Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Our Phx family is escaping the heat with us for a long weekend in Red River. Back approx Tues. noon.  cell: 699-9982

8-6 Lottery, Trinity and Billy

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- New Mexico's college-bound students will get about a $5 million boost in scholarship funds from the state lottery.

      Considering we're talking about state government, the achievement came about quickly. Last fall a group of opinion leaders from throughout the state, called Think New Mexico, issued a stinging report detailing how the New Mexico lottery needed to cut its costs to provide more money for scholarships.

      Soon the money available from lottery proceeds would not be sufficient to cover a rising number of students eligible for the scholarships. Rising tuition rates also added to the problem.

      Think New Mexico's solution was to raise the amount of the lottery dollar going to scholarships from 24 cents to 30 cents. This would put New Mexico in line with most other states.

      To raise that money, Think New Mexico proposed rebidding the contract with the online vendor, which currently was receiving 8.52 cents of every lottery dollar, and seek a rate more like 2.5 percent.

   Some of the newer contracts being bid around the country were coming in that low because of improvements in the systems and increased competition.

   Shortly after Think New Mexico's report, the lottery's director said the contract would be rebid, but that the extra money would be used to hire more staff, increase already inflated salaries and do more promotion.

   That's when Gov. Bill Richardson got into the act with his plan, which looked much like Think New Mexico's proposal. Together they went to the Legislature in January

   The result was a law requiring lottery revenues for scholarships be increased immediately to 27 percent and on to 30 percent in 2009.

   At that point, the lottery administration and board finally distinguished themselves. They negotiated a rate of 1.5 percent with a Greek company called INTRALOT. The former vendor, GTECH bid 1.78 percent, which wasn't too shabby either.

   More than 43,000 students have received lottery scholarships since the lottery's inception in 1996.

   "This is wonderful news for New Mexico's high school students who are working hard, staying in school and earning good grades in the hope of one day qualifying for full-tuition college scholarships," said Fred Nathan, executive director of Think New Mexico.

   *  *     *

   Initial response has been heavy to a recent column about newly-released studies revealing that many New Mexicans were exposed to significant amounts of radiation from the Trinity atomic test.

   Respondents are telling me about cancer running throughout their families, especially thyroid cancer. I'm also learning of studies done decades ago that were not released because the government did not want to assume any liability for resulting health problems.

   We are going to stay on this story and keep you informed about what we learn and what you may be able to do if you think you might have been harmed.

   *  *     *

   A respondent to a recent column on the Billy the Kid exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum said that he and his family  have been looking many years for gold that Billy buried north of Espanola.

   I had to tell him not to waste any more time. The only things Billy ever robbed were cattle and horses and probably people to whom he dealt cards.

   Billy wasn't in the outlaw business to get rich. He had scores to settle. In the process, he killed six or seven men, not 21. He was deputized during most of his killings. But then, both sides in the Lincoln County War controlled officials with the authority to deputize.

   The Kid didn't rob banks, trains or stagecoaches. He wasn't a "highwayman" as many pulp novel writers fantasized. He seldom ever had a dime to his name.

   There are reports of Billy having a descendant in the Espanola area, however. But the great, great grandson, or whatever he'd be, is reputed to be just as tough as Billy and quite a bit meaner.

MON, 8-06-07

 

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

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

 

8-3 Should Gov. Appoint Elected State Officials?

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Should the governor get to appoint the other state officials whom we now elect? That was one of the questions considered by the Legislature's Task Force on Ethics Reform at its meeting last week in Socorro.

      At this meeting, the focus was on making the state auditor an appointive official. But the same arguments, pro and con, basically apply to the other elective offices: secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and land commissioner. In addition, the five members of the Public Regulation Commission also are elective.

      You've probably noticed that the U.S. president gets to appoint his entire administration. He even appoints his vice president, although technically, the nominating convention makes that choice.  In New Mexico, the lieutenant governor has to run in the primary election.

      So should New Mexico copy the federal system rather than having 11 elective executive branch offices below the governor. It makes for what is called the plural executive. It also is called a weak executive because the governor has to share power with all of them.

      In a small state, it was thought that down-ballot state offices should be elected because voters would know the candidates and responsibility would be spread.

      But in 21st century New Mexico, few people know the candidates for minor state offices. In fact, only a small percentage of New Mexicans can name any statewide elected official below the governor, with the possible exception of the lieutenant governor and attorney general.

      Back in the '60s, E. Lee Francis was lieutenant governor during the Dave Cargo administration. When senators would join the House for a joint session, the House sergeant-at-arms would introduce the lieutenant governor as "Francis E, Lee."

      The recent scandals in the state treasurer's office are an apt demonstration of what happens when people don't know an elected official and have no idea what is going on in that office even after a new treasurer was elected.

      Had the treasurer been a gubernatorial appointee, there would have been accountability up the ladder, whistle-blowers would have had a place to go and the offender could have been removed at the first hint of wrongdoing.

      The argument to that might be that an independently elected official can act in an instance when the chief executive is off base. Some things might have been done differently at the federal level if attorney general Alberto Gonzalez had been able to call the president on some of his human rights decisions.

      For his part, state Auditor Hector Balderas argued that the auditor's position should be independent in order to keep audits independent. He has a point. Maybe some state offices should be independent and others would work better as part of the governor's administration.

