Former state treasurer once again a free man

Released from federal custody last Friday, Robert Vigil still faces three years of probation and has to finish paying off $97,000 in fines.

The former state treasurer was convicted on one count of attempted extortion in 2006. The 56-year old Vigil served just over two years in prison -- first in Texas and later in Colorado -- before being moved to a halfway house in Albuquerque this past June.

In this morning's Albuquerque Journal Thomas Cole reports -- in his Up Front -- column today that Vigil has been confined to his home for the last three months.

Vigil, who also served two terms as state auditor, originally faced 28 counts stemming from a kickback scheme at the state treasurers office. Four counts were dropped before his first trial. It ended in a hung jury.

Last April, we were the first to report that Vigil's appeal in the 10th Circuit Court was denied. Later the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Under terms of his probation, Vigil must remain employed or attend school fulltime. He also must meet with his probation officer once a month, can not possess a firearm, and ask for persmission to travel out of the state.

He's also not allowed to associate with other known felons -- including his own sister-in-law, Roberta Vigil, who was convicted in May of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, after she diverted taxpayer money from the West Las Vegas School District.

Richardson Says Take Politics Out of Education

Governor Bill Richardson wants New Mexican's to reserve judgment on his administration's education legacy until 2011. That's when he hopes to report a successful turnaround in the state's high dropout rate.

On Wednesday he and New Mexico Education Secretary Veronica C. Garcia introduced the next generation of Making Schools Work education reform initiatives called, Graduate New Mexico! It’s Everybody’s Business.

The governor says he recognizes the state has a huge problem with dropout rates, but he's rolling out a series of new initiatives that could improve those numbers.

The program announced at Rio Grande High School, and outlined in detail in the ABQ Journal and the New Mexico Independent, combined with other new education reforms, are designed to bring some 10,000 dropouts back to school to earn their diplomas, address the achievement gap, and improve graduation rates in New Mexico.

But republicans say they don't want to wait. They want to know why the governor has waited until the last year and half of his administration to deal with the problem.

Richardson told Associated Press Reporter Heather Clark that he believes criticism of his administration's education record is politically motivated.



Despite the state's 54% dropout rate and being ranked 47th in the national education standings, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson says he won't give back his Education Governor of the Year award from the NEA he received in July. (See our NEA Award report here).

Richardson says his education record is strong and he proudly accepts the award.


Instead, Richardson said he'll focus his priorities on new education reforms designed to bring 10,000 students back to the classroom, or to a new online learning center, to earn their high school diplomas by 2011.

In San Diego last month, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, who presented the award to Governor Richardson, commented on why Richardson was only the second governor to receive the group's honor:

Governor Richardson speaks up on issues that affect children, and he follows up the talk with action. Realizing the impact early childhood education has on long-term success, he extended kindergarten programs to full-day classes. Despite criticism, he advocated for and passed a law to provide free preK for 4-year-olds.

In addition to his early childhood education efforts, the award recognized Governor Richardson for fighting to put physical education back into elementary schools and taking junk foods out, increasing teacher pay and restoring collective bargaining rights for educators.

During his acceptance speech in San Diego, Richardson told the NEA Union assembly that education has been his administration's top priority since he was first elected in 2002.

From increasing teacher pay, to ensure that we recruit and retain the best and brightest, to better preparing our kids by implementing a statewide preK program, I’m proud of the reforms we’ve made.

Richardson told the crowd (listen here) that he believes his education reforms will be a part of his eight-year gubernatorial legacy.

The governor, who only has 18 months left in his administration, got a warm reception when he said (listen here) that it's time to completely change the "No Child Left Behind," program. Richardson also said state's can't afford to stop spending money on educational reforms (listen here), because education, he believes, is the key to the nation's economic future (listen here).

Announcing the Graduate New Mexico! It’s Everybody’s Business initiative, Richardson told students, teachers, school board members and business leaders that:

To sustain New Mexico’s growing economy and workforce, all New Mexican’s must at the very least graduate from high school. We must accept that in the 21st century, to secure a job that will support a family and provide a decent quality of life, a high school diploma is a must.

Education Secretary Garcia said incremental gains are good, but not good enough:

We must take bold steps in our reform effort.

The total investment in new education reform is $8.9 million dollars from federal stimulus money.

ABQ Prepares to Double Down on Eclipse

Updated: With audio from news conference.

The word this afternoon from City Hall is that a new group of investors wants to restart Eclipse Aviation in the city.

