Looking a Long Way Ahead

It is just never to early to look ahead to Gubernatorial elections.  As Governor Susannah Martinez's first year inches to a close there is plenty of reason to think she could be vulnerable in a few years.  But I don't see much in the way of anyone wanting to take her on.  A lot can happen between now and then but so far as I can see the Democrats are not thinking strategically on the possibility of getting this Governor out of office.  I have always felt deep down she could be a good Governor, but it seems her strings are totally controlled by the right wing elements of the GOP.  Guys like Pat Rodgers and Mickey Barnett.  Those are pretty heartless people I think when it comes to any sort of notion that some people could use assistance during these tough times.

There is grist for the mill in that campaign against Martinez.  Job creation is certainly one area where she has shown no creative thinking or even sympathy.  She has not convinced me she has put this on her agenda as a priority.  Even if it is hard to do I can not figure out why she isn't putting on a show.   And where are the Democrats response to this disconnected administration?  There should be people at everyone of her public appearances waving signs saying..."Where are the jobs?"

You don't see any prospective candidates out there muttering criticisms of the current administration's failed economic growth efforts.  Are there none?  It wouldn't hurt to become vocal if there are.  Given the governors ratings in the polls it is obvious little work is being done in the Northern part of the state where her non policies are hurting people the most.

Misc.

Rep. Barney Frank is ending a decades long career in the House.  He was a champion of fiscal responsibility and gay rights.  He essentially said he was sick of the no compromise attitude that consumed the House.  I have always said that the one person most responsible for this mess was Newt Gingrich.  Frank said the same thing and singled him out as the main cause of the hateful atmosphere in DC.  And now the republicans have switched their allegiance to Gingrich in the latest GOP primary poll.  At least for this week.

Now the GOP and the Governor are New Mexico is starting a destructive approach in the current reapportionment lawsuits they have filed. They want a list of all communications between Democrats and Brian Sanderoff who was hired by the Legislative Council to work on designing new legislative and congressional districts.  He has carried out this task for almost thirty years with absolutely no indication of any favoritism.  They are doing nothing but trying to defame a respected Sanderoff and painting conspiracies where there are none.  What if they find more communications from email savvy republicans?  That would be funny. The Governor is nothing more than another Gingrich.

Albuquerque Journal Columnist Wynn Quigley wrote a good technical analysis this morning about energy subsidies and taxation.  His point I believe was that subsidies for renewable energy systems was really no different that oil and gas subsidies.  He said the economics favored oil and gas.  He is probably correct to a certain point, but he leaves out the most important issue.  That would be the fact that fossil fuels are killing our planet and the continued use of them are disastrous.  That makes the economic issues the least of our worries.

That Latin Mass

This is a picture of me in 1957 in front of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Albuquerque.  It is located at the intersection of Lomas and Morningside in Albuquerque.  At the time it was under construction and really was the nicest church in the city once it was completed.  At that time I was an altar boy.  We had to undergo instruction in rote memorization of the Latin responses to the priest during mass.  Also, a lot of training in the rituals of the Mass.  It was all pretty easy except for the meaningless latin recitations which most of us never really mastered.  Especially on cold winter mornings when we had to get  up at 5:45AM to bicycle over to the church for 6:30 mass.

Pretty soon the mass was changed to english  and it became more understandable even though we didn't pay much attention at that point.  My doubts on religion all started when we were celebrating May Day in our school, known as Heights Catholic School.  The class 'princess' was crowning the Virgin Mary statue when the ribbons and garland ignited into a conflagration after brushing one of the candles.  Some holy water was used to suppress the fire and the ritual proceeded though the crown looked pretty crummy.  I wondered how an all omnipotent god could let that happen.  The rest of my religious up bringing just started peeling off in onion like layers.  In fact the other day a friend and I started reading through an old Baltimore Catechism and were astounded we ever bought any of that stuff.  Go online and read it.  It is pretty funny.

Now I see that the church is retranslating the english verses in the mass to more closely follow the original Latin scripts.  Not so dramatic in the scheme of things the church has done.  Like the changing of the mortal sin of eating meat on Fridays or the admittance that there is no Limbo for little babies who die before being baptized.

Although I am not a believer any longer I will admit that the Catholic education, aside front the god stuff, did good for me in that I try to follow most of the acts of mercy that were enunciated by the church.  I liked Heights Catholic School and St. Pius X High School.  The one thing they did for me was teach me to read and I was a champion speller.  They pretty much failed to instruct me in anything more than simple arithmetic.

