Diary of a Mad Voter
Political Commentary: Heath Haussamen
Feds Should Scrutinize This Eyebrow-Raising Deal, TooUse your public position to spend taxpayer money to benefit the family of a private contractor, get $50,000 of that taxpayer money back as a campaign contribution. Is that how a land deal went down between Gov. Bill Richardson and Santa Fe contractor Sonny Otero? The Richardson administration says it’s not, but there’s certainly an appearance of possible pay to play created by the deal, which is highlighted today by Albuquerque Journal reporter Thomas Cole. [more]
Political Commentary: Joan McCarter
The Cynical Gun Debate
You know what we really need in these tough economic times (besides guaranteed, affordable health care, affordable housing, jobs)? How about rational credit card policies that would make it harder for the banks to gouge their customers? Is that what we're getting in the new legislation passed by the Senate last week? Not so fast. [more]
Political Commentary: Heath Haussamen
Invest In Commuter Rail Only Where It Makes SenseI’m a big fan of programs that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and our impact on the environment. I’ve become more impressed with the Rail Runner Express -- the commuter train that runs from Belen through Albuquerque to Santa Fe -- over time as significant numbers of people have continued to ride and expressed satisfaction with the system. [more]
Commentary: Joan McCarter
Who Failed Libby?
At High Country News, Ray Ring writes about the W.R. Grace decision, and takes environmental groups to task for "mostly continu[ing] to ignore this environmental crime because the victims are people, instead of ecosystems." [more]
Commentary: Joan McCarter
BLM Defies Congress, Authorizes Grand Canyon Uranium Exploration
A key environmental battle left over from the Bush administration heated up again today, when the Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust, and Sierra Club announced that they will amend their pending lawsuit, CBD v. Kempthorne filed last fall against uranium exploration in a million acres of public land abutting Grand Canyon National Park. [more]
Political Commentary: Heath Haussamen
Dealing With Uncertain TimesMedia frenzy is one reason it’s important for people to educate themselves. The Internet makes it easy to cut through the media filter to the truth, if you’re looking. But that’s not to say there’s no reason to be alarmed. The truth is that there’s a lot out there right now to be concerned about. [more]
Opinion
Another Bite at Real ID
A little over a year after what was the deadline for states to implement Real ID, Janet Napolitano has cried "uncle," abandoning the Bush administration plan on Real ID. [more]
Political Commentary: Heath Haussamen
‘Quality-of-Life’ Tax Increase Should Be Shot Down
Some city officials and others in Las Cruces are proposing raising the gross-receipts or property tax this year to help fund “quality-of-life” initiatives such as operation and maintenance of city ball fields, creation of new bike paths and the expansion of artistic and cultural programs.
Yes, really. Even though the nation is in its worst economic shape since the Great Depression. And even though the city had to cut its budget by 5 percent last year in response to the recession.
[more]
Commentary: Joan McCarter
Wireless in the Wilderness
There's a cell tower at Old Faithful that lots of people hate, a mess on Bunsen Peak, and "extensive communications facilities atop Mount Washburn." These visual blights are going to be modified under the new plan, announced Monday.
(This could make the whole loaded, concealed weapons in the park just a little dicier. Hopefully, heat-packing visitors won't become enforcers of cell phone etiquette.)
[more]
Opinion: Joan McCarter
The Long Arm of the NRA: Guns in ParksThe NRA has gotten pretty much everything it's wanted in the past decade, and has to figure out how to maintain the membership rolls--and keep those all important dues flowing in. Too many successes, and it ceases to really need to exist, but it's got staff to maintain and offices to keep and Congresspeople to intimidate. So it has to manufacturer a new issue, by recycling an old one. [more]
