Senate Republicans Frustrated with the Michael Sanchez Reform Blockade(Cont'd)

“We had a very deliberative session and we have produced a good budget for the state,” Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle said. “It is disappointing that we were not able stop the state from issuing driver’s licenses to people who come to our state illegally. Many come here solely to get our license to be used as a legitimate form of identification to be able to travel freely around our country. I dread the day one of our New Mexico licenses is used by someone who was not here legally to do great harm against our country and our against our people. I fear New Mexico will deservedly receive the rage of the world.”
A number of bills passed the Senate, while some bills that many of the Republican Senators wanted were killed or were not even presented on the Senate floor.
The House bill to stop the practice of issuing driver’s licenses to people who are in the state illegally was not even able to be debated on the Senate floor.
All Republican Senators voted against a Senate bill that would have allowed licenses to be given to people here illegally and would have required them to apply each year for the driver’s license.
A major bill to fight corruption passed both the Senate and the House and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Senate Minority Whip Bill Payne’s bill (R-Albuquerque) would fine an official found guilty of a felony related to his or her job the amount of the salary and fringe benefits they would have been entitled to if they had not been corrupt in office.
A bill to help fight crime, by helping to curtail the theft of metal by tightening requirements when dealing in metal materials in on the governor’s desk.
Other Republican Senator Comments:
“We will continue to work to intervene when our students in K-3 do not meet proficiency in reading. The goal is to prevent retention by providing appropriate support and remediation to ensure that students learn to read in K-3rd grade and read to learn 4th through 12th,” Senator Gay Kernan (R-Hobbs) said.
“No budget is perfect, but this budget takes a step in the right direction,” Senator Bill Burt (R-Alamogordo) said at the close of the session. “While maintaining the state’s balanced budget, it provides for most of our current needs. It increases education and Medicaid spending while providing significant money to municipalities for much needed projects.”
“Usually the Legislature does things “to” people – not “for” them, so less is better. This year we passed a few critical items that are good for New Mexico and avoided the bad things. Sometimes less is better,” Senator Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) said.
“I was pleased with the FY 2013 budget passed in the session. It will restore 1.75% increase to our educators and all state employees. It will increase funding to both Pre-K thru grade 12 as well as funding to New Mexico Junior College, Hobbs, NMSU-Carlsbad and all state funded higher education. While the increases are modest they were accomplished without tax increases,” Senator Carroll Leavell (R-Jal) said. “I was very pleased Senate Bill 23 passed the Senate and House and is on the Governor’s desk. This will permit Urenco and the nuclear power generating companies to exchange the ownership of uranium hexafluoride in New Mexico free of gross receipts or compensating tax. While this was a technical clean up, it would severely limit the ability of Urenco to operate in New Mexico.”
“Economic development is the key element for New Mexico to recover from the economic downfall over the past few years,” Senator Vernon Asbill (R-Carlsbad) said. Even though education will receive approximately 4% new funding, we still lag behind in sufficient funding for our public schools. The future of our great state rests squarely on the shoulders of our educators who are teaching our future -- our children. There was consorted effort to reform our educational system but fell for short of consensus as the time ran out in the session. We will continue to work on school reform and improvement.”
“This is a good budget that continues to invest in public education, while meeting its financial responsibilities to fund Medicaid,” Senator Clint Harden (R-Clovis) said. “This is the first time in the ten years I have been here that we did not spend all the money! Both Senate bills I introduced on behalf of the Corrections Department were defeated. Senate Bill 176 which would have enhanced the system for victim notification was killed in committee. Senate Bill 162, designed to improve public safety by allowing for more offenders released from prison to go into an intensive supervision program, was killed on the floor.”

NMSA Unveils Spaceport America Visitor Experience Plan (cont'd)

Comprised of nine companies with rich experience in the design, development, operation and marketing of location-based entertainment, TEAM IDEAS was hired by NMSA to create a memorable visitor experience for Spaceport America, and to create a plan that will meet the needs of visitors and enhance regional tourism. The team evaluated six potential Welcome Center sites in Hatch and eight sites in Truth or Consequences using metrics and criteria developed in the destination hospitality industry before recommending a site in each community with proximity and easy access to I-25 to enhance guest wayfinding and brand visibility. Officials with NMSA and TEAM IDEAS emphasized a focus on the commercial success of the visitor experience as the best way to make a positive impact on local communities.
The NMSA Board of Directors indicated their support for the plan, with NMSA Chairman Rick Holdridge saying, "After reviewing the TEAM IDEAS recommendations and reconciling it with our budget and commitment to the two counties, we are confident that we have a winning solution fulfilling the promise of economic development, tourism and education.”
Next steps in the development process include the release of Requests for Proposals (RFP) targeting outside investment in Visitor Experience facilities from private developers, the development of a unified visual spaceport brand identity, and continued refinement of the plans as presented. The initial Spaceport America Visitor Experience is expected to reach operational capacity in 2013, about the time Virgin Galactic is intending to begin their commercial operations from Spaceport America. In the meantime, Spaceport America Preview Tours will provide visitors a taste of the project until the full Visitor Experience is ready.
Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. Phase One of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in early 2012. Phase Two of the construction and pre-operations activities will follow, including the development of a world-class Visitor Experience for students, tourists and space launch customers, the vertical launch complex improvements and the paving of the southern road to the spaceport. When Phase Two construction is completed in 2013, Spaceport America will become fully operational.
Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with entrepreneurial space leaders like UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, and Armadillo Aerospace, as well as established aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and MOOG-FTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico.
IDEAS is an innovation studio using the power of story to provide creative, design and production services for entertainment, marketing and learning clients. IDEAS was created in 2001 in a management buyout from The Walt Disney Company and serves clients in enterprise and government worldwide. The company operates from its studio headquarters in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village.
Other team members include: Integrated Insight, Inc.; ORCA Consulting LLC; Cordova Marketing Group; Exline Design and Architecture; MYDesign, Inc.; and Blackhorse Worldwide. Team members from New Mexico include SMPC Architects and Larry Littlebird of Albuquerque NM,. The contract called for companies to create partnerships to provide a wide range of services to develop the spaceport’s Visitor Experience.
TEAM IDEAS members have provided a broad range of services in experience development for a list of clients that includes every major Walt Disney theme park & resort around the world, major Universal Studios theme parks, NASCAR, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, the U.S. Capitol, the Statue of Liberty, the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. This caliber of relevant experience makes the team well-suited to develop the story, design, market analytics, operational strategy, and facilities of the Spaceport America Visitor Experience.

