The Oil Policy Difference

Just a couple of months ago, it was widely predicted that prices at the pump would hit five dollars by Labor Day. Now, it seems that we might actually see a drop in prices at the pump between now and the election in November.

However, don't be fooled. If we see temporary relief, it will be just that - temporary. Relief designed to give the impression that we don't need to increase domestic oil exploration. If the Democrats expand their control of the legislative branch and take control of the executive branch, we will see gas prices north of five dollars a gallon for a very simple reason (subscription):

Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, supports lifting a drilling ban along the Outer Continental Shelf and encouraging more offshore drilling and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Barack Obama, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, has opposed lifting the current offshore drilling bans.

"There is no way for at least a generation that we can get by without more and more oil," Domenici said. "If we could just use our own, we could save American dollars from flowing out of America."

Meanwhile, President Bush on Wednesday renewed his request that Congress lift its moratorium on coastal oil and gas drilling.

"The American people are rightly frustrated by the failure of the Democratic leaders in Congress to enact commonsense solutions," Bush said. "All the Democratic leaders have to do is to allow a vote. They should not leave Washington without doing so."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, relented on the offshore drilling issue earlier this week, offering Republicans a chance to offer four amendments to the speculation bill, including one that would bring the drilling proposal to a Senate vote.

Look again at the bolded sections from Michael Coleman's article. Even a goof like "Give 'em Hell Harry" recognizes the fact that domestic drilling deserves to be on the table. Yet, the Democrats presumptive nominee for President, Senator Barack Obama, remains stubbornly opposed to any common sense solution to ultimately returning market control of gas prices to Americans.

Instead, Senator Obama is perfectly happy to leave us hostage to the dictates of a cartel:

OPEC has rejected US pleas for raising production and the president of the cartel says he expects oil to stay at current price levels through the end of this year. That stands against a market where oil demand has gone up 1.5 million barrels a day for the last ten years.

Now who gets hurt the most when Democrats in the U.S. government insist on blocking domestic oil production? The working poor and middle class families is who:

If gasoline prices move from their current average price of $3.20 to $5, the cost of fuel for a family that spends $50 a week for gas would move up over $1,000 a year. That would wipe out any tax rebate payments from the Federal government and drive the economy deeper into its currently slowdown. It would also further fracture already delicate P&Ls and balance sheet at large auto makers and airlines. Retailers would get less traffic. Very few industries would be spared some effect.

"... wipe out any tax rebate payments from the Federal government and drive the economy deeper into its currently slowdown." That's also an important fact to keep in mind for Governor Richardson's upcoming taxpayers funded Special Session.

We're an oil producing state, yet the Governor is doing everything in his power to discourage oil production. He did it when he passed unnecessary pit rules, and he'll do it again in the upcoming regular session by trying to bring the cap and trade scam to New Mexico.

Of course, in characteristic Richardson fashion, he is hoping to dupe New Mexicans into believing that by giving us a rebate, he is alleviating our pain. However, the plain and simple truth is that, like all other Richardson fiscal decisions to date, he is making it more expensive for most New Mexicans to live.

TEN Prior Burglary Arrests

Remember Elton Richard. He was the decorated marine a judge sent to prison for protecting his family against a twice convicted felon. At the time, there was an uproar, and thankfully the judge reconsidered and Elton Richard, a hero by most standards, was released.

Well, now this puts it all in perspective (subscription):

The doorbell was ringing frantically.

A man was looking through the windows.

The stranger wanted inside, and 13-year-old Seresa Lobardeux was home alone.

She grabbed a knife, ran to her mother's bedroom and locked herself in a bathroom.

She called her mom on her cell phone. There was no answer. She called her aunt, who told her to call 911.

While on the phone with dispatcher Amy Maurino, she could hear the blinds to a window moving. Then she heard footsteps in the hallway. Maurino stayed on the phone with her, and within nine minutes, police arrived and wrestled the man to the ground.

