8-4 Pat Garrett's Kin visit Gov

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- August 4, 2010 could be a big day in New Mexico's Billy the Kid saga.
For over seven years, during Gov. Bill Richardson's administration, the Billy the Kid legend has enjoyed a rebirth of popularity. Some of it has helped focus attention on our state. But overall, it has hurt New Mexico more than it has helped.
In May 2003, Gov. Richardson and some downstate lawmen began an investigation of Pat Garrett's killing of Billy the Kid and whether it is Billy buried in that Fort Sumner grave.
Both of those reasons for an investigation assumed there is a question about whether Garrett shot the Kid, accidentally or on purpose.
If Garrett didn't shoot the Kid, he was guilty of a massive cover up and a fraudulent claim for the reward. And if the shooting wasn't accidental, he also was guilty of murder.
Pretenders to Billy's identity had him leaving New Mexico and living out his life in Texas, Arizona, Mexico or who knows where else.
But definitely not in New Mexico where he could be hunted down. The doubt created in people's minds causes Billy to be lost to New Mexico history.
The most persistent of those pretenders was Brushy Bill Roberts of Hamilton, Texas. His claim is unbelievable to any historian and was disavowed by his family, one of whom produced a bible indicating he was two when the Kid was shot.
Roberts asked for a pardon in 1950. He came to see Gov. Tom Mabry who quickly discerned that Brushy's handlers had done a very poor job of preparing him.
Gov. Mabry sent Brushy and friends on their way without a pardon. But now Gov. Richardson is looking at a pardon for Billy -- or is it Brushy? The investigation of who Garrett shot has not been completed and there is evidence the governor for some reason wants to pardon Brushy.
All this got to be too much for the Garrett family. It is a large family. Garrett had eight children. Three of the grand children -- Jarvis Patrick Garrett, Susan Floyd Garrett and Pauline Garrett Tillinghast -- will meet today with Gov. Richardson .
They will request the governor cease his pardon consideration and apologize to them for his actions which have resulted in the defamation of a great man.
Pat Garrett was a great man in New Mexico history. The Garretts are our form of Old West royalty. Pat's daughter Elizabeth, of Roswell, wrote the words and music to New Mexico's state song "O, Fair New Mexico."
The current Garretts, not surprisingly, are law-and-order people -- like Pat himself. They strongly disapprove of pardoning Billy the Kid with his record of murdering lawmen. In all, the Kid killed a sheriff and three deputies.
Three of the Garretts attended the Wild West History Association Roundup in Ruidoso two weeks ago. The main topic of this national association's annual meeting was Billy the Kid.
Besides the three Garretts, five members of the John Tunstall family traveled from England to be present. Tunstall, for whom Billy worked as a cowhand, was murdered by a posse connected to the Santa Fe Ring. That murder set off the Lincoln County War.
The Garretts passed a petition at the Roundup stating that the undersigned accept the traditional history of Sheriff Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and believe the Kid died at Garrett's hand.
Therefore they oppose a posthumous pardon for Billy the Kid. They will present the petition and signatures to the governor today.
It would be nice if the media would accept the traditional history. It seems like almost every article that is written about Billy the Kid casts doubt on whether Garrett shot Billy. It may be fun to have the controversy but it doesn't help the state and actually hurts families such as the Garretts.
Practically everyone in Fort Sumner turned out to view Billy's body that night. They knew him well and loved him. That's why Billy went there instead of heading out of state. Can you imagine all of them participating in a cover up for the rest of their lives?
WED, 8-04-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

7-30 An Epidemic of Grave Digging

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE --Digging up graves has become the dubious answer to many questions lately. The latest is the exhumation of South American hero Simon Bolivar by Venezuelan despot Hugo Chavez.
Chavez hatched his scheme three years ago when he suggested Bolivar wasn't buried in his tomb. Public outcry was so great that he dropped the subject.
Now he has decided to prove that Bolivar did not die of tuberculosis in 1830 but was poisoned by Chavez's three major enemies -- the Venezuelan upper class, Columbia and the United States.
Chavez wants to wrap himself in the mantle of the ancient hero by demonstrating that he is continuing Bolivar's revolution that liberated six countries in northern South America from Spanish rule.
His big problem is very similar to that of the people who wanted to dig the bones of New Mexico outlaw Billy the Kid. He's at odds with historians who agree that Bolivar died in bed, fevered, sick and broken.
He was attended by a qualified doctor who wrote bulletins and performed an autopsy. Diaries of those who were with him in his final days say he died of natural causes.
Chavez says scientific tests will be run to determine whether Bolivar died of tuberculosis or arsenic poisoning. Fears are that the results will be whatever Chavez wants.
Likewise, some Billy the Kid historians believe that DNA samples taken by private individuals and sent to a private laboratory will show that Brushy Bill Roberts, over in Texas, is the real Billy the Kid.
The effort to exhume Bolivar not only is reminiscent of the recent effort to dig up Billy the Kid but also to the 1991 exhumation of former President Zachary Taylor.
Some historians were sure Taylor died of arsenic poisoning rather than gastroenteritis. Descendants agreed to an exhumation. Findings revealed he hadn't been poisoned.
But the non-believers weren't convinced and charged that the autopsy was botched. Thus, nothing was solved by the exhumation.
Chavez, however, is intent on the exhumation effort being front and center in his campaign to convince Venezuelans, and those in neighboring countries, that he is the embodiment of the great liberator.
He already has renamed the country the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and calls his transformation of Venezuela a Bolivarian Revolution. And Chavez is trying to shoehorn Bolivar to fit his own socialist ideology.
But that's where it all breaks down. Bolivar was a revolutionary but he wasn't a socialist and he didn't want to build a classless society. He was a member of the privileged upper class and wanted to keep it that way.
He admired the Americans for gaining their independence and doing so well with their country afterward but he knew South American countries couldn't be as democratic because of the large uneducated lower class.
Bolivar's idea was to have a permanent president and keep most of the control of government with the oligarchy that Chavez says conspired to murder him.
The only part of Bolivar's principles that Chavez likes is the permanent president idea. He tried three years ago to extend his term but was badly rebuffed, sending his popularity on a downhill slope.
Venezuela faces many problems, which Chavez should be addressing. Inflation is the highest in Latin America. There are tremendous food and commodity shortages and crime is rampant. But instead, he has distracted himself fighting with the United States and his neighbor, Columbia
In other exhumation news, descendants of Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, are still trying to get his bones exhumed in order to prove that his shooting death was not suicide. He is buried on National Park Service land. Exhumation will take an act of Congress, which appears to be a possibility.
And there is the ongoing effort to dig up Geronimo and bring him back to New Mexico. If it is successful, recent evidence suggests they may find the Yale Skull and Bones Society got there first.
FRI, 7-30-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

