Jason Marks reasoning for voting “No” on rate increase

“I did not believe the allocation of the rate increase to the customer classes was fair, and I voted against the order approving the settlement.” Jason Marks provided a more detailed statement at his Official Website “PRC Commissioner Jason Marks.”

On May 29 the PRC voted in favor on a 3-2 vote to increase the rates of residential and small business customers. A yes vote was to increase the rates for residential and small businesses. The increase will be 4.6% in July and another 5.1% next April. At the same time that residential and small businesses rate are going to go up to 9.7%, the rate of large business will only increase at most 0% to 1%.

Pancakes and Politics Great Success

The first of many pancakes and politics early Saturday morning breakfasts had a wonderful turnout. Next month it will be the court systems that are answering questions over breakfast then it will be Lt. Governor Diane Denish in the following month. Today it was Congressman Martin Heinrich who answered questions.

He was asked about healthcare and why the public option was not part of what came out of committee. Martin said that he was in favor of having all options on the table at the beginning of the discussion so that we could get the best result for all Americans. The second question had to do with card checks for the unions. The unions are pushing for a signature card when starting a local. Congressman Heinrich said that he was a strong supporter of the legislation. The last question came from Richard Cooley who asked Congressman Martin Heinrich to support equal rights for gays and lesbians when it comes to marriage. Congressman Heinrich said that he supports equal constitutional right for all Americans and that a number of states are dealing with this issues currently.

Richard pointed out that if people like me did not want to support gay marriages then don’t marry someone of the same sex. Not a problem Richard! Although I don’t agree with holding churches libel if they refuse to marry same sex couples, I still think that they should have the same rights as all other Americans which includes the right to have the state legally recognize their marriages. This is a basic question of constitutional right and should be treated as such in this country.

We also had a number of state senators turn out for breakfast. Just to name a few State Senator Cisco McSorley District 16, State Senator Tim Keller District 17, and State Senator Tim Eichenberg District 15. Our State Auditor also showed up for breakfast. He says that he is working hard on a number of investigations. He is still considering a run for Light Governor but has made no decisions as of yet.

Note for Joe Monahan: Martin says our gang colors are red, white and blue and our gang symbols are the American flag and the United States Constitution. So are these hated symbols of the Red Party?

The Great Rio Grande River Race on Hold

With Corbin Hayes still missing after going swimming in the Rio Grande River on Thursday it only makes senses to postpone the race that was due to start tomorrow morning. With the river running so fast that it could drag a child down it is wise to postpone the race. This will also allow searchers more time to find the child. Mayor Chavez has said that he would use resources that would have been used for the race in helping to look for Corbin. The Hayes family and Corbin should be the top priority at this point in time. Mayor Chavez is still holding out for a positive outcome.

One of Congressman Martin Heinrich’s Gang

Joe Monahan appears to think that I am in a gang or to be more specific Congressman Martin Heinrich’s gang. Leave it to Joe to not know the story or to even get it straight from the start. It would appear that Joe does not know much when it comes to the Democratic Party and I know that he knows very little about me.

I did not need to ask for help or information from Congressman Heinrich or his staff when it comes to finding out information on Jon Barela. To be clear on the matter I and the Congressman or his staff did not even talk about the matter. All I had to do was just a little research. Maybe Joe should try that every once in awhile...Wonder what would happen if a full-time professional reporter stated to dig into Mr. Barela’s background. Something about where there is smoke something else follows.

I should be nice but I want honest elected official to represent this state and sometimes that means pointing out a person’s flaws in as nice a way as possible when they are considering a run for a public office. Just ask Congressman Martin Heinrich how hard I was on him when he decided to run for congress. The difference is that Martin went the extra mile to prove to me and the voting public that he was honest and sincere about being a great public servant for our state. I must admit that it took time for him to win me over but in the end I am glad he did because we now have a congressman that cares about the voting public in Congressional District One and I am more than happy to blog about his activities.

My advice to Joe Monahan is to get his right leaning fox news style views straight before he publishes a story that includes my name or my blog. Oh, and I also think Joe needs to learn how to play nice with female media people. I am not the first woman to find fault with his views.

Martin Heinrich’s Town Hall Meeting with our Local Veterans

For two and a half hours this evening Congressman Martin Heinrich listened to Veterans tell him their problems. He stayed for an hour after the meeting was intended to end just to hear from veterans. Heath care or the lack of it was a major theme in the meeting. Second was education and the difficulty in getting it approved. One Veteran was so angry that he could only say his peace and them marched out of the hall.

We should never have to tell someone who has served their country with honor that they need to stick with it when it comes to getting the benefits they are entitled to in the first place. The process should never be that hard on veterans who are sick or weaken by war. I could tell by Congressman Heinrich’s reaction that all he wanted to do was help these veterans. He had staff in the back of the room ready and waiting to assist each veteran who stood up and told their story.

I picked up the card of his Veteran Constituent Liaison at the meeting. His name is Miguel Negrete and his phone number is (505) 346-6781. If you know a veteran who needs help or if you are a veteran who needs help this is the person to contact so that Congressman Heinrich can make sure that your issues are dealt with in a fair and reasonable manner. I am sure that Congressman Heinrich will do everything he can in order to help the men and women of this state who serve our country.

