Cibola County Democratic Party
HYPOCRISY ALERT: Martinez Administration Violates Three State Regulations on State Plane Usage
Martinez Administration Violates Three State Regulations on State Plane Usage
For Immediate Release Contact: Scott Forrester
May 13, 2011 505 934 5681
Albuquerque, NM - Larry Barker has uncovered yet another broken promise from the Martinez administration, this time a violation of the state's policy governing the use of the State Airplane. This is the same Martinez who promised New Mexicans to "Sell the Jet" and make better use of the other State Airplanes. Below is a statement from Democratic Party of New Mexico Executive Director Scott Forrester.
"Susana Martinez ran her campaign on selling the state aircraft and making better use of the state planes and yet two months into office we find out that she violated three state regulations on the state aircraft, not one, but three," said Executive Director Scott Forrester. "Susana has shown that following the law is not her specialty; rebuked twice by the Supreme Court, over steps veto authority, now violates three state regulations on state aircraft usage. This is truly hypocritical of the Governor and she beginning to show a reckless record of broken promises."
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Larry Barker story:
State plane fiasco: Oops not again?
Candidate Martinez on state plane usage:
Martinez Accused Denish Of Being Above Plane Rules. According to Martinez’s Ad, “Diane Denish, rules for us are below her. Denish told schools to cut energy use 10%. But use the state’s Luxury jet as an air taxi for her family and friends. Wasting 367,000 in tax money. And breaking state regulations 39 times. Claimed state rules don’t apply to Richardson and Denish. Schools cut budgets, while Diane Denish wasted tax money flying a luxury jet. Diane Denish above the rules. More of the same.” [Martinez Jet Commercial, 8/27/10]
Martinez Attacked Denish For Plane And Christmas Cards. Announcer: As jobs were lost, Richardson-Denish wasted millions. Abused the state jet. Denish even spent Federal stimulus funds on campaign Christmas cards. We need change. Susana Martinez. SM: Over 80% of all jobs are created by small businesses and that’s why my plan focuses on them. By ending corruption and eliminating wasteful spending, we can phase out job-killing taxes to help all small businesses grow. If we have the courage to make bold changes, we will turn New Mexico around. [Martinez Jobs Commercial, 7/22/10]
Martinez Released Attack Ad On Denish For Using The State Plane. According to Joe Monahan, “While the DGA was making Susana out to be a bonus baby, she was doing some attacking of her own and again relying on the symbol of the state’s gravy days--the state jet. Here’s her latest ad hitting Di for being a jet setter. Anti-jet sentiment is obviously playing well in the polls and focus groups for Martinez. She’s been reheating those leftovers all summer. For some in a populist mood the use, or abuse of the state jet, nicely sums up their anger.” [Blog, Joe Monahan, 8/30/10]
Martinez Called Denish’s Increased Use Of Government Airplane During Historic Deficits “Unacceptable.” According to an official press release, “Susana Martinez, Republican gubernatorial candidate today issued the following statement in response to news reports of Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish’s increased use of government airplanes: ‘As New Mexico experiences a historic budget deficit that has left the state bankrupt, Diane Denish has actually increased her use of government airplanes to travel across the state. Quite frankly, this is unacceptable. On the very same day the Richardson/Denish Administration proposed new tax increases on New Mexico businesses and families, we learn that the lieutenant governor continues to benefit from the perks of power at the expense of taxpayers. We have grown weary of elected officials who tax too much, spend too much and deliver too little to the people they are elected to serve. This November, that will change, and as governor, I will clean up the Roundhouse and end the waste, fraud and abuse that has been swept under the rug for far too long.’” [Susana Martinez Press Release, 1/20/10]
DPNM Chairman Gonzales lauds President on courageous immigration stance
(ALBUQUERQUE) -- The following is a statement from DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales on President Obama's immigration announcement:
"This is yet another example of President Obama demonstrating strong leadership by taking on an important issue that other leaders have frankly been too timid to take on. The President understands that solving the immigration crisis requires not only a comprehensive approach that includes increased border security but also a recognition that there are millions of immigrants in the United States contributing to our economy."