Senate Democrats to Introduce Jobs Bills (cont'd)

“These bills offer an alternative to the limited approach that has been offered before,” Senator Keller said. “These bills will make sure that small businesses across the state have the tools they need to hire more New Mexicans and get our economy moving again.”

 The Initiative offers broad support for small business growth and the creation of economic base jobs in agriculture, construction, manufacturing and technology

“There are constantly new opportunities for our businesses in manufacturing, agriculture and sustainable energy technology,” said Senator John Sapien. “It is important that they have the means to take the lead and guide the state into a new economy.”

Information on Legislation

The HIRE Initiative is a collection of 11 bills that will work to incentivize hiring new employees, paying existing employees better and helping small businesses grow. Some of the HIRE legislation was created last summer by the Senate Majority Floor Leader’s Jobs Initiative Group, which brought together a bi partisan group of business leaders in agriculture and manufacturing, as well as several chambers of commerce, and labor leaders.

The Senate leaders felt that there needed to be a jobs package that would create real jobs to get the economy back on track.

·       Bill Number: SB 65 and SB 66

·       Sponsor: Senator Carlos Cisneros

·       Act Names: Severance Tax Bond Projects and General Obligation Bon

o    The Capital Outlay bills will invest more than 300 million dollars for the state’s infrastructure that will create thousands of construction jobs throughout the state.

·       Bill Number: SB 16

·       Sponsor: Senator Tim Keller

·       Act Name: State Graduate Employment Tax Credit

o   This hiring incentive would give businesses a tax credit of up to $5,000 per year when they employ a graduate of one of the New Mexico’s Universities, keeping educated workers employed in New Mexico small businesses.

·       Bill Number: SB 99

·       Sponsor: Senator Tim Eichenberg

·       Act Name: New Business corporate income tax credit

o   This bill would give a 25 percent tax credit on incremental income taxes for new business and encourage small businesses to start up in, expand or relocate to New Mexico.
   

·       Bill Number: SB 74

·        Sponsor: Senator Steve Fischmann

·       Act Name: Income tax credit for certain services between businesses

o   This bill would reduce the gross receipts tax pyramiding on business-to-business transactions for professional services, and will make it easier, and less expensive for small businesses to get the professional support that they need—like accountants, surveyors, planners, or researchers.

·       Bill Number: SB 42

·       Sponsor: Senator John Sapien

·       Act title: Manufacturing Investment Weighted Scale

o    This bill will allow manufacturers who are looking to expand their operation by purchasing new equipment to be given a tax credit for the improvements and investments that they choose to make.

·        Bill Number: SB 28

·        Sponsor: Senator Tim Keller

·       Act Name: Small Business Investment Corporation Fund

o   This bill would allow for ten percent of the severance tax permanent fund to be invested in New Mexico entrepreneurship funds, and would also double the amount to be invested in the New Mexico Small Business Investment Fund.

·        Bill Number: SB 138

·       Sponsor: Senator John Sapien

·       Act name: Tax Deduction for Certain Agricultural Equipment and Construction Projects

o   This bill will help agricultural entrepreneurs and construction contractors who need to upgrade to new and improved equipment by providing tax credits for 5 years.

·       Bill Number: SB 140

·       Sponsor: Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez

·       Act name: Investment Credit Act Participation

o   This bill would give incentives to businesses not only for hiring additional workers, but also for increasing the wages of current workers through an income tax credit.

·       Bill Number: SB 139

·       Sponsor: Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia

·       Act name: NMFA as Community Development Financial Institution

o    This bill allows NMFA to participate in federal community development financial institutions fund programs. By being able to participate in available federal programs, NMFA will be able to deploy new financial products and development services to bring millions of new dollars to disadvantaged markets.

·       Bill Number: SB 142

·       Sponsor: Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia

·       Act name: Sustainable Energy Technology Tax Credit

o   The purpose of the sustainable energy technology tax credit is to encourage investment in sustainable energy technology research, development, commercialization, and production, and would give a tax credit of up to $25,000.

·        Bill Number: SB 141

·       Sponsor: Senator Phil Griego

·       Act name: Rural Agriculture Processing Transportation Tax

o   This bill would assist agricultural entrepreneurs export their products to other states by providing a tax credit of 20 percent of the costs of transportation.  A second benefit to this legislation is that it also would act as an incentive to establish commercial processing operations here in New Mexico

·       Bill Number: SB 36

·       Sponsor: Senator Tim Eichenberg

·       Act Name: Transportation Reinvestment Zone Act

o   This bill gives local entities the ability to make an authority that can issue bonds for infrastructure investment for transportation and power distribution projects.

