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.

Cat and the Devil

The big cat is my wife Bobbi!  She was visited by a little devil.  In all by the end of the evening at 8:30 we had 315 kids come to the door.  That is a new record.

Yoga Inspired Kids

Jeeez....it wasn't eastern religions that Yoga was inspiring.  It was the satanic costumes.   This is my neighbors house.  Vic lives on the corner and takes his Yoga seriously.  He even has a motorized spider that chases people up and down the streets.

Misc. Thursday

The Governor will soon appoint a new member to the legislature to replace a deceased member of
the House of Representatives.  It is a multi county area and every county commission will submit a name.  She probably won't replace that democratic member with a democrat.  I just hope she doesn't replace the office with someone who is a christian fundamentalist such as Vicki Perea.  When she worked at city hall as a department head in Albuquerque there were complaints about  her bible study classes in city offices and the feeling by some employees that if they didn't attend they would get bad evaluations.  As long as she doesn't bring her religious beliefs and fire and brimstone into policy making she could do the job.  We don't need anymore members that think that Yoga is a gateway to eastern religions and damnation.

True story.  I got stung by a bee while out playing golf on Monday.  On Tuesday I got up out of bed with little or no arthritis pain.  I couldn't figure out why I felt so good until I thought about the bee sting.  So I googled bee stings and arthritis and found out there is actually a therapy to relieve arthritis aches and pains with bee venom.  Who knew?

Voting

Don't let the men who wear archaic clothes mandate what your wives, sisters and daughters can do with their bodies.  Today the polls open on the City of Albuquerque election that would ban certain abortions based on some peoples religious beliefs.  Yes, they want you to follow their religious dogma and there isn't a politician in power who will stop this election to pass an unconstitutional law.  They are as bad as the guys in dandy clothes.  One can only wonder if the ACLU is on vacation.  Why haven't they taken action?

This election will waste a million dollars just so some religious fanatics can try to tell us to follow their rules.  No one in power wants to take them on.  No city councillor, the Mayor, City Attorney, or Judge has said, "Wait a minute, this would be unconstitutional if passed, so why bother?"  Cowards is the best you can say about them.  Certainly  not great leaders.

Somebody Do Something

Mayor Berry and Governor Martinez.  There is a new giant economic time bomb ticking for the Duke City and it will go off in one year.  Next October a federal law known as the Wright amendment will sunset.  This is the law that required Southwest Airlines to land their aircraft in bordering states before continuing on to any other destination.  This amendment was a deal worked out decades ago to make sure that the new Dallas-Fort Worth Airport would be able to pay off their bonds by trying to force airlines to use its facilities.  The amendment said any airline that flew out of the old Dallas Love field had to land in a neighboring state.  Southwest stayed at Love Field.  So Albuquerque became a major stop for all Southwest flights.  Ever wonder why there were so many flights from here to Las Vegas?  Because all flights out of Dallas Love had to stop here first.

When this amendment expires Albuquerque and New Mexico's  airline service will take a huge hit.  Southwest will start overflying the Land of Enchantment and we will have a lot less options.  Frontier Airlines will also be gone by then.  And this means less jobs in New Mexico, both for the airlines and other jobs that locate here because of poor airline service.

Is anyone paying attention to this at city hall or the state capitol?  Are any delegations visiting the airlines trying to get increased service or making offers to help them do so?  Is the Governor to busy fund raising with the far right wing funders to do so?  Is Mayor Berry's economic development team and the local business leaders asleep?

Time to get off your butts!  Right Now!  Not next September!

Monday Misc.

I almost choked on my latte this morning.  When I read the story on the republican legislator who thinks that yoga stretches might indoctrinate school kids into an eastern religion it felt as if the legislature has now been dumbed down lower than ever.   We all have guessed at my religious beliefs.  Which are none....but I do Yoga stretches every week.  It was the only thing that solved my severe back problems 30 years ago.   I once again think that some sort of intelligence test should be given to political candidates.  Only people with IQs of slightly above idiocy should be allowed to run.  That would have prevented this guy from polluting the Capitol building.

Winthrop Quigley of the Albuquerque Journal had a good piece on Obama's Affordable Care Act in  this morning.  He often throws such a hand grenade into the editorial board's office to make them look like the rightwing nut cases they are.  It is a good read.

There is also a wonderful piece on Hispanic names on the oped page by Joe Lovato.  It was really fun to read.

Something New and Ominous

In all my experience at a journalist and then politician I have never seen anything like what is emanating from the office of Governor Susana Martinez.  Her political operatives are raising money to attack a public servant who doesn't agree with her education policies.  The funding of this effort is remaining a secret.  And the Governor's spokes person tells the Albuquerque Journal that she hasn't seen the attack piece on the Albuquerque Public School superintendent.  Think about his response.  He totally ignores the question of whether the Governor is condoning this effort and tries to make it seem she doesn't by saying she hasn't seen the hit piece put out by her minions.  What has that got to do with her knowledge of this effort?  Maybe she hasn't seen the hit piece, but so what?  It is like paying someone to commit a crime and then saying they are not guilty because they didn't actually see the deed carried out.

She has lost all legitimacy as a leader in my view.