      The attorney general's office benefits by being the people's attorney, accountable only to voters. Maybe the secretary of state should be independent because that office handles elections.

      But the treasurer's office would operate better under the governor. So would the land commissioner and the public regulation commissioners. Even the lieutenant governor should be chosen as a running mate by the governor.

   When the two are at odds, such as when Lt. Gov. Casey Luna decided he'd rather be governor, Bruce King was in a quandary whenever he needed to leave the state.

      When a state Constitutional Convention proposed a new document for New Mexico, it called for leaving only the auditor and land commissioner independent. The constitution was narrowly defeated. Loss of the elective franchise was thought to be a major reason for the defeat.

      New Mexico voters never have liked giving up their right to vote for as many public officials as possible, even if they don't know anything about them.

      But four years ago, Gov. Bill Richardson and a majority of legislators managed to convince voters to do away with the 10 elected members of the state Board of Education. So there is a possibility for change.

FRI, 8-03-07

 

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

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

 

8-1 It's Pete For a 7th Term

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

 

      SANTA FE -- Sen. Pete Domenici has been busy around New Mexico lately. That's not unusual for a U.S. senator whose six-year term is about to expire.

      But there has been much talk about Pete calling it quits. He's 75 now and has some health problems. It's not the first time for health problems and he's overcome them before.

      But Pete does have some political problems here at home. He has deftly avoided such problems ever since going to the Senate in 1973. But the Iraq War is beginning to weigh on many of his political supporters.

   And then he didn't come out looking good in the aftermath of the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. He faces a possible ethics probe on that matter.

   The result is a reported drop to 51 percent in a recent Survey USA poll. That is unheard of for Pete. He brushes it off, but he also seems to be doing something about it.

   Besides making more appearances around the state, he has called on President George Bush to change his war strategy. He hasn't cast any votes against him yet, but Pete's put the president on notice.

   He's not being too rough on the unpopular president yet, however. He's asked Bush to help him raise big money at an August 27 Albuquerque fundraiser. Next year Pete can keep Bush under wraps.

   If the tide is turning against Domenici, he's fortunate that no big Democrats have declared against him. Three second-tier candidates have announced their challenge.

   Chief among them is Santa Fe developer Don Wiviott, who primed his campaign war chest with $400,000 of personal money and says he's willing to go a million. The two others in the race also are Santa Feans, Jim Hannan and Leland Lehrman.

   There's always an outside chance that Gov. Bill Richardson will decide to forget the presidential race and take aim at the Senate if Domenici drops out or appears sufficiently weakened. He would have to make a decision before the first primary in order to get on the New Mexico ballot.

   But if he were to have an agreeable person be a placeholder for him, Richardson would have until this time next year, when the general election ballot is being finalized. You can be sure Wiviott will be watched closely for any signs of chumminess with Richardson.

   There is word that Domenici may even have a primary opponent. That kind of talk is likely to start the earth rumbling. Pete has not had a primary opponent since the seven he had when he first ran in 1972.

   A wealthy newcomer to the state, Spiro Vassilopoulos, has shown a flurry of activity in Republican politics of late. He's starting with a strike against him because of that first name. Republicans thought they had seen their last Spiro 30 years ago.

   Blogger Joe Monahan says Spiro V. made his money in oil and gas interests in the Middle East. He spent 12 years in Iran and is now a naturalized American. He's considering the possibility of taking on Pete V. over his switch in Iraq policy.

   If Vassilopoulos were to decide on a primary election challenge to Domenici, he would have to get past the state pre-primary nominating convention, which requires a candidate receive at least 20 percent of delegate votes. That's not likely and the avenue of getting additional signatures to qualify was quietly barricaded by the 2007 Legislature.

   So how likely is Pete to run? My guess is very likely. When I first got into this business 20 years ago, Pete, a heavy smoker, had some serious lung problems. The word was that he would have to forego a run for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

   One of my first columns insisted that was not going to happen. I'd known Pete since college days and knew he was a determined fighter. I received thank yous from his staff for coming to the boss' defense.

   I also countered arguments that he wouldn't seek a fifth and sixth term. I wasn't thanked on those occasions. My conclusion: the closest Pete ever came to having to leave the Senate was three terms ago.

   I think he's in better shape now than he was then.

WED, 8-01-07

 

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

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

 

7-30 You May Be a Nuclear Fallout Victim

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Last week I asked how wise it was to conduct nuclear testing on our own turf, no matter how isolated it might seem to be. I received some quick answers.

      Days later, Roger Snodgrass of the Los Alamos Monitor reported on a public meeting at Pojoaque to discuss interim findings of the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Analysis project

      This multi-million dollar document search is being conducted under a contract from the Centers for Disease Control to fill in some of the knowledge gaps surrounding the 1945 Trinity test in central New Mexico.

      Since that was the first nuclear blast ever, health issues from fallout were not high on the priority list. Secrecy and safety of the project staff were of prime importance. Few measurements were taken  immediately and those didn't receive much analysis.

   The current effort is an attempt to put together that data from millions of documents, along with interviewing scientists and surviving residents.

      Many of the radioactivity measurements were taken on the day after the blast, particularly in a gorge east of the town of Bingham, known as Hoot Owl Canyon. Because of the high radioactivity measurements, it was renamed Hot Canyon.

