pause
No lolumns for next few days. Saigon today. Mekong Delta tomorrow.
Monday, October 29, 2012
tWO COUNTRIES
103112 2 govts.
SINGAPORE – Here we are in the tropics again. This time we're halfway around the world – about as far from home as we can get. It is hot – 95 degrees and humidity sometimes reaching 100 per cent – without rain. It will cool as we head north to Japan.
I've done a little reading. We have attended some excellent lectures onboard and have taken all the tours available. So any of you who have read more than two books or been here more than once may be far more knowledgeable than I. Let me know if I am too far off.
Countries in this part of the world have experienced tremendous political change in the past century as empires around the globe shed or lost their colonies. Some have done well. Most haven't. Democracy has been an unfamiliar concept.
Thailand, which we visited first, is a constitutional monarchy. It has had 17 different constitutions in the past 16 years. It currently is experiencing what is termed a delicate peace.
It is peaceful enough that the cruise line we are sailing felt it sufficiently safe for us. Rand McNally readers recently voted Bangkok the most interesting place in the world. We disagree. It still is New Mexico.
Then it was down to Singapore, 60 miles from the equator. It is a constitutional monarchy that has worked. Whereas many democracies have a proliferation of parties, Singapore has only one. That may sound like a dictatorship and it comes close but the people are happy and they are proud of having gone from a Third World country to one of the top economies in the world in less than a generation. In some circles this is called democracy-lite.
As I have written before, Singapore has an education system that produces some of the world's best students. Recent efforts by the United States and many other countries have tried to copy the Singaporean emphasis on testing. It hasn't worked well here or in most other countries.
But in Singapore there is almost total buy in. Students not only are tested, they are ranked. Students who rank low are encouraged to study harder and their parents are encouraged to help. Students are tracked into areas that seem most appropriate.
The government doesn't have to work particularly hard to obtain maximum parental involvement in each child's education. The birth rate is far less than one child per family so couples have plenty of time to encourage their child. Tiger moms are everywhere.
None of this seems particularly appropriate in our country but it has worked for Singapore, a city-state of many people and little land. The nation already has expanded out, forming new coastal areas. It also has expanded up. New it is busy going down.
The country has absolutely no natural resources so it had to look around for the most promising opportunities. Believe it or not; oil is number one. Singapore has none but nearby countries with much oil need rigs and refineries. Singapore says only three percent of its economy is from tourism.
Singapore officials don't have to spend much time encouraging new businesses. The country is so business friendly that it is said a person can fly into Singapore in the morning, visit all the public officials necessary and leave that evening with a business license.
Government officials worry about the country's constantly declining birthrate. Some years ago, it shortened the work week from six days to five to encourage more family time. That didn't work so the government started paying $10,000 for extra babies.
That isn't working either. The thought is that the cost of living is so high that parents just can't afford many children. The only savoir may be the high immigration rate. Forty percent of the population are immigrants.
Visiting Singapore was an interesting experience. English is the language of business in the country. Don't worry about our language disappearing.
SINGAPORE – Here we are in the tropics again. This time we're halfway around the world – about as far from home as we can get. It is hot – 95 degrees and humidity sometimes reaching 100 per cent – without rain. It will cool as we head north to Japan.
I've done a little reading. We have attended some excellent lectures onboard and have taken all the tours available. So any of you who have read more than two books or been here more than once may be far more knowledgeable than I. Let me know if I am too far off.
Countries in this part of the world have experienced tremendous political change in the past century as empires around the globe shed or lost their colonies. Some have done well. Most haven't. Democracy has been an unfamiliar concept.
Thailand, which we visited first, is a constitutional monarchy. It has had 17 different constitutions in the past 16 years. It currently is experiencing what is termed a delicate peace.
It is peaceful enough that the cruise line we are sailing felt it sufficiently safe for us. Rand McNally readers recently voted Bangkok the most interesting place in the world. We disagree. It still is New Mexico.
Then it was down to Singapore, 60 miles from the equator. It is a constitutional monarchy that has worked. Whereas many democracies have a proliferation of parties, Singapore has only one. That may sound like a dictatorship and it comes close but the people are happy and they are proud of having gone from a Third World country to one of the top economies in the world in less than a generation. In some circles this is called democracy-lite.
As I have written before, Singapore has an education system that produces some of the world's best students. Recent efforts by the United States and many other countries have tried to copy the Singaporean emphasis on testing. It hasn't worked well here or in most other countries.
But in Singapore there is almost total buy in. Students not only are tested, they are ranked. Students who rank low are encouraged to study harder and their parents are encouraged to help. Students are tracked into areas that seem most appropriate.
The government doesn't have to work particularly hard to obtain maximum parental involvement in each child's education. The birth rate is far less than one child per family so couples have plenty of time to encourage their child. Tiger moms are everywhere.
None of this seems particularly appropriate in our country but it has worked for Singapore, a city-state of many people and little land. The nation already has expanded out, forming new coastal areas. It also has expanded up. New it is busy going down.
The country has absolutely no natural resources so it had to look around for the most promising opportunities. Believe it or not; oil is number one. Singapore has none but nearby countries with much oil need rigs and refineries. Singapore says only three percent of its economy is from tourism.
Singapore officials don't have to spend much time encouraging new businesses. The country is so business friendly that it is said a person can fly into Singapore in the morning, visit all the public officials necessary and leave that evening with a business license.
Government officials worry about the country's constantly declining birthrate. Some years ago, it shortened the work week from six days to five to encourage more family time. That didn't work so the government started paying $10,000 for extra babies.
That isn't working either. The thought is that the cost of living is so high that parents just can't afford many children. The only savoir may be the high immigration rate. Forty percent of the population are immigrants.
Visiting Singapore was an interesting experience. English is the language of business in the country. Don't worry about our language disappearing.
Two countries
103112 2 govts.
SINGAPORE – Here we are in the tropics again. This time we're halfway around the world – about as far from home as we can get. It is hot – 95 degrees and humidity sometimes reaching 100 per cent – without rain. It will cool as we head north to Japan.
I've done a little reading. We have attended some excellent lectures onboard and have taken all the tours available. So any of you who have read more than two books or been here more than once may be far more knowledgeable than I. Let me know if I am too far off.
Countries in this part of the world have experienced tremendous political change in the past century as empires around the globe shed or lost their colonies. Some have done well. Most haven't. Democracy has been an unfamiliar concept.
Thailand, which we visited first, is a constitutional monarchy. It has had 17 different constitutions in the past 16 years. It currently is experiencing what is termed a delicate peace.
It is peaceful enough that the cruise line we are sailing felt it sufficiently safe for us. Rand McNally readers recently voted Bangkok the most interesting place in the world. We disagree. It still is New Mexico.
Then it was down to Singapore, 60 miles from the equator. It is a constitutional monarchy that has worked. Whereas many democracies have a proliferation of parties, Singapore has only one. That may sound like a dictatorship and it comes close but the people are happy and they are proud of having gone from a Third World country to one of the top economies in the world in less than a generation. In some circles this is called democracy-lite.
As I have written before, Singapore has an education system that produces some of the world's best students. Recent efforts by the United States and many other countries have tried to copy the Singaporean emphasis on testing. It hasn't worked well here or in most other countries.
But in Singapore there is almost total buy in. Students not only are tested, they are ranked. Students who rank low are encouraged to study harder and their parents are encouraged to help. Students are tracked into areas that seem most appropriate.
The government doesn't have to work particularly hard to obtain maximum parental involvement in each child's education. The birth rate is far less than one child per family so couples have plenty of time to encourage their child. Tiger moms are everywhere.