While there is room for debate of the public education issues there is no room for character assassination of her opponents on policy issues.

Secrets

We worry about the NSA snooping into our everyday lives.  Ordinary citizens have no defense against the NSA or Microsoft or Google.  The second you have a silicone chip around you then your life is open to everyone who can hack.

So, why isn't that true for all of these rightwing sponsored political committees that throw money into the fight for anything that might screw working people and the middle class?

Right now there is a shadow group attacking New Mexico teachers.  They are being funded by ......well, we don't know.  A former staffer of Governor Susana Martinez runs the group but is refusing to say where the money comes from.  Money sources are off limits I surmise.  But somewhere there has to be a hacker who can strike a blow for us regular folks.  I am hoping they get to work.  And that goes for all of these secretive committees.....left or right.

Early Golf

Up early for cool weather golf after three days of hanging around the house to watch new tile being installed in the kitchen.  It is always a joy to watch these skilled guys do their work.  It will last a lot longer than what most of us pols do.

Triage for the NM Democrats

Well, there are some hard decisions to be made coming up to the next general election in New Mexico. The Democrats have to employ triage in their strategy of getting folks elected.  Will they foolishly spend all of their time trying to get that right wing darling Susana Martinez out of office, or will they use some common sense and concentrate on the election of a Democratic Attorney General and Secretary of State?  Also, all members of the House of Representatives are up for election next year and keeping strong Democratic numbers in that body are paramount.

It is the only way to keep the Governor and her hard right political directors under control in a state that continues to suffer under lackluster leadership of Martinez and her puny economic development team.

Current Attorney General Gary King is not garnering much excitement in his efforts to take on the Governor.  That is a fact.  Just ask some Democrats including supporters of his father, Bruce King.  Other candidates looking at the Democratic primary are also very weak with little money.  It is rumored that Lawrence Rael, who ran for Lt. Governor last go around, is looking to jump in the race too.  He might be the only hopeful with an outside chance.

The Secretary of State's race is very winnable for the Dems with Maggie Toulouse Oliver, currently Bernalillo County Clerk,  gearing up for the contest.  Don't forget how the Governor and her minion Secretary of State Diana Duran unilaterally took away the straight ticket voting that had existed in this state for many  years.  Duran also said some shady political advertising against some legislators carried out by the Governor was legal, when it was not legal at all.  So, this is an important race!

So, does the Democratic party have the fortitude to pick and choose who to help? 

October Bosque

It was one of those special days on the Bosque.

Spying

So now the NSA and its minions are breaking  into the email records of the President of Mexico?  And gathering data on French citizens?  Not only is our Tea Party hobbled government looking like a bunch of clowns on economic matters, now a unfettered spying operation by our government is making us enemies on a daily basis.  And for what?  And all springing from the bush/cheney years of WMD hysteria?  And an acquiescing Obama?

Richard Cohen's missive in the Albuquerque Journal this morning takes a second look at Eric Snowden as not being quite the evil person he and everyone else I know thought he was.  I am now beginning to think his revelations of uncontrolled snooping by this country of everyone and everything is a good thing.  There simply must be some limit put on the intelligence community in our nation to stick to the things that matter rather than gathering information that they have no need to know.

Right Wing Journal

The Albuquerque Journal's glorious story about UNM students being chosen to compete in a national debate about the nation's debt is very suspect.  These kinds of things are being funded by billionaire business people as a way to turn young folks against social security.  Read this in the Huffington Post.

Maybe someone should be vetting this participation at my alma mater, the Anderson School of Business at UNM.  Will there be adequate airing of all sides in such a debate?  Will participants from the moderate and left student organizations be included on the debate teams to argue for social safety nets?  Did the business school look at the implications of this effort closely?  You know that whole due diligence thing that business people like to exercise?

Public Information and Coordination

Remember back to the year 2000.  I was Mayor and we were facing the reconstruction and modernization of the Big I interchange that melded I-40 and I-25.  There was great anticipation of a city on its knees due to traffic disruptions.  Well, they never occurred because of the ground work done by the City of Albuquerque, the news media, the contractor Twin Mountain Inc., the neighborhood associations and business interests in the city. The homework was really done and every possible means of easing the pain was employed.  It all worked well because of weekly meeting of these groups.

The need for good public information was paramount and it really helped mitigate the traffic flows and deal with problems.

If the Mayor, Contractor, County, and others want to get this Paseo del Norte project smoothed out a little it will take some coordination on an ongoing basis.  Call  up some of the veterans of that year long rebuild of the Big I.  There might be some real experience to call upon.

Solid

Thomas Friedman in the New York Times hit the nail on the head with this one.

And this one pretty much sums up the GOP Tea Party whining about the Affordable Care startup problems.

Policy Craps

Want to attend a meeting of the New Mexico Legislature's Court, Corrections and Justice Committee this Monday and Tuesday?  It will just require a little navigation through hundreds of slot machines, Black Jack tables, roulette wheels, craps tables and other games of chance.  Why?  Because this meeting is being held at Sky City Casino!

