No early voting sites for the Democratic Caucus in New Mexico

The date to vote in the Democratic Caucus is February 5, 2008. Absentee voting ballots had to be mail out by last Monday so that an independent accounting firm could certify the results of the election. The party is not doing early voting sites this year. Democrats need to show up at the voting sites on February 5 in order to vote at this point in time. Polls will be open from 12:00 noon until 7:00 pm. All registered Democratic voters need to show their support for the process by voting. Staying home or at work and not voting is a good way to show our country that New Mexicans don’t care about the issues facing our country. All caucus sites will be allowing provisional ballots if you can not make it to your voting site then go to the closest one to vote. The provisional ballots will be counted and they will count in the caucus. You don’t need a formal ID in order to vote. We in the Democratic Party are not in the business to deny any registered democrat voter the right to vote in the caucus. Democrats in New Mexico must understand that voting is not just a right in this country but it is a civic duty. Our system of government only works well when people care about and take part in the process. Democrats of New Mexico take responsibility for your own actions in so doing exercise your rights and duties by voting on February 5.

Now there is only two left to vote for on next Tuesday.

Today Former Senator John Edwards pulled out of the race for President. Someone once asked me why I would not want to vote for Edwards. At the time, I was supporting Governor Bill Richardson for President. My answer was that I could not think of any reason not to support Former Senator Edwards. Senator Edwards is a good man and he supports all of the same issues that I support at present. The only real reason I was not supporting him was because I also knew that Governor Richardson is a good man, is very strong on the same issues and had a lot more experience. Early on before the Governor got into the race I had every intention to support Edwards for President. Former Senator Edwards will away be a great credit to our party. I hope which every candidate gets the nomination will find a place for him in his or her administration.

We are now faced with the choice of two candidates for President. Senator Obama and Senator Clinton will both be in our state over the next few days. I would like to find the time to see both candidates. No matter which candidate wins the nomination we must support our party's nominee for President. Our country can not cope with another four years under the Republicans. Both candidates offer skills that would only serve to help our country at this crucial time in history. I hope every registered democrat in New Mexico makes the time to vote for one of these outstanding candidates on February 5. To find your caucus site go to: http://www.bernalillodems.org/ or http://www.nmdemocrats.org/

The State of the Union Address—Point one destroy the dream of equality

Last night was the last of President George W. Bush's state of the Union addresses. The last of something can be a thing to cheer about. I must admit that I will not be sad to see someone else do the State of the Union address next year.

President Bush had one very disturbing request last night. He wants Pell Grants for K-12 students so children can afford to attend private schools. Our country is based on the premise of public education for all children. The idea is that with a good education anyone can achieve great things in their lives. By taking money away for the public school system and putting it into private schools, we would deprive the public schools of the needed funds to educate all of our children. Private schools charge very high tuition fees for each student and don't have a central administration therefore it cost more to educate one child in a private setting. It would be unwise for us to spend money on private education when we already have a public system in place. I would love to see us pay public educators the same salaries as private schools pay their educators for doing the same jobs. We might just attract younger and more skilled individuals if we could afford to pay them the same salaries as private educators received. The truth of the matter is that as long as we want to provide a good education for all of our children we will never be able to afford a great education for each and every one of our children. The country is unwilling or unable to spend the money to make that dream a reality. I know that a few people out there don't have children of their own and don't see a reason to spend money on education at all. If we allow the Bush administration to dismantle public education then we allow them to destroy the dream of equality for all Americans because without public education a growing number of people would no be able to afford to send their children to school. We have Pell grants for Higher Education and just look how many people still can't afford to attend college in this country. Do we really want to do that to our children? Do we really want to do that to our country? Without a well educated workforce it would not be long before other countries that are willing to spend the money on education would moved ahead of us in the world's free market place. Exactly what are we, the American people, willing to give up to provided a private education to a limited number of children in this country?

Never disagree with the experts

Over the years, I have learned to never disagree with a few of my most trusted friends when it comes to the areas in which they are experts. I trust and respect my friends and know when to rely on them for their advice. I have a friend who is a judge so I never disagree with him when it comes to the law. Mind you I don't trust just any judge but there are people in the world that when you get to know them then you learn to respect their judgment on issues where they are well educated. When it comes to politics there is only one person that I try hard never to disagree with because he has been working in politics every since I was in diapers. He is supporting Senator Obama for President. He sent me an email today because he will be making his formal announcement for who he supports. He asked me to support Senator Obama for President. I am finding it very difficult to not listen to this very old trusted family friend especially since I am undecided on the matter of who to support and as I have said there is no other individual I trust more on the matter of politics then him.

