Democracy for New Mexico

DFA-DFNM Meetup Group to Close, DFNM Blog NOT Closing

Just a little clarification. Recently an email was sent out stating the DFA-DFNM Meetup Group was closing. Yes it is closing, there will be no more DFNM meetups. No more yelling and laughing at the UU church or at the Page One. No more debates, gosh we had some good ones too. Time moves on, I am in Massachusetts now and the expense of keeping the meetup was not possible for me any longer.

However, this website is still up. I do not plan on closing this site, there is lots and lots of valuable info on this blog. Although I have not had time to post I plan on posting at least some soon.

I am watching all the goings on in the Land of Enchantment and miss not being there helping. But alas the King John Arthur Smith ardent non willingness to jump start the NM economy has me frustrated. Here is Johnny holding fast to the rainy day fund, wake up Smith it is raining. People are having to leave the state because there are no jobs. Get construction jobs going! Use the rainy day fund for a NM WPA program for 2013.

I know, I know, even if some creative rainy day fund use was passed by some miracle in the Leg., Martinez would veto it. But geez really again this year nothing?

My question is when is enough enough? Will the rainy day fund be tapped when a public building falls down due to negligence of the legislature of no funding for repairs?

Imagine the elected officials, who work for us, imagine if the first bill they voted for each session was the State Budget including the capital outlay. Yep vote on the state budget and Capital outlay prior to their own feed bill. Stop the games people lives and families depend on it.

Last Post from 8522 Flower Place

Folks, This is the last of thousands of posts from this house. Barb and I have rented this house since July 1999. It does not seem possible. Barb started this great blog right here. So it is sad for me to write the last post from this internet connection and this house.

As I have said previously I am moving forward with my life. When I saw a FB friend put up an article this morning that Massachusetts has progressed greatly with solar energy installations, it helped me feel I am going in the right direction.

The house here is a total mess, most things packed, most important stuff left out til the final hours. It is with a very heavy heart I leave Abq and NM. I feel as though I am in denial over how big of a deal this really is. Barb and I lived here in NM since 1993. Wow. Barb passed away in this house. I nursed Barb back from many illnesses and her final weeks of life right here in this house. I could go on and on.

The facts are that I have not had full time work since Oct. 2010. I am one of the individuals that has to leave the state. Different from what Rep. Pearce said in his speech to the legislators, I do want to work, and there are no positions, and yes I could pass a pee test. You see Mr Pearce that kind of flippant attitude is toxic, you are no leader, you are a follower of the worse kind. You should not be in office representing people if you lack basic understanding of serious matters facing your constituents.

The economy here in NM is based on federal money. There must be cuts to all programs, ALL. That means the labs and Kirtland and the other bases in the state. The ripple affect of these cuts will be devastating to the NM economy as it is structured now. Imagine even a 5% cut in the monies that are sent to the federal labs and bases.

It is a shame that with proper leadership NM could be the leader in solar energy production, all things solar. This will never happen while all the fossil fuel dinosaurs are still roaming the state. The republicans and some democrats are bought off by the oil and gas industry. Just a fact.

To do a huge solar build out across the state for all public buildings would put hundreds if not thousands to work. Designers/ architects/ contractors on and on all working for a huge effort, and after installed we all would see savings.

Going door to door on my race to be a state representative, there was enthusiasm and positive response no matter party affiliation when talking about solar build out of our jointly owned buildings. We all would save money. We would have people back to work. I could possibly have a good job again right now.

So it is with a heavy heart I leave this great state of NM. I am going to go live with my sister and brother-in-law for a while back in northern Massachusetts. I spent down all I have over these last 28 long months. There are jobs back east. Architectural jobs, private money, stimulating the economy. Solar initiatives, health care, gay marriage, the atlantic ocean, my family, and most importantly jobs.

Don't forget the Hurricane Sandy too. The hurricane blasted through the NE just before the election. The Congress recently voted on funds for the recovery of that area. But not Steve Pearce again, he voted against the funds to help people rebuild their lives. That is the new life being dealt out by the tea party rush limbaugh lovers - Hope nothing bad happens in NM CD2. No fires, no drought, no flooding, because who ever votes Pearce in should also bear no help from the rest of this Country.

So now back to my journey for work, and to get my life on back on track.