None of this seems particularly appropriate in our country but it has worked for Singapore, a city-state of many people and little land. The nation already has expanded out, forming new coastal areas. It also has expanded up. New it is busy going down.
The country has absolutely no natural resources so it had to look around for the most promising opportunities. Believe it or not; oil is number one. Singapore has none but nearby countries with much oil need rigs and refineries. Singapore says only three percent of its economy is from tourism.
Singapore officials don't have to spend much time encouraging new businesses. The country is so business friendly that it is said a person can fly into Singapore in the morning, visit all the public officials necessary and leave that evening with a business license.
Government officials worry about the country's constantly declining birthrate. Some years ago, it shortened the work week from six days to five to encourage more family time. That didn't work so the government started paying $10,000 for extra babies.
That isn't working either. The thought is that the cost of living is so high that parents just can't afford many children. The only savoir may be the high immigration rate. Forty percent of the population are immigrants.
Visiting Singapore was an interesting experience. English is the language of business in the country. Don't worry about our language disappearing.
SINGAPORE – Here we are in the tropics again. This time we're halfway around the world – about as far from home as we can get. It is hot – 95 degrees and humidity sometimes reaching 100 per cent – without rain. It will cool as we head north to Japan.
I've done a little reading. We have attended some excellent lectures onboard and have taken all the tours available. So any of you who have read more than two books or been here more than once may be far more knowledgeable than I. Let me know if I am too far off.
Countries in this part of the world have experienced tremendous political change in the past century as empires around the globe shed or lost their colonies. Some have done well. Most haven't. Democracy has been an unfamiliar concept.
Thailand, which we visited first, is a constitutional monarchy. It has had 17 different constitutions in the past 16 years. It currently is experiencing what is termed a delicate peace.
It is peaceful enough that the cruise line we are sailing felt it sufficiently safe for us. Rand McNally readers recently voted Bangkok the most interesting place in the world. We disagree. It still is New Mexico.
Then it was down to Singapore, 60 miles from the equator. It is a constitutional monarchy that has worked. Whereas many democracies have a proliferation of parties, Singapore has only one. That may sound like a dictatorship and it comes close but the people are happy and they are proud of having gone from a Third World country to one of the top economies in the world in less than a generation. In some circles this is called democracy-lite.
As I have written before, Singapore has an education system that produces some of the world's best students. Recent efforts by the United States and many other countries have tried to copy the Singaporean emphasis on testing. It hasn't worked well here or in most other countries.
But in Singapore there is almost total buy in. Students not only are tested, they are ranked. Students who rank low are encouraged to study harder and their parents are encouraged to help. Students are tracked into areas that seem most appropriate.
The government doesn't have to work particularly hard to obtain maximum parental involvement in each child's education. The birth rate is far less than one child per family so couples have plenty of time to encourage their child. Tiger moms are everywhere.
None of this seems particularly appropriate in our country but it has worked for Singapore, a city-state of many people and little land. The nation already has expanded out, forming new coastal areas. It also has expanded up. New it is busy going down.
The country has absolutely no natural resources so it had to look around for the most promising opportunities. Believe it or not; oil is number one. Singapore has none but nearby countries with much oil need rigs and refineries. Singapore says only three percent of its economy is from tourism.
Singapore officials don't have to spend much time encouraging new businesses. The country is so business friendly that it is said a person can fly into Singapore in the morning, visit all the public officials necessary and leave that evening with a business license.
Government officials worry about the country's constantly declining birthrate. Some years ago, it shortened the work week from six days to five to encourage more family time. That didn't work so the government started paying $10,000 for extra babies.
That isn't working either. The thought is that the cost of living is so high that parents just can't afford many children. The only savoir may be the high immigration rate. Forty percent of the population are immigrants.
Visiting Singapore was an interesting experience. English is the language of business in the country. Don't worry about our language disappearing.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
out of office
We leave tomorrow for a three week cruise of SE Asia then up to Japan and South Korea. No columns for awhile. We'll be in a Bangkok hotel the first three days. Once we get on the ship, I can start writing. I understand those are very interesting and advanced countries these days. Don't know how often I can write. If I don't get many columns sent, I'll adjust November billings.
Sayonara, or whatever. Jay
Sayonara, or whatever. Jay
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10-22 The Candyman Was Colorful
102212 Buffett
SANTA FE – Former Rep. George Buffett makes the list as one of New Mexico's most colorful politicos. Buffett, who died recently, wouldn't particularly appreciate being called colorful or a politico but that is part of why he was colorful.
Buffett was as conservative as they come. He was conservative in all things. He introduced few, if any, bills during a session. When he spoke on the floor of the House, he was stingy with words. He didn't appreciate legislators appropriating money to projects in their own districts. He didn't do it himself and he voted against members of his own party doing it.
His independent streak was part of the reason Buffett never served in a leadership position in the Republican Party despite his 24 years in the Legislature. The average tenure of a Republican legislator in New Mexico is much shorter than 24 years.
Buffett said the quick in-and- out is because it isn't as much fun always being in the minority and never getting to be a committee chairman. He pointed to the large number of Democratic retirements when Democrats lost the majority in Congress.
Although Buffett never was a party leader in the Legislature, he was elected as New Mexico's Republican national committeeman in 2004, two years after he retired from the Legislature. At the time, the state Republican Party was in turmoil over whether to back Gov. Gary Johnson's marijuana initiatives. Buffett was the candidate of those who wanted nothing to do with any type of drugs.
My lobbying career began with the New Mexico Education Association in 1965. My duties consisted mainly of lobbying Republican legislators. When Buffett came along in 1979, I didn't get many votes out of him but I got much good conversation and many valuable insights on how things worked behind the scenes.
By 1989, after 10 years of frustration at how politics worked in Santa Fe, Buffett decided to start telling the story to business owners throughout the state. He called the publication "Buffett's Bullets."
Buffett sent the newsletter to 9,600 businesses. He asked for contributions to offset the printing and postage and only published a new edition when sufficient contributions had arrived. When he retired in 2002, Buffett continued his Bullets until 2008.
The candy business owner said he printed the stories that the media missed. He also suggested that the media may have done more than miss the stories. He also didn't care for trial lawyers, union bosses and lobbyists for gambling interests. And he picked on the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce because he felt it wasn't aggressive enough.
I still got to keep up with George after he left the Legislature in 2002. Every year at the Rodeo de Santa Fe, He ran a concession booth with a young staff he brought from Albuquerque each night. Buffett always got the best location, next to the entrance where my Lions Club sold programs. George always had an extra folding chair for me to sit and talk when I got tired.
We always had plenty of talking to do. We both had married women named Jeanette back in the 1960s. Jeanette Franzen and I had been friends at the University of New Mexico. George was a UNM graduate also. He liked to tell me about his first cousin Warren Buffett and the conversations they had around the kitchen table in Omaha. George had been an early investor in Warren's company.
Our conversations often reminded me of those I regularly had with former Gov. Bruce King in our home. Alice King had founded the New Mexico Children's Foundation and my wife was its executive director. The board met around our large dining room table.
Bruce and George both were annoyed with the number of bills introduced in the Legislature. King told of introducing bills during the second year he was a lawmaker to repeal bills he had introduced the first year.
SANTA FE – Former Rep. George Buffett makes the list as one of New Mexico's most colorful politicos. Buffett, who died recently, wouldn't particularly appreciate being called colorful or a politico but that is part of why he was colorful.
Buffett was as conservative as they come. He was conservative in all things. He introduced few, if any, bills during a session. When he spoke on the floor of the House, he was stingy with words. He didn't appreciate legislators appropriating money to projects in their own districts. He didn't do it himself and he voted against members of his own party doing it.
