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Should NM help the copper industry to help reduce the budget deficit?

On the heels of last week's disclosure from Gov. Bill Richardson's budget secretaries that their revenue estimates were off by $32.5 million for the fiscal year just ended and $159.3 million for fiscal year 2011, lawmakers are going to have to come up with ways to raise additional funds to balance the state budget. We're talking to legislators on ...
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Investigations

SIC Performance Lags Mutual Fund Returns Again

By Jim Scarantino on July 28, 2010
In its latest year-to-date report, the New Mexico State Investment Council saw combined returns continuing to lag the performance of Vanguard’s Wellington Fund.  We have been periodically measuring the results of the highly paid investment advisers retained by the SIC against the returns that could be obtained by any individual with $3,000 to invest in [...]Read More>>

Tall Tales from Solar Valley, NM Part II

By Jim Scarantino on July 20, 2010
For a company that had already landed $1.5 billion in industrial revenue bonds from an Arizona city, solar start-up Green2V should have at least had a website.  And the investment firm that procured that deal for the company, one would think, would have had more in the way of corporate offices than a couple of [...]Read More>>

Tall Tales from Solar Valley, New Mexico

By Jim Scarantino on July 18, 2010
“I HAVE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY FOR BILL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.  I WANT TO SEE HIM BACK IN WASHINGTON (REAL SOON).” That was how Gil M. Olguin, Sr., J.D., wrapped up an e-mail to the chief of staff of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.  Olguin was presenting himself as head of an investment firm [...]Read More>>

“Green Jobs” Report Touts NM Jobs That Don’t and Won’t Exist

By Jim Scarantino on July 8, 2010
Much hoopla has surrounded release of a study showing that so-called “green jobs” in New Mexico have exploded.  But the fact sheet accompanying the report touts 600 “high wage jobs” at a solar plant that isn’t going to be built. The report was featured in an op-ed placed in The Albuquerque Journal, and won glowing [...]Read More>>

New Mexico Rail Runner’s Senseless Stations

By Jim Scarantino on July 2, 2010
They each cost a little more or a little less than $2 million. They are made of just a small quantity of brick, concrete and metal piping–less than goes into many homes.  They have no plumbing, no indoor spaces, no doors, not even a drinking fountain.  Few people use these stops–indeed, at one “station” no [...]Read More>>

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Capitol Report

NM Gov’t Restructuring Task Force makes its first recommendations

By Rob Nikolewski on July 29, 2010
The Government Restructuring Task Force made its first recommendations to streamline New Mexico’s government Thursday (July 29), passing a motion to merge the Gaming and Racing Commissions. The staff of the Legislative Finance Committee estimates that the move would save about $1.4 million. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The Racing Commission — which [...]Read More>>

Get this: Poor Hispanic kids in FL read at a whole grade level higher than ALL of NM students

By Rob Nikolewski on July 28, 2010
Matt Ladner is a soft-spoken guy who is armed with some startling statistics. The vice president of research for the Goldwater Institute — a center-right think tank in Phoenix — points out that since Florida instituted some major educational reforms, the reading scores of all of its students has risen dramatically. The most eye-popping number [...]Read More>>

Michael Steele to appear at Susana Martinez fundraiser

By Rob Nikolewski on July 27, 2010
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is scheduled to appear with gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez on Thursday (July 29) at a fundraiser at the home of John Sanchez and his wife Debra in Albuquerque. Steele has come under fire for some comments he has made as GOP chairman – most recently for saying that the war in Afghanistan [...]Read More>>

SIC extends $260,000 a year contract to film consultant

By Rob Nikolewski on July 27, 2010
At its monthly meeting Tuesday (July 27), the State Investment Council (SIC) voted to extend by three years a contract to Peter Dekom, who is serving as the SIC’s film consultant. But — like so many discussions about film production backed by the state government — it didn’t come without some spirited debate. First, there [...]Read More>>

Surprise poll result: GOP’s Barela leads Dem Heinrich 51-45

By Rob Nikolewski on July 27, 2010
A poll commissioned by KOB-TV in Albuquerque and conducted by the firm Survey USA released Monday (July 26) has raised some eyebrows. It shows GOP candidate Jon Barela leading incumbent Democrat Martin Heinrich 51-45 in the race for US House of Representatives in District 1. Survey USA phoned 559 likely voters and given the fact that [...]Read More>>

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