What's Wrong with This Picture?

If you were just reading this article from the New Mexico Business Weekly, you might be feeling pretty good about New Mexico's economy:

The quarterly state profile found that New Mexico's job growth has remained steady -- between 1 and 2 percent since midyear 2002 unlike the rest of the country -- which has been slow to come out of recession. FDIC officials attribute this to the state's stable federal employment base.

However, taken in context of the performance of the rest of our neighbors in the West, and it is not quite as pretty of a picture. Throw in these facts about the greater number of unemployed over last year, and it is downright unsettling. With this level of underperformance on stated goals, you have to wonder why Governor Richardson and Mayor Chavez aren't sitting behind their desk instead of touring Europe. You do remember what happened with the last European company that was wooed to New Mexico.

Happy Unions

I owe an apology to Governor Bill Richardson. I've come down hard on him in the past for education failures like this latest one (subscription):

A new report from a Washington-based group accuses more than 30 states, including New Mexico, of being "dishonest" when reporting high school graduation rates.

The Education Trust, an advocacy organization for poor and minority students, criticizes the New Mexico Public Education Department for reporting only the percentage of seniors who graduate -- not the percentage of freshmen who successfully complete high school.

But, I was apparently using the wrong measurements for what constitutes "pro-education" policies.

The Speed of Thought

The Governor is signing executive orders to boost the image of the state in the eyes of the nation. At the same time, the State Economic Development Department paints a rosy picture of our technological condition with words like these:

Bandwidth. Companies want it now and they want it everywhere -at home, at the office and on the road. In New Mexico over 100 Internet Service Providers deliver broadband to over 200 communities across the state; fiber runs border to border. MAGNet, a State initiative, will create a single, state-wide centralized telecom backbone based on ATM and MPLS technologies.

The only problem is the spin is unbelievably disconnected from reality. New Mexico's ranking when it comes to our online population compared to the rest of the nation is on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Some might try to blame it on topography; however, since Alaska leads the nation in connectivity, that defense falls short. Others may claim it has to do with being a poor state with limited resources. If that were true, how do you explain the millions upon tens of millions of dollars that Governor Richardson spends on unnecessary planes and trains (subscription)?

The economic development department is right about one thing: "Bandwidth. Companies want it now and they want it everywhere -at home, at the office and on the road." Unfortunately, our political leaders don't seem to understand this. If they did, significant state dollars would be invested in infrastructure that increases the speed of thought, NOT in vehicles to increase the speed of travel.

The Nails Keep Coming

In contradiction to the Governor's desire to paint New Mexico as a business friendly state, one state department just keeps yanking the rug out from under advertising agencies. Consider this yet another nail in the coffin of economic growth.

Heck of an Economic Plan

According to Inman News (subscription):

"The number of new foreclosures reported in New Mexico skyrocketed in May, giving it the highest foreclosure rate among the 50 states."

Between this news and these recent figures, I'm thinking Governor Richardson might want to leave the jet in the hanger and do some more work on this plan.

Beware the Govmobile

Governor Richardson's reputation for speed on highways really deserves a second look. The bad press he got the first time was apparently not enough of a deterrent to bring it under control. His installation of a phone to keep from being pulled over again by police is an indication that he has no plans of slowing down. However, he would be wise to consider the tragic fate of a motorcyclist at the hands of another politician who put his need for speed ahead of the safety of others.

Journalists Uprising

It was bound to happen... the journalists are starting to uncover the other side of the Bill Richardson story. Despite the Governor's best efforts to eliminate journalism in the state by turning one after another into state employees, a small band has begun an uprising to bring back respect to the profession.

At first it was a lone merry man hailing from that Wonderland that is the City Different. Now another reporter fairly covers the resistance movement that is gaining ground statewide. While a third brings to light the Governor's unique sleight of hand abilities.

It is a new day in the Land of Enchantment.

The Cost of 1˚Fahrenheit

In the last one hundred years the average temperature on earth has increased one whole degree. Scientists disagree on whether this is a warming trend, or part of a warming and cooling cycle that has occurred for millions of years.

Either way, Senator Bingaman has seized on this as an opportunity to introduce $60 billion in new taxes. Although, I'm not sure how pushing Tax Freedom Day® later into the year is going to cool down the world.

Big Staff for Big Agendas

Here's a gem from the Albuquerque Journal (subscription):

But the number of so-called exempt employees serving at the pleasure of the governor had jumped from 292 to 437 an increase of 145 or nearly 50 percent.

The governor's own office staff has nearly doubled in size, from 27 to 49, since Richardson succeeded Republican Gov. Gary Johnson.

