Thursday morning links

September 2, 2010 by New Mexico FBIHOP

Also, thirty-somethings everywhere are celebrating that it is 9/02/10. 90210. I don't think I ever saw an episode of that show.

• Pearce promotes Argentinian renewable energy project -- This is weird. Democracy for New Mexico notes that former Congressman Steve Pearce has a news story on his site promoting a bio-fuel project in Argentina -- even though there is a nearly identical project in his own district.

  I remember Congressman Harry Teague, who Pearce faces in the general election in November, telling me about the project on a podcast back before the 2006 elections.

• Reports of wasteful spending are up in Albuquerque -- Not only are reports of wasteful spending up (the headline on KOAT is a bit misleading), but the Department of Internal Audit and Investigations lost $300,000 from its budget and now has just two people working on investigating the tips of wasteful spending.

Fiorina Routed In CA-Sen Debate

September 2, 2010 by Calitics

Fiorina destroyed tens of thousands of jobs while CEO of HP between 1999 and 2005, many of which were shipped overseas. When she was excoriated for this, particularly by the Silicon Valley press during the severe dot-com bust of the early '00s, Fiorina responded by calling outsourcing "right-sourcing" and saying "there is no job that is America's god-given right anymore." Her record is that of someone who got rich by destroying jobs - yet she now declares herself an advocate of job creation, even while opposing the federal stimulus, federal aid to states to hire teachers, and other programs that have been proven to create jobs.

That is not only a contradiction, it's also a big campaign liability that was just waiting for someone to exploit it.

Looking back at what we’ve done.

September 1, 2010 by Kenneth

Citizens,

With the end of combat in Iraq, Lets not forget the pain we burned through ignorance, for example:

The same people that attack Democrats & Progressives over their “Their God Given Rights” Attack others for using it in was that don’t support their own cause.

Be Safe Citizens,
Storm

Senator Boxer. Carly Fiorina. Smackdown.

September 1, 2010 by Calitics

There are a number of major issues to be discussed, but expect to hear a lot of questions about the economy, jobs, and perhaps a word or two about the environment. Any thoughts?  

August 31st, 2010 by Ian
Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. PDT, Senator Boxer will debate Carly Fiorina, and we hope you'll join us by tuning in and watching live. Here's where you'll be able to see the debate:

On TV:
Bakersfield                                     KGET
Chico                                             KRVU
Eureka                                           KEMY
Fresno                                           KMPH
Los Angeles                                   KTTV
Palm Springs                                 KMIR
Sacramento                                   KCRA
Salinas                                           KSBW
San Diego                                      KGTV
San Francisco                               KTVU, KICU            
Santa Barbara                               KCOY

C-SPAN TV National Coverage
C-SPAN Radio National Coverage

On Radio:

Accuracy begins at home

September 1, 2010 by Uppity Wisconsin

Word is that the Journal Sentinel is about to launch a big new project, with several staffers, to fact check statements being made during this election campaign.

Ho hum.  It will, of course, be a pox on everyone's houses.  It's totally predictable that no political statement will completely pass the newspaper's test.

Here's hoping they start there fact checking with the columns and blog of one Patrick McIlheran, a JS employee who never lets an inconvenient fact get in the way of his  right-wing agenda.

His editors clearly aren't up to it.  Maybe the new team will be.

Wanna bet?

$64.9 Million Headed to NM to Keep Teachers in the Classroom

September 1, 2010 by Democracy for N...

U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today issued a statement reporting that the U.S. Department of Education has released $64.9 million to help close New Mexico’s budget gap, and keep approximately 1,000 teachers in classrooms around the state.

“Nothing is more important to a child’s education than having good teachers in the classroom. When teachers are fired, classroom sizes increase, other teachers are overloaded, and students are forced to try to learn in challenging environments,” Bingaman said. “New Mexico’s students will benefit greatly from this nearly $65 million boost to New Mexico schools.” “

You can’t put a price on educating our children. By making sure we keep teachers in their classrooms instead of unemployment lines, we are ensuring the foundation of our future economic vitality,” Udall said. “Keeping our educators at work, where they serve our state best, is a top priority and this funding will do just that.”

Governor Bill Richardson released a statement today applauding the news.

Majority Vote And Referenda: The Not So Dirty, Not So Secret

September 1, 2010 by Calitics

Enter Proposition 25. Through careful word-smithing, the drafters created a loophole in the referendum power. They created a category of statutes, called "other bills providing for appropriations related to the budget bill," that would be approved by a majority vote, yet qualify for the exemption under "urgency measures," because they go into effect immediately.

Here's the heart of the complaint: urgency measures, such as budget trailer bills, go into effect right away. And thus, they can't be put to a referendum.  Under the old rules, I suppose the Right didn't have a problem with that because they had a minority that could block the measure. And we know how the Right feels about the constitution and this pesky representative democracy that is clearly an experiment destined for failure.  Washington DC is a passing fad I suppose.

Direct democracy feels better to them, with the wonderful opportunities that a few million dollars can bring.