There is no money in the hard work of providing this blog. People take it for granted, and the models for earning a low income living doing this blog is still not possible almost 8 years after Barb starting this. The plan is to keep posting, but with no pressure of thinking I have to get the hits up, I have to write more and better, I have to be smarter and wittier, blah blah blah. I am going to go earn money the way I know how to, by working hard on buildings. I will keep posting. Heck I may even turn around when I get to Boston and just drive all the way back, just to keep the pressure on the republicans and democrats that refuse to enter in the 21st century. Who knows where the journey will lead. I want no regrets, I want no resentments, I want to be part of the solution not part of the problem.

Carpe Diem with love

Democrats Deliver on Jobs for NM - Agreement Should Clear Spaceport America for Takeoff

Democrats showing this NM Legislature 60 day session will not be business as usual. The leaders of both Houses are immediately addressing matters to get jobs going in this State. No waiting for 60 days to act on matters that are needed today. Let's hope Gov. Martinez steps right up too, and signs the coming legislation. 

Democrats were swept into office in November on a promise to focus on creating good jobs for New Mexico, and it's a promise we are working hard to keep.

Today Democrats in the legislature announced an agreement to keep the Spaceport on track to become a major economic boon for New Mexico!

Video and Statements below are from the NM Senate Dems

Senate Majority Leader Michael S. Sanchez (D) Valencia & Bernalillo, District 29, and House Speaker Ken Martinez (D) Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, Valencia District 69, announced today that Virgin Galactic and New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association have reached an agreement regarding proposed legislation for Spaceport America. At the urging of Majority Leader Sanchez and Speaker Martinez, the two sides resolved their differences regarding liability issues.

Without the legislation, proponents argued that Virgin Galactic and potential occupants of the Spaceport would favor other states with limited-liability laws. The New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association expressed concern that limiting liability would protect manufacturers who produced substandard parts without fear of consequences. The Trial Lawyers advocate for consumers and public safety.

More than $200 million has already been invested in the facility located near Truth or Consequences.

“Too much has been invested by both the state and Virgin Galactic to abandon this project,” said Majority Leader Sanchez. “The potential economic benefits for New Mexico demanded that serious negotiations be conducted to get beyond the impasse. It is in New Mexico’s best interests that the Spaceport project moves forward quickly, with as much consumer protection as possible.”

At the request of the two legislative leaders, representatives from Virgin Galactic and NM Trial Lawyers Association have reached an agreement.

“This agreement is the result of many months of hard work,” said Speaker Martinez. “We encouraged both parties to sit face-to-face and work through their differences. Since they each had valid points, compromise was the only solution.

“They should be proud of the work they have accomplished for New Mexico.”

The proposed legislation will mirror the laws of Colorado and Florida that limit the liability of operators, manufacturers, and suppliers. An important addition is a requirement that each entity maintain liability insurance in order to qualify under the Act.

The proposed legislation, based on the agreement, is currently being drafted. It is expected that the bill will be introduced within the next several days.

“I am very happy that we can move this issue forward and begin a clear path to getting the Spaceport up and running,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mary Kay Papen, (D) Dona Ana, District 38, who sponsored a bill last year to limit liability. “Many people in southern New Mexico, as well as the rest of the state, are excited to see this get going.”

Governor's Plan For Jobs = Epic Fail

From ProgressNowNM.

It's Arithmetic: Governor's plan to create four times the jobs with half the budget reveals predictable results

REPORT: Other states took opposite result and added jobs ASAP

As New Mexico struggles to explain its unrelenting job loss problem, the budget for the state’s only agency tasked with recruiting business was slashed in half, a recipe Governor Martinez and her economic development team believed would spur four times the job growth previously achieved, a report by ProgressNow New Mexico Education reveals.

On paper, Martinez set an expected outcome of 2,200 jobs created by the New Mexico Partnership – a non-profit business recruitment agency funded by the Economic Development Department. This was more than four times the number of jobs created by the agency in the previous year and the largest component, in terms of job creation, of her Economic Development Department.

But records show that while promising impressive job growth from the Partnership, she cut the budget for the department by more than 46% - almost half – while expecting it to perform four times greater than the previous year. Predictably, the agency created just 1/3 of the jobs she promised.

By contrast, Nevada and Colorado added investments to their business recruitment programs at the same time– almost doubling the budget in Nevada – and realized growth for the first time in years.