Full Transcript of Re-Districting Press Release of Representative Miguel Garcia

Press Release from Representative Miguel Garcia-

According to Governor Susana Martinez’s staff, District Judge James Hall’s court ordered New Mexico House of Representatives redistricting plan is a victory for the Free World, Granma’s apple pie, and Twinkie’s.  For the native Hispanic communities of southeastern New Mexico it is a nightmare  in the awake stage, a return to Jim Crow 21 Century style, and where again Hispanics should be seen but not heard.

Shame on Judge Hall for erasing a half century civil and human rights battle that our Hispano people so valiantly fought to eliminate discrimination in voting and hiring, in equal access to public facilities, and in the instilling of human dignity by outlawing those demeaning and inhumane “No Niggers, Dogs, or Mexicans Allowed” placards at our places of business.

Judge Hall’s court ordered House plan gives Republicans a 40% land base in a reconsolidated SE New Mexico, eastern Dona Ana, and Valencia County where native Hispano Democrats will have an extremely impossible time of winning.  But keep in mind that Judge Hall created “competitive districts.”  “Competitive districts” is a politically charged term for diffusing and eliminating Democratic Hispano voting strength. 

But a Democratic Judge wouldn’t do that.  Would he?  Hey!  Even Jesus Christ soiled his undies every now and then.

Our vetoed House plan was not perfect by any means, but at least it meet all the constitutional requirements of the Voting Rights Act protection of ethnic and language minorities, communities of interest, and the one person one vote principle.  Judge Hall trashed the constitution for an evil empire “competitive district” House plan conjured up by our beloved Governor Susana Martinez

It does not seem judicious for a Judge to accept a plaintiff’s plan that was not publically vetted or that never saw the political light of day, for the better or the worse.  As we say in Spanish, "Fuimos de Guatemala a Guatepeor."

There are good constitutional grounds on which to challenge the "Guatepeor" court ordered House plan of Judge Hall.  For one he totally obliterated the federally constituted Hispano majority District 63 seat.  This Hispano majority seat was created to give Chicano & Afro American communities in southwest Clovis, and the Chicano community of north Portales a fighting chance of electing one of their own.

Why?  Because of southeastern New Mexico’s history of blatant discrimination, segregation, cultural strangulation, and human and civil rights violations of minorities.  

 Under the Judge Hall decision southwest Clovis and north Portales were gerrymandered into three separate districts then remodified into one district with a 56% Republican performance and a token 50% Hispano adult population. 

The other federally constituted Hispano district in SE New Mexico, District 58 in south Roswell and, south Chavez County, didn't fare any better—53% Republican performance, 62% Hispano adult population.  Sayonara Raza!  Try again in 2021 is what Judge Hall is telling Democratic Hispanics in southeast New Mexico.

 Judge Hall failed miserably on being equitable to the Hispano federally constituted seats in south eastern New Mexico.  The U.S. Department of Justice should have never relinquished signing off on our redistricting plans for the legislature.  The Hall decision is a wakeup call for making federal oversight a much needed standard in our state

 Where's El Aquila Negra, The Cisco Kid, and The Lone Ranger & Tonto when we need them.  For sure they were not in Judge Hall's court room.

Su Mas Atento Servidor,

State Representative Miguel P Garcia, (D) Los Ranchos de Atrisco

505 877-8131

1118 La Font Rd Sw

Albuquerque, NM 87105

Governor's Budget Message (cont'd)

