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RELEASE: Secrecy a Matter of Policy, SusanaPAC Emails From Top Cabinet Secretaries Should Be Released
Martinez Chief of Staff Orders Senior Government Officials to Avoid Public Records Requests – How Many Public Officials Have SusanaPAC Emails?
On the same day the Governor tries to move past the story with an executive order – story breaks showing official policy was to use private email in purposeful attempt
DPNM Calls for Release of SusanaPAC Emails Dealing with Public Affairs
For Immediate Release
June 19, 2012
Contact: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – After repeated administration attempts to downplay the use of private emails to conduct public business for political purposes as a rare occurrence that did not happen often and would not happen again, and on the same day as Martinez issued an executive order directing her employees to only use state email for official business, the Emailgate story has once again taken an unexpected, disappointing turn.
Keith Gardner, the Governor’s Chief of Staff and Jay McCleskey’s second-in-command in Santa Fe, not only engaged in the practice on a regular basis but ordered other senior-level officials to do the same. He even did it with the express purpose of avoiding serious inquiry from advocacy groups and from hard-working reporters working to shine a spotlight on the inner workings of a shadowy, politics-obsessed administration.
The following is a statement from Scott Forrester, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico:
“At this point, there is no way to tell how far this goes without a full accounting. Gardner, Susana, Skandera – who knows how many others – were all using SusanaPAC email address to do public business in secret. And they did it with the express purpose to avoid the spotlight of the press."
“It raises serious questions about why these public officials have purely political email addresses to begin with, what they are using them for, and whether those emails that have to do with official state business are a matter of public record regardless of what account they were sent from."
“Martinez ran on transparency and accountability. But talk is cheap. Now is the chance for her to step up and prove she meant it. The Governor needs to come forward with a full explanation of how SusanaPAC and Jay McCleskey are tied into State Government, how often in the last year and a half public business was conducted on these personal political accounts, and who made the decision to make personal email use to avoid public spotlight the official policy of the Martinez administration.
"The only way to put this behind us is to release a detailed accounting of any email sent from SusanaPAC addresses that dealt with official business and exactly how many of our high-level government employees are moonlighting as political SusanaPAC foot-soldiers. Maybe she can get to that once she gets back from yet another trip out-of-state for political purposes.”
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BACKGROUND:
In the Santa Fe New Mexican’s continued investigative reporting on the Martinez Administration’s "E-mail Gate" it has been discovered in court records that Martinez Chief of Staff Keith Gardner ordered State Cabinet Secretaries "to, whenever possible, to use their private emails when communicating, because by doing such would prevent them from being discovered through public records requests."
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Martinez/McCleskey Attempt To Move Past Shadow Government Scandal - But First New Mexicans Deserve to Know How Far It Went
June 18, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM - On the campaign trail, Susana Martinez fed the media and the people of New Mexico a constant stream of rhetoric about the importance of transparency in government and how her legal expertise in the public arena would help her open up government. It was central to her victory and the reason many believe she was sent to Santa Fe.
But the facade of a new day in Santa Fe has collapsed completely. In direct opposition to her own promises, Susana Martinez took office and immediately started using her legal expertise to skirt public records law and operate her administration in the shadows, doing public business on private email for political purposes.
Today's Executive Order - issued only after she was very publicly busted - never addresses the business that has already been done outside of the reach of the public eye. For a year and a half, Jay McCleskey has been using the Governor's office as a political operation. No one voted for McCleskey, and he's not accountable for his job to anyone but the wealthy Republican donors who pay his hefty salary at Susana PAC. New Mexicans have no idea just how far his influence goes and they deserve answers.
"For a year and a half, Jay McCleskey has wielded a shocking amount of power over the day-to-day activities of our public officials and decisions over the direction of our State Government. But I don't remember seeing his name on any ballots, said Scott Forrester, Executive Director, DPNM.
"Every indicator says PED isn't the only department that was hijacked by the Martinez/McCleskey political operation, and today's Executive Order doesn't change the fact that for a year and a half Martinez and McCleskey were operating a shadow government in Santa Fe," added Forrester. "We're calling on Susana Martinez to come clean with New Mexico: What other departments has your "senior advisor" been using for political purposes?"
Forrester added, "Today the DPNM is calling on Susana to provide a detailed accounting of exactly how many times political appointees on the public payroll used private email addresses to conduct business for the benefit of Susana's personal political action committee. Until that full disclosure has been made the public cannot truly know the reach of Jay McCleskey's power or the extent to which Susana Martinez has focused her time in office on politics over government."
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BACKGROUND:
Santa Fe's Shadow Government Is Outed: Email Scandal Reveals Back Channel Policy Making; Guv Advisor McCleskey At Center; What Now? Complete Coverage, Plus Analysis And Comment - Joe Monahan, 6/18
Morning Word, 6-18-12 – NM Telegram, 6/18: The saga of the Martinez administration’s email woes is not going away. While it is an open question of whether or not this will be an issue with regular, everyday voters, it is definitely a topic of conversation among politically-inclined people. So it could filter down to the lower information voters who actually decide the elections. And it is something that is not good to the carefully crafted image of Martinez as a reformer. That and more in today’s Word: The Albuquerque Journal story on Jay McCleskey being pushed onto the stage is one that will likely not be good for Martinez’s image. Martinez has to defend herself against accusations that McCleskey really runs the state and McCleskey basically says that Martinez is no different than any other politician: “It’s no different than any other governor. They have a political operation, whether that’s housed in a state party, in a PAC or a (nonprofit), they’re necessary efforts,” McCleskey said. “One of the major reasons why is, when she’s pushing for the reforms she’s pushing for, you’re going to get a lot of political opposition.”
New Mexico agency compiled email list for governor's PAC – Santa Fe New Mexican, 6/11
Personal emails used by Gov. Martinez and staff – Santa Fe New Mexican, 6/14: In her email, the governor is talking about a report, apparently about the escape. "I have painfully gone over this report and I have questions," she wrote. "I have also provided INSTRUCTIONS ... These have deadlines. These are not suggestions. I want my questions answered on this same document by the Corrections Department," she wrote. "... I want responses to my questions no later than Tuesday, August 17, 2011 at 5 p.m." Why was McCleskey included in the email? "It's likely due to the fact that he is an adviser to the governor, and like many governors, she seeks broad input on situations," said Darnell, the governor's spokesman.
