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Arguments against campaign contribution limits

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By Whitney Cheshire So you think capping individual campaign contributions is the answer to our public corruption woes in New Mexico? Let’s talk about labor on this Labor Day week… After campaigning for conservative candidates in a Democrat-dominated state for years, I can’t help but slouch in my chair and mutter something that sounds a bit like “uhhhhg” when I think of that nearly-perfected political machine known as “labor.” As a Republican, it’s disheartening – to say the least – to sit back and watch the labor lobby fork over an excessively obscene amount of money for political candidates every cycle that, 99 times out of 100, goes into the pockets of Democrats. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in particular has been incredibly active in New Mexico politics, contributing close to $1.5 million to Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaigns and political committees since 2002. Here’s the problem: AFSCME, like most labor unions, contributes money to candidates that it raises through member dues. In essence, unions like AFSCME serve as large third-party political committees, where money is raised in one hand, and dolled out in the other. Continue Reading

Spaceport terminal, hangar drawings unveiled

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Officials unveiled on Tuesday drawings of what will become the main hangar and terminal at Spaceport America. The structure will be designed to have minimal impact on the environment, and officials call it an almost “carbon neutral” building. The terminal and hangar are estimated to cost $31 million. The total cost for the main facility, planned to be leased to Virgin Galactic, is $198 million. Click on the above images to view larger versions. Continue Reading

Frietze to seek fourth term on city council

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José Frietze has announced that he will seek a fourth term as the District 1 representative on the Las Cruces City Council, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting today. Frietze has held the seat since 1995. Las Crucen Miguel Silva has spoken publicly about his intention to run against Frietze but has not formally announced his candidacy. Election Day is Nov. 6. Continue Reading

Montaño announces run for city council

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Steven Montaño has officially announced his bid to replace District 4 representative Steve Trowbridge on the Las Cruces City Council. Montano, who currently works as the Southern New Mexico senior business development consultant for the state’s Economic Development Department, is a native Las Crucen who pledged, in a news release, to bring “fair and honest government” to the city if elected. “I have always been a strong proponent of respectful work ethics, volunteerism and improving the quality of life in my community for family and neighbors alike, and I will take that code with me to the Las Cruces City Council,” he said in the release. Trowbridge isn’t seeking another term on Nov. 6. Continue Reading

The five guardians and Teddy Roosevelt

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By Carter Bundy Our country is the most prosperous in the history of the world, and often our free markets and corporations get the credit. But while capitalism plays a central role in our prosperity, if left to their own devices, corporations wouldn’t have created the widespread prosperity, safety and health most of us generally enjoy. Five counterweights to untrammeled corporate power are all that stand between us and a filthy, dangerous, crime-ridden, unjust, poor country. Whatever country just popped into your head, whether it is capitalist or not, chances are excellent it’s missing most or all of the five guardians. Guardian No. Continue Reading

Voters in poll say Domenici is beatable

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The majority of those who voted in the last non-scientific poll on this site said U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is beatable in 2008. Of 240 voters, 151, or 63 percent, said the GOP senator is beatable, while 84, or 35 percent, said he is not, and five, or 2 percent, said they don’t know. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Guv cancels DOT talks, orders new bidding process

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Gov. Bill Richardson today ordered the cancellation of contract negotiations on the redevelopment of the Department of Transportation headquarters, a project that has been mired in controversy involving the governor, a donor and men indicted in the Bernalillo County Metro Court scandal. Richardson announced in a news release that the project will be rebid, but not until the completion of two reviews he has ordered. The new process will have more oversight, he said. It will be the second time the project has been rebid. On the first round, the contract was awarded to the sole bidder, Richardson friend and donor Gerald Peters. Continue Reading

Richardson, Dodd won’t campaign in rogue states

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Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Chris Dodd became today the first Democratic presidential candidates today to promise to not campaign in states that hold early primaries or caucuses in violation of party rules. For Richardson, the new position is a flip-flop. He said earlier said he would campaign in Florida even though the state’s Democrats are holding their contest on Jan. 29 in violation of Democratic National Committee rules. But since Richardson made that statement months ago, much has changed. Continue Reading