Expressing appropriate caution given the still-fragile state of the economy, Governor Martinez’s executive budget proposal maintains funding for most agencies at the current level. It continues the fiscal responsibility that has allowed the state to regain its financial footing, but includes significant proposals that will further improve New Mexico’s education system, help to put New Mexicans back to work and provide healthcare and essential services to those who need them most. The Governor’s FY 2013 budget includes:
• Approximately $97.2 million in new funding to support the needs of New Mexico’s classrooms and public school students. Roughly $40 million of this new funding would be committed to core services such as textbooks and transportation. Among another $30 million, the Governor is proposing a $17 million investment in early childhood reading initiatives in order to identify students who are struggling to read in early grades and get them the help they deserve before they get to the fourth grade. In addition, her budget calls for a $5.5 million initiative to help the state’s lowest-performing schools improve their student achievement, while rewarding those schools that are showing the greatest student progress. She is also proposing $4.2 million on initiatives to better prepare students to graduate from high school and enter college. The remainder is attributed to additional contributions that New Mexico’s teachers will not have to make into their retirement.
• Approximately $55 million to be used to reduce or eliminate the gross receipts tax burden for up to 40,000 New Mexico small businesses, and stop the double- and triple-taxation of goods that is commonly known as “tax pyramiding” that has stifled the state’s construction and manufacturing sectors. New Mexico has been ranked dead last in terms of its ability to attract new economic investment, and these measures would help the state better compete for jobs and grow our private sector. This funding also includes the Governor’s two proposals to aid our veterans. One is a $1,000 tax credit to any New Mexico employer who hires a returning veteran. The other is a personal income tax exemption for 25 percent of our veterans’ pensions. Furthermore, the Governor proposes a tax credit to attract businesses that engage in high-technology research and development to our state.
• Nearly $42.5 million in new funding for Medicaid services and program improvements, which includes an additional $8 million to prevent the closure of nursing homes in New Mexico due to federal Medicare cuts.
The budget also includes an additional one-year moratorium on the purchase of new vehicles, with an exception for critical health and public safety needs. In addition, higher education institutions would begin operating under a new funding formula that moves away from allocating resources based on input measures such as courses begun and campus square footage, and instead allocates resources based on outcome measures such as degrees completed, ability to close the achievement gap, and graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce New Mexico needs.
Given the stable condition of the state budget, state employees will not have an additional 1.75% of their annual pay shifted toward their retirement in FY13.
“We faced an enormous challenge last year to put our state back on the path toward stability and prosperity,” Governor Martinez continued. “We will always face challenges to balance responsible spending with the need to fill key priorities such as education, economic development, and the well-being of all New Mexicans. However, we have made great strides over the last year and I am confident that this budget proposal will continue to strengthen New Mexico while responsibly planning for a better and brighter future for our children and families.”
The Governor’s $5.61 billion budget proposal, which represents an increase in state spending of 3.6%, can be found online on the Governor’s website at www.gov.state.nm.us. Below is a copy of the letter that the Governor provided at the front her budget recommendation.
To the People of New Mexico:
I am pleased to report to you that New Mexico’s financial house is back in order.
Just one year ago, our state was facing a staggering structural budget deficit of roughly $450 million. This deficit was created by years of overspending by state government, a deep economic recession, and the fact that federal stimulus money that had been used to plug budget holes in areas like Medicaid and public education had dried up.
With a dangerously low level of money in the state’s savings account, some were tempted to simply raise taxes to temporarily increase revenue – at the expense of jobs that would have been lost as a result. Others were tempted to cut education for our kids or important health care services and programs. I viewed these as unacceptable options for our families and instead proposed to balance the budget by cutting the waste and excess and responsibly forcing government to live within its means.
I am proud to have signed a bi-partisan budget that reduced the bloated bureaucracy in state government without raising taxes on New Mexicans, while protecting classroom spending and basic healthcare services for the most vulnerable among us. Cost cutting started at the Governor’s residence and stretched throughout the administration. We sold the state’s luxury jet, reduced the number and salaries of political appointees across state government, put in place a moratorium on new vehicle purchases, saved on the renegotiation of office space leases, and eliminated hundreds of unused or unnecessary cell phones, email accounts and state vehicles. These efforts and the efforts of agencies across government to save taxpayer dollars in other ways resulted in significant savings in our budget, which were reverted to the state’s coffers. I am thankful for the commitment shared by everyone in the administration to do more with less.
We have also beefed up our reserves to protect against future budget shortfalls. On June 30th, 2011, New Mexico closed FY11 with General Fund reserves at well over 9% of the state budget, substantially higher than the projected amount of 3.5% that had been forecast just fourteen months ago. As a result of responsible budgeting and projected increases in some of our revenue sources spurred by our efforts to get New Mexico’s economy moving again, reserve levels for the current fiscal year are projected to remain at approximately 9% once again.
Not only is New Mexico better prepared for these uncertain economic times, but we now have an opportunity to responsibly allocate a limited amount of “new money” toward important priorities for New Mexico children and families, as part of the budget for FY13. In this budget proposal, I aim to continue the fiscal responsibility and sound budgeting that has allowed us to regain our state’s stable financial footing. We maintain the current funding level for most state government agencies, but call for increased investment in educating our children, reforming our tax code to create jobs, and protecting health care for those most in need.
We all know that our children will succeed if we can teach them to read well, graduate high school, and adequately prepare for college and the work force. That is why I am proposing $97.2 million in new funding to support the needs of our classrooms and children in our public schools. Approximately $40 million of this new funding is devoted to ongoing needs for core services like textbooks and transportation. $30 million will fund important education reforms like reading programs for young children, college preparedness and high school graduation initiatives, rewards for our most effective teachers and schools, and significant financial support for students and schools that are struggling and in need of greater attention and help. The remainder is additional contributions that New Mexico’s teachers will not have to make into their retirement.
In addition, New Mexico has been ranked last in terms of competitiveness for new economic investment in the United States, in part due to a gross receipts tax structure that makes it hard for small businesses to grow and hire new workers. Now that we have additional recurring revenue and in order to encourage job creation, I am proposing to use approximately $55 million to reduce or eliminate the gross receipts tax burden for up to 40,000 (roughly half) of our state’s small businesses and to stop the job-killing double and triple taxation of goods that hurts New Mexico’s construction and manufacturing sectors. And in order to support some of our greatest heroes, I propose two new programs. The first would allow a $1,000 tax credit to any New Mexico employer who hires one of our returning veterans. The second would allow an exemption from income tax for 25 percent of the pension income of our veterans. Furthermore, my budget calls for a tax credit to attract businesses that engage in high-technology research and development to New Mexico, along with the high-paying jobs that would come with them.
Finally, to support those most in need and keep our families safe, I propose $45.2 million in new funding for Medicaid services and program improvements, $8 million of which would go to prevent the closure of nursing homes in New Mexico due to federal Medicare cuts, as well as additional funding in the areas of public safety, corrections, and key programs within the Children, Youth, and Families Department.
In summary, at this point in time last year, the challenges we faced in addressing the state’s budget crisis were enormous. But we met those challenges by working together and sharing sacrifices along the way. Today, we can share in the optimism of a balanced budget and the ability to invest in educating our children and laying the foundation for a competitive economy that can create much-needed jobs for our workers. With these priorities in mind, I am confident we can work together to enact lasting change for the benefit of our children and families.