His independent streak was part of the reason Buffett never served in a leadership position in the Republican Party despite his 24 years in the Legislature. The average tenure of a Republican legislator in New Mexico is much shorter than 24 years.
Buffett said the quick in-and- out is because it isn't as much fun always being in the minority and never getting to be a committee chairman. He pointed to the large number of Democratic retirements when Democrats lost the majority in Congress.
Although Buffett never was a party leader in the Legislature, he was elected as New Mexico's Republican national committeeman in 2004, two years after he retired from the Legislature. At the time, the state Republican Party was in turmoil over whether to back Gov. Gary Johnson's marijuana initiatives. Buffett was the candidate of those who wanted nothing to do with any type of drugs.
My lobbying career began with the New Mexico Education Association in 1965. My duties consisted mainly of lobbying Republican legislators. When Buffett came along in 1979, I didn't get many votes out of him but I got much good conversation and many valuable insights on how things worked behind the scenes.
By 1989, after 10 years of frustration at how politics worked in Santa Fe, Buffett decided to start telling the story to business owners throughout the state. He called the publication "Buffett's Bullets."
Buffett sent the newsletter to 9,600 businesses. He asked for contributions to offset the printing and postage and only published a new edition when sufficient contributions had arrived. When he retired in 2002, Buffett continued his Bullets until 2008.
The candy business owner said he printed the stories that the media missed. He also suggested that the media may have done more than miss the stories. He also didn't care for trial lawyers, union bosses and lobbyists for gambling interests. And he picked on the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce because he felt it wasn't aggressive enough.
I still got to keep up with George after he left the Legislature in 2002. Every year at the Rodeo de Santa Fe, He ran a concession booth with a young staff he brought from Albuquerque each night. Buffett always got the best location, next to the entrance where my Lions Club sold programs. George always had an extra folding chair for me to sit and talk when I got tired.
We always had plenty of talking to do. We both had married women named Jeanette back in the 1960s. Jeanette Franzen and I had been friends at the University of New Mexico. George was a UNM graduate also. He liked to tell me about his first cousin Warren Buffett and the conversations they had around the kitchen table in Omaha. George had been an early investor in Warren's company.
Our conversations often reminded me of those I regularly had with former Gov. Bruce King in our home. Alice King had founded the New Mexico Children's Foundation and my wife was its executive director. The board met around our large dining room table.
Bruce and George both were annoyed with the number of bills introduced in the Legislature. King told of introducing bills during the second year he was a lawmaker to repeal bills he had introduced the first year.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
10-19 Much-Needed Repairs at Gov's Mansion
101912 Gov's Mansion
SANTA FE – The New Mexico governor's mansion currently is undergoing some much-needed and overdue repairs. Reportedly the kitchen is being upgraded, sagging floors are being repaired and wiring problems throughout the structure are being corrected.
Every 10 years or so, governors have turned their attention to spiffing up the residence to look presentable to the many visitors and guests who frequent the building. It may be just coincidence but it has been Republican governors who mainly have tended to the needs of the buildings and grounds of the home overlooking Santa Fe.
Major remodelings were done during the administrations of Republicans Gary Johnson and Garrey Carruthers. In 1985, Gov. Toney Anaya told the Legislature that the house had fallen into such disrepair that the state should look at building a new mansion in the hilly, mostly uninhabited northwest quadrant of Santa Fe. The city offered some property.
But the Legislature didn't buy the proposal at all. Economic conditions were terrible and the home was only 30-years old. Besides, Anaya's relations with the Legislature were so bad that building the governor a bigger house was unthinkable.
Gov. Carruthers followed Anaya. Early in his term he invited lawmakers and the media to tour the mansion. His request was for a complete evaluation of the property. It seemed to be a reasonable proposal. Most of us agreed to take a look at the results.
Those results were pretty dismal. It appeared the state might be ahead to tear the building down and start over. But then Jacqueline Bancroft Spencer, of Carrizozo, offered to buy the state a mansion.
Spencer, a Dow Jones heiress, was interested in state government. She had married into the family of our state's first governor, William McDonald, of White Oaks.
A few years earlier Mary Maytag had built an 11,500 square foot mansion in the hills just northwest of Santa Fe. Spencer offered to buy the mansion and give it to the state. The house was twice the size of the state's so-called mansion. It was termed an unbelievable deal by many.
Carruthers cleverly didn't commit. He wanted to see what developed. It turned out that there were possible legal problems if the mansion were moved from the 30 acres that had been donated by the city of Santa Fe, the School of American Research and a property development company formed by former Gov. John Dempsey.
As expected, political problems also arose with the Legislature. Carruthers was a popular governor but he would have had to use a tremendous amount of political capital to do any convincing. And the neighbors of the Maytag mansion went ballistic. They had built in a secluded area and it was going to stay that way.
Gov. Carruthers announced he wasn't going to take the deal. Lawmakers breathed a sigh of relief. Economic conditions had improved and the Legislature was contemplating a complete remodel of its 20-year old capitol. Refusing the governor's request for a partial remodel of his 33-year-old house would be difficult to justify politically. So it was done.
Even though the private space for the first family was cramped, no governor had been willing to endure the grief necessary to enlarge the private quarters. But 10 years after Carruthers' major improvements, Gov. Johnson went for it. He said he knew he would get static but he also knew many home improvement projects were necessary – plus more space for his two high school kids.
Lawmakers grumbled but they knew the Johnson's were in the construction business and they could ensure the state was getting a good deal. So it was done.
Toward the end of the Johnson administration, the residence was opened to public tours. The tours still are being conducted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month when the Legislature is not in session.
In December, Christmas tours will be conducted on the first and second Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
SANTA FE – The New Mexico governor's mansion currently is undergoing some much-needed and overdue repairs. Reportedly the kitchen is being upgraded, sagging floors are being repaired and wiring problems throughout the structure are being corrected.
Every 10 years or so, governors have turned their attention to spiffing up the residence to look presentable to the many visitors and guests who frequent the building. It may be just coincidence but it has been Republican governors who mainly have tended to the needs of the buildings and grounds of the home overlooking Santa Fe.
Major remodelings were done during the administrations of Republicans Gary Johnson and Garrey Carruthers. In 1985, Gov. Toney Anaya told the Legislature that the house had fallen into such disrepair that the state should look at building a new mansion in the hilly, mostly uninhabited northwest quadrant of Santa Fe. The city offered some property.
But the Legislature didn't buy the proposal at all. Economic conditions were terrible and the home was only 30-years old. Besides, Anaya's relations with the Legislature were so bad that building the governor a bigger house was unthinkable.
Gov. Carruthers followed Anaya. Early in his term he invited lawmakers and the media to tour the mansion. His request was for a complete evaluation of the property. It seemed to be a reasonable proposal. Most of us agreed to take a look at the results.
Those results were pretty dismal. It appeared the state might be ahead to tear the building down and start over. But then Jacqueline Bancroft Spencer, of Carrizozo, offered to buy the state a mansion.
Spencer, a Dow Jones heiress, was interested in state government. She had married into the family of our state's first governor, William McDonald, of White Oaks.
A few years earlier Mary Maytag had built an 11,500 square foot mansion in the hills just northwest of Santa Fe. Spencer offered to buy the mansion and give it to the state. The house was twice the size of the state's so-called mansion. It was termed an unbelievable deal by many.
Carruthers cleverly didn't commit. He wanted to see what developed. It turned out that there were possible legal problems if the mansion were moved from the 30 acres that had been donated by the city of Santa Fe, the School of American Research and a property development company formed by former Gov. John Dempsey.
As expected, political problems also arose with the Legislature. Carruthers was a popular governor but he would have had to use a tremendous amount of political capital to do any convincing. And the neighbors of the Maytag mansion went ballistic. They had built in a secluded area and it was going to stay that way.
