Saturday, December 31, 2016

Table Manners

Gee, they always hang out at my end of the table. I wonder why? HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thursday, December 29, 2016

In Danger

It is almost comical and tragic at the same time.  There was a story in the Journal this morning about the impact of broken elevators at Carlsbad Caverns in southern NM.  The problem is costing the region a lot of money because people are passing on a visit because they can't ride down.  It is adversely affecting a big economic engine for the region.  It shows the value of public land assets other than oil and gas.  It is something that will be there long after the oil boys go the way of steam ships.  Even Congressman Steve Pearce, a man who would sell public lands to the highest bidder seems upset.

Ironically,  the Antiquities Act will now be in great danger from people like Pearce.  President Obama used it yesterday to protect large swaths of public land in Utah and Nevada.  Read about it here.  This article was written by former Washington Post staffer Tom Kenworthy who sits on the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Board with me and other rabble rousers.

The designations of these new National Monuments will bring out the worst in the Clive Bundy crowd and their GOP western Congressional delegations.  They will try do undo these designations and then go after the Antiquities Act which has been used by almost every administration since Teddy Roosevelt to protect great American Landscapes and special places.  This roll back will be done in the name of profit for the fossil fuel boys.

This is one worth manning the barricades for!  Some bad behavior will be needed in the home towns of every Congressional member who thinks this repeal is needed.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Pay the Tax

Twenty Years ago I suggested to the Legislature while serving as Mayor that big internet retailers needed to collect the gross receipts tax on their sales and send them to the cities and state.  Of course I was highly criticized for worrying that the fall in revenues would be a disaster for the cities.  Now, an effort is underway to finally craft such a bill, as Utah has done.  The facts are that our local small business men and women are required to collect taxes, but corporate monsters get away with not doing it, and that puts them at a great economic advantage.  Meanwhile the mom and pop stores fade away.

A lot of people don't want to see this of course because they think a magic dragon poops out money for the governments to fix streets, hire police and firemen, and mow the grass in the parks.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Repetition

I have been writing missives on my blog for 13 years.  One of those early adopters of this medium.  I went back to 2005 and started reading some of the 4000 posts I have made to Only in New Mexico.  It is all very repetitious. Things don't really change, except in a glacial way.

I  have been struggling with posting lately, because everything sounds used up.  And shrill.  I have thought about retiring from my ever shorter blogs because I think I have said it all before.  Between now and the New Years I will decide, not that anyone cares.  It is something to do everyday.  My readership is still fairly good.  What to do?

But trump and susana are still here and provide grist for the mill.  And the next round of elections will be fun to comment on.  Tune in for further notices.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Acres

Many people are saying the electoral college just works because the large cities and coasts shouldn't determine who is elected. So, the trump folks now think that acreage is the way to elect the president, instead of one man, one vote.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Cabinet Portrait

Rick Perry, fundamentalist wacko and former Texas Governor is shown pictured on the right holding a cudgel for destroying the Department of Energy which trump has placed him in charge of running.  Don't forget that includes the nuclear stockpile.  This serious photo of him and other cabinet members was taken early this morning.

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Crazy

I missed my chance a few years ago to make America great.  We were on a great cruise through Spain, France and Portugal.  We had stopped for an excursion into Seville to tour the great city.  On board our ship was a contingent of extreme right wingers that  were holding symposiums on board.  One of the star attractions was  that crazy  man know as John Bolton, bush and cheney's man at the UN.  A true nightmare of a human being.

We were waiting to cross a busy boulevard as traffic raced by.  I looked at the guy next to me and it was Bolton.  I saw a bus barreling down the  right lane of traffic.  I thought, "Should I?", "Should I?"

Well obviously I didn't, but maybe I missed a great opportunity to strike a blow for truth and justice.  Now Bolton is back claiming that  Obama is really behind the Russian hacking for Trump.  A 'false flag' as he calls it.

Chaos theory at work.  

Wednesday, December 07, 2016

Resign

Governor Susana Martinez should resign. For the second year in a row New Mexico has been cited has having the worst run government in the nation.  Also, as President Frank at UNM fights back against the Regents I suspect that one of the Governors Regent appointees has leaked information to make the President look bad.  If that is true then you will know her dislike for UNM is stronger than her concern for our state.  We had a trump all along here on the fourth floor of the capitol.

Monday, December 05, 2016

Beautiful

What a beautiful pile of dog crap President Obama has handed to trump.  The decision on the pipeline will force trump into a two front war on fossil fuel pipelines if you take into consideration the especially dirty Keystone project.  Double trouble for trump, in more ways than one.

What this proved is that activism and in your face attitudes of unpopular projects that add to climate problems just won't be tolerated.  The will is there for people to rise up against this kind of immoral corporate profit over good mentality.

Of course, this old time civil disobedience will work on many other issues as well, and I fully expect to see a lot of it in the next few years.

Sunday, December 04, 2016

Despicable

Recently I learned that NM congressional influence was helpful in getting a new contract for Corrections Corporation of America to imprison undocumented immigrants in the Cibola County Correctional Center that CCA owns.  Apparently the news of the closing of that for profit incarceration company human warehouse in that  depressed city was to much for some folks.  Sure, it is a large employer in the area, but at what cost to human morality?  The facility housed women for many  years, but was deemed unneeded.

I cant think of anything more repugnant than private prisons.  And yet we have locally elected democrats representing us in DC that see this as a vote getting mechanism.  Not to mention the amount of possible donations they may get from CCA.  And now we learn that CCA doesn't want pot legalized because they will lose business.


Thursday, December 01, 2016

Buggy Whips

State Land Commissioner Dunn is bringing on retired Senator Domenici as an advisor at the Land Office.  Dunn is also pitching enhanced drilling for fossil fuels to fund early childhood education.

These guys just don't get it.  Domenici never saw an oil well or coal mine he didn't love.  And Dunn is not any better on pushing of fossil fuels over anything else.  They are like buggy whip manufacturers expanding their plants as Model T's roll off the assembly lines.

They just don't see the future.