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Trujillo tops District 6 candidates in fundraising

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Karen Trujillo is, thus far, the top fundraiser among candidates vying to be the next District 6 representative on the Las Cruces City Council. The first of two reports from each candidate was due on Thursday. You can view the reports by clicking here. Trujillo, a real-estate broker and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, reported raising $9,555 and spending $9,600.50. She had a number of contributions of $250 or less, many from prominent members of the Las Cruces business community, and a $3,500 contribution from her husband, who is also her campaign treasurer. Continue Reading

Another candidate enters U.S. Senate fray

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A former Democratic state senator says he plans to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici this year. Tom Benavides has not formally announced his candidacy, but his campaign manager, Michael G. Horanburg, confirmed that Benavides is running. Benavides was a state senator representing Albuquerque’s south valley from 1967 to 1970 and 1985 to 1995. Since then the Catholic has been lobbying the state Legislature for approval of various pro-life bills. The other Republicans in the race are U.S. Reps. Continue Reading

Interior Department rejects Anthony casino proposal

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The U.S. Department of the Interior has rejected a proposal by the Jemez Pueblo and Santa Fe art dealer and developer Gerald Peters to build a casino in Anthony. In a four-page letter dated Jan. 4, Carl J. Artman, assistant secretary for Indian affairs, wrote that the casino would not significantly improve the unemployment rate among members of the pueblo and might encourage reservation residents to leave their homes and travel 300 miles south to find work, so the “negative impacts on reservation life could be considerable.” Although the decision means the casino cannot be built, a spokesman for the Jemez said there may be an opportunity to improve and resubmit the application. You can read the department’s rejection letter by clicking here. The spokesman said a statement from the Jemez was forthcoming but the pueblo had not received the letter. Continue Reading

Changing ‘change’

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By Carter Bundy John Edwards and Barack Obama would, in my humble opinion, each make a fine president. Their ideas are progressive (with one notable exception discussed below), their hearts are in the right place and each has some good experience inside and outside Washington. What I don’t like are their absurd attacks, mostly on Hillary Clinton but also on Governor Richardson, that somehow having been part of a previous administration precludes one from being an agent of change. If anything, in this case, the opposite is true. Edwards’ big line to differentiate himself from Clinton and Richardson is “there are two candidates of change left now,” as though Hillary and Big Bill are totems of the Bush Republican status quo. Continue Reading

Voters in poll not optimistic about health-care reform

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The vast majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site do not believe the Legislature will approve heath-care reform during the 2008 session. Of 109 voters, 77, or 71 percent, said the Legislature won’t approve such reform, while 32, or 29 percent, said it will. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Senate leaders want to change ballot-access law

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The leaders of both parties in the New Mexico Senate announced today that they will attempt to overturn during this year’s legislative session a law approved last year that makes it more difficult for some major-party candidates to get on the ballot. Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen and Minority Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales have pre-filed Senate Bill 1, which would repeal the changes made last year. “It’s important that candidates continue to be allowed other avenues for getting on the ballot,” Sanchez said. “The system we have had for many years was working well. Restoring the original language is the right thing to do because giving voters choices is what it’s all about.” The bill won’t go anywhere in the 30-day session unless Gov. Bill Richardson allows it. Continue Reading

Ending poverty in our lifetime

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© 2008 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “A peasant must stand on a hillside with his mouth open for a very long time before a roasted duck flies in.” – Chinese proverb The new minimum wage law in New Mexico took effect this week, boosting the wage from $5.15 to $6.50 an hour. In effect, the government urinated in the soup so poor people could have more soup. The problem with raising the minimum wage is that it puts the productivity-to-wage continuum out of balance. Companies must do something to get it back in balance. Typically, they shed the least-productive members of their staff, the minimum-wage workers. Continue Reading