Democrats Want an Honest Congressman

This is what the Republicans has to Offer Voters?

Jon Barela is forming an exploratory committee as he considers challenging U.S. Congressman Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., for the 1st Congressional District seat next year.

A little about Jon Barela:

“An ethic complaint was lodged against Jon Barela for failing to step down from his Party office when he competed for the appointment to the Albuquerque School Board, where other Republicans also sought the seat, in violation of State Party rules. Although months old, the Republican Party has failed to schedule a hearing and indicates that there are no procedural rules to allow for a resolution of a complaint.”

Not the type of person we want representing our interest in Washington D.C. The Republican Party should try again since this one does not look good to start with but then again maybe they understand that Congressman Heinrich is doing such as great job that it would be a waste of time to run someone honest against him.

Bad Day for Civil Rights in This Country

This morning Carter Bundy said that he could not support enhanced sentencing from hate crimes because it limited freedom of speech. Later today California’s State Supreme Court upheld the state’s gay-marriage ban but said that 18,000 same-sex weddings that took place prior to the passage of the law were not affected since it was not retroactive.

I once had a friend that was shot in the leg while going home from a bar because he was gay. He and his partner had been together for many years and he was a good person that treated his friends both straight and gay with the same kindness. The fear and hate of anyone who is different has always been a problem in this country. When someone directs that anger at a group of people just because they are different no matter the reason then surely they must be punished so as others are not encouraged to treat people in the same manner. I understand that Carter is speaking for freedom of speech which is a constitutional right but when someone harms another person through their hate speech then they should be held responsible for the results. I think that any fair minded judge or jury can understand the different between “freedom of speech” the right to freely express ones options no matter how hateful and “hate speech” which is used to encourage and incite either a mob or an individual to cause grave bodily harm to a certain person or group of individuals. Hate speech cannot be encouraged if we are to live in a civilized society.

As for the law that banned gay marriage in California the California State Supreme Court was forced to rule the way they did because they were only allowed to view the law as either constitutional or unconstitutional as it related to the California State Constitution. This ruling does not reflect the personal feeling or views of the Justices on the California State Supreme Court but only reflects the strict interpretation of the law as it relates to the state constitution.

I still think that the basic question was wrongly put to the court it should have been is it constitutional to restrict the religious practice of any church. Marriage is a religious institution between two individuals. In my church it is between a man and a woman but not all churches see it as such. The problem is that due to the financial issues marriage has been taken over by the state and now some states are trying to enforce religious views of a limited number of religious organizations on all Americans. If this does not violate our federal constitution, Amendment I, then I don’t know what will.

Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.

It should be left up to each church as to whether or not they are willing to perform a marriage for any individual in this country and the state should have no say in the matter period. The license provided by a state should only be to legally recognize what the church or an authorized individual has already performed and nothing more.

President Obama Makes Supreme Court Pick

Judge Sonia Stotomayor will be our Supreme Court Nominee. Yes!

We now have a strong Hispanic woman who is a New York Federal Appeals Court Judge. We needed a strong young (54 years old) voice on the Supreme Court to counter balance that of Justice John Roberts. Having another skilled intelligent thoughtful woman on the Supreme Court should bring balance to the current court system. She is a big fan of Baseball and a strong supporter of the constitution.

Now it is up to the voting public to show her our strong support and encourage our federal representatives to confirm the President’s nominee.

What Defines Early Training for War

By the time I was three years old I played war games out in the hills of West Virginia with my friends. We had medals and hats that were real. We had bags and bags of little green army soldiers. I walked through the forest as if I was a part of nature. There was never a time when I knew fear of the wilds of West Virginia. I was a wild part of the area where I grew up and my childhood friends walked the forest as well if not better then I did at that age. I was once told by a younger sister of one of my friends that we were admired for how brave we were during that time in our lives. We were being trained to go to war.

Three of those friends came home safely from the Vietnam War in part because we understood forest fighting from an early age. We were trained everyday to fight in that type of environment. It makes me wonder what type of training our children are receiving today. In some ways the video games and computer games our children play today are the war games of the future. Future warriors and even current ones work a 9 to 5 job and go home to their families at the end of the day due to advances in technology. Perhaps a day will come when no soldiers will every have to take the field of battle from our country. Remote war has it moral good and bad elements. While no one from our country puts themselves in harms way the enemy still dies at the hands of an American soldier and yet remote war will save the lives of many young Americas.

Today we honor my friends, family and many other vets who fought for our country. We honor the men and women who gave their lives bravely for their country. We honor the fighting men and women that are on the field of battle currently. We look forward to the day when those soldiers return home safely.

And yet we now face hostile behavior from North Korea. All will be done to solve this peacefully but a lot will be up to the future behavior of the North Koreans. We simply cannot allow them to create a nuclear bomb. The leadership of that country is far too unstable and they have far too great of a fear and hate of our country to allow them to have those types of weapons. Our Labs in this state are needed even more to keep the peace and to provide our soldiers with the weapons of the future that they will need to fight battles for our country. Yet their mission is also to provide green energy so that our country does not hand over large sums of money to counties that want nothing more then to use those funds to build weapons that will take the lives of more Americans. Both activates are in the best interest of our country’s national security.