Gov. Carruthers announced he wasn't going to take the deal. Lawmakers breathed a sigh of relief. Economic conditions had improved and the Legislature was contemplating a complete remodel of its 20-year old capitol. Refusing the governor's request for a partial remodel of his 33-year-old house would be difficult to justify politically. So it was done.
Even though the private space for the first family was cramped, no governor had been willing to endure the grief necessary to enlarge the private quarters. But 10 years after Carruthers' major improvements, Gov. Johnson went for it. He said he knew he would get static but he also knew many home improvement projects were necessary – plus more space for his two high school kids.
Lawmakers grumbled but they knew the Johnson's were in the construction business and they could ensure the state was getting a good deal. So it was done.
Toward the end of the Johnson administration, the residence was opened to public tours. The tours still are being conducted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month when the Legislature is not in session.
In December, Christmas tours will be conducted on the first and second Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
2columns
101512 bullies & lawyers
SANTA FE – From early indications it will be Republican bullies vs. Democratic lawyers at the polls on election day, November 6.
For those of you who aren't up for such excitement, absentee voting, which already has begun, or early voting, which begins October 20, may be the answer.
We've already seen news that a poll watcher class for Republicans was held in Albuquerque in late September to teach volunteers methods of challenging potential voters.
Democratic leaders charge that some of the methods discussed are not legal. The state party has sent an email throughout its system warning that Tea Party bullies will be at the polls intimidating voters.
The Democratic Party asks that everyone receiving the email donate $25 to $100 or more for lawyers on the ground to fight efforts to steal elections from under our noses.
How exciting. You don't want to miss it. Will it be a David vs. Goliath fight? The bullies appear to be mere volunteers. They will be up against highly trained paid professionals.
Okay, I've spent 160 words trying to get you excited about voting. Now, please humor me by reading the next 500 words about the serious choices on the back side of the ballot.
You've heard much about the big races at the top of the ballot. And you won't be able to escape hearing more. But this may be your only shot at learning something about appellate judges, constitutional amendments and statewide bond issues.
First the judges. Supreme Court Justice Richard Bosson and Court of Appeals Judges Roderick Kennedy and Michael Vigil stand this year for retention. You get to decide whether they have done a good job. But unless you are a trial lawyer, how would you possibly know?
That's why a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission has been created. It is a nonpartisan group that evaluates judges on fairness, legal knowledge, communications skills, preparation, attentiveness and temperament. The JPEC reviews written opinions, caseload statistics, interviews, self-evaluations and independent surveys.
All three passed muster and are recommended. If they receive 57 percent of the vote, they get to stay. If this sounds like some sort of compromise, you're right. It's an attempt to keep judges out of politics without giving them a lifetime appointment.
Now for the constitutional amendments. Amendment 1 would put a municipal judge on the state Judicial Standards Commission. They feel it is only fair to be included since everyone else is.
Amendments 2, 3 and 4 relate to the troubled Public Regulation Commission. There was sentiment to make the commission appointive by the governor in order to increase the quality of commissioners but the Legislature's decision was to keep it elective but to increase requirements and transfer some of the commission's many duties to appropriate executive agencies.
Amendment 5 would take the Public Defender's Office from under the governor and make it an independent department. The amendment would bring New Mexico in line with national standards and would eliminate the conflict of the governor being in charge of both law enforcement and indigent defense.
And finally, bond issues. State capital construction is financed through budget surpluses, severance taxes and bond issues voted on by the public at general elections.
Legislators decide on how budget surplus money and severance taxes are used. We usually call it pork. The popular projects, such as senior citizen centers, libraries and higher education are put to a public vote.
Higher education construction gets about 85 percent of the pie. Seniors and libraries are the other two bond questions. These bonds replace retired bonds, so they won't produce a tax increase, if passed
The secretary of state's website, www.sos.state.nm.us, contains further information on some of these issues. Think New Mexico's website, www.thinknewmexico.org, has information on the PRC constitutional amendments.
Further information on the three statewide judicial races can be found at www.nmjpec.org or by calling 505-827-4960. The League of Women Voters, www.lwvnm.org, should have something posted by the time you read this.
101712 negativity
SANTA FE – Recent research reveals that presidential campaigns are becoming more negative every four years.
It isn't difficult to believe. In New Mexico state and local campaigns are getting that way too. This year our state's legislative races are leading the way.
Since no federal races in New Mexico are targeted this year we are catching a little break in the presidential and congressional races. But many legislative races are nasty and have been since the June primaries.
Leading the pack in negativity during the primary campaigns was the battle for Clint Harden's Eastside Senate seat from which it appeared he had to step down for not being a sure enough vote for GOP leaders.
Gov. Susana Martinez immediately stepped into the race, if she hadn't been already, and pushed Angie Spears,the well-connected niece of a high Republican official. The governor's Super PAC gave her big money and the governor herself traveled the district promoting her.
Spears lost, but now Sen. Harden has announced he is stepping down before the December 31 end of his term. He is recommending that winner, PatWoods, be appointed by the governor to fill that seat.
That would be the usual procedure since Woods will assume the seat in January anyway. But it is a further poke in the eye at the governor. She could appoint the primary election loser whom she supported, if she wants. But maybe she will let bygones be bygones.
Now the big contest will be an effort to knock Democrat Tim Jennings of Roswell out of his Senate president pro tem top seat in the Senate. Jennings is conservative and the best Republicans can do for Senate leadership unless they could magically take over the Senate in November.
Jennings' opponent is 26-year-old Cliff Pirtle but the real fight is with the governor's chief of staff Keith Gardner, formally a Roswell lawmaker. Gardner was taped on a lengthy phone call slamming Jennings and Roswell and vowing to raise $500,000 to beat Jennings.
Jennings has compiled parts of the hour and 13-minute rant into a television ad that is running statewide – something almost never seen in legislative campaigns. This obviously isn't just a local issue within Jennings' state senatorial district.
Jennings has a big target on his back and so does Senate Democratic Leader Michael Sanchez, of Belen. The governor's people already have found David Chavez, an opponent who will be well funded.
The Reform New Mexico Now PAC, run by Gov. Martinez's political guru Jay McCleskey, has announced that it plans to get involved in some 20 legislative races this month. This will include mail and TV in the last 10 days of the campaigns.
This isn't completely unusual for a governor. Former Gov. Bill Richardson and his PAC got involved in legislative campaigns but only to the extent of making donations. Even legislators donate to each other, sometimes across party lines.
This is big time stuff. And it isn't confined to Republicans. This really got started four years ago when two left-leaning non-profit groups got involved in defeating mainly Democratic state senators who didn't lean far enough to the left.
Legal challenges to their operations and their refusal to reveal income sources dragged through the courts until recently when the rights of the nonprofits were affirmed.
One of those Democratic senators defeated largely through efforts of a nonprofit was Shannon Robinson, of Albuquerque, who now is running as a Republican against incumbent Sen. Tim Keller, who beat him four years ago. Robinson appears to be getting some help from top Republicans but not enough yet to match Keller's war chest.
Another hot and heavy legislative race is on Albuquerque's West side. Joe Carraro, who represented the area for a long time as a Republican dropped the partytwo years ago after not receiving GOP help in a previous U.S. Senate race.
Carraro now is an independent and is challenging incumbent John Ryan, the husband of a member of Gov. Martinez's cabinet.
My Wifi conked out, so I'm a little late and behind.
SANTA FE – From early indications it will be Republican bullies vs. Democratic lawyers at the polls on election day, November 6.
For those of you who aren't up for such excitement, absentee voting, which already has begun, or early voting, which begins October 20, may be the answer.
