Beware the Task Force

Here it comes. The conception of countless new regulations and ordinances has occurred. And, in six months time we'll all witness the birth of new unneeded costly regulations and big government spending initiatives (subscription). Mark my word, they are coming. How do I know? Well...

City Hall launched an environmental task force on Thursday that will recommend ways for local governments and residents to address global warming.

Mayor Martin Chávez joined County Commission Chairman Alan Armijo and City Councilor Isaac Benton to announce the 35-member group, which includes representatives from Sandia National Laboratories, environmental organizations and government agencies.

Chávez said he hopes the task force will compile a “climate action plan” within six months.

The group’s plan should have value even to those who aren’t concerned about the environment, he said.

What's a climate action plan? Basically, it's a politician's sound bite that's guaranteed to cost us, the taxpayers, money and hassle.

State Employees May Take Four Day Work Week

Our state's spending budget has nearly doubled since Governor Richardson took office. Despite this mind blowing growth, state government is apparently feeling the pinch at the pump.

Gov. Bill Richardson has signed an executive order creating a telework and alternative work schedule program for state workers.

It creates a framework for the creation of things like four-day work weeks to cut down on commuting and allowing workers to telecommute. Richardson said it would help reduce fuel use and taxpayer costs.

Um, after nearly doubling the budget, he is now going to pretend to care about saving taxpayer's money. Right. My guess is that despite the bloated state budget, I'm going to try and walk into a state agency office and instead of service discover longer lines, or worse that it is closed, as a result of an executive order that allowed a flexible work week.

Udall's Endorsement by Fraternal Order of Police

According to Roll Call, Congressman Tom Udall has received the endorsement by the New Mexico Fraternal Order of Police:

“Tom Udall has spent his career serving the citizens of New Mexico. He has a proven record of supporting laws that protect our citizens and he has always been a strong supporter of law enforcement,” FOP President Bill Standridge said in a statement released by the Udall campaign.

Tom Udall has always been "a strong supporter of law enforcement." Oh, really? Apparently, someone forgot to suggest to FOP President Bill Standridge to take a look at Congressman Udall's voting record. If they had, they would have found that Congressman Udall was a member of a very, very small caucus of Congressman to vote against the bill Condemning the decision of St. Denis, France, to name a street in honor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the convicted murder of Philadelphia Police Office Danny Faulkner.

Someone please explain to me how being a member of the Cop Killer Caucus makes Tom Udall a supporter of law enforcement?

Obama's Inartful Statement

What the heck is an "inartful statement?"

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Alexa Ainsworth Report: With the Supreme Court poised to rule on Washington, D.C.'s, gun ban, the Obama campaign is disavowing what it calls an "inartful" statement to the Chicago Tribune last year in which an unnamed aide characterized Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as believing that the DC ban was constitutional.

"That statement was obviously an inartful attempt to explain the Senator's consistent position," Obama spokesman Bill Burton tells ABC News.

The only thing consistent about Senator Barack Obama's position on the Second Amendment is that he is against protecting the rights of law abiding citizens:

But the campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said that he '...believes that we can recognize and respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and the right of local communities to enact common sense laws to combat violence and save lives. Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional.'

Well, thank goodness the majority of the Supreme Court of the United States has a better understanding of the Constitution than Democrats nominee for President. Senator Obama's stance on this issue is a frightening reminder of why he should not get our vote in November.

Jerome Block Jr's Troubled Legal History

In the past, I've picked on PRC Commissioner Ben Ray Lujan regarding his qualifications to run for Congress. However, compared to the guy the Democrats chose to replace him, Ben Ray is a boy scout and stellar candidate:

Aggravated DWI, unlawful riding, urinating in public, ditching out on court-ordered child-support mediation and breach of contract—these are the charges that Jerome Block Jr., the Democratic nominee to represent District 3 on the Public Regulation Commission, has faced in court over the last decade, SFR has discovered.