Sorry I didn't get this sent in sequence.

8-2 Take a look at Other State's Woes

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- If you think we've got economic woes in New Mexico, take a look at what's happening with other states. That's what the Pew Center on the States has done.
You probably can guess which state is suffering the most. California makes the news often for the extreme measures it has had to take to keep its head above water.
But Pew identifies nine other states that are in the same boat as California. All these states, it says, are in fiscal peril.
Most prominent among those nine states are all three of California's neighbors -- Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. The Midwest also made it with Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, as did the East Coast with Rhode Island, New Jersey and Florida.
Their dissimilarities make clear that the recession has severely impacted states from different geographic regions with different types of economies, tax structures and political leanings.
The Pew Center scored all 50 states according to six factors that contributed most to California's economic problems. Points were assessed against states for bad economic practices. Data is as of July 31, 2009.
The worst possible score was 30, which California managed to achieve. The national average was 17 points. New Mexico came in at 12. A handful of states were in single digits.
Decline in revenues was the first factor. The national average drop was 11.7 percent. California declined by 16.2 percent. New Mexico was down 12.8 percent.
Montana and North Dakota have remained relatively unscathed. That is attributed to agriculture and energy being their biggest industries. Oil and gas revenues are the only bright spot among New Mexico industries. The stability of federal spending also has helped.
The second factor is the budget gap between revenues and expenditures. The national average is 17.7 percent. California was at 49.3 percent. New Mexico had a 6.3 percent gap.
The third factor was increase in unemployment rate. The national average was a 4.4 percent increase. California's rate was 4.6. New Mexico came in at a 2.4 percent increase.
Foreclosures were the fourth factor. The national average was 1.37 percent. California was at 2.02. New Mexico foreclosure rate was 0.74 percent.
The fifth factor concerned a state's ability to act on budget problems. Seventeen states require legislative supermajorities on budget votes.
Some states even require constitutional amendments. New Mexico isn't encumbered by such restraints. California and most of the states listed above are constrained.
The final factor relates to state fiscal practices. Some states don't have to balance their budgets as New Mexico does. Others borrow to balance their budgets. The average grade was a B-, which is what New Mexico was awarded. California got a D+.
New Mexico's only average grade is likely due to its dreadful method of allocating capital outlay funding on a political basis rather than according to need.
The study focused on the 10 states in greatest fiscal peril and the reasons why they find themselves in the predicament. So it didn't say as much about New Mexico as it did the 15 states in greatest peril. The other five states are Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, New York and Hawaii.
One reason for New Mexico's relatively strong showing is the amount of rainy day funds it socks away. We have had a large state permanent fund since our early years as a state.
Then in the 1970s boom years, lawmakers created another permanent fund to stash severance taxes from oil, gas and mining. In many states that money was rebated to taxpayers shortly before elections.
In Oregon, a constitutional amendment requires the rebates. Little is left over for emergencies. Most states don't get close to a five percent emergency fund.
New Mexico had a healthy emergency fund of over 10 percent, which was the first line of defense when the recession hit. And we still haven't tapped our permanent funds.
We're hurting but not as much as most states.
MON, 8-02-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

7-28 Budget Deficit Worse Than Thought

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The updates on state revenue projections are in. And we're even farther behind than we thought. What Gov. Bill Richardson had pegged at a $40 million to $80 million shortfall is now $200 million.
Economists for the governor and Legislature are in agreement on the figure. At the end of last spring's special legislative session, lawmakers gave Gov. Richardson unprecedented power to make cuts, not only to his own agencies but to all of state government plus education.
That cut appears to be around 3.5 percent across the board, except for Medicaid and some services for the developmentally disabled. The two exceptions are reported to be due to anticipated federal reimbursements.
The governor didn't do any prioritizing. The cuts are equal, even for the Legislature. Each series of cuts during the past two years has been progressively painful. This one will be no exception. Much of the public will see noticeable cuts in services.
The Motor Vehicle Division has announced shorter working hours. That will be a big inconvenience to many, especially in areas where readers complain about poor service already.
Courts are cutting back. So are summer services for youth. Parents will notice cutbacks in public schools and charter schools. Class sizes will be larger and elective courses will be trimmed. The emphasis will be on classes that prepare students to take standardized tests.
Small schools will be targeted. They currently receive an extra distribution from the state. That factor may be cut in the next legislative session. It may be totally eliminated for charter schools. Some districts are preparing for that eventuality by closing their smallest schools.
The big deficit for next year is occurring because of an overly optimistic six-percent increase in revenue for this year over last year. Columnist Harold Morgan reported last December that legislative economists called the projected increase a "dead cat bounce."
The reasoning was that the economy was so far down that it couldn't get any lower and that if a dead cat is dropped, there will be a slight bounce. The cat didn't bounce and $800 million in cuts the past two years is about to become $1 billion.
Both gubernatorial candidates have issued economic plans that include pledges not to raise taxes and to take a close look at tax credits, exemptions and deductions.
Republican Susana Martinez even proposes to cut taxes so businesses will be able to grow and get New Mexico out of its recession. Meanwhile we have to pay for those tax cuts and we can't borrow the money from China as our federal government does.
Martinez has run into some unfortunate timing on her proposal to do away with "pit rules" on oil drilling. She and the industry insist that the regulations are chasing companies out of the state.
But then Concho Resources, Inc., a Texas firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange, pays $1.65 billion for Marbob Energy Corporation, a family-owned Artesia business. Concho plans to increase activity by tripling the number of rigs. That sounds very encouraging.
Gov. Richardson was very happy to see a report from a large California think tank bemoaning the loss of a big chunk of the movie business to other states and countries.
New Mexico was one of five states mentioned. Three of those states have higher tax credits than New Mexico's 25 percent. Georgia and Louisiana are at 30 percent. Michigan's base tax credit is 40 percent.
Louisiana and Michigan have add-ons that can increase the credit even more. All three states are seeing big growth in the film industry. The fifth state, North Carolina, was a major player, with a 15 percent credit, until the other four states increased their credits. It is now losing business.
In addition, three Canadian provinces offer even bigger credits than any U.S. state and have been doing so for some time. The study's recommendation is for California to increase its tax credit.
It may be that New Mexico is at about the place it should be.
WED, 7-28-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

