NewMexicoMatters.com

Mismanagement of Indian trust assets leads to New Mexico

New Mexico comes into focus 10 years into a class action lawsuit by American Indians alleging the federal government mismanaged billions in assets.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials in the federal agency that oversees American Indian trust assets had an improper social relationship with an accounting firm and pressured subordinates to give the firm preferential treatment, a government investigation found.

Senior managers in the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians based in Albuquerque, N.M., golfed, drank and partied with the executives of the New Mexico accounting firm Chavarria, Dunne & Lamey, which won $6.6 million in contract work over eight years, according to the report by the Interior Department's inspector general.

The investigation, first reported this week by U.S. News & World Report, found that employees in the trustee's office ``felt pressured by these senior OST officials to continue to award work'' to the firm and that they feared retaliation for speaking out.

-Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Investigation Cites Indian Trust Officials

Technorati Tags: Blogs, Congress, corruption, enforcement officer, law enforcement, lobbying, New Mexico, Politics, reform

ReQwest for Details

Last week, the Governor and Patricia Madrid held a press conference to announce that they had negotiated a settlement with Qwest for $265 million dollars and that they were urging the PRC to accept the deal that had been struck.

ABQjournal: Qwest Plan Means $265M for State:

SANTA FE— Qwest has offered to spend $265 million on new telecommunications infrastructure statewide in an effort to settle a longstanding dispute with state regulators over its investment in New Mexico.

The proposal, unveiled Wednesday during a news conference in Gov. Bill Richardson's office, includes $15 million for technology in schools over three years and $250 million on other improvements over 42 months.

That's about $45 million more than state regulators say Qwest owed the state under a regulatory plan approved in 2001.

Richardson, who presided over the conference, said Qwest's offer would close the technology gap between New Mexico and other states, increase high-speed Internet access from 69 percent of the population to 83 percent and improve access to technology in rural schools.

He urged state regulators to approve the plan.

No Public Regulation Commission members attended the conference.

Sounds great and maybe it is, but I'm waiting for the PRC to determine that. Qwest's easy access to the Guv makes me less that completely confident in a deal struck by his office and that of the Attorney Generals.

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Democrats, Elections, lobbying, Mike Stratton, New Mexico, Patricia Madrid, Politics, reform, Republicans, Tax credit

Grinding out the Presidential Talk

CNN's daily grind today has an interesting piece on which state is the most representative in the nation. All you need to know: New Mexico isn't in the top five nor bottom five.

The grind also picked up on the following:

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's top political aide is in Washington, D.C. this week talking to strategists and fundraisers about the New Mexico Democrat's re-election in November as well as his role as head of the Democratic Governors Association. But in many cases, the conversations with Dave Contarino, chairman of Richardson's gubernatorial re-election campaign, are turning to 2008.

A source close to Richardson tells the Grind that laying the groundwork for 2008 is "not the primary reason" why Contarino is in town, but added "certainly when it comes up, he is not discouraging it."He is willing to talk about the governor's resume and how he would be a strong candidate if he decides to run," the source said.

The source said that Richardson, himself, "can't go anywhere these days without the presidential questions coming up.

"Obviously, it is no secret the governor is considering it and we believe he has got the best resume of the group, particularly at this time in history where foreign policy, international relations and diplomacy is such a key part of what the next president is going to need," said the source.

Before he was elected governor in 2002, Richardson served in the House, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as Energy secretary.

CNN.com - The most 'representative' state: Wisconsin - Jul 27, 2006

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Congress, Democrats, Elections, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Politics

8 governors but no Richardson

SPRINGFIELD — Eight governors — including Democrat Rod Blagojevich of Illinois — are urging Congress to approve legislation that would help states clean up abandoned mines.

In a letter to Congress, the governors also are calling for lawmakers to approve a provision that would extend health care benefits to retired miners.

Blagojevich’s involvement in the push comes just a day after he signed a new state law aimed at improving safety within Illinois mines. That legislation was spurred by the death of 12 miners in a West Virginia mine collapse in January.

The move also comes one day before finalists will be named in a nationwide battle to land the experimental FutureGen low-emission power plant and its hundreds of jobs. Illinois has four sites in contention for the project, which could be a significant user of coal.

The governor, in a statement, said Congress should reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Land program because it will help Illinois reclaim land damaged by mining.

“This legislation addresses concerns that many states are facing, including Illinois — trying to protect the health and safety of the people of Illinois, trying to protect the environment and trying to expand the coal industry,” the governor wrote.

Governors from Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia also signed the letter.