The administration required the Journal to obtain the classified and exempt employee numbers by a written request under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

Political observations on the employment changes break down along predictable lines. Critics call it a power grab; supporters say it's essential for success.

Dave Contarino, Richardson's chief of staff, said the governor needs more employees who are accountable to him in order to achieve his ambitious agenda for New Mexico.

Well, that last sentence is interesting. A quick review on the Governor's progress on "his ambitious agenda" is in order. It can be found here. Apparently, Mr. Contarino must be talking about some other agenda. My guess is he must be talking about this in order to achieve this. Speaking of which, I'm still waiting for one of the newspapers to run a story comparing the number of days Governor Richardson has spent in the state against the number of days out of state over the last twelve months. If someone wants to send me a note with how to collect this information, I'll be glad to do it.

Watch out Las Cruces

With the ACLU forcing changes like this, it can't be long before the city of Las Cruces is challenged to change their seal and their name.

Planes and Trains Lead to Student Taxes

The Governor has demonstrated time and time again his unwillingness to follow the state protocol when it comes to securing funding from the Legislature. Now his appointees on the Board of Regents at UNM are following in his footsteps (subscription):

The school can't wait for legislators to provide the money needed for key construction projects, said Carlos Rey Ramiro, UNM's director of governmental affairs.

The planned Centennial Engineering Center has topped UNM's state funding request since 2001, Romero said. To date, lawmakers have appropriated $9 million for the project.

"If we continued on the same trend, it would take five funding cycles to get that done," Romero said.

Well, let me see if I can explain how this works. See, if the Governor wants to spend millions of dollars on jet airplanes, and tens of millions on slow trains (subscription), then that leaves very little capital outlay money for things like university buildings. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be successful at getting students to endorse the fees increase. Especially, since you are asking students to vote on it during the summer when there aren't many students on campus. However, if I were a student I might wonder why the regents just don't ask the Governor to help them secure some of the newly found $200 million (subscription) instead of increasing taxes (oops, I mean fees) on students.

Modest Digs for the Rich and Famous

You've got to love this skewed perspective from the Sunday's Albuquerque Journal:

As executive office suites go, Gov. Bill Richardson's Albuquerque setup is a long way from opulent. It's closer to being a candidate for Extreme Makeover: The Office Edition.

Richardson's office and executive bathroom take up less than 20 percent of the 5,000-square-foot state office space on the second floor of the Bank of the West building at Central and San Mateo NE.

Let's see just under 20% would make the office in the neighborhood of just under a 1,000 square feet. To put that in perspective, it is important to note that the average size of a home in the Albuquerque market is 1,911 square feet. So, it is fair to say that the Governor's portion of this inappropriately funded office is 50% of the size of the average Albuquerque home that provides year-round shelter for 2.4 people.

But wait, there is more:

Lopez said the remodel cost $50,000, most of which went into expanding two offices into one space for Richardson's office and the installation of an executive bathroom.

That's right, the $50,000 of unappropriated funds used for this remodel is just shy of double New Mexico's per capita income of $25,541. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. To top it all off the office has museum quality artwork hanging on the walls. Yet somehow, despite all of this, the Journal believes this office is a candidate for "Extreme Makeover: The Office Edition."

Well, I guess in defense of the Journal reporter it doesn't seem opulent compared to the $5.5 million spent on jets or the staff of personal chefs.

Barb's List - Republican Firsts

Even the most "progressive" Democrats will agree that Republicans were the party of diversity from the time of Lincoln until the 1960's. Well, look at which party was the first to appoint minorities to many of the key political positions, and mind you this is in the last 50 years when Democratics had more than ample opportunities to walk the talk, but failed to do so:

December 16, 2003 - President George W. Bush signs law creating National Museum of African American History and Culture

November 17, 2003 - First generation immigrant, Austrian-American Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, sworn in as Governor of California

May 23, 2003 - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) introduces bill to establish National Museum of African American History and Culture

May 8, 2003 - Speaker Dennis Hastert, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and other Republican leaders gather at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, announce $1 million restoration effort

January 13, 2003 - Jennette Bradley (R-OH) becomes first African-American woman to be Lt. Governor of a state

December 20, 2000 - California Republican Ann Veneman nominated as first woman to be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

December 17, 2000 - Republican Alberto Gonzales named as first Hispanic to serve as White House Counsel by President George W. Bush

December 15, 2000 - President-elect George W. Bush nominates Colin Powell as first African-American Secretary of State

December 5, 2000 - Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) becomes first woman elected to U.S. Senate Leadership

December 3, 2002 - Jewish Republican Linda Lingle (R-HI) inaugurated as state’s first woman governor