Local Resource Management Increases Public Safety, Creates Jobs (Cont'd)

This is exactly what the Otero County Commission was trying to accomplish with their Emergency Tree Cutting that began on Saturday, September 17th. The Commissioners in Otero County have been dedicated to ensuring local resource management of our forests and increasing public safety.
In June, the Commission voted to create an emergency plan, allowing the county to forego U.S. Forest Service policy and cut trees in the event of an emergency. They created an 80,000-acre plan that calls for responsible management to protect local watershed and prevent fires that have threatened Cloudcroft for many years. Cutting took place in Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft.
It was a historic day, marking the return of common-sense local resource management, and I commend their efforts as well as their determination. In the days leading up to the event, an agreement was reached between the United States Forest Service and the Otero County Commissioners, stating that USFS would not interfere with the emergency plan. This was a breakthrough, demonstrating that cooperation between local and federal governments is possible.
I have continually said that forest management can only be done successfully if local government is an equal with the federal government. For the first time in a long while, local people with local interests have demonstrated that there is a voice, other than Washington's, in forest management. Saturday’s event was a step toward public safety in our communities, and our local officials have delivered. The reemergence of local involvement in forest management is a positive step. Regulations by the federal government have limited public access of forests and created logging bans.
In reality, forest management cannot be handled in Washington alone; instead, local people with local interests should have a voice in how to properly manage local resources. It is the Constitutional right of local governments to have a voice in these matters.
In fact, the U.S. Constitution specifies which powers are given to the federal government. The Tenth Amendment of the Constitution states that all powers not given to the federal government belong to the states and to the people. The right to determine how the forest should be managed belongs to states, counties, or the people. It is a local issue that directly affects our homes, communities, and our safety.
Saturday’s events in Otero County proved that local governments are more than capable of managing their lands. Their plan was legal and did not call for clear cutting of the forests. Instead, it worked to cut unnecessary or dead and dry trees that would only act as kindling when wildfires start.
Otero County’s plan also initiated what will hopefully be the renewal of the timber industry in New Mexico. If we can get local governments to take the initiative and tell the federal government that enough is enough, we can reclaim the industry that once flourished in New Mexico.
According to “The Economics of Sawmill Operations in New Mexico,” a study by New Mexico State University from the early 1960s lumber and wood products manufacturing was second in importance “only to the food and food handling industry of New Mexico.”
Additionally, our nation lost 20,000 logging jobs with the listing of the spotted owl on the endangered species list. This loss is devastating, but could be overcome with the renewal of logging in our state and other areas who follow Otero County’s lead.
It is time for the people to hold the government accountable and for government to listen to the people. The simple truth is that we need real, common-sense solutions and a government that will use good judgment. We have to stand up and say, “Enough is enough!”

Governor Talks Driver's Licenses (Cont'd)

 In October 2010, State Police arrested two Chinese nationals accused of being part of an illegal driver's license scheme at an MVD office in Santa Fe. Shunxian Feng, 33, flew in from China for the sole purpose of getting a driver's license. Workers at MVD became suspicious after seeing Feng with Shu Juan Liu, whom workers had noticed at MVD several times. Shu Juan Liu fled, but Feng and Yue Xian Liu, 50, were arrested and charged with conspiracy and forging a fictitious license.

In September 2010, State Police arrested a Costa Rican national- Adolfo J. Mora-Granados, 23 – in Albuquerque for his suspected role in helping four illegal immigrants obtain driver's licenses. He is accused of using fake lease agreements to get the immigrants licenses. He was charged with four counts of conspiracy and six counts of forgery.

In September 2010, State Police arrested a Brazilian man - Christian Sobral - who tried getting two other Brazilians licenses in Albuquerque. Sobral was paid $3,000 to fly in the Brazilians and help them get licenses. He was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.

In July 2010, a 32-year-old Illinois man was arrested after helping two undocumented Polish immigrants who live in Illinois get licenses in Albuquerque. Jaroslaw Kowalczyk, who pleaded guilty in federal court for transporting illegal immigrants, charged the immigrants $1,000 each to drive them to New Mexico and get them forged documents.

In March 2011, a Santa Fe grand jury indicted four illegal foreign nationals of East Indian descent from Chicago, including the ring leader who is accused of charging $6,000 per individual to fraudulently obtain a New Mexico driver’s license. The ring leader Siraj A. “Sunny” Poonawala, 55. The same grand jury a week before also indicted his clients Sanjay Kumar G. Patel, 24; Bhavesh Kumar M. Prajapati, 27; and Hitesh Kumar A. Patel, 24; on charges of conspiracy and altered, forged or fictitious license.

In August 2011, An Albuquerque grand jury indicted Ana Hernandez on over 300 counts of felony charges for creating fake residency documents so illegal immigrants could obtain New Mexico drivers’ licenses. She helped 43 illegal immigrants of Mexican descent obtain New Mexico driver’s licenses.

Udall - Bingaman Write USPS a Letter

August 5, 2011

The Honorable Patrick R. Donahoe
Postmaster General
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20260

Dear Postmaster General Donahoe:

We write regarding the possible closure of over 50 post offices in New Mexico. While we appreciate efforts to contain costs in this era of fiscal austerity, our constituents, especially those in rural communities, depend on regular and reliable mail service to carry out every day activities. The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides an essential service to our constituents and we fear these closures would negatively impact the quality of mail delivery service they receive. We respectfully request a meeting to discuss this issue, as well as USPS's long-term plan for operations in New Mexico.

The proposed studies include more than 15% of the post offices in our state. The vast majority of the New Mexico post offices under consideration for closure serve rural areas without convenient alternatives. While some residents impacted by postal closures may only be forced to drive an additional mile or two, others may need to drive over fifty miles to the next nearest location. In reviewing the proposed list of offices selected for possible closure, we cannot help but note nearly half of them have no alternative within 10 miles. Our familiarity with these communities also raises concerns that many of the possible closings are in communities that may not have a viable partner for the "village post office" alternative. We ask that you share your plans for addressing service in such communities.

We are also concerned with the significant change to New Mexico regional postal operations. In the past year alone, the Albuquerque Customer Service District has been relocated to Arizona and the USPS has proposed closing the Las Cruces Distribution Center. Additionally, of the total 65 possible closings in the Arizona District, over 55 are located in New Mexico. These potential reductions in New Mexico operations demonstrate a serious change in the USPS's commitment to New Mexico.