Adolph Ware, who was arrested on residential burglary charges, was on probation. He had 10 prior burglary arrests.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Our court system is broken. When a man with 10 prior burglary arrests is free to roam the streets and terrorize a thirteen year old girl, there is something seriously wrong.

There is a happy middle to this story... the police arrived and arrested the scumbag. Now, let's see if the rest of the justice system will do its job and ensure that this menace is off streets. If they do, it will be an exception to the rule as T. J. Wilham reported in the story (subscription):

An Albuquerque Journal investigation last year revealed that just 12.5 percent of the 281 people Albuquerque police arrested in 2006 on burglary charges received jail sentences.

That's disgraceful. More importantly, that's dangerous for you and me.

The Child Walks Among Us

What can I say? I thought this was pretty funny.

ACORN's Aggressive Use of Intimidation Tactics

We've had a lot of experience in New Mexico with the criminal activities of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, better known as ACORN. Due to New Mexico's role as a swing state, ACORN operatives are already generating more than their fair share of complaints for legally questionable tactics in this election cycle:

Association of Community Organizations for Reform, more commonly known as ACORN. The group has been actively trying to register voters in Doña Ana County in recent months. It has also received national attention in recent years for allegations in other states of voter fraud and shoddy work, which you can read about from CBS News by clicking here and FOX News by clicking here.

Of course, a quick internet search shows that the aggressive and criminally questionable tactics used by ACORN in New Mexico are nothing compared to the intimidation and misinformation strategies employed by ACORN in states that allow ballot initiatives. Watch the videos below to see ACORN in action...

What Do You Really Know About Oil?

Take a look at John David Powell's article to learn the answer to these questions:

• For instance, how big is a barrel?
• What nation supplies the most crude oil and petroleum products to the United States?
• What nation, other than the U.S., supplies the most crude oil and petroleum products to our country?
• How much oil do we import from Persian Gulf countries?
• What’s the difference between crude oil and petroleum products? How much of the cost of oil goes into the price of gasoline?
• What products that you buy on a regular basis are sold with tax included?

Wonders Never Cease to Amaze

The City Different has yielded a conservative blog written by a PhD. Who da' thunk it possible of Santa Fe? Moralia is very well written and worth a read. Especially the following posts:

• Oppose Obama for the right reasons
• Who's to blame for gas prices?
• Deliver us, Lord, from the swing voter

Enjoy.

Paper Ballots Solved Nothing

In 2006, we made the change from clean and simple electronic voting back to an antiquated paper ballot system. I thought the move to paper ballots was ludicrous at the time, and I still do.

There are so many alternative solutions that make more sense. But, who are we kidding? It wouldn't be New Mexico if there wasn't institutionalized election fraud with unreasonable delays election after election. Not too mention, it is in the best interests of those who don't really want to see an increase in voter turnout to make the voting process as painful as humanly possible.

The point of this whole rant... Well, it looks like paper ballots have done absolutely nothing to increase voter confidence. After all, it's kind of hard to be confident in a system in which ballots are still being mysteriously "lost" (subscription):

Attorney General Gary King's office is investigating what happened to 182 ballots that are missing from the June primary election.

Phil Sisneros, a spokesman for the attorney general, said Monday there was an investigation but he could not provide any details. Previously, the Attorney General's Office would only say the matter was under review.

Two election reform groups — Verified Voting New Mexico and United Voters of New Mexico — called Monday for a thorough investigation into the missing ballots. They said that was necessary to maintain voter confidence in the fairness of elections, particularly with the state preparing for a general election in November in which New Mexico is likely to be critical in the outcome of the presidential race.

The paper ballots are missing from two precincts in Cibola County and local elections officials have no explanation for what happened.

The ballots were counted by a voting machine tabulator on Election Day, and there's an electronic record of the votes because of the tabulator's memory card, which was used in a recount in a state Senate race.

