect in October.

The bill that would require the state to notify schools when a student has been accused of a violent crime is now being debated. This is another issue that I have feelings on both sides of. Obviously, if there is an accused rapist running around the school, the school would like to know. But there is the 'accused' part -- it may be a false accusation. A thorny issue, to be sure.

Meanwhile, Rep. Al Park introduced a $500 million education bill. The bill would spent $500 million of the $700 million surplus on education; while the sentiment is there, it probably won't pass. Spending nearly all of the surplus on one issue just will not be done.

OK, I think I am all caught up. Anything that I missed?

Bill Richardson = Batman?

2007-01-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show talked about Bill Richardson the other night, talking about all the people who have announced for President. You can watch the video below, where the Richardson part starts with just after 1:40 left.

EDIT: The previous video went down, so this is a YouTube video, not sure if the timing still links up.

Richardson To Concentrate on Nevada

2007-01-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like Governor Bill Richardson will be putting a lot of concentration into Nevada. The Reno-Gazette Journal is reporting Richardson "is the first candidate to announce hiring staff to organize his campaign in Nevada."

Not only that, but

Richardson is set to make his first campaign swing through Northern Nevada on Saturday, one week after joining the burgeoning field of Democratic presidential hopefuls.

Hat tip to fellow New Mexico blogger/journalist Heath Haussamen. (Note: I mean he's a fellow blogger, not that I'm a journalist)

Richardson will be joined by potential rival, and Kossack favorite, Gen. Wesley Clark.

Richardson is scheduled to speak Saturday evening at the Douglas County Democrats' annual fundraising dinner in Minden.

He will be sharing the stage with a potential rival, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who is considering a second run for president in 2008 but hasn't made an announcement.

So... Why Nevada?

According to the Albuquerque Tribune

It's an early primary state Richardson absolutely has to win.

He might not need to win the state; a strong showing coupled with a strong showing in Iowa could give him enough momentum to keep his campaign going.

Nevada is the second state in the quest to win the Democratic nomination. And will probably continue to be so, despite New Hampshire's "hissy fit". So it has become very important -- I don't have to tell you political savvy readers that momentum gained or lost at this early juncture can determine who becomes the Democrat nominee. Even though I guess I just did.

Also, Nevada is nearly 25 percent Hispanic according to the 2005 Census estimate. Hispanics are by far the second-largest group, besides "White persons not Hispanic." While Kos is quick to note that Hispanics are not the most reliable of voters (they don't go out to the polls as often as other groups), perhaps an Hispanic candidate will make them a little more enthused.

One thing that Richardson has in Nevada that others do not is that he is from the area. Hillary, Obama, Edwards, Vilsack, Dodd... none of these candidates are from the West like Richardson is. He will have the "one of us" card on his side. Expect to hear "I'm a Western governor..." a lot when Richardson is in Nevada.

Richardson will spend a lot of time and money in Nevada. It is the main make or break state for the longshot candidate.

NM Legislature Invited to See Rio Rancho Arena

2007-01-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Rio Rancho mayor Keith Jackson wasn't in the Mayor's Office when much of the infrastructure for the new Rio Rancho downtown was put in place. But he is completely willing to continue the effort to build a downtown area out of scratch deep in the deserts of Rio Rancho. At the center of the new downtown (er, the Master-Planned City Centre/Downtown) is the Santa Ana Star Center, or as it is known to residents, the Rio Rancho arena.

To show off the crown jewel of Rio Rancho (sorry Wal Mart), Jackson has invited the entire New Mexico Legislature to take in a hockey game at the arena. Jackson is hoping hte new arena will impress the legislature into further funding for the Rio Rancho downtown area. Maybe a more subtle way to convince them is the epic traffic jams on the two-lane road to the arena.

The city is asking for roughly $40 million in legislative funding this year, $33 million more than it received last year.

The majority of the requested funding is for two projects— $20.5 million for a water system to serve the new City Centre and $13 million for the continued widening of Unser. Both projects would affect the Santa Ana Star Center and surrounding City Centre area.

Bad urban planning? Perhaps. Btu Unser Blvd clearly needs to be expanded to at least the new downtown -- and soon.

The new Rio Rancho City Hall will be done later this year. Lions Gate is building a $15 million studio just north of the City Centre. UNM and NMSU have over 400 acres where they plan to build a Rio Rancho campus. I'd imagine other businesses would love to build downtown. And these all bring traffic.

And while it may seem like it is in the middle of nowhere, people forget (or never knew) there are already houses out there in the desert. A mile away from the arena is a housing division; Northern Meadows (For exactly where it is, go to page 5 of the Master Plan -- caution, pdf file). Trust me -- Friday nights, when there is a Scorpions game, you do not want to be caught driving to Northern Meadows at 7:00.

Jackson is hoping the members of the Legislature see the new arena, read the City Centre/Downtown plans and are impressed enough to give the city $40 million. Or, if that fails, that they will take pity on Rio Rancho, and give the city the money. Either way, Rio Rancho's City Centre may depend on the money that is given -- or not given -- this eyar.

Roundhouse Roundup

2007-01-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I didn't have a Roundhouse Recap last night; my internet went down. And it's kind of late now, I feel, so you'll have to satisfy yourself with Steve Terrell's weekly Roundhouse Roundup. It is on his Web Log, not to be confused with his Legislature Blog.

Wha!?

Well, from the Roundup, here is this interesting tidbit (first reported, just to confuse you, in his Legislature blog.

Comedian Jon Stewart on Tuesday night’s Daily Show had some fun with Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential announcement. The program showed rapid-fire clips of Richardson's interview with George Stephanopoulos in which our governor touts his attributes: “I’m a westerner” ... "I'm a governor" ... "I've cut taxes" ... "I've rescued hostages."

Cut to Stewart: "Oh my God! Bill Richardson is Batman!" Then the comic recites lyrics from the old Frank Sinatra song, "That's Life": "I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king."

Oh, you silly Daily Show. I'll try to find the clip on YouTube, since we all know it exists somewhere on that site.