The assets of the Albuquerque jet maker, which laid off around 800 employees in February when it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, are set to be purchased by a new company called Eclipse Aerospace.

That group is made up of several people that were involved with the old company, including jet owners and customers still waiting for their order to be filled. They have put down $5 million in earnest money to buy the company and re-open it in Albuquerque where hangars are already available.

The new bid for the company has been submitted and a hearing for the motion will be held August 10 and the new company could be up and running as soon as August 24.

Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chávez said Friday the new company plans to potentially rehire hundreds of Eclipse employees.



It's unclear what incentives the city may be offering the Eclipse Aerospace, but Chávez said he's 98 percent certain that Eclipse has been saved although there are few details:

This is extraordinarily good news for the city of Albuquerque. I believe it will come to fruition.

Double Eagle Land At Double Eagle Airport Could be Lost.

Weeds and an empty parking lot are the only things left at the former
Eclipse Aviation Training Center built on donated land at the Double Eagle Airport.

In 2005, a three-way land exchange, with the city, state land office and BR Ranch Ventures, LLP gave Eclipse Aviation 150 acres of prime space at Double Eagle Airport to build a manufacturing plant. That land is set to revert to a commercial developer for a measly $10,000, or $66 an acre according to a Special Warranty Deed filed with the City Clerks in February 2005. William Rogers and John Black donated the land after making an exchange with the city. Terms included getting the land back from Eclipse if no manufacturing plant was built by January 2010, or buying it back if the company filed bankruptcy which it did earlier this year.


We visited the site today. The only building there is surrounded by weeds. Even the computer harddrives used in two flight training simulators have been removed by a former supplier. However, the company's primary hangars South of the Sunport are empty and could rehouse the new group with minimal preparation.

While New Mexico's State Investment Council had invested some $19 million dollars in the original company, it should be noted the original company brought hundreds of people to the state who spent money they earned at the company around the community, buying houses, cars, eating out and paying taxes. One estimate says the spending, by employees and the company, may have contributed up to $150 million dollars to the state's economy in roll through money.

Will Former Employees Return to Work?

770KKOB's Michael Jasso reports some former top-level Eclipse employees could return to work within the next two weeks. This February more than 800 employees were laid off after having paychecks delays.

Last August the jet's certification came under scrutiny by the FAA and the U.S. Congress but was deemed fit to fly in September 2008

According to aviation industry reports, in June this year, Eclipse 500 jet's had their EASA Type Certificate suspended, striking a potential blow to the value of Eclipse Aviation's intellectual property assets that will be sold at the August bankruptcy auction.

The group of Eclipse Aerospace investors includes owners of Eclipse jets. They are said to be very confident this will go through. The business would operate in the already leased buildings at the Albuquerque Sunport and Double Eagle II Airport.

Chávez said there is a chance that several foreign governments might offer competing bids. The city doesn't want that to happen because then the assets and jobs would go elsewhere.

KRQE's webpost notes several aviation trade publications have reported that the first priority of Eclipse Aerospace would be to provide much-needed service for the existing fleet of 260 Eclipse jets sold before the original company failed, including buying back multiple jets from dissatisfied owners.

Starting up new production then would happen sometime in the indefinite future.

Opponents Characterize Chavez' Endorsement from APD Officers as "Machine Politics" At Work

Incumbent Mayor Martin J. Chavez has picked up another endorsement in his re-election bid for a record fourth term, and third straight campaign for Mayor of Albuquerque.

Just before noon today, members of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association publicly stated they're backing Chief Ray Schultz' boss. That makes it a clean sweep for Chavez. He has already won endorsements from AFSCME Council 18 and from city fire fighters in the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

The President of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association Joey Sigala said the mayor has an unmatched, proven record of being tough on crime:

He's a strong leader with a vision for our future. That's why the APOA is proud to endorse him.

Chavez said he wished everyone in Albuquerque got to see the men and women of the APD the way he gets to see them. He says one of his goals is to form power teams in each of the six area commands. Chavez said the compensation package for officers is the best in the state and one of the best in the region.

In his brief speech, Chavez said, "I've got their back and I'm so pleased to have their back today."



The APOA has bought commercial time on 770KKOB. The union urges listeners to support the mayor's campaign because of his focus on public safety.

The endorsement does not come as a surprise. 770KKOB took this photo of the APOA banner hanging inside the mayor's campaign headquarters last Monday, a full week before today's endorsement was made public.

