Second Soros Funded Organization Appears

Two George Soros funded organizations land in New Mexico in the same month. Coincidence? Uh, I don't think so. Now, before you think I've gone all black helicopter on you, let just look at the facts.

We're a battleground state. We're a battleground in the Presidential race, and we're a battleground for at least two Congressional seats and one Senate seat. There is a lot at stake here. And, if you're a businessman, on either side of the aisle, there is no better state in which to make a political investment. The odds are in your favor. So, I don't blame George Soros for choosing the Land of Enchantment for his playground.

I just don't think much of his tactics.

Obama is supposedly the candidate of "change." Clinton is well a Clinton. The two are quickly becoming caricatures of what most people despise about politics, outright lies and empty promises.



This all reeks of politics as usual. And, George Soros is adding the icing to the cake by launching, albeit through a proxy, an attack ad on a candidate in a fight that hasn't actually begun. Then to top it all off, the organization to which he has given millions, launches the attack based on the same set of lies and purposeful misrepresentation that the Democratic National Committee has been trying to seed with the American public.

But, hey don't take my word for it. Watch the latest video to be launched by MoveOn.org:



Now read the truth from a truly non-partisan source:

The clear implication is that if McCain is elected, we can expect to be battling in Iraq for many decades to come. But the admakers cut off the rest of McCain's response, which provides some badly needed context:

McCain, town hall meeting, Jan. 3: Maybe a hundred. ... We’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me, as long as Americans, as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. It’s fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world.

The DNC ad doesn't mention that McCain was speaking specifically about a peacetime presence. And the text of the ad paired with images of Iraq under siege leave a clear impression that McCain proposes to allow a century more of war, with U.S. involvement. That's not what he said, in New Hampshire or in other settings when he's been asked about it.

Pretty convenient to leave out the context, isn't it? It's also pretty sad. If they want to attack Senator McCain, they should do so on the facts. Instead, Soros & Co. show a disturbing commitment to purposely misleading the public.

Which, conveniently brings us full circle back to beginning of this post. I don't have a problem with George Soros trying to influence the outcome of New Mexico politics - that's just the way the game is played. I do have a problem with his tactics - lies and distortions.

After my last Soros post, I received a couple of nice notes from New Mexico Independent's paid contributors. As a result of those communications, I feel I should set the record straight. I don't judge any of those folks for taking a stipend. I don't have a problem with the left leaning tendencies of the majority of the contributors. I don't even have any problem with most of their views, despite the fact that they are contrary to my own. I believe we are all contributing to a discussion.

However, to pretend this site just accidentally in a non-partisan way happened to bring several left-leaning bloggers under one banner is not exactly being truthful. As to those who have commented that I'm listed on the blogroll... Yes, I've been aware of that from the get go. I'm also listed on the blogrolls of Democracy for New Mexico and State Senator Dede Feldman's blog. Are you going to tell me those are also non-partisan sites?

There is nothing wrong with being partisan. A partisan system is what makes our government work. It's all part of checks and balances. It is the failure to disclose that is the problem here.

Do you think it is just an oversight that MoveOn.org's latest ad is not analyzed on this "independent" site for what it is. Now, in all fairness, after my last Soros post I did receive an offer to submit articles to New Mexico Independent for consideration (as proof that they're a truly unbiased site).

So, I'll be happy to submit this one for publication. Please just let me know where to pick up my $1,500 stipend.

Bring Back the Carrot

Not too long ago there was a news article that pointed out that Arizona's policy of cracking down, and cracking down hard, on employers was having a positive impact on reducing the number of illegal immigrants working in the state:

Two months after Arizona enacted a law punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants, the law is already achieving one of its goals: Scores of immigrants are fleeing to other states or back to their Latin American homelands.

Gaby Espinoza, who has been unemployed since November, is among those affected. She gave up looking for a job because of the law and may have to return to Mexico.

Now, it looks like certain special interest business groups are on the verge of successfully reversing the progress that has been made:

Business groups succeeded in getting the bill to narrow the employees to whom the law applies and to create protections for employers who make good-faith efforts to follow the rules. Even so, they don't think the state should have its own employer sanctions because they said cracking down on illegal hirings is the responsibility of the federal government.

