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County treasurer accused of several improprieties

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Doña Ana County Treasurer Jim Schoonover stands accused of violating numerous state statutes and county ordinances following months of investigation by the county’s internal auditor, audit advisory committee and an independent law firm. Because of that, the county’s internal audit committee will ask the commission to take action against Schoonover that could include referring matters to prosecutors, censuring the treasurer or seeking restitution. The commission heard about the issues at today’s meeting, but Schoonover didn’t show up to defend himself, so commissioners, on a vote of 5-0, put off any decision until a meeting later this month to give him one more chance to respond. The commission also delayed hearing the committee’s recommendation until that meeting, so the wishes of the audit committee are not known publicly. A date for the meeting has not been set. Continue Reading

Richardson discusses cease fire with rebel group

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Gov. Bill Richardson asked rebel leaders in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan today to agree to a 60-day cease-fire and engage in peace talks with the government, according to the Associated Press. Richardson also met in Darfur with local government leaders, the commander of the African Union forces and people who have been displaced, the news service reported. The commander of the troops told Richardson he desperately needs help. “The force is too small to do the job we are doing,” Maj. Gen. Luke Aprezi said, according to the news service. Continue Reading

Forum held next week for LCPS board candidates

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The public will have a chance to meet candidates for two seats on the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education next week. A forum will be held Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dresp Room at the Branigan Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave., according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. It’s sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Early voting for all three county school districts starts Friday at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd. Continue Reading

Columnist attacks Richardson’s handling of storm

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A national columnist says Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential plans may be buried under a recent snowstorm that crippled Northern New Mexico. In a Richardson-hating column published in Capitol Hill Blue and elsewhere, Scripps Howard News Service columnist Dan K. Thomasson, a former editor of the news service, wrote about the snow storm that buried Santa Fe and Albuquerque under 20-30 inches of snow over a three day period at the end of December. Before getting excited about a Richardson campaign, Thomasson wrote, “consider that Richardson’s administrative expertise got severely tested by the politician’s nightmare, a snowstorm that discombobulated the state and its capital for days longer than it should have, leaving New Mexicans grumbling from Gallup to the Colorado line.” Driving Santa Fe streets, he wrote, “is still hazardous nearly two weeks after the last flake fell in the worst storm in 30 years. It wasn’t that the state and its two major cities – here and Albuquerque (we’ll ignore Thomasson’s ignorance of Las Cruces for now) – were under prepared for 20 to 30 inches of ‘partly cloudy’ over three days, they weren’t prepared at all despite some advanced notice.” “The lack of equipment available statewide to deal with such an event would have embarrassed my Indiana hometown, population 19,000. But why buy equipment for snow that only occurs now and then? Continue Reading

Richardson supporters ready to go on Feb. 6

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Internet supporters of an apparent presidential run by Gov. Bill Richardson have dubbed Feb. 6 as National Bill Richardson Meet Up Day. What does that mean? Well, there are about 20 Richardson for president groups registered at the site zanby.com that exist in communities across the United States. Those groups will be used to coordinate Feb. Continue Reading

KRWG to profile legislators, discuss policy

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New Mexico State University’s two public broadcasting stations, KRWG-TV and KRWG-FM, will air a special series called “Your Legislators 2007” during this year’s state legislative session that begins Jan. 16. The first segment will debut at 8 p.m. Saturday on KRWG-FM 90.7 and at 9 a.m. Sunday on KRWG-TV. The television station can be found at channel 22 over the airwaves or, for cable subscribers, on channel 2 in Doña Ana County. “Your Legislators 2007” will feature local and regional lawmakers “focusing on their ideas, presentations and opinions, and the impact of pertinent issues on our region,” said Dave Holly, interim general manager of KRWG-TV and the program’s host and producer. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. strikes al-Qaida in Africa

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U.S. forces have struck what officials say is a suspected al-Qaida terrorist camp in Somalia in East Africa, according to CBS News. U.S. officials say they were targeting high-level terrorist leaders. They sent in an AC-130 gunship, capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and a source told CBS “a lot” of bodies littered the ground after the strike, which took place in the last 24 hours. Details about the strike are still emerging. Somalia was invaded by neighboring Ethiopia last month in a successful attempt to unseat an Islamic government that the Bush Administration says was supported by al-Qaeda. Continue Reading

