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NM Campaign Finance Watchdogs: Party Poopers?

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - A "get out the vote party" for three Albuquerque lawmakers has campaign finance watchdogs questioning whether the event was in the best interest of the voting public - or the big money companies, Atrisco Oil and Gas, in association with Suncal, that footed the bill.

New Mexico campaign finance watchdogs are questioning the motives of a "get out the vote" picnic in Albuquerque on Sunday that was held in honor of Senators Linda Lopez and James Taylor, and Representative Dan Silva. While "getting out the vote" projects usually get a "thumbs up," holding such an event to solely focus on certain lawmakers looks suspicious, according to Atrisco heir James Aranda. He says Atrisco Oil and Gas and Suncal footed the picnic bill - and he thought those practices were supposed to change, "It seems like it's Atrisco kind of scratching the back of the legislators after their back has been scratched. It's kind of like they're returning the favor, that's how I see it."  What might have appeared as a free lunch apppeared to have strings attached.

Suncal Development would have benefited from special tax financing legislation sponsored by one of the lawmakers. The bill's sponsor says it was an economic development booster because it brought jobs and money to the area - and the event is similar to others held throughout the country leading up to a primary. Aranda says the problem is that Suncal and Atrisco's close ties with the lawmakers cuts the people out of the political process and Aranda said, "To me that's a real lack of respect for the people that they serve as well as a lack of honesty. I think a lot of folks thought that this type of attitude and these type of actions were going to change, and it's clear that they haven't."

Note - The party apparently wasn't enough to boost Taylor and Silva to victory. Former Albuuqerque City Councilor, Eric Griego, an advocate of public campaign financing won by a large margin over Senator James Taylor and Representative Dan Silva lost to challenger Eleanor Chavez.

Inaction on Climate Change Racks Up Huge Bill for NM and Southwest

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Santa Fe - A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council finds the costs of inaction on climate change are already being racked up in New Mexico and across the Southwest, especially when it comes to water resources and energy costs. New Mexico and other Southwestern states are racking up a huge tab when it comes to the costs from climate change. The report has come out just as the state gears up for the peak of a wildfire season that got an early start, despite a wet winter. Ann Watkins is a special assistant to the state engineer - she says more fires are just the beginning, "We have a number of smaller water systems which will be really impacted. Ecosystem issues are going to be just tremendous, forest fires we've already seen."  The report predicts the total cost on water resources nationwide could be nearly a trillion dollars, with much of the cost concentrated in the Southwest and Southeast. Watkins says the changing climate will also cost the state a bundle for more energy to power cooling systems. 

Consuelo Bokum with 1000 Friends of New Mexico says that when it comes to water, New Mexico already had problems. Bokum says "Even without climate change, the West and New Mexico in particular is facing problems associated with water availability and water scarcity. And has climate change accelerates, those problems are only going to increase drastically."  Bokum says the report points out that climate change will also hurt agriculture. She says action needs to be taken now to avoid serious financial and social consequences.  Te report is available at http://nrdc.org 

USDA Report: Climate Change Real, Impacts in NM 'Less Than Enchanting'

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
The federal government says climate change is happening right now and New Mexico is already feeling the burn. The USDA says impacts to livestock have already been seen and that's just the beginning. It's going to take more than just 'cool heads' to prevail over climate change that's already happening in New Mexico and other Western states. A new federal government report released on Tuesday says climate change is real, it's happening now, and the Land of Enchantment has already been impacted. Ecosystem researcher Steve Archer is one of the report authors. He says New Mexico's landscape is extra-sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, "Projected climate changes will increase the sensitivity of arid lands to disturbances, such as fire, grazing and off-road vehicle use, and it will limit their ability to recover from these disturbances."

The report says the effects of climate change on New Mexico's livestock industry have already been seen - between 2001 and 2002, the USDA saw net income from livestock production in New Mexico fall by 279 million dollars. While the report doesn't make any recommendations for reducing the pollution scientifically linked to climate change, it's expected the data will help shape future state and federal policy.

After Governor Richardson declared last year the "Year of Water," report author and director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute Tony Janetos says every year from now on may require the same focus on conserving precious natural resources, "This is no longer just an issue of what might happen in the coming decades. Many of these are changes that are going on now, they're going on more rapidly than we might have anticipated."

The report estimates parts of the west could see average temperature increases of as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit. A separate 2007 study found that the Colorado River Basin, which includes New Mexico, is already the nation's fastest-warming region.  The report, "The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity," is at www.usda.gov.