The original law, which took effect in January, was intended to lessen the economic incentive for foreign workers to sneak into Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point along the nation's southern border. An estimated one in 10 workers in Arizona is an illegal immigrant.

Personally, I think the state should hold strong and continue to back a policy that was making a difference. To argue that this is a federal government problem is ridiculous. Too many businesses are willing to look the other way in order to pad their bottom line, and that's not just not right.

George Soros Opens Shop in New Mexico

It looks like the left is taking nothing for granted in this upcoming election cycle. George Soros has officially opened shop in the Land of Enchantment by putting several left leaning bloggers and journalists on the payroll:

The Center for Independent Media has opened a new news website in New Mexico. The New Mexico Independent is now live and running with a mix of veteran journalists and local bloggers.

Included among those local bloggers is yours truly, writing under my real name, Matthew Reichbach.

Managing Editor David Alire Garcia, lately staff writer at the Santa Fe Reporter, and news editor Trip Jennings, lately of the Albuquerque Journal, head the staff.

A quick glance over the website shows that the "About" section is, well, it's blank. But, a little digging around on the web, shows that this is standard operating procedure when George Soros launches one of these in a new market:

I’ve always meant to write piece titled “Who Pays Me?” Never got around to it. But if I had, I would have said that I was working under a contract with the Center for Independent Media (CIM), a Wasington-based non-profit, which is the parent organization of the Monitor and three other similar state-based sites.

This practice is, to say the least, very troubling. George Soros is the king of the ses deceptive practices. He has a foundation, which is conveniently misnamed the "Open Society Institute." A visit to the site paints a rosy picture of the "good works" done by the Institute. Of course, George Soros has failed in staying the man behind the curtain in the political arena, so the site, albeit a couple pages deep, does have this disclaimer:

George Soros’s private political activities are wholly separate from the Open Society Institute. OSI is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical entity—in accordance with U.S. laws for tax-exempt organizations.

Soros, as a private individual, is entitled to use his after-tax personal funds to support political candidates or parties within the parameters of U.S. election law. Any public statements on political issues are also made solely in his personal capacity. The Open Society Institute is not consulted or otherwise involved, and OSI is neither able nor permitted to comment.

For more information about George Soros's activities that are separate from the Open Society Institute, visit www.georgesoros.com.

Of course, following the suggested link uncovers absolutely nothing about George Soro's political activities. Instead, the website has one link on it's front page, a link back to OSI. Luckily, it's easy enough now to do a search on CQ Moneyline that uncovers millions upon millions of dollars in contributions by George Soros to push a personal agenda. And, if there were any doubt as to political leanings of that agenda consider that $2.5 million went to MoveOn.org.

What this all boils down to is that New Mexico Independent is anything but Independent. It is simply a rebranding of a political player for the 2008 election cycles. A political player who professes to an agenda of openness, but does everything in his power to operate in the shadows.

A Talk with John McCain

I had a chance to jump on a blogger only conference call for about thirty minutes this morning with Senator John McCain. The McCain camp has been great about reaching out to bloggers regularly and inviting us to call in and ask questions.

What most impressed me was Senator McCain's closing comments in which he expressed appreciation for the work bloggers are doing in promoting political discourse - whether in agreement or not. The frank conversation that occurred on the call made it clear that anything could be discussed. Sure, we were all bloggers from the right, but believe me, just because we're all on the same team does not mean that we all agree - especially when it comes to strategy, tactics and message.

This was evident in the conversation that was revisited and then revisited again and again regarding Senator McCain's request to the North Carolina GOP to not run an Obama attack ad based on Obama's longstanding relationship with controversial minister Jeremiah Wright.



It was clear that several bloggers on the call thought that the North Carolina GOP should run the ad.



However, Senator McCain did not waiver in his beliefs, instead he remained steadfastly respectful that it should not run as it distracted from the issues which really deserved focus. He also acknowledged that it was a request on his part, but that the North Carolina Republican Party was free to do what they wanted.

One of the issues Senator McCain felt was more deserving of attention was the empty promises made by the Democrats in 2006. For example this from an email I received the other day:

On the two-year anniversary of Speaker Pelosi’s pledge that “Democrats have a commonsense plan to bring down skyrocketing gas prices,” gas prices have set another new record, with regular unleaded clocking in at $3.556/gal., according to AAA. The average price of gas has gone up $1.25 – more than 50 percent – since the beginning of the 110th Congress.

