Blog from New Mexico Independent

McCain attempts to challenge Obama where he is strong: Online.

Trip Jennings — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:12:08 GMT

GOP presidential candidate John McCain appears to be trying to give Democrat Barack Obama a run for his money in an area of strength -- the Internet.

The Boston Globe's political blog reports today:

Trying to catch up with Barack Obama's online machine, John McCain's told supporters this evening that it has created "McCain Nation," a way for them to connect and organize.< /blockquote>

Groups sue the state to block new law

Trip Jennings — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:26:29 GMT

Several groups have sued to block a new law restricting registration drives, The Associated Press is reporting.

The 2005 law limits organizations to 50 registration forms at a time, requires groups to record registrars with the secretary of state and provide information on them and give registrations to county clerks within 48 hours. Registering ineligible voters is subject to a $500 fine and-or up to six months in jail.

Advocates say the law has a chilling effect on registration dives and groups' ability to urge people to get involved in politics.

Obama Consolidates Hispanic Support

Gwyneth Doland — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:53:07 GMT

Hispanic voters prefer Barack Obama to John McCain by 66 percent to 23 percent, according to a nationwide survey of 2,015 Latinos released today by the Pew Hispanic Center. Hispanic voters say that education, the cost of living, jobs and health care are the issues most important to them, and they prefer Obama on those issues by as much as three to one.

Navajos take on the government over compensation for uranium mining.

Trip Jennings — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:36:46 GMT

The Rocky Mountain News is taking an in-depth look at how Navajo uranium miners are faring in receiving compensation from the U.S. government decades after their work.

The story says many uranium workers are by law supposed to be compensated automatically through a program created eight years ago. It compensates workers who sacrificed their health, and sometimes their lives, as they labored amid highly toxic and top-secret materials used to build nuclear weapons.

But the paper reports:

Many of the Navajo were compensated $100,000 by a previous program created in 1990 and were to be automatically eligible for the new one, so their total benefits would rise to the current standards.

Instead, the Navajos have joined other former nuclear workers in fighting a different cold war, this time against their own government.

NM to adopt first-in-nation Navajo-language school textbook

Trip Jennings — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:43:05 GMT

New Mexico's Public Education Department announced today that the state will become the first in the nation to adopt a Navajo language textbook on Monday at the Instructional Materials Bureau Advisory Council meeting in Santa Fe.

A press release from the education department says:

The textbook is Dine Bizaad Binahoo’aah (Rediscovering the Navajo Language), written by Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie (Navajo), Professor of Navajo at Northern Arizona University, and Dr. Margaret Speas, Professor of Linguistics at University of Massachusetts.

The textbook will be used in ten school districts that provide Navajo language instruction and by Bureau of Indian Education schools. In 2006-07 seven Native American languages were taught in New Mexico public schools throughout the state. Navajo language classes served the highest number of Native language learners totaling 5,024 students in 2006-07.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Layoffs at the Santa Fe New Mexican

Trip Jennings, benito aragon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:56:59 GMT

The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper is resorting to layoffs because of a decline in ad revenue, the paper reports today.

The state of New Mexico has signed an agreement to explore clean energy projects to supply power to Kirtland, Holloman and Cannon Air Force bases according to New Mexico Business Weekly.

An innovative charter high school is set to commence within the confines of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. Gordon Bernell Charter High School is a full fledged APS charter school and will begin classes full-time on August 4th, according to the Weekly Alibi.

The Associated Press is reporting that Nebraska is putting an embargo on beef cattle coming from New Mexico and California.

A national Hispanic group is calling on Gov. Bill Richardson to back a change in the New Mexico Constitution that would strip him and future governors of the power to appoint university regents, but Richardson isn't biting, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

The state announced a hearing on proposed rules for New Mexico's medical marijuana bill, according to The Associated Press.

The Navajo Nation also averted a shutdown of its Internet services -- for now, the Gallup Independent is reporting.

Tickets to Obama's acceptance speech come with a price: activism.

Marjorie Childress — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:25:38 GMT

Barack Obama's intriguing blend of electoral campaign savvy with a community organizing ethos is going to be on full display in Colorado.

Obama's rock star acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention is going to be open to 70,000 people at Invesco Field, and the Denver Post tells us that many of those will be recruited from throughout the U.S., with a focus on neighboring battleground states Nevada and New Mexico.

This means a few more New Mexicans may be making the road trip to Denver, or to a hotel within driving distance.

But if you get a ticket, in pure organizing style you'll be asked to do something.

Ad Watch: Pro-drilling group airs ads against Udall

Matthew Reichbach — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:32:49 GMT

A pro-drilling group called the American Energy Alliance is airing ads on both 770 KKOB-AM and 1350 KABQ-AM attacking Tom Udall's stance on drilling.