Let the Man Speak

Dick Cheney is doing such a great job for the Democratic Party. I love the way he refuses to call waterboarding torture. Any sane person knows what it is but let him talk after all it only helps the democrats. The Democratic Party could not have a better recruiting team then Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney. Everyday they are driving more and more moderate republicans out of their own party. Who knows if the Republican Party survives those two it just might split into two smaller parties.

We should get them talking about Healthcare so that it would get more support and pass sooner. The President is encouraging grassroots support for healthcare reform in our neighborhoods starting June 6. I and Cheryl Harris are planning a little get together in Ridgecrest Park on June 7 between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. As a cancer survivor I cannot stress how important it is for all Americans to have good healthcare coverage from an early age.

5,000 Homeless Children on the Cruel Streets in the City of Albuquerque

Today we watch the local news as they report the tragic end to the life of a sweet little three year old child and most mothers think to themselves “my god how could this happen!” As a mother there is no greater task in life then to protect my child from harm and I just cannot image what kind of mother could take the life of her child.

My heart bleeds for the homeless children of this city and even thought I don’t have large sums of money I still manage to give what I can to help these children. As a parent I like my friends have to wonder out loud where the Children Young and Families Department is and why on earth are they so completely failing to protect these children from harm’s way? Why do they not have funding and support programs that help get these babies off the streets and help their parents find funding and jobs so that they can have a roof over their heads and food to eat? What is the City of Albuquerque doing to protect these children from harm?

Last evening the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County took donations to help provide food for some of these homeless children and the party chair Ana Canales asked people to continue to give donations during the year so that we might help these children to have food to eat during the summer school break. People might ask why they are not getting food stamps. The answer is as simple as that without an address they cannot get them. When it comes to underage children this type of red tape should be strictly forbidden. Surly our federal government could find a way to help get services to these homeless children. What kind of country turns a blind eye to underage children and leaves them to starve on city streets during the heat of the summer?

Homeless school age children attend classes and try their very best to better their lives during the school year so why not open some of those same school cafeterias during the summer months to help provide food for homeless children? Maybe it would cut down on the problem of those schools being broken into during the summer months. It would give school support systems the ability to provide clothing to those same children and their smaller brothers and sisters. Parenting classes could be held both at the local schools and local community centers that could help train parents on how to ask for city services and how to apply for jobs in the local area. Where is the leadership from city government on these issues?

Update from a Reader

Locations of Free Summer Food Services Sites

The Summer Lunch Program is provided in City community centers, parks, elementary and middle schools, apartment complexes, public housing, churches and at non-profit organizations.

Some sites serve breakfast.

Call 505-764-1747 (Summer Lunch Program) or 505-767-5800 (Community Centers Admin Office) for more information.

Age Requirement: Open to children and youth 1 to 18 years old

Let's hope that they start providing parenting classes at some of these sites. All of these sites should serve breakfast. No parent in this city should be made to feel all alone or uncared for by our society.

Earmarks -One Man Pork or Quality Projects for New Mexico Voters

Earmarks, I have often heard it called one man’s pork or another man’s basic needs. Earmarks are one way to get special projects funded that otherwise might get loss in a sea of request for funding. Each state has two senators who request funding for their state. The ones we hear about most often are the bridges to nowhere or the tea pot museums. The things like support for our troubled children and the science education of our youth don’t get a lot of press from the major media. The media likes to report the amount but dose very little to highlight the quality programs that support our local communities when it comes to encouraging the federal government to pass some of these earmarks.

Senator Jeff Bingaman’ Earmarks

http://bingaman.senate.gov/policy/fy2010requests.cfm

Senator Udall’s Earmarks

http://tomudall.senate.gov/appropriations_request.cfm

In a time when budgets are tight I get the feeling that our senators deserve a little support from the voters that elected them to office. I hope that the voting public will take a close look at these lists and let the senators hear about their support for some of these projects.

Open Government is Good for Government

Transparency of government is something that our country has valued since the beginning that is why we wanted issues aired in the public domain. Our court system was designed to be public so that people would have faith in the open fair running of that system. When our founding fathers created the system there was no such thing as cameras or cell phones but the press and the public was allowed to watch the proceedings in order to protect the people involved.

Yesterday I started jury duty and the first thing I found out about our Metro Court System is that they do not allow cameras or cell phones in the building. I cannot disagree more strongly with this policy and I strongly feel that it should be changed. I just don’t understand why anyone would want to prevent the public from viewing a public trial. I could understand if it had to do with an underage child but the Metro Court System does not handle children’s court. Transparency is import to protect the voting public’s right to open and fair justice.

I can understand the need for more security in a time when some unruly people do not respect the system but at the same time I get the feeling that the public would support the court system more strongly if they better understood how it functioned. Our state government has allowed web cameras in their halls and meeting rooms for the first time this year. The Supreme Court may very well revisit the issue with the retirement of some of the older justices in the next few years so why not our court system? Why is it a battle every time we want to put cameras in a government run system in this state? Why are the younger judges not speaking up for the advancement of technology in their own system?