AG Probe Sought Over Email List – Albuquerque Journal, 6/15
Report says Gov. used personal emails for state business – Associated Press, 6/15
Using personal email for business typical for legislators – Santa Fe New Mexican, 6/15: Egolf on Friday said he started using his personal email because it was difficult to get the government email to sync with his Microsoft Outlook program on his home computer. He says he forwards all Legislature-related email to his government email account so he'll have that in one place. But he also pointed out that legislators are part time and unsalaried and, except for the leadership, do not have full-time secretaries or records custodians. Thus dealing with public records requests would be burdensome. Unlike the executive branch, Egolf said, legislators don't issue contracts or implement policy. However, the Inspection of Public Records Act doesn't exclude the legislative branch.
Gov. Martinez questioned for violating open government laws – KOBTV, 6/15
Private Email Flap Grows – Albuquerque Journal, 6/16
Campaign Guru Finds Unwanted Limelight – Albuquerque Journal, 6/17:
“He’s running the state,” said one Republican politico. “You can’t get anything done that he doesn’t sign off on. … That’s the belief.” Martinez bristled at that notion. “What’s interesting to me is anyone who says that doesn’t even begin to know me,” she said in a Journal interview last week. “I wouldn’t get these kind of questions from reporters down south, who know me,” said Martinez, a former district attorney in Las Cruces. “They know that I’m a strong, informed executive, and I don’t win the office without having great passion for the policies that I’m pushing forward. No one tells me what to think.”
Emails, sent and unsent, reveal secrets of state – Santa Fe New Mexican, 6/14
Education Department Emails Are Troubling – Albuquerque Journal, 6/17: While state agencies are not required to compile information in response to records requests, they aren’t barred from doing so. Which begs the question, is this PED’s standard operating procedure? The Democratic-leaning Independent Source PAC, which has been critical of the governor, says it never has such luck with its records requests. The question of a state agency doing the bidding of a political group on the taxpayers’ dime is troubling. If that’s what happened, it should have no place in the Martinez administration, which has pledged transparency and the rooting out of corruption and abuse.
Political Consultant Rakes in Big Dough Working for Governor – ProgressNow NM, 6/12: Though McCleskey has stated "If I was driven by trying to make money, I would not have chosen to work for Susana Martinez," since McCleskey was brought on to consult on Susana Martinez's gubernatorial campaign in 2010, he and his consultancy companies have received $1,270,963.34 from Susana Martinez's gubernatorial campaign committee and her super-PAC (Source: New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System).
Martinez Said If She Was Elected She Would Make Sure Her Team Upheld The Same Ethics And Values She Had. Martinez said, “Sometimes it’s not the popular thing, however, it’s important to the team that I’ve developed that they carry the values and the ethics that I have. I’m the elected official and everyone that I bring as part of the team has to have the very same values because they speak for those that are elected within that administration.” [Martinez 6.1, Meet and Greet at Melting Pot, Albuquerque, 12/8/09]
Martinez Called For Increased Transparency In State Procurement Process. As part of her Economic Recovery Plan, Martinez would “Increase transparency in the procurement process by improving the state procurement website where all information regarding the state procurement process, including current contracting opportunities and information about all awards will be posted and make the site more user-friendly. Current state contracts need to be posted online immediately after awarded, not only at the end of the fiscal year as is the practice today.” [Martinez Campaign Website, New Mexico’s Economic Recovery, 5/6/10]
Martinez Called For “Real-Time” Campaign Reporting And Disclosure Documents For Lobbyist. As part of her Economic Recovery Plan, Martinez called for “Year-round ‘real time’ campaign reporting of contributions and mandatory e-filing of disclosure documents for public officials and lobbyists.” [Martinez Campaign Website, New Mexico’s Economic Recovery, 5/6/10]
Martinez Said She Would Randomly Audit Political Campaigns. As part of her Economic Recovery plan, Martinez would, “Require random audits of political campaigns to ensure finance reports accurately reflect actual contributions received and expenditures made.” [Martinez Campaign Website, New Mexico’s Economic Recovery, 5/6/10]
Martinez Would Revamp Ethics Laws To Eliminate Conflicts Of Interest. As part of her Economic Recovery Plan, Martinez would “Revamp our ethics laws. We need to eliminate conflicts of interest and enhance transparency so that public officials conduct the work of the people without the potential for personal gain or reward.” [Martinez Campaign Website, New Mexico’s Economic Recovery, 5/6/10]
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Day 434 and Heather Wilson Still Won’t Side with New Mexico Seniors Against Right Wing Attacks to Medicare
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 18, 2012
CONTACT: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Day 434 and Heather Wilson Still Won’t Side with New Mexico Seniors Against Right Wing Attacks to Medicare
ALBUQUERQUE (June 18, 2012) House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is a contender for the Republican nomination for Vice President, and according to an AP article in the Albuquerque Journal, “the GOP’s leading voice on the nation’s budget.” Ryan has used his hard line budget to bolster his position in the party, but U.S. Senate nominee Heather Wilson continues to hide behind ambiguous and evasive non-answers when it comes to her position on the Ryan proposal.
The Ryan Budget is widely criticized by Democrats and even some within the GOP, as a radical attack on the middle class. The Republican proposal would end Medicare as we know it, protect tax breaks for corporations and could have dire consequences for our National Laboratories in New Mexico. Wilson has blatantly avoided taking a stand on the Ryan Budget since it was introduced 434 days ago.
“Refusing to answer hard questions is nothing new for Heather Wilson,” said Scott Forrester, Executive Director for the Democratic Party of New Mexico. “She played the same game for ten years in Congress. But when it comes to the issues that matter, New Mexicans expect upfront leaders who are clear about their priorities.”
In her campaign for the U.S. Senate, Heather Wilson has repeatedly dodged questions about her party’s budget and refused to pick a side. Although Karl Rove’s SuperPAC Crossroads GPS portrays her as an independent voice, Wilson isn’t willing to buck the Republican establishment to fight for New Mexico seniors. If passed, the Ryan budget ends Medicare as we know it and jeopardizes health care for the 292,000 New Mexicans who would be placed on a voucher system when they retire.