      Measurements typically reached levels 10,000 times higher than the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows in a public area.

      The following day, I received a copy of the interim report from a reader. The 47-page Appendix N includes maps of fallout patterns and a discussion of gaps of knowledge remaining to this day.

      Having lived in Deming, about 130 miles to the southwest, at the time of the blast, I was very interested in what radiation I might have received.

   It was comforting to learn that New Mexico's familiar winds out of the southwest meant that the mushroom cloud blew in exactly the opposite direction. The only downside to that finding is that I don't have radiation to explain any personal oddities.

   The radiation headed basically northeast from Trinity, extending past Las Vegas and Raton into Colorado. The major fallout pattern spread to its sides as far as Socorro and Roswell. It included Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, ironically just missing Los Alamos.

   Then I received an assessment of cancer risks throughout the continental United States produced by the 1950s testing of atomic weapons at the Nevada test site. It was published by Moore and others at SENES Oak Ridge, Inc. of Oak Ridge, Tenn. last October and shows New Mexico received a good dose.

   The report indicates that one of the important radionuclides released by the Nevada tests was Iodine-131, which may induce thyroid cancer because it accumulates in the thyroid gland of individuals who consumed contaminated milk and other foods for about four to six weeks following each nuclear test.

   Virtually all Americans who lived in the continental United States during the nuclear testing period were exposed to I-131. The report provides a set of tables representing risks of thyroid cancer in various areas throughout the United States, broken down by age, gender and milk source.

   I also was led to a fascinating study that appeared in American Scientist magazine last year indicating the effects of nuclear testing worldwide and concluding that by the early 1960s, there was no place on earth where the signature of atmospheric nuclear testing could not be found in soil, water and even polar ice.

   The article contains intriguing maps of worldwide testing on five continents and wind trajectories at various altitudes from the Nevada tests. New Mexico was included in three of the four trajectories.

   Finally, I was able to obtain a report, released by the federal Department of Energy in March summarizing estimates of fallout from Trinity, concentrating on affected areas in New Mexico. It also contains many maps.

   If you are interested in learning more about how the testing affected New Mexico, all of this information can be obtained from the Internet.

MON, 7-30-07

 

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

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

 

7-27 Are We Paying College Execs Too Much?

ABy JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Are we paying our college administrators too much or our cabinet secretaries too little?

   The question arose when Gov. Bill Richardson found it necessary to supplement the salaries of the top two officials in the Higher Education Department by about $100,000 apiece and the salary of the new head of the Health Department chief by $60,000.

      For most of us, a salary of $100,000 would be real nice. We wouldn't complain at all. But this is on top of the regular salaries for those positions.

   It means Higher Education Secretary Reed Dasenbrock will be paid a total of $257,250 a year, the same amount he was making as provost at the University of New Mexico.

   And Deputy Higher Education Secretary Bill Flores will be paid a total of $220,000, the amount he was paid as provost at New Mexico State University.

   No argument was made that these people are $100,000 better than other cabinet secretaries. It was just that it takes that much to get a good person in higher education.

   Silly me. Here I thought all levels of public education were struggling financially. And these aren't college presidents. They are assistants. They're getting paid almost as much as basketball coaches.

   The only people who get paid more are corporate execs and we know they aren't paid on competency. The ones who run their corporations into the ground still receive multi-million dollar bonuses. And if they do happen to get fired, their severance packages are enough for several families to live on all their lives.

   We now are learning that corporate execs manage to jack up their salaries by serving on each other's boards and taking care of their buddies. College administrators don't do that, so maybe they convince their boards that they are corporate execs working in the public sector.

   The Health Department also got into the act, receiving $60,000 from UNM to supplement the pay of its new Secretary Alfredo Vigil. All three retain ties to their former universities, and under very odd circumstances.

   UNM first put Dasenbrock on a sabbatical but then decided it could do so only if he was first fired. Vigil becomes a member of the UNM Medical School faculty. And Flores' duties at NMSU involve dealing with the state Higher Education Department.

   In the case of the higher education execs, that raises some questions of conflicts, since Dasenbrock and Flores will be overseeing  their institutions.

   Public Education Secretary Veronica Garcia, who handles "lower" education didn't receive an extra boost in salary even though she had been superintendent of the Albuquerque Public Schools. Maybe that's because the Albuquerque schools couldn't afford the extra pay.

   So how come our two top universities in the state can afford it? That's a question several state legislators want to ask next January when the college prexies come around begging for money.

   Speaking of legislators, the Legislative Finance Committee has some concerns. On July 13, LFC Chairman John Arthur Smith, of Deming, wrote a letter to Attorney General Gary King questioning the legality and propriety of these "unorthodox arrangements."

   King may throw a monkey wrench into this cozy relationship long before the Legislature has to address it next year. Public officials depending on the attorney general for guidance have been pleased with King's speedy response to their requests for opinions. He hasn't tried to dodge anything.

   The whole question of private support of public education and public institutions is currently pushing the envelope. NMSU has a foundation, which receives anonymous private donations, part of which were used to supplement the salaries of new president, Michael Martin and former basketball coach Reggie Theus.

   Then we see public bodies soliciting money by naming buildings after private donors. Maybe Gov. Richardson could convince some private donors to chip in to boost some of his other cabinet secretaries' salaries. That would present all kinds of interesting possibilities.

