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Republican Sheriff Todd Garrison has outraised and outspent his challenger in this year’s election, Democrat Ralph Misquez. However, Misquez has run before and already had many campaign signs. Thus far, Garrison has raised about $13,039 and spent $11,421. Misquez has raised about $10,417 and spent $8,564. Neither reported much activity in June, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday. Continue Reading
A recent poll paid for by Jim Baca has the Democrat ahead of incumbent Republican Pat Lyons in the land commissioner race by five percentage points. Despite that, Baca writes on his blog that “the thought of (Lyons’) bank roll is scary.” Lyons has $488,892 in the bank, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday. Baca, who faced a primary while Lyons did not, has $6,977 in the bank, and an unpaid debt of $12,100 to himself. The poll has Baca up with 38 percent of the vote to Lyons’ 33 percent, and 29 percent undecided. Among those registered independent of a political party, Baca has 34 percent of the vote to Lyons’ 22 percent, with 43 percent undecided, according to the poll. Continue Reading
For anyone who wasn’t paying attention, North Korea tested seven missiles earlier this week, one a long-range ballistic missile that could reach the Western United States. That missile failed, but it was apparently aimed at the waters near Hawaii. Had it not failed, the United States would have tried to shoot it down. The North apparently has at least one more missile it could soon test. This is a nation with nukes. Continue Reading
After a major shakeup a few months ago, Starchaser Industries, Inc. has finally acquired land in Southern New Mexico, becoming the third space-industry company to announce plans to locate major facilities here. Talks with the City of Las Cruces to secure land at its West Mesa Industrial Park fell apart about the same time the company replaced its North America staff members, all based in Las Cruces. A deal to purchase land near Hatch for an astronaut training facility also never came to fruition. Now the company is announcing that it will build rocket manufacturing and astronaut training facilities and retail, lodging and entertainment areas on a 120-acre site located 16 miles west of the Las Cruces International Airport on Interstate 10, according to articles in the Las Cruces Sun-News and Albuquerque Journal. The Southwest Regional Spaceport at Upham is going to be built. The more companies that commit money and time to help the project succeed, the better. Continue Reading
Al Kissling, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., exceeded his own fundraising hopes last month, but he still has a long way to go. In an e-mail sent to supporters this week, Kissling said he had a goal of raising $20,000 in June, but in fact raised almost $30,000. “This bodes well for the future of this grassroots campaign,” Kissing wrote. “… All things are possible if we continue to work together.” Kissling still has a long way to go. As of the reports filed on May 17, Kissling had raised a total of $49,244 and spent $44,904, according to OpenSecrets.org. Continue Reading
Gov. Bill Richardson received an interesting plug from GQ magazine this month. The July issue’s print edition (it’s not available online) features several probable 2008 presidential contenders. Though polls show Richardson as a nearly non-contender in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, the magazine says Richardson is “the most likely to end up somewhere on the ticket,” calling him “a natural running mate for a senator who wants to embrace the reform message – especially his old friend Hillary.” Many speculate that Richardson wants to be president but is willing to settle for and would make a great running mate for someone like Hillary Clinton – who polls suggest would secure 40 percent of the vote without much effort but would have a hard time getting the remaining votes needed to win. Someone like Richardson might deliver the yet-to-be-defined Hispanic vote to someone like Clinton and put a Democrat back in the White House, many believe. But don’t underestimate Richardson’s chances of being the first name on the Democratic ticket. Continue Reading
More than 150 people showed up to a Thursday hearing in Las Cruces to speak for and against proposed state regulation changes that would make it easier to revoke licenses of bars that serve minors and intoxicated adults. Bar owners and other opponents told the state’s Regulation and Licensing Division that the problem is with people who drink too much, not with the bars that serve drinks, and the state should focus on the drinkers. They said the regulations would cripple family-owned businesses. Opponents included State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, who owns a bar, and State Rep. Joni Gutierrez, whose brother owns a restaurant and bar. Victims of drunken driving accidents and other proponents argued that bars share responsibility when they don’t follow regulations. Continue Reading