Hmm, funny how that worked out... We know that there was fraud, or at the very least incompetence, because of the electronic record of the votes. Kind of makes you sit up and question the logic behind moving away from electronic records, doesn't it?

Obama Says Whatever You Want to Hear

Obama to Build Security Force to Rival Military

Listening to this recent speech Senator Barack Obama gave in Colorado Springs brings to light some pretty scary stuff....

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

That statement comes at 16:42 into the speech, but strangely has been scrubbed from the transcript of the speech released to the press. Is it just me, or does Senator Obama's goals seem a little Stalinesque?

Hat tip to Blue Collar Muse for pointing this out and putting Obama's goal into perspective:

The U.S. Army alone has nearly 500,000 troops. That doesn’t count reserves or National Guard. In 2007, the U.S. Defense budget was $439 billion.

Is Obama serious about creating some kind of domestic security force bigger and more expensive than that?

A new $439 billion second civilian national security force is not something that should be ignored. This deserves some straight answers from the Obama camp.

Your Property Just Lost Value

If you own a piece of land and have failed to drill a well for water before now, you might be up a creek without any water (subscription):

A state court this week threw out New Mexicans' longstanding legal right to drill a domestic water well without having to worry about whether it would leave less water for their neighbors.

The ruling is a victory for activists who say that uncontrolled domestic well drilling poses a long-term threat to New Mexico's ability to manage its dwindling water supples. But the details of how the ruling will affect developers who rely on domestic wells to supply the homes they build is unclear, experts said Friday.

The automatic right to a domestic well, Judge J.C. Robinson of the Sixth Judicial District Court in Silver City concluded, conflicts with the historic Western principle, written into the New Mexico constitution, that the first users of water in a region have the highest priority water rights.

What is bizarre about this case is that it is the result of a lawsuit brought against the State Engineers office. Why is that bizarre? Well, the defendant in this case, the State Engineer, was probably thrilled to lose the case:

Gov. Bill Richardson and the state's top water boss will use their administrative powers to limit new domestic wells after the failure of legislation to accomplish the same goal.

"We will do something," said Bill Hume, Richardson's senior policy adviser. "The governor's serious. The question's not if but how."

Something is fishy here. The State Engineer has successfully lost a case that now requires them to limit new domestic wells - something they've been trying to do for years.

Pay Close Attention

We're paying more at the pump. The economy has cooled and everyday citizens are forced to cutback on their spending. Luckily, the government has the answer (subscription) on how to make our life a little easier:

Plans for a sales tax to support the Rail Runner commuter train and a regional bus system are gaining steam.

Bernalillo and Sandoval counties are to consider this week publishing a legal notice needed to put the one-eighth-cent tax on the Nov. 4 ballot. Valencia County might do the same, though perhaps not until next month.

"I think the Rail Runner's time has come," said Alan Armijo, chairman of the Bernalillo County Commission. Voters "at least need the opportunity to decide that."

The tax proposal must clear one more step before going to the counties — passage by the regional transit board Wednesday. That board, however, cannot put the tax on the ballot itself.

If approved, it will ask the counties to do that. Sandoval County has a meeting scheduled Thursday, and Bernalillo County has one Friday.

"Mass transportation is where we've got to start looking to with the cost of gas and lack of river crossings," Sandoval County Commissioner Don Leonard said.

Yup, this is really going to help. We're lucky to have such progressive thinking group of leaders in county government. A quick review of the U.S. Census shows that the population of Bernalillo County is 615,099, and the population of Sandoval County is 113,772 for a two county total of 728,871 people. Now consider the record number of people that have taken a ride on on the Rail Runner at its peak:

The New Mexico Rail Runner Express gave 5,980 rides last weekend during the first Saturday of Summer service. That ranks as the second highest daily ridership figure since the Rail Runner began service in July 2006. The only other day that had more passengers was on Friday, August 4, 2006 when 6,148 passengers rode the train – three weeks after service began.