While we understand and sympathize with the significant challenges facing USPS, we believe that the negative impact these closures would have on New Mexicans should be carefully considered. Closure and consolidation should not come at the expense of the quality of mail delivery services.

We thank you for your consideration of these concerns, and we look forward to meeting with you and discussing your long-term plan for New Mexico postal operations. Please do not hesitate to contact Dominic Saavedra in Senator Bingaman's office at 202-224-5521 or Sabrina De Santiago in Senator Udall's office at 202-224-6621 should you or your staff have any questions.

Sincerely,


Jeff Bingaman
United States Senator
Tom UdallUnited States Senator

Pearce Forms Veteran's Advisory Council (continued)

Eliseo “Eli” Arrellano – Arrellano, a Vietnam veteran, served as a Marine for 3 years.  He lives in Anthony, where he is a member of several veterans’ organizations.

Larry Candelaria – Candelaria, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Army for over 20 years.  He lives in Las Cruces, where he is a VA Veterans Advocate.

Charlie Daniels – Daniels, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Army for 3 years.  He lives in Carlsbad, where he is active with the local chapter of the VVA, the American Legion, and Vietnam Veterans.

Kevin Dasing – Dasing, a veteran of Desert Storm, served in the Army for 20 years.  Dasing lives in Las Cruces, where he is active with a variety of veterans organizations.  Dasing will serve as chair of the Veterans Advisory Council. 

James Dickman – Dickman, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Air Force for 4 years.  He lives in Carlsbad, where he is active with the local chapter of the VVA, the American Legion, and Vietnam Veterans.

Frank Donohue – Donohue, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Marines for 5 years.  He lives in Silver City, where he is active with the Marine Corps League, the American Legion, and the VFW.

Lori M. English – English, a Vietnam veteran, served as a Marine for 2 years.  She lives in Las Cruces, where she is involved with the Women’s Marine Association.

Robert Gonzales – Gonzales served in the Marines, Army, and National Guard for a 9 years.  He lives in Socorro, where he is active with the Disabled American Veterans.

John Holguin – Holguin, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Marines for 3 years.  He lives in Anthony, where he is a member of the New Mexico Veterans Museum Board.

Don Hunter – Hunter, a veteran of Desert Storm, served in the Marines for 26 years, and currently lives in Roswell.  He is actively involved in local veterans groups, including the Marine Corps League.

Jim Martinez – Martinez, a Vietnam veteran, served as a Marine for 30 years.  He lives in Los Lunas, where he is active with the 3^rd Marine Division and other organizations.

Harry McGraw – McGraw, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Air Force for 4 years.  He currently lives in Roswell, where he is active with numerous veterans organizations.

Ron McKay – McKay, a Vietnam veteran, retired with the rank of Colonel, after serving in the Marines for 27 years.  He currently lives in Roswell, where he serves with a variety of veteran’s organizations.

Leonard Ramirez – Ramirez, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Marines for 3 years.  He lives in Anthony, where he is a member of several veterans’ organizations.

Charles Revie – Revie, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Army for over 20 years.  He lives in Las Cruces, where he is the national legislative director for the Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees. 

Peter Romero – Romero, a Vietnam veteran, served as a Marine for 8 years.  He lives in Socorro, where he is active with the Disabled American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans.

Douglas Shaw – Shaw, a veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, served as a Marine for 17 years.  He currently lives in Roswell, where he is active with the Marine Corps League and other veterans’ organizations.

Paul Clinton Smith – Smith, a veteran of Vietnam, served in the Air Force for 25 years, and currently lives in Ruidoso.  He currently serves as the president of the Ft. Stanton Volunteers.

John Taylor – Taylor, a Vietnam veteran, served in the army for 5 years.  He currently lives in Roswell, where he is active with the Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, and the Marine Corps League. 

Jim Zawacki – Zawacki, a Vietnam veteran, served in the Air Force for 8 years.  He lives in Silver City, where he is active with a variety of veterans’ organizations.

Both Caucuses: Let's EXEMPT Ourselves!

HOUSE BILL 605

50TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

AN ACT

RELATING TO ELECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF POLITICAL

PARTY CAUCUS COMMITTEES; CREATING AN EXCEPTION TO CAMPAIGN

CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: SECTION 1. A new section of the Campaign Reporting Act is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] HOUSE AND SENATE POLITICAL PARTY CAUCUS

COMMITTEES--EXCEPTION TO CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.-- A. A political party caucus of the state house of representatives may maintain one house political party caucus committee. A political party caucus of the state house of representatives shall not maintain more than one house political party caucus committee. A house political party caucus committee shall not be considered to be a person or a political committee for the purposes of Section 1-19-34.7 NMSA 1978 and, therefore, is exempt from the contribution limits imposed by that section. For all other purposes of the

Campaign Reporting Act, a house political party caucus committee shall be considered to be a political committee. B. A political party caucus of the state senate may maintain one senate political party caucus committee. A political party caucus of the state senate shall not maintain more than one senate political party caucus committee. A senate political party caucus committee shall not be considered to be a person or a political committee for the purposes of Section 1-19-34.7 NMSA 1978 and, therefore, is exempt from the contribution limits imposed by that section. For all other purposes of the Campaign Reporting Act, a senate political party caucus committee shall be considered to be a political committee." SECTION 2. Section 1-19-34.7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2009,

Chapter 68, Section 1) is amended to read: "1-19-34.7. CONTRIBUTION LIMITATIONS--CANDIDATES-- POLITICAL COMMITTEES.--

