State Workers Not Getting With Program?

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Does the state's new $32 million computer program simply not work or are state workers not getting with the program?

      That's the $32 million question and by the time we get it answered, it may be a $64 million question. Since the controversy began almost a year ago, when SHARE was implemented, it has gone from being called a $27 million system to a $32 million system.

      That figure may be increasing too slowly. It appears the state needs to bite the bullet and get SHARE implemented properly even if will take a considerable investment.

      The problem seems to be that there aren't enough computer geniuses to go around. If the state hires enough consultants to do the job, as this column has previously suggested, it will be in competition with many cities, counties, Los Alamos and Sandia national labs, Public Service Company and many other state businesses, all of which use the same Peoplesoft product.

      Computer consultants are much in demand and that means they can demand  very high rates in addition to expenses for being away from their home area. In addition, consultants don't tend to stay long and when they leave they take all their institutional memory.

      The solution is to train permanent employees to handle the new system and then to customize it to fit their agencies' needs. It takes a significant amount of training, evidently more than the state currently is providing.

      Another problem is that most agencies do not have permanent employee programmers and developers with the backgrounds and skills to do this customization. They can be hired, but they are expensive and can leave for higher salaries elsewhere.

      And many of them have left. Staffing shortages in information technology are the largest in state government. These shortages jeopardize the entire SHARE project.

      The idea of consolidating all information technology functions is a no-brainer. Savings on duplicated efforts should more than pay for the new system, while also making government more efficient.

      But New Mexico went overboard.  Many states are consolidating information services. But many of them are doing it only a few functions at a time. We went for the whole enchilada all at once. All states experienced some difficulties but ours were multiplied, slowing down much of state government.

      In addition to consolidating everything at once, state officials wanted to do it in half the time, with half the personnel and begin realizing significant savings immediately.

   That is not a recipe for success, especially in a high tech field. Bold, new computerization almost always slows the process for awhile -- even on a personal basis. I'm still wrestling with the new Microsoft Vista.

   But there really aren't any alternatives other than proceeding ahead while correcting implementation mistakes. The new Peoplesoft system being used is the most popular in the nation.

   Oracle Corp., which bought Peoplesoft, is the leading information management company in the world. So there's nothing wrong with the direction we're headed. Top state officials just bit off more than they could chew, making their implementation plan unworkable.

   State employees have been most affected by the botched implementation. State agency information technology offices should have begun preparing when the executive order to consolidate information technology operations was issued three years ago.

   A few went out and hired people with the backgrounds necessary to handle the new system. But most didn't. The result has been a tremendous amount of frustration.

   A new Department of Information Technology has been created to handle information technology functions. It is going by the acronym DoIT, an apparent message to employees to get with it and "Do IT."

   But many state workers are looking at the new name as "Dolt," which they figure is a good description for the people running the department.

   Thanks to Thomas Mitchell, of the Children, Youth and Families Department, Information Technology Division for much of the positive information about the conversion.

FRI, 7-06-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

corrected 7-2 copy

Bill Waters points out that "Hubbard" in the lext to last graph should be "Hutton."  Below is corrected copy.

 

 

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- The Billy the Kid exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum is well worth seeing for any New Mexican. After all, he's our most famous resident, so we ought to know as much about him as we can.

      This is undoubtedly the best exhibit on the Kid ever put together. It contains an impressive array of memorabilia gathered from public and private collections throughout the nation. It was all put together by Paul Andrew Hutton, a University of New Mexico professor of western history.

      The exhibit includes the butcher knife Billy was carrying the night he was killed, the pistol with which Sheriff Pat Garrett shot him and the carpenter bench on which his body laid.

      Also included are an extensive explanation of the Lincoln County War and its many characters, information on Billy's life, Garrett's efforts to capture him, Billy's correspondence with Gov. Lew Wallace who had promised him a pardon and a wide-ranging display of pop-culture memorabilia from Hutton's personal collection.

      The pop-culture items include dime novels dating back to the 1880s, more recent works by noted authors such as Pulitzer Prize winners Larry McMurtry and N. Scott Momaday, movie posters from many of the more than 60 films portraying Billy, comic book series from the 1940s and '50s, musical scores by artists ranging from Aaron Copeland to Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel.

      Why was Billy so popular? The exhibit explores that question too. He rose to the defense of longtime locals in Lincoln County who lived under the thumb of outsiders who had taken control and were going to do whatever they could to maintain their stranglehold on the valley.

   Billy and his gang were out to stop them and help the locals who were being wronged. They obviously went outside the law to attain justice and thus his image as the Robin Hood of the West.

   The Kid wasn't like other outlaws, robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches for the money. He went outside the law to seek revenge and to aid the oppressed.

   He was also a likable person who loved to sing and dance. In Silver City, he organized minstrel shows to raise money for school projects. He learned to speak Spanish fluently and had many friends who would hide him when the law was on his tail.

   Because of his young age and violent death, he somehow managed to capture the imagination of authors, songwriters, screen writers and classical composers. In most of the exhibit collection he is pictured as a hero.

   But sometimes he isn't. It is easy to cast him in many different molds. During the '60s, he was the tragic, tormented rebel with a cause. Had James Dean lived, he would have portrayed Billy. During the cynicism of the '70s, he was dirty little Billy -- lazy, degenerate and cowardly.