Is New Mexico still the wild west or not? and Spread the happiness

Is New Mexico still the wild west or not?

I was reading the Sunday Journal today and came across an article that said that the New York Times ran an article that said we still had a reputation of being the Wild West. It said that we in the political world of New Mexico were still known for hard drinking and wild parties. I have to agree with the guy who wrote the statement “What wild parties and how come I have not been invited?” I know a good number of the Democrats in office in New Mexico and have yet to be invited to a wild drinking party. The politicians I know are family men who have quiet parties where we sit around and talk all evening long. Yes, mostly about political issues. The wildest we get is to hug each other hello and goodbye. The parties don’t last much past nine o’clock because we have jobs and families to deal with the next day. I must admit that there are times when we have our fights and disagreements with each other but as of yet I have never seen anyone hit another person over a disagreement. Maybe the New York Times should send a reporter to New Mexico to update their view of how politicians here in New Mexico behave toward each other at present. Now let me say that I can not speak for the Republican Party and how they behave toward each other. I wonder if that is where the New York Times gets their impression of New Mexico's political world from these days.


Spread the happiness

I like this quote from C. S. Lewis because common sense tells us that if we are kind to our friends and make them smile every once in a while it ends up making both people smile and brings a little happiness into both people’s lives. I can’t say that I like mean spirited people who only enjoy themselves when they are harming someone else either physical, spiritually or mentally. We all know people like that but we don’t have to be like that ourselves. So send a note or say something nice to a friend and see if it does not bring you both a little happiness today. I sent a note to a friend who had a birthday yesterday and we both ended up smiling about it. Maybe we could get Senator Obama and Senator Clinton to start acting that way toward each other. It would make for a much more friendly campaign season this year.

C. S. Lewis

"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives."

King George (a.k.a. President George W. Bush) is at it once again

He is developing a treaty with the Iraq government that would force our military to stay in Iraq for the next ten years. Senator Clinton has strongly suggested a bill that would force President Bush to seek Senate approval before any binding treaties could be made with the Iraq government. Senator Obama said he would be happy to support the bill. Can anyone in their right mind agree with King George that he has the right, god given or otherwise, to make treaties all by himself like this one that would hog tie our next president's hands when it comes to the removal of troops from Iraq. I must admit it was pleasing to see Senator Clinton and Senator Obama agreeing on supporting each other on such an important issue. It just goes to show that those two could work well together if they wanted to play nice. If there is one person in this country that needs watching and needs put back in his place then all three of our presidential candidates should be keeping a careful eye on King George. Should anyone be surprised that he was trying to make this treaty quietly while everyone's attention was on the economy? God only knows what that man will try next.

Good Job Albuquerque Journal

The Albuquerque Journal did a good job in reporting the voting record of the State House of Representatives when it came to the Domestic Partner Bill (HB9). I hope that they keep up the good job with other important bills that are pasted in the State House and State Senate over the next 30 days. Being able to see how our representatives' vote on important issues can only help voters make more informed choices during next year's elections.

Senator Obama wins South Carolina Primary

No surprise that Senator Obama would win in South Carolina. It is interesting that after all of the fighting that Senator John Edwards had a good showing in the race.

A Peace Conference for all of our Democratic Candidates

I know our candidates have better things to do with their time then attack each other over past occurrences that have nothing to do with the issues facing our nation.

"Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took their escalating war of words to the airwaves on Wednesday, launching radio ads in South Carolina directly attacking each other."

We are still in a war that has no clear end, we are facing a recession, NCLB is a total failure, and we are facing major problems in our environment. I know that people in general could careless about the issues and only want to watch people attack each other over personal issues. We have National News Networks whose philosophy is "if it bleeds it leads." We need a president who will stand above all of this petty bickering. We need someone who is willing to lead this country in a new direction of working together for the betterment of the people that make up our country. At this point in the race our candidates should be showing their ability to lead people in the right direction. I would hope that Senator Obama, Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards would all show the American people how they can turn this type of battle into a peace conference. I hope that they can find a way to run their campaigns without having to attack each other on personal issues.