State lawmakers who represent areas of Illinois with heavy concentrations of mining backed the governor’s support of the federal legislation. --QCTimes.com - The Quad-City Times Newspaper News

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Coal, Democrats, Elections, Energy, lobbying, New Mexico

Democrats Plan $30 Million-Plus Ad Buy In Fall

courant.com | Democrats Plan $30 Million-Plus Ad Buy In Fall :

WASHINGTON --

Signaling a new phase in the struggle for control of Congress, House Democrats have reserved time for more than $30 million worth of campaign advertising this fall in roughly two dozen congressional districts, with a heavy emphasis on the Northeast and Midwest.

The Democratic targets include clusters of Republican-held seats in the Philadelphia area held by Reps. Jim Gerlach, Curt Weldon and Michael Fitzpatrick, as well as the Ohio River Valley, where Reps. John Hostettler of Indiana, Geoff Davis of Kentucky and Steve Chabot of Ohio can expect a protracted televised barrage.

Manny gets his Money NMHU Regents approve Aragon buyout

NMHU Regents approve Aragon buyout:

LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- Former legislative leader Manny Aragon's rocky tenure as president of New Mexico Highlands University ended Saturday as the school's board of regents approved a contract buyout that will pay him $200,000. The regents approved the settlement with Aragon on a 4-1 vote and then unanimously agreed to name Manuel Pacheco the university's interim president.

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, budget, corruption, Democrats, Elections, lobbying, New Mexico, oil, Politics, reform, Republicans

THE EAVES MOVIE RANCH

The following post was submitted by Patricia Finn:

The New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled on June 13, 2006 that the Eaves Movie ranch, home of the famous Thirsty Ear Music Festival 2006 set location for DreamWorks' "Into The West," had an actual value of zero

2.2 million dollar piece of property was correctly valued by Judge Wendy York (of "York Gate"/Ralph Nadar fame) at an actual value nothing; zero, zip, nada, nothing!

DreamWorks filmed "Into The West" at the ranch 18 months ago and the Thirsty Ear Music Festival 2006 is always held there. In fact, the property has seen regular use for private parties, including fundraisers for Gov. Richardson.

However, a highly qualified movie set valuator, Ben Zeller (Wyatt Earp, Man on Fire), says the ranch is worth $2.2 million. So how can a property and movie set be worth nothing?

Mel Eaves, a prominent Abq. lawyer and UNM Regent and $10,000 contributor to Gov. Richardson's last campaign owns the ranch. Eaves inherited the ranch after his father died.
The property is currently in probate.

Any normal citizen of NM would be hit with huge property taxes and inheritance tax.

Is this a ploy so that Eaves virtually pays no taxes?

Is Mel Eaves so well connected/special that he is exempt from tax and a fair valuation by the courts?

How will this affect the motion picture industry in New Mexico in the long run?

http://www.eavesmovieranch.com/

Technorati Tags: Blogs, corruption, Elections, film, New Mexico, Politics, reform

Link to LFC Review of NM Office of Workforce Development program

Department of Human Services and Office of Workforce Training and Development: Review of the New Mexico Works program and Workforce Development System Integration - July 12, 2006

State committee finds problems with welfare system State committee finds problems with welfare system

State committee finds problems with welfare system :
DEMING, N.M. (AP) - A lack of childcare assistance, high paying jobs or training for better jobs means New Mexico's families are remaining stuck on welfare, according to a new state report.

The Legislative Finance Committee in the report released here Wednesday recommended that the Legislature study creating a new department to administer $310 million a year for job training and employment services.

That job has been done by the Office of Workforce Training and Development, which was created two years ago to help families get off welfare.

Governor accussed of official misconduct for and political discrimination in doling out of state jobs

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Attorneys for Gov. Ernie Fletcher say the embattled governor shouldn't be tried for allegedly basing personnel decisions on political considerations because Democrats committed similar acts for decades without punishment.

In a 96-page motion to dismiss filed by Fletcher's lawyers last week, his attorneys claim the crimes Fletcher is accused of committing are the same ones that have been violated by Democrats for years.

"One of the most honored and respected precepts in American jurisprudence is that a person cannot be singled out for prosecution under a law that, over many years, has not been enforced against anybody else," the motion reads.

Fletcher was charged with conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination stemming from allegations that he gave protected state jobs to political allies. (GASP!)

He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment last month and is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 8.The special grand jury overseeing the investigation has issued 29 indictments, 14 of which remain sealed. Fletcher announced in August that he had pardoned his entire administration - other than himself - for any charges that could result from the probe.

AP Wire | 07/17/2006 | Fletcher's lawyers say governor victim of 'selective prosecution'

Blogged with Flock