   Little enough is truly known about him that he has been an Everyman throughout literature and entertainment. The exhibit illustrates all these sides.

   The exhibit also covers the effort by three sheriffs to dig up Billy, his mother and Billy's pretenders. On this topic, the exhibit is myopic, treating only the pro-digging side. No mention is made of those of us, including noted historians, forensic scientists and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, who think the effort is a frivolous wild goose chase.

   But the digging effort has repopularized our most famous New Mexican at a time when the Western craze in film and TV has waned. This exhibit appears to be a result of that renewed interest.

   The principals, who provided much of the exhibit material are people who wanted to see the digging take place. Deputy Sheriff Steve Sederwall, artist and True West magazine president Bob Boze Bell and Hutton, himself, have been the major players in making this a great exhibit.

   It is good enough that the state departments of Tourism and Cultural Affairs are discussing the possibility of a traveling exhibit. But don't wait for that. See it in Albuquerque before July 22.

MON, 7-2-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Thoughts for July 4

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE – This is a very special day. We have many reasons to celebrate. Considering current events, there is very good reason to be extra patriotic.

   We should pay homage to those patriots who pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Then they signed a document that made them all revolutionaries, guilty of treason, if captured.

   Upon winning that revolution, we became the first revolutionary power and now we are the oldest revolutionary government in the world. We also are holder of the oldest written constitution.

   It was all very infectious. Lafayette returned home after our war and, under George Washington's influence, made it the pet cause of liberals in France and Europe during the 1790s, introducing democracy in many countries throughout the continent.

   Lafayette's friendship with Washington is the subject of Adopted Son, a book by Dave Clary, of Roswell, detailing the relationship between the two and the wide-ranging influence it had on themselves and their countries. It's a good July 4th read.

   At this point in our history, when we're not feeling very good about some of our European allies, it may be helpful to remember the contributions of Lafayette, von Steuben, de Kalb and others, who helped us win our freedom.

   Lafayette's contributions were especially crucial. He's the one who trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown and held him, though grossly outnumbered, until the rest of the American and French forces arrived. And he's the one who won the military and financial support of France for our cause.

   When the United States entered World War I, much of the motivation was gratitude to France for its help so many years earlier. That assistance is now mostly forgotten but at the time, it was poignantly remembered by Gen. George Pershing's aide, Col. Charles Stanton, when he visited Lafayette's tomb on July 4, 1917 to announce, "Lafayette, we are here."

   As we celebrate the document that officially declared the colonies to be in revolution, it is appropriate to remember that it is the only Revolutionary War date that we do celebrate, except for Patriot's Day commemorating the beginning of the War, on April 19, 1775. It still is celebrated in New England, with one of the big events being the Boston Marathon.

   This would be a good day to reread the Declaration of Independence. It is an absolutely brilliant and inspired argument for overthrowing tyranny, and not just in the colonies' circumstance. It was a universal justification applicable to all people and all times.

   Historian Samuel Morrison once said that had the American Revolution produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.

   Our founders fully understood that in order to espouse these universal, never-ending truths, they had to make it possible for revolution to occur again, even in their own country.

   Thus came the Bill of Rights. Many of its 10 amendments are under attack today, with questionable searches and seizures, trials that aren't speedy, gun control and public sentiment against the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.

   The willingness by many to surrender some of our cherished freedoms in return for perceived security is deeply troubling, but of most concern to someone in my business is the indication that many Americans have second thoughts about the First Amendment.

   Polls over the last few years suggest that although Americans still support the ideals of the First Amendment, they have reservations about its reality. A majority think the press has too much freedom, that public demonstrations should not be allowed and that freedom of religion is not meant to apply to fringe groups.

   And although 90 percent of Americans believe in freedom of speech, support falls to less than 50 percent when asked about specifics that are constitutionally protected. We are becoming reluctant to offend, willing  to silence unpopular opinions and provocative ideas at the cost of freedom.

   Where will we go from here?

WED, 7-04-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

See the Billy the Kid Exhibit

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- The Billy the Kid exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum is well worth seeing for any New Mexican. After all, he's our most famous resident, so we ought to know as much about him as we can.

      This is undoubtedly the best exhibit on the Kid ever put together. It contains an impressive array of memorabilia gathered from public and private collections throughout the nation. It was all put together by Paul Andrew Hutton, a University of New Mexico professor of western history.

      The exhibit includes the butcher knife Billy was carrying the night he was killed, the pistol with which Sheriff Pat Garrett shot him and the carpenter bench on which his body laid.

      Also included are an extensive explanation of the Lincoln County War and its many characters, information on Billy's life, Garrett's efforts to capture him, Billy's correspondence with Gov. Lew Wallace who had promised him a pardon and a wide-ranging display of pop-culture memorabilia from Hutton's personal collection.

      The pop-culture items include dime novels dating back to the 1880s, more recent works by noted authors such as Pulitzer Prize winners Larry McMurtry and N. Scott Momaday, movie posters from many of the more than 60 films portraying Billy, comic book series from the 1940s and '50s, musical scores by artists ranging from Aaron Copeland to Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel.