I am sure the Legislative Council Service looks for a good deal when they put their committees on the road.  Those committee members in an ever increasing number of interim committees like to see our beautiful state after all.  I am pretty sure a few committee members make their livings by attending all of these hearings either as a member or an adjunct participant of some kind.

The big flaw is that many people who might want to attend such a meeting will have to go to a Casino far away from home only to find themselves stopping to drop a few bucks on a game of chance.  Yes, it is their choice but the temptation to waste money is being provided by the legislature.

And then again there is the loss of revenue to private hotels who are desperately trying to make ends meet with the renting of meeting space.  They are taxpaying businesses that are getting hosed by non tax paying businesses like the casinos.

I absolutely refuse to go to any political fundraisers or functions held at a casino.  I think if people want to gamble, (being the suckers they are) then we shouldn't make it more convenient for them by having a branch of government helping out.  The committee chairs and Legislative Council need to make a big policy change here.

Dogma Again

Why should a whole graduation ceremony be moved to satisfy one parent's religious dogma in Cuba, NM?  Beats me.  But I suppose if all the other classmates of the student involved agree and there is no added expense then it would be okay.  That young student is popular and reportedly smart and she will most likely figure out this kind of dogma later in life for what it is.  Meanwhile the separation of church and state is ignored.

Then there is the dogma of the County Commission in and around Clovis, NM.  They think they should pass a law that bans these admittedly bizarre electronic cigarettes which deliver nicotine to the users with out the harmful carcinogens of tobacco.  This dogma is stupid on so many levels I couldn't count them all.  But, do they really want to make this an illegal device that might stop cancer in young tobacco users?  Do they want to be responsible for setting up organized crime syndicates who will then smuggle in the contraband?  We have all seen how well that works with drugs and marijuana.  You really wonder what can be going through the minds of these rubes.

And is the dogma of Governor Martinez to be out doing political fundraisers in other states while more decent jobs are lost in this state?  Cardinal health will let go a few hundred people from good paying jobs.  They can't be replaced by call center jobs that the Governor and Mayor like to brag about.  The dogma seems to be to raise money for the republican Governor in other states where the job situation is much better than in New Mexico.  If something isn't done soon the Governor will be remembered as the Pol who oversaw the disintegration of our economy.  

And We Wonder What is Wrong

The big local political stories bandied by the New Mexico media recently really point out what is wrong in our system today.  The articles about upcoming races aren't about ideas.  They are about how much money the candidates have raised.  The governor has out raised Attorney General Gary King by huge amounts.  Other candidates are sending out email missives about how much money they have raised for their races in the other constitutional offices.  And this is the way it will go because in reality that is what counts.  The amount of money that is thrown into special committees and candidates treasuries by corporate America is now the main indicator of a candidates viability.  Not vision, ideas, programs, policies or the like.  Just money from special interest groups.

It really is worse than when I got involved in politics back in the mid 70's.  Sure, money to run campaigns mattered back then, but it wasn't the sole indicator of someones chance of winning.  Hard footwork, meetings, and a platform that involved policy positions mattered. But since the Roberts Supreme Court decided that corporations are people and effectively took of the limits on contributions by CEOs and Boards it has been the rule that it is hard to win without being owned by them.

Sedition?

Before the people with the ability to reason took things into their own hands in the Senate this morning, I was going to write about sedition.  But now I think it might be time to look at the Constitutional requirements for those folks who run for office.  At the very least every one who runs as a candidate for  any office, but most importantly federal positions, should be made to pass the test with a 100% mark that all naturalized citizens must pass before leaving their immigrant status.

I would be willing to bet that most Tea Party politicians wouldn't even get close to acing the test.  Maybe I wouldn't either, but then I could be put into a remedial class to learn what I need to know before trying to run a democracy.  It is kind of fun to take this test.  Follow this link.

What's Good for the Goose

The Albuquerque Journal's right wingnut editorial this morning suggests that the Affordable Care Act should be delayed because of the startup problems with the system software.  (Which once again was done by the so called perfection of free market members in the software business.)  Apparently this is a policy that the Journal thinks only applies to government.

Just look at the Journal's history of trying to get color photos to register correctly in their newspaper.  Or trying, after a decade, to get a website that works and is attractive.  Their startup problems lasted for years and still exist on a regular basis.  If they want to be consistent in their views then they should have shut down the newspaper until they got everything perfect.  But no, they continued to sell a newspaper and web service that to this day is inferior, but better than it was.

Every major system that business or government starts up is saddled with problems.  It is a fact.

I have to chuckle that the publishers of the paper, the Langs, are probably losing money right now due to the loss of business rentals out at Journal center because of the government shut down.  The have tried for years to get their retail shopping center there leased up by offering great deals to tenants who are all hurting right now because 2000 federal government workers in the Center complex are not coming to work.  And the real victims are the small business folks in that retail center.

Names and Pictures

This New York Times Story on Sunday morning made me feel murderous.  The big pharma boys are getting away with murder in this country by overcharging  for life saving drugs.  They should be singled out for their greed.

Strangely, the Times did not even talk to any of these corporate terrorists.  Yes, that is what I call them for striking terror into their own country men's hearts by making them decide between feeding a child or giving them life saving medicine.  Don't we need to know who these people are?  Could the wiki people start a new websites to show the names and pictures of these despicable 'businessmen' who purposely make life difficult for so many?