A little basic math, and we learn that at its peak .08% of the population in the two county area is benefiting from the "cost-savings" of the Rail Runner service. So, of course, it only makes sense that 99.2% of the population should pay a little more in sales tax to provide the additional $26 million in revenue.

I owe an apology to Mayor Martin Chavez and others who want to put a light rail line on Central. After reviewing the Rail Runner math, their plan makes perfect sense.

Town Hall on Governor Created Problems

It looks like New Mexico First will be holding a "town hall meeting" to discuss the shortfalls in addressing the state's transportation infrastructure needs:

New Mexico’s transportation infrastructure is vital to the state’s economic prosperity and integral to the quality of life, health, and welfare of our citizens. Traditional funding has been well below the actual needs of maintaining a modern transportation system. Federal, state, and local investment in transportation represents less than 40% of the actual needs of the system creating a sense of urgency for states to seek alternative funding options. Both federal and state transportation revenue has not been sufficient to keep up with inflation, the rising cost of construction, and the demands for transportation services of a growing population. Without an increase in investment, our transportation system will become more congested and the condition of our transportation infrastructure will become less safe.

The state's annual spending has grown by BILLIONS under Governor Richardson. Considering that transportation infrastructure is supposed to be one of the top priorities of any government spending, it kind of makes you wonder how we ended up in this crisis situation. Then again, I guess all you have to do is look at what Governor Richardson wants to do with the latest projected windfall of nearly $400 million to understand:

But Richardson pointed to the revenue projections in renewing his appeal to lawmakers to approve a heath care expansion. The governor has said he'll call a special session of the Legislature in August or September to consider mandating health insurance coverage for all residents. New Mexico has the nation's second highest rate of uninsured.

"We can invest in health coverage in a fiscally responsible way," Richardson said in a statement. "While cynics will no doubt complain about using revenue from oil and gas, I am confident — as I have been for the past six years — that New Mexico's economy is performing well and will allow us to expand health care coverage to all New Mexicans."

Yeah, that makes sense. Take a one time windfall and use it to fund a recurring entitlement program at a time when we are unable to meet our basic infrastructure needs. What I find most ironic is that this windfall comes from the oil and gas industry, yet the Governor is doing everything he can to increase operating costs on this industry and push them out of the state:

If the regulations are approved, Gallagher said it will add $150,000 in operating costs for every new well dug in the state.

"If industry drilled just 750 new pits next year, it would mean $112.5 million in additional costs," Gallagher said. "We hired an economist to calculate those figures, and we presented them to the OCD, the lieutenant governor, and the governor. They're not just kicking the state's cash cow in the stomach, they're gutting us."

Raye Miller of Artesia-based Marbob Energy Corp. said many operators will cancel plans to drill new wells if the pit rules are passed.

All of this just serves to bring us full circle back to that town hall meeting:

Highway construction costs are soaring and federal funding to improve roads is declining, said Johnny Cope, chairman of the state Transportation Commission. At the same time, rising gas prices are hurting many New Mexicans, he added.

"This town hall will allow us to discuss these issues and explore some viable options to address the transportation needs of all New Mexicans," Cope said.

Well, here is a thought Mr. Cope... Why don't you call the Governor and ask him to adopt a three point plan:

1. Stop adding unnecessary costs to drilling that are just going to manifest themselves as rising gas prices at the pump.
2. Stop spending oil and gas revenue on creating new unnecessary programs and instead spend it on needed infrastructure.
3. Stop unnecessary regulation on an industry that provided the lion's share of our state budget revenue.

It seems to me that if that plan were followed, we wouldn't even have transportation needs that weren't being addressed (i.e. funded).

Tom Udall Aligns With Litigating Radicals

Our nations founders believed that a separation of powers and a series of checks and balances were a critical component to maintaining a Democratic society. It is for this reason that we have three separate branches of government each with their own unique role - the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial.

In a nutshell, the legislative branch crafts our laws. The executive branch enforces our laws, and the judicial branch rules on whether or not enforcement of those laws violate our Constitution. This is the basics of our government that everyone is supposed to learn at an early age in school.

