GOP’s Barela may challenge Heinrich next year

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A Republican Party activist is preparing to form an exploratory committee as he considers challenging U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., for the 1st Congressional District seat next year. The potential challenger is Jon Barela, a former vice chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico and past president of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. A fundraiser will be held Saturday to help raise money for the exploratory committee, according to an e-mail invitation sent on Tuesday by the host of the event, GOP activist Kevin Reid. In the e-mail to his “close friends,” Reid wrote that he’s supporting Barela because of his conservative and commonsense values. Reid is asking people to commit $2,300 for the primary to allow Barela to form the exploratory committee. Continue Reading

State auditor probing AG’s animal cruelty task force

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State Auditor Hector Balderas is looking into whether Attorney General Gary King is properly handling money appropriated for a task force that has largely focused on rooting out cockfighting since the state outlawed the bloody sport in 2007. Balderas’ probe was initiated by a complaint from animal-rights activist Marcy Britton, who alleges a number of illegal acts by King and others involved in the Animal Cruelty Task Force, including the misspending of more than $77,000 appropriated by the Legislature. At the core of her allegations is a claim that the task force has no jurisdiction to lead investigations into illegal cockfighting and dog fighting, which she says the task force has done. Balderas said in an interview that his office has directed the independent auditor conducting the AG’s annual audit to look into “whether those appropriations were properly accounted for and spent properly.” He said his special audit division “is maintaining contact with and coordinating with the independent auditors.” King spokesman Phil Sisneros, while refuting the allegations made by Britton, said the state auditor hasn’t contacted the AG’s office about the matter, but the AG is prepared to cooperate fully. The auditor’s probe of the task force, which had not been previously disclosed publicly, is the latest in the back-and-forth between the offices of the two state watchdogs that has been in the news recently. Continue Reading

State Investment Council bans third party marketers

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“The strongest in the nation and appropriately so” is how Gov. Bill Richardson described today’s ban by the State Investment Council (SIC) of future investments with companies that employ third-party marketers to help them win government contracts. The SIC also voted unanimously today to require what a news release from Richardson’s office called “sweeping disclosure” of all payments made in relation to permanent fund investments, and to ban certain campaign contributions. “With this ban, and the more stringent transparency and disclosure policies in place, I want the public to be confident that we are acting as responsible managers of the state’s permanent funds,” Richardson said. From the news release: “The State Investment Council policy will preclude any investments being made with money managers who use outside placement agents to market their fund or services. This is a complete ban of third-party marketers, not just ‘targeted’ placement agents, whose practices have come under increasing scrutiny both in New Mexico and nationally in recent weeks. Continue Reading

Will Richardson step in to deal with North Korea?

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Largely absent from all the media coverage about the growing threat from North Korea in the last few days is one longtime player in the situation: Gov. Bill Richardson. He’s been the most successful American at negotiating with the North Korean government for a long time. But his stature has taken a big hit because of the ongoing probe into allegations of pay to play in his administration, which cost him the commerce secretary nomination earlier this year. So, with the North Koreans testing a nuclear weapon, firing off short-range missiles and holding two American journalists, where’s the governor? Richardson’s office hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment, but the short answer is that, at the very least, he’s playing a much-reduced role compared to his involvement in past incidents with North Korea. Continue Reading

Obama nominates first Hispanic for Supreme Court

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This article has been updated.U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman was the first politician from New Mexico to comment today on President Barack Obama’s nomination of the first Hispanic for the Supreme Court, federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor. “I have never met Judge Sotomayor, but everything I’m aware of would indicate that she is a very well qualified appointee,” Bingaman said in a statement released by his office. Senate Republicans took a wait-and-see approach to the nomination, with one Republican leader saying it was important to not “pre-judge” Sotomayor. Obama, in announcing the nomination this morning, said Sotomayor “would bring more experience on the bench and more varied experience on the bench than anyone currently serving on the United States Supreme Court had when they were appointed.” Sotomayor, in accepting the nomination, called it “the most humbling honor of my life.” “My heart today is bursting with gratitude,” she said. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor would be the third woman and first Hispanic on the nation’s high court. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll may vote GOP because of scandal

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said scandals plaguing state government involving mostly Democrats make them more likely to vote for Republicans in 2010. Of 334 voters, 177, or 53 percent, said scandals do make them more likely to vote GOP, while 145, or 43 percent, said the scandals do not. Twelve, or 4 percent, said they don’t know. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