One example of the price gouging on asthma drugs was referring Rhinocort Aqua, a drug that was selling for more than $250 a month last year but costs only $7 in Europe where it can be purchased over the counter. 

I searched for manufacturers information on this drug, but I couldn't find it on Google.  Maybe those corporate scum are worried they would be identified and are hiding.   They better be or risk becoming walking spitoons.

Classmates

I was thinking this morning how proud our Class of 1963 from St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque can be.  We don't have any members serving in congress as Tea Party Ass Clowns.

I just finished the video of our 50th reunion which we held last month and for those classmates who wish to see it.  Here it is!  Hit the HD for a better quality pic.

St. Pius X Class of 1963 50th Reunion from James Baca on Vimeo.

Money Game

Democratic Party Chairman Sam Bregman sent out a missive today that Republicans are raising money to elect their candidate in the Albuquerque City Council District 7 runoff.

I might disagree with the notion that the republicans or democrats are raising much money for anything in this state.  It used to be that they could do so, but now the proliferation of special interest committees, right wing PACs, dirty chamber of commerce type money, and camoflauged resources from religious groups, has really put a dent into the ability to fundraise for the party.  Most elected officials have their own special committees in addition to their own campaign war chest.  Especially in the legislature.  They literally soak  up all the money and the traditional parties get scraps.

I think this is one reason that a lack of bipartisanship rules politics now.  There are just too many splinter groups that raise money for special committees on specific issues.  That affects any sort of philosophical base from existing.  Look at the now splintered and schizophrenic GOP as proof.  The moderates and Tea Party nuts probably wouldn't agree on the time of day.

Bait and Switch

There is a typical game going on in both local and national government.  On the federal side the right wing nuts are pointing to the computer problems facing the millions who want to sign up for health insurance.  They say that proves Obamacare can't work.  But if one stops and thinks a little they are pushing the blame from corporate America to the government.  It is corporate America that was charged with building the complex programming that would handle the system.  As usual it isn't working as with most new systems.  But the poor design and execution is blamed on Obama.  It is like a sibling breaking a vase in grandma's house and blaming their sister.  Sometimes, I just can't understand how the voters can elect such idiots to office.

And then there are the religious fanatics who descended on the City Council to berate members there for letting Albuquerque be a 'slaughter house' for children for their questioning the constitutionality of the election to ban abortions in the city.  They are blaming the city council for clearly understanding the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of abortion rights.  And now they want to spend a million bucks to prove they can get the religious right to the polls to vote to ignore the constitution.  Sorry, that can't be done this way and it is a huge waste of money.  Any councillor who approves this election without first getting legal advice as to the legitimacy of such a law should be recalled.  Anyone want to organize this?  And where is the ACLU and other organizations that should be filing suit to stop this travesty?  

Blow Out

The blow out was unstoppable for Mayor Berry.  The record low turnout assured it because Pete Dinelli just could not inspire anyone.  It came down to a nice guy vs. an angry guy and in today's politics nice seems more appealing.  No matter that the State and City's economy is in the sink with do nothing leadership, this is just the way politics works right now on the local level.  The positive outcome is a possible democratic majority on the city council after a probable run off election between Diane Gibson and Janice Arnold Jones.  That should be winnable for the democrats.  But congratulations to Mayor Berry and the winners.  Now do something real to produce jobs other than poor paying call centers.

On the national level of politics I am once again waiting for the federal workforce members who are sitting at home, due to one hundred Tea Party ass clowns, to rise up and cause a ruckus.  They won't get their wages on Monday.  That will trickle down.  Many people don't know it but there are a couple of thousand federal workers out at the Journal Center who are not frequenting the businesses and eateries around that area.  Those folks are already feeling a loss of revenue and sending home their own employees.  Will they feel the necessity to go down and pay Tea Party member Congressman Steve Pearce a visit?  He is getting a pay check and benefits and healthcare.  Does anyone have a manual on tar and feathering?

Election Day

There won't be many surprises in the Albuquerque city elections today.  If the polls are accurate, and the always are, then Mayor Berry gets another four years to sit in his office with little vision and no economic whiz kids helping him except for attracting phone center jobs.

I think one surprise could be in the offing and that is the city council race in the north valley between Roxanna Meyers and Isaac Benton.  I think this will be much closer than anyone thinks.  My usually strong democratic neighborhood is sporting a lot of yard signs for Roxanna.  More than two to one over her fence sitting opponent.  At the end of the day they are both good folks and when I go vote today I will have to decide at the last minute who to vote for.  I am leaning for Roxanna because she opposes strangling Rio Grande Blvd with a roundabout at Candelaria.  It is a waste of money and Benton still refuses to say what he wants to do.  Which means he is for it in my mind.  I just object to his refusal to say.

Overall, this is the most boring Mayor's race ever.

Storm Coming

As I sit in front of my financial software to balance my accounts I realize this morning that a reality moment is coming towards the likes of Tea Party darling Congressman Steve Pearce.  A week from today thousands of federal employees will not get a paycheck. (My wife Bobbi included).  We can weather this storm but I can assure you that many GS 5 to 9 level employees will be scrambling towards their credit cards to make up for short falls.  Sure, congress say they will get their back pay but that doesn't help pay the bills today.  Of course, Congress gets their checks on time so they wont experience this.

