Sen. Lopez enters lieutenant governor race

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State Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, announced this weekend that she’s running for lieutenant governor next year. Lopez is the second candidate to enter the race. Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, a Democrat, is also running. Lopez formally jumped into the 2010 Democratic primary this weekend at the state Democratic Party’s central committee meeting by telling those in attendance that she’s running. The senator, who is in her 13th year in that position, later confirmed her candidacy to 770 KKOB-AM reporter Peter St. Continue Reading

Film incentives need to be investigated, not repealed

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By Benjamin Rodefer I wanted to respond to the ongoing discussion about the state’s film incentives. There has been call for their immediate repeal. I believe that would be entirely premature and misguided. In these extraordinarily difficult times, how can we blindly risk losing thousands of high paying jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars, money so essential to the stability and future of our economy? What we should do, though, is investigate further the efficacy of these incentives, which is precisely why I introduced and we passed in the last session House Memorial 112, creating the new interim Film, Art and Culture Committee. Continue Reading

Gap between contracts with law firm raises questions

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Five months lapsed between two contracts that the state attorney general’s office signed with a Houston law firm that’s suing a pharmaceutical company on behalf of New Mexico. During that time, no contract was in effect, but the law firm continued to work. That raises questions about whether the legal work Bailey Perrin Bailey did during that time could be challenged and whether the firm can be paid for that work. There’s also a question about why the gap exists. While the AG’s office says it was merely an oversight, the Wall Street Journal, which has already hit Attorney General Gary King and others it claims have engaged in a “pay-to-sue” scheme against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, suggests there might be an ulterior motive. Continue Reading

Mexican border crossings open, but travel discouraged

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The State Department on Monday evening issued a warning to U.S. citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico because of the spreading swine flu. Soon thereafter, U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, a Democrat who represents the southern portion of the state, issued this statement: “While non-essential travel is discouraged, I want to remind all residents of southern New Mexico that the U.S.-Mexico ports of entry are open,” Teague said. “Our federal agents at the border are taking every precaution to prevent transmission of swine flu, and I urge all residents of southern New Mexico to become familiar with the steps necessary to avoid becoming infected with swine flu.” There’s worry about what the flu could do to the already struggling U.S. economy. The European Union has discouraged travel by its citizens to Mexico and the United States, where cases of the swine flu have been confirmed in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California. And there’s this statement in an Associated Press article about the situation: “The virus poses a potentially grave new threat to the U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery,” the article states. Continue Reading

Oops: Caldera takes blame for panic-causing flyover

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The most appropriate word for this incident seems to be “oops.” Louis Caldera, the director of the White House’s military office and a former University of New Mexico president, approved a flyover that — understandably — caused quite a stir on Monday in New York City.From The Associated Press: “One of the president’s official planes and a supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline in a flash just as the work day was beginning Monday. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept. 11. “For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline near the World Trade Center site. Offices evacuated. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll don’t want Espinosa to run in 2010

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In what was one of the most responded-to non-scientific polls in the history of this site, the majority of voters in last week’s poll said Santa Fe County Clerk Valerie Espinosa should not challenge Secretary of State Mary Herrera in next year’s Democratic primary. Of 568 voters, 421, or 74 percent, said Espinosa should not challenge Herrera, while 135, or 24 percent, said Espinosa should challenge Herrera. Twelve, or 2 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

The difficulties warriors face amid civilians

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I didn’t understand until my friend’s death how dramatically war changes people. That’s why it’s important for civilians to become aware of the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. By Scott Krahling My friend Kyle was a colleague at work and a neighbor, as well. For over a year, I considered him one of my closest friends, and the time I spent with him helped me realize many things. His death — by suicide — helped me realize many more. Continue Reading

Owner of LC Bulletin buys Rio Rancho newspaper

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I’ve written a lot lately about the struggles daily newspapers are facing, including the layoffs and furloughs that have hit the Las Cruces Sun-News, which is undergoing a major restructuring. Meanwhile, the other major Las Cruces newspaper — the weekly Las Cruces Bulletin — appears to be doing just fine. Not only has the Bulletin added several positions in the last few months, but the company that owns the Bulletin, the locally based FIG Publications, is in the process of purchasing the weekly Rio Rancho Observer, according to an article on the Rio Rancho paper’s Web site. That’s quite an investment for a small, Las Cruces-based company that previously didn’t own any publications other than the Bulletin. In addition to taking over the Observer, FIG Publications will take over the Kirtland Air Force Base Nucleus, the newspaper for the military base, the Observer reported. Continue Reading