      Why was Billy so popular? The exhibit explores that question too. He rose to the defense of longtime locals in Lincoln County who lived under the thumb of outsiders who had taken control and were going to do whatever they could to maintain their stranglehold on the valley.

   Billy and his gang were out to stop them and help the locals who were being wronged. They obviously went outside the law to attain justice and thus his image as the Robin Hood of the West.

   The Kid wasn't like other outlaws, robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches for the money. He went outside the law to seek revenge and to aid the oppressed.

   He was also a likable person who loved to sing and dance. In Silver City, he organized minstrel shows to raise money for school projects. He learned to speak Spanish fluently and had many friends who would hide him when the law was on his tail.

   Because of his young age and violent death, he somehow managed to capture the imagination of authors, songwriters, screen writers and classical composers. In most of the exhibit collection he is pictured as a hero.

   But sometimes he isn't. It is easy to cast him in many different molds. During the '60s, he was the tragic, tormented rebel with a cause. Had James Dean lived, he would have portrayed Billy. During the cynicism of the '70s, he was dirty little Billy -- lazy, degenerate and cowardly.

   Little enough is truly known about him that he has been an Everyman throughout literature and entertainment. The exhibit illustrates all these sides.

   The exhibit also covers the effort by three sheriffs to dig up Billy, his mother and Billy's pretenders. On this topic, the exhibit is myopic, treating only the pro-digging side. No mention is made of those of us, including noted historians, forensic scientists and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, who think the effort is a frivolous wild goose chase.

   But the digging effort has repopularized our most famous New Mexican at a time when the Western craze in film and TV has waned. This exhibit appears to be a result of that renewed interest.

   The principals, who provided much of the exhibit material are people who wanted to see the digging take place. Deputy Sheriff Steve Sederwall, artist and True West magazine president Bob Boze Bell and Hubbard, himself, have been the major players in making this a great exhibit.

   It is good enough that the state departments of Tourism and Cultural Affairs are discussing the possibility of a traveling exhibit. But don't wait for that. See it in Albuquerque before July 22.

MON, 7-2-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Capital Report Debues

ABy JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- A new political publication has appeared on the scene. Capitol Report New Mexico is a three-issues-a-year magazine that intends to shed some light on political and policy processes "inside Paseo de Peralta," New Mexico's version of the famous Washington, D.C. "Beltway."

      Capitol Report is published by Jack Swickard, who was editor and general manager of the Roswell Daily Record for many years, and Harold Morgan, known for the Sunwest Bank business newsletter he produced for many years. Morgan also writes a political column distributed by New Mexico News Services.

      The feature of the first issue is the health care proposals that will be discussed in depth by the 2008 Legislature. Summaries of the four major approaches fill several pages. It is sure to be a hot topic as states throughout the nation wrestle with providing affordable health coverage to all.

      Also included was an insightful analysis of the extremely close 1st Congressional District race between Rep. Heather Wilson and Patricia Madrid. University of New Mexico political science professor Lonna Atkeson suggests that in order for Democrats to ever win that district, it will be necessary for them to abandon traditional concepts of targeting voters and put a greater focus on individual Democratic voters within Republican areas and not concede any area or voter.

      Atkeson says this micro-targeting strategy was what won the 2004 presidential election for Republicans in New Mexico. They decided to leave no voter unattended.

      Also in the issue is an analysis by New Mexico State University political science professor Jose Garcia  of Gov. Bill Richardson's prominent effect on state Democratic politics.

   Garcia surmises that this governor's overwhelming presence has created a bottleneck of indecision among Democrats coveting top offices while waiting to see if Richardson will serve his full term, win presidential nomination, decide to run for the U.S. Senate in 2008 or receive a top federal appointment in 2009.

   The most interesting article to me was the report of an anonymous citizen who visited our Capitol for a day during the past legislative session. This citizen had lived in other states and visited their capitols so had some basis of comparison.

   He found our legislature fascinating for its openness, politeness and courtesy. He was surprised to be able to walk in the front door and go straight to his lawmakers' offices. He met both his representative and senator who were eager to know if he had any issues or concerns.

   Within minutes, he had met two lobbyists and a former governor. The committee meeting he attended was addressing a controversial issue but  the legislators were statesmanlike and the testimony was respectful, unlike what we see on the news from our nation's capital.

   What amazed him most, however, was the quantity and quality of art that surrounded him. He marveled at the phenomenal environment in which the legislative process operates and admitted it was a bit distracting because he wanted to spend his time just admiring all the works by well-known artists.

   The citizen's one complaint about New Mexico politics was that he doesn't get enough information and analysis. Access to Capitol Reports issues will help address that complaint. And of course, moving to a community whose newspaper carries this column would be invaluable.

   I don't know where this fellow parked, but that is the complaint I hear most often from citizen lobbyists. The Legislature is finally addressing that problem, however.

   A large parking garage will be built across the street west of the Capitol. When New Mexico citizens are able to park easily in that structure, our Legislature will be much closer to the truly open and accessible government it should be.

   The spring Capitol Report issue also contains a concise explanation of New Mexico's changing tax scene, a profile of a top lobbyist and many, many colorful snapshots by noted political photographer Mark Bralley.

