White Wash Payola

The City of Albuquerque is getting ready to start a process for renewing the franchise for Comcast's cable TV and Internet Services.  They want you to take a survey that can only be described as a sweetheart exercise for helping Comcast remain a monopoly in our City.  Click here for the survey.

They ask some good questions about quality of service and customer service.  If you are a cable television subscriber.  But there are no questions on the quality and pricing of high speed internet services which is really the only important thing we should be concerned about.

Where are the questions on the outrageous price hikes on internet and TV?  Where are the questions on whether we would like to see the franchise awarded to some other provider that has better pricing and service?  Where is the question on whether we want to keep Comcast providing  us service as the blood sucking corporate money machine that they are?  Where are the questions on whether our citizens want to open up competition against Comcast?

And finally, do you feel you get value for the money you pay?  How can this white washed survey be taken seriously?  Those questions need to be in the survey.

Demand of your city councillor and the Mayor that they pull this survey and rework it.  If they don't then you know they are pretty much in bed with Comcast in return for a few PSA's they allow each of the pols to do free of charge.  It is nothing more than paying them off with free advertising.

I am not a fan of Comcast in case you wondered.

Happy New Year

Have a wonderful New Year.  We will be off for a few more days as we mourn the loss of Dave Miller.  The family is gathering and we will eat Peeeeetza on New Years Eve.

Dave Miller

Some of you may have known my brother in law Dave Miller.  He died suddenly yesterday of natural causes.  Dave was a Navy Veteran and active in Veteran Affairs and the American Legion Post 72.  He had served as the Albuquerque Sunport Safety Officer for 15 years.  He was a life long bachelor who enjoyed good wine and a good party.  He was close to his sisters Bobbi and Caryl and his niece and nephews.  We are in mourning around here for a while.  Dave ate dinner with us a couple of times a week and came around for weekend coffee.  We will really miss him.

Reading

I am in the middle of a SCIFI trilogy titled "Nexus" by Ramez Naam.  It is a great read and essentially is about the next evolution of man brought on by science.  Essentially, it is about how some people always try to stop progress because it will take them out of power and wealth under the latest version of humans.  Think the GOP and fossil fuel boys here.  It makes an interesting point that while some people feel sorry for the Neandrathal Man being overtaken by Homo Sapiens, it was all for the best.

It is funny that as I was enjoying this book that this Robert Kennedy Quote hit the social media.  It is so true.

Now, in the New Yorker magazine this week is a great article about what  Miami Beach is facing as water levels rise.  And to think we still have US Senators, republicans of course, trying to eradicate spending on climate change research.  One really could argue that they are enemies of humanity.  Don't you think?

Of Course

The Albuquerque Journal did their editorial today about Governor Susana Martinez's atrocious behavior.  Of course there was a section dedicated to Governor Bill Richardson in the editorial.  WTF?  But, on second thought, I am told that anything that compares Big Bill with Party Girl Susana just drives her crazy.  So maybe it is okay.

And of course a Happy Holiday to everyone, friend and foe.  Have a good time with family and friends and a respite from political junkie status.  

Metaphor for Remaining Martinez Adminstration.

The Santa Fe Police Department belt buckle recording is truthy.

Earth

NASA released this profound photo of Earth rising over the moon.  It is beautiful, fragile, tiny and vulnerable.  So why put some one like Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in a influential position on our planet.  Yeah, I am politicizing a photograph of our home.  Just can't help myself.

So Much for Union

I just keep marveling at the TV commercials I see.  It really makes the United States look like it is fracturing into little tiny pieces like a dropped 1000 piece puzzle you have been working on.

Let's see.  There is Christian Mingle dating service which indicates most Christians looking for a partner could be limiting themselves to delusional fundamentalists.  And then there is FarmersOnly.com which has video of hot farmer girls there for the choosing at the honky tonk western bar with the kicker being, 'city folks just don't get it.'  And then there are Jewish dating sites.  White supremacists dating sites,  on and on and on.  And when these couples, who don't get divorced, start having kids they will be sure to raise their kids into the most narrow minded home schooled future citizens of our cracking Union.  Even if only half the kids stay brainwashed....that is a lot.

I bring all this up because I was happy to see that the League of Women Voters has decided that Charter Schools are hurting the overall quality of education by siphoning off funds from the regular schools.  They have called for a moratorium on any new such schools.  I have to agree and I often looked at these Charter schools as another way of not letting students mix because it might give them a different point of view.  Or as a way of separating the rich and poor, black and white, etc.

Hard Hats Recommended

No word yet if the Governor and her staff will be attending.

Off the Hook

Quietly under cover of the Governor's Xmas party our new Secretary of State, Brad Winter, will show  up in Santa Fe to start his one year stint at raising his retirement paycheck, er, I mean enforcing campaign election laws.  He is off the hook from any media heat as the Piiiiiizza party continues to resonate.

No matter that Winter was picked over much more qualified people who wanted the appointment.  One wonders why the Governor picked him.  Could it be her close friendship with Brad Winters's wife, Nan?  Maybe, but I am betting on the penchant for the Governor to be in complete control as we enter next year's election cycle.  After that she is a total lame duck and doesn't have to worry about who is watching GOP campaign shenanigans, because she will be in rehab.....oh, no wait, she will be trying to recover her reputation as a sober pol, so she might be able to make waves on the national scene.

Will our state's newspapers chime in with some editorials on the Governor's behavior?  They should start appearing on Tuesday.  I can't wait to see what the rightwing protector of the Governor, the editor of the Journal will do.  They fairly reported the story, but will they take a stand on her outrageous drunken behavior?  You just can't pretend that those audio tapes don't exist and that she doesn't deserve a little comeuppance.  Rumors are that some reporters had already been asking knowledgeable persons about her drinking habits.

For us political junkies,  last week was a really cool holiday gift!

Timely Quotes

"It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth." 
-George Burns

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." 
-Ernest Hemingway

"Alcohol is a very necessary article. It enables Parliament to do things at eleven at night that no sane person would do at eleven in the morning."
-George Bernard Shaw

An All Around Crappy Week

Feds seek records from Gov. Martinez's time as DA - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News

Xmas Chatter

Our friend's annual Holiday Party last night, an annual Frito Pie extravaganza, is a yearly fest of talk. Gee, what was one of the main conversations last night?  That isn't to hard is it?  Clue, it involves Piiiiizzzza.

If one has never witnessed the power of social media before then this Pizza/beer bottle/ snowball thing would let one see how powerful it really has become.  My favorite entry is above.  Just read the comments on our governor in the comments section of the New Mexican and Albuquerque Journal newspapers!

