Indictment

The political leadership in New Mexico should be indicted for malfeasance.   The one shining light in New Mexico has been its positioning as a possible leader in renewable energy because of our great capability of turning sunlight into energy.  The Governor and PRC Commissioners have turned what could have been an economic gain into a loser by reducing by half what our power generators are required to do to meet renewable generation.  And they could have easily met the requirements before this stupid move.  Did PNM have something to do with this?  Will any journalists find out?  PNM, our once great local Corporate presence has morphed into a bottom line only company.  Shame!

And Mayor Berry of Albuquerque sits by along with the city council and watches our transportation system unravel.  This screen shot of a study completed last month shows just how bad our airport is doing.  Was this study shared with any journalist, or were the city pols afraid of the reactions that might come from the public?  Certainly, the chamber of commerce should care but they are to busy being mascots for the Mayor and Governor.  And the right wing Albuquerque Journal publisher.  Click on it to make it bigger.

A close reading of this would explain why you pay $4 for a bottle of water at the airport.  The city needs to up its take because the airport could fail without it.

Same Ole'

I just downloaded the new book by Joyce Kearns Goodwin titled, "The Bully Pulpit, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism."

I will read this book on our upcoming cruise around the Caribbean starting on Monday.  This book shows how these two old time republican presidents took on the mega-trusts and how journalists in those days did what they were supposed to do.

It will be a timely read in that I just got news that ethically challenged elected officials are now trying ever harder to do the wrong thing when dealing with our modern day political trusts.

The first item is  Senate Bill 258, a bill introduced by Sen. Barrasso and other western republican senators (not Heinrich or Udall) in Washington which will be marked up in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on Thursday.  It grants to federal livestock permittees 20-year grazing permits, replacing the current 10-year permit. Additionally,  permit terms could not be revisited for NEA review for 20 years once the permit is issued. Also it states, the renewal, reissuance, or transfer of a grazing permit or lease by the Secretary of Interior  shall be categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement if the current lease holders want to renew.  This gang of leaseholders have again attempted to carve out subsidies that no one else out side of government would ever grant to a business group.  It is insane.

Second, our own gang of Public Regulatory Commissioners in New Mexico just drove a stake into the heart of renewable energy production in New Mexico.  This was put out by the Sierra Club on Wednesday afternoon, and it is a heart breaker....except for fossil fuel.

"Today, three members of the Public Utility Commission adopted amendments to its renewable energy rule that will essentially cut in half the amount of solar energy that New Mexico utilities are required to produce, and also reduced the amount of renewable energy they are required to add in the future. Commissioner Becenti-Aguilar, Lyons and Hall voted to allow utilities to receive two Renewable Energy Credits (RECS) per kilowatt-hour for solar and three RECs for energy such as biomass and geothermal. Commissioners Espinoza and Montoya voted no, citing concerns about lack of public comment on this proposal and overall reduction of renewable energy production.

Currently, the Commission’s rule requires that 20% of a utility’s renewable resource portfolio be from solar power and 5% from renewable resources other than wind or solar. This rule change will effectively reduce the amount of solar energy required to be generated to 10%, and other resources are reduced to 1.5% of the renewable portfolio. The Renewable Energy Act requires utilities to provide 15% of renewables in 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. But the 2-to-1 credit for solar would reduce the total percentage by giving solar and other resources credit for generation that was not actually produced. The effective reduction would be approximately 3.5% to the required amount of renewables."

I wish Teddy Roosevelt would walk into the PRC Chambers with his Big Stick!

The Voters Leashed the Dogma

Let's hope this battle of the christian right's efforts to collar us with their dogma won't revisit us anytime soon.  I am so proud of Albuquerque's voters for voting down the attempts to limit women's rights and choice.   No matter how unconstitutional it was, the Mayor and City Council let it go to a vote because they are cowards and self-serving.

And in somewhat of a back fire on the Mayor he now faces a democratic majority on the city council with the election of Diane Gibson.  She is the recipient of the many votes of folks who don't like the tactics of the right wing fundamentalists.  Her runoff election in District 7 received a large infusion of pro choice voters who decided to help her.