In March 2008, police officers received the "biggest pay raise in city history." At the time, Chavez said, "This package shows our commitment to public safety." But just one month later, veterans with the force filed a prohibited labor practices complaint with the city's labor board. It was settled this March.

In April, officers who had been moved from their coveted four ten-hour shifts were allowed to bid on them for overnight shifts again. Last week, the mayor told us that while violent crime is down, the crime rate is still "unacceptably high."

Mayor Martin Chávez with the USA's top cop U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, center, with Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske, seated left, at the June 5, 2009, Homeland Security Advisory Council Meeting at the University of New Mexico hosted by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

Earlier this month, Chavez ordered APD to add another 100 officers to its 1100-member force. The announcement marked the third time Chávez has ordered the police department to increase its ranks. But in years past, the department has had a hard time reaching the new goals because of a lack of qualified applicants.

Chávez has not specified where the money to pay for the officers would come from, although he said 25 percent of the cost would be funded by the federal COPS Hiring Recovery Program. As for the rest, he said the city will leave nonpublic safety positions vacant.

MAYORAL OPPONENTS QUESTION THE VALUE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS ENDORSEMENT

Richard Romero told 770KKOB it "appears the mayor is manipulating the process" of endorsements. He said the APOA membership didn't get to vote on all three candidates, and said, "hey, this is machine politics, what else can you expect."


On Monday morning, State Representative Richard Berry who qualified for this fall's ballot said he believes voters will question the value of the APOA endorsement since he and Romero were never even questioned by union leaders on their public safety views, and because the union membership never voted on the endorsement.



Berry said he would have been more than willing to sit down and discuss his views. He said that several rank and file police officers have told him they are supporting his candidacy. Berry also said if he's elected he will likely move all APD Officers back to four 10-hour shifts after he reviews the scheduling and its effect on response times.

But, Sigala denied Berry and Romero's assertions. He says each man was contacted, but one of the candidates never responded. Sigala, said while there was not a membership vote, all officers were invited to be a part of the 10-member Political Action Committee that made endorsement recommendations to the APOA board.

Meanwhile, in Rio Rancho, the ABQ Journal reports fire, police and dispatch union members are seeking an arbitrator to resolve their pay raise issues. The dispute arose this spring when City Manager James Jimenez proposed a city budget that omitted pay increases included in a contract agreement signed by union leaders, top city administrators, and then-Mayor Michael Williams. Rio Rancho city councilors approved the contract in September 2007.



Photo credit: MGB

Chávez Says ABQ Crime Rate "Unacceptably" High

On a hot summer day in Albuquerque the 2009 City Election is beginning to heat up. Mayor Martin J. Chávez announced at the Taylor Ranch Community Center today that he's joining a three-way race for the city's top elected office. He wants voters to give him an unprecedented fourth term and third straight.

Chávez told 770KKOB he's been an "activist mayor" and that his record demonstrates his vision of the future for the city. But, that record is under attack by two challengers, former New Mexico Senate President Pro-Tem Richard Romero, and current State Representative and local business owner Richard "RJ" Berry.

On Friday, the mayor said he believes crime is "unacceptably high," but public safety will continue to be his number one priority if he's re-elected October 6th.

Last week, Chávez announced that he's directed Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz to add another 100 police officers to the force, but Romero says that while he supports getting more cops on the street it smells like election year politics. Romero says only 42% of the city's current police officers work on the street.



Both Romero and Berry have said they're frustrated with the nearly 9% increase in property crimes year over year. Romero told reporters on Thursday that if he's elected he will replace Schultz.

According to FBI statistics released recently, property crime in Albuquerque has increased from 29,293 reports in 2007, to 31,907 in 2008, a nine percent increase in one year.

Mayoral Candidate Richard RJ Berry's Burned Out Truck
Was Recovered in the East Mountains

Berry proposed his own crime fighting plan after Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies recovered his stolen truck. On May 23rd he said:

We are in need of new solutions and new commitments if we are going to reduce property crime in Albuquerque. This is a quality of life issue. We need a Mayor who will take this head on and get results.

El Paso, whose population exceeds Albuquerque's by approximately 90,000 people, reported only 19,702 property crimes in 2008, or nearly 12,000 less crimes. And in Denver, a city with a population that exceeds Albuquerque's by approximately 70,000, the city saw a decreasing rate of property crime and reported only 19,316 crimes in 2008, once again far less than Albuquerque.

While the mayor prepares to announce in Taylor Ranch on Sunday afternoon, Romero is organizing around 100 volunteers to knock on doors.