Pushed to the bottom of the news by this nuclear meltdown of Susana was the dismal unemployment ranking in New Mexico.  Yeah, it hit number one in the nation.

Velocity

What is the velocity of a beer bottle thrown off a Santa Fe Hotel Balcony attached to the Governor's Room?  Say 5th floor?  Can some physics major tell me what that would do to a skull of an innocent bystander?  And this was her bad news day along with NM being listed as having the highest unemployment rate in the United States.

Disgraced Secretary of State and Governor's buddy Diana Duran should thank fate that this happened as she will have been moved off the front page and lead TV News story as she is perp walked into the Santa Fe County jail.  Gee, it is almost like it was planned by McCleskey!    And, was it a New Mexican craft beer?

A Little Math--updated

Here is how the good ole boy system works for Brad Winter who was just appointed Secretary of State by our do nothing Governor.  Brad has been a city councillor for about 20 years.  He gets to pay into PERA as a city councillor.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But now his reward from the GOP can be calculated.  These are approximate numbers.  If he retired with just his city council retirement pay he would get about $18,000 a year from PERA.  He deserves that.  That would be for his average high three years salary as a councillor, which is about $30,000.  He gets 3% a year, hence 60% of $30,000.

Now he goes to a job for two years at $85,000 a year, plus his $30,000 a year because he won't resign from the city council. Now his final high three average will be two years of $115K a year plus one year of $30k.  Adds  up to $260k divided by 3 and that makes his final high three average about $86k a year.  Hence 60% of that equals $51,000 retirement annually.  This may or may not be combined with his other retirement as a retired educator from APS.

You can see why he is not wanting to abandon his city council seat.  It would cost him quite a bit.  This is milking the system for all it is worth thanks to the Governor.

If any of you retirement experts disagree, please send a comment.  Please see comments for a different take on whether he stays for one year or two.

Misc.

Lots of criticism on Diana Duran's 30 day jail sentence.  A longer one should have been handed out, mostly for her voter suppression policies for the rightwing Governor, her best buddy.

Hector Balderas will regret not recommending jail time.  The Attorney General will be badgered in his next election, mostly by republicans because he did not throw away the key on republican Duran.  The democrats will likely forgive him.

The first scifi book I ever read was Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End."  We watched the SCIFI channel's version of it last night.  I gave it a two stars, but the meat of the story was there.  I am surprised the religious right did not ask their followers to boycott the channel.  It pretty much did for religion what the book did.  That was cool.  And we watched the first episode of "The Expanse", which looks like a winner.

Other good cold weather TV is as follows.   "Fargo" was great.  Netflix's "Jessica Jones" is entertaining as is "Master of None".  "River", a UK cop show about a schizophrenic cop whose dead female  partner is always with him is great.  Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle" was well worth the time.  Upcoming for binging is Amazon's "Transparent" and "Mozart in the Jungle."

It is all better than watching republicans yell at each other.

Just Minutes to Learn Something Important.

Please read this.  It really is incredible.

Stop the Rip Off

Reader View: Update royalty rate charged for drilling federal public lands - The Santa Fe New Mexican: My View

Easy As Pie

If Susana Martinez ever sits in front of a Senate Confirmation Committee, think how easy it will be to dismantle her highly propped up resume.  Think of the charts one could put on an easel for the Senators to see.  You could start with one on comparing New Mexico's High School graduation rate with the rest of the country.  (That would be number 50.)  Or you could show New Mexico's ranking on job creation, poverty, population decline, corruption, and oh so many more things.

And if she decides to run for the US Senate, just think of the TV Commercials you could make.  You could just show those charts, pictures of her political advisor Mccluskey, and her good bud Diana Duran doing a perp walk into the local lockup.

The real question is, what happens in the next two years?

Reinvention

When I took office as Mayor in December of 1997, the Albuquerque Police Department was a centralized and somewhat fossilized bureaucracy.  There were lots of problems and I had run  on a platform of bringing some new ideas to the department.  Specifically I was interested in Community Policing.  Here is an article link about the Police Chief I hired to bring it about, Jerry Galvin.

Subsequent administrations dismantled the Community Policing we set up and the bunker mentality returned to the Command staff at APD.  And now the the current administration seems to think Community Policing as something proposed by our hapless Chief Gordon Eden is a great idea.  It is laughable that we have to start this all over again.

More of the Same

After my post on Congresswoman Michele Grisham Lujan's do nothing meeting on gun violence yesterday, she mailed this appeal out to her democratic supporters.  On the anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre of children, she can't even get specific in her plans to her supporters about what it is she is proposing.  Does she want a ban on gun show sales?  Does she want a ban on assault  rifles?  Does she want a registration program on all firearms owned by Americans? (We have to register our cars.)  Or does she just want to pretend.  And in fairness our other Democratic Congressman Ben Lujan Jr. needs to come out and tell us what he thinks.

Eye Strain

I got a major dose of eye strain this weekend by reading "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis.  I had been meaning to read it for some time, but with the movie coming out I thought it might fill out the characters a little better.  We will see the movie next week while everyone else is viewing "Star Wars".

The one thing I learned from this book, and it is frightening, is that seemingly intelligent people can wander into disaster by not fully understanding that  the actions they take guarantee the disaster.  And that got me to thinking about Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and the rest of those GOP Presidential candidates.  We could actually end up electing one of these very dangerous men whose only view of reality and the world is their own ego and fundamentalism.

Our regular group, known as the 'gang of eight' had dinner last night here in our home.  Three hours of political discussion and then we all gave up and wandered into a discussion of what makes a battery work and what is inside it.  That might be profound, but I don't know exactly how.

Bosque Snow

Doing Nothing

This post from Congresswoman Michelle Grisham Lujan is almost a stereotype of many democrats discussing gun violence.  Have a meeting.  Can't we all get along.  Let's trust each other.  Blah Blah Blah.  I mean, really read this and you can see the fear of the NRA.

Pasta

I demand, as a true Pastafarian, that our symbol be displayed next to all Christmas Trees on public property.  Sure, we will throw in some Teddy Bears for kids.  And we will waste just as much time as everyone else in debating whether a decorated tree is a religion.  

Another List!

Albuquerque's Mayor Richard Berry can feel good about our city being number one on another list.  Not.  It turns out we have the worse housing market in the United States.  Read it here.

If he was half as good at fixing up economic development here as he was arranging a parade for Holly Holm, then maybe we could get somewhere.  (I wonder how many tax dollars went into that parade?  Police and fire overtime? Street Management?)  An expensive photo op for the Mayor and Governor.