However, they inadvertently molded me into a progressive political person.  Now, they may regret that.

Misc.

Why would anyone stand in line in cold and snow at midnight to get into a store to buy stuff?  They are slaves to consumerism foisted on us by corporate America I guess.  Remember when the economy melted down in 2008 and President bush said that people just needed to go out and shop some more?  As if that was going to fix things when everyone was already in debt up to their lower lips.  I suppose some people get some fulfillment from buying stuff and apparently deals can be abundant.  It just seems over the top.

In my old double standard dilemma I do my consumer overspending from the comfort of my I-Mac.  Maybe I should join the social madness and get a little more exercise and combat training.  It might be good for me.  Who knows?

This is a picture of our daughter Noelle at Christmas time back in 1992 with our Christmas tree.   Now the big debate around here is whether to buy a new artificial Christmas tree.  Our old one was, well old.  The lights were not working and it was a labor intensive thing to put up.  A new one would have to be an easier one to haul out and set up.  Bobbi has been shopping around for a new one but they are pricey.  Since we may not be here for Christmas I suggested we wait for the last minute sales prices and get one for next year.  We still put up many other decorations. With few kids around this year I wonder if it is even necessary.  I probably won't win this argument.

Children

This is Emma, Anya, and Maya.  All children of family in and around these parts.  They kept Thanksgiving boisterous at our home.  Hide and Seek, shrieking, eating, going to the park and generally having a good time.  So much energy while eating teensy portions of the feast.  Why can't I be like that.

Looking for Turkey

Ajax our predator cat has pretty much chased off all the the pigeons that were hanging around the neighborhood.  His strolls around the perimeter of our roof everyday has been witnessed by the flocks that were starting to roost on a few houses around here.  They took one look at him and split for good last summer.  We are thankful for that.  So are our neighbors.  Now as Thanksgiving approaches maybe he is expecting a Turkey.

Let's see, what can we be thankful for this year.  Here are a few things.

1. Our kids are doing great.  Justin and his wife Karly sent  us video of our grandson Simon taking his first steps just before his first birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Noelle and her fiancé Lucas are gearing up for their wedding next May and have just bought a home in Fort Collins, Colorado.  It is good they are into snowshoeing.

2. We continued our great travels this year with our Spain, Portugal and France cruise.  We have now booked a river cruise next September between Moscow and St. Petersburg.  It will be different from a large cruise ship and we are looking forward to it.

3.  We are thankful for our continued good health.  With the exception of golf shoulder and golf elbow pain we are holding together pretty good.  Bobbi has a bum knee but will get that fixed up soon.  She still does five Jazzercise classes a week.  I play golf, lift weights, and spend time on the elliptical trainer.  I am still fat.

4.  We are thankful that ever so slightly people might be seeing some good in protecting our planet.  The Obama administration and Congress might not agree through their actions, but the media is starting to pay attention.

5. We are thankful that the 'Occupy' movement has not died a quick death.  Many say it is unfocused and rambling, but really the whole thing is about economic justice.  Next summer will be interesting if this group holds together that long.

Domenici Institute Says 'Go Fish'

I had asked Sara Patricolo of the Domenici Institute to provide the name of the 'private company' that donated $500,000 to the Institute.  She said she could not provide the information because the money is  held at another foundation.  That would be the NMSU Foundation.  One could only wonder why there is a shell game here where money for one group is held by another one.  Would it be to hide the name of the donor?  Is this money laundering?I will now contact the NMSU Foundation to find out who the donor is that seemingly wants to be invisible.

Misc.

Portales, New Mexico, self proclaimed peanut capital of the world, will erect a new sign to replace one taken out by a car accident. The humorous sign welcomes people with the statement, "Home of 12,000 people and four old grouches."  Now that the super committee has failed  its work and peanut subsidies are to be cut it might be 12,004 grouches.  The Feds have spent $80 million in peanut subsidies in the first six months of this year.  Much of it in New Mexico and Georgia.

The Albuquerque Journal said this morning that the State Congressional delegation was divided on the deficit fix.  Divided is a creative word here.  Since the score is really 4 members for raising taxes on the wealthy and one against it.  But that is the Journal's peculiar way of describing a land slide.  Congressman Steve Pearce, who represents Portales Peanut Farmers, says no to taxing the rich.