“Wilson won’t take a stand now and she won’t be a leader later when it comes to protecting middle class families from Paul Ryan’s right wing agenda,” said Forrester.
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Paul Ryan’s Radical Agenda: Ryan is considered a potential VP nominee for the Republican party, and Associated Press reporter Brian Bakst points out that Ryan is “the GOP's leading voice on the nation's budget and is the rare member of the Republican establishment who's loved by the tea party.” However, not all members of Republican Party agree with his extremist agenda. A unified Democratic caucus picked up ten Republican votes against the Ryan Budget in the House of Representatives this year, a gain from 2011. [6/16/2012, The Albuquerque Journal; 3/29/12, The Hill]
Karl Rove Comes to Heather Wilson’s Aid. The New Mexico Telegram reported that Wilson used to serve on the board for one of Rove’s groups, Crossroads GPS, and also noted the pair’s scandal plagued history: “During the 2007 investigation into whether the team at the Bush White House (including Rove) ordered the politically motivated firings of several U.S. attorneys, Rove alleged that then-Rep. Wilson asked him to boot New Mexico federal prosecutor David Iglesias because he moved too slowly in a case against a Democrat.” [6/7/2012, The New Mexico Telegram]
292,009 New Mexican Seniors Would Be Forced Onto Vouchers When They Retire. Starting in 2023, all New Mexico seniors would receive a voucher to purchase either private insurance or traditional Medicare. Presently, there are more than 292,009 New Mexicans between the ages of 47-56 who, instead of getting Medicare as we know it when they retire, would only get a voucher to purchase insurance. Private insurance plans will pursue the healthiest, least expensive enrollees, effectively ending Medicare as we know it. Medicare is a lifeline for 316,973 New Mexico seniors. [CBPP 3/20/12, Census, accessed on 3/20/12; CBPP 12/21/11; KFF, accessed on 3/21/12; NCPSSM, 3/20/12 via Democratic Policy and Communications Center, 3/22/12]
Wilson Refuses to Take Position on Ryan Budget. In a March interview with the Albuquerque Journal’s Michael Coleman, Wilson dodged the question of whether she would support the Republican plan. “For the second year in a row, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson declined to take a clear position,” reported Coleman. “When I interviewed her last year, Wilson similarly refused to take a stand on Ryan’s 2011 proposal.” [3/24/12, Albuquerque Journal]
432 Days of Sidestepping. Heather Wilson has consistently dodged questions on the Ryan Budget since it was introduced in the House of Representatives on April 11, 2011. In an interview with POLITICO, Wilson stated, “I'm not in the House of Representatives. This is not something that I have to vote on.” [7/8/11, POLITICO; 4/11/2011, H.CON.RES.34 Library of Congress, THOMAS]
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Senator Bingaman Honored for Conservation Leadership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator Bingaman Honored for Conservation Leadership
Conservation Lands Foundation Bestows Highest Honor on U.S. Senator
WASHINGTON, DC (June 18, 2012) - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) received the Stewart Udall Award from the Conservation Lands Foundation for his leadership on public lands issues, particularly for his role in spearheading the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. This bill protected over 2 million acres of public land and made permanent the National Conservation Lands, the Bureau of Land Management’s system of protected public lands.
"Throughout his career, Senator Bingaman’s persistence and dedication have played an important role in protecting our natural and cultural heritage for future generations,” said Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior, and member of the board of the Conservation Lands Foundation. “His leadership in the Senate has resulted in the protection of millions of acres of pristine wilderness, scenic areas and historic treasures.”
“As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Bingaman has consistently highlighted the importance of protecting some of our most special places, both in New Mexico and around the country,” said Richard Moe, board member of the Conservation Lands Foundation and Santa Fe resident. “It is fitting that he should receive the highest honor from the Conservation Lands Foundation, as his efforts in Congress embody the leadership that Stewart Udall displayed in protecting America’s natural, historic and cultural resources.”
Sen. Bingaman has served in the Senate since 1983 and has been the chair and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee since 1999. He helped secure the passage of the Ojito Wilderness Act, which protected a phenomenal landscape in New Mexico and designated the first new wilderness area in the state in 15 years.
He also sponsored the National Landscape Conservation System Act, which passed as part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. The package established the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, which protects 290 million-year old fossilized animal tracks in the Robledo Mountains in Doña Ana County and the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (NCA), a one-of-a-kind geological treasure in Lincoln County. The bill was an historic success for BLM public lands, creating or expanding over two dozen wilderness areas, monuments and NCAs managed by the BLM in six states and codifying the National Conservation Lands, which protects nationally significant landscapes for current and future generations because of their outstanding cultural, ecological and scientific importance.
The award that Bingaman received is named for former Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, who was a tireless advocate for safeguarding the nation’s natural heritage. Prior winners of the Stewart Udall Award include former Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV) and retired BLM California State Director Ed Hasty.
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The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) is the only organization dedicated solely to conserving the 27 million acres included in the National Conservation Lands. Our mission is to protect, restore and expand the National Conservation Lands through education, advocacy and partnerships. www.conservationlands.org
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Martinez/McCleskey Use Taxpayer Money to Plot Political Attack
June 12, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Record-setting forest fires are devastating the land and displacing families, working people are struggling and the Governor's over-hyped efforts to attract business have failed spectacularly. But Susana Martinez is apparently too busy losing primaries in Clovis and plotting out her next attack on teachers to spend time addressing these problems.
A major investigative piece in the Santa Fe New Mexican today reveals that Gov. Martinez used a state agency, the New Mexico Public Education Department, to compile e-mails of non-union teachers for use by her Political Action Committee, Susana PAC. The story examines in detail how the Governor broke state law - the Government Conduct Act - and personally received notice from Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera of these illegal actions.
Jay McCleskey has benefited by over a million dollars from Susana Martinez, R.J. Berry and other Republicans since 2009. His actions have consistently been in his own interest, not the interest of New Mexico families.