ValueOptions didn’t file complaint with the feds

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Company protesting the awarding of state’s behavioral health services contract to OptumHealth says it also hasn’t been subpoenaed in the case ValueOptions New Mexico, which has been loudly protesting the recent awarding of the state’s behavioral health services contract to another company, says it didn’t initiate the federal investigation into the procurement process. In addition, ValueOptions says it hasn’t been subpoenaed in the case. “We did not file a complaint with federal investigators, nor have we received a subpoena,” said the company’s director of public affairs and communications, Patrick Killen. “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on investigations in process.” In April, a federal grand jury subpoenaed documents related to the state’s pending shift from ValueOptions to OptumHealth New Mexico, a subsidiary of United HealthCare. The state awarded the massive contract in January to OptumHealth over ValueOptions, which has held the contract for four years. Continue Reading

Bush tells Artesia students to ‘give it your all’

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Former President George W. Bush told high school seniors in Artesia on Thursday that being out of office is “a liberating feeling,” according to the Roswell Daily Record. He told them a story about walking his dog Barney in his new neighborhood in Texas. The dog stopped to do his business in a neighbor’s yard. “And there I was, former president of the United States of America, with a plastic bag on my hand,” Bush said. “Life is returning back to normal.” Bush was speaking at a reception for high school seniors who are winners of the 2009 Chase Foundation Scholarship. Continue Reading

Please, save some bullets for the cops

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Despite what some want us to believe, more gun control is DOA. So don’t hoard bullets to the point that cops don’t have enough to do their jobs. A forwarded e-mail I received Tuesday claimed that the Department of Defense was discontinuing the sale of spent brass — used bullet shell cases — to ammunition manufacturers, which would force the companies to purchase new shells instead and would significantly increase the cost of ammo. To top it off, the e-mail stated, “Obama wants To add a 500% tax on each shell.” “… If you’re not outraged at what this administration is doing you should Be!” the e-mail stated. “Be Afraid! Continue Reading

Richardson does national TV interview

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Gov. Bill Richardson has been holding a lot of town halls and other public events around the state lately, but his direct interaction with the media through news conferences and other means has been limited. That’s why last night’s television appearance on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show is noteworthy. He was on the show to talk about two American journalists being held in North Korea. Here’s the interview: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Continue Reading

King joins task force probing investment scandal

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N.M. Attorney General Gary King has joined a national task force that is investigating the third-party marketer scandal that is spreading across the nation. Attorneys general in more than 30 states have joined the task force, and King spokesman Phil Sisneros confirmed to The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Steve Terrell that King is one of them. However, Sisneros said he doesn’t yet know what the level of participation will be from the New Mexico AG’s office. “The question is how much this is affecting New Mexico,” Sisneros was quoted as saying. The New York and New Mexico AG offices were in touch late last month about the possibility of King joining the probe of the scandal that began in New York but has spread to several other states, most prominently New Mexico. Continue Reading

Bingaman, Udall release earmark requests

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For the first time, U.S. senators are required disclose their earmark requests before they can be considered by the appropriations committee. New Mexico’s two senators, Democrats Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, complied with that requirement. I wish their requests were online in a searchable format (they’re non-searchable PDF files), but at least they’re online. Click here for Bingaman’s requests and here for Udall’s. Continue Reading

George W. Bush to speak in Artesia on Thursday

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Former President George W. Bush will be in Artesia on Thursday to speak at a reception for high school seniors who are receiving a college scholarship, the Artesia Daily Press is reporting. Winners of the 2009 Chase Foundation Scholarship will be announced at the reception, which will be held from 4-5 p.m. at Artesia High School. For more information, or to obtain tickets, the newspaper reported that people should contact the Chase Foundation’s Richard Price at (505) 746-4610 or richardprice@chasefoundation.com, or call Rob Saliterman at The George W. Bush Foundation at (214) 692-4300. Continue Reading

Feds should scrutinize this eyebrow-raising deal, too

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The state paid millions for a parcel of land it apparently didn’t need. Then Richardson got a $50K campaign contribution from a member of the family from which the state purchased the land. Hmm… Use your public position to spend taxpayer money to benefit the family of a private contractor, get $50,000 of that taxpayer money back as a campaign contribution. Is that how a land deal went down between Gov. Bill Richardson and Santa Fe contractor Sonny Otero? Continue Reading

Pacheco hopes to improve NMSU during brief tenure

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Manuel T. Pacheco says he’s not looking to shake things up as interim president at New Mexico State University, but he has been asked to help improve the school during what he and others plan to be a brief tenure. “I want to be very proactive in ensuring that the university continues to move forward in those areas where it has terrific strengths,” Pacheco said today in a phone interview. “During my time there, the board has asked me to look at where the institution is, from my perspective.” As expected, the NMSU Board of Regents unanimously approved a one-year contract with Pacheco today that can be amended to end earlier if the board hires a permanent president sooner than that. He’ll receive a base salary of $325,000 plus be allowed to live in the president’s residence on campus. Pacheco will not be allowed to apply for the permanent president job. Continue Reading