Wow, are the people in District 3 really going to give this guy a $90,000 a year job that makes policy decisions? There are no Republicans running, but just based on Jerome Block's legal troubles, I suggest that the Green in race deserves a second look.

Where's the Public Outcry?

Legislative session after legislative session in New Mexico we've had to endure the demands from the left to "reform" our election system by instituting public funding of elections. Yet, when the presumptive "champion for change" of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama opts out of public funding for his presidential race, the left is eerily silent:

Obama broke a previous pledge last week and announced that he would opt out of the public-financing system for presidential candidates. On a practical level, it wasn’t surprising: The Democrat has displayed a rare ability to raise huge amounts of money from average Americans, and that would have been hindered by accepting public financing.

But reducing the influence of money in politics is central to Obama’s “Change We Can Believe In” slogan and the message of his presidential campaign. It’s true that his campaign has found a different way to raise money, but the reality is that he pledged to use the public financing system in the general election if his opponent also agreed -- which McCain has done.

Now Obama, the candidate who asks Americans to be idealists and believe change is possible, is instead acting like a realist by deciding to break a promise because doing so will increase his chances of being elected.

So, how about it my friends on the left? Are you going to call on Senator Obama to opt in for public funding? If you don't, that's okay. I understand that winning is more important than pushing for public funding. Just do me a favor, okay? Don't get back on your high horse when the November election is over.

Tom Udall Attempts to Rewrite Recent History

It looks like Congressman Tom Udall has a new TV spot that is a little less than honest when it comes to his record on funding for Los Alamos labs:



At the end of the ad Congressman Udall says:

That's why I voted for funding to expand the mission of Los Alamos to create new jobs in counterterrorism and energy research. I'm Tom Udall and I approved this message because we have to do what's right for New Mexico.

Ok.... let's see... let me try and start this off with a positive. That is Tom Udall in that ad. We can all agree that he should be doing what's right for New Mexico. And, there is no question that Los Alamos plays a critical role in countering terrorism and energy research.

So, what's the problem? Well, Congressman Udall, knowing everything above, actually voted TO CUT FUNDING for Los Alamos labs. Of course, don't just take my word for it. You can can go back and read about Tom Udall's vote to cut funding for the labs last summer. Oh, and let's not forget the lack of concern that Tom Udall showed when layoffs were announced at Los Alamos because he wouldn't fight to protect their funding.

Look, Tom Udall is entitled to vote for his own priorities. But, he should not get a pass on trying to rewrite his history to run away from his votes to cut funding for our labs.

I Believe Plates

I just need to preface this post with a little reminder... I'm Jewish. Why is that important? Well, it provides perspective. I simply don't understand this nonsense about suing the state of South Carolina to keep people from having "I Believe" plates on their cars:

"I do believe these 'I Believe' plates will not see the light of day because the courts, I'm confident, will see through this," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, the group's executive director.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for South Carolina, asks a judge to stop the state from making the plates and rule that the law allowing them violates the First Amendment.

Seriously, I don't get what all the hoopla is about. "State law allows private groups to create specialty plates as long as they first collect either a $4,000 deposit or 400 prepaid orders." So, someone can create plates for their favorite University team, charitable organization or anything else for that matter, but people go bonkers if they want to advertise their faith?

Let's get real here. People are already advertising their beliefs on the their vehicles. Heck, it seems like every fifth car in New Mexico has a little fish on their trunk (with and without legs). Is anyone offended? I'm not.

Allowing people to express their beliefs is yet another thing that makes this country great.

There is absolutely nothing stopping another religious entity from creating their own customized plates, so live and live is what I say. Plus, if we're paying for those dang plates anyway, shouldn't we be able to customize them as we see fit?

Same Old Richardson Administration Antics

It's been awhile since we've seen ethically questionable decisions from the Richardson Administration in the news (subscription). But, it looks like old habits die hard:

After canceling a request for competitive proposals, the administration of Gov. Bill Richardson awarded a no-bid deal to a political supporter and onetime appointee to supply automated teller machines for the State Fair.