In response, Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) Executive Director Scott Forrester released the following statement:
“It is clear Gov. Martinez is a purely political animal utterly uninterested in governing. After crusading against this exact behavior, her administration has been rocked by story after story of corruption, pay-to-play scandal, and letting politics take precedence over problem solving. It's business-as-usual in Santa Fe."
"It is illegal - plain and simple - to use state resources for political purposes. But once again hard working New Mexicans are learning the hard way that allowing the Governor's unelected, unaccountable political handler to call the shots for Susana is a mistake for New Mexico. Jay McCleskey and the rest of the administration broke that law, and now there is proof she knew about it. She needs to come clean with New Mexicans and explain her role in breaking state law and using taxpayer dollars to benefit her Political Action Committee,” said Forrester. "The fact that the Governor herself was kept in the loop at every step shows not only did she do nothing to stop it, she made it a top priority of her administration."
“The Governor owes New Mexicans an immediate explanation and should allow an impartial, outside party to investigate how the law was broken, exactly who was involved, and how many other times this may have happened with this or any other state agency.”
The full text of the Santa Fe New Mexican article is copied below and linked here.
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Posted: Monday, June 11, 2012 - 6/12/12
According to the email, sent May 2 by department spokesman Larry Behrens to political director Jay McCleskey and several government officials, the department's Information Technology Division compiled a list of all teachers and their emails. Behrens also said the department's budget staff compiled a list of which school districts have union contracts, and created a list of nonunion teachers' emails.
Behrens on Monday denied that he was doing work for McCleskey or Martinez's political operation. He said compiling the lists was in partial response to a public records request from McCleskey.
But the spokesman used a personal email account for the response, which was sent to nongovernment email accounts for all the state officials he forwarded it to. Behrens said that was an "oversight."
"I should have responded to the request on my state email address because responding to a request for public information is state business," Behrens told a reporter Monday.
The email was unearthed by Independent Source PAC, an organization headed by private detective Michael Corwin, who has worked as an "opposition research" man for former Gov. Bill Richardson and other Democrats. The group has been highly critical of both Martinez and Public Education Department Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera over the past year.
"Hey All," Behrens wrote in the email. "Attached are the teachers lists and here's how we got them just in case there's any holes I haven't thought of.
"We have no master list of all teacher e-mails so [information technology personnel] went through websites school-by-school and copied the publicly available staff emails. They formed the attached 'TeachersAll' spread sheet.
"We asked the budget division which districts have unions or agreements and they provided me with a list," Behrens continued. "Using the [department's] district codes, I filtered the addresses to pull out the non-union districts and the e-mails collected from each. So the 'FinalEmailList A' should be all the non-union teachers from the e-mails we've been able to gather."
The email with both lists attached was sent to McCleskey and the others, including Martinez's chief of staff, Keith Gardner, her spokesman, Scott Darnell, Skandera and her chief of staff. Skandera, using a personal email account, forwarded Behrens' email to the governor -- at her campaign email account -- with the message, "FYI" (meaning "for your information").
The email addresses for Gardner and Darnell were at "SusanaPAC.com." Susana PAC is the name of Martinez's political action committee.
Asked about his involvement in Susana PAC and whether the administration uses private emails to communicate about government business, Darnell said, "The Governor's Office and members of her administration have worked diligently to separate their official public business from any political activities they may be involved in or made aware. The susanapac.com email address was originally established during the transition [formerly susana2010.com] and is now utilized for nongovernment work, including daily political and news clippings."
Darnell said he and Gardner aren't officials with the political committee.
Behrens said that after sending the lists of teachers to McCleskey, a McCleskey assistant filed a subsequent request "seeking a complete list with physical addresses." On May 21, the department denied that request, "as the complete information requested was deemed not public information," Behrens said.
"When I responded to the follow-up portion of the request with a denial, we communicated that denial over state email," Behrens said.
It is not clear what the purpose of compiling lists of nonunion teachers might have been. McCleskey, who served as a consultant in Martinez's successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign, has been paid more than $100,225 in consulting fees by Susana PAC.
McCleskey on Monday backed up what Behrens said. “Like nearly every political organization, we request public information from all sorts of agencies throughout the state — Democrat and Republican,” he said. “In this case, the list we received pursuant to the original request was nothing more than public school addresses and therefore unusable. We followed up with an IPRA request for the detailed list and that request was denied.”
If Public Education Department employees did perform work for the governor's political committee, it could be seen as a possible violation of the state Government Conduct Act. That law prohibits state employees from "directly or indirectly coercing or attempting to coerce another public officer or employee to pay, lend or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency or person for a political purpose."
The act also prohibits state employees from using "property belonging to a state agency ... or allow its use, for other than authorized purposes."
Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog atroundhouseroundup.com.
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ICYMI: McCleskey/Martinez Escalate GOP Civil War
June 11, 2012
In Case You Missed It...Susana Martinez and Jay McCleskey escalated the bruising internal conflict between her administration and the base of her Party to a full-scale civil war this weekend. And after her hand-picked delegation to the Republican National Convention - a list on which she included herself, her husband and Heather Wilson - was largely rejected by Republican Party insiders, it doesn't look like she's coming out on top.
As one GOP contributor to Joe Monahan put it: "In the end, only 10 of the “Jay Slate” ended up being elected delegates...it says something that both...Heather Wilson and Lt. Governor John Sanchez topped Governor Susana for votes. It also says something that First Gentleman Chuck Franco came in 12th, putting him in the inferior alternate delegate class."
This governor has a bad habit of trying to inject her influence where it doesn't belong. And as usual, it backfired. Read this story from Joe Monahan to get the skinny on the Governor's latest misstep:
Our Insider Report On Drama At Weekend GOP Meet
Both of the state's major political parties were busy over the weekend picking delegates to their respective national political conventions to be held later this summer, but it was the Republicans who had some drama to go along with the usually routine chore of selecting representatives for the national confab. One of our Alligators--a tapped in GOP insider--comes with how the weekend drama featuring Governor Martinez unfolded when top R's met in convention at the ABQ Marriott Pyramid:
Joe, Here is a report from the Republican Party of NM quadrennial convention where delegates were elected to go to the RNC convention. It was highly competitive since the delegation was cut to 20 delegates from the 29 that we sent in 2008 because NM went blue.
