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Richardson holding fundraiser to try to erase debt

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Commerce Secretary-designate Bill Richardson is holding a fundraiser in Washington on Thursday to try to pay off the debt from his unsuccessful presidential campaign.The fundraiser was first reported on today by The Politico, which had previously reported that Richardson was running out of time to pay off $150,000 in outstanding campaign debt because federal ethics laws would hamper his ability to raise money for himself once he officially becomes a member of Barack Obama’s cabinet. Obama announced the appointment of New Mexico’s governor last week, but Richardson must still be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which won’t happen until late January or February. Richardson, according to today’s article in The Politico, will hold the fundraiser at the Georgetown home of William A.K. Titleman and his wife Maria. At the “waterfront reception,” the article states, donors will be asked to give up to $2,300 each. Both Titlemans, the article states, served in the administration of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Continue Reading

Looking for blame in all the wrong places

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By Carter Bundy Over the last few months, as the problems in Detroit have reached catastrophic levels (and no, that’s not a Lions reference), there has been a curious intensity of anger directed at the United Auto Workers (UAW). America’s autoworkers have made a good living for decades, largely thanks to their union. They’ve had good health care and a decent retirement, which used to be staples of the American worker’s compensation package, at least at large companies. Having it both ways One of the first things conservative union-bashers point to is the cost of health care in the automotive industry. Two questions: First, do they realize that countries like Japan and Germany have health care for all of their people, giving their companies a built-in structural advantage? Continue Reading

ABQJournal honors retiring Sen. Domenici

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“The people first put their trust in Pete Domenici when they elected him to the Albuquerque City Commission. New Mexicans liked what they saw, so they sent the hardworking son of Italian immigrants to represent New Mexico in the United States Senate,” Albuquerque Journal Publisher T.H. Lang wrote in Sunday’s edition of the newspaper. “To say that he repaid that trust would be a huge understatement. Few have done as much for their state and their country. He worked tirelessly during his six terms in the Senate on behalf of his beloved New Mexico, and built a national legacy on issues ranging from the budget to energy independence.”With that in mind, the Journal on Sunday published a special section dedicated to Domenici. Continue Reading

Former NM First Lady Alice King dies

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This article has been updated. Alice King, the wife of former Gov. Bruce King and a tireless advocate on behalf of children, died tonight after suffering a massive stroke on Thursday. She was 78.Her death was announced in a news release from her son, state Attorney General Gary King. “On behalf of the entire family, I want to thank the many people who have been so supportive and for all their prayers,” Gary King said in the release. “We will let everyone know about public funeral arrangements as soon as possible. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll say Balderas should be lt. gov.

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said Diane Denish should pick State Auditor Hector Balderas to be the next lieutenant governor. Of 319 voters, 183, or 57 percent, picked Balderas, while 18, or 6 percent, picked state Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela and 14, or 4 percent, picked Lawrence Rael, executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments. Some 104, or 33 percent, said Denish should pick someone other than those three. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

NM’s money woes will force painful choices

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New Mexico really is in a dire financial situation, and solving it is going to be painful, not just for government bureaucracies but also for average New Mexicans. The bottom line is this: The sharp drops in oil and gas prices mean the state has a current fiscal-year budget shortfall of about $500 million — in a budget of about $6 billion. But that’s not the extent of the problem. Forecasters predict that in the next fiscal year, the shortfall will be at least another $200 million. So the state has to come up with something along the lines of three quarters of a billion dollars during the 60-day legislative session that convenes on Jan. Continue Reading

Guv running out of time to pay off campaign debt

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s failed presidential campaign still owes a great deal of money to Harry Teague and Johnny Cope for use of their corporate jet, and his appointment as commerce secretary means he’s running out of time to pay it off, The Politico is reporting. According to his latest report to the Federal Election Commission, Richardson still owes $139,000 to a corporation owned by Teague and Cope, Lea King, LLC. He used their jet during much of his presidential campaign. He also owes $11,000 to Albuquerque’s Branch Law Firm for use of its jet, the article states. That’s been known publicly for awhile. Continue Reading

Dems shouldn’t support Jennings for pro tem

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By John V. Wertheim New Mexico’s Democratic state Senate Pro Tem Tim Jennings gave his most open signal yet on Monday that he will collude with the Republican minority to keep power. In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Jennings said, “When you look at it, I think I’ve got enough votes to be elected the pro-tem by all the members of the state Senate.” The Senate pro tem’s comments came after a weekend when Senate Democrats met in caucus and voted to oust Jennings from his position. In January there will be 27 Democrats and 15 Republicans in the Senate. If Jennings convinces six other Democrats to join him on his proposed ego trip, he will remain pro tem with the backing of the Republican caucus. Instead of accepting defeat gracefully, Tim Jennings is just too special to play by normal rules. Continue Reading