KABQ is owned byClear Channel Communications Inc. which also owns popular music FM stations. KKOB is by far the most popular radio station in the Albuquerque media market, is owned by Citadel Broadcasting and boasts a 9.4 share in the winter of 2008, according to Arbitron numbers. KABQ, a local Air America radio affiliate, has a 2.1 share.

"The U.S. is sitting on top of vast untapped oil reserves, estimated at about 2 trillion barrels, enough oil to last us for 300 years," the ad by the American Energy Alliance claims. However, the largest oil reserves in the world belong to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has an estimated 260 billion barrels of oil, or around one-fifth of the world's known oil reserves.

Obama campaign unveils Spanish-language radio ad

Heath Haussamen — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:40:37 GMT

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is out today with his first Spanish-language radio ad, a personal look at his life in which he aims to relate to Hispanic voters. But he's behind Republican opponent John McCain, who has already aired one television and two radio ads targeting Hispanics.

Richardson to McCain: Stop Whining

Matthew Reichbach — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:18:11 GMT

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Barack Obama supporter, has some advice for John McCain: Stop whining.

The advice comes after an op-ed by McCain was rejected by the New York Times op-ed page. The McCain op-ed was in response to one by his Democratic opponent, Obama.

Here's what op-ed editor David Shipley instructed McCain to change via e-mail:

The hidden costs of a 'maquiladora'

benito aragon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:11:20 GMT

Last week ground was broken on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez in what is set to be Mexico's largest 'maquiladora'. The Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn started construction in Jeronimo, Chihuaha on a facility that will eventually span 500 acres with more than 1.2 million square feet of structures and employ 30,000 people. Foxconn is one of the largest manufacturers of computer components and electronics worldwide.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Monsoons arrive and people cut water use.

Gwyneth Doland — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:21:40 GMT

After an extraordinarily dry spring, the summer monsoons have kicked in and in response, Albuquerque water customers have cut their use, reports the Albuquerque Journal.

In today's Santa Fe Reporter, (and posted on the paper's brand-new Web site ) Dave Maass follows up on a brouhaha between Green Party Public Regulation Commission candidate Rick Lass and Jerome Block, Sr., the father of Democratic candidate Jerome Block, Jr.

Also today, The Daily Times of Farmington follows up on the controversy over the proposed Desert Rock Power Plant. Read more here.

UNM School of Medicine researcher Dr. H. George Nurnberg was the leader of a study released yesterday showing that Viagra may help women overcome the sexual side-effects of antidepressants. According to the AP, Dr. Nurnberg's study of pre-menopausal women found that it helped them achieve orgasm.

There's great jazz in NM. Who knew?

Marjorie Childress — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:21:52 GMT

National Public Radio had a great feature about Albuquerque's jazz community Monday night in their series on homegrown music scenes:

A jazz fan visiting Albuquerque, N.M., might equate the chances of seeing great live jazz there with the chances of getting caught in a rain shower. But since the 1970s, a devoted group of musicians and educators has turned the area into a hotbed of jazz performance, with a scene so hearty, its musicians can support themselves by playing out. Its venues are so magnetic that international stars often make it a stop on their tours.

CD2: Teague, Tinsley say adios to campaign managers.

Heath Haussamen — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:41:08 GMT

The campaigns of both 2nd Congressional District candidates are undergoing changes in leadership this month.

Republican Ed Tinsley’s campaign already has a new manager. Chris Collins, who managed Heather Wilson’s unsuccessful primary bid for U.S. Senate, has taken over for Grant Hewitt, who is now deputy campaign manager. Meanwhile, Democrat Harry Teague has fired former campaign manager Brad Foster, who has not yet been replaced.

NM Board of Finance postpones vote on new rules to clarify growth

Marjorie Childress — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:46:30 GMT

The New Mexico Board of Finance voted unanimously today to postpone a vote until its September 16th meeting on a new rule to guide them when they consider creating a Tax Increment Development District.

Board of Finance Director Olivia Padilla-Jackson told the Independent the vote was postponed in order to give the Board time to review and consider the large number of comments received, which came from a wide range of non-profit organizations and for-profit development groups, as well as local city and county politicians.

Teague, Tinsley to debate three times

Heath Haussamen — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:40:45 GMT

Democratic 2nd Congressional District candidate Harry Teague has agreed to three debates with Republican opponent Ed Tinsley, but he has thus far not responded to a challenge to make joint appearances in every county in the district.

According to the Teague campaign, Teague and Tinsley have agreed to three debates -- on Saturday in Mescalero, Aug. 7 in Las Cruces and Oct. 19 in Albuquerque.

But Tinsley said in a Monday news release that he is disappointed in Teague’s failure to respond to his challenge to attend joint town-hall meetings in every county in the district. His campaign sent a letter to Teague’s on July 14 making the request, but it has gone unanswered.