Here’s the entire PRC District 5 debate

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As I’ve written, I co-hosted a debate Thursday morning, along with Michael Swickard, which featured the candidates for the Public Regulation Commission District 5 seat. You can listen on this site to the debate between the candidates, Republican Earl Greer and Democrat Sandy Jones. The approximately 80-minute debate is broken up into 10 short segments, which I hope makes it easier for you to listen at your convenience. Click on a part to listen to it. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Continue Reading

Three of four PRC candidates attend forum

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Three of four candidates whose Public Regulation Commission districts include parts of Doña Ana County showed up for Wednesday’s League of Women Voters forum. District 5 candidates Sandy Jones, a Democrat, and Earl Greer, a Republican, both attended. So did Stephanie DuBois, the Democrat seeking to unseat District 2 Commissioner David King, a Republican. King was not in attendance. Jones said New Mexico should lead the way in renewable energy. Continue Reading

Other statewide candidates speak at forum

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In each of the other races for statewide office except attorney general, only one of the two candidates was present at Wednesday’s League of Women Voters forum in Las Cruces. Democratic secretary of state candidate Mary Herrera didn’t attend, but Republican Vickie Perea was present. “I believe that elections in New Mexico should be secure,” Perea said. “Your vote should be protected at all costs.” Perea said she will strive for proving faster election returns and open government. She also wants a voter ID law that is tougher than the current system. Continue Reading

Dendahl, Beffort share views; rivals skip forum

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Because Gov. Bill Richardson didn’t show up to Wednesday’s League of Women Voters forum in Las Cruces, Republican challenger John Dendahl, like Congressional candidate Al Kissling, had the podium to himself. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish was also a no-show, so Dendahl’s running mate, Sue Wilson Beffort, had the podium to herself. Dendahl pledged to be the sort of governor who works with people and builds bridges. He said he did lots of fighting as the state’s Republican Party chairman because that was his role, but the governorship is different. Dendahl said he works well with others, and said 30 years in business, including three years as the head of the state’s economic development department, should prove that. Continue Reading

Pearce a no-show, Kissling goes solo at forum

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U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., didn’t attend Wednesday’s League of Women Voters forum in Las Cruces, so his opponent, Democrat Al Kissling, had the podium to himself. When the forum moderator announced that Pearce “was unable to attend,” many in the audience laughed. “Ha! Unable?” one man yelled out. Though he took part in one forum with Kissling in August, Pearce has ducked the opportunity to participate in many forums and debates with Kissling in favor of photo opportunities and other events. Continue Reading

McCulloch cited in Oct. 15 crash

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Allen McCulloch, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, was cited Wednesday for careless driving in the Oct. 15 crash that left a woman badly burned, according to KOB-TV in Albuquerque. The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department issued the citation after determining that McCulloch was talking on a cell phone and speeding during a rainstorm when his vehicle hydroplaned and slammed into the back of a parked sport utility vehicle on Highway 550 near Cuba, the station reported. The SUV, which was carrying six women, had stopped to wait out the storm. It rolled off the road’s shoulder and caught fire. Continue Reading

Pearce, Richardson debate ducking continues

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Can you guess where Steve Pearce is today? Congress isn’t in session, so you’d think the 2nd Congressional District representative would be in his Southern New Mexico district campaigning, what with the election less than two weeks away and all. After all, he is invited to a League of Women Voters candidate forum that will be held tonight in Las Cruces. But he’s not in Las Cruces. He’s not even in the district. Continue Reading

Independents growing in numbers, threaten parties

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New Mexico is one of the seven states with the fastest growing populations of voters registering independent of a political party, according to the New York Times. New Mexico is joined by Arizona, the state with the fastest growing population, along with New Hampshire, Florida, Maryland, California and Nevada. In Arizona, the number of independents has doubled in the last decade and now accounts for more than 25 percent of all registered voters. In New Mexico, the number is about 15 percent, but it’s about 20 percent in Doña Ana County. According to the Times, both parties are losing ground to independents, and the parties are working hard to figure out how those people will vote. Continue Reading