Fiddling

Governor Martinez is fiddling like Nero again.  She is diverting attention from our disastrous economic condition by insisting that we have courts monitored by citizens to make sure good sentences have been handed out and that crooks don't get out on bail.  She is asking for the umpteenth time to have a 'crackdown' on drunk drivers.  She is demonizing the folks who do  your landscaping and replace your roofs so they can't get drivers licenses.  And she is aided and abetted by our largest daily propaganda instrument called the Albuquerque Journal.  I have written this rant for the umpteenth time too.

There is more talk about using the State Permanent Fund for education.  Tapping into this 14 billion dollar savings account might finally be a good idea now that we are really in a rainy day scenario for which it was meant to be used.  But beware, because if we tap into that fund there must be some solid language that general fund and other monies going to education are not lessened.  Supplanted that is.  It would be a way for Governor Martinez and her rightwing mascots in the Legislature to give another tax break to their rich bankrollers.

Misc.

Every time Donald Trump says the words 'Muslim', 'them' or 'they', substitute the word Jew and see who it sounds like.

The Supreme Court has declined to review lower court ruling on local jurisdictions ban of assault weapons in their communities.  Of course that will mean absolutely nothing to the likes of our New Mexico leaders and elected officials.  It is an open door and none of them will have the courage to walk through it.  Probably because they will remember what happened to me when serving as Mayor.  I tried to stop concealed weapons being allowed in ABQ.  I held a news conference with UNM Emergency Room Doctors and the NRA sent heavily armed goons to the event.  It was against the law to have weapons on the Campus but they came anyway and surrounded the physicians.  

The Santa Fe New Mexican had an OpEd to day that is a primer for anyone who might have to run against Susana Martinez in the future.  It is a reference tome for constructing her record on TV Commercials  You can read it here.

Bliss

Ignorance is bliss for Governor Susana and Mayor Berry.  After receiving state funds for workforce training and tax relief, the bio tech firm NanoMR is pulling out of New Mexico for California.  You know, that place with higher taxes and more regulations.

The question  here is, did the Governor or Mayor even know this was happening?  Did they ever make one effort to go to the new owners, sit down with them and just make a case for staying in an economically devastated New Mexico.  (thanks to the lack of leadership of the Mayor and Governor.)

How much longer can this kind of ignorance is bliss attitude last in our state's leadership?  Probably a long time.

At the same time in today's Journal the paper reports that fossil fuel energy sector workers are having a tough time. Yes, they are and it  is sad.  But the Journal hasn't said much about their own workers being laid off and replaced by cheap labor in another state.  Couldn't they make a comment about those customer service employees being slammed?   Just asking.

Laughable

It is laughable really.  Our City Council is considering a bill to make street side panhandling illegal because it is a public safety matter.  And it is.  But the last time I checked the panhandlers had not engaged in mass killings with assault rifles.

But where are our gutless Mayors, Governors and City Councils on the issue of reasonable gun control.  Well, they are hiding in the bushes because they are frightened by the NRA and its resident and numerous gun nuts.  I would advise these elected cowards to read "Profiles in Courage" by JFK.  It heralds those brave public officials in history who opposed popular sentiment to  make our country great.

Thoughts and prayers

This is so true.

Fallback

Corrupt pols who get caught always seem to have a fallback position, or should I say fall down on to the knees position.  Disgraced republican Secretary of State Diana Duran said she fell down on her knees to ask god to relieve her of her gambling addiction.  I am pretty sure she did that to gain sympathy from our god fearing constituencies in NM.  She doesn't want any jail time after pleading guilty to violating campaign laws, the very ones she is supposed to enforce.  After all, how can she spend her pension money if she is in jail?

I am not sure it makes any sense to spend significant amounts of money on keeping her in prison for her crime.   But I think 90 days in the cooler is required just to show other pols that there is a price to pay for corruption.  I don't think justice is served by giving her only probation.  As I recall all of our democratic office holders who were found guilty of crimes were in prison for a lenghty time, as they should have been.

Earthlings Should Read This

Michael Shermer » Consilience and Consensus

Searching

My brother Tom and eleven of  his fellow Huey pilots are in Vietnam for a 10 day search for their youth.  They all managed to survive the madness and are being given a grand tour of the country by one of their former adversaries in that sad war.  This is my brother's third trip back to that country.  You can watch a documentary about Tom and his buddy Jack Swickard(in the green shirt) on a famous mission they flew.

Indictments

There can be no better indictment of the abysmal leadership of Governor Susana Martinez and Mayor Richard Berry than their total silence on the Climate Change meetings in Paris.  We live in one of the best situated landscapes in the world for producing solar and wind power, and yet they have sent no one to these talks to help move us towards a more healthy planet.  Many governors and mayors from around the country and world are in Paris.

Have the Governor or Mayor, or any other elected officials, done one thing in this state to drop our dependance on fossil fuels.  And don't think they cannot.  For example, State and City building codes could be modified to demand solar panels on every single new structure built in this Land of Enchantment. Has anyone in the legislature or city council even attempted to bring this up?  It will be cheaper in the long run to do this than picking up the pieces from an over heated Earth.

This speaks to the absolute cowardice in face of fossil fuel money funding campaigns in this state.  Somewhere there must be a pol willing to take them on.  But they sure are not residing in most of the Governor's or Mayor's offices around  New Mexico.

Misc.

We went to see the movie "Trumbo" yesterday.  For some reason all I could think about during the feature was today's GOP.  Mainly I was thinking about Trump, Cruz, and the rest of that clown posse.  They would  have been right at home on the House Un American Activities Committee.  They would have been champions there for the persecution of free speech, writing and dissent.  Damn, I really don't like these characters.  Do yourself a favor and go see this great entertainment.  You will be in a theater with mostly white haired people.

The Albuquerque Journal editorial on the importance of giving taxpayer money to businesses to stay here or locate here got me thinking how upside down things have become. I recognize this is a necessary thing to do, but what is occurring here is that is all the Journal and its GOP owners want to do.  They don't want taxpayer money funding safety nets, food assistance, and health insurance for our fellow Americans.  They just want subsidies for American Corporations.

Non Ignorant Candidates Needed

I read in Joe Monahan's blog that  a Mayoral hopeful says the state of NM movers
and shakers need to grow the economy here to offset falling spending by the federal government and defense complex. Actually, the potential candidate has it all wrong.  We should be moving to improve the private sector to offset a dying fossil fuel industry.  Yes I mean oil, gas and coal.

Government spending will always be a part  of NM.  It is in less danger of a meltdown  than anything.  But as the global meeting on climate change progresses in Paris, the hand writing is on the wall for the dirty energy sector.  Not tomorrow, or ten years, but certainly in our lifetimes that industry will mostly go the way of sailing ships, buggy whips, and VCRs.  And so why blame government spending for being the bogey man on our future economic outlook?  Because somebody  has really not thought things through.  And if they want the support of intelligent voters, they better start  thinking harder.