The warming weather always means an opportunity for families to spend sometime together usually on a road trip. Unfortunately, the prices at the pump may put that time honored family tradition out of reach for many Americans. Senator McCain has proposed a rather simple solution, a tax holiday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, Senator Obama, once again proving he is out of touch with regular Americans, is opposing this tax holiday.



This is not something that benefits the rich, since they are more likely to fly to their vacation destination. Instead, this is a direct affront to the working American families. Those who are going to feel the crunch at the pump the most. It looks like Senator Obama is committed to giving working Americans in small towns across the country a reason to be bitter.

Government Continues Expansion of Parenting Role

It looks like the nanny state is about to get a little larger:

"These new initiatives are a creative way for us to continue improving graduation rates, classroom instruction and student and community involvement," Richardson said.

Starting next year, eighth-graders would have to be near proficient or better on a standardized test to be eligible for a driver's license when they come of age, while ninth-graders would have to have an attendance rate of at least 90 percent.

If students fail to reach either benchmark, they would have to wait six months before getting their license. They would be in for a 12-month delay if they fail to reach both benchmarks or if they drop out of school before age 16.

Funny, I always thought it was up to a parent to decide when their minor child could drive. My guess is that this is going to get challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional. At least it should be for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is:

The Public Education Department still needs to work out many details, including options for special education and homeschool students as well as how private schools would participate.

Nothing like unveiling a new initiative without actually working out the details of the new initiative. The more government tries to overstep it bounds into parenting, the more likely parents are to look for alternative means of educating their children. I know I will.

A Man Who Knows About Monarchies

Governor Bill Richardson and Clinton strategist James Carville appear to have had an entertaining little debate on Larry King. This is by far my favorite part of the exchange (subscription):

Richardson told King that he believes Clinton was too negative during her quest to win Pennsylvania.

There's a sense of "clinging to the throne," Richardson said, clearly referring to the Clinton camp. "You know, we're America, we're not Monaco."

This coming from a man who has made a habit of tossing aside the New Mexico Constitution when it suits his needs. I hope during the next legislative session our legislators take time to remind the Governor that "You know, we're America, we're not Monaco." After all, they don't call him King Bill for nothing.

45 Day Identity Theft Window

Ok, a simple question... what did we, the citizens of New Mexico do to deserve this:

New Mexico began converting this week to new, high-tech driver's licenses and identification cards that state officials say will provide more protection from identity theft.

For the first time, applicants won't leave MVD counters with their new licenses, but rather with temporary, paper licenses good for 45 days. Permanent licenses— which will be produced in another state— will be sent by mail and should arrive within a couple of weeks, officials said.

This is the way the system will work from now on.

Your kidding me, right? From now on you will have to carry a paper license for 45 days while you are waiting for your license to be produced in another state? That's absurd. I've had drivers licenses in my life from five different states and in two different countries and have never, NEVER had to wait forty-five days to receive it. In fact, I've always walked out of the office with my license.

Explain to me which brilliant person at the state level decided this was a good idea. If anything this is going to promote more identity theft, not reduce it. Predators now have 45 days to walk around with a duplicable paper license. Everyday citizens have to carry two pieces of identification instead of one:

Driver's license applicants who leave the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division clutching a piece of paper bearing a black-and-white temporary license may wonder who's going to believe them.

Take heart, says Taxation and Revenue Secretary Rick Homans.

He flew to Boston over the weekend and says he had no problem proving his identity at airline security checkpoints.

"The combination of my temporary license and my old license worked just fine," said Homans, whose agency oversees the Motor Vehicle Division. He was among the first to get a new license.

Great, because he didn't have a problem flying into one airport with one set of TSA officers, he assumes everyone is going to process them the same way. Sorry folks, I zig zag across the country all the time and find that more often than not my experience varies from airport to airport.

Plus, what happens to the poor soul who goes to the MVD to get a replacement license for one that was lost or stolen? Exactly, how are they supposed to convince everyone that the black and white temporary copy is a real license. Couldn't anyone now make a temporary license and pretend to be someone they are not.