   My prediction is that this will be a successful venture.

FRI, 6-29-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

6-27 Pluto Demoted Again

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Pluto has been demoted again. This time, there was hardly a whimper from the former planet's supporters when Pluto was bumped from its position as the solar system's biggest dwarf star.

      Frankly, no abundance of Pluto supporters likely ever existed. It was more a favorite-son sort of thing. You see, Clyde Tombaugh was the only American ever to discover a planet. The first eight were discovered while America still was busy conquering its own frontiers

      But in 1930 we got into space when young Tombaugh painstakingly discovered a ninth planet while working at Lowell observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

      Tombaugh moved to New Mexico in 1946 to work at the White Sands Proving Grounds, now White Sands Missile Range. In 1955, he founded the astronomy department at New Mexico A&M, now New Mexico State University.

      So Arizona and New Mexico have a right to be proud of Professor Tombaugh and his accomplishments. And we have a stake in Pluto's planetary status.

      But we're not going to win this one. Last year, a new category of dwarf planets was created by the International Astronomical Union amid a fair amount of controversy. The meeting was held in the Czech Republic and the vote was taken after many of the attendees already had left.

      A Web site dedicated to saving Pluto was created and promised to collect a massive number of petition signatures but nothing has been heard since.

      In reality, the action had been coming for a long time. For many years after Tombaugh's discovery, telescopes weren't good enough to determine Pluto's details. As their quality improved, the news wasn't promising. Pluto didn't appear to be a good member of the planetary club.

      Then in 2003, a Cal Tech astronomer discovered another planetary body that appeared to be at least as big as Pluto. That's what lead to the new class of dwarf planets. Now it has been determined through observations by the Hubble space telescope that the newly-discovered Eris is 27 percent larger than Pluto.

      So now our guy isn't even the biggest dwarf. And it's highly possible that other dwarfs will be discovered. A Harvard astronomer suggests that the new class be called Plutonians, instead of dwarfs. At least that saves us a little dignity.

      As for Tombaugh, who died in 1997, his name shows up throughout science fiction novels, movies and TV series. Maybe when we reach Mars, we'll name a base after him. Meanwhile, his family can be proud of Tombaugh Elementary School in Las Cruces.

      His widow, Patsy Tombaugh, says her husband wouldn't be too upset with Pluto's demotion. He was a scientist and he knew that further information could change things.

      With the upcoming 60th anniversary of whatever it was the government finally decides didn't happen at Roswell in early July of  1947, it is appropriate to note Tombaugh's involvement in UFO lore.

      In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Tombaugh's sky gazing resulted in the sighting of three objects which he said defied any explanation of known phenomena. "Their apparent lack of obedience to the ordinary laws of celestial motion gives credence" to their being extraterrestrial.

      As the most eminent astronomer to report seeing unidentified objects, Tombaugh was attacked by some within his profession.

   He countered that as a highly skilled professional he thought that several reputable scientists were being unscientific in refusing to entertain the possibility that his sightings could be of extraterrestrial origin and nature.

   Tombaugh's reports of possible extraterrestrial phenomena may have led to his involvement in a secret government search for near-earth satellites. The reason for the search never was made public.

   There was speculation that the government was secretly looking for flying saucers while publicly debunking them. But it also may have been possible that our spies in Russia were reporting that the Soviet space program was significantly ahead of ours.

WED, 6-27-06

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Out of office

I'll be out of the office through Friday of next week, 6-22. I'm not taking my laptop, but will have cell phone: 505-699-9982.

 

You should have received columns through 6-25.

 

Big family wedding in Houston.

 

Jay

New Mexico -- Like a Trip to Outer Space

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- There's good news and bad news in the recent reports about New Mexico.

   Gov. Bill Richardson recently announced that the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranks New Mexico fifth nationally in percentage of economic growth. That's nearly double the national average. And our unemployment rate of 3.6 percent is significantly below the national average of 4.5 percent.

   Richardson says the economic news will be a major selling point as he continues to recruit new businesses to the state. There's also a fairly good chance he also will mention it during his presidential campaign.

   We still rank down at No. 40, so we have a long way to go, as NBC's Tim Russert so vigorously pointed out in his recent Meet the Press interview with Richardson.

   Another piece of bad news came a few days later when the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women reported that our state's women rank 42nd in the extent to which they participate in our economic growth. Women make 74.6 cents for every dollar men are bringing in.

   Back to the good news, a joint survey by Businessweek.com and Sperling's Best Places ranks Santa Fe as the second best place for artists to live.

   The ranking was based on metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of artistic business establishments. That includes museums, orchestras, dance companies, and such. Who beat us out? Los Angeles.

   The ranking fits in with a recent University of New Mexico study that found Santa Fe has the second largest art market in the nation in terms of dollar sales, generating $1.1 billion annually, according to Art-Talk magazine. Santa Fe also has the most artists per capita of any city in the United States.

   It seems hard to believe that little Santa Fe could be in such tall cotton, but we realize how good Santa Fe is when we visit galleries in major cities that proudly advertise their art communities.