Sorry about missing last Wednesday's column. I was getting ahead for the Western history writers convn and got ahead of myself.

7-26 Casting Light on Film Tax Credits

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- New Mexico lawmakers are finally getting a little closer look at film industry expenditures in New Mexico.
Earlier this month the New Mexico Film Office revealed to the Legislature's interim Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee a breakdown by spending categories of expenses incurred by six big-ticket films shot in the state this past year.
The state Film Office director Lisa Strout said this was a very big step for the industry because, she said, her report isn't required by other states that offer tax rebates to film productions.
Whoopee. Big deal. She said she couldn't break down costs by film and that she didn't even know which six films were included in her report..
We've already learned that national think tanks on both the left and right say that fewer than 10 states don't systematically analyze the effectiveness of tax credits. And we think we're getting more information than those 40-some states that do analyze effectiveness?
Something is screwy here. We are told there have been 141 major film and television productions filmed in New Mexico since the film production tax credit began in 2003.
Obviously all 141 of those productions reported individually to the state of New Mexico in order to receive their tax credit. They didn't report anonymously because the state Taxation and Revenue Department had to know where to send the check for 25 percent of their allowed expenses.
When those productions report to the state, it should be a public record. Some $65 million of taxpayer money is going to those companies.
There may be reasons why those 141 companies don't want to report how they spend their money but if they are going to receive major handouts of taxpayer money, they should be required to allow the state to reveal what is in the reports.
The state has the data lawmakers want but it had to agree not to reveal it -- not to the film office director or the Legislature, which is the ultimate decision maker about tax policy.
Sure, the film industry is a big and glamorous business and maybe it would completely leave the state, as Strout tells us, if the tax credit were to be repealed.
But there is middle ground. We could scale back the $25 we give the industry every time it reports $100 of expenditures. That would help us determine if state government claims are true that it is the tremendous service we deliver to film companies and our beautiful scenery.
Or we could start requiring film industry agreement that more information can be released. This release of additional information earlier this month happened as a result of Gov. Richardson implementing a new policy last September. requiring film companies to agree to the release.
In fairness, there are reports that a few states offer even higher credits than the 25 percent New Mexico offers. But it is difficult to believe the film industry is powerful enough to get big rebates without agreeing to make any information available to the public.
It has also been revealed that two of the 27 business tax credits aimed at stimulating economic growth are being analyzed to determine their effectiveness by tracking dollars and economic impact.. They are the Job Training Incentive Program and the Small Business Assistance Program.
On two items we know our two gubernatorial candidates agree. They are the need for tracking the use of tax incentives for their effectiveness and the imposition of no new taxes.
If state revenue projections in August turn out as dismal as predicted by some legislative leaders, we may need to have some very tough looks at tax credits, exemptions and deductions.
Current governors across the nation are busy trying to convince the White House and Congress to give another economic stimulus boost to the states. New Mexico already has $200 million of stimulus funds figured into its budget.
MON, 7-26-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

I'll be at the Wild West History Assn Roundup in Ruidoso through Thursday.

7-23 A Deal With the Devil?