“This report is a cautionary tale for decision makers. It begs us to look closely at promises by this administration when it comes to job creation. We can’t permit them to give the unemployed hope for new jobs coming if there is no real commitment to follow through,” says Pat Davis of Progress Now NM Education.

“This administration has adopted a fatalistic approach to job creation. They claim that government can’t grow jobs and business doesn’t want to move here. Then they slash the funding of any agency looking to prove otherwise. It makes no sense, but it’s our reality.”

Read the full report at ProgressNowNM.org/blog.

Why is NM Job Growth Non Existent? A Response to Abq Jrnl Winthrop Q

Dear Winthrop, You are one of my favorite writers for the Journal. You always offer a less slanted objective then what the paper is known for. In your piece today regarding job growth you suggest readers offer their suggestions of how to improve job growth in NM. Knowing the Journal is selective over what they publish I figured I would respond here to your request.

There is an elephant in the room you neglect to mention in the article and listing of "It's" (ex. It's the Labor Pool?). It's the war and the size of the defense budget.

It's the cost of the wars we have been in since October 7, 2001, for 11 years and counting. The Afghan and Iraq wars have cost our country 2 billion dollars a week. $2bil per WEEK. Staggering costs, no one mentions this cost anymore. How much is the cost of the Afghanistan war now? Last I heard it is costing 1.5bil per week.

These are enormous numbers of which no one mentions. No politician, no media. The real cost is calculated out in trillions, which includes taking care of the wounded soldiers for years and the hard costs of these wars in dollars expended, hard earned dollars which could have been used in this country

The following article featured on TruthAlliance.net dated July 17, 2012 starts to expose some of the reason we are screwed as far as job growth here.

Photo above is “The Khan Bani Saad Correctional Facility, about 12 miles northeast of Baghdad, is seen with unused building materials nearby. The site is a chronicle of U.S. government waste, misguided planning and construction shortcuts costing $40 million. The official in charge of monitoring America’s $51 billion effort to reconstruct Iraq has estimated that $6 billion to $8 billion of that amount was lost to waste, fraud and abuse.”

The article goes on to say “In Friday’s report, Bowen said the exact funds lost to fraud and waste “can never be known,” largely because of poor record-keeping by the U.S. agencies involved in the effort. These include the Departments of State and Defense, along with the U.S. Agency for International Development.”

And these articles from Judicial Watch: “Billions for Iraq reconstruction lost to fraud", highlighting an audit done by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) dated July 13, 2012. And this arictle The largest theft of funds in history. And in 2008 this article "Pervasive fraud and waste in Iraq reconstruction efforts. “

So here we have it we were ripped off and no one has the will to stand up and say this, the political will or the media will. Where does 2 bil per week go for years and years? We at DFNM have been asking this question for years. Mr Quigley we suggest you look into this and see what you come up with, just a suggestion. See if you as an american citizen can find where this gross amount of money could have gone. How could we spend 2 billion dollars a week? Let's see a breakdown of costs for one week in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have worked on public design and construction projects most of my adult life and I know when I work for the US or State government, I am held accountable for every dollar and to every dollar for the work I produce. And if the media or regulatory agencies find out otherwise there is hell to pay.

To surmise the cost of these wars at 2 billion a week has destroyed our prospect of jobs for years to come. The elephant in the room is the cost of the Afghan and Iraq wars, the cost of the actual war and the cost of the reconstruction both of these having no restrictions for costs and billions of dollars of waste and fraud.

Our military spending is totally out of control. We as a country have no money for other matters and concerns, like taking care of our seniors and building schools for our children. All our tax dollars go to the War Machine, if you are not part of the war machine business you have no work, both in the public sector and the private sector.

What to do now? Get out of Afghanistan. Stop spending our tax dollars over there. Let’s start a reconstruction effort here in this country. Let’s start with New Jersey and New York.

And if I was a real journalist and not an architect pretending to be a journalist while looking for real work myself, this story of the fleecing of America from 2001 to 2012 would be my passion to expose. To have it be known in every household what has occurred these critical years, and the lack of accountability of our elected officials and media.

PS. Please take a look at the SIGIR audit linked to above and here for your ease, just this report alone only 31 pages long is so light weight as to the corruption and robbery that has taken place. Meanwhile many people go yet another day without full employment.