Supreme Court Justice Minzner dead at 63

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New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Pamela B. Minzner died today after a long battle with cancer. Minzer, the second woman to sit on the high court and first to serve as chief justice, was 63. News of her death was released in a statement from the Supreme Court. “Justice Minzner enjoyed unconditional respect and admiration from the legal community because she was hard working, articulate and an excellent writer,” current Chief Justice Edward L. Chávez said in the release. “Yet her best qualities were her human qualities. Continue Reading

Open government champion remembered

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A memorial was held on Thursday in Albuquerque for Bob Johnson, the director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government who died Saturday. You can read about it from the Associated Press by clicking here. Also, check out memorials for Bob published on the editorial pages of the Santa Fe New Mexican, Las Cruces Sun-News and Roswell Daily Record. If you missed what I wrote about Bob earlier this week, check it out by clicking here. Continue Reading

Cruces, Evans host annual border counties meeting

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Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans will host the annual conference of the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition in Las Cruces next month. The conference will be held Sept. 7 and 8. Dozens of delegates from counties on both sides of the border are expected to attend the conference, which will be held at Hotel Encanto and at White Sands Missile Range. Evans will deliver welcoming remarks. Continue Reading

Univision says guv must speak English at forum

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Gov. Bill Richardson won’t get a chance to show off his Spanish-language skills to a Spanish-speaking audience at Univision’s Democratic presidential candidate forum on Sept. 9. The forum is a first for the Spanish-language network, and Richardson and Chris Dodd, the only presidential candidates who are fluent in Spanish, jumped on the opportunity when it was first announced. It had huge potential for them – either they’d be the only two attending and asking for Hispanic votes, or the others would be clumsily speaking through a translator while they directly engaged viewers in their language. Not so fast. Continue Reading

Time to deal with the killers

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© 2007 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. A friend taking her sister-in-law to El Paso saw the Rio Grande and said, “That’s the same river next to your house in Albuquerque.” The woman looked doubtfully and said, “Nope.” My friend was upset that her brother’s wife could not be convinced the same river flowed by Albuquerque and El Paso. I feel the same way when I talk about the need to kill all of the mosquitoes in our area, and perhaps use DDT among other things to do it. People just say, “Nope.” Killing all the mosquitoes may seem too drastic to some, but these potentially deadly creatures are lurking silently in our neighborhoods, waiting for an unguarded moment. I am not fear-mongering. Mosquitoes bring the epidemic of West Nile virus and other diseases. Continue Reading

Truly independent probe of DOT situation is needed

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Gov. Bill Richardson said at a news conference today in Santa Fe that there was “no impropriety” in his acceptance of campaign contributions from two developers picked for separate multimillion dollar contracts with the Department of Transportation, the Associated Press is reporting. He said there is “no connection” between contributions and decisions made in state government. He said he doesn’t get involved in such projects and often doesn’t even know who contributes to his campaign. The statements came with the not-surprising news that the attorney Richardson has hired to conduct an “independent” review of the controversial DOT projects won’t look into the governor’s involvement, but will only look at other aspects of the situation. There may not be any involvement. Continue Reading

Guv challenges Big Three as poll numbers stagnate

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As new polls show his campaign not gaining traction in Iowa and New Hampshire, Gov. Bill Richardson is straddling a fine line between challenging and attacking the frontrunners for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Richardson has thus far refrained from going negative. However, in an e-mail sent today to campaign supporters, he suggested that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have not been providing “straight answers” on how many troops they would leave in Iraq and for how long, and said that, while he has been “completely open,” they’ve responded to his asking for such details with “silence.” And in stating that there’s no “confusion of ambiguity or waffling” in his stance, the governor seems to be implying that there is in the stances of the other three. Richardson is asking people to sign a petition pushing for the question to be asked at the next debate, the Univision forum on Sept. 9, on how many troops each would leave in Iraq and for how long. Continue Reading