We've already seen news that a poll watcher class for Republicans was held in Albuquerque in late September to teach volunteers methods of challenging potential voters.
Democratic leaders charge that some of the methods discussed are not legal. The state party has sent an email throughout its system warning that Tea Party bullies will be at the polls intimidating voters.
The Democratic Party asks that everyone receiving the email donate $25 to $100 or more for lawyers on the ground to fight efforts to steal elections from under our noses.
How exciting. You don't want to miss it. Will it be a David vs. Goliath fight? The bullies appear to be mere volunteers. They will be up against highly trained paid professionals.
Okay, I've spent 160 words trying to get you excited about voting. Now, please humor me by reading the next 500 words about the serious choices on the back side of the ballot.
You've heard much about the big races at the top of the ballot. And you won't be able to escape hearing more. But this may be your only shot at learning something about appellate judges, constitutional amendments and statewide bond issues.
First the judges. Supreme Court Justice Richard Bosson and Court of Appeals Judges Roderick Kennedy and Michael Vigil stand this year for retention. You get to decide whether they have done a good job. But unless you are a trial lawyer, how would you possibly know?
That's why a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission has been created. It is a nonpartisan group that evaluates judges on fairness, legal knowledge, communications skills, preparation, attentiveness and temperament. The JPEC reviews written opinions, caseload statistics, interviews, self-evaluations and independent surveys.
All three passed muster and are recommended. If they receive 57 percent of the vote, they get to stay. If this sounds like some sort of compromise, you're right. It's an attempt to keep judges out of politics without giving them a lifetime appointment.
Now for the constitutional amendments. Amendment 1 would put a municipal judge on the state Judicial Standards Commission. They feel it is only fair to be included since everyone else is.
Amendments 2, 3 and 4 relate to the troubled Public Regulation Commission. There was sentiment to make the commission appointive by the governor in order to increase the quality of commissioners but the Legislature's decision was to keep it elective but to increase requirements and transfer some of the commission's many duties to appropriate executive agencies.
Amendment 5 would take the Public Defender's Office from under the governor and make it an independent department. The amendment would bring New Mexico in line with national standards and would eliminate the conflict of the governor being in charge of both law enforcement and indigent defense.
And finally, bond issues. State capital construction is financed through budget surpluses, severance taxes and bond issues voted on by the public at general elections.
Legislators decide on how budget surplus money and severance taxes are used. We usually call it pork. The popular projects, such as senior citizen centers, libraries and higher education are put to a public vote.
Higher education construction gets about 85 percent of the pie. Seniors and libraries are the other two bond questions. These bonds replace retired bonds, so they won't produce a tax increase, if passed
The secretary of state's website, www.sos.state.nm.us, contains further information on some of these issues. Think New Mexico's website, www.thinknewmexico.org, has information on the PRC constitutional amendments.
Further information on the three statewide judicial races can be found at www.nmjpec.org or by calling 505-827-4960. The League of Women Voters, www.lwvnm.org, should have something posted by the time you read this.
101712 negativity
SANTA FE – Recent research reveals that presidential campaigns are becoming more negative every four years.
It isn't difficult to believe. In New Mexico state and local campaigns are getting that way too. This year our state's legislative races are leading the way.
Since no federal races in New Mexico are targeted this year we are catching a little break in the presidential and congressional races. But many legislative races are nasty and have been since the June primaries.
Leading the pack in negativity during the primary campaigns was the battle for Clint Harden's Eastside Senate seat from which it appeared he had to step down for not being a sure enough vote for GOP leaders.
Gov. Susana Martinez immediately stepped into the race, if she hadn't been already, and pushed Angie Spears,the well-connected niece of a high Republican official. The governor's Super PAC gave her big money and the governor herself traveled the district promoting her.
Spears lost, but now Sen. Harden has announced he is stepping down before the December 31 end of his term. He is recommending that winner, PatWoods, be appointed by the governor to fill that seat.
That would be the usual procedure since Woods will assume the seat in January anyway. But it is a further poke in the eye at the governor. She could appoint the primary election loser whom she supported, if she wants. But maybe she will let bygones be bygones.
Now the big contest will be an effort to knock Democrat Tim Jennings of Roswell out of his Senate president pro tem top seat in the Senate. Jennings is conservative and the best Republicans can do for Senate leadership unless they could magically take over the Senate in November.
Jennings' opponent is 26-year-old Cliff Pirtle but the real fight is with the governor's chief of staff Keith Gardner, formally a Roswell lawmaker. Gardner was taped on a lengthy phone call slamming Jennings and Roswell and vowing to raise $500,000 to beat Jennings.
Jennings has compiled parts of the hour and 13-minute rant into a television ad that is running statewide – something almost never seen in legislative campaigns. This obviously isn't just a local issue within Jennings' state senatorial district.
Jennings has a big target on his back and so does Senate Democratic Leader Michael Sanchez, of Belen. The governor's people already have found David Chavez, an opponent who will be well funded.
The Reform New Mexico Now PAC, run by Gov. Martinez's political guru Jay McCleskey, has announced that it plans to get involved in some 20 legislative races this month. This will include mail and TV in the last 10 days of the campaigns.
This isn't completely unusual for a governor. Former Gov. Bill Richardson and his PAC got involved in legislative campaigns but only to the extent of making donations. Even legislators donate to each other, sometimes across party lines.
This is big time stuff. And it isn't confined to Republicans. This really got started four years ago when two left-leaning non-profit groups got involved in defeating mainly Democratic state senators who didn't lean far enough to the left.
Legal challenges to their operations and their refusal to reveal income sources dragged through the courts until recently when the rights of the nonprofits were affirmed.
One of those Democratic senators defeated largely through efforts of a nonprofit was Shannon Robinson, of Albuquerque, who now is running as a Republican against incumbent Sen. Tim Keller, who beat him four years ago. Robinson appears to be getting some help from top Republicans but not enough yet to match Keller's war chest.
Another hot and heavy legislative race is on Albuquerque's West side. Joe Carraro, who represented the area for a long time as a Republican dropped the partytwo years ago after not receiving GOP help in a previous U.S. Senate race.
Carraro now is an independent and is challenging incumbent John Ryan, the husband of a member of Gov. Martinez's cabinet.
My Wifi conked out, so I'm a little late and behind.
Monday, October 08, 2012
10-12 The Real Columbus Day
With all that traveling, somehow I got ahead on my dates by a week. Wednesday's column on state office space should have been dated 10-10 instead of 10-17.
101212 Columbus
SANTA FE -- No national holiday is more controversial than Columbus Day. Martin Luther King Day isn't particularly popular everywhere but Columbus seems to spark outright animosity among many throughout the hemisphere.
The strongest feelings come from those who were here before Columbus "discovered" them. They detest the historical inaccuracy but their big complaint is the treatment of native people that followed.
For a New Mexico perspective, watch Surviving Columbus, a TV documentary by New Mexican Diane Reyna. It presents the Pueblo Indians' 450-year struggle to preserve their culture.
The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico celebrate Friendship Day instead of Columbus Day due to the controversy surrounding atrocities committed against peoples of the Caribbean.
Closer to home, Minnesota refuses to celebrate Columbus Day because that state's many descendents of the Vikings contend there now is ample proof that their ancestors were here 500 years earlier.
Many historians agree, arguing that Columbus' achievements are not worthy of a national holiday. Although he was the first to bring European culture to the Americas, he wasn't the first one here.
In truth, the legend of Columbus has been greatly embellished to the point of becoming myth. Early-American author Washington Irving penned an overly-dramatic "biography" of Columbus that was so popular it became accepted as fact.