Five Ways The Ryan Budget Hurts New Mexico

Republican Senate candidate Heather Wilson says she “admires” Paul Ryan for his willingness to “put forth bold ideas” that would end Medicare as we know it, impose deep cuts to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, gut funding for early education and college assistance, increase taxes on the middle class, and deal a severe blow to women and Hispanic families.

Here are five ways the Ryan budget hurts New Mexico:

1. The Ryan budget ends Medicare as we know it. The Ryan budget would scrap the guaranteed benefits provided by Medicare, and force nearly 300,000 New Mexico seniors into a voucher program when they retire. As a result, health care costs for seniors would increase by as much as $5,900 each year. The Ryan budget would also force many seniors to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs, burdening them with costs of almost $12,000.

2. The Ryan budget would impose deep cuts to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories. Under the Ryan budget, funding for Sandia National Laboratories would be reduced by 10 percent, while funding for Los Alamos National Laboratory would be reduced by 17 percent. These cuts would impede the essential missions carried out at the laboratories and cut New Mexico jobs.

3. The Ryan budget would gut funding for early education and college assistance. In New Mexico alone, $16 million would be cut from Head Start programs and more than $21 million would be cut from Pell Grants. As a result, more than 2,000 children would loose access to preschool and other early education programs and more than 3,000 college students would loose their assistance entirely in New Mexico.

4. The Ryan budget would cut taxes for the rich while raising taxes on New Mexico’s middle class. Hard-working New Mexican families with incomes below $200,000 would see their taxes increase by nearly $2,700 each year. At the same time, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy would be made permanent and millionaires would get a windfall tax cut of $265,000.

5. The Ryan budget would deal a severe blow to women and Hispanic families. The Ryan budget’s extreme reforms to Medicare would increase out-of-pocket health care costs for nearly 190,000 Hispanic New Mexicans by thousands of dollars each year. They would also disproportionately affect women, who account for the majority of Medicare recipients. Increasing the cost of services like mammograms and cancer screenings would put preventative health care further out of reach for millions of women across the country.

Labor Day! Labor Day! Break Free, Break Through the Walls of the Status Quo Criminal Class

Below is a great post that Barb did for May Day 2010. It is totally still right on for Labor Day 2012!

Just watch it

My forebears came in from Poland, Germany and Norway through Ellis Island when there were no immigration quotas. They worked like dogs at the jobs Americans didn't want, like almost all immigrants do. I am the beneficiary of their courage and hard labor. And so is our nation.

I grew up in Chicago, a city built by immigrants of every ethnicity. Most of today's America was built by immigrants, not the descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims. We built on what was built for centuries by slaves and indentured servants, not the ancestors of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Immigrants and racial, ethnic and other minorities have always been our strength and our salvation. They work hard and they unite to stand up to the corrupt forces of the status quo. Think unions, think every civil rights and liberation and reform movement that ever emerged in the U.S.

Now the forces of the status quo and their frightened and misguided followers want to stop all this. They always do, whether it's been freed slaves or immigrants from Ireland or Italy or Eastern Europe or the Caribbean or Africa or Mexico or wherever. The very word 'conservative' means to keep things as they are because I am the beneficiary of power, position and wealth by my very bloodline and/or longstanding connections. The irony is that today's right wingers and teabaggers are often victims of the greedy, insular forces of the status quo, yet they defend the very forces that oppress them, convinced that it's immigrants or minorities or liberals or unions or a government that serves the needs of ordinary people that's to blame for their penury.

Today, on May Day, a day for celebrating the labor movement, a day when immigration reform marches are taking place all over the land, I say fuck the forces of White only and English only. Fuck the forces that scapegoat people willing to take risks and work hard to provide for their families. Fuck the forces that use vile propaganda to stir up hatred and reward ignorance.

Fuck the forces that defend the status quo ruling class so huge blobs of money can keep flowing to those who sit on their asses and "invest" in scams and manipulate and steal and deregulate oil drilling so that our entire Gulf coast -- including all its wildlife, its working people, its entire ecosystem and economic infrastructure -- is going to be devastated and entire ways of life destroyed so BP could save the money it would take to employ technologies to help prevent that. Fuck the forces that keep arms flowing all over the world and eternal wars going to feed the war profiteers and enable the usurping of natural resources all over the globe. Fuck the forces that destroy native cultures and whole communities and huge parts of the world so they can keep themselves and their "investors" in the money.