I should note here that the system for jury duty is run very well and they treat their juries very respectfully which I am very pleased with at this point in time. They are very good about informing you of when you will be needed and have a website so that you can check in everyday after 3:30 to find out if you will be needed for the next day. They provide a nice space for you to wait in before you are called to a courtroom. Yesterday we were told that some of the judges might drop by if they find time just so we could meet them.

Congressman Martin Heinrich Induces Bill to Help Achieve the Dream of Homeownership for Native Americans

Congressman Martin Heinrich today induced a bill which will cut through the red tape that most Native American families run into when trying to purchase a home on tribal land. At present it can take up to between six months and two years for approval and paperwork from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A family can only lease the tribal land to build a house on but few banks can hold off for two years in order to approve a mortgage. Now more Native Americans will be encouraged to own a home on their native lands.

Quote from Congressman Martin Heinrich

“We can put the dream of owning a home on tribal land within reach of Native families,” said Rep. Heinrich. “This bill would cut through bureaucratic red tape and open doors to homeownership for Native American families in New Mexico and across the country.”

Martin Chavez- Candidate or Not Candidate

It would appear that everyone in this city but the Mayor is willing to admit that he is a candidate. He has filed the paperwork and went to court to make sure that he could run for mayor this year. The idea that he can hold off using public funding just by not announcing he is a candidate may not be illegal but it sure screams unethical behavior to everyone in this city. The other two candidates are sick of his behavior and it may not play well with the voting public either. The time has passed for the mayor to make the public announcement and it is a clear insult to the voting public and his opponents if he does not do the right thing within the next few days.

There are many voters that have supported the mayor in the past and they would like the chance to do so again but his behavior has gone for coy to downright insulting. It is one thing to say that you want to run the city and quite another to abuse the system put into place to ensure that money is not an issue when running for a public office. Campaign funding reforms were enacted in this city to allow a level playing field for all candidates but now the question is does a sitting mayor have the right to use taxpayer’s dollars to promote himself knowing full well that the other candidates will have to spend limited resources to offset those funds.

The mayor has done the city a favor by pointing out some serious flaws in the new campaign funding reforms enacted and those loopholes should be closed before the next election to ensure a fair and ethical race for all involved in the future. With any luck the changes will include a rule that as soon as a candidate meets the filing date that he or she be required to announce as a candidate.

The Rule of Law

On Wednesday of this week I will be starting my turn at jury duty. I am a strong believer in the rule of law and I feel that everyone has the right to be heard out before they are either set free or convicted of a crime. I believe that everyone no matter what the case deserves the right to a defense for the crime they are accused of and that the decision should be based on the facts in a case.

Now last week President Obama said that he would allow military commissions to be the organization to bring the detainees to trial. We all know that the current system was ruled by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional. His action has outraged many in this country because they believe as I do that the rule of law should apply to all people and not just Americans. Some but not many people in this country believe that because they are Americans that only they deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If all men are created equal then we have to give them equal right in our court system. We have determined that torture is unconstitutional because people will say what ever it takes to stop the torture even if it is untrue. How can any information obtain during those torture sessions be used in a court to convict our enemy. President Obama has said that the current system of military commissions are flawed and that he will request time to enact new rights and protects so that the detainees will have the protections that this country and the constitution values most when someone faces a court proceeding.

I will want to know the details of those changes before I say where I am comfortable with the resulting trials. I would want to here what the Supreme Court has to say. If we expect the world to treat our countrymen fairly in their courts then we must hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to the rule of law in this country even if the people being tried are not Americans.

Harm of Old Symbols for the Republican Party

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh are they leaders of a dying party? Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been speaking for his party as of late to defend what occurred during the Bush Administration. Rush Limbaugh put it out in the public that he hopes President Obama fails. James Carville, a political pundit not so loved here in New Mexico, was thrilled at the prospect of having these two men running the Republican Party and having their views be what represents the platform of the Republican Party for the next forty years. It is clear that if the Republican Party turns toward these individuals that the voting public will continue to turn toward the Democratic Party for sane leadership of our country. For these two men the sky truly is red not blue.

The problem with this is that our country is and has always been a two party system and one party is beginning to completely and totally fail the voting public in such away as to make its continued existence questionable. Our own party is beginning to develop into a system of two parties just to supply a sane alternative to individual who seek a conservative yet inclusive group that can still represent their needs for caring and supportive family values. The Democratic Party is by no means a godless party. We do have a segment which does ascribe to that belief but just because we are all inclusive we have segments from all beliefs and cultural outlooks within our own party. This diversity has in the past pulled us apart but still kept our party lively in its debate as to what it means to be a true Democrat.

Younger people are now looking for a party which will provide an opportunity for them to be open minded while still representing their core values of peace, caring, acceptances and prosperity for their future and the future of this country. Younger voters want to include not exclude individuals so as to have a more diverse viewpoint in life. They understand the value of change and the driving force of technology in their future when it comes to how they run their country. They are willing to make changes and try new ideas to see how it affects peoples interactions in how to run the government and also how it affects the involvement of the general public in how the government is run. The opportunities for growth within our own party has never been this great and the younger generation will greatly change the way the Democratic Party does business within the coming years.

