Ancient Curse

Uranium mining in New Mexico.  An ugly history no doubt, but now that we know better can it be done correctly?  In my opinion not as long as the ancient curse of the 1872 Mining Law remains in effect.  That law was passed during the Presidency of Ulysses Grant.  And it still allows miners the right to claim hard rock minerals on federal land as their own and not pay a dime for it.

The Journal reports a Canadian and Japanese partnership will come in to mine uranium once again near Grants, NM.  They will get all of it for free.  And there is nothing that can be done about it since the mining interests  block any reform.  Can you imagine what these foreign companies CEO's say over lunch?  Probably they say this, "those stupid Americans just give away their minerals under a century and a half old law.  Its too good to be true!"

In the meantime Congressman Steve Pearce lobbies to get more nuclear waste into the WIPP site.  This tail end of the process is controversial at least.  But storing that waste on rail sidings at power plants is even more dangerous.  But stop and think about this process.

The miners get the uranium out of public land for free and then the public has to pay big bucks for the waste storage.  How is that sensible?  

Alma Mater

Sometimes, most of the time, timing is everything.  Like yesterday when I received a fund raising appeal from my Alma Mater St. Pius X High School.  I graduated from there in 1963.  I liked the school and still have lifelong friends from my days there.  I was into the whole Catholicism thing back then, but I was never a fundamentalist.  And I moved on to my current status as a non believer.

But, I understand that is not the norm and I don't criticize those who still believe.  Except when it promotes discrimination and bigotry.  Which is exactly what the school administrators and the Archbishop are doing now when they wont let a transgender student graduate in the appropriately colored gown.  What is more astonishing is that they would even pick this fight in this day and age.  I can't imagine what the student body and faculty get out of this in a positive way.  It certainly makes the school look like a out of touch and isolated institution.  Or an ally of the official homophobes government of Russia.  Yes, the Russia they wanted us to hate as the center of global communism back in the 60's.

I won't be sending Pius any money or respect.  They just need to move on in to modern day society.

And if the Archbishop can dress like this why can't this student wear a certain colored gown.

Oops!

One giant OOPS for everyone of our legislators, cabinet secretaries, LFC, governor's staff and Governor.  I mean really, someone somewhere should have done a little more due diligence before presenting a faulty budget that will cost millions more in lost revenues than had been predicted.  And of course the Governor, unlike the President with his IRS problems, is given a complete bye in the media.

I know these kinds of things happen.  They are not planned deceptions by anyone like the Legislative leadership and Governor.  What is astounding is that no one caught it at the time.  The current head of Finance for Governor Martinez stood up and took the blame, but so should a lot of others whose scrutiny failed.  But, once again these things happen.  Now it must be fixed and my bets are that it won't be because it will look like a tax hike.

Another big oops today belongs to City Council Candidate Isaac Benton who still doesn't want to state his position on a Candelaria roundabout.  This extremely divisive issue here in the north valley deserves a statement from him one way or another.  He sent me an prickly email saying it needed to be studied for a longer time.  I am in a quandary here.  I feel like I can't vote for Benton, whom I actually lean towards, because he won't level with us, and I have a bad taste in my mouth that Councilwoman Roxanna Meyers is in cahoots with the sprawl developers, but at least has the courage to say she is against the project.  I am against the project myself, but I am not a one issue voter.  I just don't like pols who duck the issues.

The Snoops

The federal government's snooping into reporters and editors phone and email should come as no surprise.  Ever since bush/cheney oversaw the demolition of privacy in this country a decade ago this practice of snooping is commonplace.  But now the Obama administration will get much of the heat.  And deservedly so.  I had always thought Obama would restore these issues of privacy protection but like all elected officials he was countermanded by the bureaucracy that really runs this country.  That being the law enforcement cartel of FBI, DEA, ATF, NSA, CIA etc. etc.

Having been an elected official I know how hard it is to crack the concrete facade that such people have developed with help from an apathetic public.  Yes, the career public servant can be just that, a servant.  But many times delusions of grandeur in the upper levels can rival the likes of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.  (The Joseph McCarthy of our times.)

Sara

My niece Sara has been married 19 years today to Jason Reeves.  They live near Missoula, Montana.  Back in 1969 I was visiting Dothan, Alabama where she was born.  My brother was stationed there as a Helicopter instructor pilot.  He  had me send a box full of New Mexico soil for him to put under the birthing table so she could claim being born in New Mexico.  I snapped this picture when she crawled up on my bed to say good morning.  Years later she and her sister Stephanie became our best baby sitters for Justin and Noelle.  Now, Sara has teenagers of her own.

Coffee Chatter

We had an hour of chatter this morning over coffee and vacillated over whether or not we really care anymore about what is going on in this country.  Of course, deep down we do care or we wouldn't talk about the stuff we supposedly don't care about.