House hopeful has long-term plan for victory

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Lawrence Joy is fairly certain he won’t win the House seat he’s seeking this year. The Republican ran against Rep. Antonio Lujan, D-Las Cruces, in 2004, but lost with 38 percent of the vote to Lujan’s 62 percent. He’s running again, and this time Joy has a different take on how to knock off an incumbent in a district where party registration heavily favors the incumbent. He’s talking openly about how he is going to lose the race this year. “I’m trying to become the underdog,” Joy said. Continue Reading

Madrid comment reveals troubled political system

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A comment made by Patricia Madrid during the 1st Congressional District debate Tuesday night was exemplary of what’s wrong with politics. Madrid, a Democrat, was asked about $125,000 given to her political action committee by Stan Fulton, the owner of the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Fulton gave the money in two installations, one just before and the other just after Madrid formally opposed last year the proposal by the Jemez Pueblo to build a casino 10 miles away in Anthony. She took the money despite the fact that Fulton admitted he’s tossing money around to try to defeat the Anthony proposal. It’s money I’ve called on Madrid to return, but she has not done that. Continue Reading

Herrera says it’s time to ‘punch back’

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Democratic secretary of state candidate Mary Herrera says she’s tired of the mudslinging by her opponent and isn’t going to take it any more. Republican Vickie Perea has been constantly tossing allegations at Herrera, the Bernalillo County Clerk, for several weeks. She’s accused the Democrat of sending a campaign e-mail from her government e-mail address, of sitting on a records request for phone and e-mail records for more than five weeks, and of having outgoing phone calls from some phones in the clerk’s office reflect other phone numbers to hide campaign activity that is taking place using government equipment. In addition to answering those charges in an interview with me Tuesday night, Herrera wanted to announce that she’s not going to turn the other cheek any longer. “Now I’m going to punch back,” Herrera said. Continue Reading

Kissling: ‘tax the heck out of’ the ultra-rich

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I’ve been asked by several Democrats and Republicans recently whether Al Kissling, the Democrats’ candidate trying to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., really said people who make more than $2 million annually should be taxed at a rate of 50-75 percent. He did. Kissling made the comments during a May 24 interview on The Morning Show With Michael Swickard. He was asked about oil companies and said they were making obscene profits. He said the answer to obscene salaries for corporate officials was to “tax the heck out of them.” “I think that people who make over a couple of million ought to be taxed heavily,” Kissling said. Continue Reading

I’m co-hosting PRC debate tomorrow

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I want to remind you all that I’m co-hosting on Thursday morning a debate between the candidates for the Public Regulation Commission District 5 seat. Michael Swickard and I are organizing the debate and will moderate. It will be held from 8-10 a.m. on The Morning Show With Michael Swickard, which can be heard throughout much of Southern New Mexico on KSNM-AM 570. The District 5 candidates are Republican Earl Greer and Democrat Sandy Jones. For those who can’t listen at that time or live too far away to hear it on the radio, I’m planning to rebroadcast audio of the debate on this site later Thursday. Continue Reading

Voters to decide whether to hike tax for spaceport

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The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners voted today to support the creation of a spaceport taxing district and to ask voters to approve a 1/4 percent gross receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. On a vote of 4-1, with Oscar Vasquez Butler dissenting, the commission voted to direct staff to begin the process that will end with an election, which will likely be held on April 3. “The investment that we would make with this tax would repay this community God knows how much. It would be a phenomenal boon,” said Commissioner Kent Evans, who has been involved in trying to bring the commercial space industry to the area for 20 years. “I think it’s going to be a phenomenal enterprise. Continue Reading

More than 2,300 have voted in the county

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As of Monday, 2,356 people had voted in Doña Ana County. That’s about 2.5 percent of the county’s 96,246 registered voters. According to the county, 2,317 people had voted at the Doña Ana County Government Center on Motel Boulevard in Las Cruces, which has been open for voting since Oct. 10. Early voting at the satellite sites started Saturday, so those numbers are much smaller. Continue Reading