“R” for Recession

The “R” word is coming up a great deal today as the stock market makes another huge drive. The Federal Reserve Bank dropped interest rates by ¾ of a point. For those not accustom to watching those rates that is a large drop. Funny how now the talking heads are trying to tell us that Recession is more common then we think. I personally don’t want to see a recession. Maybe part of the problem is that those strings I was wondering about a few days ago are beginning to take shape. I have heard talk that people with incomes below $40,000 may not get rebate checks or they will be phased out as the income levels drop. Smooth move Mr. President; let’s not give the money to people who would be most likely to spend it. I can see that he missed or slept through that lecture in economics class. It is clear also that the help coming from the federal government will not arrive in mailboxes until late spring at the earliest. If I was making more than $40,000 a year I would put that check in my saving account until Christmas. Great big help that will be for our current economy, it is only too clear that the Bush Administration has lost touch with the working poor, that is if they ever had it in the first place, and they have no understanding of how to stimulate the economy even if their lives depended on it. It is also only too clear to the rest of the world that our economy is in for a recession until the Democrats take office in 2009.

Hillary wins and Training for February 5 Caucus

Will Hillary be the presidential candidate to win the West?

Senator Hillary Clinton won the Nevada Presidential Primary today. It looks like she may have some favor in the Southwest because of President Bill Clinton spending time here helping to support our candidates during the 2006 elections. We all got to see him when he came to Albuquerque to support Patricia Madrid for Congressional District 1 during the 2006 elections. My daughter got a big huge from a very grandfatherly President Clinton during that visit. President Bill Clinton has been very supportive of New Mexico and New Mexicans in the past. Governor Richardson worked in President Clinton's administration as head of the DOE. Our state is also very in favor of research into renewable energy and Hillary has made no secret that she favors that line of attack when dealing with ways to replace fossil fuels such as oil. Senator Clinton also is very supportive of families which may win her votes because of the economy facing a downturn. Lt. Governor Diane Denish and Mayor Martin Chavez have both came out in public support of Hillary for President. Senator Clinton has plans to open an office in downtown Albuquerque today. It looks like Senator Obama may have his work cut out for him if he wants to win parts of the Southwest on February 5. It will be very interesting to see who shows up to court the New Mexican voters in the next few weeks.

Training for the February 5 Democratic Caucus

The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County had its first training session for the February 5 caucus today from 10 am until 12 noon. There was a very good turnout and people asked many questions. People who have worked past elections should show up with an attitude of patient when it comes to new trainees asking questions and older workers wanting more clarity on past problems. Everyone who plans to work the caucus is highly encouraged to show up for one of the training sessions so they know all of the ground rules. The next training session is set for January 24, 2008 from 6 pm until 8 pm at The Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall on 510 San Pedro SE . The trainer made it very clear that all votes would be counted and would count. We in the Democratic Party do not turn voters away or demand ID in order for someone to vote.

County Party Monthly Meeting

Yesterday evening was the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County's monthly meeting.

1. They went over the dates for the training for Caucus volunteers. The next one will be on Saturday from 10 am until noon at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall, 510 San Pedro SE. The training is open to all interested parties at this point because we need a few more volunteers. People who are interested in volunteering should contact Cheryl Harris at the party office. The website link is: Democratic Party of Bernalillo County.
2. The meeting also went over all of the other meetings this upcoming month. Ward elections are Thursday, February 7, 2008.
3. Next month's meeting will fall on February 21, 2008. During that meeting the District Court Judges will be doing a little educational training on the Judges. They want voters to know about the voting process for standing judges and they will also be answering questions. Everyone is welcome to the meeting and encouraged to attend become it will develop more awareness of the process of how our judges are picked. It should be a very interesting part of next month's meeting.
4. Michael Padilla, a local businessman, who is running for district 11 New Mexico Senate seat was there and talked to the group about what he wanted to do for the district if he was elected. Mr. Padilla is running against Linda M. Lopez who is a democrat. Linda is a consultant here in Albuquerque. I am not sure how well Mr. Padilla will be received with the voters since he resigned from the City's 911 call center last year due to allegations of insulting remarks toward women coworkers.

Other little bits of information that did not come up are that the Governor has a new blog. The web link is Governor's Blog. Also Patricia Madrid has been chosen by Democratic leaders as one of three co-chairpersons of the Convention's Platform Committee, which is charged with charting the course for the national party on issues and policy. Patricia will be joined by Judith McHale, former president and CEO of Discovery Communications Inc. and Governor Deval Patrick, who is a supporter of Obama.

It’s the economy stupid!

The battle cry heard round the country that put a Democratic in the oval office last time. The Economy is on a down hill slide and does not look like it will be turning around for the next 30 days. The Federal Reserve President Ben S. Bernanke is clearly someone who understands that to stimulate the economy will take putting money into the hands of low and middle income individuals. I must admit that someone taught him very well how to stimulate an economy. I wonder who that might have been. The stock market took a major dive today losing 306.95. A number of the major economic indicators are not looking good right now and the R word has been coming up in the major news. The leaders in Washington are talking to each other, yes believe it or not that means the Democrats and Republicans, and may be able to get a tax relief bill out within the next 30 days that puts cash into the hands of those that would be most likely to spend it. It will be interesting to see how large those tax rebate checks will turn out to be and what strings will be attached to them.