This whole federal government shut down is somewhat of a joke really.  It is aimed at just a few departments and programs.  Both Obama and Congress are just acting in a theater.  The real losers are  thousands of government employees in certain agencies.  Grist for the mill!  A real shut down would last only a few hours.  Send home the FAA controllers, close the sea ports, shut down the interstate highway system for lack of safety monitoring and the closures would last about an hour before the budget was worked out.  These things would affect the likes of the Koch brothers and the other right wing business men who cooked up this partial shutdown that hurts only some people.

This kind of drama will continue to play out  until big money is taken out of political campaigns.  And by that I mean corporate money.  

Class War

There shouldn't be any doubt that we are in a full scale class war in America.  The New York Times article this morning on the Koch brothers and their ilk should pretty much settle the question.  The rich and conservative minions who don't want the poor to have health care insurance have pretty much engineered the current debacle in Washington, DC.  They have poured hundreds of millions of dollars in an admittedly brilliant execution of their plan to bring us to this state of affairs.  They are aided and abetted by the likes of Fox News who have now convinced the uneducated that they will have micro devices planted in them by government doctors.(See Bill Maher's latest show.)

When will there be some backlash against these uncaring conservative billionaires?  Lets don't wait like the current politicians in Greece who are trying to deflect their image of incompetence to the Germans by asking for war reparations from 70 years ago.  It is a little late.  These worthless Greek pols weren't even alive back then, but this saber rattling has always been proved to deflect criticism.  Think bush/cheney in their run up to an unnecessary war in Iraq to hide their incompetence in ignoring terrorist threats.

Cop Out

Governor Susana Martinez finally said something about the federal government shutdown.  She scolded both parties for not working things out.  She took no position on the issues involved and said nothing that would damage her reputation as a Tea Party sweetheart.  She did not stand up for doing the right thing other than at least breaking her silence.

She says the Feds need to look at how the states balance their budget every year, thus proving to everyone she is a mile wide and an inch deep.  She truly doesn't understand the difference between the Fed's mandates and the State's responsibilities.  Otherwise she would not be uttering this populist nonsense.  We really have a governor with a mediocre knowledge of government.  

We Are Alone

No body has our back in local journalism. Thursday evenings  lead stories on the three local Albuquerque TV newscasts.....2 led with a story about a rabid bat and one about a crime scene with a reenactment by a so called reporter.  Lead stories on the thousands of local  laid off federal workers...none.  Will some one please give the news directors and anchors at these TV stations a mind meld with the departed spirit of Edward R. Murrow?  Damn.

Question

Has Mayor Berry or Governor Martinez place a call to Republican Tea Party Congressman Steve Pearce to let him know that New Mexico is suffering under the government shutdown?  Or are they putting their standing with the Tea Party before the welfare of their constituents?  Can't some reporter track them down for a one on one question and answer session?  Or is Journalism is dead in our state?  Along with reasonable political leadership?

Field to Table

They harvest the grapes at night so they will be less stressed in the cool air.

The crews work at a blistering pace in order to get payed by the ton of grapes harvested.  They can make up to $30 an hour each.

And then we get to enjoy the fruits of their work a few years later.

Underground

This is a new 1200 foot long tunnel for wine storage at the Halter Ranch Winery where we are holding our foundation meeting.  It is a good place to hide out from the Tea Party Taliban during our current crisis caused by a hundred or so congressmen and women who seem intent on destroying our economy.   

Winery View

We have a meeting of the Wyss Foundation tomorrow near Paso Robles at the Halter Ranch Vineyards.  The grapes are being harvested every other night and tomorrow we will go watch as tons of grapes are taken from the vines to make fine wine.

A Break

I am off to some beautiful wine country near Paso Robles, California for a few days for a board meeting.  Time to taste the new releases while there and forget about the Tea Party.  Then it is a quick trip back for a meeting of the Wilderness Society Governing Council in Santa Fe.  No golf for a week or so, but some highly gratifying work!

Invisible

The Governor and Mayor Berry are invisible right now, as is the legislature.  While the federal government prepares to shut down they seem to be hiding in a closet and afraid to say anything.  All of them should march on down to see Congressman Steve Pearce and give him a chewing out over his Tea Party appeasements in killing paychecks for thousands of federal workers in this state.  Those good paying federal jobs are the only thing keeping us afloat right now since neither the city or state, under poor leadership, are doing anything on the economic development front.

My lovely wife Bobbi left for her office at the Forest Service today where she has served as an engineer, environmental engineer and financial manager over the last 27 years.  Her agency will work for at least four more days on carry over funds from prior years.  Then she will get some time off if the  radical GOP doesn't admit there is nothing wrong with people having health insurance.  This whole episode will surely go down as one of the most senseless and stupid things to happen in our country's history.

On the bright side, things can only get better.  Right?

  

Walter and the GOP's Tea Party

Will they get away with it or will everything go down!

They will never soar like eagles, sadly.