The results of the election were as follows in order of the most votes:
At-Large Delegates: Heather Wilson, Bernalillo, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, Bernalillo; Gov. Susana Martinez, Dona Ana Jamie Estrada, Valencia; Don Tripp, Socorrp; David Harris, Bernalillo; Aaron Moskowitz*, Santa Fe; Debra Sanchez, Bernalillo; Ricky Morlen*, Sandoval; Emily Ruch*;Santa Fe; Jon Barela, Bernalillo; Alternate At-Large Delegates include Chuck Franco, Dona Ana; Jerry Clark, Dona Ana*; Phil Archuletta, Torrance and Elaine Miller, Bernalillo
* indicates Ron Paul slate delegates.
Now our insider correspondent comes with the news and analysis of the meeting:
Susana Martinez ran a slate of “Romney” delegates to the convention, but the chatter quickly became that this was the “Jay McCleksey Slate." (Jay is the Guv's powerful chief political advisor). Ned Fuller (a former Jay client) was commanding the Romney table positioned to reach all delegates walking through the ballroom doors. We asked him how people ended up being put on the slate. He told us that the Romney campaign was given a full list and that the campaign then submitted 40 names to Susana for approval. She chose 20 names that appeared on the list.
Some people were offended. Yellow slate sheets for Romney were scattered around the tables. Rowena Baca and Phil Archuleta, both longtime party people, were angry that they were purposely excluded from the slate. This was a slap in the face to these Hispanic GOP stalwarts.
In the end, only 10 of the “Jay Slate” ended up being elected delegates. Seven others on that slate were alternates. What does this say about Susana’s influence post-primary? Well, it says something that both (GOP US Senate candidate) Heather Wilson and Lt. Governor John Sanchez topped Governor Susana for votes. It also says something that First Gentleman Chuck Franco came in 12th, putting him in the inferior alternate delegate class.
Party people who were elected, but who were not on the “Jay Slate” were Jaime Estrada of Valencia County, Dona Ana GOP Chair Russell Allen and Otero GOP Chair Rocky Galasinni. Former State Senator Steve Komadina (A supporter of Allen Weh in the 2010 GOP primary) and Public Regulation Commission Chairman Pat Lyons were not on the "Jay slate" either, but were elected as alternate delegates.
The other big news was that Ron Paul delegates broke through at the convention. Six were elected delegates. Nine others were elected as alternate delegates. They too ran a slate.
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RELEASE: Rove's Hopeless Attempt to Re-Make Wilson's Image a Failure
Karl Rove's Hopeless Attempt to Give Heather Wilson an Image Make-Over a Failure
June 7, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross (505) 263-4879
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Karl Rove's Super PAC, Crossroads GPS, launched a new ad today in an attempt to reinvent Republican U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson's image and cover up her failed record in Congress and trail of corruption.
“Karl Rove's shady Super PAC is attempting to make Heather Wilson out to be someone she's not, but New Mexicans aren't falling for it,” said Scott Forrester, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. “Congresswoman Wilson voted in lockstep with George W. Bush and the Republican Party for two unfunded wars, tax breaks for the richest Americans, and the Wall Street bank bailout—all at the expense of New Mexico's middle class families.”
Congresswoman Heather Wilson is closely associated with ethically challenged Washington insiders like George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove. From August 2010 until March 2011, Wilson served on the board of Rove's Super PAC, Crossroads GPS, funded by a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls. Rove also headlined a Heather Wilson fundraiser in New Mexico in August 2011.
The truth is Heather Wilson was named one of the most corrupt politicians in Washington by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and was recently named in a New Mexico Attorney General pay-to-play investigation.
“Congresswoman Wilson wants you to think she's independent—even willing to 'stand up to her own party'—yet she refuses to take a position on her party's budget to gut Medicare for our seniors and make drastic cuts to our National Labs,” added Forrester. “Eventually, she will have to come clean with New Mexico voters on her misplaced priorities."
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BACKGROUND:
2007: Wilson Named One Of The Most Corrupt Members Of Congress. CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) named Wilson to its annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. They put her on the list because of her involvement in the US Attorney Scandal. [CREW Release, 9/18/07]
Wilson Improperly Pressured US Attorney For Political Gain. According to former New Mexico US Attorney David Iglesias, Wilson contacted him on October 16, 2006, to pressure him to take action on a political corruption case, which she was using as political fodder against her opponent Patricia Madrid. Iglesias maintains that he received a second politically motivated phone call from Domenici approximately 10 days later. Wilson refutes this interpretation of the events, however. She claims that the calls were merely to check on the status of the investigation. [AP, 4/19/07]
Wilson Appeared Twice Recently With Karl Rove. In June 2011, the Colorado Independent reported that Wilson spoke at an El Paso County Republican Party fundraiser, the annual Lincoln Dinner, in Colorado Springs, CO, on June 1, 2011. Karl Rove was also a featured speaker at the event. Wilson held a fundraiser with Karl Rove in August 2011. [Associated Press, 8/7/11; Colorado Independent, 6/02/11]
Wilson Named in Pay-To-Play Investigation With Disgraced Darren White. In May of 2012, the Santa Fe Reporter's Matt Reichbach reported that Wilson had been named in a New Mexico Attorney General investigation into donors who gave Wilson more than $20,000 in campaign contributions and received more than $6 million in federal and contacts and grants. [SF Reporter, 6/1/12]
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RELEASE: Susana Quietly Endorses Romney - Despite Publicly Blasting Him in Newsweek
Governor Martinez Quietly Endorses Mitt Romney Overnight and Becomes Honorary Co-Chair of His Hispanic Leadership Team, But Why Was She Blasting Him in Newsweek Just a Few Weeks Ago?
June 6, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) Chairman Javier Gonzales today released the following statement on Governor Susana Martinez’s endorsement of Mitt Romney and her new leadership position on his campaign as Co-Chair of his Hispanic Leadership Team:
“As quietly as she could, Governor Martinez endorsed Mitt Romney overnight and agreed to serve as Honorary Co-Chair of his Hispanic Leadership Team, but it seems she doesn’t want anyone in New Mexico to know. Perhaps she knows deep down that New Mexicans find Mitt Romney’s economic scheme familiar and troubling: more budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, fewer rules for Wall Street – the same formula that benefited a few, but crashed our economy and punished the middle class.