November 26, 2002 - Republican Judy Baar Topinka becomes first woman to chair either major party in Illinois

November 13, 2002 - U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) elected as Chair of House Republican Conference; she is highest-ranking woman in House majority leadership in U.S. history

November 5, 2002 - Michael Steele, former Chairman of Maryland Republican Party, elected as first African-American Lt. Governor in state history

November 12, 2001 - President George W. Bush proclaims National American Indian Heritage Month

September 4, 2001 - Republican U.S. Senate selects Alfonso Lenhardt as first African-American Sergeant at Arms

July 25, 2001 - California Republican Gaddi Vasquez nominated by President George W. Bush as first Hispanic to be Director of the Peace Corps

May 9, 2001 - President George W. Bush nominates Miguel Estrada to be first Hispanic to serve on U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit; Democrats in Senate successfully filibuster nomination

January 11, 2001 - Republican Elaine Chao, first Asian-American woman to hold a cabinet position, nominated as U.S. Secretary of Labor

January 20, 2001 - Mississippi Republican Rod Paige is confirmed as first African-American U.S. Secretary of Education

January 22, 2001 - Republican Condoleezza Rice becomes first woman and second African-American to serve as U.S. National Security Advisor

January 24, 2001 - Republican Mel Martínez, appointed by President George W. Bush as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becomes first Cuban-American in Cabinet

January 30, 2001 - Republican Gale Norton, appointed by President George W. Bush, becomes first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Interior

June 6, 2001 - President George W. Bush issues Executive Order enhancing federal employment opportunities for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders

July 31, 2000 - African-American U.S. Rep. J. C. Watts (R-OK) presides over Republican National Convention in Philadelphia

April 26, 1999 - `Legislation authored by U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI) awarding Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks is transmitted to President

November 28, 1989 - President George H. W. Bush establishes National Museum of the American Indian

August 20, 1996 - Bill authored by U.S. Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY) to prohibit racial discrimination in adoptions, part of Republicans’ Contract With America, becomes law

June 25, 1996 - Death of U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Elbert Tuttle, appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower; eulogized for ensuring that Brown v. Board of Education became “a broad mandate for racial justice”

January 4, 1995 - SpeakerNewt Gingrich appoints Republican Cheryl Lau first Asian-American woman to serve as General Counsel of U.S. House;

January 4, 1995 - Republican Robin Carle becomes first woman elected Clerk of U.S. House

July 22, 1993 - Death of Roscoe Robinson, first African-American four-star general in the U.S. Army; promoted in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan

November 21, 1991 - President George H. W. Bush signs Civil Rights Act of 1991 to strengthen federal civil rights legislation

August 3, 1990 - President George H. W. Bush declares first National American Indian Heritage Month

July 26, 1990 - President George H. W. Bush signs Americans with Disabilities Act, world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities

May 7, 1990 - President George H. W. Bush proclaims first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

March 8, 1990 - Republican Evan J. Kemp appointed by President George H. W. Bush
as Chairman of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; first person with a disability to serve on the Commission

August 29, 1989 - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) becomes first Hispanic woman and first Cuban-American in Congress

September 13, 1988 - President Ronald Reagan proclaims first National Hispanic Heritage Week

August 10, 1988 - President Ronald Reagan signs Civil Liberties Act of 1988, compensating Japanese-Americans for deprivation of civil rights and property during World War II internment ordered by FDR

May 27, 1987 - Vietnamese-American cadet Hoang Nhu Tran, former boat person, graduates as valedictorian from U.S. Air Force Academy; nominated by U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong (R-CO)

November 4, 1986 - Republican Kay Orr of Nebraska elected as state’s first woman governor;

November 30, 1983 - Clarence Pendleton completes first term as first African-American Chairman of U.S. Civil Rights Commission; appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981

November 15, 1983 - President Ronald Reagan’s nominee to Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Susan Meredith Phillips, confirmed as first woman to serve as Chairman

November 2, 1983 - President Ronald Reagan makes Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday

October 2, 1983 - President Ronald Ronald Reagan proclaims first Minority Enterprise Development Week

May 13, 1983 - President Ronald Reagan designates first national observance of American Indian Day

May 5, 1983 - Hispanic Republican Patricia Diaz Dennis appointed by President Ronald Reagan as first Hispanic woman on National Labor Relations Board; later served as FCC Commissioner under Reagan and as Regent of Texas State University under Gov. George W. Bush

February 7, 1983 - Republican Elizabeth Dole appointed by President Ronald Reagan as first woman to be U.S. Secretary of Transportation; she would later become first woman to represent North Carolina in U.S. Senate