Misc.

The Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce shows it's lack of vision in supporting development and testing of weapons over the generation and transfer of renewable energy.  It wants White Sands Missile Range to keep on trucking with their defense industry partners.  They are the Neanderthals who are trying to kill the long planned Sun Zia transmission line across the northern extension area of the range.  That area has people living in it.   This extension area is rarely used.  And these weapons that are being tested?  Who will they be used against to get the production line and profits fired up for the one per centers?

The Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board is substituting political science for earth science in saying the drought is not reason enough to curtail grazing on lands turning to desert.  The cry baby ranchers who are objecting to removing their cattle from ravaged lands are part of the right wing effort to blame government for everything and the Journal bought in.  As a matter of fact the Forest Service has real scientists working for it and they feel the resources will be ruined for decades if action isn't taken.  And the ranchers and Journal seem upset that the lease fees for this publicly owned land will stay in effect.  Those fees have not been raised in decades as a way for subsidizing and providing welfare to public land ranchers. 

NSA Wired

Last year I lost about 30 pounds on weight watchers.  I gained back about seven after my knee replacement surgery.  I am trying to lose that plus another 15.  My wife Bobbi recently got one of these gadgets that my daughter refers to as a 'body bug'.  You wear it on your arm and it measures how many calories, steps, exercise and hours of good sleep you get.  It also ties in with your smart phone and you enter the amount of food you ingest  and it lets you know if you are losing weight everyday.  She is losing weight.  So, I bought one in my latest battle with fat.  This is a 50 year war and I aim to win it.  I wonder if the NSA is tracking my food through my cell phone?  If they are I hope they send some encouragement to me.  That feed back is important you know.  I mean it would be one positive thing for all the taxes we send them.

Misc.

Senator Ted Cruz still reminds me of Senator Joe McCarthy from the 50's.  I think Cruz is capable of harming a lot of people and he needs to be watched carefully.  I have no doubt he will end up a joke in our history, as did "Tail Gunner" Joe, but lets make it that way ASAP.

The Journal's stories on the economic development plans of the Mayoral candidates in Albuquerque this morning kind of shows how bereft they all are when it comes to economic development.  The have all fallen back on the same old stuff, which is okay, but there is no breakout vision being shown by any of them.

Boring---Boring

I remember when I was Mayor and all of the political districts nationwide were being reapportioned in 2001.  I was trying to make sure that there was no gerrymandering of city council districts and vetoed several proposals sent to me by the city council.  It was all insider stuff of council members trying to rig districts either for democrats or republicans, but mostly for themselves.

After my second veto the Albuquerque Journal, through its great editorial cartoonist John Trevor as I recall, opined that this was all very boring and who cared!  (Trevor has since turned sharply to the right wing.)

Anyway, it might be boring stuff but right now the gerrymandering of the republican party and tea party have set up a situation in which our congress wants to destroy our democratic institutions.  They want to shut down government, suppress voters, starve children, and make sure that poor people have no access to health care.  All because the news media sees reapportionment as boring?  Or are they in on it because their corporate American owners have ordered the lack of reporting on reapportionment processes?

Right now we are stuck until the next go-round for reapportionment in about 8 years.  They only thing to do is go into the tea party districts and raise hell with the voters and let them know they are ignoring their own interests.

Day After

I did not watch the Mayoral debate on Sunday evening.  I didn't even realize there was one scheduled.  We were at a dinner party and the subject never came up.  The debate really didn't change anything in what is going to be a walk over for Mayor Berry.

It shouldn't be a walkover though.  This morning's front page story on the state of Albuquerque's economy and job situation should be a wake up call for everyone, but the public is so apathetic that they cant see new leadership is needed on the state and local political scene.  The reason why this apathy is so rampant is easy for me to see.  It comes about from the power of American corporate money's interference in our democracy.  These one per centers just dump money into tricky media and effectively convince the voter that unions and minimum wage hikes are the root of all of our problems.  Even to the point of taking away food stamps from the many children who live below the poverty level.

Frankly, I often think of the great scenes in the Frankenstein movies when the villagers with pitchforks and torches go after the folks in the castle on the hill.  Would that it could happen on Wall Street and the nation's corporate HQs.

Finally, this is a good read.

Storm Over ABQ

We had a great ringside seat to the terrific storm that rolled up from the south this evening.
This was taken from our friend's house in the very northwest part of Rio Rancho.

Who's Who

Just as the Albuquerque Journal endorses Isaac Benton, democrat, for the City Council seat in the North Valley we now find out that his opponent Roxanna Meyers is more liberal than he is.  According to her.  We got our hands on a mailer that was obviously intended to hit young voters in which she criticizes Benton for not attending the Los Ranchos Gay Pride Parade, nor the Gay Pride festival and Expo New Mexico, nor did he attend the annual JCC awards Dinner in which a gay activist was honored.  She goes on to tout her efforts as councillor to get the APD to hire more gay officers and to have the Convention and Visitors Bureau market that city as Gay friendly.

She has a good in with the Pope these days.