   A few years ago, a well-to-do in-law from Dallas pulled me aside in one of Santa Fe's nicest galleries and said she was embarrassed that she hadn't found where to pay her admission fee. She thought she was in a museum.

   More bad news. Morgan Quinto Press, another publication that rates best places to live, recently ranked New Mexico as the second most dangerous state.

   "Dangerous" is measured by giving equal rank to murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts. Generally, the dangerous states are in the south. Nevada is first, Arizona third. California and Texas also are in the top 10.

   The big northeastern states show up as relatively safe. Might this be a good anti-immigration argument? States near the Mexican border have high rates of car thefts. Maybe a murder should be weighted higher than a car theft.

   Here's some news the state Tourism Department may not be too crazy about. NASA scientists are studying New Mexico's landscape because it looks so much like the surface of Mars. They've discovered that volcanic rocks on Mars look strikingly like some found near Zuni. So they're studying the Zuni rocks for clues to what the Mars rocks may look like underneath.

   Forty years ago, Harrison Schmitt, the only scientist astronaut to walk on the moon, trained his fellow NASA astronauts on New Mexico geologic features because they were most like the moon.

   Visit New Mexico, Universe. It's just like a trip to outer space.

   New Mexico voters didn't hold Schmitt responsible for any bad publicity. Two years after the Apollo program ended, we elected him to the U.S. Senate.

   Speaking of outer space, New Mexico thinks it is building Virgin Galactic owner Richard Branson a $225 million spaceport. But the June Wired magazine indicates Branson's eyes are wandering toward spaceports in Mojave, Sweden, Scotland and offers from various Middle Eastern and Asian governments.

MON, 6-25-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Bill Gets Two Breaks: One Good, One Bad

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Not only has Gov. Bill Richardson had trouble breaking out among America's voters, he's even struggling to get noticed by Hispanics.

      With a name like Richardson, he fades into the crowd among potential Hispanic voters. In Congress, it was easy to get noticed and he soon became chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. But with all Hispanic voters in the nation to reach, it is difficult for an unknown candidate from an unknown state.

      Richardson did catch a break recently when Univision, the nation's largest Spanish language network, announced it would invite presidential candidates to debate in Spanish. That is tailor made for Richardson.

      So why would anyone else even try? Well, it seems that many candidates find the ability to speak Spanish important even if they embrace English Only. Spanish language classes are popular on Capitol Hill. Maybe those who are worried Spanish will become our national language figure they'd better learn to speak it now.

      It turns out that some of the presidential candidates can converse in Spanish. Sen. Chris Dodd was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. He and Barack Obama have delivered the Democrats' weekly Hispanic Radio Address.

      Mitt Romney has aired a Spanish language radio ad featuring a son who did a Mormon missionary stint in Chile. He also has an "En Espanol" option on his campaign Web site.

      In the last two presidential elections, George Bush and his Democratic opponents would switch to Spanish whenever they thought it might help. So far, only Richardson and Dodd have accepted the debate invitations.

   It will be a wonderful opportunity for Richardson to get his message out on the fifth most watched network channel. It has more viewers than CNN, MSNBC or Fox News.

   Richardson got a bad break when Los Angeles Mayor Tony Villaraigosa decided to endorse Hillary Clinton. He's a rising star in the party, so all Democratic candidates were seeking his endorsement. He's widely expected to run for California governor next.

   Richardson campaigned for Villaraigosa both times he has run for Los Angeles mayor. And Villaraigosa attended Richardson's first inaugural. He might have attended his second inaugural also. I saw him at the first one and he told me Richardson had sent him two tickets.

   But Hillary had more to bargain with. She is leading most polls and she got an important assist from former President Clinton , whom Villaraigosa admires. It appears the mayor was more interested in picking a winner than supporting a fellow Latino.

   Villaraigosa could have done much more for Richardson than he can do for Hillary. She already has high name recognition. He may give her a little more credibility among Hispanics. But she already has quite a few other Hispanic leaders on board.

   Richardson does have some Hispanic supporters at Univision. Former Chairman and CEO Jerry Perenchio, a California Republican and major political donor to Richardson's two gubernatorial campaigns, might have had some influence on hosting the presidential debates. Henry Cisneros, another Richardson buddy, has also been on the Univision board.

   Richardson says Villaraigosa's decision to go with Clinton is insignificant to his campaign, but that is much like saying low poll numbers don't mean anything. What else can a candidate say?

   Our governor is still in fast-forward mode. As blogger Joe Monahan puts it, just reading Richardson's schedule is tiring. Recent pictures don't look good. He appears to have put back on the weight he lost. He's not as animated as he used to be. We seldom see that disarming boyish grin anymore.

   He even looked bad in his funny television commercials. You've gotta do something about those bags under your eyes, Bill. I was about to compare you to Mo Udall and his lament about being too funny to be president.

   But you have to smile again before I can do that.

FRI, 6-22-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Paris Hilton's New Mexico Connection

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

 

      SANTA FE -- Free Paris. Paris is liberated. Those were phrases heard often in the early '40s. Now it is more likely to hear "Keep Paris in the clink."

      What would a newspaper column be these days without a reference to Paris Hilton? Don't answer that. I've actually had requests to write about Hilton's New Mexico connections.

