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Many lawmakers oppose giving more for spaceport

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This is the second in a series of articles examining the issues surrounding the April 3 election on whether to raise the gross receipts tax 1/4 percent in Doña Ana County to help fund Spaceport America. Many opponents of the proposed gross receipts tax increase that would help fund Spaceport America claim they support the project, but not the tax. Many tax supporters are quick to counter that people don’t support the spaceport if they don’t support the tax, because, without that funding source, there won’t be enough money to construct the spaceport. Interviews with state lawmakers reveal that, at the very least, securing additional funding from the state would be difficult. The state has already pitched in about $115 million toward the project’s estimated $198 million cost. Another $25 million Gov. Bill Richardson wants from lawmakers has encountered steep resistance for two years, but he has pledged to fund it from his share of capital outlay money next year if lawmakers don’t approve it during the languishing special session. Continue Reading

Denish signs housing authority overhaul bill

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Lt. Gov. Diane Denish signed into law today a bill designed to stabilize the state’s scandal-plagued regional housing authority system while officials determine the next course of action. “It is a good day,” Denish said after the bill signing. The bill takes effect immediately, so the housing authorities have been stripped of bonding authority and now have significant oversight. The legislation doesn’t help restart authorities in Albuquerque and Las Cruces that have shut down. It instead places immediate checks on those that are still functioning and funds an audit of the system to determine the appropriate course of action. Continue Reading

Governor to sign bills, promote tax in Las Cruces

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While in Las Cruces on Thursday, Gov. Bill Richardson will sign bills related to “child and family safety” and lead a rally in support of the proposal to raise the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America, according to a news release from his office. The governor’s office refused to release information about the bills that will be signed. The rally and bill signing will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the governor’s Las Cruces office, located at 505 South Main Street, Suite 145. It will be the governor’s second rally in Las Cruces in support of the spaceport tax and his fourth trip to Las Cruces since announcing on Jan. 21 that he’s running for president. Continue Reading

Richardson outlines plan to prevent a ‘nuclear 9/11’

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Gov. Bill Richardson says the United States must do more to prevent a “nuclear 9/11,” a threat he says the Bush Administration has ignored. Richardson made the remarks today while giving a policy speech on his plan to prevent nuclear terrorism at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. You can read Richardson’s remarks by clicking here. You can listen to his speech by clicking here. He said the United States must help secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union and work to prevent such material from getting into the hands of terrorists, according to the Associated Press. Richardson said it isn’t practical to support a nuclear-free world, but said reduction and securing of weapons are reasonable goals. Continue Reading

Vigil doesn’t have to report to prison just yet

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Former state Treasurer Robert Vigil will get as much as another three weeks of freedom. He was originally ordered to report to prison today to begin serving his 37-month sentence for a conviction on attempted extortion, but the Bureau of Prisons hasn’t yet figured out where to house him, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. U.S. District Judge James Browning recommended prisons in Florence, Colo., or Austin, Texas, the newspaper reported. He gave Vigil another 21 days of freedom, unless the bureau assigns him to a facility before then, in which case he’ll have to report as soon as that happens. Continue Reading

Think of the spaceport’s benefits and vote for tax

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This is the ninth in a series of guest columns debating whether Doña Ana County voters should approve a 1/4 percent gross-receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. By Bill McCamley As a professional economic and community developer, I would like to respond to recent concerns regarding the spaceport gross receipts tax: • Public funding for economic development is nothing new. Tax funding pays for airports, seaports and – right here in Doña Ana County – roads and industrial parks that assist in developing jobs. Precedent has been set because of the benefit that communities receive. • The spaceport project is worth one penny for every four dollars spent. Continue Reading

Richardson to visit Las Cruces, El Paso on Thursday

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Gov. Bill Richardson will make a brief appearance in New Mexico on Thursday between presidential campaign trips. Some of that time will be spent in Las Cruces. Richardson returns to New Mexico late Wednesday. Sometime Thursday, he will appear in Las Cruces for at least one public event, I’m told, but I don’t yet have details. He then heads to Texas for a number of campaign events. Continue Reading

Richardson, senators discuss session compromise

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There’s talk of a compromise between Gov. Bill Richardson and a defiant Senate on the special session, but no deal has been reached. Senators have to return by Thursday to decide whether to consider the proposals on the agenda or adjourn sine die for a third time. Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana and the majority whip, said a compromise being discussed would have the Senate vote Thursday to stand in recess until mid-April, a few days before the end of the 30-day session. That would allow senators a couple of weeks to rest and take care of personal business. “That would give us a chance to come back when we’re fresh,” Garcia said. Continue Reading