August 12, 1982 - Hispanic Republican Faith Evans, first woman in nation to serve as U.S. Marshal, sworn in following appointment by President Ronald Reagan

June 29, 1982 - President Ronald Reagan signs 25-year extension of 1965 Voting Rights Act

December 21, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan establishes Task Force on Legal Equality
for Women

September 25, 1981 - Republican Sandra Day O’ Connor, nominated by President Ronald Reagan, is sworn in as first woman to serve on U.S. Supreme Court

September 15, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan establishes the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to increase African-American participation in federal education programs

January 29, 1981 - Jeane Kirkpatrick appointed by President Ronald Reagan as first woman to be U.S. Ambassador to United Nations

August 9, 1988 - Lauro Cavazos, first Hispanic to serve in Cabinet, nominated by President Ronald Reagan to be Secretary of Education

July 15, 1980 - NAACP President Benjamin Hooks addresses Republican National Convention; previously appointed by President Richard Nixon in 1972 as first African-American member of U.S. Civil Rights Commission

February 19, 1976 - President Gerald Ford formally rescinds President Franklin Roosevelt’s notorious Executive Order authorizing internment of over 120,000 Japanese-Americans during WWII

September 1, 1975 - Gen. Daniel James receives fourth star from Republican President Gerald Ford; first African-American to hold that rank in U.S. Air Force

April 25, 1975 - Appointed by President Gerald Ford, Dick Yin Wong becomes first Asian-American to serve as judge on a U.S. District Court

March 10, 1975 - President Gerald Ford appoints Republican Carla Hills as first woman to be U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; later first woman to be U.S. Trade Representative, appointed by President George H. W. Bush

January 14, 1975 - Republican William T. Coleman nominated as first African-American to be U.S. Secretary of Transportation

July 12, 1974 - Republican National Chairman George H. W. Bush establishes Republican National Hispanic Assembly

April 24, 1974 - James M. Rogers, Jr. is first African-American selected National Teacher of the Year, by President Richard Nixon

October 1, 1973 - Richard Cavazos promoted by President Richard Nixon to be first Hispanic Brigadier General in U.S. Army; in 1982, President Ronald Reagan made him first Hispanic four–star General

February 17, 1973 - Republican Navy Secretary John Warner commissions frigate in honor of first African-American naval aviator, Jesse L. Brown, who died in combat during Korean War

October 24, 1972 - Death of Jackie Robinson, athlete and Republican civil rights activist

October 11, 1972 - Horacio Rivero, first Hispanic four-star Admiral, appointed by President Richard Nixon as U.S. Ambassador to Spain

May 14, 1971 - Republican Senators Jacob Javits (NY) and Charles Percy (IL) appoint the first female pages in U.S. Senate

April 28, 1971 - Rear Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely becomes first African-American to achieve Flag Rank in U.S. Navy, promoted by President Richard Nixon

April 23, 1971 - Republican appointee Herbert Choy becomes first Asian-American federal judge, named by President Richard Nixon to U.S. Court of Appeals

July 8, 1970 - In special message to Congress, President Richard Nixon calls for reversal of policy of forced termination of Native American rights and benefits

August 6, 1965 - Voting Rights Act of 1965, abolishing literacy tests and other measures devised by Democrats to prevent African-Americans from voting, signed into law; higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats vote in favor

August 4, 1965 - Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) overcomes Democrat attempts to block 1965 Voting Rights Act; 94% of Senate Republicans vote for landmark civil right legislation, while 27% of Democrats oppose

March 21, 1965 - Republican federal judge Frank Johnson authorizes Martin Luther King’s protest march from Selma to Montgomery, overruling Democrat Governor George Wallace

June 20, 1964 - The Chicago Defender, renowned African-American newspaper, praises Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) for leading passage of 1964 Civil Rights Act

June 10, 1964 - Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) criticizes Democrat filibuster against 1964 Civil Rights Act, calls on Democrats to stop opposing racial equality

June 9, 1964 - Republicans condemn 14-hour filibuster against 1964 Civil Rights Act by U.S. Senator and former Ku Klux Klansman Robert Byrd (D-WV), who still serves in the Senate

January 27, 1964 - U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME), first woman to be considered for nomination by a major party, announces candidacy for President; she finishes 2nd at Republican National Convention

May 2, 1963 - Republicans condemn Democrat sheriff of Birmingham, AL for arresting over 2,000 African-American schoolchildren marching for their civil rights

July 27, 1960 - At Republican National Convention, Vice President and eventual presidential nominee Richard Nixon insists on strong civil rights plank in platform