Check out some of the highlights from the speech:
Fixing America’s Broken Immigration System and Protecting Americans at the Gas Station
· As President Obama said, immigration reform is an economic necessity – that’s why so many businesses and leaders from both ends of the ideological spectrum are calling for reform.
· President Obama believes we have to reform our immigration system so that we as a country live up to our values and our heritage as a country of immigrants and a country of laws.
· We have to fix our current system. Millions of people are living in the shadows and are vulnerable to businesses that avoid taxes, pay less than the minimum wage, or take risks with their employees’ health and safety. In addition, businesses that follow the rules and Americans that correctly ask for the minimum wage or overtime or a safe place to work are at an unfair disadvantage under the current system.
· Reforming our current system will do away with a huge underground economy that takes advantage of a cheap source of labor while pushing down wages for everyone else – in the end, reform will strengthen the middle class.
· In the recent past, the biggest obstacles to reform were questions about border security. During the last two years, President Obama has answered those concerns by increasing border security more than many believed was possible. He has dedicated unprecedented resources to America’s borders, put in place smarter and more strategic interior and worksite enforcement standards, and improved America’s legal immigration system.
· Those efforts have yielded real results. There are twice as many border patrol agents today as in 2004. And this Administration has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the border from Texas to California.
· For the first time, America is screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments – seizing guns and money that are headed south even while going after drugs headed north.
· Although there is no single, easy answer for addressing increased gas prices in the short term, there are things we can do to guarantee that Americans aren’t victims of escalating gas prices in the long term.
· One of those things is ending $4 billion in unnecessary tax breaks for oil and gas companies and instead investing that revenue in shrinking the deficit as well as in clean energy research and development that will create jobs and end America’s reliance on foreign oil.
· America has to make smart investments in a more energy independent economy. Those investments will make our economy stronger, create 21st century industries and jobs, and reduce America’s reliance on an always changing oil market.
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Governor unfairly targets Dem-supported industry
By RICHARD D. ELLENBERG Jobs are priority one, but Gov. Susana Martínez has blocked practical jobs initiatives not fitting her national conservative image. Film credits create jobs. The governor's most visible effort was limiting these credits. The result so far: Loss of two movies budgeted at a total of $70 million. Loss of the post-production facility with 175 construction jobs and 120 permanent skilled jobs. Studies conclude that a state maximizes its benefits from films when it has a trained local labor market. Our colleges have invested in film curricula and have created that job force, just in time to lose business. The governor is attempting to break contracts with films signed prior to the film-credit reductions. She is sending the clearest message to film jobs that they are not welcome. Film credits are the only credit the governor allows to be questioned. No asking if oil and gas credits are a good investment. Oil companies are spending fortunes to find and extract oil in difficult places and not replacing supplies as fast as they use them. It would be fair to ask if their tax credits increase the number of jobs significantly. Yet the governor vetoed the bill to examine the benefit of all credits, not just film credits. Why? Politics. The film industry tends to support Democrats. The oil and gas industry tends to support Republicans. Democratic job-creation bills were dead on arrival since she would not sign them. She would not support: green job initiatives; depositing state funds in local rather than national banks to increase local lending; and a development bank based upon the successful models in other states. Nor did she have her own job-creation initiatives. One bill, passed unanimously, allowed universities to issue bonds for renewable energy improvements, creating jobs and saving money. She pocket-vetoed this initiative, with her staff saying she did not support renewable energy. She vetoed the Health Exchange Act to protect her Republican image. New Mexico would have received $1 million to work on planning for this exchange with more to follow without that veto. Now New Mexico loses those dollars and the odds that the federal government will have to step in and set up New Mexico's exchange are substantially increased. She vetoed an unemployment-tax increase supported almost unanimously to protect businesses from much higher assessments that will hurt jobs. This helps her record of not supporting tax increases, but harms our business community. Most damaging to the state's long-term growth was breaking her promise not to cut education. A weak education system is the primary reason we do not attract high-paying businesses. Yet school districts are facing a 4 percent to 5 percent cut in their budgets. The Legislature could have avoided this by closing loopholes used by multi-national companies gaining an unfair advantage over local businesses. But the governor would not support this or other revenue-raising proposals. Why? To protect her record opposing any tax increase, loophole closing or tax-credit reduction, except of course for cutting tax credits for those Democratic film jobs. Richard D. Ellenberg is chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County.
