I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A new decision by the Barack Obama administration on the Energy Star program is getting some criticism from Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. Both Congress and the Obama administration want to tighten standards for the energy efficient product program, but disagree on how to do so.
The New York Times’ Green Inc blog explains that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) run the Energy Star program together. A “memorandum of understanding” outlined a shift in responsibilities.
Most dramatically, it shifts responsibility of managing all the product categories under Energy Star to the E.P.A., and relegates D.O.E. to a technical support role.
Bingaman’s provision in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, of which he is the chair, “specifically stated that D.O.E. should oversee the solid state lighting program, which had been an area of conflict.” Both the EPA and DOE introduced Energy Star different standards for solid state lighting products.
In a statement to Green Inc., Bingaman said he is “going to ask the agencies to go back and take into account the views of the Congress and external stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, hot off the metaphorical press, TPMDC reports that Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, will not support an opt-out clause in the public option. This is the clause that would allow individual states to decide whether or not to be included in the public option. Snowe has already said that she will not vote for a public option.
In climate news, some GOP fence sitters have been voicing concerns about climate legislation. Bingaman, as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is a key part of any energy legislation.
The Center for Responsive Politics notes that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent the most money on lobbying in the 3rd quarter. The Chamber “spent a whopping $39 million in lobbying” in the 3rd quarter.
This represents an increase of 260 percent above what it spent on lobbying during the second quarter, and an increase of 12 percent above what it spent during the first three quarters of 2008. Its lobbying expenditures now total $65.2 million through September.
National Journal Online notes that the districts that would benefit most from health care reform are conservative districts. “If health care reform passes, many of the districts that benefit most from the federal subsidies to expand access to coverage will be those represented by members who voted against the bill,” the story reads.
There is also a slick map to check out.
This isn’t about Congress, but this poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a Democratic polling firm, is interesting. “Obama leads Mike Huckabee 47-43, Mitt Romney 48-40, Sarah Palin 52-40, and Tim Pawlenty 50-30,” the poll reads.
This is the seventh time PPP has polled this question and the seventh time that Huckabee was closest to Obama in the poll.
As for Palin, PPP says that only “36 percent of voters have a favorable view of her with 51 percent holding a negative one.”
