Americans Share Their Economic Crisis Stories at House Parties

Americans have organized Economic Recovery House Meetings in all 50 states -- including 382 in California, 255 in Florida, 115 in Ohio, 199 in New York, 105 in Washington, and 149 in Texas.

That's more than 3,587 meetings in 1,579 cities and 429 congressional districts.

This past weekend, meeting hosts and guests watched a video of Governor Tim Kaine answering your questions about the president's recovery plan. Then they shared their own stories about how the crisis has affected them.

Governor Tim Kaine answers questions sent in by Organizing For America members ahead of February 7th house parties in this video.

RNC CHAIRMAN RESPONDS TO STIMULUS PROPOSAL

RNC Chairman Michael Steele questions if power is going to Democrat's heads in his weekly address. Yet, we wonder if he or the GOP has any new fresh ideas on the table?

NM Domestic Violence Homicide Team Issues Findings

The New Mexico Domestic Violence Homicide Review Team has been working for more than a decade to identify gaps in the response to domestic and sexual violence and create effective solutions for addressing those gaps.

In 2008, the team worked for the first full year under the statutory authority of N.M. Stat. Ann. §31-22-4.1 on homicides occurring in 2005 (closed cases). Findings are documented in the 2008 Annual Report which can be found here.

In the review of 21 cases, 57 percent of the homicides involved the offender stalking the victim prior to the murder. From this finding, the team recommended an improved criminal justice response to stalking and repeated violations of protective orders.

This finding is highlighted by the 2003 study related to stalking in New Mexico, which stated nearly one-in-four women and one-in-14 men are stalked at least once in their lifetime in the State of New Mexico ( 2003 New Mexico Victimization Survey).

Other findings:

Finding: 15 of the 21 (71%) homicides occurred while the victim and offender were separated (broken up, breaking up, getting a divorce, etc.).

Finding: 12 of the 21 (57%) homicides involve the offender committing the crime of stalking prior to the murder.

Finding: 9 of the 21 homicides (43%) involve offenders who have at least one prior driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge.

Finding: Many domestic and sexual violence related homicides involve coworkers or other bystanders who are affected by the domestic and sexual violence and yet are unsure of how to help or respond to the situation.

Finding: Many victims, often women, cannot escape from violent relationships due to their financial dependence on their offenders.

Furthermore, many of the homicides involved co-workers or other bystanders who are affected by the domestic and sexual violence and are unsure of how to help or respond. This reveals a need for workplace policies on domestic and sexual violence and an overall increased public awareness.

More information on the New Mexico Domestic Violence Homicide Review Team is available here.

National GOP Committeman's Personal Insight.

Pat Rogers
I asked NM Republican Pat Rogers, who was in Washington, D.C. for the RNC meeting last week, to shares his viewpoint on the selection of a new RNC Chair and his experience as a National Committeeman from New Mexico.

Here are his thoughts on the new Chairman Michael Steele.

GUEST BLOG:

Michael Steele was elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee on January 30, 2009. The former Lt. Governor of Maryland is presently the head of GOPAC, a conservative political action committee formed originally by Speaker
Newt Gingrich. The RNC Chairman's race was contentious with six well-qualified candidates in an election that took six ballots and many hours.

Michael Steele is a committed conservative with a message and a style that will attract voters to the Republican banner in New Mexico and in all fifty states. He is a frequent guest on FOX, CNN and other outlets. His Republican National Convention speech "Drill, Baby, Drill" introduced him to a new set of supporters. His most recent visit to New Mexico was in mid-January where he hosted a "meet and greet" at Calibers, a local shooting range. The New Mexico crowd was enthusiastic and energized by his take-charge message of freedom and fiscal and personal responsibility.

Michael grew up in Washington DC and graduated from Georgetown University Law Center (naturally all sophisticated readers will immediately recognize GULC as the premier law school in the nation) and he spent several years studying at a monastery. Michael Steele is seriously pro-freedom, pro-life and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. He and his wife raised a family in Maryland where he was very active in grassroots/local politics before his Lt. Governor term and his (unsuccessful ) 2006 US Senate race in Maryland.

Michael Steele asked me to represent him at the six vote counts and that was quite an honor. Nothing in my New Mexico experience, however, prepared me for an election process in which the Secretary of State, ACORN, the Attorney General or Democrats did not try to change the rules for partisan advantage, file lawsuits , stuff the registration lists or locate ballot boxes and votes after the election.