Rationalism

It is heartwarming to see the Cuba School Board and Administration just say no to moving their graduation ceremonies to a different day in order to satisfy one religious sect.  I was really worried that the fundamentalists would carry the day.  You don't often see such government elected officials stand up for rationality.

The Albuquerque City Council and Mayor Berry sure didn't stand for rationalism when they allowed, with out any vetting, a ballot initiative written by religious fanatics to go on to a vote when it was clearly unconstitutional.  Once again they should all resign in disgrace for their cowardice and malfeasance.  This million dollar cost is abhorrent.  Think of how this money could have been used on something productive and enlightening.  Maybe even some newly curated exhibits for the children's science museum?

I hope the voting public shows the same rationality as the Cuba School Board.  A slap in the face to fundamentalism and the dark ages would be a good thing.

Pharma

I was wondering when this move to get more people onto statins to lower cholesterol would be revisited.  It turns out the calculator that people  use for advice is deeply flawed and would result in many folks going on these powerful drugs when it wasn't really necessary.  Gee, that would have meant a windfall for big Pharma wouldn't it?

I had been on those drugs for many years because my numbers always hovered over 200.  I just blindly took them.  And then about six months ago I talked with a friend about how at the age of 68 I was experiencing a lot of muscle pain.  He said the statins might  be responsible.  So I did a little research and found out that the statin's side effects could be severe muscle pain.  I went off them for a couple of months and the pain went away.  My numbers went up of course.  I went back on them and felt terrible.  Then I went off them again.  I am better again.  I will stay off them as along as possible. There is no history of heart attacks in the family.  I don't smoke and I get exercise on the golf course and morning walks.  So I guess I am just rolling the dice but I have decided it is better than being in a state  of constant fatigue from muscle pain.

One can only marvel that such a flawed calculator could be put out by major heart research organizations and big Pharma.  I wonder if the right wing will come after them as they have Obamacare.

Refreshing

The last three days in the rainy, windy, snowy city of Salt Lake city was fun.  We got work done and had a great gala party to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our wilderness protection group.

One delightful thing about Salt Lake City is the Salt Lake Tribune daily newspaper.  It is informative, well written, wide ranging and not a carrier of right wing causes.  It is neutral in its coverage.

There was one interesting story coming out of the nation's most conservative state.  Some Utah legislators, Mayors and County Commissioners want to hike gasoline taxes so they can use the money to improve their transportation systems.  They include republicans.  Can you imagine any republican in NM sticking their neck out like that?

Heading North

I will be off to Utah for a couple of days to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.  I have been a board member there for twenty years.  This is one of the most successful and resolute regional landscape protection organizations in the United States.  Any one who knows the Red Rock country of Utah would appreciate the work done by them.  It would be great to send them a little donation to keep up their work on protecting this land.  Click here to help.

Albuquerque Chamber

Frontier Airlines is leaving Albuquerque.  Southwest Airline's vast schedule here will soon only be half vast.  And now Amtrak is giving us a rail job by saying they may cut passenger service to Albuquerque unless we pay them to maintain the tracks.

Nothing is being done about it so far as I can determine.  Which might be a good time to  bring up the subject of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.  What, exactly, is their leadership doing do deal with these economy busting happenings?

It might be time for a complete housecleaning at the Chamber.  The Board needs to find new executive leadership that thinks in visionary ways and actually accomplishes things.  It is pretty obvious that the Mayor's office and Governor's office have no economic master plan.  Just ask them to see one.  Wanna bet there is nothing on paper or any committees meeting about such a plan?  So, normally you would think the Chamber would take on some extra chores to try and stop the bleeding.  But no!  It is just business as usual from a mostly invisible and political leadership.  That business is somewhat like most elected officials.  Hang on to their job and aura of importance.  (I've been there)

But these times are very tough and real work and innovation is needed.  The current team at the Chamber is failing.  Big Time!

Journal Stringers

I think if it weren't for the bloggers the Albuquerque Journal and its skeleton staff would  have no sources.  Rodger Beimer's Blog, Joe Monahan's Blog and mine seem to be feeding news stories on a regular basis the to emaciated daily rag.

They discreetly wait a week or two before doing the story on their own with never mentioning the lowly bloggers who pointed them to a decent story.  The latest example is their above the fold story today on pending partial desertion of Albuquerque by Southwest Airlines due to a change in the federal law.  I blogged about this on October 29th.