“Her endorsement and new leadership position on Romney’s campaign also raises the question: How could she possibly agree to serve as Romney’s Hispanic Leadership Team Co-Chair when she so harshly criticized his stance on Hispanic issues just a few weeks ago? Governor Martinez blasted Romney’s extreme ‘self-deportation’ policy and said she has ‘no doubt Hispanics have been alienated during this campaign.’”
“The facts are clear: Mitt Romney may try to use Governor Martinez to Etch-a-Sketch his far-right record with this community, but nothing can erase the fact that Hispanics stand to lose the most from Romney’s insistence on the same failed economic policies that brought our economy to the brink of collapse.”
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Background:
Governor Susana Martinez Blasts Romney’s “Self-Deportation” Strategy in Newsweek, Says “I Have No Doubt Hispanics Have Been Alienated During This Campaign.” In a major profile piece in Newsweek, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez responded to Romney’s immigration plan by snapping back, “Self-deport? What the heck does that mean?” She goes on to state, “I have no doubt Hispanics have been alienated during this campaign.” [Newsweek/Daily Beast, 5/14/,12]
Hypocritically, Governor Martinez Endorses Romney Three Weeks Later, Agrees To Serve as Honorary Co-Chair for His Hispanic Leadership Team. Three weeks after her comments to Newsweek, Governor Martinez endorses Romney, stating she’s “proud to stand with him and look[s] forward to working to get him elected”, and assumes a position as Honorary Co-Chair for His Hispanic Leadership Team. [Mitt Romney for President, “Mitt Romney Announces ‘Juntos Con Romney’ Hispanic Leadership Team, 6/6/2012]
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RELEASE: Heather Wilson’s Misplaced Priorities Are WRONG for New Mexico
Heather Wilson’s Misplaced Priorities Are WRONG for New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE (June 5, 2012) – Heather Wilson is now the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in New Mexico. Starting tomorrow, millions of dollars of outside special interest money tied to Karl Rove will flood into our state to try and cover up Wilson's failed record and trail of corruption.
Below is a statement from Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales:
"New Mexico voters are smarter than that. They remember her time in office, when Congresswoman Wilson voted six times to raise her own pay, even as she voted six times against raising the minimum wage for New Mexico workers.
She gave us two wars and a prescription drug program that weren't paid for. And she voted for tax breaks for millionaires and a $700 billion taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout.
New Mexicans also remember that Wilson was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress after she was busted for trying to improperly pressure a prosecutor to pursue a case to help her campaign.
While Wilson continues to support tax breaks for millionaires, she refuses to oppose the Republican budget that guts Medicare and she supported privatizing Social Security. Working people in New Mexico have paid into Medicare and Social Security their whole lives and are counting on it for their retirement security."
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Small Business Owner and State Senator Linda Lopez Sets The Record Straight: President Obama Has Been a Champion for New Mexico Small Businesses, Cutting Taxes 18 Times and Encouraging Hires
Small Business Owner and State Senator Linda Lopez Sets The Record Straight: President Obama Has Been a Champion for New Mexico Small Businesses, Cutting Taxes 18 Times and Encouraging Hires
Contrary to Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Monty Newman’s Claim This Afternoon, The President Believes New Mexico Small Businesses Are the Backbone of Our Economy
June 4, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross, (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Small business owner and State Senator Linda Lopez (D-South Valley, SW Mesa) today issued the following statement in advance of Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Monty Newman’s press call this afternoon promoting the false claim that President Obama is hostile to New Mexico job creators. In reality, the President has cut taxes for New Mexico small businesses 18 times and presided over a period of 27 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, creating over 4.3 million jobs nationwide:
“As a small business owner myself, I know that President Obama has been a champion for the more than 34,000 small businesses across New Mexico,” said State Senator Linda Lopez. “He has already cut taxes for small businesses 18 times, helping us grow and create jobs while lowering costs. He’s also urging Congress to pass a new 10 percent tax credit for small businesses that hire new workers or give their current employees a raise. President Obama knows that small businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating nearly two thirds of new jobs, and he will continue helping small business owners like myself find ways to do just that.
“The only answer Mitt Romney and Republicans in Congress are providing for small businesses are tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Romney would cut taxes for corporations by more than a third – costing taxpayers nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. In terms of accessing credit, his economic plan would result in fewer small business loans for New Mexico. He’s endorsed a budget that could gut the Small Business Administration (SBA) by nearly 20 percent, preventing our small businesses from getting loans that are critical to helping them grow.”