While campaign election signs can't be planted in front yards, street corners, or on billboards until August 7th the election campaign has been underway for months and months. The mayor has already received several union endorsements including one from the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Council 18. But as Marjorie Childress reported Local 624, the bluecollar workers, are not happy with the selection. They say AFSCME's endorsement doesn't represent their views.

All three candidates received public financing on April 1st. The first financial disclosure statements will be filed on Thursday, July 17th. The City Clerk, Randy Autio will draw the candidate's ballot position on Thursday, August 13th at 5:01pm.

Residents who want to vote in the city election have to register with the Bernalillo County Clerk's office by September 8th. The City of Albuquerque has posted all election deadline dates here.

Denish Pushes A New Era of Strong Ethics Laws

Updated to include audio from an interview with Lt. Gov. Denish

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish with UNM Law School Ethics Professor
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez outside the

NM Mexico Supreme Court Building in Santa Fe.

On-going scandals, grand jury investigations, and indictments of state government officials prompted Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish to call for stronger ethics laws. On Thursday, Denish (who is acting governor during Gov. Bill Richardson's vacation) told reporters she wants lawmakers to consider her new proposals during the next legislative session. Denish says she'll renew the push for a state ethics commission and other reforms.

Denish told 770KKOB News Director Pat Allen in this telephone interview, "What I want people to say about New Mexico is that we have a culture of responsibility, not a culture of corruption."

Denish told 770KKOB she'll create an independent state ethics commission. She wants the NM Supreme Court to nominate the commissioners. The seven-member panel would be approved by the legislature and the governor.

Denish also said she wants to establish an online sunshine portal. She said it would shed light on how state tax dollars are spent and create more transparency.

The proposals come just days after Republican Party Chairman Harvey Yates criticized Denish in an Albuquerque Journal guest column for not speaking out on alleged ethics problems in the state.

Yates' commentary was quickly refuted by Denish's campaign committee chair Ted Martinez on Wednesday. In his rebuttal, Martinez says Denish has been a champion of accountability in state government.

Photo credit: MG Bralley

Heather Wilson Announces Her Plans on Facebook

Photo Credits: MG Bralley

No it's not "that." Former U.S. Representative Heather Wilson is not ready to make any political announcements. She hasn't decided whether or not she's going to jump into the Republican race for Governor in 2010. She's not being coy, but she is packing her bags for a long trip to Africa.

Wilson told her Facebook friends that she's making a journey to Sudan and Kenya. Her trip to the largest country in Africa begins tomorrow and is being sponsored by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.

Wilson said while she's in Sudan she will meet officials from the parliament help train legislative staffs, and speak at a women's leadership conference:

I will be meeting with the Speaker of the Southern Sudan Parliament, conducting training and consultations with their legislators who are involved national security and international affairs matters, training the staffs of legislators on constituent service and communications, and speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by the UN Mission in Sudan and the US Agency for International Development. I will also be meeting with the leaders of all of the political parties in Southern Sudan about preparations for elections in 2010 and making sure that election is legitimate.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has also traveled to Sudan several times.

Just before announcing his presidential bid in 2007, the governor pressed Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to open the wartorn Darfur region to U.N. troops. He rode to the rescue again in September 2006 to rescue New Mexico resident and Chicago Tribune Journalist Paul Salopek who had been held by rebels for 38 days. In 1996 he traveled to the region to negotiate three international Red Cross workers, an American pilot, an Australian nurse, and Kenyan co-pilot who were taken hostage by rebels.

During her trip this month, Wilson will also travel to Kenya.

I will be meeting with the Minister of State for Defense and members of the Kenyan Parliament involved in national security matters.

Pondering Her Own Political Future?

We imagine that while she's working hard helping set up free elections in a country that didn't event allow political parties until the last four years, she may spend some time enjoying the sights, eating new food, and making new friends. She might spend some down time thinking about her own political plans.

Before traveling she talked about the 2010 race in New Mexico with Albuquerque Journal's Capitol Hill reporter Michael Coleman.

For readers without access to Wilson's Facebook Notes here's her message:


I'm leaving for Africa on Thursday. I'm going to Southern Sudan and Kenya to conduct training and consult with their governments and political leaders. The bulk of the trip will be in Sudan.

I was asked to do this by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.


Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It gained its independence from Britain in 1956 and dissolved into decades of civil war between the largely Islamic north and the African south. The current government of Sudan in Khartoum came to power in 1989 in a coup. Their President, Umar al Bashir, has been indicted in the Hague for war crimes in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Opposition political parties were banned after 1989. Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda spent significant time in Sudan before moving to Afghanistan. Estimates are that 2 million people died in the civil war and another 4 million were displaced. An additional 400,000 died in the Darfur genocide, where much of our attention has focused since 2003.

With the support and good offices of Kenya and the United States, a peace agreement between the north and the south was negotiated and signed in 2005. The agreement created a government of national unity based in Khartoum, created a provisional Government of Southern Sudan based in Juba, set the first free elections which are scheduled to take place in 2010 and scheduled a referendum on independence for the south in 2011.

Since 2005, the US has been working with the new government in Southern Sudan to build their capacity to be self-governing. That includes training of government ministers and staff, training of political parties (but not al Bashir's NDP), and helping the southern based Sudan People's Liberation Movement make the transition from being a rebel movement to being a national political party.

Some elements of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement were implemented early on, but progress on difficult issues has slowed. An all party conference hosted by the US in Washington last week was intended to make progress on outstanding issues -- most importantly marking the border and revenue sharing from oil. There is a serious risk of renewed violence if these matters are not resolved.

There is also a risk that Southern Sudan could vote for independence in 2011 and dissolve into the kind of failed state we see in Somalia because of tribal and war lord rivalries with weak institutions of government. The UN recently reported that killings in southern Sudan between rival militias exceeded deaths in Darfur for the same period. There is an opportunity over the next 2 years to significantly strengthen government and party institutions, build a sense of unity in Southern Sudan and reduce the levels of violence. My visit is part of that effort.

This is a country that has been torn by war for 45 of the past 55 years. The average age of the population is 19 years old. GDP per capita is $2,100 a year and unemployment is at 18%. Political parties were banned until 4 years ago and they have no history of self-government. They enjoy a young peace, but they have never had a free election and are learning what peaceful governance requires. The challenge is formidable.

While in Sudan, I will be meeting with the Speaker of the Southern Sudan Parliament, conducting training and consultations with their legislators who are involved national security and international affairs matters, training the staffs of legislators on constituent service and communications, and speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by the UN Mission in Sudan and the US Agency for International Development. I will also be meeting with the leaders of all of the political parties in Southern Sudan about preparations for elections in 2010 and making sure that election is legitimate.

In Kenya, I will be meeting with the Minister of State for Defense and members of the Kenyan Parliament involved in national security matters.

--Heather Wilson

Photo Credit: MG Bralley

Zanetti Posts A Video "Missive" on "Pay to Play!"

On the same morning that Thom Cole at the ABQ Journal is "Up Front" with a story on how third-party marketer Marc Correra earned more than $11 million dollars in fees for helping secure state investments for a Chicago based financial firm, likely Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Zanetti has posted his fifth You Tube channel video. A missive on "pay to play" schemes.

Zanetti says the staggering $5.7 Billon loss in NM State Pemanent Funds has got his attention. He says, "discerning how it happened may be the bigger story."

US Energy Secretary: Mission of State's Labs Is Still Critical.

New United States Energy Secretary Stephen Chu is calling Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs an incredible intellectual treasure.

Chu say's their work will impact the sustained prosperity of the country.

He made his first trip to the state's labs on Thursday and Friday.

We were invited, on base, to listen to the Energy Secretary deliver remarks on the Role of Nuclear Security Labs in Meeting National Challenges.

Nearly 450 Sandia employees filled the Steve Schiff auditorium. Others watched on closed circuit television at NSA labs across the country.

Chu's remarks came just five days after President Obama outlined his new program to reduce the nation's nuclear stockpile and pursue a global ban on nuclear testing.

On April 5th Obama said, "the cold war has disappeared, but thousands of those weapons have not. In a strange turn of history the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the threat of a nuclear attack has gone up."

Obama also announced his plans to aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of a comprehensive test ban treaty. He’s also set a goal to reduce nuclear warheads and stockpiles.

The President says the U.S. will negotiate new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia this year.

“It is for that reason,” Secretary Chu says that “the NSA labs will continue to serve a critical mission, in many ways an even more critical mission, in non-proliferation activities of the United States.

Listen to this audio post to hear why Chu thinks the U.S. might be forced back into nuclear testing.



Chu said the U.S. does not want to restart nuclear weapons testing, but the prospect of proliferation around the world, especially among rouge nations and terrorists is growing.

The technical crowd laughed when Chu said, "“it’s the national labs who provide the technical expertise; so, that when we have intelligence that they can actually interrupt the intelligence correctly. They can actually tell the difference the difference between an aluminum tube and a centrifuge."