Who were the first people to arrive in the New World? The Bering Land Bridge theory has prevailed for the past half-century. It establishes the first Americans at about 13,000 years old. Digs near Clovis and Folsom, New Mexico were key to developing that theory.
But scientists are now beginning to wonder if there might have been more than one migration. Evidence is slowly emerging of artifacts dating back as many as 55,000 years. Some of that evidence also is here in New Mexico.
In 1940, University of New Mexico professor Frank Hibben claimed to have found evidence of a 20,000 year-old Sandia Man. But technical problems and sloppy record keeping resulted in that find never being accepted by scholars.
Now, a recent excavation at Pendejo Cave, near Orogrande in southern New Mexico, has revealed radiocarbon datings over 55,000 years old. For the time being, archaeologists can't get at it because not only is it on Otero Mesa, it also is on the MacGregor Range of Fort Bliss. So far, I haven't found out how the cave got that crazy name.
For now, that leaves Columbus in the catbird seat. Even though he sailed for Spain and is responsible for most countries of the Western Hemisphere being of Spanish culture, Columbus was Italian and Italians have captured the holiday as a celebration of their heritage in America.
And Italians had much to do with starting Columbus Day observances, first in cities with large Italian populations, such as New York and San Francisco in the 1860s. Then, in 1905, the first state celebration was in Colorado.
In 1937, the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal and service organization, prevailed on President Franklin Roosevelt to declare October 12 a national holiday.
There is an outside chance that Italians had more to do with the first voyage of Columbus than history suggests. An Italian journalist and author, Ruggero Marino is making a case for Vatican involvement in financing the voyage.
Then-Pope Innocent VIII was closely connected with Genoa, the birthplace of Columbus, and with the powerful and wealthy Medici family. He maintains the Pope wanted another shot at winning the Holy Lands away from the Muslims again. Columbus was to find them the riches to mount another crusade.
A week before Columbus sailed, the Pope died and was replaced by a Spanish pope, whom Marino's book claims covered up Italian involvement in the Columbus voyage. Through a series of uncertainties, reminding one of the Da Vinci Code, the cover-up vanished to the secret archives of the Vatican, never to be seen again.
Saturday, October 06, 2012
10-17 Fewer state workers occupy more space
101712 office space
SANTA FE – How can fewer state workers take up more office space? That's what the state Legislature's interim finance committee wants to know.
Gov. Susana Martinez's administration began operations last year amid announcements of eliminating employees and closing offices.
The move didn't please a number of state employees who had to move from closer to home or closer to the people they serve. But, hey, with fewer people there was more room in the main office so it made sense.
Now we're hearing that the state workforce has been trimmed by 14 percent in the past four years. There again, state employees aren't happy about having to do the work of other employees who have been shed but at least they still have a job.
But what's this we hear now? The amount of office space has been increased by six percent over that same four-year period? Maybe there is a good explanation but it probably isn't that state employees now have bigger offices.
There are two kinds of state offices -- those which the state owns and those which it rents. Money people almost always figure it is better to own than to rent. Of course, real estate agents don't think that way. Parts of Santa Fe would look like ghost towns if the state were to move out of rental spaces.
But that isn't going to happen. The money to build state buildings comes from bond issues, state budget surpluses and severance taxes on oil, gas and other minerals. Property taxes aren't popular, budget surpluses are a thing of the past and the amount of severance taxes is finite.
So as state government gets involved in more and more pieces of our life, it becomes necessary to rent office space for all the extra agencies that once didn't exist. But the rule of thumb remains to stay vigilant for any rental space that can be eliminated.
Evidently the state General Services Department has been good about saving money on rental space but the Legislature still doesn't like seeing that six percent increase in office space.
One possible problem is that state agencies want to keep surplus space hoping that it eventually will regain its former staffing level. But even when New Mexico's economy bounces all the way back, state staffing levels similar to early 2008 are doubtful.
So the 251 vacant offices found by the legislative auditors may not be completely filled even when the budget picture becomes rosy again. That means filling the vacant space in each department's main office.
But that has its problems. When the department secretary makes the consolidation decision, inconvenienced employees are likely to grumble. When someone outside the department makes the decision, displaced employees and even the department head are more likely to make their feelings known.
It stands to reason that department secretaries are much more likely to understand the needs to have some employees working in field offices. Those needs are obvious in situations such as museums, monuments, parks and road maintenance,
The need isn't as obvious, however, for, say, an Albuquerque office. It hasn't been uncommon for cabinet secretaries from Albuquerque to find a need for a field office close to home. And, naturally, any department employee living in Albuquerque can find a reason to work out of that office also.
That might be an occasion for someone from the outside making a decision about an office in Albuquerque or elsewhere in the state. Albuquerque offices are somewhat temporary. When a new department secretary from Santa Fe is appointed the need for that Albuquerque office sometimes disappears.
The Legislature has more control over these public officials because it has the power of the pocketbook and the power to make laws requiring that its will be done.
So if the Legislature wants to see further consolidation of state offi8ces, it can make that happen.
SANTA FE – How can fewer state workers take up more office space? That's what the state Legislature's interim finance committee wants to know.
Gov. Susana Martinez's administration began operations last year amid announcements of eliminating employees and closing offices.
The move didn't please a number of state employees who had to move from closer to home or closer to the people they serve. But, hey, with fewer people there was more room in the main office so it made sense.
Now we're hearing that the state workforce has been trimmed by 14 percent in the past four years. There again, state employees aren't happy about having to do the work of other employees who have been shed but at least they still have a job.
But what's this we hear now? The amount of office space has been increased by six percent over that same four-year period? Maybe there is a good explanation but it probably isn't that state employees now have bigger offices.
There are two kinds of state offices -- those which the state owns and those which it rents. Money people almost always figure it is better to own than to rent. Of course, real estate agents don't think that way. Parts of Santa Fe would look like ghost towns if the state were to move out of rental spaces.
But that isn't going to happen. The money to build state buildings comes from bond issues, state budget surpluses and severance taxes on oil, gas and other minerals. Property taxes aren't popular, budget surpluses are a thing of the past and the amount of severance taxes is finite.
So as state government gets involved in more and more pieces of our life, it becomes necessary to rent office space for all the extra agencies that once didn't exist. But the rule of thumb remains to stay vigilant for any rental space that can be eliminated.
Evidently the state General Services Department has been good about saving money on rental space but the Legislature still doesn't like seeing that six percent increase in office space.
One possible problem is that state agencies want to keep surplus space hoping that it eventually will regain its former staffing level. But even when New Mexico's economy bounces all the way back, state staffing levels similar to early 2008 are doubtful.
So the 251 vacant offices found by the legislative auditors may not be completely filled even when the budget picture becomes rosy again. That means filling the vacant space in each department's main office.
But that has its problems. When the department secretary makes the consolidation decision, inconvenienced employees are likely to grumble. When someone outside the department makes the decision, displaced employees and even the department head are more likely to make their feelings known.
It stands to reason that department secretaries are much more likely to understand the needs to have some employees working in field offices. Those needs are obvious in situations such as museums, monuments, parks and road maintenance,
The need isn't as obvious, however, for, say, an Albuquerque office. It hasn't been uncommon for cabinet secretaries from Albuquerque to find a need for a field office close to home. And, naturally, any department employee living in Albuquerque can find a reason to work out of that office also.
That might be an occasion for someone from the outside making a decision about an office in Albuquerque or elsewhere in the state. Albuquerque offices are somewhat temporary. When a new department secretary from Santa Fe is appointed the need for that Albuquerque office sometimes disappears.
The Legislature has more control over these public officials because it has the power of the pocketbook and the power to make laws requiring that its will be done.