The Twins

Alex and Kate get a twofer bath. Well worth weathering a snow storm to spend time with them. Back on icy roads on Saturday.

Movies

Good movies we have seen recently concern Journalism.  "Spotlight" should be viewed by all current day journalists.  They should ask themselves, "Do I Measure UP?"   Well, they probably could if their corporate news editors/directors would let them.  Well, maybe not so much today's TV journalists.  It would be hard to wean themselves off of regurgitating the daily crime blotter, and then moving on to the sex story and lost puppy feature.  But they could try harder.

Misc.

Another enraging story of a criminal getting out of jail and being arrested for the second time in three days as he tries to feed his drug habit.  People are screaming for something to be done, including killing such people with a reinstated death penalty.  It would just be easier to legalize all drugs, but of course anyone in the criminal justice game would oppose legalization since that would cost them jobs and money.  And so we stay in this ridiculous vicious circle. And this war on drugs will never, ever work.  Especially when the police department  in Albuquerque is so understaffed that evidence can't be gathered to keep these guys off the street.

I got a fund raising letter from State Auditor Tim Keller.  It is his 38th birthday.  I would send him some money because I like him, but the fundraising letter doesn't say what the donation is required for.  Is he running for reelection?  Or another office?  When he tells me I will send money.

The Santa Fe New Mexican, a real newspaper, has a great piece on the State's shrinking population.  Another indictment of our GOP Queen for a Day Susana Martinez.  While she runs around the country, our best and brightest are leaving for states with better economies and opportunities.  Read it here. Meanwhile, the Albuquerque Journal, oh never mind.

A Happy Thanksgiving Holiday to all.  Entries to the blog will be done from the road while our house sitter shines up their new RPG.

Self Supporting

The Albuquerque Journal ran a poll this morning showing support for the Governor's loathing of  Syrian and other immigrants.  The Journal does this occasionally by not using their highly respected regular pollster, Brian Sanderoff, but by doing a so called flash poll of their readers.  These readers, which are pretty much devoid of young people, are mostly post 55 years old, white, neo confederates(a term I will use a lot from now on), and full of angst.

One of my commenters thinks I worry to much about this newspaper, and that they will be out of business in ten years.  That might be true, but in the meantime their control of the flow of right wing information to the demographic who actually votes is very dangerous.  The feed xenophobia and misinformation at an ever increasing rate.  You wonder how some of the good and caring people who still work for the Journal can even get out of bed in the morning.

Please Read

This analysis is awesome.  Only those with a longer than normal attention span should get into it.

Plethora

I took a couple of days off the blog because I have been so angry at the xenophobia and ignorance sweeping the country.  I wonder if America is permanently changing.

One thing that is not changing is the Albuquerque Journal.  It is almost funny, except it is so serious.  Take for example the ranting editorials and stories over the last few weeks on drivers licenses in New Mexico.  The Journal was printing that people wouldn't be able to fly because of our problems with drivers licenses for immigrants.  (The same people who mow the lawns at Journal Center.)  But then the Homeland Security Office wrote an oped in the Journal saying that was all wrong.  The Journal responded today by a front page story on the Post Office having passport seminars around the state so people know how to apply and get such documents.  It hid its correction in reporting on airport problems in the last paragraph.

Then, just as Governor Martinez abandons the state to head the republican governor's association, the Journal hid a story on the business page of our state now having the second highest unemployment rate in the United States.  We are only slightly better than West Virginia.  If these circumstances happened during a Democratic Governor's term in office, that  story would have been an above the fold front page story.

And then, as if to ignore the dismal statistic again, the Journal touts for our republican Mayor that Alaska Airlines is happy with its load factors on new round trip service between Seattle and ABQ.  They came in after Southwest Airlines dumped their flight.  In fact passenger traffic at the airport has fallen to levels not seen since the mid 90's.  Does that have something to do with our economic wasteland presided over by Susana and Berry?  Probably a lot.

And so think about Susana traveling around  the country while the meltdown continues.  Do you get upset ?

Moment

It was one of those "Mission Accomplished" moments. Mayor Berry said everything was fine in Albuquerque.  That we have nothing to worry about.  Since he said he wasn't running again that is true, except the next Mayor will have to pick up the pieces.

Who will the next Mayor be?  I hear Brian Colon will run, as well as Lawrence Rael.  There will be many others before it is over, but to be sure I am hopeful it will not end up in having one of our current city councillors elected.  That would be continuing the leaderless era of city government.

We need someone with ideas and the energy to pursue them.  If we can get such a person then a renaissance in Albuquerque could lift the whole state of New Mexico out of its owned last place in economic recovery.  We are the only state in the nation losing population.

Immoral

Susana Martinez is an immoral leader.  She is like the government officials around the world in pre war WWII Europe that refused boat loads of Jews who had to return to Europe's shores and ultimately to Hitler's ovens.  Men, women and children.

How did our multicultural state get to this point?  Corporate money, politics of hate, and bent individuals like Susana who were willing to prostitute themselves to accrue a little power.  She is nothing but a tool and the question is, can we survive a few more years of her leadership?  And what kind of mess will she leave the next Governor?

Back Scratching

Republican Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn will be a one term wonder.  His war on the Game and Fish department and New Mexican sportsmen will doom him.

Should the Land Office charge more for hunting on state trust lands?  Yes.  But fifty times more than is being paid now?  No.  But he is a mascot for the ranching industry and they want no hunters on state trust land.  That way they can figure out how to let out of state hunters onto that land they lease at big prices.  Really, that is what it is about.

So to make it right Mr. Commissioner, lets start by raising grazing fees.  That hasn't happened since I was Commissioner in the 80's. Can you do that?  Let's start by passing legislation to raise oil and gas royalties and working the feds to do the same.  That hasn't happened since I worked with the legislature in the 80's either.  Can you do that?  And raise the prices on all commercial leases.  Can you do that?

Dunn says he wants to maximize revenues for the School Permanent fund, but the only place he is doing it is on the backs of New Mexican sportsmen.  What a farce.

Pulitzer Worthy

We were at a party tonight that had a lot of politicos in attendance and all agreed that the New Mexican story on the Governor's bag man Jay McCleskey and his financial web of money laundering entities could bring down a lot of politicos, including Susana herself.  The story is magnificent and worthy of a Pulitzer.

The Journal's big story today was about one New Mexican woman practically beating to death another woman in a cage fight.

Bizzare

I agreed with two Albuquerque Journal Editorials today.  One on ethics in government and one on the Catholic church ducking its responsibilities to victims of pedophile priests.  How did we agree on two opinions on the same day?  Mondo Bizzaro.