Education is a Service Industry

In case no one ever told the people running our country education is not a factory it is a service industry. Machines and buildings do not make for a good education. Teachers are more like artist or actors on a large world stage. They are creative individuals who work hard every day to instill a love of learning into their students. Machines and buildings cannot and will not do for this country what one single good hard working teacher can achieve. Americans are free thinking individuals not because of a building or a machine but because at some point in their lives a teacher broke through to them and helped them to understand that learning something new could be thrilling and yes even fun.

Now I respect that we need up-to-date classrooms to provide safe environments to teach our future generations in but if we continue to underpay and under-respect the people who work in those shiny new institutions then education in this country is only going to decrease in value. Telling teachers and educational staffs that they are valued but not giving them a livable wage is a joke that will only come back to harm this country in the long run.

The tools teachers and educational staff need to raise the value of education is simple. We need to have the freedom to teach at our highest skill levels. We need an environment that fosters sharing with each other and our students. Just look at all of the great societies and what it took to foster enlightenment. Think of the support those societies gave to educators and their support staff. We need the freedom to teach in a method that encourages our students to ask questions and care about what they are learning. We need a society that shows how much they value those of us that give our lives to the field of education. This means not just in word but in deed!

What we don’t need is to be told one more time that a building or a machine is all a school needs to improve the quality of education. We don’t need to be told that people who work with machines are more valuable. We don’t need to be told that administrators who never work with students should be paid huge salaries while we live on government assistances. We don’t need to be told that spending more money on education is a waste of time because it is going to the wrong people and no one will begin to admit to their mistakes in this area. We need someone to listen and hear us before education can begin to improve in this country. This country needs to begin to understand that education cannot be turned into some kind of an assembly line where every student comes out the same.

President Obama’s Visit to Rio Rancho

During his talk with voters he acknowledged the protesters outside the Rio Rancho High School. While the protesters were kept off the campus they were allowed onto a main street where the president could view their protest as he entered the event. This was a lot better than in the past when a presidential motorcade could not even see protesters. President Obama said that in the future the budget needed to be brought under control to protect our children and their children. He understands that debt cannot and will not always be the answer to our problems. He said that his hand is out in a bipartisan manner when the republicans came around to working with his administration. He said that he wants to address entitlement programs in a manner that provides for our seniors while cutting the debt of this country. Talk about going for the third rail! He said that he wants meaningful reform in health care so that those cost can and will be brought under control. He hopes to see a bill on his desk by the end of August. He said that he is looking to cut programs that do not work in order to use that funding for programs that are working. He said that the media should make up its mind where 17 million is important or not since they said earmarks were important but budget cuts were not. Give the man a little credit where credit is due was the message to the national media. He wants to put a stop to large credit card companies raising rate without notice and moving payment dates around. All in all he covered a number of issues that are important to the voting public and as a democrat I for one can find nothing to disagree with him about when it comes to reforms. I hope he pays close attention to educational reform and where the money is being spent because saving jobs for educational employees is easier said than done in this state.

Does President Obama Live in a Protective Bubble?

President Obama is not unlike any other of our past presidents when it comes to safety issues. The secret service is tasked with protecting the president from harm. The problem may be that when you protect someone from harm you create a circle around them so that anyone who disagrees with their views or policies does not get too close so as to protect them from harm.

It is the views of those very people who are willing to tell a president that he is wrong and to not always agree with every idea or process he may come up with to solve problems. We all disagreed with President Bush when people were held at a distance when he visited New Mexico so how can we begin to approve it when President Obama visits this state.

The President of the United States should hear all of the views from all of the voting public. Without all of the facts how can he begin to understand how the voting public feels about issue that affects Main Street America. Tomorrow protesters will be staged off of the Rio Rancho Campus. The question is will he even know they are there and what they are protesting about or will he live in his protective bubble?

The funding from the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not being used to save educational jobs or to protect students but only to build more empty buildings. What good are empty buildings if the students don’t have the people they need to make them successful? What good is handing over tax reductions to a retirement fund that is being abused by locally elected officials? These are all issues that the President should be made aware of when he comes to visit our state but will his protective detail protect him from the truth?

I hope to hear that President Obama stopped to listen to all views when it came to his first visit to New Mexico.

The Future of Public Transportation in the New Mexico

It never fails to amaze me that some New Mexicans don’t like and don’t want public transportation. With the price of oil jumping every summer and its reliability being questionable at best New Mexico is the one state where the love of large cars and SUVs has not died out. The fact that most of us imports from back East grew up taking public transportation and would love to see it in the southwest still does not sink in to the local population of New Mexico.

The idea of a train going from Denver to El Paso is a wonderful idea that I for one would love to see in the future. I would love to be able to just hop on the train when something is happening in Denver such as a convention. I would love to take the train down to Mexico just to go shopping. I think that visiting Los Cruces would be fun if I did not have to drive the entire trip.