A. The following contributions by the following persons are prohibited:

(1) from a person, not including a political committee, to a: (a) candidate for nonstatewide office, including the candidate's campaign committee, in an amount that will cause that person's total contributions to the candidate to exceed two thousand three hundred dollars ($2,300) during the primary election or two thousand three hundred dollars ($2,300) during the general election; (b) candidate for statewide office, including the candidate's campaign committee, in an amount that will cause that person's total contributions to the candidate to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) during the primary election or five thousand dollars ($5,000) during the general election; or

(c) political committee in an amount that will cause that person's total contributions to the political committee to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) during a primary election or five thousand dollars ($5,000) during a general election; and

(2) from a political committee to: (a) a candidate for office, including the candidate's campaign committee, in an amount that will cause the political committee's total contributions to the candidate to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) during the primary election or five thousand dollars ($5,000) during the general election; or (b) another political committee in an amount that will cause that political committee's total contributions to the political committee to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) during a primary election or five thousand dollars ($5,000) during a general election. B. All contributions made by a person to a candidate, either directly or indirectly, including contributions that are in any way earmarked or otherwise directed through another person to a candidate, shall be treated as contributions from the person to that candidate. C. A person, including a political committee, shall not knowingly accept or solicit a contribution, directly or indirectly, including a contribution earmarked or otherwise directed or coordinated through another person, including a political committee, that violates the contribution limits provided for in this section.

D. On the day after each general election, the contribution amounts provided in Subsection A of this section shall be increased by the percentage of the preceding two calendar year's increase of the consumer price index for all urban consumers, United States city average for all items, published by the United States department of labor. The amount of the increase shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars ($100). The secretary of state shall publish by October 1 before each general election the adjusted contribution limits that shall take effect the day after the following general election.

E. All contributions in excess of the limits imposed by the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the public election fund upon a finding by the secretary of state that the contribution limits have been exceeded.

F. The limitation on contributions to a candidate provided for in Subsection A of this section shall not apply to a candidate's own contribution from the candidate's personal funds to the candidate's own campaign.

G. For the purposes of this section:

(1) "primary election" means the period beginning on the day after the general election for the applicable office and ending on the day of the primary for that office; [and]

(2) "general election" means the period beginning on the day after the primary for the applicable office and ending on the day of the general election for that office; and (3) "person" or "political committee" does not include political party caucus committees."

Martinez Names Spaceport Board (continued)

· Chairman Richard Holdridge is a retired Air Force officer from Deming whose military service included a heavy focus on satellite program acquisition and overseeing the manufacturing, planning, and operation of United States Department of Defense satellite programs. After retiring from the Air Force, Holdridge was elected to the Deming City Council, where he served from 1998 to 2000. He currently manages his family’s real estate development and farming businesses in southern New Mexico. Holdridge earned his B.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, his M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Dayton, and his PhD in Astronautical Engineering from Stanford University.
· Irvin Diamond is a Certified Public Accountant and a Senior Principal at REDW Stanley Financial Advisers in Albuquerque. He is also a Certified Financial Planner and chairs the Board of Directors at Amerinst Insurance Group. Diamond holds degrees from John Carroll University and the University of New Mexico.
· Sid Gutierrez is a former NASA astronaut who currently serves as Director of ES&H and Emergency Management as well as Chief of Safety for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. Gutierrez piloted the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1991 and served as Mission Commander for the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1994. He also served on NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Taskforce. Gutierrez earned his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and his M.A. in Personnel Management from Webster University.
· Jerry Stagner is the President of Citizens Bank in Truth or Consequences. He also served as President of State National Bank and has an extensive background in the banking field. Stagner holds a B.B.A from Eastern New Mexico University. He previously served as a member of the Spaceport Authority Board of Directors.
· David Buchholtz is an attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP in Albuquerque. His practice includes government finance law, economic development and state tax incentive law, financial institutions law, securities law, and corporate law. Buchholtz has been a private practice attorney since 1976. He is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of Think New Mexico and also served as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico Law School. He earned his B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
· Scott Krahling is a marketing consultant from Las Cruces who specializes in developing and implementing marketing plans for small businesses and real estate clients in Doña Ana County. Krahling also serves as a member of the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners. He holds a B.A in Government and Journalism & Mass Communications from New Mexico State University.
· Benjamin Woods serves as the Senior Vice President for External Relations and Chief of Staff at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, managing the Office of Government Relations as well as the University Communications and Marketing Services in that capacity. Woods has served as an administrator at NMSU since 1987, working in multiple fields for the university, including Planning, Physical Resources, and University Relations. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and earned his M.B.A from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Woods previously chaired the Spaceport Authority Board of Directors

Anti-Corruption Bill (continued)

Anti-Corruption Bill (continued)
Rep. Gentry’s bill would, among other things:
· Make jail sentences mandatory for convicted public officials;
· Make it possible to seize the retirement or pension funds from those convicted, depending on the severity of the crime;
· Place a lifetime ban on lobbyists and contractors convicted of corruption; and
· Require public employees to report corruption.
Rep. David Doyle’s bill would create a public corruption unit within the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. “Not only would this unit enforce our corruption laws,” says Rep. Doyle, “but it should serve as a deterrent against any elected official who toys with the idea of abusing their power.”
“Corrupt public officials deserve to be prosecuted,” says Rep. Gentry. “We were elected to serve, and when you break the public’s trust and put your own interests above those of your constituents, you need to be held accountable.”
In all, these bills would add over a dozen new provisions to New Mexico’s law that would punish those convicted of corruption and prevent those who might consider it. “I am tired of corruption headlines defining our state, this is a bill that will do something about it,” says Rep. Gentry.