Automated Financial Technologies of Albuquerque, headed by Rafael Gutierrez, got the deal in 2004— about a year after Gutierrez resigned an appointment by Richardson to the staff of the Gaming Control Board.

Automated's machines replaced those of a competitor, California-based Mobilemoney, which had provided the service and wanted to compete for the business.

Expo New Mexico in July 2004 issued a request for bids to supply ATMs for year-round use and to bring in additional machines at fair time.

Expo officials canceled the request a month later and never reissued it. Automated took over Mobilemoney's job of supplying additional machines for the State Fair later that year— even though Mobilemoney offered the fair more money than it's getting now.

Larry Dunnwald, president of Mobilemoney, said he believes the company lost the State Fair business because Gutierrez is a Richardson friend.

Well, Mr. Gutierrez obviously didn't win the business because he offered the Fair a better deal, so it would seem Mr. Dunwald's belief has some merit. One thing to keep in mind here is that we, the taxpayers, are subsidizing the Fair's operations, so when antics like this occur, it is our pockets that are being picked.

Market Prevails - Again

Less than a year ago, Mayor David Coss in Santa Fe was launching his crusade against bottle water. I thought with everything that a Mayor should be concerned about, his priorities were a little skewed.

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but if people would let the market run its course, they would find a lot of these environmental concerns will fix themselves. And, the decline of the bottled water phenomenon is just the latest example (subscription):

Tap water is making a comeback.

With a day's worth of bottled water— the recommended 64 ounces— costing hundreds to thousands of dollars a year depending on the brand, more people are opting to slurp water that comes straight from the sink.

The lousy economy may be accomplishing what environmentalists have been trying to do for years— wean people off the disposable plastic bottles of water that were sold as stylish, portable, healthier and safer than water from the tap.

The next step to water conservation is not more costly low flow toilet mandates or rebates from municipalities (with a rebate I'm funding my neighbors flushing habits). It is not the creation of Water Authority Utility fees. Nor, is it the seizure of private companies by government bureaucracies. Conservation will occur if we just let the market dictate the price and economic pressures motivate personal priorities.

We're not just talking about water here. The market can fix suburban sprawl issues, fossil fuel consumption, escalating health care and just about any of the other multitude of government caused problems that now plagues us, but we have to let it work.

Ross Perot's Charts

I have to admit that I'm not one of these guys who has always been hooked on politics. In fact, my ten year old son probably - no, make that definitely - has more political awareness than I had until the end of my college years. It just wasn't really my thing in my earlier years.

What I do remember is that the first Presidential election in which I took a keen interest was the 1992 election. In fact, I was inspired to register to vote by that little man from Texas with the big ears, Ross Perot. But, when he withdrew and then re-entered, I lost interest.

The point of this trip down memory lane is that Ross Perot is back on the scene. This time Perot has some new charts, and the graphs do not paint a pretty picture. One chart I find particularly troubling is the one that shows U.S. Government Tax Collections from 1968 through 2007:


A quick glance confirms that our government does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. So, someone please explain to me why, with all of this growth in revenue, the Democratic Congress and the Democratic Presidential candidate would like to see a sunset of the Bush Tax Cuts?

Taxing Public Lands

There's no denying it. Most Americans are feeling an economic pinch. And, when dollars are tight, families (and everyone else for that matter) look at taking vacations that aren't likely to take quite as big of a bite out of the family budget.

Vacations a little closer to home start looking very attractive. Vacations like camping in a National Park, or boating on a lake on federal lands. These shouldn't cost too much, right? Wrong! The Recreation Access Tax just keeps on increasing:

The U.S. House of Representatives has decided to take a serious look at the much-criticized implementation, if not over-implementation, of the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Act (FLREA), This is the law that has saddled us the pandemic of new and ever-increasing recreation fees to enter and use our public lands, which is why it’s called RAT, for Recreation Access Tax, by its distracters.