      None of those requests have come from residents of San Antonio, NM. Yes, there is a San Antonio, NM. Look just south of Socorro. My cousin Margene Harris lives there and she says she doesn't hear any talk about the area's most famous great granddaughter. It seems obvious Paris isn't their favorite great granddaughter.

      You see, Paris Hilton's great grandfather was hotelier Conrad Hilton who was born in San Antonio. His father owned a large mercantile company, part of which is now the Owl Bar.

   He also turned his large adobe house at the corner of Sixth and Main into a hotel. Conrad and his brother met the trains coming into town and carried their baggage to the Hilton Hotel.

   Besides attending school in San Antonio, Conrad was educated at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, St. Michaels College in Santa Fe and the New Mexico School of Mines in Socorro.

   When New Mexico was admitted to the union in 1912, Conrad Hilton was elected to the 1st New Mexico Legislature. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Hilton enlisted in the Army and saw action in France.

   Following his discharge in 1919, Hilton returned to San Antonio to take over the family business. His father had been killed in a car accident the previous year. But it wasn't long before Hilton moved to Texas to pursue greater business opportunities.

   He bought a hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. The first one he built was the El Paso Hilton in 1930. Albuquerque's Hilton came not long after. From there, he quickly moved into setting up an empire such as the hotel world had never seen.

   So how did the genius of the hotel world evolve into a spoiled, untalented brat? Paris Hilton may be smarter than she acts. It isn't easy to be famous simply for being famous. Most rich heiresses aren't famous even though they'd like to be.

   But there's also another reason. This bad apple didn't fall to far from the tree. Conrad Hilton was a devout Catholic and a great philanthropist. He left most of his money to charities. A son sued and got much of it back. Otherwise Paris might have had to work for a living -- which may have been what Hilton wanted his offspring to do.

   But Hilton also was a philanderer. His life's details are not all included in that book next to the Gideon Bible in every one of his hotel rooms. Don't forget, one of his three wives was Zsa Zsa Gabor. And Paris isn't the only Hilton to be a problem child.

   Another New Mexico connection to this saga is that Gov. Bill Richardson found Paris Hilton newsworthy enough to write a letter to Judge Michael Sauer promoting the use of mandatory ignition interlock devices for everyone convicted of drunken driving.

   Maybe the good people of San Antonio, NM aren't particularly interested in promoting their community. But they are missing a great opportunity to cash in on the Hilton family publicity.

   The old Hilton Hotel is in ruins, but there are scores of well-visited historic sites in the state that are in ruins. And there is the previously-mentioned Owl Bar, famous for its building and its role in the world's first atomic test at Trinity Site, just down the road.

   If you Google "San Antonio, NM historic sites" you are sent to www.epodunk.com, which tells you San Antonio has no historic sites.

   By the way, the Owl Bar also is known far and wide for the best green chile cheeseburgers in the world. But next time, go across the street to Manny's Buckhorn Bar. That's where the locals eat.

WED, 6-20-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Roswell UFO Festival Will Be Best Ever

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- If ever you have thought of going to the Roswell UFO Festival, this is the year to do it. You won't believe the schedule of events for the 60th anniversary celebration.

      I should say schedules of events. The City of Roswell and the UFO Museum both will have fully-packed schedules of events from Thursday, July 5 -- Sunday, July 8. And nearly all of them will be on Roswell's main street.

      An often-heard complaint at previous UFO festivals was that there wasn't enough to do. No one can make that criticism this year. There is full-time action for everyone, whether you want lectures on UFO conspiracies or to participate in family fun.

      It just won't ever get any better. For a look at the two schedules, go to www.roswellufofestival.com and www.roswellufomuseum.com.

      I'm a longtime fan of Roswell UFO festivals. My wife and I attended the first one in 1995, when the UFO Museum began its buildup toward the big 50th anniversary of the 1947 Roswell crash.

      In 1996-1998, we brought groups of 25-30 people from Santa Fe with parts and costumes to assemble for parade floats. We won the parade those three years, along with $1,000 prizes, which we enjoyed spending before we left town. Part of the prize was always donated back to the festival committee as a nest egg for the following year.

      But the 1998 festival didn't amount to much. The 50th anniversary was over and the national and international visitors began to lose interest. Locals never showed as much interest in the event as UFO enthusiasts from out of town.

      In 1996, I stopped at a table in a Roswell restaurant to talk with some prominent local businessmen and politicos. One of them asked what I was doing in town and I told him a group of us were there for the UFO Festival. His answer was a disinterested "I guess we've heard of that."

      For the past eight years, the UFO Festival has been experimenting with different formats, sponsors and locations. Roswell may not have hit on the perfect formula yet, but this year's 60th anniversary extravaganza promises to live up to its billing as the best UFO Festival ever.

      The festival will have an exciting aerial component this year with a Spectacular Airshow and rides in hot air balloons, helicopters and airplanes. There will be numerous kiddie events and team sports for all the family.

      I'm not going to get too specific in mentioning about program events here because all events haven't been finalized. If you have computer access, please check the Web sites above.

      One hint as to how big this celebration will be is the City of Roswell's $150,000 budget for its events. And it may even go over that amount.