FRI, 7-27-07

 

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

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

 

7-25 Breakbone Fever, Nixon Library

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Ever hear of breakbone fever? It's back, and in epidemic proportions. Here's a hint: It has nothing to do with Brokeback Mountain.

      Any World War II veteran of Bataan can tell you about breakbone fever. Southeast Asia had an epidemic in the 1940s and '50s. Then drugs got it in check enough so that it just popped up occasionally throughout the tropics for the next few decades.

      But now it's back, throughout the tropics. It is in Mexico and the Caribbean, moving as far north as Puerto Rico and Cuba. It already has spread south of the Tropic of Capricorn and could go most anywhere mosquitoes swarm.

      Dengue Fever causes excruciating pain in muscles and joints, which explains its popular name "breakbone fever." The flu-like virus also causes internal bleeding.

      Currently only one drug company is working on antivirals and vaccines to treat dengue and other mosquito-borne tropical diseases, such as malaria, that are on the rise.

      Why? Competition from so many other unmet health needs. Bigger returns from developing drugs for chronic conditions that provide a stable market rather than contagious diseases that can be cured.

   And most importantly, tropical diseases occur in poor countries. As soon as dengue moves into Florida or Texas, every drug company will be on top of it.

   So have you guessed why tropical diseases are spreading? More travel? Less DDT? The prevailing scientific opinion is…global warming.

   That's why the National Journal, by far the most expensive, nonpartisan, insiders' report for corporations that can afford the $1,900-a-year price, made it the cover story for the first week of July. Dengue Fever is now laden with social, economic and political overtones.

   The world scarcely knows of the horrors faced by New Mexico's brave men on Bataan. But now, one of those little-known horrors is about to step onto the world stage.

   *  *     *

   Speaking of "little-known," the publicly-operated Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum quietly opened July 11 in Yorba Linda, California. For over three decades it has been privately operated by the Nixon family and friends.

   Nixon didn't want the National Archives deciding what to say about his presidency and historians, in general, didn't want Nixon having access to documents he could destroy.

   There is a delicate balance between the National Archives and former presidents concerning their libraries. Even though the libraries are publicly run, presidents still exert some control because they contribute funding through their private foundations.

   The result is that although the museum exhibits portray the presidents in a more favorable light than might be accurate, the research documents in the libraries tell historians the whole story.

   Evidently there was a decades-long battle between Nixon's daughters, Julie and Tricia, over whether to go public. It eventually ended in court and a settlement finally was reached to let the library go public.

   It will be good for the nation. Nixon was a creep, but he also was a master tactician, analyst and political strategist. He used those skills to design a strategy for dealing with China and to create the new Republican Party, among his many accomplishments.

   The nation's chief archivist Allen Weinstein says President Nixon's administration is the best documented presidency in American history.

   This library will be an important destination for anyone interested in the Cold War, in U.S. relations with China and the Soviet Union, the Vietnam War and its impact at home, dramatic changes in the nation's economy, in the history of the Watergate scandal, and in the history of the presidency.

   So the next time you head to southern California, you might seriously want to plan a stop in Yorba Linda. My wife and I have found every presidential library we have visited to reflect the personality of that president. It should be very interesting to see how this library handles it..

WED, 7-25-07

 

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

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

 

7-23 Should We Have Nuked Ourselves?

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Should the United States have conducted a nuclear test on American soil? Columnist Michael Swickard, who writes out of Las Cruces on Heath Haussamen's blog, has an interesting take on that.

   Swickard says no, even though he strongly supports having used the bomb to end World War II. His problem is the health consequences for those living downwind from the test area.

   His grandfather's ranch was 23 miles downwind from Trinity Site, where the United States tested it's first bomb in 1945. Swickard has had thyroid cancer and wonders if that might have been the reason.

   The Trinity test differs from other nuclear tests because no one was notified to evacuate the surrounding area or told of recommended precautions.

   This test was the first of its kind but the Los Alamos scientists knew enough to hunker down well away from ground zero . And they knew enough to suggest their wives sit on a hillside in Los Alamos to watch the blast.

   Long term effects of the blasts or the radiation left in the soil downwind from the tests also were unknown. We now have learned from the nuclear tests in Nevada and the Marshall Islands that cancer and birth defects can result.

   Now we have seen the test of a non-nuclear bunker-buster bomb cancelled at the Nevada test site because it might suck up nuclear particles in its mushroom cloud and spread them downwind. The final stake was driven into the heart of the test when two members of Congress from Utah saw that their state would be a "downwinder."

   While the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was fighting attempts to cancel the blast, Sen. Pete Domenici suggested the test be moved to White Sands Missile Range.

   Lest you get too upset with Sen. Pete for endangering New Mexicans, the test was not to be held anywhere near Trinity Site and a similar test of much greater magnitude already had been conducted at White Sands in 1985 with no apparent negative effects.

   But Domenici was notified that plans to move the test to New Mexico had been cancelled because of the time it would take to make the switch. Now that the Nevada test has been completely cancelled, might they take another look at New Mexico?

   The test's name is Divine Strake. It sounds mysteriously as though it might come from a Harry Potter book. Maybe J.K. Rowling helps the Defense Department choose names.

   Condoleezza Rice might also be another name consultant. A whole series of "Divine" tests are under a program containing her favorite word, the "Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators."