It's about time. This is NOT a partisan issue. We already work four months of every year to pay for our government. Should we really have to pay more and more every year to pay to enjoy the PUBLIC lands our taxes are already supporting. I don't think so.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

Democrats have been in charge of Congress for two years and the economy is slipping. I'm personally feeling the pinch. I can say without a doubt I was better off two years ago than I am today. I did not like the spending spree the Republicans went on when they controlled Congress, but the future, from a small business owners perspective, with the Democrats in control is downright scary.

I can't imagine how much worse off I'll be if Barack Obama were to win the White House and you had completely Democratic control of both the legislative and executive branches of our federal government. Wait, I don't have to imagine. I just have to look at how New Mexico's per capita income stacks up against our neighbors in Colorado, Texas and Arizona.

Now, throw into the mix the article today that points out that our Air Force is looking at flying 80 year old aircraft (subscription), and we've got the makings of a serious nightmare.

“If everything goes perfect with our new KC-45 acquisition — which isn’t likely — the last KC-135 will not retire until 2043,” he said. “We’ve never flown 80-year-old airplanes — no one has. So we’re headed into the unknown.”

It’s not just air tankers that are getting old. The average age of the Air Force’s workhorse fighters — the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon — is more than 20 years.

“At the end of the Vietnam war, the average military aircraft was about 8 years old,” Suminsby said. “At the end of Desert Storm, it was about 17 years old. Today, the average (Air Force) aircraft is nearly 25 years old, and that’s climbing steadily.”

Suminsby admits he’d like Congress to fund all the Air Force’s needs, including its $18.8 billion “wish list.”

But more importantly, he said, America needs to address two fundamental problems with the federal budget: the mismatch between our national security strategy and its associated costs; and burgeoning entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Security gap.

Suminsby says there’s a huge gap between the nation’s security strategy — which is to maintain the capability to fight two major conflicts concurrently or in rapid succession — and what it’s willing to pay to implement that strategy.

The role of government is moving closer and closer everyday to providing entitlement programs to take care of everyone, and further and further away from making security and infrastructure the number one priority. If the Democrats take complete control of the government, we will see an acceleration of this shift.

We need to wakeup and smell the coffee. Throughout history, world wars have begun because others smell weakness. The wolves will begin to circle when the best we can do is protect ourselves with 80 year old weapons. This a time honored tradition. Nature abhors a vacuum.

Racism, Sexism and Ageism

Racism, Sexism and Ageism is apparently what drives today's Democratic Party. We all watched in shocked amazement as the Democrats turned the Obama/Clinton battle into a race versus gender fight.

Now, the Democrat bloggers are attacking Senator McCain because of his age:

Another thing about the ad: McCain just sounds old. His voice while he talks reminds of 60 Minutes' Andy Rooney. When people start contrasting the elderly Arizona Senator against the young Senator from Illinois (Barack Obama), it will be a stark contrast.

Now, I'm under forty, but if I was over 60, I sure would be concerned about the fact that if the Democrats take control, I would be relegated to a second class citizen simply because of my age.

George will and Stephen Colbert

Thanks to our friends at Errors of Enchantment for pointing this out:

What's Tom Udall Doing in Congress?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what Tom Udall is doing in Congress is voting to raise taxes on the middle class, families and small businesses. Of course, don't take my word for it. Instead, read what Democratic Congressman Bill Foster (IL-14) had to say about the tax bill that Tom Udall voted to pass:

“I can’t support a budget, from either party, that raises taxes on the middle class. This bill hurts families all across the 14th District by eliminating the 10-percent bracket for lower-income taxpayers, reinstating the marriage penalty and increasing taxes on small businesses and investments.