On a daily basis, this separation of power comes under attack by radical groups that believe that their agenda is more important than the balance of power created by the Constitution of the United States. One such group is Earthjustice. Read this excerpt from their President's vision:

We function like a law firm in some ways because we represent clients and we don't go to court in our own name. The clients' effectiveness is strengthened by the legal clout and other skills we bring to the issues on which we work together, and the breadth and depth of our work depends on our working with clients.

But, we are not like a law firm in the fundamental sense that we identify critical issues and strategies that need to be moved forward, rather than just wait for clients and cases to show up. We think about what kinds of clients are needed to best advance the particular cause. We bring judgment, experience, and strategic leadership to the problem, working with the clients to figure out what needs to be done in court and elsewhere to achieve lasting results. Our powerful and diverse array of regional offices take on litigation that will make a difference in the places they know best as well as cases that will set nation-wide policies that other groups can use in their own advocacy.

In addition to our unparalleled litigators, we have lobbyists in Washington D.C. who are skilled at moving the politics forward and at protecting our victories from Congressional attack.

In other words, they use the judicial system to do something it was not intended to do - namely the creation of new laws , and then try to prevent Congress from doing what it was intended to do - namely, pass laws. It is these actions, not their environmental cause, that makes them a radical group. Their vision is to try and disrupt the underlying fundamentals of our Democratic system.

So, where does Congressman Tom Udall fit into all of this. Well, a quick Google search of "Tom Udall" and "Earthjustice" shows that Congressman Tom Udall is a reliable ally for this radical environmental group. When they need a pawn in Congress to introduce a bill or an amendment to support their judicial activist efforts, they have been able to count on Tom Udall time and time again.

Earthjustice is one of those groups that keeps America reliant on foreign oil by fighting at every turn domestic oil and gas exploration. When we feel the pinch at the pump, we have radicals like Earthjustice and Congressman Tom Udall to thank.

Democrats Try to Silence Dialog with Gen Y

The Democrats have long positioned themselves as the political party of the younger generation. And, it is widely assumed that if Generation Y turns out to vote in large numbers, Barack Obama's chances of becoming our next President increase significantly.

So, it comes as a big surprise that the Democratic leadership in Congress is trying to shut down the outreach of its members through popular online sites:

New lines are being drawn about the restrictions Members face when using the Internet.

House Minority Leader Boehner today released a memo, entitled the “Internet Freedom Alert”, criticizing a letter sent by Rep. Capuano to the Chairman of the Committee on House Administration.

Member Web use restrictions are among the main Open House Project priorities, and one of the chapters of the report is about the restrictions set by the Franking Commission, which operates under the Committee on House Administration. (This chapter was written by David All and Paul Blumenthal.)

Boehner’s letter today rightly sounds the alarm about Capuano’s newly proposed Franking commission guidelines.

Studies have shown that online forums are the town halls of years past for a whole new generation of Americans.

A recently released survey shows that Generation Y prefers to connect with government online in an interactive manner similar to the way they seek out news and other information.

The survey was commissioned by Meritalk, an online community of government information technology specialists, to examine the information-gathering habits of Gen-Y and its priorities for the next administration. A poll of 2,000 people born between 1977 and 1990 showed that 88 percent will obtain their news online during the next four years. Seventy-four percent want more information on government spending and programs, and 85 percent said they want the next president to reach out to the public online at least monthly.

"Generation Y really wants direct, honest, genuine communication [from the government]," said Liz Vandendriessche, spokeswoman for Meritalk. She said that through its research, Meritalk sought to capture how the fundamental relationship between government and citizens is changing.

Keeping all of this in mind, this recent action by Democratic leaders really begs the question, "What are they thinking?"