I will be  viewed as being bizarre because although Holly Holm is a great athlete, she is part of the violent culture of this world where beating the shit out of an opponent who had to go to a hospital is something to be admired. We abhor the violence in Paris and celebrate it in the fighting cage.    Some people will say they are two different things, but are they?  Those cage fights teach children that violence is condoned and profitable.

Misc.

The Catholic Church is preparing its flock for the release of the Movie "Spotlight".  It is about the monumental coverup of pedophilia by priests in the Boston area.  The Church must fear this movie and they should.  Their solution is to pray for the victims and to seek forgiveness.  This is in the aftermath of the church moving much of its assets into Trusts that can't be used to settle lawsuits by the victims.  The movie is on the must see list for Bobbi and me.  As an aside, we went saw the movie "Sufragette" last night.  Every girl over the age of ten should be taken to the movie to see role models for their lives.

The State Supreme Court has said no to buying text books with taxpayer money for private and parochial schools.  I never knew that was happening.  The court overturned two lower court rulings.  That is a good decision.  I wonder if the fundamentalists schools just threw away science books when the arrived.....

Speaking of the Supreme Court, Republican Judge Judy Nakamura has been appointed to the court to fill a vacancy.  Governor Martinez could have done worse.  I am hopeful Nakamura won't fashion herself a Scalia type crazy person.  Don't drink that Kool Aid!  She will have a tough time in her election because it is hard enough for a GOP acolyte to get on that court and she would have to prove herself a moderate.  I think she is one, but that could endanger her with her own party.  

Half Vast

The Mayor's plan to convert a convention hall at the facility into a glorified high school basket ball court and call it a new arena is a half vast effort.  His idea of improving Civic Plaza is worthy of consideration.

The so called arena will be most likely ignored by most users who need multi purpose arenas for everything from rodeos to rock concerts and the Ice Shows.

The Governor and Mayor are happy about a for profit college locating its back office operations in Albuquerque.  300 jobs are in play.  But one has to be wary of these kinds of businesses locating here.  For profit colleges are really nothing but student loan mills that provide questionable educations.  Most students who attend these sub par schools never graduate and then are saddled with enormous student loans. Read about it here.

Every Single Day

The Governor was quoted by the Santa Fe New Mexican as saying she still talks with Jay McCleskey every single day.  It sort of confirms that she takes an inordinate amount of advice from this neo con political operative.  His job is purely to make her look good and her job is to follow his advice, policy work be damned.

As I suspected the Albuquerque Journal got on the story of McCleskey being investigated by the Justice Department today.  Somehow the Journal managed to inject the name of Sam Bregman into the story.  The former Democratic Party Chair's name was bandied about by the Journal as a way of trying to inoculate the Governor in some way.  You can be sure the Journal Editor ordered that done.

I think that this investigation could be a small detraction from the Governor's total failure on economic development and the state's downward spiral in just about every category of progress.  In some ways she might see this all working to her advantage in the long run.  Unless of course the buck stops with her, and by that I mean the campaign buck.  And finally,  when large checks are written out of Inaugural funds with no invoices, there could be some fruitful forensic accounting to be done. This is probably where there will be some eyeopeners.

Pooper Scooper

The Albuquerque Journal Monday edition had no news on the breaking story of the Governor's hatchet man, Jay McCleskey, being investigated for a possible indictment by the Feds.  In fairness, they haven't had much time to look into it since the Santa Fe New Mexican broke the story yesterday.

And it sort of begs the question,  were they scooped again on a major story?  Or they are planning to poop on the story in order to protect the Governor.  Actually, I think both things are happening.  I just don't see the Journal capable of breaking major stories anymore because of a partisan editor and a dwindling professional number of journalists working at the paper.   And I can see the editorial staff calling this all political hatchet job by the Department of Justice.

It will be very interesting to see where things go from here at that once credible publication.

The Plot Sickens

Silence is emanating from the Governor's office after this bombshell story in the Santa Fe New Mexican, which is a paper unlike the Albuquerque Journal and does not protect the Governor.  The question here is about the misuse of power by the State Tax and Rev department in ordering audits of the Governor's political enemies.  This will just get better.

And if you are wondering why our economy is so abysmal in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce's tired  and hijacked executive leadership has spent more effort in protecting the Governor in an oped piece on education this morning. They need to get an effort going on attracting more companies to our State to provide jobs,  rather than be a cheering section for Susana Martinez.

Critical Thinking

The thing we need to do most in the schools is to teach critical thinking.  Knowing how to do that is really important in life.  For example, if a guy on the street offers to sell you a brand new car for $50, then you might be able to figure out that car might be stolen.

Here are some examples on non critical thinking.

Rebecca Vigil Giron thinking anyone in their right mind would appoint her Secretary of State in order to properly run that office.

Or, the Albuquerque Journal doing an editorial to make it look like Google pulling out a company from New Mexico is a good thing, because they paid back the money as they were required to do for getting taxpayer assistance in locating the company here in the first place. Well, they were protecting the Governor and in their mind that is critical.

Or, the Mormon Church slapping in the face their own members for wanting to live in today's society by accepting Gay people for what they are, just people.  By the way, I still wish someone would show me those golden tablets that the delusional founder of this sect based  this religion on.  All of his neighbors bought into it without ever seeing the tablets.  It doesn't get any better than this really.

Misc.

You really know the ABQ Journal is all in with the GOP leaders in New Mexico when they turn an economic development failure into a positive thing.  A headline today heralds the fact that Google gave a $1,000,000 clawback to the State after they pulled their newly acquired company out of Moriarty.  There was never any question that  this had to happen given the incentives that were given to the acquired company to locate in that small  town.  Did anyone see any questions of the Governor on how she might approach such failures in the future?  Did she travel or call Google and ask them to change their decision?  Did she just sit on her butt?  Yes, most likely she did. But we will never know, because if she did call them they dismissed her and she wouldn't want that known.  And if she didn't call them she just looks useless.

And the the Journal conjures up a headline that says, 'were stuck with Railrunner'.  It is public transportation and as one friend said the word public has doomed it in the corporate view of the Publisher and Editor.  This service was a leap into the future for our state and I certainly am glad we are stuck with it.

Leadership

Last night we watched our daughter Noelle's work as a whiz bang financial analyst during a Fort Collins, Colorado city council meeting.  It was really fun watching it and her work helped start the process of building a new training facility for Northern Colorado Law Enforcement.  What was also impressive was how well prepared that city council was in asking smart and probing questions with no rancor or back and forth bickering.

