Leslie Rules and Solar

Leslie Lithicum of the Albuquerque Journal is a jewel.  She had the most heartfelt column this morning on the demise of old Hispanic names that I wish the Journal would run it again.  As the old ones die so do many of the names they carried their whole lives.  I want to add a couple to the list she had this morning.  My great grandfather's name was Esquipula. A great Aunt was named Lucinda.  My aunt 'Pelta' who died in September was born with the name Rupertita.  My father's name was Fermin.  The list could go on as I look at the family tree on the Baca side.  Thank you Leslie for doing this story.

On another note the Journal had a good story on making homes more energy efficient this morning.  There was one glaring mistake in it however that left the impression that Home Owners Associations have approval rights on the placement of photo voltaic systems on roof tops.  They do not have those rights after a law was passed in 2007 that negated all covenants in deeds that prohibited or controlled placement of solar systems on roof tops.  It was the right thing to do since dealing with HOA's can be a real detriment to energy efficiency.  The journal needs to do a story on this one issue so everyone understands it.  The city and state must also try to clarify it.

Misc.

The New York Times had a fascinating story on its editorial page today about American's awareness of how things work in congress and how ignorant many people are about how their representatives vote.  Only 26% know how many votes it takes to break a Senate filibuster.  And, only 32% know that no republican senators voted for the health care bill.  The numbers are even more dismal in the 18-29 age demographic.  I would bet many more people know how much money the movie 'Avatar' has raked in!  Time for the schools to fire up those Civics classes.  I know that immigrants who become citizens know much more about how our government works than the rank and file American.

The Albuquerque Journal negativity columnist Thom Cole outed me as a retired official of the Richardson administration in the paper today because I criticized the Journal in this blog for wanting people to come up with new negative slogans for our state.  I guess being a retired public servant is a bad thing in his mind.  Well, I still like him although I do get tired of his continued rewriting of stories that are aimed at the Governor. I mean, how many times can your rearrange the facts to make it look like a new story?  I would like him and his editors to actually find some new facts to enlighten us with.  Maybe start at the State Land Office.

I have one idea for the Journal.  Maybe they could do a daily factoid on the comics page about how our government works.  They could become a civics teacher and it would be a great public service.

Sanity and Insanity

The jury has convicted the murderer of the abortion Doctor in Kansas.  It took the jury just 37 minutes.  The religious fundamentalist catholic justified himself saying he needed to perform murder to save lives.  Thanks to the sane jury in Kansas.

State Senator Stuart Ingle of Portales has introduced a bill in the legislature to eliminate the requirement of refresher training every two years for those paranoids who carry concealed weapons.  Does that make you safer?  Or does it endanger you and your loved ones?  This is insanity.

Life goes on.

Misc.

The Albuquerque Journal this morning had its top item on the front page a banner on the Lobos victory  over BYU.  Second was a story about former Mayor Marty Chavez being responsible for an inflated salary for the Fire Dept. union Chief.  (Surprise, the union endorsed Marty.)  The third story down was President Obama's State of the Union address with a nice picture.  I think overall this was a 'populist' front page.

Senator Mike Sanchez of Belen is making waves about using state Permanent Fund monies to help erase the deficit.  These fund have always been referred to as rainy day funds but no one has ever dared to use them for those rainy days.  There might be some innovative ways for this to be done.  Perhaps setting an unemployment level threshold would work.  In other words, when the unemployment rate exceeds 9% then the fund could be tapped to support bonds for stimulus and government operations.

The cities are rightly worried about the state raising its share of the gross receipts tax to cover its deficit.  That means the cities, who have no permanent funds, will find it impossible to raise their rates.  Cities provide the most basic services to citizens and they could be hard pressed to keep up.

Revenue Enhancer

Senator John Sapien has a really bad bill in the Legislature that would put a 25% excise tax on medicinal marijuana.  He would also charge patients a gross receipts tax when buying it.  Sapien is just being a populist politician.  Meanwhile those patients, with terminal diseases and suffering, would have to offer up what little they have left under our health care system to make Sapien look tough on drugs.  He should go have a chat with some of these poor folks.