Streetcar Back on the Table

Not that long ago, we were all able to breath a collective sigh of relief as the Mayor's Streetcar had died a timely death. But, it looks like the Streetcar is back on the table (subscription):

Albuquerque should focus on building a modern streetcar system along Central Avenue between Downtown and San Mateo if it decides to proceed with the project, according to a consultant’s report.

That stretch of the city is the best bet for a successful start to the system, the presentation from Leland Consulting Group said. Demographics and market forces in the area would support the project, the group said.

The presentation was provided Tuesday afternoon to a City Hall task force studying transportation options in Albuquerque. Here’s a look at what was said:

* The streetcar system could draw about 5,000 riders a day on the Downtown-to-San Mateo segment.

* Each streetcar can carry up to 100 people, though the cars can be linked together to serve up to 200 people.

* The capital cost for launching the system is likely to reach about $106 million on the recommended segment, or about $28 million a mile, the presentation said. Annual operating costs would run about $3.9 million.

* Revenue from extending the life of a quarter-cent sales tax, Tax Increment Development Districts, naming rights, advertising and other sources could fund the project. Only a fairly small portion of the revenue generated by the sales tax would be needed for the streetcar system in some scenarios.

Now, there are a couple of points that really ought to jump out at you. First and most obvious is that the only way this can be funded is by extending a tax on everyone that was supposed to expire.

The next eyebrow raising fact requires a little basic math. Keep in mind that the Albuquerque Metro Area population is up to around 800,000, and is expected to reach a million before long. Yet, this Streetcar is only going to be used by about 5,000 people. Put another way... 99.5% of the people are expected to pay hundreds of millions of dollars (these things never come in on budget - think train), so 0.5% of the population can ride a streetcar instead of taking the bus.

Sure, the consultant said 5,000 people per day, but overall, we're talking about the same people every day. Now, I've been to Portland and used their streetcar system. So, it can be honestly argued it will be used by tourists and provide a tremendous economic benefit to those businesses on the route. Great. If they want the benefit, then they should be willing to pay for it, and let the rest of us off the hook.

Command and Control Management at APS

It's a general rule of thumb now in businesses that a command and control managerial style from the top down is not the best approach - especially for a large business. Instead, you should hire the best people to operate each business unit and then hold them accountable for performance (i.e. failure to deliver leads to job loss).

Unfortunately, it looks like Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is about to go the command and control route:

If the rest of the new superintendent's plans come to pass, the district's central office will have more control over everything from the number of custodians a school gets to the type of reading curricula it may use. And on Wednesday, the board approved a new policy that requires “all major technology related projects” to be approved by the superintendent.

“Site-based management, and APS does a lot of site-based management, is not efficient,” said Winston Brooks, who served his first official day last week as the district's new superintendent.

Some longtime principals say the added authority they've enjoyed under site-based management has paid dividends for their schools.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with Superintendent Brooks dismantling a layer of management by doing away with the cluster system. Nor, do I find his commitment to cutting unnecessary costs troubling. However, I've been in around school systems enough as a parent, as a teacher and as an educational partner to know that high performance schools occur because of creativity and commitment at the classroom, administrative and local community level.

Superintendent Brooks recent actions seem to indicate that he believes otherwise. If that's the case, it's going to be business as usual at APS - new edicts and directions without improvements in student performance.

Maybe a Write-in PRC Candidate for District 3?

Jerome Block, Sr., the father of the Democratic PRC candidate for District 3, sent myself and two others a note last Thursday with a simple question:

Now that you have reported extensively about the grave crime of peeing in the bushes, when will you report about the candidate who beats women?!

It's definitely a fair question. Of course, contrary to popular belief lately, I don't actually report things. Instead, I tend to opine on things reported. The good news for Mr. Block, Sr. is that "the candidate who beats women" (as he put it) was reported on by one of my favorite political reporters, Mr. Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican:

And Lass apparently won't be making an issue of Block's past legal skirmishes. He told The New Mexican this week that he thinks it's "odd" Block doesn't remember his disorderly conduct violation. "I actually consider this a bit of a distraction from the main campaign that I plan on running, talking about how important the PRC is and how we need an advocate for the people," Lass said.