Someone asked the question: "How bad can it get in four years when the American people elected George W. Bush to the oval office for a second time?" Well let's take a look at the answer to that question.

1. One terrorist attack on American soil where the terrorist leader is still at large.
2. One major natural disaster that was not taking care of in a timely manner.
3. One no end in sight war that has killed over 3,000 Americans.
4. One recession with losses of jobs and losses of income to come in the near future.
   
   So America are we better off then we were four year ago? I personally think that it is past time for a Democratic President and a Democratic lead Senate.

Why invest in the F-22 and not the F-15 is the question.

It would appear that 40% of our current F-15 fighters have been grounded because of a flaw that just showed up. It had to do with a piece of metal that was manufactured too thin. Generals want to replace it with an F-22 fighter which cost 250 million dollars each. The question is why pay the higher price for the F-22 fighter when the F-15 fighter is cheaper to make? Well let's look at it this way if you were a General looking for a new computer would you want a 1997 model or a 1972 model when you need to replace your computer. The F-15 fighter may be cheaper to manufacture but the technology has moved forward over the last few years. The flaws have been worked out of the F-22 and the fighter's technology is the most current to date. Other countries are not going to invest limited resources in older technology because it would still require them to update in the future. Every woman in this country knows that when replacing technology you want the most up to date that you can afford to buy because it saves you money in the long run. Common sense should tell the people of this state, even the liberal ones, that whatever saves us money in the long run is the best way to go in the future. I can understand General John Corley's frustration at not wanting to replace old technology with old technology especially now that they are facing a future Democratic President and a Democratic lead Senate. Our party has never been known to want to spend a great deal of money on war toys. We just are not into killing people for fun and games. We tend to like to talk people to death instead because we find that it works so much better in the long run. I just don't get the feeling that the Generals would want to have to come back in a few short years and ask for more money to update the technology when they have the best opportunity to get the approval now.

Why should New Mexicans care about which fighter plane is purchased? The answer is that we have that base over in the Eastern part of our state which is on the short list for getting new F-22 fighters. We want to make sure that our air force bases have the most up to date technology so that our state is not one of the ones asking for more money anytime in the near future. We may want to move our state toward more peace time activities but at present we still have to face the fact that a large portion of our population is employed by Uncle Sam. Until that fact changes we should be very supportive of the air force getting the F-22 fighters to replace the F-15 fighters that were grounded.

The Governor’s State of New Mexico Address

The Governor this year has a focused set of objectives for the 30 day session in Santa Fe. He has limited his bills down to 60 for 1,600 bills proposed in the last 30 day session. His goals are focused and good for the voters of our state.

The first is Universal Health care for New Mexicans. The plan will be called “Health Solutions New Mexico Plan.” The Governor describes it as a common-sense and pragmatic approach. It is a middle of the road approach which neither group on the far left or the far right should complain about because it gives each side something that they can agree about in general. It also holds HMO’s and Insurance companies responsible for 85% of the premiums that will be spent directly on patient care but it would require all individuals to pay their fair share for healthcare costs.

The Governor also wants to focus on some of our states more serious issues such as energy usage through efficiency, ethics reforms, legal rights to domestic partners, and domestic violence. He also wants more laws to deal with DWI offenders. At the same time he is asking for the basic funding to meet the states responsibilities on education, transportation, and economic development.

I am sure that most voters would agree that these are all issues that are important to voters in our state. With a limited amount of time and some big goals set for this year's legislative session it will take a great deal of skill for the Governor to negotiate through the details for each of the issues. One good point to remember is that the state legislators will be careful to not upset the voters too much since they are running for reelection in 2008. Let’s all hope that this helps the Governor to attain success in his endeavors for the voters in this year's legislative session.

One interesting note is that the legislators have tabled the idea of spending 30 million for an addition to the roundhouse in favor of further research on the issue. I am sure that the issue will come up in a future session.

I hope that the voters will keep a careful eye on developments during the next 30 days and feel free to speak to their state representatives if the need should arise. I also hope that support staffers for Higher Education get their fair share of the 60 million dollars requested for raises. I know that most legislators understand that 2% of less than $25,000 is only $500 or less which is not a great deal of money for people living on the edge when prices are projected to go up during the next year.