Governor Martinez got what she wanted in extending the casino lease at New Mexico Expo.  Golly, it is like she morphed into a pay to play politico in awarding her donors with a quick and fat contract to run a gambling operation.  How will she explain this?  I think this is one even the morning newspaper will have to question.

Deficit Failures

I hope  you read the blog from Saturday about the $10,000,000 in Defense Department funds that were handed over to the Domenici Institute at New Mexico State University.  And then reflect on the abject failure of the deficit super committee in Washington.  That failure was caused by republicans insisting on keeping the tax breaks for the rich from the bush administration in effect.  They seem to be living in another dimension where low taxes for the wealthy solves all woes.

This is all going to end very badly for our nation.  Soon, events will spiral out of control in the streets and pepper spray will be replaced with more lethal controls.

The Domenici Institute

On Saturday there was an article in the Albuquerque Journal about a local anti domestic violence organization losing its federal funding.  Enlace, a group that works on those issues as they affect immigrants, was recently the recipient of a national award for its excellence.  Keep this in mind for a moment.

Some time ago I was wondering aloud why the media has not looked into the funding of the Domenici Institute which is a partner with New Mexico State University and is housed on that campus.  After a few days of waiting on the Journal to look into it I decided to find out for myself.  I wrote an email to the Institute's program manager Sara Patricolo asking her about the funding sources.  She was very responsive. I received a reply after about a week.  Here is her explanation of the funding of the Domenici Institute.

"The Institute was the recipient of  a U.S. Department of Defense grant(awarded March 31, 2010) in the amount of $10,000,000 for a term from March 31, 2010 through September 30, 2014."

She also said a $500,000 grant was made from a "company" which she did not identify.    I had asked her to identify the source of any funds coming into the institute.  I can only assume it is from a fossil fuel based corporation because  of the work that the institute will carry out studying this polluting energy source.  I have asked her again to identify the mystery corporation.  Much of the institutes tasks will involve studies of the fossil fuels and uranium industries and their impact on our state.  How can we expect these studies to be independent if energy industry money is helping to fund them?  And is the defense department  mingling their funds with this work and why?

Some of the work the Institute will do is fine.  Its educational and mental health work can be positive.  However its investigation of health care reform effects seems a bit befuddling since reform hasn't really begun.  It is also peculiar that defense money will fund development of student programs to "advance free market and entrepreneurial models of economic development."  Does that mean working to cut regulation and public safety?  Who knows why Defense would think this is important?

These are valid questions that the main stream media should investigate since all of this effort ultimately costs New Mexico taxpayers.  New Mexico State University will use state tax dollars to fund overhead and other expenses.  It would be interesting to know how much former republican governor Garrey Carruthers is being paid to manage this program along with his other duties at NMSU.

Finally, think again about the small group, Enlace, that just had its funding pulled.  Think again about $10,000,000 being funneled by the Obama Defense Department, in the middle of a recession, to an institute built to honor a great supporter of the Defense and fossil fuel industries in New Mexico, former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici.  It all seems a little strange.  I will be asking for regular accountings of how all of this money is spent.

And to the media, you are all about transparency in government.  How about using your fervor on this strange expenditure of public money.

Misc.

The fight is on to keep medical marijuana users from owning or carrying guns at the same time that felons are regaining their rights to do so.  The media is running with this story but they are zeroing in only on the ailing pot smokers.   The smokers are automatically outed on their use by having a prescription from a Doctor.  Maybe we could insist that anyone on alcohol, painkillers, anti-depressants, steroids,  and other legal drugs also be treated like this.  Sure, there is a law or two that says it is illegal to use a firearm while under the influence of these drugs, but does it ban ownership or carrying when not under the influence?

The first wake up call for our congressional delegation and city leaders has come as the Office of Inspector General has started looking at cost savings at our National Labs.  Sandia Labs and Los Alamos National Labs rake in the dough here and if spending is cut or consolidations are enacted we will feel the pain in a big way.  This state has a group that exists to protect military installations from cuts.  Maybe we need one to protect the labs and push for new and stronger basic research missions other than nuclear weapons.  Lets see if the Governor can get off her rightwing soap box and start something that will actually help save good paying jobs. Mayor Berry needs to concentrate on this too.  Some leadership is required here.  There is nothing more important to work on right now.

I am off to Salt Lake City for a meeting of the Board of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.  The wacko political leadership in that state keeps us busy.