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist

SANTA FE -- An unusual deal was struck at the end of last spring's special session. Gov. Bill Richardson and the Legislature picked an easy way to end the session. Both may end up regretting it.
Because they hadn't agreed on enough government cuts and tax increases to plug the projected deficit, lawmakers gave the governor the authority to make cuts during the remainder of the year.
That is an authority lawmakers don't want to cede to the executive branch of government. During the Gary Johnson administration, the Legislature went to court to block that governor from doing his own slashing.
But everyone was anxious to end the week-long special session. Gov. Richardson had only wanted it to last a day. The 70 House members had to get back home and start campaigning and fundraising.
Legislators can't solicit contributions during a legislative session. And state senators, having been through several budget cutting sessions already, knew that each new round of cuts gets tougher.
So who wins and who loses from this deal? Lawmakers have put themselves in the position of being able to sit on the sidelines and complain that the governor needs to get busy and start making cuts. And they already are doing it.
But they are powerless to stop him if he makes cuts that legislators don't like. Most legislators have pet programs and projects within the state budget. Gov. Richardson is well known for line-item vetoing capital outlay projects of lawmakers who have gotten crossways with him.
Don't be a bit surprised to see that happen. Legislators are free to try to get those programs and projects restarted in the regular session of the Legislature beginning next January.
But they will have to sell them to a new Legislature and governor and without some extraordinary measures will have to wait until the budget year beginning next July to get them started back in operation.
And there will be no way of getting back at the governor because he will be out of office come January 1.
Lawmakers can call themselves into special session at any time, as they did once with Gov. Johnson. But it is a difficult process, especially when the governor is of the same party as that controlling the Legislature.
Gov. Richardson also has some problems. Most of the state budget is not within his authority to cut. He can't cut the legislative or judicial branches of state government.
He can't cut other statewide elected officials. That's the secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, land commissioner and corporation commissioners.
None of the previously mentioned branches or offices are big enough to save much money with cuts but the governor also can't cut public schools or higher education. And that is almost two-thirds of the budget right there.
So the only budget cuts have to come from the cabinet departments under the governor's control. Those departments already have received several cuts by the governor and Legislature.
That leaves state employees as about the only place left to cut. The number of state employees has been reduced by 1,664 since a hiring freeze went into effect in November 2008. That's a 6.5 percent dip.
Salaries have been frozen for almost two years, health insurance rates and retirement contributions have been increased and five furlough days have been imposed already this year.
More furloughs seem likely during the remainder of this calendar year. Furloughs aren't popular with employees but they are less painful than the alternatives because they get the day off.
With unpaid holidays, employees had the day off already. Salary cuts are the most distasteful since employees work just as many days but for less money. Salary cuts also tend to be more permanent. Furloughs and unpaid holidays have to be re-imposed.
After a salary cut, future negotiations usually start with the lower salary and employees have to win back the cut.
From the standpoint of the public, however, furloughs are the poorer alternative because government offices are closed that day.
FRI, 7-23-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

7-19 Wild West in Lincoln County

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The Wild West comes to Lincoln County this week as conventioneers hold the annual roundup of the Wild West History Association.
And what do you think might be the main interest of these 300-plus Western history fans scattered throughout the world? Of course, Billy the Kid. And where better to go than to Lincoln County where the Kid left so many footprints.
Billy the Kid has been in the news often since the beginning of Gov. Bill Richardson's administration in 2003. Richardson's interest in the Kid has sparked worldwide publicity.
Numerous books probing deeper into the Kid's life have been written during this period, perhaps more than at any time other than the age of dime novels when Billy the Kid fables were concocted and churned out at an amazing rate.
Despite the large number of serious historian-authors writing about Billy the Kid today, there still are many news stories quoting Gov. Richardson or a group of lawmen investigators confusing the public with comments suggesting that Sheriff Pat Garrett shot someone else and Billy lived a long life in Hamilton, Texas as Oliver "Brushy Bill" Roberts.
That story was shot down 60 years ago by former Gov. Tom Mabry, who refused to grant Roberts a pardon he requested. But Gov. Richardson appears to be resurrecting that myth and some historians fear that he will declare Roberts is the Kid and pardon him. That makes Billy the Kid's final resting place in Texas rather than Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
All this conjecture is sure to make for spirited discussions at the Roundup. An outstanding group of top speakers from far and wide has been assembled to delve into the various aspects of the Kid's adventures.
Among the luminaries in attendance will be the foremost authorities on Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett: Englishman Fredrick Nolan, Robert Utley of Scottsdale, AZ and Leon Metz of El Paso. All are clustered around 80 years of age.
Nolan will be bringing from England members of the Tunstall family for their first visit to the site where their ancestor John Tunstall was killed. His murder set off the Lincoln County War. Billy was one of Tunstall's hired guns.
Also reportedly attending the Roundup will be two of Sheriff Pat Garrett's grandchildren. Garrett has been made to look especially bad recently by the previously mentioned false stories that he shot someone else and then claimed it was the Kid.
The all-star cast that will be attending likely has boosted the registration numbers. Billy the Kid historian Mike Pitel says the last symposium of a similar nature in Ruidoso was in 1989 and attracted only 65 participants, including 19 faculty.
Wednesday, July 21, will feature an all-day tour to the village of Lincoln, where Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett would feel very familiar today. Except for paving the main street, little else has changed.
Participants also will get a tour of Fort Stanton, which figured prominently in the Lincoln County War. Host for that event will be Lynda Sanchez, who recently published an illustrated history of Fort Stanton, titled "Legacy of Honor, Tradition of Healing."
The Wild West History Association was formed three years ago by the combination of two other groups, the Western Outlaw-Lawmen Association and the National Outlaw-Lawmen Association.
This year's president is Robert McCubbin of Santa Fe, a noted Western memorabilia collector and owner of the meat knife Billy was carrying the night he was shot McCubbin also is the Roundup co-chair along with Karen Holliday Tanner of Fallbrook, California.
Headquarters for the Roundup will be The Inn of the Mountain Gods, on the Mescalero Reservation west of Ruidoso.
MON, 7-19-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

Sorry to be so late with this. I finished it yesterday afternoon and then must have neglected sending it.