Child advocates praise Senate passage of measures to safeguard children's health care

ALBUQUERQUE - Advocates for extending health coverage for all children are praising yesterday's passage by the U.S. Senate of a $165 billion war supplemental bill, which included a moratorium on regulations put in place by the Bush Administration on Medicaid. The regulations would lead to large cuts in federal Medicaid funding for states. A recent report from Families USA estimated that New Mexico would lose $183.2 million in the first year alone.
 
The supplemental bill had already passed the House with the moratoria intact. However, the Senate approved an amendment earlier this week that would stave off similar cuts to the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). The amendment imposes a moratorium on the August 17, 2007 directive that limits states' ability to cover children from moderate-income families who do not have insurance. The previously-passed House bill did not address the S-CHIP directive. The Senate bill will be sent to the House for final approval.
 
"This is good news for the children of New Mexico," said Bill Jordan, Policy Director of the child advocacy organization. "The Medicaid regulations and S-CHIP directive would have severely cut funding for children's health care and almost inevitably led to cuts in benefits and enrollment," he added.
 
The domestic spending part of the Senate bill was approved in a veto-proof, stand-alone vote of 75-22. "New Mexicans should be proud and grateful that both of our senators stood up for kids' health care," Jordan said.

Great Streets" Plan Makes Stop at Duke City Planning Commission Today

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - The Duke City's 'Great Streets' plan goes before the Environmental Planning Commission today. Manjeet Tangri, urban design planner for Albuquerque's planning department, says the plan will help make Albuquerque safer and create a unique sense of place.

A great state deserves great streets, and Albuquerque is hoping to lead the way in New Mexico. The city will hold a hearing today on its "Great Streets" plan to give the Duke City's roadways a unique sense of place with an emphasis on modes of transportation besides driving, like walking and biking. According to Tangri "People forget that even the people who drive, they have to walk, you have to walk from your car and to you car. Walking is the basic fundamental need of everyone. And yet our streets don't accommodate them."

Tangri added that the plan would help make walkways and sidewalks safer and more accessible, with improvements like more shade for the hot climate. She says the plan still needs approval from the city council, and if all goes well, Central Avenue in the Nob Hill neighborhood could become one of the first 'Great Street' prototypes in the state.

She says it's important that streets be designed to serve everyone from children to baby boomers - a diverse population that does more than just drive, "We walk, we take a bus, we bicycle, we drive - it's really important that our streets accommodate all the people."  The hearing is at 3:30 at Plaza del Sol in the basement hearing room of the Environmental Planning Commission.

A "GrandRally" for NM Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque - More than 41,000 kids are being raised by grandparents in New Mexico, according to the latest Census figures. A group of grandparents, including several from the Land of Enchantment, who have taken on the parenting role are in Washington, D.C. for the National GrandRally on May 7.

Retirement planning doesn't usually include raising children again, but it's a reality for thousands of New Mexico grandparents. More than 41 thousand kids in the state are being raised by grandparents, according to the latest Census, and 10 thousand more are being raised by other family members. A group of New Mexico grandparents are joining hundreds of others in Washington, D.C. tomorrow for the National GrandRally. Brigitte Castellano with the National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights says a second round of parenting is not an easy role to take on, "We need some recognition for the fine work that relatives do raising these children. Picture all of these children if we were not there, they would be in foster care."

Castellano says there are legal twists and turns, as well as money issues, for relatives raising children - and they're calling on states to make sure laws are in the best interests of the child. And Dr. David Rubin with Safe Place: Center for Child Protection and Health, says he's working on a study that will be released next month that shows that in most cases, the best place for kids displaced from their families is with relatives, "Major differences in terms of the risk of behavioral problems. Children in kinship care, a third of the children have behavioral problems, nearly half of the kids who are in foster care have behavioral problems three years later."  For more information visit www.grandrally.org  .

NM to lose hundreds of millions in Medicaid dollars

Medicaid regulations will weaken NM economy if Congress does not act.

ALBUQUERQUE-A new report from Families USA estimates that New Mexico will lose $183.2 million in federal Medicaid funding in just the first year if rules issued by the Bush Administration go into effect. The report, "Bad Medicine: The President's Medicaid Regulations Will Weaken New Mexico's Economy," concludes that the regulations would result in the loss of $364.7 million in related business activity, $134.6 million in lost wages, and 4,000 lost jobs in one year.

"The federal Medicaid money that is injected into the state's economy is spent on salaries, which are spent, in turn, on living expenses and other goods and services," said NM Voices for Children Research Director Gerry Bradley. "Given the slowdown in the national economy, these regulations were the absolute wrong thing to do," he added. The total cost will be $1.5 billion over five years. The report also concludes that those hardest hit are likely to be children and people with disabilities.