   White Sands Missile Range also has been home to Divine Warhawk, which are "deep underground operational tunnel facility defeat demonstrations." Last in the "Divine" series is Divine Hates, "a WMD production and storage tunnel complex functional defeat effort," located in Nevada.

   Suffering by far the most from U.S. nuclear testing were inhabitants of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. Names like Bikini and Enewetok burst into our vocabulary in the 1950s as testing of hydrogen bombs, the most fearful of all, began.

   There were people who lived on those islands. They suffered even worse indignities than the White Sands ranchers who were displaced, first for a World War II bombing range, and then for missile testing which likely will continue forever.

   Both were chased off their land in the name of patriotism, national defense and world peace. Both were given token amounts of money but their lives were permanently disrupted.

   The islands on which the hydrogen bomb tests were conducted are still radioactive. Their inhabitants likely can never return. The effort for reasonable reparations continues.

   On the island of Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, is a Nuclear Reparations Office. On the weekday when we visited two years ago, the office door was locked.

   On the main street of town is a stark reminder of the sad reality -- a small building with a large sign saying Bikini Atoll Town Hall.

MON, 7-23-07

 

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

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

 

7-20 revised

A blog reader, who also is a historian cautioned that the last paragraph might cause a reader to think Santa Anna had made it as far north as New Mexico. So last sentence has been reworked.

 

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

 

      SANTA FE -- Lady Bird Johnson had ties to New Mexico. Her brother, the late Tony Taylor, lived in Santa Fe and Lady Bird often drove here from central Texas.

   Her wildflower center in Austin recommends native vegetation specific to all parts of the country but New Mexico always was the example she used when talking about how she could tell where she was by looking at the wildflowers along the road.

   Mrs. Johnson also looked at other sights along our roads, such as billboards and junkyards. In 1965, she spearheaded the federal Highway Beautification Act that sought to control outdoor advertising and required junkyards to be relocated from primary highways.

   She didn't meet with great success on that effort, but at least she made America aware of the need for beautification.

   Tony and Matiana Taylor were major figures in the community for many years. He owned Santa Fe Foreign Traders and she was involved with many organizations, including the Santa Fe Opera. Lady Bird's nephew, Jack Hopkins, still lives in Santa Fe.

   Santa Feans remember Mrs. Johnson as gracious and generous with her time. Several years ago, my wife returned from a luncheon with her, arranged by Hopkins, with wonderful stories and several items of LBJ memorabilia.

   Reportedly Lyndon Johnson asked Lady Bird to marry him on their first date. I've often wondered if his attraction might have been partially because the initials of her nickname matched his. Evidently that was important to him since their children were Linda Bird and Lucy Baines and their dog was Little Beagle.

   *  *     *

   Secretary of State Mary Herrera still is catching grief for the 500 colonel-aide-de-camp certificates she issued  while filling in for Gov. Bill Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish while they both were out of state last month.

   Some perspective is in order. During my 20 years as a lobbyist, I received those certificates from most of the statewide elected officials every time a new one took office. I have a file of them somewhere but it is buried too deeply to find now that I need it.

   In my considerable stacks of business cards, however, I recently came across a card sent me by former Secretary of State Shirley Hooper, back in 1979, naming me a "Secretario Honorario" and embossed with the official state seal.

   I kept it in my wallet for many years because a friend told me when he was stopped by Juarez police and flashed his card from Hooper, the officer stepped back and saluted.

   The reality is that public officials can name any assortment of people anything they want. Spending public money to do it isn't a good idea because it is self promotion for political purposes. And maybe Herrera is the first to do it taking advantage of being acting governor.

   The most amusing certificate I ever received was from a state representative from Albuquerque's South Valley naming me a Colonel-Aide-de-Rep. If I could remember his name, I'd give him credit.

   *  *     *

   New Mexico's recently-passed ban on cockfighting was enough to totally embarrass Louisiana into not wanting to be the only state still allowing the blood sport. No sooner had New Mexico's law gone into effect on June 15 than Louisiana passed it's bill with parts of it taking effect immediately.

   In Louisiana, cockfighting was a Cajun rural tradition. Here, it was a Mexican rural tradition. It wasn't prevalent in New Mexico at all until the Mexicans won their independence in 1821.

   The main reason for the quick increase in popularity likely was due to cockfighting being the favorite sport of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexican president off and on, mostly on, for the first 20 years of Mexico's independence.

   Santa Anna even would take his chickens with him on military campaigns to the northern part of his country. He never came as far as New Mexico, but he probably helped the practice spread here.

FRI, 7-20-07

 

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

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

 

7-20 Lady Bird, Colonels and Cockfighting

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

 

      SANTA FE -- Lady Bird Johnson had ties to New Mexico. Her brother, the late Tony Taylor, lived in Santa Fe and Lady Bird often drove here from central Texas.

   Her wildflower center in Austin recommends native vegetation specific to all parts of the country but New Mexico always was the example she used when talking about how she could tell where she was by looking at the wildflowers along the road.

   Mrs. Johnson also looked at other sights along our roads, such as billboards and junkyards. In 1965, she spearheaded the federal Highway Beautification Act that sought to control outdoor advertising and required junkyards to be relocated from primary highways.

   She didn't meet with great success on that effort, but at least she made America aware of the need for beautification.