I campaigned on a platform of middle class tax relief, and I was elected to Washington to bring about change. When asked to choose between my party and the people I represent, I will choose the families of the 14th District every single time.”

Before my readers on the left start leaving comments about how Congressman Bill Foster is just some sort of rogue Democratic Congressman, I think you ought to watch the recent video endorsement by one of the Congressman's supporters.



So where does that leave us? Well, I think that leaves us with a novel concept that Tom Udall might want to consider... putting families before party. Congressman Tom Udall wants to become Senator Tom Udall, yet he's voting to eliminate the 10-percent bracket for lower income taxpayers.

In case you're wondering what someone in the 10-percent bracket is earning, if they're single, the answer is up to $8,025 per year. If they're married filing jointly, it is $16,050 per year. Let me put that another way. We're talking about people barely making the minimum wage, and Congressman Tom Udall voted to raise their taxes.

Is there any wonder that most people think Congressman Tom Udall is too liberal to be elected to represent everyday New Mexicans in the Senate?

Gasoline at a $100 Per Gallon

That would be devastating if gas became that expensive, right? Wrong. I hope gas prices keep going up. Don't get me wrong, I'm cringing at the pump just like everyone else. But, I've got faith in American ingenuity to solve that problem. And, it's already happening.

Open a copy of Brandweek, and it seems the Smart Car is all the rage. Flip on the television and the cars being advertised are the ones able to deliver more than 30 MPG. Look in the newspaper, and you can read an article on the plug and drive cars of the future (subscription):

An automotive revolution could soon appear in a driveway near you— a car that needs a lot less gasoline than the one sitting there now.

Depending on how you drive it, the car may need no gasoline at all. Most of its energy, if not all, could come from plugging it in and charging it all night.

You see, we don't need Congress to dictate auto fuel economy increases. We just need to rely on the market to drive consumer demands. It's unfolding right before your eyes. Take note.

As gas price continue to increase, it is not just the car choices that will change. Where people live will change too. All of the concern about "suburban sprawl" will become a non-issue as people choose to make their homes in communities where they can live, work and play without burning gas to get from one place to another.

Free markets trump government intervention every time.

Yet Another Example of a Broken Legal System

I literally felt nauseous reading about this depraved individual and subsequent miscarriage of justice (subscription):

She says she was 6 when it started, when her stepfather took away her innocence and gave her a normalcy of nightmares and, when she was 14, gave her a child.

The molestations, court records say, occurred on a "very frequent basis" for 12 years in stolen moments when her mother wasn't watching.

It was a secret she kept to herself even after her baby was born in the summer of 2000.

But when the girl turned 18, she told him to stop.

That's when a different sort of nightmare began, tangled within the complex, overburdened and often unforgiving judicial system.

Nearly four years have passed since Eric Fierro, the girl's stepfather, was indicted on 34 counts, 30 of which are either criminal sexual penetration or criminal sexual contact of a minor.

Fierro, 37, was also indicted on two charges of threatening the girl and her mother, his wife, and a criminal solicitation charge involving allegations that he asked their 15-year-old son to kill the girl and her boyfriend.

Fierro has denied molesting the girl— at least while she was of elementary-school age.

Court documents suggest, however, that Fierro believes he had a "consensual" sexual relationship with the girl after she reached her teens.

According to one document filed by his attorney, Fierro admitted three times to police "to having sex with his stepdaughter and that he fathered a child by her."

DNA tests have also concluded that Fierro is the father, prosecutors said.

Complex and overburdened legal system? I don't think so. It is yet another broken bureaucracy that is failing us - the taxpayers. A monster preys on a child. Father's a child with that child. He admits to it, and the DNA supports that fact. Why has this guy not been convicted for life and then some? How can judges and prosecutors let this go on and on and on?

When America Stops Becoming America

When tourists can't take pictures of widely photographed national landmarks, it is time to say enough is enough.