This is a disaster waiting to happen. I hope this is simply another example of governmental incompetence. I hope no one uncovers this decision was made because of a political contribution. That would be bad.

Tax Freedom Day

It's interesting timing that Tax Freedom Day occurs today:

“Government continues to dominate the American taxpayer’s budget,” said Tax Foundation president Scott Hodge. “Americans will still spend more on taxes in 2008 than they will spend on food, clothing and housing combined.”

In 2008, Americans will work 74 days to afford their federal taxes and 39 more days to pay state and local taxes. Meanwhile, buying food requires 35 days of work, clothing 13 days, and housing 60 days. Other major categories are health and medical care (50 days), transportation (29 days), and recreation (21 days).

Please take a moment to think about that. Today is the first day since January 1st of this year that average American is earning money for their family as opposed to paying for some government program.

Considering all the news today about the continued primary contest between the most liberal U.S. Senator and the Senator, who will best be remembered for the line "it takes a village," taxpayers should be paying very close attention. Both of these individuals believe that MORE government programs are the solution to every and any challenge we face.

The average American is spending almost four months of every year working for Uncle Sam. How many more months until we officially qualify as a Socialist country?

Yesterday, the good people of Sierra County approved more taxes because the state government did a heck of a job of convincing them that it was in their best interest. They did this despite the fact that on average they already pay more in taxes than they do on food, clothing and taxes combined. They did this to help get a billionaire's project off the ground.

Folks, the next time someone asks you to vote for a tax increase, I hope you'll consider that government does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.

Happy Tax Freedom Day!

Anonymous Commentators Beware

This blog has had its fair share of anonymous comments over the years. A great number of the personal attacks against me have been done anonymously. And, every once in awhile, I've tipped my hand and shown that there is no such thing as being truly anonymous on the web (i.e. everyone leaves a digital fingerprint via an ip address).

Well, it looks like one New Mexico company, Eclipse Aviation, has had enough with anonymous attacks and is going to see if they can unmask their critics (subscription):

Eclipse Aviation has asked a California court to force the unmasking of anonymous commenters who posted on Web sites covering the company.

A subpoena issued last week by the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County orders Google to provide names, addresses and other information for about 28 commenters to eclipsecriticng.blogspot.com.

Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn said in an interview that the intent was not to shut down the blog but to find out whether some of the anonymous posters were current or ex-employees or people otherwise legally bound by nondisclosure agreements with the company.

"We're not trying to suppress dissension or criticism," he said. "We're just trying to find out where it's coming from."

Eclipse is building a $1.5 million twin-engine jet. The startup company has gained a high profile in the aviation industry and has been accused of failing to deliver on some promises.

So, why is Eclipse getting so aggressive in their pursuit of the anonymous commentators? My guess... they don't like the fact that the second return under a Google search of "Eclipse Aviation" is Eclipse Aviation Critic. This, in turn, has led them to want to confirm whether or not some of those leaving nasty comments are disgruntled ex-employees.

I can empathize with Vern Raburn. My guess is that he has been reading those comments and seething. I would also venture to guess that in his mind, he's got a pretty good idea of who left those comments, and he wants to see if his hunch is correct. From a PR perspective, this is a HUGE mistake.

Mr. Raburn is adding fuel to a lightly smoldering fire. The amount of potential negative earned media this move is going to bring Eclipse far outweighs any success they can have in the court. Eclipse was far better off countering the negative comments with positive comments of their own on the site in question. If you're attacked in one medium, you should attack back in the medium. Opening up a new arena for the conflict (i.e. the courts) is a huge mistake.

Unfortunately, now they have opened a Pandora's box. If they continue, I'm willing to bet this story gets legs. It has a very real potential of shining a much bigger media spotlight on the negative comments, and is likely to bring a certain level of notoriety to the anonymous commentators. In the end, identifying and then suing some disgruntled former employee(s) for violating a non-disclosure agreement is going to cost them more in negative earned media then it will ever benefit them as company.

Is attempting to enforce the non-disclosure agreement the right thing for Eclipse to do? Maybe. Is it the smart business decision for a company still experiencing the growing pains of rapid growth? Absolutely not!