7-16 Revision

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Mid-July is a momentous time in New Mexico's history. On July 14, 1881, Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid. The Kid is arguably the world's most famous outlaw. The news quickly traveled around the world.
On July 16, 1945, the world's first nuclear explosion occurred at Trinity Site, north of Alamogordo. According to history, news of that event traveled nowhere but Los Alamos, Washington, D.C., London, Potsdam and Moscow.
First, Billy the Kid's death. Or was it? Over the years various pretenders claimed to be the Kid, arguing that Garrett shot someone else or that the Kid survived the shot through his chest.
Those claims were essentially put to rest in 1950 when the most vocal pretender, Brushy Bill Roberts, a Texan, requested a pardon from Gov. Tom Mabry.
It didn't take long for Mabry and historians who interviewed him to conclude that Roberts had misremembered, or forgotten, too much of his past. Of special concern was Robert's complete lack of any Spanish speaking skills. Billy was fluent.
But the doubt about the Kid's death were reignited seven years ago when the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department surprisingly launched an official investigation into the Kid's death. News of the murder case spread worldwide.
Newly-elected Gov. Bill Richardson got involved with promises to match DNA. He subsequently dropped out of that part of the case but has ignited debate again by expressing interest in considering the pardon for Billy that former Govs. Mabry and Lew Wallace had denied.
Gale Cooper, author of recent books about the Kid has told me of confusion created by the doubt being raised about the Kid's death.
Now, Joe Micalizzi, TheMotionPicture.com and producer of "Billy the Kid's New Mexico," has sent me an article from the Hindustan Times in northern India.
The Times reports Gov. Richardson pledging to pardon the Kid if it is determined that he was actually Brushy Bill Roberts, buried in Texas. The Times says it received its information from the Daily Express, a national newspaper in England.
That is not the way the pardon story started last April but that is what it has turned into in at least some parts of the world. Much more on this later.
* * *
The Trinity test came as a surprise to New Mexicans except for those in Los Alamos. Many family members of those at the site climbed a mountain above town and looked to the southeast for the explosion. Rain held it up. But at 5:29:30 a.m. it happened.
The official word was that a powder house near Alamogordo had exploded and that no one was hurt. For years, it appeared that no one was hurt. But then residents near the site began developing cancer at a much higher than normal rate.
The government denied it for many years until the New Mexico congressional delegation began studying the results of the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment project.
The study was a 10 year effort to examine every document generated at Los Alamos since its inception that might relate to public health. It was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public briefings were held five years into the study and following issuance of a draft final report a year ago. This column reported on both of the hearings.
Both columns resulted in many contacts by residents near the site. These were forwarded to New Mexico's senators with requests that New Mexico residents be added to the list of those eligible for compensation for radiation exposure.
All of our state's congressional delegation now have become co-sponsors of bills to add New Mexico residents to those exposed by the Trinity test or the numerous Nevada tests.
This week the Alamogordo Daily News began a three-part series on the area's downwinders. And, reportedly, health workers are going door-to-door to determine family medical histories.
Much more on this and other radiation developments soon.
FRI, 7-16-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

The "Daily Express" referred to is in England.

7-16 Billy and the Bomb

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Mid-July is a momentous time in New Mexico's history. On July 14, 1881, Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid. The Kid is arguably the world's most famous outlaw. The news quickly traveled around the world.
On July 16, 1945, the world's first nuclear explosion occurred at Trinity Site, north of Alamogordo. According to history, news of that event traveled nowhere but Los Alamos, Washington, D.C., London, Potsdam and Moscow.
First, Billy the Kid's death. Or was it? Over the years various pretenders claimed to be the Kid, arguing that Garrett shot someone else or that the Kid survived the shot through his chest.
Those claims were essentially put to rest in 1950 when the most vocal pretender, Brushy Bill Roberts, a Texan, requested a pardon from Gov. Tom Mabry.
It didn't take long for Mabry and historians who interviewed him to conclude that Roberts had misremembered, or forgotten, too much of his past. Of special concern was Robert's complete lack of any Spanish speaking skills. Billy was fluent.
But the doubt about the Kid's death were reignited seven years ago when the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department surprisingly launched an official investigation into the Kid's death. News of the murder case spread worldwide.
Newly-elected Gov. Bill Richardson got involved with promises to match DNA. He subsequently dropped out of that part of the case but has ignited debate again by expressing interest in considering the pardon for Billy that former Govs. Mabry and Lew Wallace had denied.
Gale Cooper, author of recent books about the Kid has told me of confusion created by the doubt being raised about the Kid's death.
Now, Joe Micalizzi, TheMotionPicture.com and producer of "Billy the Kid's New Mexico," has sent me an article from the Hindustan Times in northern India.
The Times reports Gov. Richardson pledging to pardon the Kid if it is determined that he was actually Brushy Bill Roberts, buried in Texas. The Times says it received its information from the Daily Express, presumably a major Pakistani newspaper.
That is not the way the pardon story started last April but that is what it has turned into in at least some parts of the world. Much more on this later.
* * *
The Trinity test came as a surprise to New Mexicans except for those in Los Alamos. Many family members of those at the site climbed a mountain above town and looked to the southeast for the explosion. Rain held it up. But at 5:29:30 a.m. it happened.
The official word was that a powder house near Alamogordo had exploded and that no one was hurt. For years, it appeared that no one was hurt. But then residents near the site began developing cancer at a much higher than normal rate.
The government denied it for many years until the New Mexico congressional delegation began studying the results of the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment project.
The study was a 10 year effort to examine every document generated at Los Alamos since its inception that might relate to public health. It was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public briefings were held five years into the study and following issuance of a draft final report a year ago. This column reported on both of the hearings.
Both columns resulted in many contacts by residents near the site. These were forwarded to New Mexico's senators with requests that New Mexico residents be added to the list of those eligible for compensation for radiation exposure.
All of our state's congressional delegation now have become co-sponsors of bills to add New Mexico residents to those exposed by the Trinity test or the numerous Nevada tests.
This week the Alamogordo Daily News began a three-part series on the area's downwinders. And, reportedly, health workers are going door-to-door to determine family medical histories.
Much more on this and other radiation developments soon.
FRI, 7-16-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

