National Journal Article Reveals Governor’s Cloak
A recent story by Daniel Libit in the National Journal about the behind-behind the-scenes workings of the Martinez Administration provides further insight into a complicated agenda of well-financed deception that should sound off alarms in the minds and hearts of most New Mexicans.
To most of us who have a front row seat to the workings of state government, the article only reaffirms the hidden agendas and mean-spirited politics of what is commonly referred to as the “fifth floor.”...
Old Chemical Weapons to New Mexico?
The Panamanian government announced an agreement November 21 between the United States and Panama that could involve the disposal of old chemical weapons in the state of New Mexico. Panamanian Chancellor Fernando Nunez Fabrega told the international press that old weapons will be removed from San Jose Island and buried in the desert of New Mexico in 2014...
Art Collaboration Brings “Quantum Bridge” Mural to ABQ
Warehouse 508, 516 ARTS and The City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Program are celebrating the completion of a 180-foot long mural as part of a collaboration called Heart of the City. The mural was created by a team of youth apprentices from Warehouse 508 under the direction of lead guest artist Aaron Noble.
A celebration for the unveiling of the mural will be on Sunday, November 24, 2-5pm with refreshments and a chance to meet the artists...
The Kennedy Hype
I had intended to pass up the opportunity to join the coteries of commentators analyzing, scrutinizing and memorializing the 50th anniversary Friday, Nov. 22, of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But so much of what is being written and broadcast is so contrary to my own memories that I have decided belatedly to join the fray.
The assassination was one of these rare tragedies, like the death of Franklin Roosevelt or the destruction of the World Trade Center, that makes people remember all their lives what they were doing and where they were at that momentous moment...
Bullfighting and Border Crossing in Tijuana
Imagine what a surprise it was when my wife, Julie said that she wanted to go to Tijuana, Mexico. For months, she has been concerned about my monthly trips across the border (mostly Ciudad Juárez) but I have long wanted her to see what border life is like, especially in the safer environment of Tijuana.
The occasion was the visit of Julián López Escobar, “El Juli,” the world’s greatest bullfighter in my opinion and a very unique human being. Born in Madrid, Spain on October 3, 1982, his parents enrolled him in the Madrid School of Tauromachy when he was only nine years old...
Runoff Rule a Major Factor in ABQ Special Election
I can only assume that both Janice Arnold-Jones and Bud Shaver each wish that they had never heard the other's name.
Everything that happened in Albuquerque's special election - and I do mean everything, especially the overwhelming defeat of the carpetbaggers' anti-women/anti-choice/and-science abortion ban - came down to the District 7 run-off. Without the less-than-50% runoff rule and the city council race that fell under those terms, the vote on the Albuquerque late-term abortion ban would have been a mail-in election only...
Tragedy and comedy on the Albuquerque stage
It may seem paradoxical but it often happens that traveling to distant places gives you a clearer understanding of home. Having just returned to New Mexico after three months in northern California, I have acquired a new and broader perspective on some aspects of New Mexico. One of them is the unusual theater scene in the Albuquerque area.
All this is by way of commenting on two Albuquerque plays I saw last weekend...
High Stakes, Low Turnout Elections
Local politics was overshadowed by non-stop Washington dramas this fall, but important trends emerged and decisions were made in New Mexico and the Paso del Norte borderland that will chart the identity and destiny of the region for years to come. Yet in various contests, it was a distinct minority of the electorate that shaped future courses...
Destruction of Public Education Continues Apace
Hanna the Great met with teachers in Albuquerque last week, and guess what, they didn’t like the new step toward privatizing New Mexico education one darn bit. I wonder why. Despite objections from educators, ed. administrators throughout the state, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, PED says the student and teacher evaluation program is going forward at double speed. “We don’t give a tortilla for what you think.”...
CVNM’s 2013 Conservation Scorecard: Legislative actions to protect our water were the exception
Today, we unveiled the statewide 2013 Conservation Scorecard. The Scorecard reflects the deep disagreement over the management of our state’s scarce water supplies.
As our population grows and water supplies dwindle—exacerbated by the growing effects of climate change—we must work even harder to keep the water we have clean. Sadly, the votes tell the story: legislative actions to proactively protect our water were the exception, not the rule...