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New Mexico Has Added 9,500 Nonfarm Sector Jobs Since March 2010. [data.bls.gov, accessed 06/04/2012]
Manufacturing In New Mexico Has Added 1,000 Jobs Since March 2010, When Private Sector Job Gains Took Hold Nationally. [data.bls.gov, accessed 06/04/2012]
PRESIDENT OBAMA BELIEVES THAT SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES IS VITAL TO CREATING AN ECONOMY BUILT TO LAST WHERE HARD WORK PAYS OFF, AND HAS SUPPORTED SMALL BUSINESS THOUGH TAX CUTS AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO CREDIT
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS SIGNED 18 TAX CUTS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH, AND SIGNED INTO LAW $200 BILLION IN TAX RELIEF AND INCENTIVES FOR AMERICA’S BUSINESSES
President Obama Has Signed 18 Tax Cuts To Support Small Business Growth. “To date, the President has supported 18 direct tax breaks that bolster small business growth. In September 2010, he signed the Small Business Jobs Act, which included eight new small business tax cuts that, among other forms of tax relief, extended accelerated bonus depreciation for two million businesses, making investment and growth more affordable; made investments in one million small firms eligible for zero capital gains taxes; and allowed two million self-employed Americans to deduct their health insurance costs when calculating their self-employment taxes.” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
Over The Last Three Years, President Obama Signed Into Law $200 Billion In Tax Relief And Incentives For America’s Businesses, Large And Small. “The President has signed into law $200 billion in tax relief and incentives for America’s businesses to encourage them to make new investments and create new jobs – relief that was paid out over the last three years. This includes provisions that directly benefit those businesses that did the most to boost investment and hiring.” [White House Fact Sheet, 1/25/2012]
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS PROPOSING FURTHER TAX CUTS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS
President Obama Proposed A 10 Percent Income Tax Credit For Hiring New Employees Or Raising The Salaries Of Existing Employees And Proposed Extending 100 Percent Expensing In 2012 For All Businesses. “The president called for passage of proposed legislation that would provide a 10 percent income tax credit for firms that create new jobs or increase wages in 2012 and extends 100 percent expensing in 2012 for all businesses.” [RTT News, 5/16/12]
Ø Under The President’s Proposal, Nearly 2 Million Companies That Make Hires Or Increase Wages Would Receive A 10% Income Tax Credit On Their New Payroll, Encouraging Over $200 Billion In New Hiring And Pay Raises. “Under the President’s proposal, nearly two million companies that make new hires or increase wages would receive a 10% income tax credit on their new payroll, encouraging over $200 billion in new hiring and pay raises. The Congressional Budget Office recently found this type of targeted tax relief to be the single most effective business tax option for boosting hiring and spurring economic growth.” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
The President Is Proposing To Make Permanent The Tax Cut To Eliminate Taxes On Capital Gains On Certain Stock Investments In Small Businesses. “The President is proposing to make permanent the tax cut to eliminate taxes on capital gains on certain stock investments in small businesses. In addition, this tax cut would be expanded so that it would also be allowed under the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and to increase the “rollover” period for qualified small business stock investments, making the permanent elimination of capital gains taxes available to more investors.” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PUT MORE CAPITAL INTO THE HANDS OF ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, SUPPORTING NEARLY $80 BILLION IN LOANS SINCE JANUARY 2009
President Obama Signed The Small Business Jobs Act, Which Extended Expansions Of Loan Guarantees, Increased Loan Limits, And Expanded The Number Of Small Businesses Eligible For SBA Loans. “SBA loan provisions, with the 90% guarantee and reduced fees, were extended through 2010. The $505 million in subsidy for Jobs Act loans supported more than $12 billion in overall small business lending…The law permanently increased 7(a) and 504 limits from $2 million to $5 million (for manufacturers in 504 loan program, up to $5.5 million)… The law expanded the number of small businesses eligible for SBA loans by increasing the alternate size standard to those with less than $15 million in net worth and $5 million in average net income.” [Small Business Administration, accessed 5/22/12]
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS SUPPORTED NEARLY $80 BILLION IN LOANS TO MORE THAN 150,000 SMALL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING RECORD LENDING IN FY2011
The Obama Administration Supported Nearly $80 Billion In Loans To More Than 150,000 Small Businesses Since January 2009. “Supporting nearly $80 billion in loans to more than 150,000 small businesses since January 2009; FY 2011 was a record year with $30 billion in lending supported through the 7(a) and 504 programs.” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
Wall Street Journal: The Small Business Administration Extended A Record $30.5 Billion In Loans To More Than 60,000 Small Businesses In The 2011 Fiscal Year. “Because banks tend to be reluctant to extend credit to risky small businesses, the SBA operates a program that makes such loans more enticing to lenders by guaranteeing a portion of each loan against default. A record $30.5 billion in these loans were extended to more than 60,000 businesses in the government's 2011 fiscal year, ended Sept. 30.” [Wall Street Journal, 1/13/2012]
· “The Total For 2011 Also Included Approximately $5.8 Billion In Loans To More Than 16,000 Start-Up Small Businesses…” [Small Business Administration Press Release, 10/5/2011]
Loans Supported By Government Credit Access Programs Account For About 5 Percent Of Outstanding Small Business Loans In 2011, Compared To 2 Percent Of Outstanding Small Business Loans In 2008. “By the end of FY2011, these credit access programs supported more than $150 billion in outstanding small business loans. As a result, loans supported by government credit access programs account for approximately 5% of total outstanding small business loans in 2011, compared to 2% of outstanding loans in 2008.3” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SET AMBITIOUS GOALS TO EXPAND SMALL BUSINESS EXPORTS BY 2015, AND ACHIEVED RECORD EX-IM FINANCING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN 2011
The Ex-Im Bank Of The United States Set A Goal Of Adding 5,000 New Small Business Customers And Financing $9 Billion Annually In Small Business Financing By 2015. “That’s why we’ve set ambitious targets for ourselves. We’ve targeted $9 billion annually in small-business financing by 2015 — and we are looking to reach 5,000 new customers during that time period. These goals ensure that small businesses are front and center in our efforts to support President Obama’s goal of doubling exports by 2015.” [Export-Import Bank Annual Report 2011, 1/31/12]
In 2011 The Ex-Im Bank Financed A Record Amount Of Small Business Assistance, Granting More Than $6 Billion In Financing And Insurance. “In FY 2011, we provided more than $6 billion in financing and insurance for American small businesses — a record for the Bank and an almost $1 billion increase from FY 2010.” [Export-Import Bank Annual Report 2011, 1/31/12]
Ex-Im Lending To Small Businesses Has Increased By Nearly 90% Since 2008, Filling An Important Gap During Tight Credit Markets. “Since FY 2008, our small-business lending is up nearly 90 percent, filling an important gap during tight credit markets. In total, more than 85 percent of our work is for small businesses.” [Export-Import Bank Annual Report 2011, 1/31/12]