So if the Legislature wants to see further consolidation of state offi8ces, it can make that happen.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
10-15 Gary Johnson would have livened debate
101512 gary mary
SANTA FE – Admit it. Last Wednesday night's presidential debate would have been bearable with Gary Johnson added to the mix.
As it was, moderator Jim Lehrer's instruction to the crowd to remain silent throughout the debate was unnecessary. Within minutes the crowd was comatose and so were millions of Americans nodding off in front of their TVs.
How nice it would have been to have former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson to liven the conversation with straight talk instead of carefully nuanced talking points.
The sameness of it all has practically killed political conventions. National TV networks almost totally lost interest this year. By four years from now, what once were exciting nail-biters may be down to one-night pep rallies.
Neither President Obama nor Gov. Romney got much of a bump in the polls after the conventions this year. It's probably because no one watched enough of the coverage to form an opinion.
Meanwhile Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson is receiving an unexpected amount of coverage from newspapers, magazines and blogs because there always is something interesting to say about him.
One of Johnson's new approaches is to propose that nearly everyone has some libertarian in them. They just don't vote that way. How many times have we heard people say they are socially liberal but fiscally conservative?
There really isn't a place in either political party for people of that mind. Libertarians carry their views farther in both directions than most people do. But then, few Republicans or Democrats accept everything in their party's platform.
Gary Johnson demonstrated when he was governor that he could moderate his libertarian views to the point that he was reelected to a second term by a large margin.
However, Johnson was sneaky was on drug legalization. He saved that surprise for the beginning of his second term. New Mexicans didn't appreciate it. They knocked him down about 30 notches in the polls but he eventually gained most of it back.
After the initial shock and the disappointment that their governor had a partially hidden agenda, Johnson moderated his stance by concentrating mainly on the decriminalization of marijuana and an end to the war on drugs. He didn't sell either concept but he got discussions started.
Johnson's marijuana stance continued to hurt him while he vied to carry the GOP banner in this presidential race. As a Libertarian presidential candidate, it is difficult to tell the effect because third-party candidates poll so poorly.
But a recent essay by Molly Ball in the Atlantic Monthly magazine takes a different perspective on the issue. It suggests the pro-pot stance could help him with disaffected liberals and the young vote.
Ball says Johnson is trying to raise money for a TV ad in selected states calling attention to President Barack Obama's youthful pot habit. It asks why pot was okay then but gets one thrown in jail now.
Another angle would be to focus on the several states where marijuana legalization is on the ballot this November and encourage those movements to also support Johnson for president.
An election day showing of better than a few percent might give national impetus to the movement and spur a Johnson candidacy again in 2016.
Johnson says he's ready.
Gary Johnson isn't the only slightly off-beat New Mexican to run for president. Wavy Gravy was a completely off-beat presidential candidate. Wavy was founder of the Hog Farm commune near Taos in the days when such operations were very popular.
Wavy's real name was Hugh Romney. Apparently Mitt Romney is no relation. Wavy ran for president back in 1980. He's now 75 and still doing well.
Back in the '70s, Wavy opened a shop across the highway from the Hog Farm called "Nobody's Business." The name attracted enough attention that Wavy decided to run for president as Nobody. He and a band rented a big bus and traveled the country with a big banner proclaiming "Nobody for President."
SANTA FE – Admit it. Last Wednesday night's presidential debate would have been bearable with Gary Johnson added to the mix.
As it was, moderator Jim Lehrer's instruction to the crowd to remain silent throughout the debate was unnecessary. Within minutes the crowd was comatose and so were millions of Americans nodding off in front of their TVs.
How nice it would have been to have former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson to liven the conversation with straight talk instead of carefully nuanced talking points.
The sameness of it all has practically killed political conventions. National TV networks almost totally lost interest this year. By four years from now, what once were exciting nail-biters may be down to one-night pep rallies.
Neither President Obama nor Gov. Romney got much of a bump in the polls after the conventions this year. It's probably because no one watched enough of the coverage to form an opinion.
Meanwhile Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson is receiving an unexpected amount of coverage from newspapers, magazines and blogs because there always is something interesting to say about him.
One of Johnson's new approaches is to propose that nearly everyone has some libertarian in them. They just don't vote that way. How many times have we heard people say they are socially liberal but fiscally conservative?
There really isn't a place in either political party for people of that mind. Libertarians carry their views farther in both directions than most people do. But then, few Republicans or Democrats accept everything in their party's platform.
Gary Johnson demonstrated when he was governor that he could moderate his libertarian views to the point that he was reelected to a second term by a large margin.
However, Johnson was sneaky was on drug legalization. He saved that surprise for the beginning of his second term. New Mexicans didn't appreciate it. They knocked him down about 30 notches in the polls but he eventually gained most of it back.
After the initial shock and the disappointment that their governor had a partially hidden agenda, Johnson moderated his stance by concentrating mainly on the decriminalization of marijuana and an end to the war on drugs. He didn't sell either concept but he got discussions started.
Johnson's marijuana stance continued to hurt him while he vied to carry the GOP banner in this presidential race. As a Libertarian presidential candidate, it is difficult to tell the effect because third-party candidates poll so poorly.
But a recent essay by Molly Ball in the Atlantic Monthly magazine takes a different perspective on the issue. It suggests the pro-pot stance could help him with disaffected liberals and the young vote.
Ball says Johnson is trying to raise money for a TV ad in selected states calling attention to President Barack Obama's youthful pot habit. It asks why pot was okay then but gets one thrown in jail now.
Another angle would be to focus on the several states where marijuana legalization is on the ballot this November and encourage those movements to also support Johnson for president.
An election day showing of better than a few percent might give national impetus to the movement and spur a Johnson candidacy again in 2016.
Johnson says he's ready.
Gary Johnson isn't the only slightly off-beat New Mexican to run for president. Wavy Gravy was a completely off-beat presidential candidate. Wavy was founder of the Hog Farm commune near Taos in the days when such operations were very popular.
Wavy's real name was Hugh Romney. Apparently Mitt Romney is no relation. Wavy ran for president back in 1980. He's now 75 and still doing well.
Back in the '70s, Wavy opened a shop across the highway from the Hog Farm called "Nobody's Business." The name attracted enough attention that Wavy decided to run for president as Nobody. He and a band rented a big bus and traveled the country with a big banner proclaiming "Nobody for President."
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
10-5 Reading Romney like a book
100512 GOP
SANTA FE – Recently, my wife Jeanette and I were surfing TV channels when we came across an MSNBC news anchor playing clips from recent speeches or interviews of GOP candidate Mitt Romney making some very moderate statements followed by Romney campaign releases that announced exactly the opposite position.
He anchor attributed the 180-degree differences to lying. My wife, who can read me like a book, said Romney wasn't lying.
He meant what he said, she explained. But whenever Romney strayed from the GOP line; the campaign would issue a correction to get Romney back in line.
Jeanette said she felt much the same thing happened with John McCain's presidential bid and that of George W. Bush.
She felt Bush really wanted to be a compassionate conservative but the neocons got hold of him and turned him into the leader of a crusade to save the world from tyranny – and make everyone just like us in the process.
So where is our world headed now? We have won a decades-long cold war and defeated communism. We are now the world's one superpower.
George H.W. Bush envisioned a new world order in which all nations allied together to stamp out evil. It appeared that was working when President Bush put together a coalition of many countries to chase Iraq out of Kuwait in a matter of days.
But it didn't last. When Iraq acted up again, Bush, Jr. had us acting basically on our own to stamp out evil and become the world's policeman.
That got us into two of the longest wars we ever have fought – for a price from which we never may recover. And about all we have seemed to show for it is to make a very large number of enemies.
President Barack Obama came along and thought he could romance the Muslims of the world to throw off their shackles and fight for democracy.