State Budget Still in Financial Hole

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- As of July 1, New Mexico state government began fiscal year 2011 -- $80 million in the red, maybe. That's what the Legislative Finance Committee is guessing.
Does that mean more tax increases and cuts in government services? For now, additional tax increases seem unlikely. The Legislature and governor have come to what seems like a firm agreement that there will be no more special sessions for the rest of the calendar year.
At the end of the last special session, the Legislature gave Gov. Bill Richardson extraordinary powers to make cuts in state government wherever he sees fit.
Former Gov. Gary Johnson tried that once and lawmakers went to court to stop him from usurping their power. This time, they usurped their own power in order not to have to return until next January's regular session.
Normally that is not the sort of responsibility a governor would like to assume. But Gov. Richardson won't be running for office this fall. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish will be running and any Richardson actions are likely to affect her.
So legislators have put themselves in the enviable situation of saying they wish the governor would hurry up and do his job.
For his part, Gov. Richardson says let's not get ahead of ourselves. His economists' revenue forecast will not be completed until later this summer. Meanwhile he says he is unwilling to rely on guesswork from nervous legislators.
So don't expect to hear anything definite until at least a month from now. At least we likely aren't looking at a $600 million deficit as we were at this time last year.
But then we've made a number of cuts already, making future cuts all the more difficult. Money to schools is a big part of the budget. Many districts have closed small schools despite growing evidence that smaller schools have a significant effect on student achievement.
Class sizes have been increased, educational and athletic programs have been cut back and at least one district has gone to a four-day week.
At the state level 1,664 employees have been dropped since the November 2008 hiring freeze. That's a 6.5 percent dip. Some legislators say it wasn't a hiring freeze at all because some vacant positions were filled.
That would be the essential positions we can't do without, the governor says. He has credited cabinet secretaries with spreading workload so that agencies haven't been crippled.
Nonetheless the Legislative Finance Committee is scrutinizing recent hires and looking at other positions that could be cut. They are especially looking at positions currently held by political appointees.
They will all be gone at the end of December but the pressure will be on the next governor to drastically cut the number of these appointments. Gov. Richardson says he has cut 59 politically appointed positions already.
He has listed the titles of some of the positions eliminated but lawmakers want 59 names to see if some of the appointees might appear in other positions.
One group of such positions is the many public information officers who have sprouted up in numerous state agencies since the beginning of the Richardson administration. In 2003,e hired around two dozen news people from radio, TV and newspapers.
Consolidation of the many departments that have mushroomed since former Gov. Jerry Apodaca reduced over 100 agencies into a 12-member cabinet is a definite possibility.
Last year Gov. Richardson appointed a committee to consider how to streamline state government. Consolidation of departments was one recommendation he said he would like to consider. So would the Legislature.
Of course these new departments all have been created by a majority vote of the Legislature and the signature of a governor. Obviously there is political muscle behind all of them.

WED, 7-14-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

7-12 correction

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The good news for Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez is that she out-raised her Democratic opponent, Diane Denish, $611,000 to $188,000 last month.
The bad news is that Denish has $2.2 million in the bank and Martinez has $300,000. A big chunk of that was a $250,000 contribution from the National Republican Governors Association. In May, Martinez got $450,000 from Texas developer Robert Perry. Before that, much of her money was coming from oil interests.
Those sources will continue to help Martinez but there is only so much they can do. New Mexico's economy is not sufficient for Martinez to close her fundraising gap with Denish.
That means Martinez will have to continue hitting up large out-of-state donors. And as she does, her claims of cleaning up Democratic pay-to-play lose some of their impact.
You can bet Denish is not going to give Martinez the rest of the summer to fatten her checkbook. Many were surprised and disappointed to see Denish begin negative ads the day after the primary election
But Denish's action forced Martinez to immediately start spending down her bank balance in order to fire back. Martinez still has momentum remaining from her impressive primary election victory but she may be hard pressed to keep it while spending large amounts of her time on the phone raising money.
Reports indicate that Martinez is getting on conservative national talk radio shows where she can energize the faithful. That can help but to keep them, she will have to remain as conservative as she was during the primary.
Steve Pearce tried that against Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman two years ago and lost badly. Republicans and Democrats both tend to run toward the middle in general elections in order to appeal to a wider segment of voters.
Blogger Joe Monahan speculates that Martinez may have to cede the TV field to Denish for awhile to build up money for the fall. If she has to do that, Denish can go positive during that period and perhaps pick up some of the support lost because of going negative so quickly.
The National Republican Governors Association will continue its financial support of Martinez to the extent it can. New Mexico is a target because winning the gubernatorial race is the only way to prevent Democrats from controlling the redistricting of our state Legislature and Congress.
Continued financial support from Rob Perry over in Texas will come with another cost to Martinez. With the revelation she was born in Texas and is getting significant money from there, some New Mexico prejudices may come into play.
Some hard feelings about Texas have continued ever since our neighbor to the east twice invaded us unsuccessfully and then used its power in Congress to grab over a half million acres along our shared border.
The Associated Press ran a national story in March saying that New Mexico is one of the states that will pick up another congressional seat from the 2010 reapportionment.
That is not true. Our neighbors will pick up some seats but there is no more time for Arizona to send us enough of its illegal immigrants to affect the census count.
One place Martinez won't get any financial help is from prominent Republican attorney Turner Branch of Albuquerque. Branch was state liquor director during Republican Dave Cargo's administration.
Since then Branch has become an extremely successful trial lawyer and a big donor to both Republicans and Democrats. Branch was a major supporter of Allen Weh in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Branch and Weh served together in the Marines.
But Branch says he can't support Martinez and will support Denish. He says over the past 40 years, he has given more to Republicans than Democrats. Some Republicans say that hasn't been the case recently.
The Martinez and Weh camps don't appear to have healed many rifts since the primary election.
MON, 7-12-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

In 2nd graph I have added Republican to the National Governor's Association.