Try, Try, Try Again

I changed the format a little bit on my blog.  I was just messing around with it last night as Bobbi and I were watching a first run movie on the Dish Satellite system.  It is the third time I have changed the format and I kind of like this one.  I decided to stop advertising on the blog because those oil and gas guys keep placing their ads into my blog.  The movie was pretty weird.  I was waiting for it to come to the theaters but there it was on satellite and it didn't require $11 for a popcorn and coke.  This movie was called "Melancholia".  It was not a happy movie, but it was good.  Last weekend we saw the latest Almovodar movie, "The Skin I Live In."  So all in all a weird movie week.  But we enjoyed them.

I see the federal prosecutors office is back after former Governor Bill Richardson.  They keep trying.  This is the fourth time they have tried to get some federal indictments from a grand jury.  They are batting zero so far.  Will it ever end?

Off to play golf now.

Anthem

My friend over at the blog Bubba Munster posted this on his blog.  It is a fine anthem for the Occupy folks.  You might not agree with all of it, but it is worth listening too.

The Catholic Bishops and Penn State

Now the American Catholic Bishops have once again put their diminishing influence into even more jeopardy by starting a fresh assault on gay marriage and abortion.  One Archbishop said, “We see in our culture a drive to neuter religion,”  Maybe they should have neutered some of their priests first. What can they be thinking about?  Is this a way to attract young people?


 I think it is interesting that the Princes of the church have lost their influence and are trying to regain by going against the strong social forces that have surrounded them.  Perhaps the NCAA, as represented by Penn State, might want to take some lessons from the church.  Seriously.  


This college athletic system that we have where winning is the only thing that is important because of the revenues it brings in might be in real trouble.  Look what it caused at Penn State.  Maybe it is time to back off that attitude and make college athletics something more than a profit center for the media and some trickle down for the schools.   I know.....it will never happen.  Here is an alternative.  Put Paterno and the rest of those reprobates into prison.  Make sure that any court awards their victims win are paid off by the Athletic department and not the state risk insurance pools that taxpayers fund.  The athletic departments could float bonds to pay off  the expected massive compensation to the victims and then use annual revenues  to pay off the bonds.  Not one cent should be paid by anyone other than the athletic departments.

Cats Agree

Those guys at Penn State should never have a place at the table again.  Ever.  What a bunch of dogs.  

Misc.

You can all sleep worse tonight as convicted felons are being allowed to carry guns again, courtesy of NRA and other  lobbying groups.  One can only wonder if the NRA and its legion of cowardly congressmen supporters have truly lost their minds.  Will they also be allowed to carry concealed weapons?  Probably.  No, for you gun radicals, I am not against having guns.  I have a collection.  I don't see any need for concealed weapons or ownership of assault rifles.  So that makes me a bleeding heart liberal in some peoples minds.

There are a lot of good reasons for changing the New Mexico constitution to allow the Governor to keep authority when traveling out of state instead of handing it over the the Lieutenant Governor.  Things have changed since 1912 when that was adopted at statehood.  While they are at it they need to change language that insists that statewide elected officials reside in Santa Fe.  Most of them make around 90K a year and that is not enough to buy a home in the City Different.

We had our regular group over for dinner last night and we all decided that everyone of those worthless bastards that covered up the Penn State child rapist foot ball coach should serve prison time.  Including Paterno.

Mysterious Ways

A Penn State coach who is a rock hard Christian led prayers at the beginning of the Penn State Game yesterday.  He said he felt God was in the stadium.  Unfortunate that God wasn't in the Penn State locker room with a little fire and brimstone when required.

Penn State and Scalzi

John Scalzi, one of my favorite SciFi authors, put Penn State debacle all together in this essay on his blog.

Cowardly

The Obama administration produced another cowardly and basely political move when they 'postponed' a decision on approval of the horrendous tar sand oil pipeline from Canada to Houston.  They say they are worried about its effect on Nebraska and will need to study it more until after the next election.  So, they are worried about Nebraska but not global warming and fossil fuel consumption.  Much less Canada who is willing to destroy its own beauty to mine tar sands.

I for one will not be a chump here.  No money for Obama's campaign as I told their fundraiser on the phone the other night.  His reaction was that he had heard this before. (Obama will have all the money he needs anyway.)  These guys are really playing with fire for a huge and mostly ignored group of voters.  The conservationists and environmentalists who supplied much of the shoe leather for his last campaign.  They know there is no other choice for this group in the upcoming vote next year and they are playing us for suckers.  It is a dangerous game.