The giveaway that keeps on taking

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By Sen. Steve FischmannOne of the proudest accomplishments in my first session as a state senator was helping build the coalition that defeated bonding for the $408 million SunCal Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) subsidy near Albuquerque. TIDD subsidies utilize future state and local tax revenues to pay off bonds used to finance real estate development projects.Tax Increment financing can be useful. Unfortunately, in cases like SunCal, TIDDs have been perverted into a tool that pours taxpayer money into the private projects of a few well-connected developers, and they require no public benefit in return. Developers have no real accountability to achieve the benefits they claim, and in practice have fallen woefully short all around the country.When I pay taxes I expect the money to go to public services like police, fire, parks, courts and education. State government goes way beyond its charter when it picks and chooses specific companies for giveaways to support speculative investments. Continue Reading

Lawsuit seeks release of GRIPgate subpoenas

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My business, Haussamen Publications, is trying to force the release of subpoenas received by state agency in pay-to-play probe I’m a passionate believer in open government. That’s why my business, Haussamen Publications, filed a petition today seeking a court order to force the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) to release copies of subpoenas it has received in the federal probe of allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration. In January, I requested copies of subpoenas received by the governor’s office and NMFA in the investigation. While the governor’s office provided a copy of the subpoena it received, the NMFA denied my request. The petition contends that any subpoenas NMFA has received in the federal probe should be public and notes that the governor’s office released such a document in response to an identical request. Continue Reading

A connection between Richardson, CDR and Blago?

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Bloomberg article reveals that top fundraiser for former Illinois governor represented CDR in that state, and also helped Richardson raise campaign cash The media has already reported on one connection between N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson and the scandal-plagued former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich: Richardson’s re-election campaign gave $20,000 to the campaign of Blagojevich in 2006. Now Bloomberg has found another link. And it relates to GRIPgate. Blagojevich’s top fundraiser and his lobbying firm donated $20,000 to Richardson’s 2006 re-election campaign and political action committees, according to an article the news organization published today. That lobbyist, Milan Petrovic, also represented, in Illinois, CDR Financial Products, the firm at the center of the federal pay-to-play grand jury investigation in New Mexico. Continue Reading

FBI asking questions about embattled investment firm

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State agencies have already suspended their deals with Aldus Equity pending internal reviewsThe FBI has questioned officials from two state investment agencies about Aldus Equity, a firm that does business with the state and is involved in a pay-to-play scandal in New York, The Associated Press is reporting. The federal agents met earlier this month with officials from the State Investment Council (SIC) and Educational Retirement Board (ERB) about the firm, the news service reported. Last week, both agencies suspended their deals with Aldus, which has advised both on billions of dollars in private equity investments. Both suspensions are pending internal reviews. The AP quoted Charles Wollmann, spokesman for the SIC, as saying that the FBI met with the agency’s lawyer and director of private equity, who were “fully responsive and cooperative.” ERB Executive Director Jan Goodwin wouldn’t answer the AP’s questions about the FBI, but the news service quoted a source with knowledge about the situation as confirming a meeting between the FBI and ERB officials. Continue Reading

Zanetti talks with the Clovis News Journal

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Republican Greg Zanetti, who announced last week that he will run for governor in 2010, gave an interview earlier this week to the Clovis News Journal about his views on a number of issues. You can check out his stances on water, education, the economy and energy by clicking here. Zanetti, an Albuquerque financial adviser and New Mexico National Guard brigadier general, formed a gubernatorial exploratory committee in February. The only other announced candidate in the 2010 race is Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, a Democrat. Several others, including Republicans Steve Pearce, Allen Weh and Heather Wilson and Democrat (and actor) Val Kilmer are considering running. Continue Reading

‘Quality-of-life’ tax increase should be shot down

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People are struggling to make ends meet. We should not increase their tax burden just to create more fun things to do in Las Cruces. Some city officials and others in Las Cruces are proposing raising the gross-receipts or property tax this year to help fund “quality-of-life” initiatives such as operation and maintenance of city ball fields, creation of new bike paths and the expansion of artistic and cultural programs. Yes, really. Even though the nation is in its worst economic shape since the Great Depression. And even though the city had to cut its budget by 5 percent last year in response to the recession. Continue Reading

Guv keeps raising, spending campaign cash. Why?

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Unless he opts to seek a lesser office or sit out a few years and then run for governor again in 2014 or beyond — and neither is likely — Gov. Bill Richardson will never run in another state-level race in New Mexico. So why did his 2006 gubernatorial campaign raise $30,000 last year? And why did it spend $26,000 on consultants? These are questions probed in an article by reporter Steve Terrell that is published today in The Santa Fe New Mexican. And they’re questions to which Terrell couldn’t get an answer. Continue Reading