Back East people often take the train from Boston to New York just to spend time in another large city. They make friends with people that they might never get the chance to meet otherwise. A train across the state of New Mexico would build connections with people who otherwise would never have the opportunity to meet and maybe just maybe the south would better understand the northern viewpoint and the north might better understand the southern part of this state’s issues.

At no point in the past did large cities in the eastern part of this country stop to ask themselves if public transportation was needed or if it would cost too much because the benefits far out weighted the cost when it came to moving people from point A to point B. Public transportation build the culture of large cities back east.

The West is growing and more people will be moving to our fair state in the coming years so why not think past the present and into a bright future where people would happily take a train from the most southern city to the most northern city. Think of all the gas and carbon that would be unused if New Mexicans could travel all around our state and still leave their large cars and trucks at home. Think of the cultural diversity our children could experience in the future if parents could take them to any part of this state. We have a wonderful state that deserved to be explored and enjoyed by our children from all walks of life and what better way to do it then by building public transportation which will also protect their environment in the future. I use to think there was a lot of unused dirty on the Westside of Albuquerque but in just a few short years that area of the city have grown up and so it would not surprise me one bit if the area between Albuquerque and Los Cruces did not see a great deal of development in the next twenty years.

Mayor Steve Brackett vs. Joe Monahan

Mayor Steve Brackett of Alamogordo thinks that Joe Monahan should do a little fact checking before he starts attacking the governor, PreCheck or himself. The Mayor and residents of Alamogordo appear to think that jobs for local residents are a good thing since it brings in tax revenues and keeps food on the tables of those same residents. Never knew that Monahan supported big government at the expense of the voting public. Mayor Brackett is faced with a reduction in revenues due to hard economic times as other mayors in this state and around the country. At present he is trying to increase the tax base by increasing the number of jobs in his city.

He did manage not to layoff city employees but cuts may still come in the future if revenues are not increased. Job creation is one solid way to ensure a healthy economy for any city in this state and encouraging companies to relocate to New Mexico appears to be one of the best ways to increase revenues both to Brackett’s city and the state. If a city is willing to self impose a tax on them-selves to pay to encourage job development and to encourage companies to relocate then I have to wonder what Monahan’s beef on this issue is? Maybe he just likes to attack the governor. Long term growth and benefits verse short term government paychecks should always be taking into account when deciding how to best spend taxpayer’s dollars. It is also nice to see that the city and the mayor of Alamogordo have set clear standards for how and why this company should receive tax benefits.

President Obama’s visit to New Mexico

Here is the contact information for Presidents Obama’s planned visit to New Mexico
http://www.whitehouse.gov/newmexicotownhall-5-14 or call 505-896-5640

The President will attend a Town Hall meeting on Thursday between 10:00 am until 11:15 am at the Rio Rancho High School.

Current Candidates for Mayor and City Council

On October 6 the voting public will turnout to elect a new mayor and to vote for five city councils positions.

For now the only announced democrat running for mayor is Richard Romero. The current mayor Martin Chavez has filed all of the paperwork but not yet decided if he will run in the fall election. Mayor Chavez has been asked but still refuses to make it official.

The city council races by district are:

District 1-Candidate and Incumbent Ken Sanchez

District 3-Candidate and Incumbent Isaac Benton and Candidate Alan Armijo

District 5-Candidate and Incumbent Michael Cadigan, Candidate Jeremy Toulouse ex-husband to county clerk Maggie Oliver Toulouse and Candidate Dan Lewis

District 7-Candidate and Incumbent Sally Mayer, Candidate Louis Schiffman, Candidate Michael Cook and Candidate David Green

District 9-Candidate and Incumbent Don Harris, Candidate Michael Brasher, and Candidate David Barbour

All of the candidates are free to seek public funding for the offices. Both Richard Romero and Martin Chavez have already acquired the $5 Donation from voters to qualify for public funding.

Poor Joe :-(

I have to feel completely sorry for Joe Monahan because he feels so hated by all the other bloggers in this city. No one loves him except for Fox News and no one wants to see him blog. They are trying to take away all of his supporters so that he cannot afford to blog or so he said.

I still love to hate you Joe

You are my muse and you were the one person who inspired me to become a blogger. I could not disagree with you more on a daily bases then anyone else in the world. When the news is flat and no one has anything to say and I can’t think of anything to write about all I have to do is go to your blog and I have a ton of things to say. So thanks for inspiring me to answer all of those right leaning crazy things you put out with a female’s left leaning view point. The world would not be the same without you so you just keep fighting the good fight.

Big Bill Busts a Move

Who ever says that our Governor Can’t Dance? Clearly he is in a better mood as of late.



Thanks for the video Mike.

Too cute Governor Richardson.

Living on the Fringe

I live on the fringe of a very upscale part of the city but it is also on the fringe of a not so nice neighborhood that is working very hard to improve. Now I like most of my neighbors in this area of the city are law abiding citizens who care a great deal about our local community. We keep our homes and apartments complexes very nice and know our neighbors.