   Tony and Matiana Taylor were major figures in the community for many years. He owned Santa Fe Foreign Traders and she was involved with many organizations, including the Santa Fe Opera. Lady Bird's nephew, Jack Hopkins, still lives in Santa Fe.

   Santa Feans remember Mrs. Johnson as gracious and generous with her time. Several years ago, my wife returned from a luncheon with her, arranged by Hopkins, with wonderful stories and several items of LBJ memorabilia.

   Reportedly Lyndon Johnson asked Lady Bird to marry him on their first date. I've often wondered if his attraction might have been partially because the initials of her nickname matched his. Evidently that was important to him since their children were Linda Bird and Lucy Baines and their dog was Little Beagle.

   *  *     *

   Secretary of State Mary Herrera still is catching grief for the 500 colonel-aide-de-camp certificates she issued  while filling in for Gov. Bill Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish while they both were out of state last month.

   Some perspective is in order. During my 20 years as a lobbyist, I received those certificates from most of the statewide elected officials every time a new one took office. I have a file of them somewhere but it is buried too deeply to find now that I need it.

   In my considerable stacks of business cards, however, I recently came across a card sent me by former Secretary of State Shirley Hooper, back in 1979, naming me a "Secretario Honorario" and embossed with the official state seal.

   I kept it in my wallet for many years because a friend told me when he was stopped by Juarez police and flashed his card from Hooper, the officer stepped back and saluted.

   The reality is that public officials can name any assortment of people anything they want. Spending public money to do it isn't a good idea because it is self promotion for political purposes. And maybe Herrera is the first to do it taking advantage of being acting governor.

   The most amusing certificate I ever received was from a state representative from Albuquerque's South Valley naming me a Colonel-Aide-de-Rep. If I could remember his name, I'd give him credit.

   *  *     *

   New Mexico's recently-passed ban on cockfighting was enough to totally embarrass Louisiana into not wanting to be the only state still allowing the blood sport. No sooner had New Mexico's law gone into effect on June 15 than Louisiana passed it's bill with parts of it taking effect immediately.

   In Louisiana, cockfighting was a Cajun rural tradition. Here, it was a Mexican rural tradition. It wasn't prevalent in New Mexico at all until the Mexicans won their independence in 1821.

   The main reason for the quick increase in popularity likely was due to cockfighting being the favorite sport of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexican president off and on, mostly on, for the first 20 years of Mexico's independence.

   Santa Anna even would take his chickens with him on campaign trips to the northern part of his country. Thus, the practice spread as far north as New Mexico.

FRI, 7-20-07

 

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

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

 

7-18 Trinity Blast

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- As the date for the first atomic bomb test drew near, Los Alamos scientists, engineers and technicians grew increasingly tense.

   Would two years of work and $2 billion dollars be a waste? Would the bomb ignite the earth's atmosphere and destroy the planet? If successful, how would this terrifying invention be used?

   Project director, Gen. Leslie Groves had been in charge of building the Pentagon. With that project successfully completed, he wanted a battlefield assignment at the beginning of the war. But instead, the War Department wanted him to take on another project.

   Working with the world's greatest scientists had been a complete frustration. They certainly didn't think like generals. They wanted to share ideas with their colleagues. That was no good for security, but Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director, convinced him that was the only road to success.

   If this test didn't work, it would be Oppenheimer's fault. Oppenheimer knew it, and dropped to 115 pounds. The day before the blast was scheduled, a test of the trigger mechanism back in Los Alamos failed.

   That was George Kistiakowsky's responsibility. Kistiakowsky insisted the test was flawed and that the bomb would work. The weight of the project's success shifted to his back. Because of Oppenheimer's anxiety, relations grew acrimonious.

   Finally Kistiakowsky said, "Look Oppie, I bet you a month's salary of mine against $10 that it's going to work." Oppenheimer accepted the bet. He lost.

   A tremendous flash of white light changed to yellow, then to orange. Finally, the huge ball of orange began to rise. A few minutes later, nearby observers heard a tremendous bang, followed by a solid, continuous rumble. The force of that rumble convinced any doubters that the test had really worked.

   As a seven-year-old, living in Deming, I saw the flash of light. My bedroom faced northeast and I was a notoriously light sleeper. But evidently I was back asleep by the time the rumble arrived fifteen minutes later.

   Neighbors and townspeople talked about the rumble the rest of the day. Some said it sounded like a tornado. Others likened it to a freight train. I didn't even associate it with the light that had awakened me.

   My father always rose early, read the morning paper, and announced the news to when he got the family up. The next morning, he announced that the big rumble was a powder house, as we called ammunition dumps in those days, that blew up near Alamogordo. 

    A month later, he excitedly awoke us saying, "You know what that big rumble that woke everyone up really was? It was one of those bombs just like they dropped on Japan."

   And so it was. The military revealed its cover up more quickly than usual. New Mexicans I knew were proud that our state had contributed to the war effort.

   President Truman faced the Potsdam Conference with a renewed confidence. Winston Churchill, of course, knew of the bomb because the British "tube alloys project" worked alongside the Manhattan project. One evening Truman confided to Josef Stalin that we had a really big bomb. He was puzzled when Stalin didn't express surprise.