And there was another funny thing in this race today.  Jerry Ginsburg, a democrat supporter, and a guy who is spending $40,000 on Meyer's behalf, sent out a missive on our neighborhood list serve saying he has found a pit bull near his home.  Some people would describe him as a pit bull for his unflinching support of Meyers.

Worth 7 Minutes

This puts medical costs in perspective in the U.S.  Watch it all.

Like

I like this new Pope.  Even though I am a non believer and fallen catholic I know that the church of my upbringing still has influence and gravity.  That is why this refreshing man may be the answer to bringing his flock into a modern day society where science, social changes, and modernism can be accepted.  It is really a move to practice inclusion and understanding.  Now, the extreme catholic groups must pay attention and get on the bandwagon.  There is no stopping it.

I am looking forward to hearing some statements from the Santa Fe Archdiocese.  So far as I can tell they haven't said much now that their anti gay and anti contraception stands have been minimized by an 'infallible' Pope.  I visited their website.  Nothing there about this truly momentous statement by Francis.

Retirements and Government Services

The ABQ Journal had an interesting story on the number of public service employees retiring in the state.  Most of it is probably due to an aging workforce and fatigue caused by the anti government rantings of the Republican Party.  It is hard for anyone to put up with that kind of constant degradation.

I think the bigger story here might be one of who replaces many of these experienced workers.  They actually do serve important functions no matter what the Tea Party radicals say.  They are engineers, health specialists, public safety officers, environmental protection specialists and all the way down to the guys who patch our highways and clean up litter.  They all require experience and dedication.  Are some employees in government slackers?  Sure, just like anywhere else.  But mostly they are good people watching out for you in a thousand ways to make your life more manageable.

So as the likes of Congressman Steve Pearce, Mayor Berry, and Governor Martinez and their Tea Party friends continue to assail public service, what will young talented people think about entering government service?  The corporate handlers of the right wing have already turned Union members into demons with their constant use of dollars to defame the hard won rights of workers.  Will they be as successful in keeping much needed new talent out of the government workforces?  Let's hope not.  Because if they do you will suffer for it greatly.

And a word of advice for public employee organizations.  You better start fighting back or the Koch brothers and their ilk will privatize your jobs and pay minimum wages.

I salute those government career workers who show up every day to provide the services that make our lives safe and productive.

Gabbing

As usual we were gabbing a lot on the golf course yesterday.  The subject of dangerous countries came up with the consensus the you wouldn't want to visit Iraq or Afghanistan right now.  They are very violent after America intervened and invaded those countries.  One our our golf partners got around to saying he always laughed when some one would question his trips to Mexico during the winter.  They would say, "That country is too dangerous!"  My friend merely retorted that the only danger in Mexico would be an involvement in drugs.  Those cartels shoot each other up constantly, but those who are not involved in drugs are probably safer than we are in America.  I agree with  him.

The city council race in Albuquerque's North Valley is very interesting to say the least.  While talking with friends at the Rio Grande Flying Star this morning I would not be able to pick a winner in the race between Isaac Benton and Roxanne Meyers.  I am vacillating again on who I should vote for after someone delayed a city council  hearing on the controversial roundabout at Rio Grande and Candelaria.  That looks to me like Councillor Benton didn't want to take heat over a vote in the council before election day.  This is why I have problems with his behavior.  It is a lot like Mayor Berry's delay, at great expense, to have a vote on the blatantly unconstitutional ballot proposition to ban abortions.  If the Mayor and Council had any courage they would have not let this go to a ballot because it will just be ruled invalid.

I am going to go early vote this week.  Then I will make up my mind.

Exceptional Again

Putin was wrong.  We are an exceptional nation.  Right up there with Iraq and Syria.  We regularly endure the slaughter of innocents by crazed gunmen with assault rifles in the workplace or schools.  I wonder what the rest of the world thinks about us.  While Iraq and Syria's slaughter continues with hardly any options to end it, we certainly could cut down on our killing of innocents by just banning assault rifles.

Sometimes I wonder if the NRA headquarters in Washington, DC has any security plan in place to keep gun packing crazy people out of their building.  Would it be possible for some nutcase with a gun show up to their board meeting some day, or do they have extra special security provided for them that most other people can't afford?  Some journalists should go check out their security plans.  It would make a good story.

Where is the Legislature?

I spend a good amount of my time moaning about the lack of leadership in the Governor's Office and Mayor's Office in Albuquerque.  Susannah Martinez and Richard Berry are hiding in their gilded cocoons while on board a non rocking boat.  Don't make anyone mad and they will vote for you seems to be the mantra there.  They are doing a good job of it.  And nothing is happening.

But, where is the legislature?  Where are the democrats and some moderate republicans that could take matters into their own hands and create an economic development program and public works program that will employ some folks and replace much needed infrastructure?  Surely, out of 112 legislators there could be a leader that emerges to stoke the fires of compromise and progress.  Right?

But I can not remember any such great leader emerging from that legislative morass in Santa Fe in the last twenty years.  Don't get me wrong, there are good people serving there.  But where are the breakout leaders that can actually lead this state forward?  Are there any?  I am beginning to think there are not.  The only leadership that is exhibited is the kind that preserves the status quo.  That involves lobbyists buying lunches at the ever increasing number of interim committee meeting days. What a shame!