We talked about the state of the media mainly.  Some of the group has decided that the national broadcast news shows now resemble more than ever the local TV news shows we have all grown to loathe.  Why are the big outlets constantly doing stories on murders, rapes and local violence?  Because they are finding it it cheap to do.  And then the stories that are easy to cover, like Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy, will consist mainly of talking heads for the next three weeks.  Well, we do need to keep abreast of these things I guess.

I can assure you that the people who got blown up in that Texas fertilizer explosion and those who lost everything might wonder why no one cares about their victimization at the hands of no safety regulations.  Now, if Angelina had been shooting a movie nearby then it would get attention.

We also lamented the deepening silliness of a visual TV newscast now essentially turning themselves into radio stations as more than 50% of their content comes from phone interviews with news makers and the other 50% from dash cam and security cameras.    Finding a job as a videographer must be tough these days.

And those reporters who never actually do journalism but rather rely on man on the street interviews than talking with  knowledgeable people....well what can I say?  Their teeth are white and lipstick bright!

Sticking One's Neck Out

Oh, that we had politicos that would equal this.

GOP and Oil

I have to say I am very impressed with the great position taken by the Mora County Commission some time ago. They said no to the Oil and Gas industry on drilling and  fracking in their county.  This takes courage since that northern New Mexico enclave has been economically challenged for so many years.  It is also a place of beauty with landscapes to die for!  And so it should be no surprise that the republican county chairman there is now complaining widely and loudly that the oil boys should get to do what ever they want.  Lest we forget that the GOP and the Oil and Gas Industry are one in the same.

Given our  historic drought and the frightening news on growth of green house gases the Commissioners in Mora look pretty damn smart.  They know that the long term health of their region is tied to water supplies and they have taken bold moves to protect them.  It looks even more impressive when one looks at the Martinez administration's failure to carry out inspections on drilling operations in New Mexico.  

Why America is Falling Behind

Read it here and weep!

Where's the Beef

I had to chuckle when reading about the cowboys in New Mexico complaining that their assistance payments from the federal government are late.  Yes, they are all being hurt by our drought.  And yes they all get thousands of dollars in welfare checks from the government when times get hard.  And yes many think that the government entitlement programs for everyone else should be ended because those people are all freeloaders.  I have always been astounded at this double standard in rural America.  Even though most things they take for granted were paid for by the government.  Like the electrification of these areas by the government.  Like the dams and roads and subsidies paid for by the government.

I do respect these ranchers.  They do work hard and most of them are really decent people.  I just have problems with many of their industry's double standards.  I can't understand their opposition to extended unemployment assistance in hard times and then expect to get payouts for them selves as well as their grazing subsidies in the form of practically non existent fees.  And, when they elect people like Steve Pearce out in ranching country they should realize it hurts their credibility.  He is the poster boy for these double standards.  He never saw a tax break he didn't love for the oil and gas industry.

Misc.

Corporate America now wants to do away with sane City of Albuquerque campaign fund limitations so they can get their fingers into our Mayor's race.  This should come as no surprise to anyone.  They have filed a lawsuit to overturn the city's ban on allowing businesses with city contracts from donating to candidates.  A disaffected democrat, think former legislator Al Park,  has teamed up with right winger Mickey Barnett to put corporate CEO's in the funding drivers seat.  This will be interesting to watch.

It seems the only time Governor Martinez gets to brag about economic development is when she rides the coat tails of Governor Richardson.  This time it is the announcement that the Space Port that Richardson started has a new tenant that will test and further develop reusable rockets.  Well, it is still a good sign and Martinez hired an able person to carry on the work of the Space Port.

At the same time the Journal did a good story on the problems at the Licensing and Regulation department.   The philosophy at the department under a bad Martinez appointee is that enforcing regulations and standards is a bad thing.  Meanwhile, the fruit of that kind of thinking is borne out in the  ever increasing death toll in Bangladesh.  The collapse of the substandard built garment factory there has now caused a total of 705 deaths.  One wonders if Martinez knows how to fire bad appointees.

Protest and Prayer

I keep using that definition of  prayer, "How to say your are helping with out really doing anything."  Now I think that same definition might be true in many cases for modern day protestors.  Think about the "Occupy" movement that accomplished exactly nothing.  And now to top that off are the protestors who are objecting to burying the dead body of that Boston bomber.  What is the point?  It seems to be one of those things that cowardly politicians can't deal with for fear of upsetting some irrational voters.

Those protestors could use their time more wisely.  And also the media folks who blow these things out of proportion.  Why not stop worrying about one dead body and start worrying about some live ones.  Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help build a home for some deserving people.  Or going to a veteran's hospital and helping out.  Or sit on a board of some organization that actually does humanitarian or conservation work.

This is kind of a preachy blog today but I am feeling guilty for spending $21 on tickets and $11 on popcorn to go see the worst 3-D movie ever last night.  I am talking about two hours of special effects interrupted by some actors mumbling to each other.  Yes, Iron Man III was awful.  I might have had more fun at an NRA convention.