Bill Richardson's Legacy Begins

We are already beginning to feel the effects of Governor Bill Richardson's legacy of spending, spending and then spending a little more:

Gov. Bill Richardson has been a strong advocate of the spaceport.

"The governor is very hopeful the vote will be successful and the project will move forward," said Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for Richardson. "The reality is the state has put in a lot of actual capital and committed a lot of time and energy to the project."

The tax would add a 25-cent charge to a $100 purchase. State lawmakers also have earmarked at least $110 million in capital outlay money over several years to help with startup costs.

In recent weeks, spaceport director Steve Landeene and other officials have worked to educate voters on what they see as the project's merits.

So, let's see, the Governor is apparently two for two. The new train requires new gross receipts taxes to support it. The new spaceport requires new gross receipts taxes to support it. I wonder what else the Governor has pushed through the legislature that will require new gross receipts taxes to support it.

Where's the outcry from all you people who support buying local? I've got to tell you if gross receipts keep going up, you're going to find more and more people making their purchases tax free online. The burden of these regressive spend and tax policies are on the poorest amongst us. How come the advocates for the poor are not crying out? I don't get it.

Why It Makes a Difference Who Becomes President

A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a harsh reminder of exactly what is at stake when electing the next President of the United States.

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a New Mexico case that convictions for drunken driving do not count as violent felonies for enhancing prison sentences.

The justices, by a 6-3 vote, said even though great harm can result from drunken driving, it is different from other crimes that involve purposeful action. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion.

"Great harm can result from drunken driving?" There's an understatement. Death occurs from drunken driving, and the more times someone drives drunk the more likely death is to occur. Exactly, how many times did Larry Begay drive drunk? Well, we know by examining the Supreme Court decision (pdf) that...

At the time of this incident, petitioner was a convicted felon. He had 12 prior convictions in New Mexico for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). While DUI is generally a misdemeanor under New Mexico law, the offense of DUI after at least three prior DUI convictions isa felony requiring a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment. N. M. Stat. Ann. §66–8–102(G) (Supp. 2007).

And, according to Judge Alito's dissenting opinion the Supreme Court decision also had the following statistics available to them at the time of the decision:

Statistics dramatically show that driving under theinfluence of alcohol is very dangerous. Each year, approximately 15,000 fatal alcohol-related crashes occur, accounting for roughly 40% of all fatal crashes. Approximately a quarter million people are injured annually in alcohol-related crashes. The number of people who are killed each year by drunk drivers is far greater than the number of murders committed during any of the crimes specifically set out in the statutory provision at issue here,§924(e)(2)(B)(ii)—burglary, arson, extortion, and offenses involving the use of explosives.

Petitioner’s qualifying offenses, moreover, fell within the statute only because he had been convicted of DUI on at least three prior occasions. As noted, petitioner had a dozen prior DUI convictions. Persons who repeatedly drive drunk present a greatly enhanced danger that they and others will be injured as a result. In addition, it has been estimated that the ratio of DUI incidents to DUI arrests is between 250 to 1 and 2,000 to 1.6 Accordingly,the risk presented by a 10th, 11th, and 12th DUI conviction may be viewed as the risk created by literally thousands of drunk-driving events. That risk was surely “serious,” and therefore petitioner’s offenses fell squarely within the language of the statute.

This repeat drunk driver was a violent crime waiting to happen. Actually, considering what brought him to court in the first place, it was only by a sheer stroke of luck that Larry Begay did not commit a violent crime:

In September 2004, after a night of heavy drinking,petitioner pointed a rifle at his aunt and threatened to shoot if she did not give him money. When she replied that she did not have any money, petitioner repeatedly pulled the trigger, but the rifle was unloaded and did not fire. Petitioner then threatened his sister in a similar fashion.

So, when you think about it who to elect as President, remember, they get to select the judges to fill open Supreme Court slots.

Sticking Others with the Bill

A very interesting observation regarding the relationship between personal financial management and government fiscal policy.

What's Wrong with Our Universities

In New Mexico the University encourages the prosecution of a student veteran for honoring the United States flag code. In Maine, University officials mock a veteran for attempting to stop the desecration of American flags.



This just doesn't seem right.