5/7/2011
Santa Fe New Mexican
ICYMI: Report Debunks Pearce's Claims About Protection for Rare Lizard
Report Debunks New Mexico Congressman Pearce's Claims About Protection for Rare Lizard
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A Center for Biological Diversity report on oil and gas leasing released today debunks claims by Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) that protection for the dunes sagebrush lizard will jeopardize “most of the oil and gas jobs in southeast New Mexico.” The Center’s analysis of U.S. Bureau of Land Management data finds that protecting the lizard would affect less than 1 percent of public lands where drilling was proposed in 2010 and 2011.
“Representative Pearce’s outlandish claim that the dunes sagebrush lizard will be a huge job-killer for the oil and gas industry simply isn’t backed up by the facts,” said Jay Lininger, an ecologist with the Center and author of the report. “This endangered animal occupies a fraction of the public lands proposed for oil and gas drilling. Even where the lizard lives, drilling can go forward in almost every instance.”
Today’s report analyzes oil and gas areas proposed for leasing in 2010 and 2011 by BLM field offices in Carlsbad and Roswell.
In 2010 and the first half of 2011, the BLM offered 52,874 acres for lease in southeast New Mexico. Only 2,920 of those acres (5.5 percent) were identified by the BLM as habitat for the lizard. The agency determined that drilling could go forward on all 2,920 acres subject to conditions intended to protect habitat.
For the second half of 2011, the BLM has proposed 22,383 acres for possible leasing. At most, 3,484 acres may be habitat for the lizard, according to the BLM. Of those, the agency will allow drilling on 2,924 acres and defer leasing on just 560 acres — which is less than 1 percent of all areas proposed for drilling since January 2010.
“Pearce misleads the public about environmental policy in service to the fossil fuel industry,” Lininger said. “He can make up whatever he likes, but it just makes him look foolish.”
Pearce accepted nearly $1.2 million in campaign contributions from oil and gas interests.
Today’s report bolsters U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service statements that protection of the dunes sagebrush lizard “would not imperil jobs” and that “there’s just no data to support” Pearce’s claims.
Similarly, officials with New Mexico’s state forestry division have stated that Pearce's claims that legal protections for the spotted owl caused the decline of the timber industry were “incorrect and oversimplified.”
The dunes sagebrush lizard has the second smallest range of any North American lizard, living only in southeast New Mexico and western Texas on sand dunes covered by shinnery oak. The lizard’s dunes habitat has long been in decline.
The Center for Biological Diversity first petitioned for the lizard’s protection in 2002. In December 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting the lizard under the Endangered Species Act.
Protection for the lizard is unlikely to imperil jobs because the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is charged with protecting endangered species, almost never halts development projects altogether. Rather, the agency requires reasonable modification or mitigation ensuring that species aren’t driven extinct and that the environment receives some protection.
BREAKING: Martinez Rebuked Yet Again by Supreme Court
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Scott Forrester
April 13, 2011 505-934-5681
Martinez wrongly dismantled state labor board, court rules.
(ALBUQUERQUE) -- The following is a statement from Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales upon the news today that Governor Martinez's firing of Public Employee Labor Relations Board members was ruled unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court.
"In barely more than 100 days in office Susana Martinez has yet again lost in the state supreme court for overstepping her authority," said DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales. "First she was caught making a back-room deal with lobbyists to weaken clean-water protections, now she has been soundly rebuked for attempting to take away employees' rights by dismantling the board assigned to hear worker complaints. Clearly Governor Martinez has a troubling agenda and it appears she is willing to run afoul of state law to do it."
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DPNM launches ad questioning Governor Martinez's lack of direction on jobs
(ALBUQUERQUE) -- The Democratic Party of New Mexico today launched "Where are the Jobs?" an ad questioning Governor Martinez's actions when it comes to the most important issue facing New Mexico -- jobs.
The 60-second ad will run in the Albuquerque metro area through the end of the legislative session. You can listen to the ad below:
"Here we have a governor who's clearly pushing a political and divisive agenda when the most important issue facing our state is job creation," said DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales. "Apparently Governor Martinez's plan is to do nothing and wait for the economy to improve on its own. That won't cut it."