During the internet broadcast,  election results for that city were being scrolled on the screen.  One issue I been following in that progressive town was a citizens vote to bypass a state law on allowing municipalities to construct their own internet cable systems.  It was driven there by the Mayor and Council.  It passed with 83% of the vote.  And it should have,  given the abysmal corporate monopolies that are running roughshod over users.

Oh, that we could have that kind of leadership in New Mexico and Albuquerque.  Wouldn't it be a thrill to see Comcast have to compete?  

The Calm

After today's services for the slain APD Officer Dan Webster the calm will end and everyone will jockey for political advantage over the issue of crime and policing in Albuquerque.  The Mayor and Governor will blame the state legislature for the endless problems emanating out of city government, by saying repeat criminals get out of prison too easily.  

That is somewhat true, but in fact it is just abysmal leadership there in City Hall. We still know little about the incident that took Webster's life.  Were there backup officers available? How many officers were working that night?  Etc. Etc.  This is far from over.

The Police Union will take a strong position for higher salaries and more officers on the force.  They will attempt to run the department and who can blame them?

The GOP will continue to blame the Democrats for all of this and use their superior oil and gas funded PACs to carry that message forward.  Governor Martinez will get her picture in the Journal for the 10th time reading to children.  The Mayor will go out of town again to get away from the stress.  The Democrats will do or say nothing, as usual.

And the gun dealers in Albuquerque will see another surge in business.

Downer

I sent a $100 for winter protection for the Syrian refugees fleeing the madness and chaos.  I did it through a WorldPost Face Book page that popped up on my timeline.  In that page's comment section I asked others to do the same.  After I shared my support of help, the crazies came out.  They said even three year olds shouldn't be given any help because they were already being indoctrinated into killing all of us.

I know these kinds of people have always existed in  the past, even before the internet allowed them to come together and organize their hate. Their willingness to go public with this xenophobia is truly amazing.  It can get to you sometimes.

Misc.

Here is an idea for all Albuquerque Journal reporters.  Every time you  write a story print out a version that you hand in to the editor.  Then after the rightwing editor gets done editing your piece, print that out also put it in a personal paper file.  And when you finally can't take the bullshit from him any more, quit your job and make your file public.  Send it to the Columbia Journalism review.  Find a lawyer and sue the crap out of the publisher for forcing you to quit your job because you were coerced into being unethical.

The Governor's xenophobic stand on drivers licenses is going to get another go around.  She thinks we are over run by undocumented brown people from the south.  But consider this Pew Poll. The states who went to two tier licensing systems and have a much bigger percentage wise population of undocumented immigrants and yet they all have gangbuster economic growth.  The are leaving our hapless governor and her neo con advisors and Journal editors in the dust.  If they were to look at real data, they would see our population of undocumented has fallen.

Stranger than Fiction

There was a little story in the ABQ Journal yesterday that could be viewed as positive or negative when looking at our economy.  It seems the Albuquerque Community Foundation has now started giving grants for economic and workforce development.

The Foundation usually helps students, organizations, cultural programs and projects that might be considered charity, but now this non profit will start funding projects leading to economic development.  It sort of begs the question, what is the purpose of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce?  What is the purpose of Mayor Berry's and Governor Susana Martinez's economic development teams?  Is there so much desperation that they have turned to a charitable organization to come up with some job creation ideas?

This may be viewed as positive in that some new motivated players, not willing to sit by playing the fiddle in a fire, will get something done.  And if they do, watch the Mayor and Governor show up at the news conferences.

Dumbing Down is Real

The performance of New Mexico students on math and reading are once again in the cellar.  I am not a professional educator so I don't know why this keeps happening, not just here but everywhere in our country.

Just yesterday I was thinking about loss of intellectual depth and read some articles after Googling the term, "are people getting stupider?"  Scientific studies seem to support that notion.  Read it and weep.

A Tragedy

APD Officer Daniel Webster died this morning.  No matter what anyone thinks of the performance of APD, this is always a tragedy.  Hopefully, his family will be taken care of by our community.  Hopefully, we will begin to see a real effort at handling such gun violence that took his life from him.  

Hype Machine

Here is the bio that Governor Susana Martinez's neocon handlers sent to the Republican party in Hawaii.   How much is true?

47

New Mexico has been listed as being in the cellar, ranking as number 47 in economic health and a terrible state to do business in.  Forbes just skewered New Mexico's economic performance, noting that over 11,000 people have out migrated due the lowest job creation performance in the good ole USA.  Of course there is no comment from the Governor on this.  Why?  Because she is in Hawaii this week having a good time doing fund raisers for republicans there.  There is really nothing wrong doing fund raisers, but there is a lot wrong back here where there are fewer and fewer constituents in the electorate every year.

It is a new day and age in the Land of Enchantment, a time where no leader is held accountable by our corporate media, if they are republicans that is.    I suppose the only good thing is that there is not much lower we can go, but I am sure in a few months we will find out.

First Birthday at the Pumpkin Patch

Noelle, Luke , Kate, and Alex.

Newspeak

Secretary of State Diana Duran used newspeak with the press after pleading guilty to felony counts in the misuse of her campaign money.  The news media took it all in.  She said she had not violated the integrity of her elected office, even though she was charged with enforcing campaign funding laws.  It is like jumping back to 1984, except things are worse now than then.

Newspeak is the fictional language in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by George Orwell. It is a controlled language created by the totalitarian state Oceania as a tool to limit freedom of thought, and concepts that pose a threat to the regime such as freedom, self-expression, individuality, and peace.

An Ideal Question to Ask

Will one of our so called journalists on TV ask a simple question, since the ABQ Journal won't let their reporters make hard probes into the Berry administration's performance?  Come on Larry Barker or Stuart Dyson, you used to be journalists and I know you have it in you to ask hard questions.  Just ask the Chief of APD and Mayor Berry how many officers were on duty in the area command  where the officer was shot last night.  And compare that with how many would have been on duty in the year 2000.  Is that doable for  you poor leftovers in modern TV News?

No Confidence

Mayor Berry, CAO Perry, and APD Chief Eden have proven to be ineffectual in their jobs.  They have given their best, and it is not good enough.  The City Council has stood by while gun violence, economic decay, and Police problems have devastated our city.   Perhaps it is time for a vote of no confidence to be taken by the Council.

I don't say this lightly.  I have been a Mayor and know just how tough the job can be.  But being a Mayor means more than continually saying the phrase, "thoughts and prayers, " every time another person dies by gunfire.  And it means standing up front to talk about our economy and what needs to be done to pull Albuquerque out of its last place position in every measurement list for prosperity.

The events of the last two days are further hammering Albuquerque's national image into the ground. Our current leadership is helpless and inadequate.

Four Years Old

She joins this list of statistics, and she was only four years old as she died from a gunshot in a road rage incident on Interstate 40 near the Rio Grande.