Who Says I Don't Have a Sense of Humor?

I know you probably don't have 9 minutes to watch a clip. And, yes, some of you might find some of this offensive. But, don't click away just yet. You HAVE to stick around for the Hillary stuff. It's a riot.

(Hat tip: NewMexiKen).

Question for Congressman Tom Udall

Tax Day - New Mexico's Place in History

The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913 brought us the federal income tax:

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

You can read about the history of the U.S. tax system here. Like all government run programs, it has grown and grown and grown in scope from the point of introduction. What you might not know is that New Mexico is widely considered to have a special place in history as 36th state to ratify the amendment. That was the magic number at the time.

Happy Tax Day!

Favorite Line of the Day

Couldn't help but chuckle when I read this:

Yes, whenever our government wants to justify funding items not mandated in the city's charter, they use the 'quality of life' argument. But they conveniently forget that they are lowering the standard of living for the majority of residents when they spend limited tax dollars to provide such 'quality of life' amenities for less than 2% of the population.

A quick search of this blog turns more than one reference to "quality of life arguments." In 2006, there was Bernalillo County's push of three new quality of life tax increases. Quality of life was Governor Richardson's rationale for creating his underunded train to nowhere.

As I've state before, probably the easiest way to maintain our quality of life is to vote against anything that promises to improve our quality of life.

Graduate from High School, Get Married, and Stay Married

The Albuquerque Journal had an interesting article this weekend (mis)titled, Middle-Class Dreams May Be Out of Reach for Many (subscription). Bascially, the article was based on conversations with two UNM professors. One being pessimistic about the potential for upward mobility into the middle class, and one believing the opportunities are as good today as they have ever been.

First, let's look at the pessimistic view:

Steve Walsh says he fought his way out of poverty and into the middle class with hard work and a solid education. But when the University of New Mexico professor asks students in his innovation management, entrepreneurial education and economic development classes whether they think they can do the same, he gets some disappointing answers.

“I ask them ‘Do you think your success depends on who you know or what you know?’ and they say, ‘It’s who you know,’ ” said Walsh, who is the Alfred Black Professor of Entrepreneurship at UNM’s Anderson Schools of Management and co-director of the technology management center there.

Walsh said his students tell him they are disillusioned not only by the incessant drumbeat of depressing economic news, but also by seemingly endless news of financial scandals, bailouts and abuses of power.

First, let's address the obvious. According to this article, Professor Walsh seems to be doing a disservice to his students. Nothing I read gives an indication that Professor Walsh is giving his students the straight scoop. If he was, he would point out several things to them:

1. They live in a state where the hierarchy is flat. What do I mean? Well, with a little effort, you can get to know just about anyone you need to know to succeed. Business, community and political leaders are at nearly every event in town. If you really believe its who you know that determines your success, then get out there and meet them.
   
   
2. The drumbeat of "depressing economic news" is nothing new. It is amazing to me that a business professor would not point out the cyclical nature of economics. Professor Walsh seems nostalgic for the "good old days" of 1978. The irony is, and argument can easily be made, that today's economy is very much like the economy we experienced in 1978:
   

   From 30 years of S&P 500 historicals, the most similar time frame for 2006-09-11 to 2007-09-07 is 1978-11-24 to 1979-11-19 (ANALYSIS). The dynamics involving the dollar, oil, housing, Iran, and gold are strikingly similar to today. Market phychology cast a remarkable pattern on pricing, and by computationally finding similar price charts, similar sentiment from bygone time frames are discovered. I refer to this process as sentiment fingerprinting. Without much fluff, lets see what happened to the dollar in 1978.

3. Being the victim of credit fraud is not a huge and devastating crisis. I know, my wife was a victim. It was a hassle and a little unsettling, but it was not a life altering event. However, reading the interview, Professor Walsh paints it as one of the major hurdles facing students of the 21st century"
   

   Even if you do everything right, you could be the victim of identity theft and have everything wiped out, said Walsh.

   It took us a couple of months to get it straightened out, but it DID NOT wipe out her credit history.
   

I'm simply amazed by what I read. Professor Walsh seems to be letting his own personal biases and ignorance paint a very bleak picture of the opportunities available for students. This bias comes through crystal clear in this statement:

"I understood the American Dream and believed in my heart that if I tried, it could get better. I would like to know how many of my students feel that way now. Because I just don’t think they do.”