I will say that I have never been so disappointed in a President I supported than Obama.  Ever.

Where is PNM?

The Public Service Company of New Mexico just told 100,000 of its customers to go screw them selves.  So much for their personal commitment to our state. They have announced that they are closing all of their pay stations where customers can come in to make their payments or interact with a human being on other issues.  Of course, these would mostly be poor people who can't make their payments on line or would like to speak with someone in Spanish.  With 498,000 electric customers you just know their might be many people who need a personal customer service interaction.  After all, this is one of the few large corporations still headquartered in Albuquerque.

 This PNM is not the one that used to be an involved company with community service and a record of generous charitable giving.  Another 18 PNM employees will be let go into a merciless job market.  PNM is becoming a run of the mill corporation that values only the bottom line.

Having said that, they are pretty good at providing reliable electric service.

Good News

Some days the news is good.  There seems to be an outbreak in some states.  A common sense outbreak.  Ohio voters slapped their governor and legislature and repealed the grossly anti union laws there.  Mississippi voters stuck it to their fundamentalist governor and legislature and voted down the notion that human life begins at conception, which would have made abortion and morning after birth control illegal.  And the SOB racist State Senator Russell Pearce in Arizona was beaten by a moderate republican in a recall election yesterday.  He was the leader of the pogrom on undocumented workers in Arizona.  Makes me think better of Arizona voters.

There wasn't much good news in New Mexico though.  The right wing Martinez administration is trying to kill New Mexico's forward looking climate change legislation.  She is doing this for the oil, gas and coal boys who value profit over breathing.  Secretary of State Duran has pie in her face after finding only two illegal voters out of the 64,000 she claimed. (I guess that is good news depending on how one looks at it.)

Pueblo Bonito at Sunrise August 2007

In a serious vein, the possibility of a 1000 year drought starting in the Southwest is being discussed.  Anyone who has been to Chaco Canyon would see the results of the last such event.  It would be a dislocated civilization.  The last time Bobbi and I were at Chaco we attended a tree ring lecture that visually showed what happened during that epoch.  It was truly amazing to see the history laid out in ancient trees.  It really shows that civilizations are pretty ineffectual when confronted with mother nature.

Misc.

Now that the Albuquerque City Council has banned traffic cameras maybe the local media will start covering some important issues.  Like the lack of jobs legislation on both the city and state levels.  Mayor Berry and Governor Martinez have done little to relieve the economic downturn.  The governor spends more time talking tax decreases than job creation.  When will folks figure it out?

The other big stories the media are covering now are, you guessed it, sex stories.  GOP Presidential hopeful Cain is an apparent serial groper and Penn State Athletics is being accused of covering up a coach's pedophilia. (Quick, call the Archbishop for advice.)  The media will hang on to these stories  until we all die of terminal nausea.  Mark my words.

The Governor appointed a former advisor to Qadaffi's government in Libya to fill the NMPRC vacancy created by the fall of Jerome Block.  This may make him qualified for the rough and tumble politics on that board.

Follow the Money

Once again the Albuquerque Journal has written a story about the 'Domenici Institute' which is located at New Mexico State University.  It is named after long serving Senator Pete Domenici, a long term supporter of the oil, coal and uranium industries.  The Institute is meant to advocate free market approaches indoctrination to fellows and researchers who participate. It will 'advise' governments on its policy findings.  This is all suspect to me.  Some of the things it will advise on are,  the impact of new uranium mining in New Mexico, the effects of recent health care reform, and deficit reduction and economic recovery. Oh, and energy issues.

This all sounds okay except for one thing.  Who is funding the Institute?  As I read through the article I kept thinking I would be offered that information by the reporter.  Maybe the uranium industry?  Maybe Yates Petroleum?  Maybe the Koch brothers?  Anti government regulation groups like the US Chamber of Commerce or the Wall Street Investment Banks?  Who knows?

Since this facility is soaking up tax dollars by being quartered at NMSU we should know if there is any outside funding for this Institute and who is providing it.  The Institute says it is non partisan but the lack of the Journal's inquisitiveness is telling.

Little Girls

I spent the night at my niece Stephanie's house in Los Angeles.  Her daughters and a friend kept the morning lively.  Left to right is Olivia(the friend), Maya and Emma.  All little cuties!  Home this afternoon.