Michael Swickard put Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., in a tough spot on his radio show this morning. Swickard asked what Bingaman thought of the recent end to the long-standing truce between Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and Sen. Pete Domenici, a Republican. Here’s the short version: Richardson believes Domenici was involved in the recent move by the Republican Party to replace his opponent in the gubernatorial race, then J.R. Damron, with fireball John Dendahl. Dendahl has said a Domenici staffer was involved. Because of that, Richardson is actively seeking a Democrat to run against Domenici in two years, and has asked Lieutenant Gov. Diane Denish to consider it. Continue Reading
Cracking down on bars that overserve adults and serve minors is the topic of a hearing that starts at 8 a.m. today in Las Cruces. The state wants to make it easier to revoke bars’ licenses when they break those laws, changes the industry says would hurt their ability to do business. If bars were taking care of the problem themselves, tougher regulations wouldn’t be needed. Most are, but some are not. Among those who support the new regulations are the parents of Steve Judd, one of two New Mexico State University students who died during the 2004-2005 school year of alcohol poisoning. Continue Reading
The Internet is abuzz with speculation that Hillary Clinton won’t run for president following a conversation at a recent Bill Richardson event. Apparently, longtime Clinton confidant Susan Thomases recently held a meet-and-greet in New York for New Mexico’s governor. According to The New York Observer’s Politicker, two guests claim Thomases said at the event that Clinton isn’t running for president. However, Thomases says that isn’t what she said. Here’s how it allegedly happened: Richardson was “making his big presidential pitch to guests,” the Politcker reported, when he interrupted himself to apologize to Thomases for putting her in an uncomfortable position because of her relationship with Clinton. Continue Reading
As part of an ongoing series examining campaign commercials, Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican has debunked the efforts of Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign to convince voters that he’s a tax cutter. The article in today’s edition of the newspaper notes that, days after the primary election, Richardson’s commercial’s began. The first commercial touts the governor’s self-declared ability to know “when to say yes, but also when to say no.” “That’s why we got rid of taxes on food and medical services. We cut the capital-gains tax and cut income taxes for every New Mexican. At the same time, we audited every government agency, cut the waste and saved millions, and added to the rainy-day fund.” “Some people said we couldn’t get rid of those taxes. Continue Reading
Though its existence has been much less publicized than that of the Southwest Regional Spaceport at Upham in New Mexico, there’s another spaceport being built a little more than 100 miles away in West Texas. It’s financed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, and being built north of Van Horn, Texas, on private land. That’s why you’ve heard less about it: It’s on private land and being privately financed. But watch out. It’s on schedule to compete with New Mexico’s spaceport. Continue Reading
“Yesterday the greatest question was decided which was ever debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men,” John Adams wrote to his wife in 1776. “A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, that those United Colonies are, and of right out to be, free and independent States.” He was, of course, referring to the Declaration of Independence. You know, it’s that little document that proclaimed “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As we pause to celebrate the founding of our nation, it’s important to examine what’s happening in America today. We’re becoming more polarized. Many are choosing their sides and sticking to them; others are increasingly staying out of the game because they don’t like either side and don’t see another option. Continue Reading
Gov. Bill Richardson is trying out a new fad in his re-election campaign: podcasting. You can listen by clicking here to the first podcast posted on his campaign Web site. It includes a 10-minute interview with Richardson and his wife Barbara and another with the man behind The Man, Dave Contarino. For those who don’t know, podcasts are radio (and sometimes video) broadcasts designed to be accessed through the Internet and portable electronic devices. The name comes from Apple’s iPod. Continue Reading
If you missed them, two Sunday articles by Jason Gibbs of the Las Cruces Sun-News profiling new Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Diaz are worth your time. You can read them by clicking here and here. Continue Reading