The U.S. House recently passed the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 on a 349-62 vote, which would place a moratorium on the regulations until March 2009. Of New Mexico's representatives, Udall and Wilson voted in favor of the bill, Pearce voted against. The Senate has not yet taken final action.

Families USA is a Washington, D.C.-based group advocating for quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Get the report here   http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/bad-medicine/new-mexico.pdf

'Water Speculation' Pushes Gila River on to 'Most Endangered' List

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico

Datil, NM - A new report (from the group American Rivers) names the Gila River as one of the nation's 'Ten Most Endangered,' citing a massive water diversion project that has met local opposition. A new report finds the Gila River is being endangered by out-of-state speculators, but not the kind you might expect. A New York company hopes to pump billions of gallons of groundwater from the San Augustine Basin and pipe it to the Rio Grande to help the state meet its water compact obligations to Texas. A report from the group American Rivers finds the plan could impact the flows of the Gila River, which it lists as one of the country's 'Ten Most Endangered Rivers.' Bruce Frederick with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center calls it 'water speculation' that is contrary to the public welfare, saying "And that's not allowed under New Mexico water law, you can't speculate in water, you have to put water to beneficial use within a reasonable amount of time."

The company, Augustin Plains Ranch LLC, says the plan could create a new source of water for cities along the Rio Grande - but several opponents say it amounts to a water grab that could pit bigger cities against rural areas.  Andrew Fahlund with American Rivers says the state should look to conservation measures to meet its obligations and make it a priority to protect the Gila, "The Gila in its natural state is one of the great rivers in the nation, and in fact is the place where we founded the Wilderness Act in this country and it would be a tragedy to move forward with this project." The report is online at americanrivers.org .

US Hits Record Low Federal Spending on Kids

Programs serving children only receiving one penny of every federal dollar spent

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Over the past five years only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children, a new publication revealed today. The report, "Children's Budget 2008," was released by First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization.

The report looks at the more than 180 federally funded programs that are aimed at enhancing the well-being of our nation's children, and how those programs' appropriations levels have changed over the past five years. After adjusting for inflation, "Children's Budget 2008" finds that just 1 percent of all new spending since fiscal year 2004 is helping America's kids. 

Over the past five years, spending on children's education has been stagnant, resulting in a real decrease in the value of education funding, the report concludes. Nearly 70 education programs have suffered real cuts in funding over the past five years, leading to a 10 percent inflation-adjusted funding decrease.

"The report's findings are deeply disturbing," said Bill Jordan, Policy Director for New Mexico Voices for Children. "Not only is investing in our children the right thing to do by them, it's the right thing to do by our country and economy. We're not giving our children the best chance at succeeding when we're pulling the plug on their education and health care. We should be investing more in education in the 21st century, not less."

"In the past few years we've heard a lot of lip service about family values. This study shows how empty that talk has been," he added. "If our federal budget is a moral document, this shows a great moral deficiency."

Based in Washington, D.C., First Focus is part of America's Promise Alliance, which was founded, in part, by Colin Powell.  The report is posted online at http://www.firstfocus.net/pages/3391/

Poll: NM Hispanic Voters "Lean Green"

from the NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico

Albuquerque - A new, first-of-its-kind poll (sponsored by Sierra Club) finds a vast majority of Hispanic voters in New Mexico and nationwide are concerned about global warming and the environment, and they're willing to take steps to improve it. Hispanic voters in New Mexico - and across the country - tend to "lean green." That's according to a new, first-of-its-kind poll (sponsored by the Sierra Club) - it finds more than 80 percent of Hispanic voters nationwide consider global warming to be a major problem, and a solid majority say they're willing to take action to help improve the environment. Oliver Bernstein with the Sierra Club says the poll shows Hispanic voters in New Mexico enjoy the outdoors and are concerned with protecting open spaces in the Land of Enchantment, "It sounds like the environment, energy and global warming are very much on the mind of Hispanics in New Mexico today."

Bernstein says the poll found Hispanics are sometimes more concerned than other groups about environmental problems. The bilingual poll surveyed a thousand Hispanic voters nationwide, including many in New Mexico and other Southwestern states. Bernstein says the poll also found over 90 percent of Hispanic voters nationwide feel a faith-based obligation to care for the Earth, "Including forests, oceans, lakes and rivers. So, we see a very, very strong connection through faith and culture to environmental protection."