   Gen. Groves' fear was realized. The collaboration that produced the bombs so quickly also allowed information to leak to the Soviet Union. Most of that information passed between Klaus Fuchs and Harry Gold on the Castillo Street Bridge in Santa Fe.

   Castillo Street was one of several streets replaced by the development of the Paseo de Peralta loop around Santa Fe's downtown.  But that hasn't hampered the development of local legend.

   A block to the east, on Delgado Street, is a very similar bridge over the Santa Fe River. The most prevalent local story is that the secrets were passed under the Delgado Street Bridge.

   So the Russians had a blueprint for building a bomb. Unfortunately for them, it was the complicated bomb, because that was the one that took up most of the discussion time at the collaborative meetings.

WED, 7-18-07

 

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

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

 

7-16 Trinity Anniversary

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- According to an inscription at the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki, The United States dropped a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki to see if it worked.

      Wrong. The United States had exploded a plutonium bomb over New Mexico three weeks earlier to see if it worked. It did. So on July 16 we celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the world's first atomic explosion -- right here in New Mexico.

      The development of that bomb had begun an amazingly short two years earlier on a hill northwest of Santa Fe. Actually, it is a mesa, but folks in these parts have always fondly referred to Los Alamos as The Hill.

      Nuclear fission had been discovered by two German scientists in December 1938. Four months later, Germany occupied Czechoslovakia and halted her uranium exports. In those days, uranium was used as a pottery glaze and to make watches glow in the dark.

      It was obvious to a small group of top European scientists what this meant. Fortunately a few Americans were in that network also. These included the renowned Albert Einstein, who had taught in Germany and Robert Oppenheimer, who had studied there.

      On July 16, 1939, a group of Jewish refuges, who had fled Hitler's persecution, visited Einstein at Princeton University, requesting he write a letter to President Roosevelt about the possibility of a German atomic bomb.

      Roosevelt established a President's Advisory Committee on Uranium, which promptly sat on the matter for two years. Eventually, a new director, Vannevar Bush, heeded intelligence reports that the Germans indeed were working on an atomic bomb.

   Bush kick-started the Manhattan Project, placing it under the Army Corps of Engineers. In the fall of 1942, Gen. Leslie Groves was appointed director of the project. Groves chose Oppenheimer as the scientific director  and Los Alamos was selected as the laboratory site.

   On December 2, 1942, the breakthrough needed to begin development of a bomb occurred at the University of Chicago when Enrico Fermi produced the world's first self-sustaining nuclear reaction. Fermi had fled fascist Italy, fearing persecution of his Jewish wife.

   In March 1943, Oppenheimer and a few scientists arrived in Los Alamos to begin the race to beat Hitler's development of an atomic bomb.

   Recruiting the world's top scientists from their comfortable university positions to come to a deserted mesa and work on a vaguely described project, under primitive conditions, for an undetermined period was not easy. But Oppenheimer was in the network of the world's top scientists. That, and his personal charisma, did the trick.

   Work on the bomb began in earnest. In 1941, Glenn Seaborg discovered that plutonium also could be used as a fissionable material. Lab scientists decided they would work on both a uranium and plutonium bomb just in case either project hit a dead end.

   The uranium bomb was a comparatively simple device that scientists were confident would work. The plutonium bomb was sufficiently complicated that scientists decided it had to be tested first. Trinity Site, on the Alamogordo Bombing Range, hear Carrizozo, was selected for its remoteness and land features.

   By July 1945, Germany had surrendered, but the land invasion of Japan was scheduled for October. Preparations already were in full swing and the prospect was not pretty. One million U.S. and Allied casualties were expected. If the bombs could be dropped by early August, Japan might be convinced to surrender and an invasion would be averted.

   That meant the test had to be in July. The race was on. A base camp and control bunker had to be constructed and thousands of miles of wire strung to measure the blast's effect. The original date of July 4 had to be moved back to July 16. President Truman delayed his arrival at the Potsdam conference until July 15.

   Next: The blast and what followed.

MON, 7-16-07

 

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

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

 

7-13 Billy the Kid's 126th

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- July 14 is the 126th anniversary of Billy the Kid's killing by Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner. Last year Fort Sumner hosted an observance of the event, which received some good publicity.

   At the request of Gov. Bill Richardson, the 2006 Legislature appropriated $200,000 for similar events throughout this past year to celebrate the 125th anniversary year throughout Billy the Kid Country.

   Fort Sumner kicked it off with a July 14 event. But poor coordination by the state and a delay of five months in getting Fort Sumner its reimbursement caused other locations to be a little gun shy about jumping into the act.

   We are going to get a series of four brochures for communities to use in explaining their part in the Billy story. The first two will be available soon. Other events will depend on whether last year's Legislative appropriation can be carried over into this year.

   But then, maybe Billy wasn't killed 126 years ago. Maybe he died of natural causes only 70 years ago, or even 57 years ago. Two Texas museums claim local character, Brushy Bill Roberts, was Billy.

   In 1950 Roberts came to New Mexico, claiming he was Billy the Kid and asked Gov. Tom Mabry for the pardon Gov. Lew Wallace had promised. Mabry wasn't impressed with Robert's knowledge of the Lincoln County War.

   In addition, Roberts couldn't speak any Spanish, whereas Billy was fluent. Roberts also was illiterate. Billy's letters to Gov. Wallace reminding him of the promised pardon were well written in very good handwriting.

