Saturday, April 18, 2009

Cosmic Voyage with the National Science Federation.

We found this documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman online and wanted to share Cosmic Voyage with you.

You'll appreciate the stunning videography and what a better time to explore the universe.

Cosmic voyage explores some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film before in a mix of ground-breaking computer animations and cutting edge science.



We are all travelers on an unending voyage of discovery. As Energy Secretary Chu said at Sandia last week "Humans have to take care of the planet. There's no place else to go."

Will we ever know what lies beyond the cosmic horizon?


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Friday, April 17, 2009

Post: Richardson At Peace ...

Photo: MG Bralley
On Friday, the Washington Post published this profile on New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Reporter Phillip Rucker writes:
The nation's most prominent Latino politician is stuck in virtual exile, term-limited from office in two years with no easy next step.
Listen to Rucker's exclusive interview with the Governor.


Rucker also writes:

A federal pay-to-play investigation of his gubernatorial office forced Richardson in January to withdraw his nomination as commerce secretary, and the dark cloud of the investigation now hovers over his once-bright political future.

The lifelong politician who craved the spotlight and longed to return to Washington says he has had enough -- at least for now.

For Pete's Sake:

The governor still has a full 30-day session and perhaps one or two special sessions to get his priority programs approved by lawmakers.

We suspect the governor will spend the next two years focused on his "legacy" projects. We've watched the man at work, sometimes for 18 hours a day. We don't anticipate he'll let up anytime soon.


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Zanetti Tells the AP He's "Running for Governor!"

The 50-year old Republican financial adviser and brigadier general in the NM National Guard told Santa Fe based AP ReporterDeborah Baker that he's been campaigning full-time since February.

Baker interviewed Zanetti on Wednesday after a Tax Day rally on the Santa Fe Plaza at which he was a speaker. Zanetti told Baker,
I'm traveling the state, we're raising money and there's an awful lot of enthusiasm for the campaign.
We found Baker's article online at the Denver Post.

We also talked to Zanetti at the Albuquerque rally before he headed to Santa Fe. He definitely sounded like he was all but officially in the race.

To listen to our Tea Party Rally interview with Zanetti click here.

This morning, Zanetti appeared on 770KKOB's morning show with host Bob Clark. He's backing off his comments earlier in the week.

Zanetti say's he isn't prepared to officially announce, but we did find this website Zanetti For Governor.


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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

ABQ Tea Rally Lures Thousands of Protestors and Pink Pigs.

It was a rowdy crowd that attended today's tax day tea party rally in Albuquerque at the Independence Grill. Beware these protesters were toting signs, flags, horns, and even hanging every pink pig they could find from trees.

UPDATED WITH AUDIO POSTS:

We talked exclusively with NM National Guard General Greg Zanetti, who's lining up to run for governor in New Mexico next year, and with Rio Grande Foundation President Paul Gessing at the event.

Both men say fiscal responsibility will fix the country's problems faster than exorbitant government spending.

We also shot lots of pictures at the Tea Party Rally near Louisiana and Montgomery Blvd. Watch this slide show while you listen to comments from Zanetti and Gessing.



Zanetti Says Government needs to fund projects that create wealth.

Republican Greg Zanetti, who’s in the process of launching his 2010 gubernatorial, spent a few minutes talking to us. Zanetti says, “We have a spending problem that you can’t solve with more spending, a debt problem you don’t solve with more debt, and a borrowing problem you don’t solve with more borrowing.”

Listen to our exclusive interview with Zanetti here.



“If we’re going to be a nation of free men and women then you have to have less government, less regulation, less taxes, less spending and less borrowing,” said Zanetti. “That’s the solution. It’s more freedom.”

We asked Zanetti what he’d do to in New Mexico if he’s elected governor. He told us he’d start right in the governor’s office and blamed Richardson for increasing the personal staff “exponentially.”

“We have reached to far into the lives of New Mexicans. We can cut back across the board,” Zanetti said.

“We have an entitlement philosophy that has permeated the entire state. We are rewarding those people who are not productive. That’s where the waste and abuse comes in. And of course, we’ve got a government that doesn’t trust the people and therefore the people don’t trust the government. That’s a bad cocktail,” said Zanetti.

Zanetti says the country needs to look for programs that which will lead to wealth production and wealth creation. He says he supports infrastructure projects, but says he’d cut venereal disease education and even public arts in tough times. He says the government needs to prioritize it’s spending.


Grassroots effort won't stop at the end of today's tea party.

Rio Grande Foundation President Paul Gessing tells us his group supports individual liberty and limited government. He says taxes and government spending is out of control.

Listen to his comments here.




Gessing says just because there has been an economic turn down it doesn’t mean the country should change to a socialist/leftist ideology. He says both parties have been responsible for the path “we are currently on.”

He believes the people turning out for this rally should have been on the street when the last administration was setting records for its own government spending beginning in 2004 and 2005.

Gessing told me that today’s grassroots effort won’t end the cries for smaller government. He says he working with the Tea Party Rally organizers to have another event on July 4th.

Gessing told us the Federal Government should take a cue from New Mexico’s leaders who tighten their belts when revenue projections fell.

He supports a balanced budget amendment and wants a “super majority,” or 2/3 vote requirement in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House for any tax increase proposal.







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Romero Jumps Into Council-Mayor Fray on Tax Day.

Albuquerque mayoral candidate Richard Romero is sending out a Tax Day letter to his supporters. On the same day that thousands of protesters attended a "tea rally," Romero says Chavez is spending money unwisely and that the city must tighten it's budget belt.

Dear Friend:

Today is tax day.

No one enjoys paying taxes, but they are necessary. As the Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr. said, "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization."

At the local level, gross receipts tax revenues pay for services and infrastructure that make for a livable city such as police and fire protection, streets and sewers, parks and public health.

Above all, taxation must be fair and the process transparent.

Unlike the federal government, City government must live within its means. In tough economic times, we must tighten the city budget belt just like the taxpayers are doing.

It's about fairness without frills.

That's why it's so alarming to read today's headlines about Mayor Chavez overriding the budgetary authority of the City Council so he can fund two of his pet capital projects.

The capital budget passed by the Council was prudent and fair, winning overwhelming bipartisan support. It funded vital projects within the City -- while trimming the Mayor's big projects outside the City limits.

Take another example of a project the Council cut - the Mayor's $6 million "lagoon" at Tingley Beach. The Mayor believes that this project is such a high priority that he will override the Council's judgment. Yet we are still being told the money can't be found to install low-flow toilets at City Hall.

Or take the projects like the Balloon Park - a design contract that "ballooned" from a half million dollars to $6.7 million.

At a time when the stress on family budgets is so enormous, we have to get our priorities in order. We simply can't afford to spend our resources on these mini Taj Mahals -- personal monuments to incumbent politicians. Those days are over.

Volunteer Thank You Party

Please join us this Saturday, April 18, from 1-3pm at my home as we take time to thank the many hands that helped our campaign to qualify for public financing. See below for more information.

Continuing to Collect Signatures


We are still collecting nominating petition signatures - we have about 1500 signatures to go to get my name on the October ballot.


Regards,

Signature
Richard Romero



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