Lass, in a 2004 interview when he was running for a state Senate seat, admitted he'd been arrested in 1999 on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery in a fight with his girlfriend. He said the charge was dropped after he successfully completed the Municipal Court domestic-violence program, which he said involved anger-management classes.

But at least he remembered it.

Mr. Block Sr., a seasoned politician in his own right, should have told his son that pretending something didn't happen doesn't make it go away. Block Jr.'s problem is less about committing "the grave crime of peeing in the bushes," and more about his unwillingness to come clean with that and other details. What could have been written off as juvenile stupidity has instead turned into a questionable character trait of an adult - namely, the ability to come clean with the truth.

As to Mr. Lass, well, he has come clean; however, that does little in my eyes to make him electable. I said the first time I wrote about Mr. Block Jr.'s problems that his opponent deserved a second look. Now, after a second look at both candidates, I'd suggest that the citizens of PRC District 3 might want to encourage a write-in candidate for the $90,000 a year job. On the upside, if the candidate does not have any past criminal charges, he or she would already have a leg up on the competition.

I don't know what it is about the PRC, but for such a small group, they sure do attract individuals who seem to have more than their fair share of legal troubles - from misdemeanor battery charges to peeing in the bushes to sexual harassment to possession of marijuana.

Geez, what a bunch. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the PRC is one of those elected positions that the candidates get to run for on the taxpayers' dime. Yup, there is no doubt about it. Taxpayer funded elections sure are bringing us a higher caliber of candidate.

Why is Tom Udall Afraid of an Energy Debate?

I don't get it. Congressman Steve Pearce challenges Congressman Tom Udall to an energy debate, and Tom Udall runs away from the challenge? (subscription):

With gas at $4 and the energy crunch a topic of daily conversation, Steve Pearce says it’s high time for him and Tom Udall to debate energy issues in their U.S. Senate race.

Udall says it’s too early, but his supporters already are hounding Pearce on the same subject.

An environmental group backing Udall has a rolling billboard of sorts — a Toyota hybrid — portraying Pearce as a poster boy for big oil.

This debate should be a no brainer for Congressman Udall. Prices at the pump are at $4 and rising. Tom Udall and his backers believe that oil companies are to blame, and that alternative sources of energy are the solution to the economic pinch everyday Americans are feeling at pump.

This should be a topic on which Tom Udall should feel confident about debating Steve Pearce any and every day of the week. After all, Mr. Udall comes from a long family tradition of environmental conservationists and has been able to capitalize on his father's name to achieve political success. Sometimes people forget that, like others, he is from one of those dynastic political families - think Lujan, Block, and yes, Bush.

By contrast, Steve Pearce worked his way up from very humble beginnings in the oil fields of Southeastern New Mexico to achieve the American Dream. A self-made man for whom public service has always been a way to give back to a country that has given him so many opportunities.

Steve is not known as a great orator or debater. He is just a regular guy who has worked hard, served in the military, built a business and speaks frankly from the heart. In any debate Steve is going to be at a distinct disadvantage against Mr. Udall's polished debate skills - honed over decades as a lawyer.

I'm sure in any energy debate, Tom Udall would be successful in portraying Steve Pearce as the poster child for the New Mexico oil and gas industry. Udall would probably point out that if it were not for the opportunities presented by the oil and gas industry, Steve Pearce would have never pulled himself out of poverty. Instead, he would have remained struggling and poor in Southern New Mexico and politics would be properly left to the political families - handed down from father to son in true monarch fashion.

Undoubtedly, Tom Udall would point out all that the oil and gas industry has taken from the state of New Mexico and its residents:

The industry provides New Mexico schools, roads and public facilities with more than $1.3 billion in funding each year. It is the state's largest civilian employer. Each night, 23,000 New Mexicans come home to their families from jobs related to the oil and gas industry.