Healthcare, Healthcare, Healthcare

Healthcare for everyone in New Mexico

The issue is affordable healthcare for every New Mexican. We want a system that every person here in the state can have access to in a short matter of time. We want it to provide for preventive care so that an illness is treated early. We want a healthcare system that provides care for dental problems and eye problems. We want a healthcare system that provides care for mental illness as well as physical illness. We want a system that provides medications at an affordable cost. We want a system that keeps healthcare cost low and taxes lower. We want a system that provides the best level of care for ourselves and our family members. We want a system that requires that all interested parties pay their fair share. We want a system that gives the patient the chose of which provider to pick. We want a system that ensures that the providers are held accountable for their level of skills, that mistakes are kept to a minimum and that cost are keep at a reasonable level.

The Governor and the Legislature will try and work out the details of just such a healthcare plan for our state in the next 30 days. As we have all been hearing the task will not be simple or easy. The people in Santa Fe have very difference views on how the plan should work for the state's voters. I am sure by the time a plan hits the governor's desk to be signed that more than a few compromise deals will have been negotiated to get the best possible plan for all interested parties. I know that our governor wants the best plan possible for everyone in New Mexico. At this point in time all we can do is wait and watch. When the time comes we can give our support by speaking up for what is being asks for by our representatives. I am sure that voters from all parts of the state will have their representatives express their needs and wants to those in control of the process. I can only hope that the people who say that it can not be done are wrong.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Next Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (1929-1968). He is a remarkable symbol of equal rights for all Americans not matter what the color of their skin. He believed in peacefully protest to show the world how thing could and should be in our country and around the world. He is one of those great people who come along only when there is a huge need for people to have a strong leader. I come from the old south and have seen racism in action. I don’t think even Dr. King could have envisioned the day that an African America man would have been able to run for President of the United States although I am sure it was part of his dream for equal rights. When you look at the people who marched in the parades last weekend they are of all colors. Great progress has been made since the time of Dr. King. Unfortunately, I know from remarks made to me by some older individuals that the hate and fear they feel may never be driven out of our culture completely but I also know that I have a child who feels that there is no reason to hate or fear someone because of the color of their skin. She made a friend at school this year whose family is from Iran and when we talked about it she felt that people should be judge individually and not because of their nationality. I must admit to being a proud mother because of her views on life. In a time when fear and hate is being encouraged by the president and his administration it is good to see that our children still have the capacity to love and care for anyone no matter where they may have started life. If there is one danger to our way of life in this country it is hate, we must guard against being lead down that unfortunate path. If we are to continue to have a free and open nation it must start with love and freedom for all Americans not just the privileged few.

As for what is going on between our three presidential candidates, I can only hope that Hilary Rodham Clinton was taken out of context when it came to what she said about Dr. King because no present day leader of our country should hold those types of views about a man who has become a symbol of the vision we work toward everyday for our country and the world.

So many unanswered questions from people:

Now I have not spoken to the governor personally since he got back into the state but I am sure that I can make some pretty good guests as to the answers to these questions. So here is my best democratic educated guest as to what his answers would be to these questions.

Why is Governor Richardson not running for the senate seat? First of all he truly feels like he has been there and done that. We all know that he is a short-timer when it comes to this state. Anyone elected president would be a fool not to put him in the Cabinet position of Secretary of State. His experience and intelligent will be a valuable asset to any future president.

Why is Governor Richardson not endorsing someone for the oval office? The easy answer is that if he picked someone then the spotlight that New Mexico is getting would go elsewhere. With the Governor of this state undecided about who to endorse, the presidential candidates should feel the need to come to our state and speak with both us and our Governor. Bill has never been a stupid man when it comes to putting New Mexicans in the spotlight. I get the feeling that most people here in New Mexico are glad that he has that talent.

Why did Governor Richardson endorse Representative Tom Udall for the senate seat? First, Tom Udall with all of his experience and talents would make the perfect senator for New Mexico. Anyone who can’t or won’t see that is either blind or does not want a democratic senator. There is also the possible that they just want something to talk about since neither Wilson nor Pearce would show very well against Congressmen Udall. The other reason is because of who has endorsed Congresswoman Heather Wilson for that senate seat. With Senator Pete Domenici supporting Wilson it is only just that one of the top tier persons of the Democratic Party here in New Mexico should be supporting our candidate. Everyone should also not have to be reminded that Amanda, Congressman Udall’s daughter, did a wonderful job organizing the Governor’s run for president.