Since 1970 1.35 million people have died from gunshot wounds in the United States.  That almost equals the 1.39 million who have died in American wars since the American Revolution.

Currently our death and injured rate from gunfire is 1269 people and children per week.  That is 180 per day or just over seven victims per hour.  Albuquerque's four year old child dying in her parents pickup truck will be just another statistic that will be submerged by the gun fanatics and their sponsoring terrorist organization, the NRA.

And sadly, many will soon forget this tragedy.  We will remember this years great balloon fiesta much longer than this unfathomable murder.

Ever?

After reading today about our state's dismal bottom ranking in rate of high school graduations rates I wondered what elected officials must be thinking.  Would they be held accountable and asked for explanations?

In the six years that Susana Martinez has been governor of New Mexico, has she ever held a full news conference attended by numerous reporters and writers, with out limiting questions?  I can't remember one.  Isn't it time now since she has had a chance to learn the issues?

Before I started my own political career, I was news secretary for democratic Governor Bruce King.  After finishing that job at the end of his term I took on the same duties for republican Harry Kinney.  Both of them regularly held news conferences or allowed unrestrained questioning in one on one interviews with journalists.  Journal reporters, TV reporters, editorial boards only had to call to ask for an interview on any subject and they were allowed right in to King or Kinney's office. Those two great leaders often squirmed and fidgeted under the questioning, but they understood they had to do it.

Now we have elected officials who have never held a full scale wide ranging news conference.  They hide from such things either because they are cowardly, apathetic, or don't really know what is going on in their own offices.  I think in Susana Martinez and Mayor Richard Berry's case all three reasons are true.  They evidently just like being there, and don't want to face reporters.

Where are the journalists?  Why are they not moving together to insist on regular news conferences with no limiting of questions and no political consultants present.  Well mostly I suspect, it is the corporate ownership of media and their control of the news departments.  Look at how the corporate ABQ Journal lies in bed with everything rightwing.  I can't remember a negative story on the Governor during her terms.  I could be wrong.  

Self Evident

The controversy in Belen, NM over a permanent nativity scene in a public park continues to roil with City Officials spending time and money on fighting the US Constitution and Supreme Court decisions.  This makes the danger of mixing religion and government self evident.

The city will expend money to hold a public auction to sell off the part of a city park that contains the permanent installation of the birth of Christ.  The Freedom From Religion Foundation, who sued Belen,  says that is a good idea, but then they start acting silly by saying they will bid for the property too.  That is as stupid as locating religious preferences on public property.  I am a member of FRFF and have told them to knock it off.  They are wasting money just as badly as the city officials in Belen.  What is with the sophomoric retaliation?

It is surprising to see a politician like Senate Leader Michael Sanchez defend having the religious installation on public property.  But, he is probably under great political pressure from the predominantly catholic community there.  He is in a very tough spot.  It shows the dangers of letting religion into politics for sure.

Different Worlds

You would think that the sixty miles that separates the daily newspapers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe would not make those New Mexico Cities look like they are in different worlds.  However, if you were to read yesterdays coverage in the Santa Fe New Mexican and Albuquerque Journal on the  statewide fundraising of the Republicans and Democrats you would think, WTF?

The Journal story says that pro Republican groups have an edge.  The Santa Fe New Mexican puts the real story out about how the oil and gas industry is single handedly funding our right wing Governor Susana Martinez's PACs to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The Journal seems to think the fact the former Governor Bill Richardson gave $1500 to Senate leader Michael Sanchez is paramount, but then practically ignores reporting the numerous large denomination contributions of the fossil fuel boys largesse to the GOP.  The Journal does point out the the real benefactors in the GOP are Susana's right wing advisors and campaign managers, Jay McClesky and his wife who walked off with hundreds of thousands in fees.

Go back an read the stories and see the differences.  It is striking and just proves the point that the Editor of the Journal, Kent Walz, has truly moved the right wing editorial page agenda onto front page news coverage.  How much longer can the Publishers, the Lang family, allow this to continue?

There is one silver lining here in my opinion.  The dependance of the GOP on the fossil fuel boys can only be fruitful for a limited time.  Their era of dominance is passing quickly and renewable energy becomes more and more competitive.  It can't happen soon enough.  

Post Debate

Sanders won my heart and a small donation.  Sent some more money to O'Malley.  Thought Webb was disappointing but still interesting.

Conclusion,

Clinton....Performance art.
Sanders....From the heart.

I will help Hilary if she is still standing in a year..... It is a long long road to the election.  

Easy Street

The passage of a gross receipts tax to double the zoo budget for 15 years on the backs of the poor was easily passed in a low turnout election.  Zoo proponents pulled one on all of us.  Even us people who like the Bio Park but think city workers deserve some raises after 7 years of stagnant wages and that the gross receipts tax is too regressive.

And now as a result of that low turn out election, it will be even easier for special interests groups to get their special interest items onto the city ballot.  Why?  Because it will take so many fewer signatures of voters to mandate these issues be put on the ballot.  An 11% turn out now means a large reduction in the amount of required signatures based on  20% requirements of votes cast in the last election, or an average of the last four regular city elections, which ever is higher.  This is spelled out in the city charter.

So here is your chance to get every little thing on the ballot easily, and then hope for another low turn out election to get it passed.  And then another new low turnout election makes it even easier the next time a narrow issue group gets to clutter up the ballot.

Bad Government!  Chaos follows.

Sandia Sunset

Must Read

This is an article everyone should read.  Bill Moyers penned it two years ago.  Given the fact that the New York Times has reported 158 families have given half of all campaign contributions, it is more timely than ever.

Our Corporate Governor

UNM is one of the main economic engines in the Albuquerque area.  Funded with taxpayer dollars much like the Military and Research institutions in our state.  UNM is incredibly important to us in many ways.  But, since it is government you will never see Governor Susana Martinez coming to its aid because she and her right wing minions hate government and want to strangle it.

If a large company in New Mexico were to suffer financially like UNM is suffering right now, Martinez would be there in a heartbeat offering incentives and tax cuts to see them through the storm.   But this most worthless Governor in our state's modern era is no where to be seen in helping out our institutions of research and higher learning.  It is almost criminal.

She sits by in her dogma, while New Mexico's economy runs in reverse.  We are about the only state suffering this way, and much of it is due to her inaction on important economic and government development.  Will the public ever wake up?

Misc.