While it is always fund to poke the Gov and Mayor, maybe we should save some regular criticism for the lawmakers.

Rio Grande

The Rio Grande near our house looks like a river today.  But really, it is not much higher than we get during the spring thaw.  There is a huge amount of sediment in the water along with debris, so you know some of those arroyos are pumping a lot of junk into it.  It is nice to see it running like this.  Tomorrow the sandbars will reappear.

Melting

Talk about rainy days.  INTEL is laying off 400 employees from their Albuquerque plant.  The meltdown of the state's economy continues under Governor Susannah Martinez.  Even after she gave tax breaks to large profitable corporations the economy under her watch is falling apart.  Those tax breaks only helped folks like INTEL.  Not the struggling business who aren't making enough money to be taxed.

When will the public wake up to the Governor being nothing more than a right wing mascot for the likes of the Koch brothers.  Much like the Albuquerque Journal who couldn't bring it self to say these people are being fired, but rather 'redeployed.'

I have lived here my whole life and can not remember more ineffectual political leaders as we currently have.  Wake up New Mexico!

Exceptional

I have to laugh at the outrage so many people have as Russia's leaders warn the U.S. that we are not exceptional.  Last night watching the news of the stuffed shirts complaining about Putin's comments was almost to much to take, especially after the next story that aired.  It is about how many American school systems have had late openings due to lack of funding.  Thousands of teachers have been fired, hundreds of schools have been closed, music-art-sports and other creative programs have been shuttered.  Even school nurses have been done away with.  Meanwhile we still spend more on weapons for the military and defense programs than the next dozen or so nations on the globe put together.

And we are exceptional?

My fellow blogger Joe Monahan had an exceptional piece today outlining the labyrinth of cash being passed back and forth on behalf of the Governor's dumping of New Mexico Behavorial Healthcare providers in favor of Arizona providers.  Money is also being used to find and register voters who are opposed to the nation's new health insurance law.  All of this is being done by friends of her rightwing political hack, Jay McClesky.

Exceptional is not a word I would use on the Mayor's plan to urbanize the Rio Grande in Albuquerque.  His lack of an environmental study on this ill advised project is reason enough to slow this down.  We are one of the few cities in the nation to allow a wild river to exist through the middle of it.  It is unique.  Hopefully, this whole effort will be cognizant of that.

Lamenting

An old friend and co worker of mine bought lunch for me yesterday and we lamented the state of politics in New Mexico right now.  That is pretty much normal for the two of us when we get together. And normal for me all the time.

The main course, other than a Ruben sandwich, is that the less a politician does these days the more likely he is to get good ratings from the public and it's smaller subset of voters.  Governor Susannah and Mayor Berry are prime examples of this.  They have no programs, economic development initiatives that have created jobs, and no great vision that they want to see come true in their terms.  They just want to keep the folks happy by avoiding hard work and controversy.   That way no one gets angry with them.  And New Mexico will suffer for it as the region surpasses us in providing good jobs and a growing middle class.

This morning at coffee with another friend we were trying to figure out why the editor of the Albuquerque Journal would put out favorability polls on the APS Superintendent and the UNM President.  Who would even know their names?  And so any data you look at will be mostly people who will say, "Who are these guys?"   Here is an idea for the Journal that would take some real integrity.  Show  us a poll of what the public thinks of your newspaper.  Give us a lot of demographics along with that.  We are after all....your customers!  We would like to know if everyone thinks you are  a rag or a piece of silk!  It would be much more meaningful than a favorability poll on people who are unknown.  Of course, so few people are reading newspapers these days that this might be equally inconclusive.

Misc.

Kudos to UNM President Bob Frank and his 'Innovate Albuquerque Plan.'  He has shown a real understanding of  urban issues by wanting to put a major development downtown.  It is something I tried to get done when I was Mayor, but the then Board of Regents were so influenced by sprawl developers that they wouldn't even consider putting student housing down there.  Bob Frank is doing more to get UNM involved in the rest of the community than any other President I have seen.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that APD has as high a rating from the public as they do.  That is because most folks see them as protectors and helpers.  Mostly they are, but those bad eggs on the force cause an awful lot of people to be unsure of them.

I don't think things would move these numbers very much no matter what happened.  The fact that so many republicans will  blindly support a police force is not something that can be changed.  I guess they are all afraid of the rest of us and see the cops as their  private security apparatus.

Corporate Media

Why does the national media,  both print and broadcast, run national stories about what the new models of iPhones are?  Is this news more important than about a million other things they could be covering that might really make a difference in someones life?

The latests trend in TV commercials are people who walk by other people and stare at them.  Just watch and see.  It is as bad as all the football commercials during the games that have country western music playing along side pictures of dirty pick up trucks.  Or those the lame beer commercials that show all American males as clueless junk food eating imbeciles.  And the Viagra type commercials that show happily married middle aged couples with that awful music playing making goo goo eyes at each other before heading off the the bedroom.   How many times can we stand to watch these?  We pretty much use the DVR now and skip through them.

We had a great couple of days in Pendairies, NM playing golf.  We finished our last game around noon this morning and drove back 150 miles to Albuquerque in a good rain.