News Good and Bad for Martinez

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The good news for Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez is that she out-raised her Democratic opponent, Diane Denish, $611,000 to $188,000 last month.
The bad news is that Denish has $2.2 million in the bank and Martinez has $300,000. A big chunk of that was a $250,000 contribution from the National Governors Association. In May, Martinez got $450,000 from Texas developer Robert Perry. Before that, much of her money was coming from oil interests.
Those sources will continue to help Martinez but there is only so much they can do. New Mexico's economy is not sufficient for Martinez to close her fundraising gap with Denish.
That means Martinez will have to continue hitting up large out-of-state donors. And as she does, her claims of cleaning up Democratic pay-to-play lose some of their impact.
You can bet Denish is not going to give Martinez the rest of the summer to fatten her checkbook. Many were surprised and disappointed to see Denish begin negative ads the day after the primary election
But Denish's action forced Martinez to immediately start spending down her bank balance in order to fire back. Martinez still has momentum remaining from her impressive primary election victory but she may be hard pressed to keep it while spending large amounts of her time on the phone raising money.
Reports indicate that Martinez is getting on conservative national talk radio shows where she can energize the faithful. That can help but to keep them, she will have to remain as conservative as she was during the primary.
Steve Pearce tried that against Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman two years ago and lost badly. Republicans and Democrats both tend to run toward the middle in general elections in order to appeal to a wider segment of voters.
Blogger Joe Monahan speculates that Martinez may have to cede the TV field to Denish for awhile to build up money for the fall. If she has to do that, Denish can go positive during that period and perhaps pick up some of the support lost because of going negative so quickly.
The National Republican Governors Association will continue its financial support of Martinez to the extent it can. New Mexico is a target because winning the gubernatorial race is the only way to prevent Democrats from controlling the redistricting of our state Legislature and Congress.
Continued financial support from Rob Perry over in Texas will come with another cost to Martinez. With the revelation she was born in Texas and is getting significant money from there, some New Mexico prejudices may come into play.
Some hard feelings about Texas have continued ever since our neighbor to the east twice invaded us unsuccessfully and then used its power in Congress to grab over a half million acres along our shared border.
The Associated Press ran a national story in March saying that New Mexico is one of the states that will pick up another congressional seat from the 2010 reapportionment.
That is not true. Our neighbors will pick up some seats but there is no more time for Arizona to send us enough of its illegal immigrants to affect the census count.
One place Martinez won't get any financial help is from prominent Republican attorney Turner Branch of Albuquerque. Branch was state liquor director during Republican Dave Cargo's administration.
Since then Branch has become an extremely successful trial lawyer and a big donor to both Republicans and Democrats. Branch was a major supporter of Allen Weh in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Branch and Weh served together in the Marines.
But Branch says he can't support Martinez and will support Denish. He says over the past 40 years, he has given more to Republicans than Democrats. Some Republicans say that hasn't been the case recently.
The Martinez and Weh camps don't appear to have healed many rifts since the primary election.
MON, 7-12-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

4-9 Revised

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist

SANTA FE -- When actor Val Kilmer says he loves New Mexico, you've gotta really believe he means it. Why else would he be willing to go before the San Miguel County Commission, in Las Vegas, to be cursed at and demeaned?
Kilmer wants to rent three of the guest houses on his Pecos River ranch. Evidently that requires county approval, which the County Commission appeared ready to do until neighbors showed up to demand that Kilmer be required to come before the commission and explain remarks attributed to him in national magazines seven years ago.
Reports indicate the commissioners understood the property approval had nothing to do with an apology and that they had no power to require Kilmer's appearance before them.
But the invitation was extended to Kilmer. And he accepted. Many people in Kilmer's position might have said that's ridiculous. It's not worth it. People who demand apologies usually don't accept them anyway.
Kilmer's remarks in Esquire and Rolling Stone magazines seem very inappropriate. Kilmer hasn't denied them but says they were made in totally different contexts.
The truth appears to be that Kilmer, who is known for putting tremendous feeling into his movie parts, also tends to be very colorful when illustrating points he is trying to make. And we know about Rolling Stone taking quotes out of context.
Kilmer also has received criticism that he is not a good neighbor because he doesn't want people trespassing on his property to fish. His chief accuser is also quoted as saying he should be able to enjoy Kilmer's guest houses when he desires.
The reasoning seems to be that Kilmer has only lived there 25 years and many people in the area can trace their linage back 400 years. Do you suppose the same reasoning would apply if these accusers were to go home to find a Native American family enjoying their back yard?
Kilmer made his apologies and didn't argue with his accusers -- who didn't accept his apology. The commissioners then voted unanimously to approve Kilmer's rentals.
Early last year, Kilmer hinted at his interest in running for governor as a Democrat. Not being a movie buff, I wasn't aware of Kilmer's ties to our state. He was married here. His children were born here. His father was born in the Gila. And his grandfather is buried in Truth or Consequences.
Kilmer also has been instrumental in bringing movies to New Mexico. He has appeared in two movies shot in Las Vegas. Although he didn't run for governor, it surely seems as though he wants to stay.
* * *
Another celebrity who attracts attention to New Mexico is Mine That Bird, the New Mexico owned and trained gelding who won the Kentucky Derby last year.
After running first, second and third, respectively, in the three Triple Crown races last year, the horse ran third in its next race and then dropped off considerably in its next races. Three Triple Crown races in five weeks is tough on a horse. Most three-year-olds don't do it. So maybe Mine that Bird needed some rest.
He's had the rest and has a new trainer, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who says he thinks Mine That Bird has gained 150 pounds over the winter.
It is great to have one of horse racing's most successful trainers, but the only problem for New Mexico is that former trainer Chip Woolley, of Bloomfield, was part of the Mine That Bird mystic. Everybody talked about the personable cowboy from New Mexico.
But guess they'll have to become accustomed to a Kentucky trainer with a big stable.Lukas says Mine That Bird is the best horse he's had in quite some time.
Calvin Borel who rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby will be on him in all his workouts. New Mexican Mike Smith rode him a few times last year.
FRI, 7-09-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

In first graph, Sandoval should San Miguel.