If this man's teachings were indeed accurately reflected in this article, then I sincerely hope he doesn't have tenure at UNM. If he does, then the University ought to require that any student who suffers through his classes must follow up that class with a class taught by Professor Allen Parkman - the other professor interviewed for this story:

While many people today say they are not better off than their parents, the overall numbers show otherwise, [Parkman] said.

The gross domestic product, which measures the country’s economic output of goods and services, has increased about 2 percent annually in the last century.

After observing decades of economic and census statistics, Parkman said he’s found what unites those who are not succeeding in today’s economy.

“They are all people who have just made bad decisions,” said Parkman. Whether they’ve made the choice to drop out of school, buy houses they can’t afford, buy lottery tickets instead of saving, got divorced or otherwise became single parents, they all made decisions that damaged them economically, he said.

Professor Parkman has some very simple advice for those who want to join the middle class:

“If you want to live comfortably, you only have to do three things: Graduate from high school, get married, and stay married. If you look within that subset (of people who are not doing well), you will find that those people have violated those principles.”

The American Dream is alive and well. How do I know? Well, I'm living it. Of course, I graduated from high school, got married and stayed married.

A Little Humor

Julia made me smile...

A Very Slippery Legal Slope

Looks like New Mexico legal cases are getting national blog coverage again:

In New Mexico, religious rights can disappear in a flash, and no one has learned that painful lesson better than Elane Photography. The company, a Christian husband-and-wife team named Huguenin, has become the latest victims of religious intolerance at the hands of the state of New Mexico for refusing to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony.

Follow the link above and read the whole thing if you're not familiar with the case, or better yet do a search for "Elane photography."

Now, I'm not sure I see this as an example of religious intolerance. However, I am very concerned about the legal precedent being set here. If you boil this down to simplest terms, this is a case about whether or not any business owner has a choice with regard to whom they take as a client/customer.

I, for one, am not comfortable with that choice being taken away. Some may say that the problem is that the business owners were forthright in their reason for the refusal. Would it have been better for them to have lied? Should they just have said they were already booked and that be the end of that? Does hiding the truth make for a better world? I don't think so.

I'm an American, whose father is from Ecuador, and whose mother is a first generation American born to Hungarian Jews. Before anyone accuses me of not understanding discrimination, I want you to know that growing up I found myself alternately being labeled a kike, a spic and a gringo depending upon the environment. I watched time and time again as assumptions were made about one or both of my parents for very wrong reasons.

So, I don't doubt that the lesbian couple was offended that Christian photographers did not want to photograph their wedding. Nor, do I doubt that Christian photographers are offended by the action of the courts. I can empathize with both parties.

But, what I don't understand is the government's involvement here. Tolerance is to live and let live. Tolerance is not to force one party to embrace, adopt or participate in the actions of the other party. Tolerance cannot be forced. In fact, the opposite is true. When the government attempts to force tolerance, the result is to breed intolerance and contempt. It is actions like this case that divide rather than unite.

I own an advertising agency. If a neo-Nazi group approached me to put together a radio campaign for them, I should be able to decline to do so because I find their beliefs offensive. If a close all borders to all immigrants group asked me to do a television spot for them, I should be able to turn them away. I could go on, but you get the idea.

We're heading down a VERY slippery legal slope.

Making Business the Scapegoat

I think what happened to Elizabeth Garcia is terrible, and I truly feel for her children who have had their mother taken from them in such a brutal way. However, I don't understand how a business is held accountable for the actions of a criminal:

Jury deliberations in the case began Monday. Minutes before the jury was to award Elizabeth Garcia's three children $51 million in damages, Ortiz told jurors the parties had reached a settlement.

Allegra Carpenter, an attorney representing the children—Xavier Mendoza, 13; Jerome Mendoza, 11; and Cene Mendoza, 10—said the terms of the settlement are confidential.

Garcia was working alone overnight in January 2002 when she was abducted from the Hobbs store and later found dead, with more than 55 stab wounds. According to the lawsuit, she had been raped.