Immigrants, whether documented or not, and minorities of every kind are not the enemy, are not the terrorists. Our real enemies and terrorists are in power either upfront or behind the scenes in connection with -- or bought off by -- every "deregulated" financial and corporate undertaking that is raping our nation and nations around the globe for obscene profits. They kill and maim and torture people. They kill ecosystems. They kill education. They kill health care. They kill children. They bankrupt governments and homeowners. They kill wildlife and plant life. They poison the seas and the groundwater and the very air we breathe. It is they who must be arrested and jailed and convicted and stopped in their tracks, not families fleeing from utter poverty caused by all the "free" trade and monetary policy scams that have made slave labor the preferred option for the corporate and banking interests who call all the shots.

Today, on May Day, let's start pointing the finger in no uncertain terms at our real enemies. Let's work towards uniting all the hated minorities - the black and brown and yellow ones, the gay and bi and trans ones, the people who care about the earth and human dignity and the animals and justice -- and use our union to go after the bloodsuckers who are causing the horrors that are erupting and spreading each and every day. If we don't, we know the dark forces will win. They've got the guns but we've got the numbers -- only if we unite. We all know in our hearts that's what this era will be about. Can the united forces of progress overcome the stultifying forces of greed and privilege? Only time will tell.

New Mexico Needs Jobs and Leadership to Restore the American Dream

Following is an op-ed from Sam Bregman - Restore the Dream

What is Governor Martinez doing? Where are the jobs and where is the leadership she promised with the private sector and federal government to generate good paying, long term jobs? They’re not in Tampa, site of the Republican National Convention and a top destination for this Governor since she took office in January 2011. Now that the panic is over about whether she will be allowed to speak or not, maybe the priority can be finding and creating jobs. Maybe. What has she done to create one, single job? Absolutely nothing.

So far, the Governor’s agenda consists of bringing up divisive social issues, blaming our teachers for failing schools, placing incompetent, discredited political hacks in charge of government agencies and allowing her chief political consultant to run a shadow government that is obsessed with furthering her political ambitions, whatever the cost.

Meanwhile, the worst economic crisis in 80 years continues to destroy jobs as New Mexico working families struggle for their slice of the American dream. After 20 months in office, they expect strong leadership from their Governor, someone that will fight and work hard to create jobs. Sadly, the result is failed leadership, starting with the Governor and continuing with do nothing political appointees, while repeated excuses assigning blame, play like a scratched, broken record.

As a concerned citizen and proud New Mexican , I believe that state government can and must take the lead in promoting and encouraging job growth in the private sector as well as in government. We must have strong, committed leadership that reaches out to both parties and is willing to use every tool available to help New Mexicans.

I have traveled thousands of miles throughout New Mexico and listened to voices in communities large and small, young and old, Democrats and Republicans. No one cares about personal political agendas or how to tear down your opponent in the next election—they care about providing a home to their children, good schools, safe streets and holding on to the American dream. They look to the future and want their Governor to support them. Nothing else matters if you cannot provide economic security for your family.

Recently, the Republican National Committee sent out a press release quoting Governor Martinez:” …Americans want to work. They want to build their businesses, compete and succeed in order to create more jobs and a secure future for their families.”

Really? Could you start doing something that would create jobs and provide a secure future in the state that elected you Governor?

New Mexican working families are waiting for Governor Martinez, her political appointees and consultants to stand up, provide leadership and fight for jobs in New Mexico, instead of looking for opportunities to tear down yet another opponent in the next election.

Because hard work, a good job and hope for the future is the American dream. For New Mexico and the USA.

Heather Wilson “Proud” Of Votes To Protect Special Tax Breaks for Companies Shipping Jobs Overseas

From Martin Heinrich for Senate Campaign.

In a recent news article in The New Mexican, a spokesperson for Heather Wilson said the former Congresswoman was “proud” of votes she took to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.

“Heather Wilson's blatant support for giving special tax breaks to companies that ship American jobs overseas shows just how wrong her priorities are for New Mexico,” said Whitney Potter, spokeswoman for Democratic Senate candidate Martin Heinrich. “We need leaders who are going to fight for the future of the middle class and put New Mexicans back to work, not politicians that put tax breaks for the rich ahead of strengthening Medicare and Social Security.”