"At least the Democrats in the Legislature have been talking about investing in our workforce and preserving new and innovative industries like film and renewable energy," Gonzales continued. "I don't think one innovative idea has escaped Martinez's lips this entire legislative session. What we have heard is a lot of political hot air.
The script for "Where are the Jobs?" is below:
Gail: Hi Teresa, How are you?
Teresa: Oh Hi Gail, I’m ok - Have you seen the news lately? I can’t believe what Governor Susana Martinez has been doing.
Gail: Well obviously she hasn’t been focused on creating jobs, my husband is still out of work and Governor Martinez is spending all her time on her divisive agenda. Ugh, thought the campaign was over. Does she even have a jobs plan?
Teresa: I don’t think she has one and didn’t she just attack the film industry? I heard New Mexico just lost the possibility for 1,500 new jobs including 700 construction jobs.
Gail: Well, we better start clipping more coupons because with Governor Martinez’s backwards priorities my husband is never going to find a job.
There are just a few days left in the legislative session. Call Governor Martinez at (505) 476-2200 and ask her to stop playing political games. She needs to get NM’s priorities straight and stop killing the jobs our families need. Paid for by the Democratic Party of New Mexico, not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.
ICYMI: Martinez heads down a slippery slope
Martinez heads down a slippery slope
Heath Haussamen
Though the secretary of state says it’s legal for Gov. Susana Martinez to blur the line between lobbying the Legislature and campaigning, the situation has me questioning whether Martinez’s actions match with her campaign rhetoric about ethical behavior.
Early in the current legislative session, Martinez started webcasting legislative committee hearings on her bills and using the video to promote her views. She angered many lawmakers by showing selective parts of some hearings and including commentary about how committee members voted.
Taxpayers paid for that lobbying. The webcasting is being done by the webmaster in the governor’s office. The video is being published on Martinez’s official government website.
But another aspect of Martinez’s lobbying effort was paid for with campaign dollars.
As part of her push to pass a bill that would repeal the law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, Martinez ran radio ads urging people to call their lawmakers and tell them to stop blocking the bill.
A couple of nonprofits complained that such use of campaign money violates the state’s Campaign Reporting Act. Secretary of State Dianna Duran says the expense is legal. I’ve already written that the blurring of the line between campaigning and lobbying exposes a potential gray area in the law and may indicate the need to tighten language in the Campaign Reporting Act.
But there’s a more concerning aspect to Martinez’s using both taxpayer and campaign dollars for the same lobbying effort.
Campaigning with public dollars?
Martinez argued, in her letter to Duran justifying the radio ads, that she’s already in campaign mode – three months into her tenure and more than 3.5 years before the 2014 contest in which she’s up for re-election. Running radio ads that lobby the Legislature on a policy issue promotes her position on that issue and bolsters her image, she says.
Martinez is using public dollars on that very same lobbying effort with her webcasting. In addition, every time she holds a news conference or puts out a news release from her government office pushing a bill, she is, using her own logic, strengthening her image.
So, following her own logic, does that mean Martinez is campaigning with public dollars when she webcasts or puts out a news release with taxpayer money?
The reality is that Martinez is lobbying and campaigning at the same time. She’s using both taxpayer money and campaign cash to do it. There is, at best, only a technical separation between her campaigning and lobbying.
That’s evidenced in the statement Martinez makes time and again about bills she’s pushing. Though she clearly wants legislation passed, what she’s been urging lawmakers to do is give her bills and up-or-down vote.
There’s an implicit and political threat in urging an up-or-down vote: Pass my bills or get on the record as opposing them so I can use it against you in the next election.
No separation between lobbying and campaigning.
ICYMI: Heather Wilson Wants Second Chance At Senate Bid
Democratic Committee Goes After Heather Wilson in New Mexico
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Former Representative Heather Wilson, Republican of New Mexico, is expected to announce as early as Monday that she will run to replace Senator Jeff Bingaman, who is retiring in 2012. And Senate Democrats are wasting no time in going on the offensive.
In a new Web video to be released on Monday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee notes that Ms. Wilson tried — and failed — to win the Republican nomination for the Senate contest in 2008.