Attorneys for Garcia's family said Allsup's failure to protect clerks working the graveyard shift make the near-minimum-wage jobs the most dangerous in New Mexico. They had asked the jury to award $60 million in damages.

The criminal in this case went on to do this again:

Paul Lovett, 27, was accused of killing Elizabeth Garcia, 26, in January 2002, and Patty Simon, 35, in May 2003. He was convicted last month of first-degree murder in both cases and of criminal sexual penetration in the Simon case.

Allsup is a convenient scapegoat for society's anger against the criminal element, but I just don't understand how we can hold a business responsible for a criminal's actions. The attorney for the children in this case argued that this all could have been prevented if there had only been two clerks on duty instead of one. You don't have to search far to know that is not the case. Predators will commit crimes and holding a business responsible is just wrong.

You Thought NM Schools Were Bad

Sure, New Mexico has a little big problem when fessing up to the real graduation rates of students, but this little story of convicted felons teaching students in Tennessee schools takes the cake.

RedState Under the Radar

Looks like RedState's editor and chairman, Erick Erickson, has begun a new column entitled, RedState Under the Radar and yours truly gets an honorable mention. So, I'd like to send a special shout out to District Attorney Kari Brandenburg for her efforts in bringing national attention to this blog.

Thanks to Ms. Brandenburg's continued commitment to prosecuting U.S. veterans for defending their families, their property and the sovereignty of our nation, while letting chronically corrupt judges go free, I'm enjoying a surge in new readers. I realize, of course, that after Ms. Brandenburg is defeated in the November elections, I may see a decline. After all, not much to write about when the next District Attorney prosecutes the criminals and lets the good guys go free.

Speaking of things to write about, you ought to check out the 100+ comments from the Heartland of America inspired by Ms. Brandenburg's devotion to making sure that no good deed goes unpunished.

Sign the Fair Tax Petition

As April 15th arrives, you can't help but think, "Anything has to be better than our current tax system." If you haven't done so already, please take a moment and sign the Fair Tax petition.

The Man is Uncle Sam

I'm a small business owner. Actually, I own two. A friend of mine told me once that he wanted to start a business because he "didn't want to spend his entire life working for the man." Like many, he wanted to be his own boss. Control his own destiny. Reap the rewards he sowed instead of creating wealth for someone else's gain.

There is only one problem with all this...

When you are your own boss, you suddenly become painfully aware of just how much of the wealth you are creating is going to the government in the form of taxes. On average, I work 12 to 16 hour days and have from day one of officially becoming an entrepreneur. Yet, thanks to our government's commitment to tax and spend, more than a third of my time is spent working to pay for bigger and bigger government.

People have been conditioned to think of taxes as simply the government collecting a portion of the money you earn. We are taught that money is the root of all evil. So, parting with it for the greater good must be a good thing.

But, that conditioning is wrong. The government is not taxing our money. The government is taxing our time. Whereas, money is of little true value. Time is priceless. Everyone has only a finite amount of time.

If I work 12 hour days, five days a week, and pay thirty percent in taxes, then one full month of my life each and every year is spent working for the government. That's one month that I don't get to use to strengthen my family, improve my community or better the world. Every year the government takes one month of my life. Every year, they take one month of yours.

Is the world better off because of it? I don't think so.

Both of the Democratic nominees for President believe that the answer to all of America's problems lies in bigger government. Senator Barack Obama has been packaged as the nominee of "change." But, I would argue that nothing will change if Senator Obama is elected President - at least nothing for the better. Instead, of working one month a year for the government, we can all expect to add another week or more of additional time stolen from our lives to pay for his programs.

Both of the Democratic candidates believe that more government programs and more regulations are the answer to solving every social and economic hurdle that arises. By comparison, Senator John McCain believes, and is promoting, a pro-growth agenda that is focused on small businesses and entrepreneurs, less taxation and more free trade.

Take a listen to what RNC Victory Chairman Carly Fiorina had to say about Senator McCain's economic agenda:



As long as government continues to grow, we are all working for the man... and The Man is Uncle Sam.

McCain Supports Tax Free Internet

One of the interesting topics that I had a chance to discuss with RNC Victory Chairman Carly Fiorina was Senator John McCain's longstanding support of a tax free Internet environment. I'm not talking about just temp