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Lyons goes ahead with land deals despite AG opinion

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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons plans to proceed with several land deals across the state that include a provision the attorney general says is not allowed by law. “I want to move ahead, create economic development,” Lyons told the Albuquerque Journal for an article published on Wednesday. “We suggest the attorney general work with us, not against us.” Lyons is now planning to proceed with land deals in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe despite a February AG opinion that took issue with a key provision in a similar deal in Las Cruces. The formal opinion related to The Vistas at Presidio land deal on Las Cruces’ East Mesa states that the lease agreement’s method of compensating Philip Philippou’s company for developing the land is “not comprehended by and in conflict with” a statute that allows developers who improve land for the state to be compensated only for the appraised value of the improvements. In the lease, the land office also agrees to compensate Philippou for other project costs and 40 percent of the change in value of the land as a result of the improvements. Continue Reading

Guv’s NMSU speech may reveal his ambition

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Gov. Bill Richardson condensed the contents of several speeches he gave during his presidential campaign into one foreign policy speech that he delivered today at New Mexico State University. The result: I got the feeling that Richardson was testing a comprehensive speech on foreign policy that he will soon unveil to national audiences as he guns for whatever position he wants in a potential Obama administration – most likely vice president or secretary of state. Richardson has given a number of policy speeches since he began his presidential campaign in January 2007, but he has delivered them in places like Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. When his office announced earlier this week that he would give a major policy speech in Las Cruces today, I wondered why, when he’s clearly trying to stay in the national spotlight, he would give such a speech in a place where it would attract little media attention. Officially, Richardson was delivering a policy speech to the NMSU International Relations Institute, a new organization he’s trying to help build into a force along the border. Continue Reading

Media should promote substantive debate on issues

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I wish we could have honest debates about the issues in America. Too often, the 24-hour news cycle instead drowns us in controversy with only cursory examination of anything substantive. That’s a disservice to Americans. The latest example is the controversy over Barack Obama’s recent comment about Pennsylvania voters. For those who missed it, Obama said at a private fundraiser in San Francisco that many rural Pennsylvanians respond to their economic plight by becoming bitter and clinging to guns, religion, hostility toward people who are different from them and anti-immigrant and anti-trade sentiment. Continue Reading

Pearce attacks Wilson for missing sanctuary-city vote

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is attacking opponent Heather Wilson today for missing a House session in which she could have cast the deciding vote in favor of stripping the tax-exempt status of so-called sanctuary cities. On the bill in question, the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act, the House voted Tuesday evening on a motion that would have added language stripping the tax-exempt status of cities whose policies prevent local police from inquiring about immigration status or enforcing federal immigration law in other ways. The vote on the motion was a 210-210 tie, so under House rules it died. One more vote in favor of the motion would have led to House approval of the motion and the bill, which would have also needed Senate approval to be enacted. Pearce, who voted in favor of the motion, released a letter he sent to Animas rancher Kelly Peterson on Tuesday evening decrying Wilson’s absence. Continue Reading

White tops CD1 candidates in first-quarter fundraising

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Darren White led all First Congressional District candidates in fundraising during the first three months of 2008, raising a total of $233,509. The GOP’s White raised $203,509 from individuals and $30,000 from political committees, according to the report he filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. He spent $108,568, leaving him with $297,499 on hand on April 1. Next was Democrat Martin Heinrich who, according to the report he filed, raised $201,045, including $161,997 from individuals and $38,785 from political committees. He spent $135,048 and had $342,422 in the bank on April 1. Continue Reading

Sowards raises $325K during first quarter of 2008

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Republican Second Congressional District candidate Greg Sowards raised $325,000 during the first three months of 2008 – all of it a personal loan he gave his campaign. That’s according to the report he filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. Sowards spent $24,679 during the first quarter of the year – his first in the race – leaving him with $300,320 on hand at the start of April. You can read about the fundraising of the other GOP candidates in the race by clicking here. Update, 9:25 a.m. Sowards said in a news release that he has not accepted or solicited donations to this point, saying the “earnest money” he has contributed to his own campaign “should testify to the fact that I believe strongly in the closing line of the Declaration of Independence, which reads, ‘And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.’” Kimball Hakes, who serves as Sowards’ campaign treasurer, said in the release that Sowards “is the only candidate to commit this kind of money to the race who isn’t a millionaire.” “It is the willingness of ordinary citizens to make personal sacrifices that will preserve this great nation for future generations,” Sowards said. Continue Reading

Choice in Pennsylvania

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By Carter Bundy Here in the Philadelphia suburbs, Hillary – and Democrats generally – are on a roll. Bucks and Montgomery counties, once Republican strongholds, are now represented by Democrats in Congress. In the area where I’m currently working, one representative supports Hillary, the other Barack. To a large degree, this is part of a natural shaking out of party affiliation following the 60s. Lyndon Johnson predicted that Democrats would lose the South for at least three generations following his signing of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts. Continue Reading