While Michael Steele's election was something to celebrate, two other votes were not as successful. New Mexico's National Committeewoman, Rosie Tripp lost a very close
race for the RNC Secretary position. Rosie's campaign skills and the energy she brought to any event was something to see. As the Chairman of the Socorro County Commission, and with her years of RNC and New Mexico public service,
she was able to put up a great battle for the office.

The other vote I lost (approximately 167-1 or so) was my attempt to oppose secret ballots. I am not convinced of the need for secret ballots in the RNC elections, but a slightly larger number of RNC members do not (presently) share my concerns. As we moved through the fourth and fifth ballots, I was sensing some support for my position.

The New Mexico activists overwhelmingly supported Michael Steele. He will move the nation, New Mexico and the Republican party forward. We are lucky to have him at the helm. The Republican National Committee and the New Mexico Republican Party are prepared to offer effective leadership in the difficult times we are facing.

Photo Credit: MG Bralley

Your Chance to Vote for the Best Super Bowl Ad!

Radio Row, in Tampa, Florida, has been busy all week. Sports talk show hosts are talking non-stop about Super Bowl 43. While the big game often doesn't live up to its top billing with blow outs the norm, the advertisements are always entertaining and often more memorable.

Some fans tune in just to watch the television advertisements and half time shows. Classics ads, like the Mean Joe Green Coca Cola ad and the 1984 Macintosh ads live on in our collective memories often more than many of the games themselves.

Local advertising guru Steve McKee has been measuring viewers response to the now $3,000,000 dollar :30 second spots for the last decade.

This Sunday, be sure to tune into his Ad Bowl 9 website here to vote for your favorite.

And if you’re interested in those wild Las Vegas proposition bets visit Pregame.com. Over $10 Billion is expected to be bet on the Super Bowl worldwide, with a significant percentage of that on proposition bets (known as "props"). RJ Bell of Pregame.com in Las Vegas has compiled the most interesting props available.

You can wager on how long it will take for Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem. The over/under opened at 1 minute & 55 seconds. Then, YouTube research discovered multiple videos of Hudson singing the National Anthem - with the average time being just over 2 minutes. In another example of the power of the Internet, the over/under has since been raised to 2 minutes.

Bruce Springsteen is the halftime performer, and there's props on based upon which songs he will play. For example, to open the show, Born in the USA is the even money favorite, with Glory Days the second favorite, and Born to Run the third.

You can bet on how many different food types John Madden will mention during the telecast. The over/under opened at 1.5. The public backed the "over" so strongly that the odds are now projecting a 70% chance that at least 2 different food types will be mentioned by Madden.

Props are available on the type of celebration the player will perform after the game's first touchdown. For example, you can bet on a spike of the football, or a backflip, or a bicep flex; most wild of all: you can get 20-1 odds on the celebrating player actually "mooning" the fans.

There's cross-sport props such as how many points the Steelers will score versus how many points Lebron James will score that day versus the Pistons. Based upon the game odds, the Steelers are projected to score 27, just about what you'd expect from Lebron versus Detroit.

You can actually bet on what color Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach. Compelling handicapping data exists on this prop: after both the Steelers and Cardinals' wins last week, the color of the Gatorade poured was yellow. Attractive 3-1 odds are available on the Gatorade being yellow.

My friend RJ Bell of Pregame.com said: "Nearly every conceivable stat and game result has a prop bet associated with it."

For all of RJ Bell's unique Super Bowl reporting, visit here.

BINGAMAN & UDALL: SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CLEARS BILL TO STIMULATE ECONOMY

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a $325 billion spending bill aimed at stimulating the nation’s economy. Although most specific funding levels for New Mexico are not yet known, the Senators confirmed a significant amount will be directed to the state.

“With the nation’s unemployment rates rising, we can’t waste time getting a stimulus bill to President Obama’s desk. This measure will help bolster the economy by fixing roads, constructing schools and health clinics, and making a variety of other infrastructure improvements that have been ignored for too long,” Bingaman said.

“I am committed to working with President Obama to effectively stabilize our economy," said Udall. "This recovery package is carefully targeted to create jobs with the critical long-term investments important to New Mexicans in areas like energy, education, transportation and healthcare.”

The vast majority of dollars directed to New Mexico will be determined by each federal department’s funding formula for each state. Because the Senate bill has just been written, most funding levels for New Mexico have not yet been determined.