Just when I think I might better like Representative Michelle Grisham Lujan she does something to make me think she is a run of the mill member of Congress.  Her blind support for lifting the ban on oil export sales from this country is nothing more than a pandering for money from the fossil fuel boys and their dirty ways.  The oil guys say it will mean more money for the state's share of royalties from federal oil lands in the state.  If they and the Congresswoman are so concerned about that why don't they move quickly to increase the royalty rate the Bureau of Land Management charges.  It has been stuck at 12.5% for almost a hundred years!  State Land Offices and private land owners get a hell of a lot more than that.  So, will we see Lujan Grisham rise to the occasion to move along a nascent effort to get this done?  Or will she just prove herself an ally of right wing crazy Congressman Steve Pearce?

And then there is the silly battle over Columbus day on the Albuquerque City Council.  Members are fighting over something that happened hundreds of years ago and really has no relevance to anyones lives today.  Sure, Columbus didn't discover America since natives were already living here.  But you can't step back to 1492 to change what happened.  This debate just engenders hate between people who who were born hundreds of years after Columbus arrived.  It is kind of like the continued warfare in the middle east where everyone fights over tribal incursions that happened thousands of years ago. The council needs to spend its efforts on real time problems, like our miserable state of affairs under the absence of economic growth policies of Mayor Richard Berry's administration.

The Journal and the Councillor

It will be interesting to see how the right wing Journal Editor, Kent Walz, handles the election and service of the new City Councillor Pat Davis.  Walz, in his constant effort to put editorials into the Journal's news stories by bullying otherwise competent reporters, did everything he could to stop the election of Davis, a progressive candidate from a progressive part of town.  Walz's actions almost constituted a pogrom against the young former policeman turned activist.  Well, Walz looks weak on this one, because Davis creamed two other candidates.

Will Walz now treat Davis fairly in news coverage of city hall?  He will look a fool if he doesn't, well, more foolish than he looks to many of us already.  Mark my words on this issue and see if this fairness can emerge from the smoked filled editorial offices.

And, as for Pat Davis, he needs to make a real effort at being effective rather than just showing up as the most left of center council member.  He is a bright young guy who could have a future if he plays his cards smartly.  

Inspiration

What Inspiration?  An 8% voter turnout yesterday is more of an indictment against Mayor Berry and the City Council than any amount of ranting I could engage in.

As a result we now have poor people paying for Zoo improvements for the Bio Park Supporters.  We now have the City Council making decisions on who the police chief will be and making it near impossible to hold anyone accountable.  We now have a gross receipts tax that has increased mightily and will affect the poor.  We will now have a tougher time getting business to locate here since they notice this kind of malaise and lack of leadership.

What is happening in Albuquerque?  Or in New Mexico for that matter?  Our economic tailspin continues at a frightening rate and the public just lets the weak leadership endure.  Scary stuff.

Eagle Diner

This is billed as the oldest diner in Gallup.  Right on old 66.  Hell of a good breakfast.

My friend Dennis gets it right!

Fix the U.S.-Israel special relationship

Netanyahu's disrespect for an American president is unprecedented

 

Pittsburgh Post Gazette, October 2, 2015 12:00 AM

 

By Dennis Jett

 

Ever since the creation of the state of Israel, it has had a special relationship with the United States. In recent months that relationship has been damaged by domestic politics in both countries, and steps must be taken to mend it.

 

Israel has been the single largest recipient of American foreign aid, totaling about $234 billion over the years. Not bad for a country with a population smaller than that of New York City. But the American commitment to Israel's defense and development has never meant that both governments must always agree.

 

The United States has consistently opposed expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank and urged progress in peace talks with the Palestinians. Yet the settlements have continually grown, while prospects for peace seem more remote every day.

 

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said he was ready to restart negotiations, there was a collective yawn because few believed him. That disbelief is well-founded. When faced with a tight battle for reelection last March, he promised his supporters that a Palestinian state never would be established while he was in office.

 

Mr. Netanyahu won the election but barely cobbled together a majority in parliament. Three of the four parties that joined his coalition are firmly opposed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and would rather formally annex most of the West Bank. They would leave the vast majority of Palestinians confined to a semi-autonomous nonstate not unlike the Bantustans that the South African government created under apartheid.

 

The number of Israeli settlers on the West Bank has grown to 600,000 and they have become a powerful political force in Israeli politics. Most assert a biblical right to cheap, heavily subsidized housing on someone else's land, which has pulled the country away from any possible path to peace. To maintain their support, Mr. Netanyahu has avoided serious negotiations.

 

The damage done to the special relationship by domestic politics in Israel is minor, however, compared to what Mr. Netanyahu's intrusion into American domestic politics has wrought.

 

His support for his old friend, Mitt Romney, in the 2012 presidential election was no secret. And his opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran has been adamant and unrelenting. While not a single Republican senator or congressman has supported the agreement, their attempts to destroy it have failed. Yet Mr. Netanyahu has vowed to continue his efforts to do so. Never has the leader of a friendly country shown such contempt for an American president.

 

Openly identifying with the Republican Party may appeal to Mr. Netanyahu since, according to a new report, only three of 10 Republicans support a two-state solution while six of 10 Democrats do.

 

By aligning himself with the GOP, Mr. Netanyahu is following in the footsteps of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC, which is famous for its political muscle, began reaching out to fundamentalist Christians in the mid-1980s. One might think it strange for a group supporting Israel to ally with those who eagerly await the Rapture, during which Jews are predicted to become Christians or be incinerated. But enhancing AIPAC's power was all that mattered.

 

All this posturing is exacerbating the partisan divide in Washington. A solid majority of Jewish Americans now vote consistently for Democrats, and many are increasingly secular. Conservative Christians, on the other hand, are the bedrock of the GOP base of support. To appeal to them, the contenders for the Republican presidential nomination try to outdo each other in asserting support for Israel and now would essentially outsource American policy in the region to Mr. Netanyahu.

 

Despite the increasingly partisan tenor of the special relationship, the president, according to The New York Times, is expected "to deliver a huge new military-aid package to Israel and perhaps make some political moves to appease Mr. Netanyahu" when the prime minister visits the United States in November.

 

Some have suggested that Israel be given the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which could destroy Iran's buried nuclear facilities. Such a transfer would hand Iranian hardliners a superb argument that America bargained in bad faith on the nuclear deal. And it would enable Mr. Netanyahu to start a war, at the moment of his choosing, that he would be incapable of ending.

 

The special relationship will not endure if it drags the United States into another unwinnable war with another Muslim country. It will not endure if the American Jewish community is sharply divided. And it will not endure if it becomes just another part of the partisan food fight in Washington.

 

Mr. Obama should use the occasion of Mr. Netanyahu's visit not to shower him with gifts but to tell him that the United States just might recognize Palestine as a nation and a full member of the United Nations (something that over 70 percent of the U.N.'s 193 member states already do) unless he returns to the bargaining table and makes rapid progress toward lasting peace.

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