Echoing the chorus of the Republican Party, Wilson also signed lobbyist Grover Norquist’s tax pledge promising to never require big corporations to pay their fair share, even by closing loopholes that reward them for shipping American jobs overseas.

Background:

Wilson “Proud” of Votes to Protect Special Tax Breaks. In a recent news article in The New Mexican, a spokesperson for Heather Wilson said the former Congresswoman was “proud” of votes she took to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. [Santa Fe New Mexican, 8/1/12]

Wilson Has Voted At Least Four Times To Protect Special Tax Breaks For Companies That Ship American Jobs Overseas. During her time in the House, Heather Wilson voted at least four times to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. [Vote 344, 5/21/08; Associated Press,5/21/08; Vote 161, 5/12/04; wolf.house.gov, accessed 7/12/12; Vote 291,6/19/03; wolf.house.gov, accessed 7/12/12; Vote 247, 6/21/02; New York Times, 5/13/02]

Politifact: ‘True’ That The Tax Code Allows Companies To Get A Tax Break When They Send Jobs To “China Or India Or Wherever.” In September 2010 Politifact ruled that the following statement from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was ‘True’: “The law, right now, permits companies that close down American factories and offices and move those jobs overseas to take a tax deduction for the costs associated with moving the jobs to China or India or wherever.” Whitehouse made this statement on the Senate floor while arguing for a proposal to close this loophole. Politifact concluded: “There is little debate that the current system allows companies to get a tax break for their expenses when they send jobs outside the U.S. We rate Whitehouse's statement True.” [Politifact, 11/21/10]

Wilson Voted Twice Against Banning Certain Federal Departments From Awarding Contracts To Companies That Incorporate Overseas. In 2006, Wilson voted against an amendment to the FY 07 Treasury, Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill that would have placed a ban on new contracts with corporate expatriates - companies that have incorporated on paper overseas in the tax haven countries of Bermuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Antigua, Panama. In 2005, Wilson voted against an amendment to ban the departments and agencies funded under the Transportation, Treasury & Housing Appropriations bill from contracting with corporate expatriate companies. [Vote 275, 6/14/06; Rep. Berry Press Release, 6/14/06; Vote 351, 6/30/05; Rep. DeLauro Press Release, 6/30/05]

Wilson Opposed Barring Corporations Laying Off More U.S. Workers Than They Do Overseas From Receiving Ex-Im Aid. In 2002, Wilson voted against an amendment the Associated Press reported “would have barred companies from receiving bank aid if they lay off more workers in the United States than in foreign countries.” The amendment was defeated, 135-283. [Vote 120, 5/01/02; AP, 5/01/02]

Wilson Signed Americans for Tax Reform Pledge Not to Eliminate Tax Deductions. In 2011, Wilson was listed as a signer of the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, stating that she opposed any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates. [Americans for Tax Reform Press Release,4/18/11]

ATR Called American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 a Taxpayer Protection Pledge Violation. In May 2010, Americans for Tax Reform issued a Tax Pledge Alert to announce that HR 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, was a Taxpayer Protection Pledge violation. The bill would eliminate $14.451 billion of foreign tax credit loopholes. [Americans for Tax Reform, Press Release,5/20/10; House Committee on Ways and Means, “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, HR 4213, 5/28/10]

Darren White Being a Close Friend of Susana and Jay McCleskly Pays-off

Darren White continues to be passed around for some position in the Martinez administration. And currently the Racino Downs is part of the Martinez/McCleskly administration. Maybe Pat Rogers will be hired as deputy GM under White?

In the days that we are living in of hard to find jobs, and tough scrutiny over applicants it is aggravating to see such favoritism and out right cronyism from the Governor of New Mexico. Governor Martinez ran on a platform of " NO Corruption", "NO cronyism", "NO favors". The response to this accustation will surely be it is not my administration appointing and running the Downs, it is not Susana's NM Government, it is her NM Shadow Goverment.

Following is a good recap of Darren Whites history provided by ISPAC.

Darren White Is New Downs General Manager. REALLY ???

In the latest chapter of the “Dirty Downs Deal” saga, Darren White has been selected as General Manager for the Racino.