But in the spirit of things here is a revenue enhancing idea for the law makers.  They already want to raise taxes on soft drinks, chips, cookies and foods that are 'bad' for you.  So why don't we just legalize marijuana and heavily tax its sale for everyone but medical patients.  We all know what would happen then.  Everyone would pay their taxes on the grass, we would save taxes on criminal justice time wasting on marijuana prohibitions, and we would send millions of new tax dollars to the treasury from the new tax on munchies.  Everybody wins.

Bunglers

Unbelieveable. Click Here

Census Games

The ten year census has started.  Quietly.  It will count us and categorize us and possibly shake up politics on a national and local basis.  Some Red states will gain Congressional seats and some Blue states will lose them.  Mostly because so many people move to the southern and western parts of America for better climates and job opportunities.

On local levels there could be big changes in state legislative seats.  But the most interesting changes could hinge on the future of Congressman Harry Teague in southern New Mexico.  If he wins his reelection he will pressure the legislature to not fool around with the alignment of his district.  That includes strong democratic vote areas in Dona Ana, Socorro and Grant Counties.  But if he loses the race to the right wing wanna be again congressman Steve Pearce,  then the democratic legislature could move to make sure that two of the three New Mexico congressional seats are permanently democrat.  How?  They could reapportion the boundaries of the district in such a way that puts Teague's strong Democrat areas into Martin Heinrich's district and they could move the Albuquerque North East Heights voters into a district that includes Hobbs, Carlsbad and other ultra conservative areas.  It could happen and it could pass the straight face test using census data for the reapportionment.

Chew on that for a while.

Bric a Brac

I watched the NFL playoffs on Sunday.  The games were enjoyable, except for the asinine behavior of the players beating their chests. doing jive and pointing at opponents and mocking them.  I hate that crap, but we should expect it because our country is often doing it without knowing how bad we look.  I got a good feel for that after attending a lecture on Brazil on Friday afternoon at the Museum of Albuquerque.  It was put on by the Albuquerque International Association.

It is part of a series on what is known as BRIC.  That stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China.  Those four countries are leaving the USA and Europeans in the dust as far as economic development goes. They sometimes do it as the expense of their environment, but they are learning to deal with it.  They are investing in themselves and their infrastructure while America invests in $200,000 missiles to shoot from drones at mud huts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Those don't provide any return on investment for sure.)  And unless we do something about it we are going to be a member of the third world economy sooner than later.

I was watching another program this weekend on the construction of the Stone Cutters bridge in Hong Kong.  It is a magnificent structure and is incredibly expensive.  It is the kind of thing we don't do in this country anymore.  Because it won't pay for itself.  Just look at the grousing about the fact the the new Rail Runner doesn't cover its expenses. Well, neither do hell fire missiles and you can only use those once.

The Rail Runner is still a forward looking project and it could wither on the vine because a few whiners and bloggers who may convince the legislature to stop funding it.

I know, I am just doing a Monday morning rant.  but this is real.  It will affect our children.  They are going to have to get angry and take control of this country, and do it real soon.

Trial by Camera

There are a couple of lawyers in town who really work the media system.  One is Sam Bregman.  You always see  him on TV as he argues his cases outside the court room.  The TV stations are always obliging.  The other lawyer who is good at this is Victor Marshall. He is suing the state for his whistle blower client Frank Foy.  Victor knows how to work the media too.  He was Channel 7's lawyer for many years.  In the middle of his protracted legal proceedings on this case he takes time out to get his client Frank Foy in front of a legislative committee and summoned TV cameras and reporters in Santa Fe to complain about the Governor.  Everyone in the media piles on the story and once again a prospective jury pool listens to accusations outside the court room while a judicial process is in ongoing.

I am not saying that Foy and Marshall shouldn't get to the bottom of this issue.  I hope they find out one way or another what, if anything, led to the firing of Foy from his investment managing job with the state.  However, these dramatic appearances and news conferences will have an effect on a jury pool.  The aim is certainly one that will hopefully increase any cash award to Foy.

Democracy Earthquake

The Supreme Court's ruling today, on a 5-4 decision to let corporations spend as much as they please to elect candidates, will rattle our democracy as sure as Haiti was rocked and destroyed by an earthquake.  Make no mistake about it, the special interests and especially the oil and gas industry will now control our elections.  For sure.  Without a doubt.