Richardson says progress made in Sudan

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Gov. Bill Richardson had this to say about his meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir: “It was a frank, open discussion about the most urgent issues facing the Sudanese government and the people of Darfur, as well as people across Sudan,” Richardson said in a news release. “It was a good meeting, and I feel we made some progress. I’m hopeful we can build on that progress when we meet again on Wednesday.” Richardson will travel to the Darfur region on Tuesday to tour a displaced persons camp and meet with the African Union force commander, rebel commanders, United Nations representatives and local government officials, according to the news release. Richardson’s hope for his Wednesday meeting with al-Bashir is that it will “create an atmosphere that will hopefully lead to a political solution that will bring peace and stability to Darfur and all Sudanese citizens,” according to the news release. Here is a photo of Richardson with al-Bashir, courtesy of the governor’s press office: Continue Reading

Wilson breaks with Bush Administration on Iraq

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U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., is showing her moderate side and her more practical side as she jumps into the debate over what to do in Iraq. In a speech given Friday to the National Press Club, Wilson said the United States must give up its attempt to democratize Iraq, according to the Albuquerque Journal. She has also said she opposes the troop increase most expect President Bush to announce on Wednesday. Wilson is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Iraq. She said the situation there is “grave and not improving,” according to the Journal. Continue Reading

Domenici recommends four for U.S. attorney post

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Sen. Pete Domenici has recommended four attorneys to replace David Iglesias as the state’s next U.S. attorney, according to the Albuquerque Journal. They are Jim Bibb of Santa Fe, who ran unsuccessfully against Gary King for attorney general last year; T. Glenn Ellington of Santa Fe; Charles Peifer of Albuquerque; and Pat Rogers of Albuquerque. Though a timeline has not been set, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias plans to step down in the next few months at the request of higher-ups in Washington, most likely because of the recent acquittal on most counts of former state Treasurer Robert Vigil and delays in the prosecution of another public corruption case currently under investigation. Domenici made the recommendations at the request of the Bush Administration. “It is my pleasure to recommend four individuals that I believe would serve New Mexico and the nation with distinction as United States Attorney for our state,” Domenici said in a news release. Continue Reading

Denish plans to run for governor in 2010

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Lieutenant Gov. Diane Denish plans to run for governor in 2010, she confirmed in an article published this weekend in the Albuquerque Tribune. “I am going to run in 2010, God willing and barring anything that would prevent me,” the newspaper quoted her as saying. “I think the voters are ready (for a female governor). I think what they really want is someone who is committed to New Mexico.” It’s no secret that Denish could take control of the executive branch sooner if Gov. Bill Richardson is successful in a 2008 presidential run or takes another post in a new Democratic administration in Washington in 2009. Richardson told the Tribune that Denish is ready to lead the state. Continue Reading

Richardson meets with Sudanese president

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Bill Richardson met earlier today with the president of Sudan, according to an Associated Press reporter who accompanied the governor on his trip. There was no immediate statement on the meeting between Richardson and President Omar al-Bashir, or another meeting with Foreign Minister Lam Akol. Richardson is scheduled to meet later today with Minni Mimmawi, the leader of a rebel movement that made peace with the government last year who later became an assistant to the president. Richardson staffers have said he will also meet on Tuesday in Darfur with current rebel leaders and the commander of the African Union troops in the war-torn region as he attempts to improve the situation before returning home on Wednesday or Thursday. The conflict in Darfur has claimed the lives of several hundred thousand people and displaced millions. Continue Reading

10 questions locals need to deal with in 2007

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “Being in politics is like being a football coach; you have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it’s important.” – Eugene McCarthy Heath Haussamen has offered the opportunity to write a monthly political column for this site, which in this writer’s opinion is the best source for local political news. To start with, here’s a series of questions that local citizens and policy makers in Doña Ana County need to deal with in 2007. As James Thurber said, “It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” • How will Doña Ana County and Memorial Medical Center care for the medically uninsured (40 percent of the population) when the “Extended Care” funding from the hospital sale runs out this year? • Will we get a full accounting of the costs, revenues and expenses of the county’s extensive utility system? • Similarly, will we get an updated accounting of the city’s recent expansions of its utility systems and an independent analysis of the equity of its rate structure? Continue Reading

Majority of voters in non-scientific poll say ethics commission won’t clean up state government

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The majority of those who voted in last weeks’ non-scientific poll on this site said the creation of an ethics commission will not clean up state government. Of 91 voters, 49, or 54 percent, said such a commission would not clean up ethics, while 16, or 18 percent, said it would. A significant number – 26, or 28 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

Moving swearing-in ceremony to NMSU is costly

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The prospect of moving future swearing-in ceremonies for Doña Ana County public officials to a location with room for the public to attend would be costly. As it has done for several years, Doña Ana County organized and held a ceremony on Dec. 29 that was closed to the public. Each official being sworn in was allotted tickets, and the media was invited to document the event for the public. The Las Cruces Sun-News had a problem with that. Continue Reading