So what are Darren White’s qualifications for the General Manager position at The Downs? How critical is this position for the operation of the Racino? And what does this say about the perfect score of 300, lead evaluator Charles Gara awarded the Downs for “managerial expertise”?

1. Darren White is best buddies with Jay McCleskey. The two of them spend a lot of time sitting around the swimming pool together. White is also very close to Downs lobbyists/lawyers Pat Rogers and Mickey Barnett.
2. Barnett’s law firm has represented both White and McCleskey in some family law matters.
3. Oh yeah, and Charles Gara contributed money to Darren White’s failed congressional race and also hired Jay McCleskey to run a political operation for him. Think they are all tight?

According to the Response to RFP submitted by the Downs on August 25, 2011, the General Manager position “has been created in anticipation of the new facility”. So White was given a job that did not previously exist, despite the fact that the Downs has operated as a racino (racetrack and casino) since 1999.

The job appears to be one of the most critical to the operation of the racino: “the General Manager serves as the head of the administrative department. Reporting to the General Manager will be the accounting, human resources, audit/compliance and marketing divisions, as well as the Casino Manager and the Racing Manager. The General Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Downs, including implementing and monitoring policies, establishing and managing the budget, hiring and training the management team, ensuring managers are actively monitoring compliance with all regulatory requirements and providing overall operational support.”

Here is what Darren White brings to the job:

2011 - 2012 White has no gaming management experience. His only involvement with the racino before this was as a “security consultant” helping the Downs at Albuquerque prepare its response to the RFP. White then briefly worked as the Project Manager at the Downs for the construction of the updated racino. As of the last several weeks, however, there does not appear to be any actual construction going on at the Downs.

2011 Before the Downs, White served as the Public Safety Director for the City of Albuquerque. When White intervened at the scene of his wife Kathy’s one-car accident, his brief stint in this position ended with “No-Confidence” votes by members of the Albuquerque Police Department (85%) and the Albuquerque Fire Department ("overwhelmingly”).

2008 In February 2008, as Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren White helped TruTouch Technologies secure a sole-source contract in the amount of $379,995 to “supply alcohol screening and testing prototype equipment.” White notified the County Commission that “the Sheriff’s Department fully supports the Sole Source contract award to TruTouch Technologies of Albuquerque.” White was also running for US Congress, and received campaign contributions from TruTouch officers during a prohibited time. (Disclosure: Michael Corwin of ISPAC initially unearthed that these contributions were made during the prohibited time in the procurement process. This discovery later led to Bernalillo County severing ties with the company.) The current Bernalillo County Sheriff, Dan Houston, has requested an investigation by the New Mexico AG, as this equipment was never put into service.

1999 - 2001 Darren White was the crime reporter at KRQE.

1999 The two no-confidence votes in 2011 were not the first of White’s management career. While serving as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, members of the New Mexico State Police Officers Association voted 243 - 31 “No Confidence” against White. The state police officers accused White of improperly supplying equipment and cars to its officers, which they felt was an officer safety issue.

1999 White was investigated by the New Mexico AG for possibly committing two felonies, 1) violation of the anti-donation clause and 2) unauthoried destruction of a cultural property (property located on state land). While secretary of DPS, White called the State Land Office and arranged to have state Highway Department workers demolish, without a permit, buildings located on state land at the behest of his buddy Don Imus’s brother, Fred Imus. Imus had called White to see if the state could remove some "dilapidated ranch buildings" on the state land adjoining the Imus Ranch, claiming they negatively impacted their property. The investigation was stopped when Imus agreed to pay the state $6,696 reimbursement for the use of state workers to tear the buildings down.

These are but a few of the situations that raise serious concerns over White’s selection as the General Manager of the Downs. Not only does he lack any relevant experience to managing a racino, he has yet to prove himself as a competent manager at all. He has done very well at proving he is someone willing to engage in ethically and legally questionable behavior.

Once Again New Mexico Posts Worst Job Losses In West

From ProgressNow NM:

3,800 fewer workers on payrolls in June, 7,400 fewer than April.

Numbers just released from the US Department of Labor show that New Mexico again lost jobs in June –with 3,800 fewer New Mexicans on payrolls in June 2012 than May 2012, and still 2,100 fewer than a year ago.

“New Mexico, Vermont, and Wisconsin experienced the largest over-the-month percentage declines in employment” according to the BLS release. Other Western states added 65,000 jobs last month.