      Roswell is the undisputed capital of the UFO world. And it is somewhat by accident. Few sightings, abductions or close encounters of the third kind have ever been reported in the area.

   But one day in early July 1947, the Roswell Army Air Field issued a news release announcing it had captured a flying saucer on a nearby ranch. No government has ever announced such a thing, before or since.

   The following day a clarification was issued that it was a weather balloon. But suspicions lingered and almost 50 years later, the Air Force issued another clarification saying it was a spy balloon.

   That's probably correct, but the fact it took almost 50 years and pressure from New Mexico U.S. Reps. Joe Skeen and Steve Schiff to pry a third explanation from our government gave fuel to a host of conspiracy theories that will never end.

   The state of New Mexico has even gotten into the act by indicating the UFO crash site on its official aeronautical chart.

   Roswell now is looking at a UFO-themed amusement park with a $100 million indoor roller coaster that would take passengers on a simulated alien abduction.

MON, 6-18-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Moriarty Racino Makes Sense

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Should the Downs at Albuquerque be allowed to move its horse track and casino to Moriarty? Downs president Paul Blanchard has asked to move his racing dates to the other side of the Sandias in 2009.

      It's not a bad idea, but 2009 seems a trifle optimistic considering the hurdles Blanchard faces. The racing commission has hired a lawyer to deal strictly with the transfer request. He seems to be in no hurry to expedite the process, but then, why should he be?

      Blanchard's unusual request creates all sorts of problems. It is more than just a renewal request, as Blanchard insists. And it is less than a request for a new license, which the racing panel's new lawyer is contending.

      It is a transfer request. And that's not covered by law, which means either the courts will have to decide or the law will need to be changed in the 2008 Legislature. The latter likely will be quicker.

      Then there are the Indian gaming compacts that have just been signed. They limit additional racino licenses to one more. Would this be it? If so, it will be in competition with Santa Fe, Raton and maybe Tucumcari.

      Regardless of the answer to that question, the compacts require the racing commission "to solicit and consider the views" of the gambling tribes.

   Blanchard says the tribal casinos will have no problem because the move puts the Downs casino farther from them. But the tribal casinos haven't spoken yet and they are sure to want to leverage their limited power all they possibly can.

   Also in the picture are the neighbors, both in Albuquerque and Moriarty. Last year the neighbors kept Blanchard from building a larger casino at a busy corner of the fairgrounds at  Central and Louisiana. That's when Blanchard started looking at the east side of the Sandias.

   Now that he wants to move, those same neighbors are threatening to sue if he does. They want to keep things the way they are, with the casino in cramped quarters at the racetrack with less than half as many slot machines as are allowed.

   Most of the business community in Moriarty like the idea of the track and casino, along with a hotel, RV park, truck stop, barns, indoor equestrian center, outdoor show ring, stables, an advanced veterinary clinic, steakhouse, food court and bars.

   Many neighbors like the idea because of the 400 jobs, it is projected to provide. But a representative of 56 families who live near the site told the May racing panel meeting that local leaders haven't addressed the impact on the community, especially water needs.

   Actually Torrance County commissioners, along with representatives of Moriarty, Edgewood and southern Santa Fe County have been participating in planning sessions ever since Blanchard's May 11 announcement.

   And as far as water is concerned, Torrance County has a huge basin of underground brackish water that communities from Albuquerque to Espanola have been eyeing for several years. Area ranchers and farmers have not been interested in giving it up even though they don't need it.

   This could be a perfect use for some of that water. Desalination is now economically feasible. Reports indicate that New Mexico is the only state without a single desalination plant.

   The complaining neighbors do have a point, however. When the Racing Commission approved the racino at Hobbs, Gov. Bill Richardson said he wanted three years to look at its total effects on the surrounding area before approving any further expansion. That study has not been completed.

   Blanchard wants to set up his operation on 500 acres just off Interstate 40 and state Highway 41, the road to Santa Fe. The property is owned by the King family, which has unsuccessfully tried to develop it for residential purposes.

   Torrance County already is horse country. It makes some sense to have a track there. When the state fairgrounds originally was developed it was well east of Albuquerque. This move would just put the track a little farther east.

FRI, 6-16-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

How Important Is Flag Day?

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Flag Day, June 14, is the least celebrated of all national observances. One reason is that it never has been declared an official holiday.

   As we headed into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson tried but failed to get Congress to recognize the observance and make it a holiday.

   Flag Day was slow in getting started and only picked up steam in the late 1800s when Americans became concerned about the flood of immigrants coming to our shores during a period of generous immigration policies, prompted by the need of burgeoning industries for cheap labor.

   Sound familiar? The idea was to Americanize the children in the schools. Since most schools aren't in session in June anymore, observances in the schools have dwindled. Americanizing the younger generation hasn't been much of a problem anyway. They learn much more quickly than adults.

   Flag days began in scattered communities around the nation and that is the way they still are observed. A check of the first 200 Flag Day Web sites Google gave me indicates a real hodgepodge of observances, with each Web site having its own agenda.

   Flag Day is little enough recognized that many other organizations have their own Flag Day for completely different purposes. The Armed Forces have a Flag Day on a different date to raise money for needy veterans and active duty personnel. Donors are given a flag sticker to wear.