Lastly, what will the governor be up to next? This one is the easiest one to answer. Governor Richardson made it clear yesterday that he wants to spend his time making sure that all New Mexicans have affordable healthcare in this state. We all know that the budget will have to be balanced and that this could cost the state a lot of money but if the governor has a plan that will work then we should all support him. Like the governor said he talked to an assortment of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire about healthcare so if he does not have some good ideas then I get the feeling no one else will be able to come up with a better plan for our state.

My own personal request for the governor is that I hope the governor can find more money in this year’s budget for raises for higher education in this state. I know that this is a short session but this is the time when the budget is made for the next year. The governor made it clear during his campaign that he supported good raises for educators. Let’s all hope that he can find the time to make that a reality in our state. Please don’t forget the support staffers we need money to support our families too. 2% of less than $25,000 is not much to begin with when you consider how prices have been on the rise this last year.

Governor Bill Richardson is back in New Mexico.

Just a few minutes ago Governor Bill Richardson pulled out of the race for president. First let me say you are very welcome, I enjoyed supporting you. I will be very happy to have our governor back in the state as I am sure others are happy as well. Governor Richardson made it clear that now that he is back that he will be supporting healthcare for all New Mexicans. He also showed his support for Congressman Tom Udall for Senator. Congressman Udall was the first person to speak before the governor made his announcement. I am sure that everyone joins me in saying welcome home big Bill. We are all glad to have you back.

Governor Richardson did not endorse any of the other candidates for president at this time. So now is the time for his supporters like me to revisit the other candidates and try once again to pick the best person for the job. I have got to say it will not be an easy job. Each candidate has their own strong points. The one thing that may help is that we can look forward to seeing the candidates here in New Mexico over the next few weeks. At this point I consider myself undecided.

Energy Usage in the U.S. and The New Hampshire results

The facts about energy usage in the United States:

Petroleum-----------38.3%----------Transportation, Manufacturing
Natural Gas---------23.0%----------Heating, Manufacturing, electricity
Coal-----------------22.0%----------Electricity, Manufacturing
Uranium--------------8.2%----------Electricity
Biomass---------------2.9%----------Heating, electricity, Transportation
Hydropower----------2.7%-----------Electricity
Propane---------------1.9%----------Manufacturing, Heating
Wind------------------0.1%----------Electricity
Solar & other----------0.1%----------Lighting, heating, electricity

What is wrong with this picture? The top three sources for energy in this country come from nonrenewable resources that have a limited supply. The renewable sources of energy make up less then 6.1% of the total energy used in this country. You might also want to take note that manufacturing, electricity, and transportation are the areas that use the most nonrenewable resources in our country. This chart show that we as Americans can have a profound effect on our own energy independents if we persuade our government to put more money into the research and development of renewable energy resources.

It is also clear that the people in control of manufacturing, producing electricity, and providing energy for transportation have a great deal to loss if we do us more renewable energy. They know that it cost money to change our ways and will only encourage us to continue on our current course until supplies run out and they can no longer make a profit from the consumer. The factor of supply and demand also comes into this equation where the lower the supply and the higher the demand the less likely these people are to switch because of the profit margins that result for this type of situation. We have only to look at the profits made over the last few years by major oil companies here in the U.S. to see why the suppliers of energy have no reason to want to change our current course. It is also clear that the low and middle income consumers are the losers in this area.

If we do not step up now and force the people in control of our government to develop new lower costing sources of renewable energy things will only get far worse for the low and middle class consumers of energy. My economics instructor always told me that it was up to the consumer to demand change if the provider of a resource got out of control. We have a way to demand change that will work. Now is the time to demand a major change in where we get our energy.

The New Hampshire results

We as Americans are a hardheaded independent group and don't like to be told that we are predictable when it comes to how we vote. New Hampshire voters made that only too clear to the news media yesterday. It left them wondering where they went wrong. I personally think that they should report the news and stop trying to forecast the news. Polls will always be wrong when it is a major issue and the media tries to force their views on the general voting public. I wish some people here in New Mexico would get that message and go back to reporting the news as it happens and not before it happens.

Just say no to Coal liquefaction!

I personally oppose coal liquefaction for many reasons. First, replacing one fossil fuel with another one is a flawed idea. Second, the increased demand for coal which has all kinds of negative costs to people who should be encouraged to leave mining as a nightmare of the past. Third, how to solve the negative impact on our environment from the carbon emitted for the burning of coal. Lastly, say we don't do underground mining but hilltop removal instead which destroys our environment in ways where it can never be regained.

First, replacing one fossil fuel with another one is a flawed idea. We should all know by now that fossil fuels take a very long time for the planet to create. Why would we invest in another fuel which has a limited life span when we already know what the end result of limited resources will come to in the future?