While New Mexico’s unemployment rate dropped slightly since last month, the civilian labor force also shrunk by 4,000 people, an indicator that many New Mexicans have simply given up on finding work.

June’s decline in employment continues a trend that ProgressNow NM has been chronicling for months. New Mexico has seen three straight months of job loses – and three straight months of having the worst job growth in the West.

Since April, New Mexico has lost 7,400 jobs.

“The administration in Santa Fe doesn’t seem to have a jobs plan,” says Pat Davis, Executive Director of ProgressNow New Mexico, a public interest watchdog group. “They won’t even talk about jobs and we are living the consequences.”

According to the governor’s website, she has issued just one news release relating to new jobs in the past two months, while making 29 political appointments. And the consequence is that fewer New Mexicans are working.

Read more at ProgressNowNM.org/blog

06/22: Candidates and Communications Workers of America (CWA) Activists Gather to Address Jobs, Outsourcing and Legislative Efforts to Protect Opportunity in New Mexico

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, You say?
On 6/22/2012, T-mobile USA will fire 3,300 workers and close 7 U.S. call centers. Presently, T-mobile outsources 6,000 jobs while waging a sustained battle against U.S. Workers’ efforts to form a union and protect their rights.

Fav old song, great performance! Danny Rivera above sings "Which side are you on?"  2/26/11 at a Rally at the Roundhouse. (dfnm video)

Communications Workers of America –New Mexico is hosting a brief press conference and demonstration in support of Albuquerque T-mobile call center workers and (H.R. 3596).

WHO: CWA, NM Unions, Allied Groups and Candidates
WHAT: Press Conference, Support Demonstration
WHERE: Outside T-Mobile Call Center at 2600 Broadbent Parkway N.E., Albuquerque 
WHEN:  Friday, June 22nd 2012 from Noon-1 pm.
WHY: Solidarity with T-Mobile Employees Efforts to Form a Union and Legislation to Help
Keep Good Jobs at Home in the U.S.A.

Candidates will speak on the subject of JOBS and their visions for creating and retaining good jobs in New Mexico.

Congressman Heinrich co-signed the US Call Center Workers and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 3596) to turn the tide on U.S. outsourcing and assaults on Worker and Human Rights.

With the decimation of manufacturing in the U.S., many communities committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies opening customer service/call center jobs in their communities. However, the last decade has seen a number of those jobs now being shipped overseas, with companies pocketing taxpayer dollars and off-shoring the call center jobs just a few years later; leaving those communities devastated once again with job losses and lost financial investments.

Often, calls into service centers go to countries where workers are exploited and/or human resource and information security practices are far inferior to those in the U.S. These centers are often referred to as modern day sweatshops.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that 83 percent of Indian outsourcing companies surveyed had information security breaches during the previous year. There is a strong link between overseas call centers and security problems, putting American consumers at risk for identity theft, fraudulent transactions, and general mishandling of sensitive information.

A growing trend for Indian call center companies is to subcontract the call center work out to other politically volatile countries that often times have even worse security protections.

U.S. taxpayer money should not be awarded to companies that make a practice of sending U.S. jobs overseas – resulting in greater job losses here in the U.S., decimate communities, and jeopardize consumers.

This bill, if passed, would accomplish the following things:

• Create a ‘bad actor’ list of U.S. Companies that make a practice of sending U.S. jobs overseas: It would require a publically available list, kept by the Department of Labor, of all employers that relocated entirely or a significant portion of their call center or customer service work overseas. These companies would be ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans. Preference will be given to U.S. employers that do not appear on the list for awarding civilian or defense-related contracts. Employers that relocate a call center will remain on the list for up to 5 years after each instance of relocating a call center.

• Disclose Call Center Location to U.S. Consumers: It would require the relocated overseas call center agent to disclose their name and physical location of their operation. For example, a customer may hear, “Hello, this is Jane in Manila.”

• Right to Transfer: The U.S. consumer would have the right to request the call be transferred to a customer service agent who is physically located in the U.S.

CWA, New Mexico Labor, and Allied Candidates for Office will gather in support of T-Mobile workers and H.R.3596 on Friday, June 22nd, 12 -1 PM outside the T-Mobile Call Center at 2600 Broadbent Parkway N.E., Albuquerque.