Under President Obama’s Leadership, The Number Of Small Businesses Exporting Increased 6 Percent Between 2009 And 2010. “Helping small businesses expand and compete in foreign markets with a more than 6% increase in the number of small businesses exporting from 2009 to 2010 and $60 million in federal-state-local partnership grants – making progress toward the five-year goal of doubling exporting through the National Export Initiative.” [“Moving America’s Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs Forward,” White House National Economic Council, May 2012]
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS OVERHAULED THE REGULATORY SYSTEM TO REDUCE BURDENS ON BUSINESSES AND STIMULATE JOB GROWTH
PRESIDENT OBAMA INITIATED A REGULATORY OVERHAUL TO SAVE BUSINESSES $10 BILLION IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
President Obama Initiated An Overhaul Of The Regulatory System Which Will Roll Back Hundreds Of Burdensome Regulations, Saving Businesses $10 Billion In The Next Five Years. “Months of work aimed at slashing red tape imposed by agencies across the federal government are culminating Tuesday as the Obama administration releases its final regulatory reform plans that officials say will save businesses $10 billion over five years.” [Politico, 8/23/11]
Ø The Overhaul Resulted In More Than 500 Regulatory Reforms From 26 Different Agencies. “Seven months after receiving an executive order to cut red tape, federal agencies today released their final plans for cutting burdensome regulations, unveiling hundreds of changes that are estimated to save billions of dollars and millions of hours of paperwork in the coming years. Following a public comment period that ended earlier this summer, 26 agencies released their final reports today outlining some 500-plus reforms. White House regulatory czar Cass Sunstein wrote in an editorial in The Wall Street Journal today that a dozen of the most far-reaching changes are estimated to save businesses some $10 billion over the next five years.” [New York Times Green Blog, 8/23/11]
Under President Obama, The IRS Has Made Changes Saving Taxpayers 55 Million Annual Hours In Tax Reporting And Paperwork Burdens. “Current Agency Efforts Already Underway Independent of E.O. 13563: The IRS recently issued regulations and is revising Form 1099B, Schedule D and Form 1040 to implement a 2008 change in the law that, beginning in 2011, requires brokers to report the basis of any equity security acquired after 2010 that is sold during the year. The IRS also chose to require brokers to report the date acquired, so that taxpayers would have all the information they need to report these transactions on Schedule D for 2011. Brokers may also choose to report basis for equity securities acquired before 2011 if the broker has the correct basis information. The revised Form 1099-B includes a field for the taxpayer’s basis and date acquired. Additionally, the IRS is no longer requiring taxpayers to separately report gain or loss for each transaction, but rather these transactions will now be reported in the aggregate. These revisions are expected to produce a reduction of 55 million burden hours in 2011 (OMB Control Number 1545-0074).” [Department of the Treasury Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules, 8/22/11]
PRESIDENT OBAMA TOOK ACTION TO REDUCE REGULATORY BURDENS WHILE APPROVING FEWER REGULATIONS THROUGH HIS FIRST THREE YEARS THAN PRESIDENT BUSH DID
President Obama Approved Nearly 5 Percent Fewer Regulations During The First Three Years In Office Than Did His Predecessor, George W. Bush. “The White House later provided data to POLITICO that 931 final rules were reviewed by the White House and issued by executive agencies under Bush - and 886 under Obama.” [Politico, 3/20/12]
President Obama Issued A Memorandum Directing Agencies To Not Place Unjustified Burdens On Small Business Owners. “Accordingly, I hereby direct executive departments and agencies and request independent agencies, when initiating rulemaking that will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, to give serious consideration to whether and how it is appropriate, consistent with law and regulatory objectives, to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses, through increased flexibility. … Adherence to these requirements is designed to ensure that regulatory actions do not place unjustified economic burdens on small business owners and other small entities.” [Presidential Memoranda - Regulatory Flexibility, Small Business, and Job Creation, 1/18/11]
January 2011: President Obama Signed An Executive Order Requiring Agencies To Develop Regulatory Lookback Tools To Eliminate Regulations That Are Ineffective Or Burdensome. “Our regulatory system must protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. It must be based on the best available science. It must allow for public participation and an open exchange of ideas. It must promote predictability and reduce uncertainty. It must identify and use the best, most innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. It must take into account benefits and costs, both quantitative and qualitative. It must ensure that regulations are accessible, consistent, written in plain language, and easy to understand. It must measure, and seek to improve, the actual results of regulatory requirements.” [Executive Order 13563, 1/21/11]
May 2012: President Obama Issued An Executive Order Making It Standard Practice For The Federal Government To Scrutinize Rules On The Books To See If They Still Make Sense. "During challenging economic times, we should be especially careful not to impose unjustified regulatory requirements. For this reason, it is particularly important for agencies to conduct retrospective analyses of existing rules to examine whether they remain justified and whether they should be modified or streamlined in light of changed circumstances, including the rise of new technologies." [Executive Order On Identifying And Reducing Regulatory Burdens, 5/10/12]
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS CREATED A REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS, SPURS JOB GROWTH, AND BENEFITS ALL AMERICANS
Eighty Percent Of Economists In An August 2011 National Association of Business Economists Survey Felt That The Current Regulatory Environment Was “Good” For American Business And The Overall Economy. “Regulatory activity has gained a lot of attention, with many groups suggesting that American businesses are overregulated by the current administration. With that said, 80 percent of survey respondents felt that the current regulatory environment was ‘good’ for American businesses and the overall economy.” [NABE, 08/2011]
MIT Economist Michael Greenstone: President Obama’s Regulatory Reforms Will “Help To Spur Private Sector Job Growth.” “Yes, the Obama administration's regulatory reform proposals will help spur private sector job growth by identifying the regulations that fail to efficiently protect American families and then reforming or removing them.” [Brookings, 6/23/11]
Through The First Three Years Of The Obama Administration, Major Regulations Have Yielded A Net Benefit Of Over $91 Billion. According to OIRA data, major regulations through the first three fiscal years of the Obama Administration have yielded a net benefit of $91.3 billion. [OIRA Cost Benefit Report, 3/16/12]
Ø These Benefits Are 26 Times Larger Than Benefits Of Major Regulations Issued During The First Three Fiscal Years Of The Bush Administration. According to OIRA data, major regulations through the first three fiscal years of the Obama Administration have yielded a net benefit of $91.3 billion, while major regulations through the first three fiscal years of the Bush Administration yielded $3.4 billion in net benefits. [OIRA Cost Benefit Report, 3/16/12]
Harvard Law Professor And White House Office Of Information And Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein: The Costs Of Economically Significant Regulations In The Last 10 Years Were At Their Highest In 2008 Under The Bush Administration. “First, the annual cost of regulations has not increased during the Obama administration. In the past decade, the costs of economically significant rules reviewed by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) were highest in 2008.” [Op-Ed By White House Office Of Information And Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein, Washington Post, 6/30/11]
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