And think of this company who put scripture on our soldier's rifle scopes.  They can now influence elections with the profits from their billion dollar contracts from the Pentagon.  Soon you may live in a theocratic/corporate nation.

Naivete

Sometimes I wonder about the naiveté of of aspiring political candidates.  This morning the Journal had an article asking the republican candidates for Governor how they would fix the budget.  They all said they would cut back on the number of appointees in state government.  Okay, that adds up to $3 million max.  Now comes the hard part.  None of them had a concrete proposal for how they would deal with it, as far as I could see.  They also blame the Governor for all of these problems and once again conveniently forget that the legislature is just as responsible for the spending free for all.

The bad news at Albuquerque City Hall just gets worse.  Finance Guru Lou Hoffman, who was brought in by Mayor Berry, says the short fall for this year from Mayor Marty's and the councils actions will be $20 million.  And next year $55 million.  This is worse than I had thought.  Mayor Berry and CAO Dave Campbell will have to extract some real concessions out of the special interests that rule city hall.  That means the police and fire unions especially.  Will they help?  Or am I being naive?

Eyeopener

So, while the fundamentalists work against Gay marriage, I notice a report from the Brookings Institution.  Maybe the religious could better spend their time.  The report finds that:

• In 2008, 91.6 million people—more than 30 percent of the nation’s population—fell below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.  
• In 2008, 39.1 million people—13.2 percent of total population—were below 100 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Poverty also increased in small metro areas and rural areas at faster rates than in cities.
• Western cities and Florida suburbs were among the first to see the effects of the Great Recession translate into significant increases in poverty between 2007 and 2008.
  

Saving Us

The Vatican and the Bishops are at it again.  Now, the Vatican is weighing in on the movie "Avatar".  Yes, they think its message is bad.  They opine that it worships nature!  Oh.  Please save us.  Actually, what they dislike is what I did like about the movie.  So much so that we went to see it a second time just to look at the created nature of the movie.  It does send a powerful message about living in harmony with your surroundings.  So how can the bishops be against that?

And then of course the bishops are once again beating up on the state's Gay population.  They have come out against Gay marriage although they are not supportive of a state constitutional amendment to ban it.  As I said in my weekly comments for the New Mexico Independent,

"What is wrong with this picture?  A state constitutional amendment to deny the pursuit of liberty and happiness by a segment  of our citizenry.  All because the people behind this plan think that God, a guy who lives in the clouds with long flowing hair and robes, thinks it should be that way?  If we let this happen then what is next?  Denying women the vote?


This kind of constitutional amendment should promptly be killed in its first committee hearing and relegated to the trash heap of bigotry."

Many people think the Pope dresses kind of Gay.  But I am proud of the work the church is doing with Catholic Relief Services in Haiti.

Recall Religion?

I contribute to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation which is headquartered in Albuquerque.  They have fought the Christian fundamentalist attempted takeover of our military.  Their story is a good one.  But now they have uncovered an outrageous story which you will find hard to believe.  The contractors on this military contract should recall all of these 'sights' immediately and replace them.  And their contract must be cancelled as soon as practicable.  Read it.....you wont believe it.  This kind of thing is why I believe our country is in danger.  Especially after starting to read a book called "The Family" by Jeff Sharlett.

Tit for Tat

So, the New Mexico Republican Party Chair, Harvey Yates Jr., is trying to connect Lt. Governor Diane Denish to the troubles at the New Mexico State Investment Council.  This is a large stretch since Denish has no authority at the SIC.  She is not a member and has never attended a meeting.  Her only connection is that a friend has contributed to her campaign.

So, in that spirit let us talk about Mr. Yates of the GOP.  He gave a lot of money and raised a lot of money for State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons, a republican.  Mr. Yates owns Yates Petroleum, one of the biggest independent oil operations in the U.S.  How many favors has Lyons done for the Yates outfit?  Unitizations of land leases?  Suspending drilling deadlines?  Etc.