Solar

Schott Solar has done their fourth annual survey of American citizens to get their preferences on energy production.  Our people are way ahead of the Congressional crowd.

Here are some of the basic findings.

•    Nine out of ten respondents (89%) think it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar power.

•    Solar energy is non-partisan: Independents (90%), Republicans (80%) and Democrats (94%) all agree that developing solar energy is important.

•    Eight out of ten Americans (82%) believe that solar energy should receive the same level and type of support as fossil fuel industries have enjoyed for decades, and that the government should support solar manufacturing.

•    A plurality (39%) would choose to prioritize solar if they were in charge of U.S. energy policy, more than natural gas (21%), wind (12%), nuclear (9%) or coal (3%).

•    More than half of Americans (51%) would be more likely to buy a product if they knew it was made using solar energy.

So, why the disconnect between the people and the Washington crowd?  Simple really.....the campaign finance laws favor the dirty energy crowd.

I am taking a mini golf vacation to California to see old friends and visit the beach.  I will blog from my smart phone if possible.

The Occupy Movement

As Rod Serling would have said on Twilight Zone, "Presented for your consideration a photo from history that shows the face of civil outrage in a disquieted America."  Or something like that.

This is a photo that master photographer Mark Bralley sent me today of the prelude to a large and violent civil disturbance in 1972 at UNM in Albuquerque.  That is me as a young reporter/photographer holding the camera(hidden) as an anti Viet Nam war protestor tries to make peace.  Later people were b wounded on the campus and things went from bad to worse with riots and property destruction for a week.  These protests and many like them led to an end of that war.  It took a while.

Then everything went quiet for the 80's, 90's and 00's.  Thirty years of apathy.  Now the Occupy movement here in Albuquerque and all over the planet is starting to stir emotions and support.  There is a big difference though between the civil disobedience in the 70's and now.  That difference is a clearly defined goals and go-to leaders.  Oh, and the fact that the media has been completely mongrelized by big corporate holding companies who see no percentage in spending resources on covering the causes of this unrest.

In fairness, it is harder in the current globally connected national economies to put a finger on anything other than 'greed is bad.'  And unlike the past, there are few identified leaders who are willing to stick their heads out to plan a political upheaval.  We though Obama might be one, but not so far.  It may be that the internet is now a leader, as in the Arab state rebellions, but there were leaders there to direct and plan.  Not here, so far.  But make no mistake that there is a movement growing.  Whether it is the people hanging out in the parks expressing outrage at the ever widening division of wealth, or be it the consumer revolution that has forced American Banks to rethink plans on overcharging its customers, there is definitely something afoot out there.  To ignore it is political and corporate denial.  Aren't they really the same entity now?  Of course they are.

Litmus

If the ass clown CEO of Bank of America gets a bonus this year after the debit card charge attempt then we will all know just how corrupt corporate America can be.  This guy got handed his head on a platter by his own customers.  If his corporation was a person as the Supreme court says they are then it would collectively be demoted to the mail room.

Misc.

Score one for the Obama administration in its denial for funding to the Catholic Church because of their refusal to refer women for family planning issues under a program that helps victims of human trafficking and modern day slavery.  The church through its Conference of Bishops had received funding in the past but now has been passed over in favor of other organizations.  It is ironical that the church would on one hand want to help victims of slavery, and then make them slaves to the church's anti family planning policies.  Just plain weird.

Score another one for the Obama crew in discovering the Country's Antiquities Act which has been used by many other presidents, including republicans.  That Act will be used today to proclaim the Fort Monroe National Monument in Virginia.  It is only 500 acres, but it is a glimmer of hope for us folks in the West who strive to get monuments proclaimed on western landscapes worthy of protection.  Now, lets see the White House take on the 'Lords of Yesterday' in the west.  That would be the oil and gas, coal, and mining industries.  Their motto is, "Give us your land, give  us your money, and leave  us alone."

And finally, I was reminded by a friend today to mention something.  What ever happened to the 64,000 cases of voter fraud in New Mexico?  Governor Martinez and her Secretary of State clone made a big deal out of that number and told the state police to investigate it.  They politely told her they had better things to do.  Now, can we suppose that it was all just a political attack on everyone except right wing republicans?  All rolled out for barrels of ink usage by the Albuquerque Journal?