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.
Former Secretary of State and 1st Congressional District candidate Rebecca Vigil-Giron has landed a state job in Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration. UNM has hired the son of President David Schmidly to a newly created position that pays $94,000. And U.S. Senate hopefuls Steve Pearce and Tom Udall tangled Wednesday in their first debate, with Pearce attacking and Udall bobbing and weaving.
Vigil-Giron lands state job
Rebecca Vigil-Giron, who left the Secretary of State’s Office under a cloud, has landed a job at the Department of Workforce Solutions in a job that pays more than $60,000, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
According to the story:
Vigil Giron’s duties will include analyzing draft legislation, conducting employee training for the Human Rights Bureau and dealing with constituent complaints, a department spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Vigil-Giron, a Democrat, served three terms as New Mexico’s secretary of state, from 1987 to 1990, 1999 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2006.
The Workforce Solutions job is Vigil-Giron’s second hire in state government since she left elected office in 2006.
Son of UNM president lands well-paying job at university
The Journal also is reporting that UNM has hired the son of President David Schmidly to a position that pays $94,000.
The story says:
UNM’s physical plant director hired Brian Schmidly as associate director of sustainability on Monday. The new position was mandated by a sustainability policy approved by President Schmidly in June.
Brian Schmidly, who has served as marketing director for Centex Homes New Mexico for the last 18 months, will spearhead development and implementation of UNM’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He is slated to begin his new job Oct. 29.
Exactly what Brian Schmidly’s duties will be are still being worked out.
President Schmidly said he had nothing to do with his son getting the job. He said regents were informed Tuesday. Schmidly said the hire doesn’t violate UNM’s nepotism policy because his son will report to managers several levels below him.
“My son’s a citizen of this state,” President Schmidly said. “He has a right to apply for a job at the university. He has a right to be considered for that position.”
Brian Schmidly declined comment.
Looks like all you folks who wanted to help UNM reduce its greenhouse gas emissions are out of luck.
Pearce attacks, Udall tries to deflect in first debate of U.S. Senate race
Tom Udall and Steve Pearce also squared off in the U.S. Senate race’s first debate. And the Santa Fe New Mexican has this to report:
In the first debate between U.S. Senate candidates Tom Udall and Steve Pearce, which took place Wednesday night, Democrat Udall threw the first punch: He referred to the “Pearce/Bush tired old policies” during his opening statement, tying his Republican opponent to an unpopular president.
But Pearce definitely had the funniest line in the debate. In his closing remarks, after saying Udall has fought domestic oil drilling, mining and gun rights in the past but now claims to support these issues, Pearce quipped, “Tom, if you want to look like Steve Pearce, you’re going to have to get a haircut to look like Steve Pearce.”
Now that’s clever.