Denish to sign affordable housing overhaul bill

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With Gov. Bill Richardson out of the state for his presidential campaign, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will sign into law Wednesday a bill that will overhaul the state’s scandal-plagued regional housing authorities. The signing ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the office of the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, 344 4th Street in Albuquerque. Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, keeps the regional housing authorities in existence, but puts in place extensive oversight: Bonding and eminent domain authority will belong to the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, not the housing authorities; the Department of Finance and Administration and state treasurer will have roles in administering finances; and the authorities will be required to submit quarterly audits – most agencies have to submit them annually – to the DFA. The bill appropriates $200,000 to the state auditor to fund audits of the seven regional housing authorities to determine the extent of mismanagement that led to the system crumbling in scandal last year. That work must be complete by Dec. Continue Reading

Watch Richardson’s gay-rights speech in L.A.

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If you’re interested, here’s video of Gov. Bill Richardson’s speech on Saturday to Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles – one of the two now-infamous gay-rights speeches he gave over the weekend. During the speech, he spoke about what is happening – or not happening – at home with domestic partner benefits. “The reason I have to leave is I called in my New Mexico Legislature into a special session to keep pushing my agenda, which is a full domestic partner rights act,” Richardson told the group, to applause. “… That’s why I’m going back home. … so if you excuse me after my speech, I have to go because I have to do this work.” As Steve Terrell has already pointed out on his blog, Richardson failed to mention he was headed to New York for campaign events, not back to New Mexico for the special session. Continue Reading

Richardson’s travels have been difficult to track

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It has been difficult to keep track of Gov. Bill Richardson’s travels around the nation as he campaigns for president. At least some of that appears to be intentional ducking, but the campaign chalks some of it up to e-mail glitches. Richardson, in response to a direct question from a reporter about his schedule for the week, failed to mention last Tuesday that he was leaving town that night for a campaign event. Anger over that – Richardson called lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session as he was leaving the state – was a key factor in the Senate’s decision to revolt and adjourn sine die. Though word that he was leaving the state leaked out Tuesday, the campaign didn’t officially release last week’s travel schedule until Wednesday, even though Richardson had already left the state. Continue Reading

Justice official invokes Fifth Amendment, won’t shed light on U.S. attorney firings or Domenici meeting

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A Justice Department senior aide is refusing to testify about a meeting with Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. and other involvement she had in the decision last year to fire eight U.S. attorneys. Monica Goodling’s decision to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination was advised by her attorney, who told the Associated Press the Senate Judiciary Committee’s inquiry into the firings is a perjury trap. Goodling’s decision to refuse a subpoena means she won’t shed light on the conversation with Domenici, who says he complained about former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Goodling, the Justice Department’s liaison to the White House, was intimately involved in the firings and considered a key witness in the investigation. She’s currently on voluntary leave from her job. Continue Reading

With so many unanswered questions, tax is premature

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This is the eighth in a series of guest columns debating whether Doña Ana County voters should approve a 1/4 percent gross-receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. By Karen Perez I will vote “no” on the spaceport tax. As an engineer with more than 18 years of experience in the development of large capital projects, I have three primary concerns: • Should we invest public money in what is essentially a private venture, and what kind of precedent are we setting by making this investment? • Is this a viable capital project worthy of a $7 million annual investment? • Should this project be a priority for Doña Ana County? Continue Reading

Memorandum details Virgin’s planned spaceport lease

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Officials from the New Mexico Space Authority and Virgin Galactic signed a lengthy, detailed memorandum of agreement today they said will become a lease agreement if voters in Doña Ana County approve next week a gross receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America. The 39-page memorandum isn’t legally binding, but is a detailed document that resulted from a lot of work. It proves commitments by the state and company to enter into the lease agreement, said New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans, chair of the space authority. The lease should be ready to sign within 2-3 months, he said. “There should not be any question in anybody’s mind that this is the immediate precursor to a lease agreement,” Homans said. Continue Reading

Polls: Richardson isn’t gaining in Iowa, N.H.

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s poll numbers in two key states aren’t showing a lot of improvement, at least not yet. The polls, conducted last week by American Research Group, show that Richardson isn’t making any headway among Democratic contenders in Iowa and New Hampshire, two of four states that are holding primary contests in January. In Iowa, the poll found Richardson’s support at 1 percent, which is where it has been since the first poll in December. In New Hampshire, Richardson’s support was at 2 percent, which is where it’s been for the last four months. Richardson was tied with Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich for sixth place among Democratic contenders in the Iowa poll, with 10 percent of those surveyed saying they were undecided. Continue Reading