The story on the airline was thorough and good.  What caught my eye was the shoulder shrugs of the city and state officials who should be coming up with a plan.  They seem to be willing to be bystanders as the airport continues to lose service.  Where are the proactive business people and pols who might make some effort at trying to keep airlines interested in Albuquerque?  The Mayor and Governor are out to a long lunch and the chamber of commerce is a joke.  They are to busy being mascots for the right wing Journal editor.

Days of Future Passed

Days of Future Passed is the name of one of my all time favorite Moody Blues Albums.  The title reminds me of the last three days spent with an old friend.

From the first through eighth grade at our Lady of Fatima Heights Catholic School in Albuquerque my best friend was Mike McDermott.  We were practically joined at the hip.  But we went to different high schools and his family moved to San Antonio Texas and we lost touch with each other for 54 years.  I often thought of him and tried to find him but had no luck doing so.  This is a picture of my brother Tom on the left, Mike in the middle, and me.

About six weeks ago I got an email from him.  He had been watching a Lobo football game and noticed that the name of Turner Branch on the UNM football stadium.  He googled the name and it took him to a webpage on the Journal site explaining why Branch's name was on the stadium.  Next to that story was a story about my brother Tom's Vietnam Helicopter missions which became a 60 minute documentary on NATGEO.  The story mentioned he was Mayor Jim Baca's brother and that made Mike think he might have found us.  He was then directed to my blog and got my email.

He sent his phone number and asked that I call him.  Long story short, he just came and spent three days with us.  It was like we had never been apart for these five and a half decades.  We toured all our old haunts.  Revisited infamous happenings.  Talked about our adventures lives and families.  Played golf.  Ate Chile. And had a great time.

Mike lost his wife Colleen four years ago.  He is a Viet Nam Vet who carries a purple heart, a retired iron worker, school teacher and career counselor and he still lives in the San Antonio area.  He is a good democrat surrounded by republicans who he gets along with. He is mostly a voice in the wilderness amongst them.  We agreed we are not going to wait another 50 years to get back together.

Veterans

We had a house full of veterans for Sunday evening dinner.  On the left is Mike McDermott-Buck Sgt. US Army, Tom Baca-Major US Army, Jan Baca-1st Lt. US Air Force, Jim Baca-Staff Sgt. US Air Force, Dave Miller-Petty Officer 3/C US Navy.  

Embarrassing

There were a couple of op-eds in the Journal today regarding the upcoming election on abortion in the city  of Albuquerque.  One is by Archbishop Sheehan.  It is sophomoric, dogmatic and embarrassing.  He says even if the ordinance is unconstitutional at least some babies will be saved.  So naturally, screw the US Constitution!

The other oped is by  Joan Lamunyon Sanford / Executive Director, N.M. Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.  She makes a rational and legal argument for the other side of the question.  She totally demolishes his poorly thought out essay.

Another embarrassing thing in the Journal today was the article on the death of former rightwing GOP party chair John Dendahl.  He was an interesting intelligent guy who was really in the vanguard of today's take no prisoners attitude of the Tea Party.  The quote about him was that he took a position on something and didn't care what the consequences were.  And that is a good thing?

Rail Runner

The Rail Runner is going on five years of operations soon.  Like many things we tend to look at it as it passes by and don't really think about what it took to bring into reality.  This is a video I took on its opening run to Santa Fe in 2008.

RailRunner from James Baca on Vimeo.

Thorny

If fellow blogger Joe Monahan's pollster is right then the anti abortion foes will be handed a defeat this month by rational Albuquerque voters.  His poll sows a much wider gap than I think there is and after word of this gets out the Archbishop and fundamentalists will pull out all stops to pass the ban on certain abortions.  Some bible wielding fundamentalists decided we needed this after conferring with higher powers in heaven.  This will be a fun one to watch, but the issue will remain thorny no matter what happens.

This could also become a barbed issue for the republicans running the Mayor's office who let this expensive and unnecessary election take place.  The ordinance would have been unconstitutional but the Mayor was willing to waste a million dollars in a special election so the emotional issue would stay away from his election.  This self serving waste of taxpayer money will follow him for a long time.