But a few New Mexico-specific funding levels are known. For example, the Senate stimulus bill contains $72 million to improve levees in Dona Ana County. It also contains roughly $19 million for ready-to-go wastewater projects and another $19 million for ready-to-go drinking water projects. About $28 million would be sent to New Mexico tribes and pueblos for road construction. The Senators also estimate that, under the Senate version of the bill, New Mexico would receive $245 million for highway projects -- about $32 million of which would go to the Albuquerque metropolitan region.

The Senate bill will be debated on the floor next week, and must be finalized with the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the president. Highlights of funding in the Senate bill are below:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY/NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY AGENCY

·
$2 billion for grants to U.S. battery manufacturers

·
$2.4 billion for general R&D

·
$4.5 billion for Smartgrid, $200 million of which for grid energy storage and $100 million of which will be used for worker training

·
$6 billion total for environmental management cleanup and $390 million for uranium enrichment cleanup

·
$1 billion for NNSA infrastructure upgrades with $100 million carved out for computing

·
$1.4 billion National Science Foundation

K-12 EDUCATION

·
School Improvement Programs - $17.07 billion

• Education Technology State Grants - $1 billion
• Education for Homeless Children and Youth - $70 million
• School Modernization and Construction - $16 billion

ADULT AND HIGHER EDUCATION

·
Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research - $610 million

• Support for State Vocational Rehabilitation Services - $500 million
• Support for Independent living services for the disabled - $110 million

·
Student Financial Assistance - $13.93 billion

• Pell Grants - $13.869 billion (increases the maximum Pell grant by $281 for 09-10 school year and $400 for 10-11)
• Federal Perkins Loans - $61 million

·
Higher Education Teacher Quality Partnership Grants - $100 million

·
Higher Education Modernization - $3.5 billion

TRANSIT/TRANSPORTATION

• $34.9 million in transit funding for New Mexico of which about $13.7 million will go to N.M. DOT for distribution to smaller cities and communities. The remainder will be distributed to the state’s four largest metropolitan areas by formulae.

· $1.1 billion for discretionary grants to airports for safety and expansion projects

BROADBAND

· A total of $9 billion to improve communities’ access to broadband

HEALTH CARE

• National Institutes of Health: $3.5 billion to conduct biomedical research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and stem cells, and to improve NIH facilities.
• Comparative Effectiveness Research: $1.1 billion to the Agency for Healthcare Research
• Community Health Centers: $1 billion to construct and renovate clinics, and make health information technology improvements. Community health centers serve 20 percent of the nation’s uninsured population.

FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

• $1.375 billion to support loans and grants for rural water and wastewater disposal; New Mexico’s share will be about $15 million for grants and loans.

· $395 million for watershed rehabilitation and flood prevention operation to provide for construction of flood prevention and water supply facilities;

· $17.530 million to support $400 million in direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans;

· $24.9 million to support $250 million in direct and guaranteed farm operating loans;

· $200 million to support $11.5 billion in single family housing loans that will assist about 105,000 low income rural households with home ownership or foreclosure avoidance;

· $127 million to support $1.5 billion in loans and grants for Rural Community Facilities including hospitals, health clinics and public buildings;

· $150 million to support $3 billion in loans and grants to support rural business expansion;

· $200 million for biorefinery funds to assist in development of advanced biofuels;

· $50 million for Rural Energy for America Program to promote energy efficiency on farms and rural small businesses; and

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

·
$1.2 billion in grants to states for youth employment

·
$500 million for adult employment and training

HOUSING

·
$2.2 billion for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes

TRIBAL ROADS AND BRIDGES

·
BIA roads improvement - $150 million

·
Indian Reservation Roads (DOT) – $320 million

·
Tribal Transit Set-Aside (DOT) – $16.8 million

INDIAN WATER PROJECTS

·
Bureau of Reclamation Tribal Water Projects – $274 million (approximate)

·
BIA irrigation construction and repair - $40 million

·
BIA dams improvement - $25 million

·
Safe Drinking and Clean Water Revolving Funds – $120 million (the language “permits” the Secretary to fund the tribal set-aside under these revolving funds)

INDIAN HOUSING

·
Indian Housing block grants (HUD) – $510 million

·
BIA Housing Improvement Program – $20 million

INDIAN SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

·
Tribal and BIA new schools construction - $132 million

·
Tribal and BIA schools repair and improvement - $35 million

·
BIA School Modernization (Dept. of Education) – $160 million

VETERANS

·
Medical Facilities Upgrades- $1.37 billion

·
National Cemetery Administration $65 million Capital Infrastructure/Memorial-Monument Repairs

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

• Military Construction Air Force $871 million of which $612 million is for new airmen dormitories, plus an additional $80 million for new family housing
• Military Construction Army $637 million plus an additional $34 million for new family housing

A Brief Intermission for Health!