Chu said the NSA labs have an ability to work on large-scale projects using computer simulations to find methods for the world to mitigate climate changes. He also wants the labs to focus on developing renewable energy sources.

Chu, a former Nobel Prize winner, also talked about two other critical missions for Sandia and Los Alamos.

He says the NSA labs have an ability to work on large-scale projects using computer simulations to find methods to mitigate climate changes. Chu also wants the labs to focus on developing renewable energy sources.

Chu ended his speech with this profound thought:

Humans need to take care of the planet. There is no other place to go.

Bonus Audio: Chu’s Q&A with reporters following a tour of the Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications (MESA) Microelectronics Laboratory at Sandia National Laboratories.



Science Reporter John Fleck, who has covered the labs for years, blogged about Chu's visit here and here, and filed his story at the ABQJournal.

ECLIPSE AVIATION $1 BILLION IN DEBT. CREDITORS ARE LINING UP, BUT TAXPAYERS NOT LIKELY TO RECOVER INVESTMENT.

NEW MEXICO TAXPAYERS ON HOOK FOR $19 Million

Once considered a bright spot on Albuquerque's economic horizon Eclipse Aviation is more than $1,000,000,000 (Yes, one billion) dollars in debt. The Albuquerque Journal reviewed the company's bankruptcy filing and in a copyright story reports that more than 5,000 people and other investment entitites are owed money. The top three creditors are owed a combined $230.6 million dollars. Eclipse's top creditor is Kings Road Investments, LTD of New York City. They're owed $92.3 million dollars. Most are excpect to loose most of their investment. Of course the New Mexico State Investment Council, which has a 2.7 percent stake in the very light jet maker stands to lose the majority of its $19 million dollar investment. That makes taxpayers the fourth largest creditors.

FLYING A LITTLE LOWER

Eclipse Aviation could emerge from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection a stronger company, if it survives it's financial crisis. But now, the company can add an FAA director to its list of problems. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airworthiness directive that goes into effect in December. It limits the very light jets manufacutred in Albuquerque, to a maximum altitude of 37,000 feet, instead of the earlier maximum of 41,000 feet previously authorized. The FAA has instutted the order to address problems of carbon buildup in the enginees when flying beyond the 37,000 foot ceiling.

State Treasurer Savoring "Obama-time"

Months before New Mexico State Treasurer James Lewis was re-elected president of the Western State Treasurers Association he stood on the steps of the state capitol in Santa Fe and told a crowd gathered there that he was going to endorse Barack Obama.

In March and April, Lewis campaigned and was elected as an Obama delegate to the DNC in Denver this August.

On Tuesday night, Lewis could be seen cherishing the historic 2008 election while watching network newscasters declare Obama had captured the 270 electoral votes needed to be elected.

Lewis told the crowd of about 2500 people at the ABQ Convention Center that he had a premonition about Obama. He said, "I knew he was a special person." Lewis believes the 47-year old president-elect has the fortitude and the vision to lead the country though some of the most pressing issues, including the economy.

We had a chance to talk to Lewis on Friday.




Lewis tells us he's looking at the election of the 44th President of the United States in its historical perspective. He says the country has come along way since the Jim Crow laws, used to block African Americans from voting. Lewis even reminded us that before the 1965 Voting Rights Act his relatives were prevented from voting because they didn't know how many "bubbles were in a bar of soap."

"This is a proud moment for me," said Lewis. "It's a sense of achievement."

Lewis says any young person who goes out and gets a good education and has a strong work ethic can acheieve anything they want.

"He's getting the last laugh," said Lewis about Obama's election on Tuesday.

Lewis said, "Obama had a history of pulling people together. We need someone like him during these tough economic times."

"He'll surround himself with competent people and will listen to his advisors," said Lewis who has not yet heard if he'll be appointed to a transition team. In 1993 Lewis was picked by the President-Elect Clinton and worked with four or five other people developing a transition report for the export/import bank.

For now he's preparing for the legislature and and projected revenue shortfalls.

Lewis also took a few minutes analyzing what the New Mexican Republican Party might consider doing to re-establish itself after stunning defeats in all three congressional districts.

Our colleagues at Democracy for New Mexico captured Lewis on stage election night in this video. And the ABQJOURNAL covered the state's African American community exuberant reaction to Obama's election here.

You can also listen to our interview with Mr. Lewis in Denver during the DNC in our audio archives.