The problem is the main road San Mateo between Central and Gibson which is causing a number of problems. I went last Sunday to wash my car and a homeless individual was looking for bus money when I told him no he looked very angry. He stared at me until a man came up to him and gave him money. When I asked our local bicycle police officers about it they said that due to the treatment center and the convenience store that sales large cans of beer that little to nothing will stop the problem. These individuals are also breaking into homes and businesses in the area looking for money and valuables to support their habits. My bother’s home was broken into just a few months ago and I can tell you it is very upsetting for both him and his wife. I wish the mayor would do something to put a stop to this problem before someone is harmed.

We also have the problem of little to no funding from the state and local government for improvements to public services. Our Community Center is a sad joke and our local library is far too small to support our community in any kind of meaningful way. The community center is only open until 6:00 pm on weekdays and not at all on weekends so working individuals can not use it. The number of parks in our area of the city is just too few for the number of residents in the area. The state senator in the district next to ours Senator Tim Keller has been very kind and tried to find some funding for our issues but I have to wonder what our local elected officials are doing when communities around ours have large new community centers and large libraries. Our schools also need more funding for books and upgrades but with the economy tight I have very little faith that our community will receive anything in the near future.

If we did not receive funding in the good times why think that we would receive anything now? When none of our local elected officials even bother to show up for a community meeting unless it is an election year why think they would care to even begin to support our issues. We need more elected officials like State Senator Tim Keller who care about our local communities and the issues they face everyday.

Parkland Hills Neighborhood Association Meeting

What: Semi-Annual General PHNA Meeting

When: Tuesday, May 5th 2009 7:00 PM

Where: Whittier Community Center--Kathryn & Quincy SE

Guest Speaker Topics

Recycling City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Management will share future proposals for recycling and answer your questions.

Cien Aguas Interantional School David Rogers and Mike Rodriguez the new K-8 charter school coming to the area. More info at http://www.cienaguas.org/

Crime Prevention. APD will be sending a Crime Prevention Specialist to talk about what you can do to help keep crime levels low in Parkland Hills.

Congressman Martin Heinrich's Office

Matt Zidovski, Constituent Liasion for Martin Heinrich will be there to field any questions or concerns of the community.

Precinct 273 Chairperson Mary J. Collins introduction and she is looking for volunteers for block captains .

Investigate Edwards or Bush

I just don’t get it. The press is all over John Edwards for his affair with that woman and he is being investigated for using campaign money to pay her off. The problem with this is that Edwards’ career is over and done with for good. No women in this country would ever vote for him again and rightly so if you ask me. I am sure that there is a special place in hell for that other woman and it is a shame that she will live longer then Mrs. Edwards.

On the other hand we keep being told that any investigation into the wrong doing of the Bush Administration should be in the past and that we need to move forward. So which is it do we only investigated our own and drag poor Mrs. Edwards through the mud during what may be her last few years of life while we let republicans walk scot-free when it comes to crimes far more harmful to this country? That simply does not make senses to me and never will. If the press wants someone to drag through the mud I suggest Bush and his people.

H1N1 and Leave for Mothers Down South

With three cases confirmed in New Mexico many schools and government offices in the southern part of our stare are closed. Parents are faced with keeping their children home and away from other children in an effort to reduce the number of cases in that part of the state. This can be very hard on the working parents of young children and especially single mothers. Business leaders in that part of the state can show their sense of family values by supporting their employees when it comes to giving them time off so that their children are in a safe and secure environment after all what is more important then our children in this state.

The southern part of this state is known for it conservative views when it comes to politics and family life. Now is the time for that part of the state to prove that this is not a male centered view of life but a more family centered view. What good is a business if the owners cannot see the value of protecting young children during such a time? Mothers of young children need to be encouraged by their employers to take this time off from work without fear that it would harm their status in the business world. The time is now to prove that family truly comes first.

As for sports in the schools it is only fair that none of the teams further north should be practicing while sports events should be halted in the southern part of this state after all we want a level playing field for all of our student athletes. I am sure that the State Department of Health will remove the band once they feel it is safe for all student athletes in the mean time parents should encourage their children to show their support for teams in the southern part of the state.

Most of all families in all parts of the state should remember the advice of the Governor, "Don't Panic."

Mayoral Race

What will it take to become the next Mayor of the great City of Albuquerque? What is the voting public looking for in their next Mayor? These are very good questions because the person that wins the race will be faced with shaping the future of this city and protecting the voting public. Change has become a major theme for our nation. We are faced with moving away from the past way of doing things and reshaping the mission of many major employers in this area of the country. While we have an opportunity we will also face great challenges over the next few years. The voters are looking for a mayor that they can trust and one that has a positive vision for the future.

So what does the voting public want?

We want someone who cares about the future of our children. We want someone who will keep old neighborhoods in good running condition while building the infrastructure of our city’s newer neighborhoods. We want someone who will inspire voters to care about this city and what it has to offer both current and future residents. We want someone who can support our diverse cultural background while encouraging us to build upon that background and develop new more diversified cultured interest. We want to feel safe when we walk our neighborhoods either during the day or night. We want to care about the environment and have it be a pleasant place to live. We want city services for people of all walks of life within our city. We want to see the homeless taken care of so that they have a place to turn in a time of great need. We want someone who works well with local, state and federal governmental systems. We want someone who also works well with current and future employers. We want someone with a high moral standard who will not be making backdoor deals that could harm us in the future. And we want someone who can do all of this on a sane budget that does not over tax the local voting public.