   I found Red Cross sites raising money on different dates. And Flag Day means something completely different to bloggers, who want a specific day to identify and flag objectionable blogs.

   Since stores don't really observe Flag Day, there are plenty of sites that sell specific Flag Day items. Many sites also have teaching materials for Flag Day.

   A major problem with community Flag Day observances is that the day falls halfway between Memorial Day and July 4th, our nation's two biggest patriotic observances.

   No wonder Congress hasn't wanted to make it a holiday. Not even the flag wavers have suggested it. They prefer to advocate a constitutional amendment banning flag burning.

   Putting together the information from many Web sites, here is the comprehensive story of Flag Day that I had hoped to find all on one convenient Web site.

   On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution designating the flag's design. Most modern historians think it unlikely Betsy Ross either suggested the design or stitched the first flag.

   In 1861, the city of Hartford, Conn. held a Flag Day observance to indicate its hope that the Union could be preserved as the nation entered into a Civil War.

   In 1877, Congress asked that all public buildings fly the flag on June 14 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the flag. It wasn't until 20 years later that New York became the first state to require that all public buildings fly the flag.

   In 1885, a Wisconsin school teacher began an energetic campaign to get Congress to declare June 14 a national holiday. In 1888, a Pittsburgh schoolboy founded the American Flag Day Association. In 1889, the principal of a kindergarten for the poor in New York City, held ceremonies that attracted the attention of New York authorities.

   In 1893, the Philadelphia Society of Colonial Dames convinced the city to display the flag on all city buildings. In 1937, Pennsylvania became the first and only state to declare June 14 a legal holiday.

      Finally in 1949, during the early days of the Cold War, Congress approved the national observance and President Harry Truman signed it. Presidents sometimes mention Flag Day and occasionally issue proclamations.

   But celebrations remain a local matter. Not surprisingly, all the localities listed above celebrate Flag Day and claim to be its founders.

   Maybe adoption of our flag isn't sufficiently momentous. How about celebrating our Constitution the first Wednesday in March?

WED, 6-14-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

"War Czar" Hurts Peace Loving Reputation

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

 

      SANTA FE -- President Bush's newly-created "War Czar" position bothers me. It's not so much for the usual reasons: no three-star general is going to get the Pentagon, State Department and four-star generals in the field to listen to him and, besides, the president can't delegate that authority.

      What I don't like is what it does to our image as a peace loving nation. Maybe that has been fairly well destroyed already, but having a war czar doesn't help.

      In 1949, our national leaders decided that Department of Defense would be a better name for the Department of War, which was created way back in 1789. After all, we weren't a warlike nation. We had a military in order to defend ourselves, not to make war.

      But now our peace loving generation, which knew the horrors of war has been replaced by a generation that grew up on violent videogames, violence on television and in the movies, outrageous rap and hip-hop lyrics and mood altering drugs prescribed for children.

      It is a desensitized generation that Barbara Walters describes as "being offended if it is not offended." It is a generation that is not interested in anything but its little world of I-Pods, Blackberries and MP3s. 

      They don't care if we are at war. It's fine with them -- as long as the draft isn't reinstated. If that were to happen, they suddenly would become extremely engaged. And so would their friends and families.

      Can you imagine today's teenagers storming the beaches at Normandy and Iwo Jima or enduring the prison camps of Bataan, Manchuria or Hanoi?

   Yes, teenagers. The average age of the Iwo Jima invasion force was 19 years. They were drafted right out of high school, given a few months of training and sent off to war. Some of the 1800 New Mexico Guardsmen who went to the Philippines were still in high school.

   One young man who did care about the war was Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh, a 2000 graduate of the now-defunct Native American Preparatory School near Pecos. He participated in a war protest, clad in fatigues with his name tag and other insignia removed.

   After he was identified in a photo caption in the Washington Post, he was notified that he was in violation of a rule prohibiting troops from wearing uniforms without authorization. A hearing board last week recommended that his honorable discharge following a tour of duty in Iraq be reduced to a general discharge.

   The military's authority to rescind an honorable discharge already granted results from the fact that he still had two weeks left on his eight-year obligation and that his civilian behavior could affect how people view the Marine Corps.

   If the Marines let him go before June 18, it could affect his health benefits and cost him some money. It seems like harsh punishment for participating in a protest. It's reminiscent of the Nixon years when photographs were taken of Vietnam protests.

   A corporal's protest against what is happening in Iraq certainly doesn't rise to the level of several retired generals' statements about the conduct of the war.

   One of those generals was among the several four-star generals who turned down the president's request to become war czar. In fact, he was a Marine general and he wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post.

   It also might make some of us wonder if we ever wore our old fatigues when we shouldn't have. What veteran hasn't kept his old fatigues around to wear? Those things are tough. Mine may have lasted a lifetime except that they kept having more and more difficulty getting around my waist.

   I guess I could have bought another pair at an Army surplus store. They probably sell them everywhere now. Camouflage has become very popular. I even saw camouflage Easter eggs this year.

   I wonder if Kokesh could have beaten the rap if he'd said he bought his fatigues at Wal-Mart?

MON, 6-11-07

 

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505

(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com