And then there is GOP Governor candidate Alan Weh.  He was a big giver to George Bush.  How much money did his aircraft chartering business make from the administration during the Iraq war?  Millions?  Tens of millions?  Had to keep those rendition flights going you know.

And then there is the new GOP Governor candidate Pete Domenici Jr.  Lots of natural resource and oil and gas companies gave lots of money to his dad's campaigns in return for protection from fair royalties and environmental issues.  Did Pete Junior's law practice get business from these same folks?  He has removed his client list from his law practice website in hopes no one noticed.

Will these questions ever be looked into by mainstream media?  Don't hold your breath.

As an aside, did you notice the most viewed stories last week in the Journal all concerned sex!  You wonder if anyone reads these corruption stories sometimes.  I have the idea that one in twenty readers of the Journal will read them.  Then they stand around the water cooler at work and miserate about it with their co workers.

Noelle's Race

Noelle and her significant boy friend Lucas ran their first marathon Sunday in Phoenix's Rock and Roll Marathon.  They finished in 4 and a half hours or so which is not bad I am told for a first time.  Bobbi was out there in Phoenix to administer to the patients after the race.  She sent this picture just after they crossed the finish line.  Running 26 miles is not a natural thing to do for a human being.

Tax

I am a well known Liberal and I think government is a positive force if used correctly.  I am left of center and proud of it because if we all don't prosper then society fails.  If that means giving people a leg up with government aide then okay. The current stimulus funding and unemployment benefits are an example on a national scale.

Having said that I will also say I am against raising the New Mexico gross receipts tax to help balance the budget.  It is just horribly regressive.  I cant see any value in having this tax routinely hover between 7 and 8 percent.  Not when the rich are still paying absolutely too little in taxes. The current rage over the so called 'tax lightening' in property taxes is really based in the inequity of the system.  People with equally valued houses are paying vastly differnt amounts in taxes.  Just like the gross reciepts tax, some people are paying a larger amount of their income (the poor) than others who bank away large chunks of cash.

Times are hard and we need to deal with it.  I know that is easy to say but I also know from my career that there is indeed inefficiencies in government, just like any large business.  We let the good times roll over the last ten years and didn't pay to much attention to growth of government.  Now we have to do so.  That includes concessions by organized labor, businesses with tax breaks, and tax payer subsidized non profits.  This doesn't require a meat cleaver, just some thoughtful trimming and sacrifice.  I hope the legislature and Governor can come up with solution.  It certainly won't be easy.  I think the task force that sent recommendations to the Governor had some great suggestions.  That is a starting point.

El Camino Real

These are the flags of the U.S, Mexico, Spain, New Mexico and Texas that fly over the Camino Real International Heritage Center which is about 30 miles south of Socorro on I-25.  I had been wanting to go there for many years as I was helpful on the project when I was Director of the Bureau of Land Management at the Department of the Interior.

So, John Koontz and I traveled out there today.  I would highly recommend everyone take the little side trip to view this great state museum.

We also stopped by the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

And just marveled at our beautiful landscapes.  We then stopped at the Owl Bar in San Antonio for Green Chile Cheeseburgers.

Prayers?

The Haitians don't need prayers.  They need medical help, food, water and shelter.  Yesterday that great man of God, Pat Robertson, said that the Haitians were being punished for making a deal with the devil. The deal was that the Haitians would throw off British rule and gain freedom.

Can you believe this is from a guy who ran for President?  I am sure he is trying to raise money on this catastrophe.  My advice is to send it to secular groups who will not give aide tied to any form of religion.  At least it will get there without being subject to preaching and such.

Send Money

About all I can say today is send relief money for Haiti.  I  gave some to Doctors with out Borders.  This poorest of Nations is really on its back.  We floated by that country on our cruise a few weeks ago.  It certainly is not on any cruise destinations because of the raging poverty there.  I have been watching some video from there and you see all these people with so little already trying to cope.  They really need help.

Meanwhile while these poor people try to endure, America's top bankers are being grilled by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.  This story of the greedy and rich has been moved to second place in the news hole because of the Haitian tragedy.  The poor suffer publicly and the rich sit in front of a commission saying the financial calamity was like a hurricane.  What bull shit.  Sometimes I think these guys need to be marked on their forehead with a 'G' for greed