Are we asking too much?

Maybe but this is what we need from our next mayor and he will have a huge time consuming job once elected or reelected. No government office is easy or simple because the voting public expects a great deal and no elected official will every live up to all the public expects from them but they should do their level best to deliver on any and all things that they can for the voting public. They should simple show that they care about the issues facing our city. I would say that the most important thing any candidate can do at present is to address the desires of the voting public as best they can and explain their vision for the City of Albuquerque. Most of all what the voting public wants is a mayor who has heart and a love for the City of Albuquerque. Then it will be up to the voters to pick the one they think can do the best job for us.

Congressman on Your Corner Speaks to the Voting Public

Congressman Martin Heinrich was at the entrance to the Hispanic Community here in Albuquerque to reach out and connect with the voting public of the South Valley. Barelas Coffee House besides being a great place to get real New Mexican food is also a community central for the Hispanic community because it is not far for the Hispanic Cultural Center.

I was able to sit down with the Congressman for a few minutes and asked some pointed questions. He wanted to let the voters know that with a little help from the U.S. Senate that the credit card companies could expect more consumer friendly laws that would prevent them from raising interest rates without first notifying the public in advance. Both Congressman Heinrich and Congressman Luján supported this bill which has already passed the house and is now headed to the U.S Senate.

Congressman Heinrich said that as far as the new flu outbreak is concerned we have the drugs to treat it and he does see the need to find some appropriations for the CDC so that they can do their job in the future to keep Americans safe and provide the support that the states need when something like this arises. Mexico does not have the healthcare system that the United States has and because of that more people died from the current outbreak of the flu. Congressman Heinrich did say that he hopes that the current flu outbreak does drive home the significant need to some of his colleagues of just how important having a regular doctor and healthcare is to a country’s health and welfare. Because the United State has better health care then some of the more out of the way places in Mexico the end result has been limited severity here in our country.

Congressman Heinrich also said that with the move of Senator Specter to the Democratic Party that he hopes he will be willing to move the Free Choice bill, that would help labor organizers, for a vote even if he felt the need to vote against it in the end. Labor Unions want this bill so that they can add more members and increase the standard of living for low income workers in this country. Workers rights cannot be supported as long as people are in fear of losing their jobs if they do speak out about unfair labor treatment.

Congressman Heinrich was not at the State Central Committee meeting earlier last month due to family duties which due come up when you spend most of your time working for the voting public and little time at home with your family. He did manage to spend time helping home owners later that day in his district. Unless we find the need to only vote for single people with absolutely no family ties then the voting public will have to understand when our representatives need to spend at least a few minutes with their families during the weekends. Both Congressman Heinrich and Congressman Luján have spent far more time with voters then Congresswoman Heather Wilson every did in her long career in the House. We are very lucky to have Congressmen who care about the people they represent.

Note to Congressman Harry Teague: The response to voters that live outside your district is not what we would call voter friendly. When I tried to email you all I got was that he could not return my email because of my zip code. Last time I checked we are all in the same party and the same state. Please take a page from Congressman Heinrich's, Congressman Luján's and Senator Udall's play books all votes count in this state no matter where they live. If a voter takes the time to email you then return the favor please.

Congressman Martin Heinrich to Host "Congress On Your Corner"

Saturday May 2, 2009 Congressman Martin Heinrich will be at the Barelas Coffee House, 1502 4th St SW, Albuquerque between 1:30 and 2:30 to talk with the voting public. If you have an issue or want to express you views this will be a good time to speak with the Congressman. You might also want to order something since the food is very good. Plan to stop by and have lunch before you speak with the Congressman.

Honest Vice-President Joe Biden

You have to hand it to Vice-President Joe Biden; he gets the credit for speaking his mind on the issue of this flu outbreak. He is not saying anything that people all over this country are not already thinking and saying. While his options may be uninformed they are honest. They bring a response to common questions that the general voting public have that should be addressed.

• No! You cannot get H1N1 from eating pork as long as it has been cooked correctly. All you need to do is prepare and cook food correctly and you should not have anything to fear.
• Public transit is just as safe as it has always been but common sense says that if you are sick with the flu that you should stay home so as not to expose other people to your illness.
• The most effective way to avoid H1N1 or any virus for that matter is to wash your hands often and not put your hands on your face.
• The school systems are working hard to prevent the spread of viruses by having the students wash their hands and teachers are having students wipe down their desk in local schools.
• Education is important and until we are sure that there has been a case of the H1N1 flu in a state or school system then it should be left up to local officials to determine if a school should be closed.
• Locking down the borders is a little late since the virus is already in our country and this type of behavior would only result in encouraging panic in people that live in Mexico which could result in them rushing our borders which could cause more harm than good.
• At this point in time there has been fewer deaths related to this strain of flu then even the regular flu virus and it appears that unless a more dangers mutation develops that we can only watch and wait. The government is working on a vaccine which should be out for next fall flu’s season.

The most important thing to remember is don’t panic because you can do yourself and your country far more harm than any flu virus. Use common sense and everything should be just fine. But mothers all over this country already know that don’t they.