Misc. Wednesday

Item.  The New Mexico Game and Fish Department says poaching of deer and elk are increasing in New Mexico.

Item.  The Tea Party and republicans have managed to reduce the amount of food going to poor people in New Mexico.

Item.  Does anyone think about the cause and effect of actions they take in politics anymore?

Item.  KRQE did another story on a hungry dog last night.  I have not yet seen a story on the reduction in food stamps to the poor.  Probably because hungry puppies get more ratings than hungry kids.

Item.  The Albuquerque City Council will take away cars of prostitutes and johns in a great blow for crime.(ahem)  Meanwhile the innocent families of many of them will not be able to go to the food bank in search of food because they have no car.

Luck of the Draw

So now NASA scientists are saying there are as many as 8 billion earth like planets in the goldilocks zone around stars like our sun.  And we end up with the Tea Party and the Taliban on this planet!  Think of the odds of such a political delusional philosophies being on any of those other planetary bodies.  One of the Tea Party faithful, a guy named David Barton, a right wing historian, is thinking about running against republican US Senator Cronyn in Texas.  This guy is saying that god has removed his protection from earth because of abortion.  That is why we are having these devastating storms you know. And earth quakes and other crap too!

And then one can't just wait for exclamations from the religious fundamentalists on why billions of  earth like planets aren't mentioned in the bible so they can't be real.  They will get around to it as soon as they stop campaigning to get this unconstitutional anti abortion bill passed in Albuquerque.

Peanuts

It is kind of sad to see the Valencia peanut crop in the Clovis and Portales area go with out any buyers since the Sunland Processing Plant declared bankruptcy after their problems with salmonella last year.  Their peanut butter sickened many folks.

The company really screwed the farmers in the area by withholding their planned bankruptcy information while the farmers planted.  Bad actors for sure at Sunland.

At the same time the farmers are faulting the Federal government for not helping them.  In the last five years the Feds have shoveled over five million dollars in subsidies to some of these farmers.  Those subsidies have been falling as they should, but to blame the feds for not being of more help while these same conservative farmers hate government and elect the likes of tea party darling Steven Pearce to Congress is a little over the top.

There is no better peanut that Valencia peanuts and I hope the farmers stay in business and a buyer is found for Sunland's plant.  Maybe the Governor's economic team should finally do something and go out and find a food processor to buy the facilities and make that good peanut butter.

Marathon

I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone wants to run 26 miles in a marathon.  I see where a Kenyan won the New York race.  I am pretty sure his victory insures Ted Cruz's dad will want him sent back to Kenya immediately.  

Let's Roll

I think it would be fun to find 27,000 Atheists in the city of Albuquerque to ask for an amendment to ban the practice of religion in the city limits.  That would be about as constitutional as this fundamentalist christian move on the abortion question.  At the very least we should now pass a measure that takes away any tax exemptions from property that churches own because the groups are nothing more than lobbying firms.

We were discussing this on our hike this morning and have decided that the ballot language itself is a violation of campaign laws since it is nothing more than a campaign advertisement for the religious right's abortion stance.  The fact that the City Attorney, City Council and Mayor did not write the ballot language but left it up to the fundamentalists is beyond belief.  The City Council should all be recalled for this.  The Mayor should be recalled for wasting money on the law suit that will ensue and his lackadaisical attitude on constitutional rights.   And the planned raise for the Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry should be diverted to help pay for the law suit.  He has failed in his responsibility to protect city taxpayers.

Invisible

The new Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell gave a speech yesterday at the National Press Club which has given some small rise in expectations from public lands conservation groups in the nation. Of course you will not have heard about it because the media is way too focused on the 'he said/she said' debate on the Affordable Care Act roll out.  Conservation issues are invisible in the media.

For those who care, Jewell hinted at the President's possible use of the Antiquities Act to declare more National Monuments in America.  Since congress is doing little on landscapes protection this might be the only way to get things done.  Congress did pass a designation for the Rio Grande del Norte Monument in northern NM due to the full support of the delegation and local communities.  Jewell is also insisting on the full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and a more balanced approach to energy development on public lands.

This all sounds inane to most folks.  But coming from an Obama administration official it is a breath of fresh air since President Obama has done very little up to this point on using his executive powers to protect our western landscapes.