McCamley raises $85K during first quarter of 2008

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Democratic Second Congressional District candidate Bill McCamley raised just over $85,000 during the first three months of 2008, including $2,166 that he contributed to his own campaign. In addition to that contribution McCamley made to his campaign, he raised $82,722 from individuals and had other receipts of $125, bringing his total fundraising for the quarter to $85,014, according to the report he filed today with the Federal Election Commission. He spent $61,470, according to the report, and ended the quarter with $235,944 in the bank. To date, McCamley has raised $357,229 and spent $121,284. McCamley’s only opponent in the Democratic primary, Harry Teague, reported earlier today raising $170,420 and spending $196,290 during the quarter. Continue Reading

Wiviott, Luján, Shendo are top CD3 fundraisers

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Don Wiviott topped all Third Congressional District candidates in fundraising during the first three months of 2008, but Ben R. Luján also raised an impressive amount, and the fundraising total of Benny Shendo Jr. was respectable. Wiviott, according to the report he filed today with the Federal Election Commission, raised $676,980 – $109,504 of it from individual contributors and $565,000 a loan he gave his campaign. He spent $540,315, and began the second quarter of the year with $433,375 on hand. “I have been touched by the outpouring of support from New Mexicans who believe in our campaign and want to join us in this important effort to bring change to Washington,” the Democrat said in a news release. “People recognize the stakes are high in this election and that it is time to start working together to produce the results we need to move our country forward.” Luján, according to the report he filed today, raised $328,740 – $296,140 from individuals and $32,600 from political action committees. Continue Reading

Board of Finance OKs emergency loan for primary

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The state Board of Finance today approved an emergency loan of up to $595,300 to help the Secretary of State’s Office cover expenses related to the upcoming June 3 primary. “I am keeping my promise to the secretary of state that we will work with her to ensure that her office has adequate resources and they are prepared to run a smooth primary election,” Gov. Bill Richardson, the board’s chair, said in a news release. “The public expects fair and accurate election results in a timely manner – as they should.” Richardson spokesman Allan Oliver said the funding has nothing to do with a previous $3 million budget deficit in the Secretary of State’s Office that resulted from the 2006 election or legislation the governor vetoed earlier this year that would have helped counties pay for maintenance of voting machines. The news release states that the Board of Finance has been working with Secretary of State Mary Herrera and her staff to ensure the office is fully prepared for the primary. The emergency loan will help cover the costs of election supplies, training for poll workers and judges and voter information cards. Continue Reading

Once again, Udall outraises GOP candidates combined

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For the second fundraising quarter in a row, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall bested the combined fundraising totals of GOP candidates Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson. Udall raised $1.3 million during the first three months of 2008, while Wilson raised $515,086 and Pearce raised $473,725. Udall ended the quarter with almost $2.6 million in the bank, while Wilson had $1.2 million on hand at the start of April and Pearce had $854,164. The Pearce and Wilson campaigns released fundraising totals today. The Udall campaign released its total last week. Continue Reading

Teague raises $170K during first quarter of 2008

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Democratic Second Congressional District candidate Harry Teague raised just over $170,000 during the first three months of 2008, including a $9,572 loan he gave his own campaign. Teague raised $157,847 from individuals and $3,000 from political action committees, according to the report he filed today with the Federal Election Commission. Along with the loan he gave his campaign, that brought his total fundraising for the quarter to $170,420. Teague spent $196,290 during the first quarter of 2008, leaving him with $336,864 on hand at the start of April. Teague raised $408,610 during the last three months of 2007, which included a $200,000 loan he gave his own campaign. Continue Reading

Tinsley raises $309K; Greer raises just under $40K

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Second Congressional District Republican candidate Ed Tinsley raised almost $309,000 during the first three months of 2008, including a $200,000 loan he made to his own campaign. Another GOP candidate, C. Earl Greer, raised just under $40,000 during the fundraising quarter, including a loan of almost $28,000 that he made to his own campaign. In addition to the loan, Tinsley raised $98,903 from individuals and $10,000 from political action committees, bringing the total raised to $308,903, according to the report he filed today with the Federal Election Commission. Tinsley spent $167,702, and began the second quarter of the year with $425,090 in the bank. That’s because he raised $304,000 and spent about $16,000 during the fourth quarter of 2007. Continue Reading

Judge lets Vigil-Giron stay in CD1 race

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Martin Heinrich must be smiling right now. A judge in Santa Fe on Monday rejected a petition to kick Rebecca Vigil-Giron out of the First Congressional District Democratic primary race. The lawsuit alleged she hadn’t collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Apparently, she did collect enough signatures. Should we really have expected anything less from the former secretary of state? Continue Reading

Campaign antics distract from the real issues

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.” – Adlai Stevenson It’s not a pretty sight. I refer to the current contest between the two Democrat presidential competitors, Clinton and Obama. The tone of the campaign has gotten increasingly snide and a bit nasty. It has disintegrated into pettiness, with each grasping at straws to find ways to be critical of the other. An example is the recent “bitter” comments by Obama, which Clinton promptly labeled as “elitist and demeaning to people in small-town America.” Actually, Obama was talking about the difficulty of attracting working-class voters in states like Indiana and Pennsylvania. Continue Reading