The "Arab Spring" appeared to be going quite nicely in overthrowing dictators but the results so far show one dead U.S. ambassador and no functioning Arab democracies.
We don't know what sort of foreign policy Mitt Romney will follow, if elected. We can be sure it won't be anything like Obama's because Romney has criticized his every move.
The most likely Romney policy would be to listen to the neoconservatives who surrounded Bush, Jr. That likely would involve going back to being the tough guys on the block and threaten any country with invasion and annihilation if they don't behave.
The libertarian philosophy is gaining some credence lately. Essentially that would mean pulling in our wings, fighting no wars except in defense of our country and cutting out all foreign aid.
That is a little too extreme for most. But starting to close our many bases located around the world would be a first step.
Foreign aid is another messy problem. Presently it is mainly military. The rest is bribery of nations to do what we want. Aid seldom gets to the people who need it.
Our most effective foreign aid program is the money immigrant laborers send back to their families. Except for modest Western Union fees, no one scoops up his share of the money on the way to the poor.
But isolationism only goes so far in a global economy. Differences among countries must be recognized and respected. Democracy may not be appropriate for all the peoples of the world just yet.
Meanwhile, as John Quincy Adams and Pat Buchanan like to say, America can be a well-wisher to freedom but champion only of our own.
What sort of president will we have in another few months? Some in the anti-Barack Obama crowd insist that if he wins reelection, we will see the real Obama, bent on destroying our economy and our military.
And if Gov. Romney wins, we'll have a newbie at the mercy of his advisers.
There will be no column for Wed, 10-7
SANTA FE – Recently, my wife Jeanette and I were surfing TV channels when we came across an MSNBC news anchor playing clips from recent speeches or interviews of GOP candidate Mitt Romney making some very moderate statements followed by Romney campaign releases that announced exactly the opposite position.
He anchor attributed the 180-degree differences to lying. My wife, who can read me like a book, said Romney wasn't lying.
He meant what he said, she explained. But whenever Romney strayed from the GOP line; the campaign would issue a correction to get Romney back in line.
Jeanette said she felt much the same thing happened with John McCain's presidential bid and that of George W. Bush.
She felt Bush really wanted to be a compassionate conservative but the neocons got hold of him and turned him into the leader of a crusade to save the world from tyranny – and make everyone just like us in the process.
So where is our world headed now? We have won a decades-long cold war and defeated communism. We are now the world's one superpower.
George H.W. Bush envisioned a new world order in which all nations allied together to stamp out evil. It appeared that was working when President Bush put together a coalition of many countries to chase Iraq out of Kuwait in a matter of days.
But it didn't last. When Iraq acted up again, Bush, Jr. had us acting basically on our own to stamp out evil and become the world's policeman.
That got us into two of the longest wars we ever have fought – for a price from which we never may recover. And about all we have seemed to show for it is to make a very large number of enemies.
President Barack Obama came along and thought he could romance the Muslims of the world to throw off their shackles and fight for democracy.
The "Arab Spring" appeared to be going quite nicely in overthrowing dictators but the results so far show one dead U.S. ambassador and no functioning Arab democracies.
We don't know what sort of foreign policy Mitt Romney will follow, if elected. We can be sure it won't be anything like Obama's because Romney has criticized his every move.
The most likely Romney policy would be to listen to the neoconservatives who surrounded Bush, Jr. That likely would involve going back to being the tough guys on the block and threaten any country with invasion and annihilation if they don't behave.
The libertarian philosophy is gaining some credence lately. Essentially that would mean pulling in our wings, fighting no wars except in defense of our country and cutting out all foreign aid.
That is a little too extreme for most. But starting to close our many bases located around the world would be a first step.
Foreign aid is another messy problem. Presently it is mainly military. The rest is bribery of nations to do what we want. Aid seldom gets to the people who need it.
Our most effective foreign aid program is the money immigrant laborers send back to their families. Except for modest Western Union fees, no one scoops up his share of the money on the way to the poor.
But isolationism only goes so far in a global economy. Differences among countries must be recognized and respected. Democracy may not be appropriate for all the peoples of the world just yet.
Meanwhile, as John Quincy Adams and Pat Buchanan like to say, America can be a well-wisher to freedom but champion only of our own.
What sort of president will we have in another few months? Some in the anti-Barack Obama crowd insist that if he wins reelection, we will see the real Obama, bent on destroying our economy and our military.
And if Gov. Romney wins, we'll have a newbie at the mercy of his advisers.
There will be no column for Wed, 10-7
Monday, October 01, 2012
FW: 10 1 revised NFL column
100112 NFL Cong revised
SANTA FE – Nearly everyone of importance weighed in on the National Football League's lockout of its referees. As bad calls affected an increasing number of games, even the leader of the free world said he would like to see the regular referees back.
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney expressed his desire to see the replacement referees replaced. GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan added politics to the issue by suggesting that the replacements have been so bad they may actually work in President Barack Obama's budget office.
It's just a wild guess but I would venture that Congress may get involved eventually. Americans love their sports. Actually the entire world has at least one sport about which it goes wild. I can't understand how people can get so excited about soccer but their crowds are wilder than ours.
A hundred years ago, when baseball was America's sport the federal courts unjustifiably exempted Major League Baseball from the federal Antitrust Act. Several additional challenges have been brought since then but the courts answer that any changes are up to Congress.
Congress likes it the way it is so no other baseball league has been able to challenge Major League Baseball. None would want to now but in the first half of the 20th century, many tried.
Now that football is the most watched sport, it might be in for some congressional help of its own. The owners can't claim poverty. The average franchise is worth $1.1 billion. The league generates around $9 billion a year.
How did the lockout affecting business? Attendance was steady and TV viewership was up. Fans didn't want to miss the next officiating fiasco. So there was no pressure on owners to settle until a grossly bad call made life too embarrassing for owners. Otherwise they can could have waited until the referees' union agreed to their demands.
The biggest pressure on owners was expected to be when key players got hurt because the replacement referees let games get out of control. Congress might try to come to the rescue anyway.
The problem is that as a large private employer, the NFL is required by the National Labor Relations Act to collectively bargain with its employees. But if Major League Baseball can be exempted from the federal Antitrust Act, the NFL just might be able to be exempted from the NLRA.
The most egregious miscall by officials robbed the Green Bay Packers of a victory on Monday Night Football a week ago. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker loudly called for the unionized referees to return. Many interpreted that to mean Walker was supporting the union.
But that was a false hope. This is the governor who made collective bargaining for public employees illegal in Wisconsin last year. He did not suddenly become a union supporter.
If Gov. Walker happens to want to end bargaining rights for NFL employees, he likely would have to go no further than Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to find someone willing to champion such a measure. And if Ryan becomes vice president, he can be an even stronger influence.
The sticking point in the bargaining talks was the retirement program. The referees have a defined benefit plan, which owners want to switch to a defined contribution plan, such as a 401K.
The defined benefit plan provides much more retirement security but can financially devastate an employer if the economy goes sour. That is the problem the state of New Mexico has with its retirement plans for public employees.
A bad economy and some highly unwise investments have the state's two retirement systems scrambling to raise contributions and decrease benefits.
By the time you read this, the regular refs will be back on the field. Players and coaches both supported the referees. Most politicians and the general public were clamoring for an end.
It is hard not to feel some pity for the replacement referees but the owners aren't feeling sorry for anyone.
From: insidethecapitol@hotmail.com
To: ; czoruth@hotmail.com
Subject: 10 1 revised NFL column
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:25:35 -0600
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Wouldn't you know, the day I wrote this, the owners seemed unmoved by Monday night's event. The following day they were patching everything up. I revised the column but gave 'em hell anyway.