   A niece of Roberts didn't believe a word of her uncle's story. She produced a family bible showing Roberts was born in 1879. Garrett shot the Kid in 1881. Billy was a young gun, but not that young

   John Miller died in 1937, at the Arizona Pioneers Home in Prescott. Although no one has ever opened a museum on his behalf and only one book has ever been written about him, Miller bore much more resemblance to Billy and shared most of his traits.

   The problem is that although Miller knew a great deal about Billy, he never openly claimed to be him. Occasionally he would tell a friend but take it back the next day.

   Miller died without ever standing for questions. But if he were the real Billy, he likely wouldn't have wanted to publicly reveal himself after killing three lawmen and incurring the eternal enmity of the Santa Fe Ring.

   A body, which may have been Miller's was dug out of the Arizona cemetery last year. DNA samples were taken to compare with blood from a bench on which Billy supposedly was laid. No announcement has yet been made about whether there was a match, but one would assume that if there were a match, the world would have heard about it.

   There is question about the bench on which Billy bled and whether his was the only blood on a bench used for carpentry. The provenance on the bench is shaky and the possibility of matching DNA this old for this purpose is dubious.

   But I will say, I was on the trail of the same bench, which had been sitting in an old chicken coop for many years. If the bench still is in existence, that is probably it. You can see it at the Albuquerque Museum until the Billy the Kid exhibit closes July 22.

   I've received some reader responses concerning a recent column about that Albuquerque Museum exhibit. In one, I was scolded for not mentioning that Bob McCubbin, of Santa Fe, was a major contributor to the exhibit.

   I should have mentioned McCubbin. I've been privileged on several occasions to see his outstanding collection of original photographs, books and artifacts of the old West.

   I had praised McCubbin's collection in previous columns and never had mentioned the other contributors to the exhibit because they were on the other side of whether Billy and his mother should be exhumed.

FRI, 7-13-07

 

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

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

 

7-11 Telecommuting, Tiguas and Smokestacks

By JAY MILLER

Syndicated Columnist

      SANTA FE -- Should state employees be allowed to telecommute? Normally, telecommuting is reserved for special cases of valuable workers who need to be at home.

      Businesses use telecommuting more often than government does. There is a worry that taxpayers will figure they aren't getting a full day's work for a day's pay.

      But telecommuting can save money too. Much is spent on transporting employees around for meetings, consultations, and other purposes. The streets of Santa Fe are full of state cars going to and fro among state office buildings about town.

      Many of these state employees sit in front of a computer most of the day. All of our new telecommunications technology could keep these employees where they are instead of running around.

      Not only can the state save money, it can reduce traffic and pollution. The state has instituted a Park & Ride system to encourage employees to leave their cars at home.

   And now there's the RailRunner, on which we've spent $393 million hoping to encourage state employees to take it to work. Letting them stay at home in front of a computer would be a lot cheaper.

   Telecommuting would be a benefit for state employees. And considering the benefit it would be to the state, maybe it maybe it should be considered.

   *  *     *

   Speaking of reducing costs, the Legislative Finance Committee has released a report revealing that New Mexico pays twice as much per inmate to operate its private prisons as Texas does.

   The LFC says the cost to operate private prisons in Hobbs and Santa Rosa is around $70 a day per inmate. In Texas, it is $35 a day per inmate. Other states in the area are Colorado at $50, Oklahoma at $41, Idaho at $42 and Montana at $55.

   It appears that our chief negotiator, Gov. Bill Richardson, should turn his attention from North Korea, Darfur and the Middle East and start doing some tough bargaining with New Mexico's private prison operators.

   *  *     *

   Another gambling request is on the way. The Tigua Tribe, from the El Paso area, is trying to replace its shuttered casino with one on 10 acres in southern New Mexico.

   The Tiguas aren't the first out-of-state tribe to try to get into New Mexico. An Apache tribe in Oklahoma is trying to put a casino in the Deming area where they once roamed.

   The Tiguas made national news last year when it was revealed that convicted con man Jack Abramoff was taking money from interests trying to close the Tigua casino, in Ysleta, Texas, east of El Paso, while also taking money from the Tiguas to keep it open. The casino was closed so the Tiguas are seeing if they might stand a better chance in New Mexico.

   The Tiguas really aren't foreign to New Mexico. They are a Pueblo tribe, originally from Isleta, south of Albuquerque. They accompanied the Spanish out of the state during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and reestablished at Ysleta del Sur, near the present El Paso. They speak Tiwa, the language of Isleta, Sandia, Picuris and Taos pueblos.

   Abramoff also took a reported $2 million from Sandia Pueblo to help it gain title to some disputed land. Sandia won, but it was revealed that Abramoff had nothing to do with the victory.

   *  *     *

   I'll miss the two huge smokestacks at Hurley. Yes, they were eyesores and polluted the skies terribly. But they were a landmark during the time I grew up in Deming and Silver City.

   We drove by them often. Silver City had the closest mountains to Deming so we'd go their often to escape the summer heat. The smokestacks were a sign that we were about to reach the foothills.

   El Paso was the shopping center and medical center for much of southwestern New Mexico so we'd pass by those smokestacks on our way to the big city.

   We're better without the stacks. But a fond good bye.

WED, 7-11-07

 

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

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