The What's The Word blog began on May 11th last year, and since then we've had nearly 300 posts, including many audio interviews with some of the biggest news makers. We enjoyed posting from Denver during the convention last summer, talking exclusively with Fernando C'de Baca, VP Candidate Sarah Palin (albiet it for :32 seconds), Ariz. Senator John McCain on the back of his Straight Talk Express Bus, and all nine congressional candidates last fall.

We were the new kids on the block and I wanted to take a quick moment to thank all the veteran bloggers who showed me some tricks and offered encouragement and crosslinks.

But, now it's time for a little health break. You've probably noticed I have not been on air at 770KKOB for a couple of weeks, nor have I posted much the last couple of weeks. I'm dealing with two health issues, one easy and one more troublesome.

After beating back these health issues, I plan to start reposting. Hopefully, that will be by mid-February.

We look forward to being back on our game soon.

Peter St. Cyr
News Radio
770KKOB AM
peter@770kkob.com

NM Rose Parade Float Slideshow.

UPDATE: 70 degrees and beautiful blue skies greeted the Tournament of Roses Parade crowd this morning in Pasadena. A great morning got a little better when New Mexico's float was awarded the Bob Hope Award for Best Use of Humor.

This is a photo slide show featuring the State of New Mexico's entry into the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade.

I arrived to view it early, before it rolls down the parade route on New Year's day, and just as it was going through its safety inspection.

The inspector wanted to know where the fire extinguisher and gas cap were hidden. I had no idea, but they eventually found it. The inspector told me she's been doing these for years and thought the Roadrunner Coyote was destined for a big parade award.

Irwindale cops started lining the street where the floats were being staged. The floats are being moved to Pasadena from the warehouses now, and are getting a full police escort, similar to the ones we saw during the presidential campaign (just not as fast).

I know you're all probably staying up late to welcome the New Year, but if you're like me an hitting the hay early, the parade starts at 7am (MT). This is a prime marketing opportunity for the state and city sponsors, like TAOS.

I understand some 14 million people watch the parade every year. I've got two tickets to the grand stand and two more for the football game, but my health is in serious decline and I'm going to fly home in the afternoon. I'm bummed. How often do you get to go to the Rose Bowl game with Joe Paterno coaching PENN State and Pete Carroll coaching USC.

Yikes.

For now let me wish each and everyone of you a very Happy New Year. I mean this part: May you find joy in every moment of every day.

For more information on the float I'm going to paste the news release from the State Tourism Department.

Bobbi Baca (the former first lady of ABQ and wife of Jim Baca) has also been blogging about the float here. And of course, Jim Baca has some posts on the state's marketing effort too.


New Mexico’s ‘Hats Off To New Mexico – Beep Beep’ Float

The beloved cartoon characters of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, who have entertained millions of young children, and the young at heart for the past 60 years since their creation by the late chuck Jones, will entertain a few million more Thursday (January 1, 2009) when it travels Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California in the 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade. The parade begins at 9 a.m. Daylight Savings Time in the Mountain time zone.

Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner are the stars of the State of New Mexico float, “Hats Off To New Mexico – Beep Beep.” This is the third time in the past four years that New Mexico will be represented by a float in the Rose Parade, and it follows on the heels of last year’s float, “Passport to Our World & Beyond,” winner of the coveted Grand Marshal’s Trophy “for excellence in creative concept and design.” It is one of the top three awards given each year.

Once again, the New Mexico float was designed by award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez and built by Fiesta Parade Floats of Pasadena, Calif. under contract with the New Mexico Tourism Department.

Zooming down the roadway of old Route 66, Wile E Coyote, strapped atop an ACME rocket, is making yet another futile attempt to catch the Road Runner, just as he shifts into high gear. Fans know it is only a matter of seconds before this elaborate scheme will invariably fail with catastrophic results for the Coyote.

Their accelerating chase travels through the abstract scenery of New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment. The vast landscapes of the State are comically depicted in animation art form from the snow-capped trees of the majestic mountains, through the teetering rock formations on down to the colorful desert floor bursting alive with blooming yuccas.