Council hopefuls discuss growth, other issues at forum

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By Vicki Nisbett Not surprisingly, growth was the main topic discussed at the Las Cruces City Council District 6 candidate forum held Thursday at the Doña Ana East Mesa Community College. Candidate Lawrence Joy, 45, missed the opening introductions, saying he was detained because of business. The other candidates vying for the city council seat Ken Miyagishima vacated when he was elected mayor are Patrick J. Curran, 76; Berchard Ray Shipley, 64; Sharon K. Thomas, 67; and Karen Rachel Trujillo, 32. The election is Jan. 15. Continue Reading

For Richardson, it’s no longer about winning the race

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When he finished with the support of 0.02 percent of caucus goers in Iowa on Thursday, Chris Dodd had the sense to withdraw from the presidential race. After his 0.93 percent finish, Joe Biden did the same. So what’s the difference between those two and Bill Richardson, who finished the night with an embarrassing 2.11-percent finish? If his focus remains on winning the race, there’s not much difference. Richardson will not win the presidency. Continue Reading

Richardson thanks Iowa caucus goers, turns to N.H.

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Bill Richardson’s campaign has just put out a news release focusing on the fact that he finished fourth in Iowa and stating that he is “moving his campaign forward to the New Hampshire primary.” “We made it to the final four,” Richardson said. “My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire.” The top four finishers in the Iowa Caucus get to participate in a nationally televised debate this weekend, so Richardson has one more chance to face off with the frontrunners before New Hampshire Democrats vote. Richardson, the release stated, watched the results at a rally in Des Moines and has since boarded a plane for New Hampshire. He finished at about 2 percent in Iowa. Continue Reading

Richardson prepares for New Hampshire

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There’s been no comment from the campaign of Gov. Bill Richardson on tonight’s dismal fourth-place, 2-percent finish in Iowa, but he’s apparently moving on to Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Richardson’s campaign Web site has already shifted from a focus on today’s Iowa Caucus to the New Hampshire primary. The main section on the site, which scrolls between four news items, now includes two about New Hampshire. One is a news release from earlier this week declaring Richardson’s “growing support in New Hampshire.” The other asks people to “join Governor Richardson in New Hampshire” and links to his schedule there, which begins at 9 a.m. Friday and goes all the way until the primary on Tuesday. It appears Richardson is staying in the race, at least for now. Continue Reading

CNN declares Obama the winner in Iowa

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CNN is projecting that Barack Obama will win the Iowa Caucus. That doesn’t have a huge impact on the campaign of Hillary Clinton, who had downplayed the importance of victory in Iowa, has strong organizations in other states and has been the frontrunner in New Hampshire, but it has huge consequences for John Edwards. Edwards had bet everything on winning Iowa. If he finishes second – and he’s currently barely holding on to that spot – he might be able to stay in the race through New Hampshire on Tuesday and see how he does there, but if he finishes third tonight in Iowa, he’s going to have to think seriously about ending his campaign. Bill Richardson might also be seriously thinking about ending his campaign. Continue Reading

Obama pulling ahead of Edwards, Clinton

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Barack Obama is pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards with more than half of precincts in Iowa reporting. Obama now has the support of 34.52 percent of caucus goers to Edwards’ 31.61 percent and Clinton’s 31.13 percent. That’s with 1,000 of 1,781 precincts, or 56 percent, reporting. Bill Richardson remains insignificant at 1.69 percent, and the other candidates are doing even worse. Reports indicate that turnout among Iowa Democrats is at record levels. Continue Reading

CNN projects Huckabee victory in Iowa

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CNN is projecting that Mike Huckabee will win the Iowa Republican Caucus. Officially, with 25 percent of precincts reporting, Huckabee has the support of 35 percent of GOP caucus goers to Mitt Romney’s 24 percent, Fred Thompson’s 14 percent, John McCain’s 12 percent, Ron Paul’s 11 percent and Rudy Giuliani’s 4 percent. But CNN has declared Huckabee the winner. You can read the CNN article by clicking here. Continue Reading