Sustainable Growth (continued)

Sustainable Growth (continued)

According to sustainability doctrine, it is a social injustice for some to have prosperity if others do not, to keep our borders closed, for some to be bosses and others to be merely workers. Additionally, the UN’s Biodiversity Assessment Report states that the following are NOT sustainable: grazing of livestock, plowing of soil, building fences, industry, single family homes, paved and tarred roads, logging activities, dams and reservoirs, power line construction and economic systems that fail to set proper value on the environment (capitalism, free markets). Furthermore the UN’s Rio Earth Summit said “current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class – involving high meat intake, use of fossil fuels, appliances, home and work air-conditioning, and suburban housing are not sustainable."

Sustainable Growth is sponsored by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and simply calls itself ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability supported by a network of “Green” experts. Their mission is to push local governments to regulate the environment. More than 544 American cities use taxpayer dollars to support this organization. In New Mexico these include Albuquerque, Cimarron, Santa Fe, Silver City and Taos. I don’t know if Las Cruces has, or proposed a membership in this organization. The doctrine of Sustainable Growth permeates the City Council and the City has hired a Sustainability Manager to oversee and implement this expanding environmentalist doctrine and government control over private property.

Governor Martinez, Acting on the Advice of Taxpayers

Governor Martinez Acting on the Advice of Taxpayers (continued)

“In order to balance our budget and address our state’s fiscal crisis, we must act quickly to cut waste from government. Today, I am heeding the advice of my fellow New Mexicans and taking immediate action to reduce spending. “I have signed a one year moratorium on new car purchases for non-law enforcement purposes. This will save taxpayer money immediately while also allowing my administration to determine how many additional cars we can eliminate from the state’s fleet. These cars are not personal toys – they are paid for and maintained by New Mexico taxpayers. Along these same lines, we will also examine how we can reduce expenses by cutting cell phones for state workers who don’t need them and limiting unnecessary travel by taking advantage of videoconferencing technology.

We will also look at how we can eliminate redundancy and I have already ordered the Taxation and Revenue Department to consolidate its Revenue Processing Division and Audit Compliance Division.” “These measures only mark the beginning of our fight to balance the budget and rein in government spending. There are many more suggestions that will require further examination – and my administration will implement as many as possible. The people of New Mexico have spoken and I have heard them loud and clear. It’s time to cut spending, shrink government, and commit ourselves to protecting taxpayer money rather than wasting it.”

Dr. Michael J. Spence Supports Governor Martinez Forensic DNA Initiatives

Dr. Michael J. Spence

In an interview with News New Mexico, Dr. Michael J. Spence (Spence Forensic Resources) offered his commentary on Governor Susana Martinez's initiative to expand the parameters of DNA collection in New Mexico. According to Spence, his organization, Spence Forensic Resources (SFR) is in complete agreement with Governor Martinez. He said, the proposed initiative represents a productive means of enhancing public safety and improving the criminal justice system. SFR is in favor of technological advancements in the effectiveness of criminal investigations. Some individuals have voiced their fears that forensic DNA data will somehow be misused. The basis for these fears is understandable, but misguided. The sophisticated technology utilized for DNA testing appears intimidating to most people-especially when it rests in the hands of faceless government employees.

Dr. Spence was able to break down this daunting technology during our interview into terms that can be digested by most average individuals-even those who desperately avoided their biology homework assignments. What follows are his observations and comments: "The scientific rational for SFR’s support of our Governor on the issue of expanded DNA testing is based on a basic understanding of a DNA profile. This is determined for a person during the forensic testing process. DNA data emerge from a series sophisticated forensic steps as nothing more than a collection of numerical pairs, such as 11,13 .... 8,9 .... 22,24, .... 12,12, etc. NONE of these numbers are genes or portions of genes. No, ....they are merely small fragments of DNA from areas within a person's genetic material. These areas are referred to as "junk DNA" or "non-coding DNA" regions. These parts of the human genome have nothing to do with determining physical characteristics such as height, hair color, eye color, racial characteristics, disease susceptibility, etc.

Some individuals have pointed out that forensic analysis samples STILL should not be in the hands of our government, ...in any capacity. These samples include blood draws, oral swabs, and of course, evidence items from crime scenes. Some have expressed fear that such samples might find their way into the ‘wrong hands'. Consequently, a paranoia exists that unauthorized DNA experiments might be conducted on the samples. This sinsister activity would uncover medical/genetic information that was meant to be kept private. The above-described premise is monumentally ridiculous and vastly improbable. Forensic samples are collected, tracked, and documented by countless human beings. This process is called "chain of custody". Samples in the custody of law enforcement facilities are securly stored in a locked evidence vaults.

Irrational fears that biological material/DNA might be misused are outweighed by the benefits of expanding CODIS (the Combined DNA Indexing System). CODIS, our DNA database, represents an amazing investigative tool that has put dangerous people behind bars, prevented countless crimes, and saved countless lives. Jayann Sepich is correct. It is clear that expansion of the CODIS database will continue to solve even more crimes. SFR is a genuine proponent of improving law enforcement resources for criminal investigations. Of paramount importance, SFR objects emphatically to the plague of wrongful convictions across our country. Expansion of the CODIS database will assist in identifying the CORRECT perpetrators of crimes, …..and sometimes fuel the release INNOCENT individuals who have been incarcerated for a crime they did not commit. This, my friends, is the proper use of the power of DNA."

_________________________________________________________

Conviction, a Tony Goldwyn film, will be released in U.S. theaters on October 15, 2010. The film tells the story of Ken Waters. In 1983, Ken was convicted of a homicide in Ayer, Massachusetts. His sister, Betty Anne Waters, was an unemployed single mother. The woman put herself through law school-earning an opportunity to fight for Ken’s life. After 18 years in prison, Ken was exonerated on June 19, 2001, a consequence of DNA testing. The film stars Sam Rockwell as Mr. Waters and Hilary Swank as Ms. Waters.