Second, the increased demand for coal which has all kinds of negative costs to people who should be encouraged to leave mining as a nightmare of the past. As the daughter of a coal miner, I can personally tell people that there is no greater pain then waiting to see if you father is coming home alive. I would not wish that on any child in the future in this country. Coal companies have no respect for the lives of the people who work for them. Just because the demand would increase does not mean that safety would increase in the coal fields. I grew up in the coal field of Southern West Virginia were I and most of my childhood friends now have rare forms of cancer. Could it have been the red river that ran by my home as a child because of mining activities upstream?

Third, how to solve the negative impact on our environment from the carbon emitted for the burning of coal. We all trust power companies to follow the rules not to emit pollution into the air we have to breathe in after all they have such a illustrious tract record of that in the past right?

Lastly, say we don't do underground mining but hilltop removal instead which destroys our environment in ways where it can never be regained. Again I grew up in those hills. I have seen the results of hilltop removal. I can personally tell you that flatten the ground and throwing grass seed on it is not replacing an environment that was truly a complex system built up by nature over millions of years. We have a limited number of these types of complex environmental systems due to human population so do we really want to destroy something that can not be replaced in our lifetime or even that of our children or grandchildren. Right now the people in the coal fields have been turning to the industry of tourism and protecting the environment to product a living do we really want to turn back the clock and encourage them to destroy the environment like they did in the sixties. I don't think so…

This country must say no to coal liquefaction to protect the future of our families and the environment. There are too many other forms of energy that are cleaner and do not require the sacrifice of human life for us to take the easy way out with this issue. We can not live in the past where the lives of low income individuals did not matter and where the environment took a back seat to progress. We will have a new president in just less than a year and I know that our country will once again start to move in the right direction when it comes to the issues of energy independents and the environment.

The time for change is now!

The progressive revolution starts today. It is now time to fight for change. Saturday was the New Hampshire debates where the presidential candidates all talked about the important factor of change. John Edwards talked about how some people resist change and will attack anyone who tries to bring about change. It is clear that this country needs change if we are to move America forward in a positive direction. Before the debates, I was feeling rather down because I am the type of person who likes to jump right in and start talking to the voters. I felt the last two months like I was running up against a stone wall. There was nothing I could do to get around that wall; nevertheless, after listing to the leaders of our party talk about their passion for change I am now ready to start fighting once more for change in my local community. We need to inspire passion for change in Albuquerque voters and the only way to do that is by talking with them.

Today I am going to fight for change for our country and our local community. Our party’s leadership will need our passion and our support in bringing about change in the leadership of this country. I am asking everyone to talk with people they know about our candidates. We need to encourage people to get out and vote for change. If you know someone who has felt defeated or down about the direction that our country is headed then talk with them about making a stand for change and help us get them out to vote on February 5. We need to send a clear message that we support our candidates and that we want to bring change to our country for a better future. Like the song says take a look in the mirror today and make the change.

Governor Bill Richardson

Governor Richardson, Big Bill to us here in New Mexico, did well in the New Hampshire debate. I loved it when he said that he had been in hostage negotiations that were friendlier. We hope people in New Hampshire go to the polls tomorrow and vote for our governor because of what they saw during Saturday debate. Governor Richardson has proving that he can make changes while bringing people together for a common good.

We may be the underdog but we are not out of this race yet.

It is the day after the Iowa caucus and our governor is still in the race. Governor Bill Richardson only got 2% of the vote. Barack Obama won the day with 38% followed by John Edwards with 30% of the vote and Hillary Rodham Clinton received only 29% of the vote. Both Senator Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd have dropped out of the race. We all wished that Big Bill would have done better but the race is far from over at this point in time.

We need to look to the future and New Hampshire. The debate is on Saturday and the vote is on Tuesday. With the move West after Tuesday we will see our governor do better in his own area of the country. Now is not the time to throw up your hands and give the race to one of the others. We should stand with our governor.

Vote for Bill Richardson Iowa!

Today people in Iowa are getting ready for the Iowa caucuses. Our Governor Bill Richardson is amount the Presidential hopefuls. He has worked harder than any other candidate to show Iowa voters who he is and what he can do for our country as president. He has more experience than any of the other candidates. He has all of the right traits for a president. We here in New Mexico support him in his bid for president. We want him to do very well in Iowa. So if you live in Iowa please vote for our New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson because he is the best candidate for the job.

New Mexico’s DWI Problem

Are we as the State of New Mexico doing everything we can to stop DWI?