Denish names key members of transition team

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Lt. Gov. Diane Denish today named key members to a transition team that will assist her as she prepares to take over as governor when Bill Richardson leaves for Washington to become commerce secretary. Denish named Kathy Keith as director and Chris Cervini as communications director for the transition team. Keith comes from Public Works, LLC, a private firm that assists governors and their cabinet agencies nationwide on projects involving planning, innovative policy and efficiency. She was the state’s economic development division director from 2003-2006 and has worked in several federal jobs. Cervini, currently external communications manager for Lovelace Health System, was chief of staff and communications and policy director for Denish from 2003-2006. Continue Reading

Protecting citizens from their protectors

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© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “Policemen so cherish their status as keepers of the peace and protectors of the public that they have occasionally been known to beat to death those citizens or groups who question that status.” – David Alan Mamet, Pulitzer Prize winning writer I routinely walk up to members of law enforcement to say, “Thank you for your service to our community.” I still do so despite having some concerns about law enforcement oversight. It is a complicated relationship between citizens and members of law enforcement. Our country was founded to protect citizens from foreign and domestic bad people. Those protections are of the most violent kind because it is the currency of bad people. In many communities there is an uneasy balance of respect and suspicion for the police. Continue Reading

In defense of Tim Jennings

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By Ellen WedumFormer Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair John Wertheim has criticized this blog on Nov. 26 and elsewhere Democrat Tim Jennings, the current president pro-tem of the New Mexico state Senate, for recording a robocall and radio spot critical of an environmental group’s persuasion phone program in support of newly-elected state senator Steve Fischmann. The phone program, conducted just before the Nov. 4 election, told respondents who said they were undecided that Fischmann’s opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson, had used some of his 2003 capital outlay funds to pave a road that was not in his district, implying that his only reason for doing so was to increase the value of his own business. To quote the Las Cruces Sun-News, “The funding went to pave a street that wasn’t in his district but that passes by commercial property he owns.” Rawson served in the Senate from 1987 to 2008. Continue Reading

Thinking smarter, not spending more

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Sen.-elect Fischmann says economic woes will make state strongerSteve Fischmann says he’s taking “a positive view” of the economic woes New Mexico is facing because of the huge drops in oil and gas prices. The Democratic state senator-elect from Las Cruces said in a recent interview that his business background has taught him that such times force organizations to think creatively about what’s working and what isn’t, and then their job is “shedding the things that aren’t working.” “Hopefully that makes you stronger,” Fischmann said. “… I plan to be pushing ideas that make us think smarter — not spend more.” Fischmann will head to Santa Fe for the session that begins Jan. 20 as someone who is largely unknown. He surprised many on Nov. Continue Reading

Denish: ‘I’m ready for this job’

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It’s almost official: Assuming the U.S. Senate confirms Bill Richardson as commerce secretary, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will become the first woman to be governor of New Mexico. The date that it will happen isn’t set. Richardson says he won’t resign until the U.S. Senate confirms his nomination, which won’t take place until after Barack Obama is sworn in on Jan. 20. That means the transition is likely to occur in the middle of a 60-day state legislative session in which lawmakers and the governor will have to make up for a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars. Continue Reading

Obama says Richardson should have kept his beard

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s beard has received a lot of attention lately. Barack Obama gave it even more today.At the news conference in which he was nominated to be commerce secretary, Richardson was asked about his recent decision to shave his beard. Obama decided to answer the question for him. “I think it was a mistake for him to get rid of it,” Obama said with a smile. “I thought that whole Western, rugged look was really working for him. Continue Reading

Richardson to NM: I will never forget you

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Obama says governor is uniquely qualified to lead department that’s critical to nation’s economic recoveryThis article has been updated. Gov. Bill Richardson had only a few words for New Mexicans today as he appeared with Barack Obama in Chicago to be nominated commerce secretary. “New Mexico, I will never forget you, and I will forever be grateful,” Richardson said. This morning’s news conference formalized what has been known for weeks: Richardson is leaving his job as governor of New Mexico with two years left in his term, meaning Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will become governor. In a news release that followed the news conference, Richardson provided additional details on the transition to the Denish administration. Continue Reading