7-9 Val Kilmer Really Loves NM

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- When actor Val Kilmer says he loves New Mexico, you've gotta really believe he means it. Why else would he be willing to go before the Sandoval County Commission to be cursed at and demeaned?
Kilmer wants to rent three of the guest houses on his Pecos River ranch. Evidently that requires county approval, which the County Commission appeared ready to do until neighbors showed up to demand that Kilmer be required to come before the commission and explain remarks attributed to him in national magazines seven years ago.
Reports indicate the commissioners understood the property approval had nothing to do with an apology and that they had no power to require Kilmer's appearance before them.
But the invitation was extended to Kilmer. And he accepted. Many people in Kilmer's position might have said that's ridiculous. It's not worth it. People who demand apologies usually don't accept them anyway.
Kilmer's remarks in Esquire and Rolling Stone magazines seem very inappropriate. Kilmer hasn't denied them but says they were made in totally different contexts.
The truth appears to be that Kilmer, who is known for putting tremendous feeling into his movie parts, also tends to be very colorful when illustrating points he is trying to make. And we know about Rolling Stone taking quotes out of context.
Kilmer also has received criticism that he is not a good neighbor because he doesn't want people trespassing on his property to fish. His chief accuser is also quoted as saying he should be able to enjoy Kilmer's guest houses when he desires.
The reasoning seems to be that Kilmer has only lived there 25 years and many people in the area can trace their linage back 400 years. Do you suppose the same reasoning would apply if these accusers were to go home to find a Native American family enjoying their back yard?
Kilmer made his apologies and didn't argue with his accusers -- who didn't accept his apology. The commissioners then voted unanimously to approve Kilmer's rentals.
Early last year, Kilmer hinted at his interest in running for governor as a Democrat. Not being a movie buff, I wasn't aware of Kilmer's ties to our state. He was married here. His children were born here. His father was born in the Gila. And his grandfather is buried in Truth or Consequences.
Kilmer also has been instrumental in bringing movies to New Mexico. He has appeared in two movies shot in Las Vegas. Although he didn't run for governor, it surely seems as though he wants to stay.
* * *
Another celebrity who attracts attention to New Mexico is Mine That Bird, the New Mexico owned and trained gelding who won the Kentucky Derby last year.
After running first, second and third, respectively, in the three Triple Crown races last year, the horse ran third in its next race and then dropped off considerably in its next races. Three Triple Crown races in five weeks is tough on a horse. Most three-year-olds don't do it. So maybe Mine that Bird needed some rest.
He's had the rest and has a new trainer, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who says he thinks Mine That Bird has gained 150 pounds over the winter.
It is great to have one of horse racing's most successful trainers, but the only problem for New Mexico is that former trainer Chip Woolley, of Bloomfield, was part of the Mine That Bird mystic. Everybody talked about the personable cowboy from New Mexico.
But guess they'll have to become accustomed to a Kentucky trainer with a big stable. Lukas says Mine That Bird is the best horse he's had in quite some time.
Calvin Borel who rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby will be on him in all his workouts. New Mexican Mike Smith rode him a few times last year.
FRI, 7-09-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

7-7 New Hope for Park Service Treasure

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- There may be new hope for the fabled National Park Service building on Old Santa Fe Trail in our capital city.
The building originally was designed as the NPS regional headquarters -- the only NPS building in the nation ever specifically designed for that purpose.
It was constructed out of adobes made from the earth where the building was to sit. Civilian Conservation Corps workers performed the back-breaking labor.
As soon as the walls were up and the roof on, craftsmen from the Works Progress Administration moved in and started making the furniture. Once the building was finished, other WPA artists added the murals and paintings.
A significant body of artwork and furniture created in the Old Santa Fe Trail Building for display and use remains there.
It is a magnificent structure. The largest adobe office building in the nation. But in the early 2000s, cost cutting and revenue producing measures threatened much of the Park Service.
New proposed regulations allowed all-terrain vehicles into parks along with commercial ventures such as chain stores and amusement parks adjacent to national parks. There were even plans to sell some national parks to commercial interests for development.
The Santa Fe regional headquarters was moved to Denver, Colorado. All National Park Service personnel remaining in Santa Fe were scheduled to be shoehorned into the Santa Fe building.
The number of personnel scheduled for the move appeared as though they would turn the building into a typical office cubicle farm. Quick action by National Park Service retirees managed to reverse those decisions.
Now, a more permanent solution is being proposed. Jerry Rogers, a former Park Service regional manager here, is asking New Mexico's congressional delegation to introduce legislation establishing the building as a CCC and WPA National Historic Site.
Rogers argues that the generation of CCC and WPA veterans is now passing from the nation's collective memory without being properly acknowledges and commemorated.
And where better to honor them than this masterpiece of architecture which both agencies cooperatively produced? It was relatively unusual for the CCC and WPA to work on the same project. This building was conceived and designed with its exterior and interior a single artistic entity.
The CCC and WPA were very important to New Mexico. Kathryn Flynn, of the New Deal Preservation Association estimates that New Deal programs employed over half of all New Mexicans by the mid-1930s and that over 1,000 New Deal-funded works of art are scattered throughout New Mexico.
With the beginning of World War II, the CCC became even more important to our nation. The hard work, discipline and education the CCC provided produced a cadre of extraordinary young men who quickly became superior soldiers in defense of our nation.
The Old Santa Fe Trail building is currently designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. An act of Congress is required to upgrade it to a National Historic Site.
Rogers is gaining considerable support for his proposal from throughout the state. It is very appropriate to recognize and honor the CCC and WPA. And it is a great way to assure that the building continues to be used in the manner for which it was created.
* * *
For those interested in visiting some of Billy the Kid's territory this summer, an extensive travelogue of every New Mexico location connected with the Kid will soon be on the state Tourism Department's Web site at www.newmexico.org. Click on "Billy the Kid."
An abbreviated travel guide already is on the site but the complete one will knock your socks off with its comprehensive treatment of everything Billy in New Mexico, from Silver City to Stinking Spring to Santa Fe. The site also contains a listing of over 100 of the Kid's "friends, enemies and hanger-ons."
WED, 7-07-10

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com