May 6, 1960 - President Dwight Eisenhower signs Republicans’ Civil Rights Act of 1960, overcoming 125-hour, around-the-clock filibuster by 18 Senate Democrats

February 4, 1959 - President Eisenhower informs Republican leaders of his plan to introduce 1960 Civil Rights Act, despite staunch opposition from many Democrats

June 23, 1958 - President Dwight Eisenhower meets with Martin Luther King and other African-American leaders to discuss plans to advance civil rights

September 24, 1957 - Sparking criticism from Democrats such as Senators John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, President Dwight Eisenhower deploys U.S. troops to Little Rock, AR to force Democrat Governor Orval Faubus to integrate public schools

September 9, 1957 - President Dwight Eisenhower signs Republican Party’s 1957 Civil Rights Act

November 6, 1956 - African-American civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy vote for Republican Dwight Eisenhower for President

July 9, 1955 - Republican attorney E. Frederic Morrow becomes first African-American executive in White House; served as advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower

May 17, 1954 - Chief Justice Earl Warren, three-term Republican Governor (CA) and Republican vice presidential nominee in 1948, wins unanimous support of Supreme Court for school desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education

UPDATE: Surprisingly, it looks like when I first put up this list, I neglected to put a link to the source. It was copied from the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar, which was written by Michael Zak. It is based on his book, Back to Basics for the Republican Party. The factoids on his calendar are now being continued on Mr. Zak's blog.

A History Lesson

Democrats love to pretend to be the party of diversity and civil rights. It's not uncommon to see comments like this or this. Unfortunately, these comments are just not supported by historical facts.

As a matter of fact, the record shows that since 1933 Republicans had a more positive record on civil rights than the Democrats.

In the 26 major civil rights votes after 1933, a majority of Democrats opposed civil rights legislation in over 80 percent of the votes. By contrast, the Republican majority favored civil rights in over 96 percent of the votes.

If you prefer a month by month pictorial education, you might visit here.

Bilingual Duplicity

It's all in the translation.

DNC Hate Peddler

Howard Dean just never ceases to amaze. As a poster child for America's diversity, I find his comments pretty offensive. Heck, even Governor Richardson is distancing himself from this guy:

"I believe Governor Dean is a good chairman. He's doing a good job," Richardson, the head of the Democratic Governors' Association, told reporters at the start of a two-day visit to New Hampshire. "He's not the spokesman for the party. It's governors, it's senators, it's party leaders."

Although, the above statement from the Governor brings up an interesting question. If the Chairman of the DNC is not the party spokesman, who is? Is it my imagination, or does it seem our humble governor has assumed he has the right to speak for the governors, senators and party leaders? After all, he has taken it upon himself to state that Howard Dean is not their spokesman.

JetGate

Watch out Paris Hilton, here comes Governor Bill Richardson. Come to think of it, he would make a more realistic spokesperson for a fast food chain.

Front page of today's Journal (subscription) reports on the latest in the "JetGate" saga. My favorite quote:

"This was a business decision ... in the best interest of taxpayers," [General Services Secretary Edward J. Lopez Jr.] said. "This is what any other business would have done."

Will all of the New Mexico based businesses with private jets please come forward? Hmm, you mean there aren't a whole lot of businesses in this state buying jets? How many of you think this is "in the best interest of the taxpayers?"

Bad News for Presidential Hopeful

This just can't look good for a man with an eye on the White House. No wonder, they found him lacking in Chicago. Can't wait to see the spin on this disturbing trend.

Putting Children Last

Whose interests do you think should be protected in our schools? Should it be the kids, or should it be the teachers?

"We have to be careful," said James Ball, director of the Public Education Department's Educator Quality Division. "We have to protect teachers as well as the children."

In the context of this story, Ball's statement just makes me sick. They can pull a judge off the bench who has been accused of sexual abuse, but they won't act swiftly to keep a child molester away from a classroom. What's wrong with this picture?

City Council Asleep at the Wheel

I've been known to come down on the Mayor from time to time, but this time (subscription) it's the city council that performed a disservice for Albuquerqueans.

Under provisions of the City Charter, the council has 60 days to take action after a budget is proposed by the mayor. If councilors don't meet that deadline, the mayor's budget proposal goes into effect, just as if it had been adopted by the council.

Chavez had given councilors his budget proposal at 3 p.m. March 31. By the time the council meeting began at 5 p.m. Tuesday, the council was beginning its 62nd day of confronting that 60-day deadline.

What more important issue do they have to consider than the ever-growing city budget? Way to go folks. Stop pandering to your base and start paying attention.