It is the state's leading educational supporter and provides over 90% of all school capital investment through the Permanent Fund, saving New Mexico's taxpayers an excess of $800 annually. The oil and gas industry also makes up 15-20% of New Mexico's General Fund revenues. These are distributed to public schools and state colleges, fund the construction of public roads, buildings and state parks, and help keep New Mexico's government operational.

Yes, I'm sure that Steve Pearce would be left mouth agape and without response as Tom Udall heaped attack after attack on Steve's connections with such a destructive industry operating within our borders.

Then, Tom Udall would undoubtedly go in for the kill. Tom would point out that if New Mexicans were to elect Steve Pearce to U.S. Senate, Steve would most assuredly continue in the tradition of Senator Pete Domenici in an unabashed effort to allow more domestic oil and gas exploration.

Sensing imminent victory, Tom Udall would then put the final nail in the coffin of Steve Pearce's candidacy for U.S. Senate by unveiling two damning photos that show the success achieved by Tom Udall and the environmental groups which support him in preventing more domestic drilling.

The first would be a picture of Dubai in 1990, when we believed drilling for oil and gas in America was still a good thing:


The second would be a photo of the same street in Dubai taken in 2003 after Tom Udall and his friends have successfully fought the continued exploration for domestic oil and gas:



Based on this scenario and its inevitable outcome, I don't understand why Tom Udall is afraid of participating in an energy debate.

All Is Not Lost

From the state that awarded a large settlement to a woman who burned herself with coffee, a sensible court decision is finally rendered in New Mexico (subscription):

An Albuquerque man has lost a lawsuit that claimed McDonald’s should have essentially protected him from himself by providing security for guys who, like him, show up drunk past midnight and start flirting with knife-wielding women in the drive-through.

Steven Pohl filed a complaint for damages against the fast-food giant, contending that a security guard should have been on the premises of its Wyoming and Central NE location when he was struck and dragged by the vehicle of a woman who was trying to flee his advances and those of his equally intoxicated companions.

Among those companions was Pohl’s uncle, Patrick Pohl, an Albuquerque police officer.

McDonald’s, the lawsuit contended, “owed a duty to exercise ordinary care for the safety of their invitees.”

Jurors thought otherwise, taking little time to find in favor of McDonald’s late last week after a weeklong hearing before state District Judge Clay Campbell.

“Jurors felt that to have guards at a McDonald’s shouldn’t be necessary, and that Mr. Pohl should have stayed in his vehicle, which we never denied,” Pohl’s attorney, Gene Chavez, told the Journal. “But it was our position that even if McDonald’s was 5 percent negligent and our client the more negligent, that McDonald’s was still in the wrong.”

Chavez called the jury “calloused and business-friendly.”

I would call the jury, one of the most sensible juries the New Mexico courts have ever seen. A drunk guy harasses a nineteen year old girl at a drive-through. She shows him a knife and tells him to leave her. He returns with drunk reinforcements. The guy has only himself to blame for getting injured. He should count himself lucky he didn't end up dead.

Obama Ad Analyzed

Despite efforts to portray Senator Barack Obama as the second coming, a quick review of the facts in one of Obama's ads shows that he's nothing more than politics as usual:

Obama sponsored or co-sponsored -- but did not "pass" -- the welfare and tax measures but does not mention that these were in the Illinois legislature in 1997 and 2000. He sponsored congressional measures that helped hospitalized veterans, but in a relatively minor way: extending beyond 90 days the period in which they can receive free meals and free phone calls to family members.

Obama may have turned down Wall Street jobs after graduating from Columbia University in 1983, but he spent a year working for Business International Corp. in New York before becoming a community organizer in Chicago, and he later joined a law firm there.

Change is a good thing. That's why we have term limits for President. But, despite the great marketing effort, the unfortunate truth is that Barack Obama does not represent change. The more we get to know him, the more it be comes clear - it's the same old bloated political promises with little in the way of performance to back them up.