“When she asked New Mexico voters for a promotion to the Senate, so she could stay in Washington even longer, we told her it was time to come home,” the video says.
Martinez's Missteps Source of Concerns
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Martinez's Missteps Source of Concerns
By Javier Gonzales
Chairman, Democratic Party of New Mexico
As Democratic Party chair, it is part of my job to hold the Republican Party and its leadership accountable. So no one will be surprised if I often take a critical view of our new Republican governor.
We all hope that our governor will be a thoughtful leader committed to getting our economy moving forward, but we must never forget that it is our duty to hold her accountable for her promises and to fight to ensure that the voices of New Mexico's working families are heard by their government.
Unfortunately, recent events have led to legitimate questions about Gov. Susana Martinez's focus and the direction she is taking our state. All the more reason I was bemused to read a Martinez backer defend her crisis leadership in these very pages, "Governor Martinez: Crisis Leader" in Monday's Journal op-ed page.
In just the past few weeks alone, Martinez's missteps are creating a troubling pattern that has become harder and harder for New Mexicans to ignore.
These include the following:
She nominated an energy secretary who refused to follow basic Senate Rules Committee procedures related to background checks. No one would argue a governor needs appointees she can trust to carry out her agenda. While I respect his personal accomplishments, Harrison Schmitt's views are too far outside of the mainstream for such an important position.
Her failure to name one single New Mexican to her education-reform team is a second example. Either this is a PR blunder or Martinez truly believes there are no New Mexicans capable of instituting her education reform ideas. Not putting a single New Mexican on the team is a slap in the face to any New Mexicans who ever worked to improve our schools — parents, teachers and the hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans who are products of the system.
Another example is when it was recently learned that she allowed industry lobbyists and lawyers to write a policy halting common-sense clean-water rules. Martinez ran for office promising to put an end to back-room deals. Now we've learned that one of her first official actions was just more politics as usual in Santa Fe.
In addition, there have been legitimate questions raised about her handling of the recent natural gas crisis. If you look at the 2008 Ruidoso floods and the 2007 Curry and Quay County tornadoes, former Gov. Bill Richardson had FEMA doing an on-the-ground assessment three days after the events. It took Martinez seven days from the gas shut off to get FEMA on the ground.
Finally, and probably most important, Martinez has put forward no plan to address New Mexico's most pressing issue — job creation. Short of a few words about a rail project in the south, Martinez has said little, if anything, about jobs, and her proposals to slash film incentives would actually harm job creation in the state. Meanwhile, Democrats have already released a plan that would create jobs through tax incentives that would bring manufacturing jobs to our state.
As the Democratic Party state chair, I am proud to lead the Democratic Party as we fight to hold the Republican administration accountable and stand up for New Mexico's hard-working families.
Rahm Emanuel is right. Crises are opportunities to do things we never thought we could do. Tough times and crises are supposed to bring out the best in our leaders. New Mexicans are starting to wonder just what kind of leadership they're getting from their new governor.
New Mexico looks solid for Obama; Bingaman
New Mexico looks solid for Obama
New Mexico was one of Barack Obama's most surprising states in 2008- not that he won it, but that he won it by such a wide 15 point margin after George W. Bush had taken it in 2004. Obama remains popular in the state and if he had to stand for reelection today he'd take it by a similar amount to his previous victory.
Obama's approval rating with New Mexicans is 55% with 40% of voters disapproving of him. Most noteworthy are his very strong numbers with independents, 60% of whom are happy with the job he's doing to 32% who dissent.
The strongest Republican we tested is a native son, former Governor Gary Johnson, although he still trails 51-36. The key to Johnson's comparatively strong numbers is that he takes 19% of the Democratic vote, where none of the other Republicans can exceed 15%. That's probably attributable to his not exactly GOP platform views on some issues like marijuana- his favorability with Democrats at 44% is actually slightly higher than his 43% standing with Republicans.
Beyond Johnson none of the Republicans can claim much appeal to New Mexico voters and because of that Obama leads all of them by greater amounts than his 2008 margin of victory. He's up 16 points against Mitt Romney at 53-37, 19 against Mike Huckabee at 55-36, 21 against Newt Gingrich at 56-35, and 29 against Sarah Palin at 62-33.