Eye on New Mexico

You can catch me this Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. on KOB's Eye on New Mexico program discussing Tuesday's primary election with Nicole Brady and Dennis Domrzalski and what it means for November.

The Pre-K Scam

So, it looks like Governor Richardson is out touting "success" regarding New Mexico's pre-kindergarten initiative:

The study is by the National Institute for Early Education at Rutgers University. It found that as a result of attending the New Mexico program at age four, children's vocabulary scores increased by six raw score points, which was statistically significant. Their early math scores increased by more than two raw score points, which is also statistically significant, researchers said. And children's' scores on early literacy rose by about 14 percentage points for children attending versus those who did not attend.

There's only one BIG problem with the supposed great education achievements:

The National Center for Education Statistics Early Childhood Longitudinal Study assessed 22,000 children at kindergarten entry and most recently reported on those students through the third grade. This research shows that by the end of third grade, the researchers no longer detect a difference between students who attended part-day or full-day kindergarten programs.

They write, "This report did not detect any substantive differences in children’s third-grade achievement relative to the type of kindergarten program (full-day vs. half-day) they attended." The finding holds across all subject matters tested. Third-grade reading, mathematics and science achievement did not differ substantively by children’s gender or kindergarten program type.

Oops, they forgot to mention that. Oh, and did I mention that as a nation we are globally competitive until about the fourth grade. Kind of makes you wonder why we are squandering limited resources on early childhood programs. Oh that's right we're trying to eliminate parental responsibility.

My Sincere Appreciation to All Who Ran

I guess it was pretty obvious to all readers that for the most part I stayed away from writing about the primaries on the Republican side. That is because, with the exception of the 1st Congressional District, there wasn't a Republican candidate I wouldn't proudly support if they won the primary. So, my congratulations go out to Congressman Steve Pearce, Sheriff Darren White, Ed Tinsley and Dan East. I look forward to helping each of you win in November.

I'd also like to express my sincere admiration for everyone else that put themselves forward as a candidate, both on the federal and state levels and on both sides of the aisle. Your willingness to do so is what makes this country great. As someone who has been a candidate, I know it's not easy.

I'm not sure most people realize the level of commitment that goes into a campaign. It's a 24/7 roller coaster ride that doesn't stop until you win or lose. You campaign all day, and it's the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning and the last thing on your mind when you go to sleep at night. You never feel like you're doing quite enough, and you're always second guessing your last move.

Basically, you're applying for a job, But, what makes this job so unique is that everyone you know (heck, even people you don't know) is aware that you're applying. They're all witnesses to the interview process and everything you do and everything you've ever done is under a microscope for all to see. And, when you don't get the job, everyone knows it. That part is not fun. However, the people you meet along the way will become new friends. I guarantee it. And, as time goes by, you realize that without you're participation there would be no Democratic process.

So, thank you to all who ran. You are what makes this country great.

Get Out and Vote in Today's Primary

It looks like they're predicting a "high turnout" for today's Primary Election (subscription):

In the state's 2006 primary election, fewer than 181,000 Republicans and Democrats voted in the top-tier contests— a figure that represented less than 21 percent of eligible voters.

Secretary of State Mary Herrera predicted Monday that the four open congressional seats this year will help drive a record turnout today.

"Voter turnout should be in the high 30s," Herrera said, referring to the percentage of registered voters expected to cast ballots today. "I'm expecting the highest turnout in history for a primary."

It's kind of sad, when a turnout in the "high 30s" will qualify as the "highest turnout in history for a primary." Voting really is one of our most important civic duties. The fact that 70% of eligible voters won't vote is more than a little disturbing.

The internet makes it so easy to find information on the various candidates. And, when you consider the average American works more than four months every year just to pay for government, you'd think more people would take an interest. Unfortunately, you'd probably find that most people spend more time researching movie and music reviews than researching the candidates running for office.

Well, this year there really are some important choices to make in the primary, so get out and vote. And, encourage everyone else you know to do the same.