“2 Killed in DWI Collision” was the headline on the top front page of the newspaper just one day after the New Year started. Our state has a problem when it comes to drunken drivers. Every year families are killed on our roads because someone drives drunk in our state. Governor Bill Richardson, Mayor Martin Chavez, and local law enforcement have all tried their hardest to put a stop to this annual event. Our state is not the only state to have to deal with drunk drivers but we do appear to have a higher rate then most states.

We have done many things to try to put an end to this tragedy in our state.

1. We have commercials that show the pain that drunken driving cause to families, friends and themselves.
2. We have provided free rides or free tows so people won’t drive drunk.
3. We have #DWI to call law enforcement for assistant with drunk drivers.
4. We jail people who serve drunks more alcohol.
5. We have increased law enforcement.
6. We have purchased equipment such as the batmobile to aide in law enforcement.
7. We force those convicted of driving drunk to have devices put on their vehicles that prevent them from being able to start their vehicles once they are drunk.
8.We have made the laws harsher by creating laws that provide for longer jail terms for those convicted of more than three offences of drunken driving.
9. We take the vehicles away from drunken drivers.
10. We put their names and faces in the local newspaper so everyone knows them.

Yet nothing appears to stop these individuals from driving drunk. The only good news is that the number of people killed by drunk drivers has gone down in the past few years. Yet the number of people getting caught driving drunk has stayed the same. In our county on the last night of the year 13 people were arrested for driving drunk.

The only component that this state has not put a lot of money into is treatment centers for people who suffer from alcoholism. State Legislators should look into increasing the funding put into the treatment of alcoholism. Families need to force individuals with this problem into treatment before they end up killing somebody on our state roads. Companies need to force their employees into treatment. There are no easy answers for how to solve this problem but it is going to take whole communities to put an end to the annual deaths on our roads because of drunken drivers.

We need to make it clear to everyone around an alcoholic that they need to make it crystal clear to those individuals that are driving under the influence if they are caught it will be a fast way to put an end to their life as they know it. People should understand being under the influence of alcohol is no excuse for killing anyone in our state and they will be forced to face the consequences of their actions if they are unwilling to get the help they so clearly need with their problem.

I would like to strongly suggest that the State legislators should look into crafting a law where metro court judges could require self payment of treatment as part of a first time offender’s sentence for drunken driving. The offender could be forced to pay for the treatment or spend time in jail. If we can take their vehicles from them or make them pay to put devices on their vehicles then we should be able to force them to pay for their own treatments to put an end to their problem with alcohol. Make no mistake people who drive drunk have a problem with alcohol.

The addition to the roundhouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Dear State Legislators please use the 30 million dollars to add to the road fund and forget about the addition to the roundhouse (the state capital building in Santa Fe where the state legislators meets) until we have more money in our state government’s budget.

Today is the second day of 2008. Our State Legislators will be meeting on January 15 to decide how to spend our hard earned tax dollars. In their infinite wisdom they are considering spending $30,000,000 plus to build an addition to the current roundhouse. Before they spend the money maybe they should look at ways to more effectively use the current space that they have in the roundhouse. I work in a building that is twenty plus years old. We don’t have a lot of storage space and we would love to have bigger rooms for meetings but the simple fact is we make do with what we have currently. We just purchased a program that helps us better plan the use of the current space provided to us. Maybe the State Legislators should try to do the same since it is not like they have to be in the building that often during the year in the first place.

Now I as a taxpayer must question the wisdom of spending money on an addition to the roundhouse when we have other areas such as roads, higher education and K-12 education that need funding. Our Governor Bill Richardson has been working very hard to develop public transit to reduce the use of gas and the heavy usage of our interstate between Belen and Santa Fe where the largest portion of our state population lives and works. We should be very careful with how the Legislators use our tax dollars so that it benefits the most people in our state and helps protect our natural environment at the same time.

On Sunday, December 30, 2007 in the the New Mexico section of the Albuquerque Journal there was a cartoon which made fun of the designs that the Legislators are looking at for the new addition. This will hopefully show the Legislators that they will receive limited support for this project. I get the feeling that voters would be very unhappy with anyone that could support the use of that much money on a project that will benefit so few individuals in a time when the state budget is so limited. Legislators should be mindful that this could become a major issue in the 2008 elections. They should also look at any other projects that would benefit such a limited group of individuals and try to spend that money on things like funding Higher Education where lots of New Mexicans would see the benefit. It could help increase the wages of individuals here in the state which would benefit everyone in the long run. Education also reduces the possibility that people will turn to crime to support themselves and their families. I hope that voters will feel the need to contact their state representatives to express their views on this issue. Here is the link to the State Legislators just in case anyone feels the need to express their views.