“It can be a huge undertaking or something quite simple,” Tourism Secretary Michael Cerletti said of the challenge to create a float that can represent New Mexico’s diverse entertainment offering in a colorful, eye-catching design. “New Mexicans, however, robustly celebrate this diversity; and when people around the world turn on their television sets to watch the 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade broadcast, our ‘Hats Off To New Mexico – Beep Beep” float will turn heads. Fiesta Parade Floats has done a remarkable job in capturing the whimsical side of New Mexico’s entertainment story.”

Wile E. Coyote will be crafted from brown uva and creamy white pampas grass. He rides atop a rocket created in 8,200 brilliant red carnations. The Road Runner will sport a plumage of dark blue sinuata statice and light blue delphinium florets with legs decorated in yellow split pea beans applied one-by-one.

The Road Runner is going full speed with legs moving so fast they are almost a blur as the Coyote hangs on tight to the gyrating rocket to which he is attached. The pinnacles of the rock formations spin and wobble to the vibration of the musical sound track and the Road Runner’s famous Beep! Beep!

New Mexico will come vividly alive in more than 50,000 roses. The unique rock formations will be created in butterscotch and bronze chrysanthemums with striations of roses. The desert floor will feature roses in shades of orange, while the yucca blossoms will be created in over 10,000 white dendrobium orchid florets individually glued onto small welded rods. Black chive seeds and white sweet rice cover the Route 66 roadway.

The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through television coverage of the 2008 Tournament of Roses® Parade was valued at more than $1 million, according to industry experts. Nearly 40 million Americans in 16.5 million households tuned in to watch the parade on nine national and international television networks, including NBC, ABC, HGTV and the Travel Channel. The Parade was also broadcast live in 150 countries and territories.

It is estimated the exposure offered New Mexico following this year’s appearance –especially considering the publicity generated as winner of the Grand Marshal’s Trophy last year– will be even greater. Co-sponsors of this year’s event include Isleta Casino & Resort, New Mexico State Parks, Albuquerque Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Santa Fe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Town of Taos, the Town of Red River, Santa Fe Brewing Company, ESPN, Vivac Winery and El Pinto Restaurant.

“The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through our appearance in the Parade and the media events held in conjunction is immeasurable,” Secretary Cerletti said. “Our purpose in participating in this event – like all our advertising efforts - is to pique the interest of our potential visitors and to create in them a curiosity to find out more about the Land of Enchantment. It is important that the New Mexico tourism industry does everything it can to take advantage of unique marketing opportunities, like the Tournament of Roses® Parade.”

Another Astorga Brother Jailed on New Murder Charges.

Matthew Astorga, 31, is accused of killing a man in Kansas. Astorga, who is the older brother of accused deputy killer Michael Paul Astorga, is charged with first degree murder in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was arrested there last Friday after witnesses told police they say saw him shoot 50-year-old Ruben Rodriquez in the stomach during a disturbance in the front yard of the victim's home.

This is not Matthew Astorga’s first murder charge. He pleaded guilty to killing a New Mexico man in 1996. (HatTip) to MG Bralley with background on Matthew Astorga's first conviction here.

He’s also charged with being a criminal in possession of a firearm and attempting to flee or elude police. His bond is set at 1 million dollars.

For more details check the local Kansas newspaper report here.

Town of Taos headed to Tournament of Roses Parade

Tourism officials with the Town of Taos are headed to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California to unveil their new "Summer of Love" tourism promotion. It promises to be an exciting summer in Northern New Mexico with lots of film, art and outdoor events. We asked Town of Taos Public Information Officer Cathy Connelly to send us notes from the road. This is her first report.

A Blog Bit from Chat Cat -- Taos Road Trip 12.26.08

Every time I come back to Taos and come up over that rise into the valley I’m surprised. I get that same, smile-producing panoramic view of the Rio Grande Gorge cutting out across the valley every time. It speaks of endless opportunity to me. Milleniums of it. The wild west in physical form. The promise that nothing is finite. I suspect each time that I’m over it, but happily I never am.

It’s kind of the same with road trips. OK, hopefully not the millennium thing. But you get in the car (in this case one of the newly photo-wrapped Taos vans), and who really knows what’s going to happen? Endless opportunity.

Yesterday was bright, clear and enticing out of Albuquerque, road-eating rock and roll on the radio as I headed west toward the Tournament of Roses in one of Taos’ rolling reminders to get yourself there. These are big white 15-person vans that now are 85 percent ‘wrapped’ in giant, high-res images of Taos. They’re photos that hit on why Taos continues to be such an international tourist destination -- Taos Pueblo with a light snow, extreme skiing, white water rafting in the Rio Grande, a famous painting by Blumenschein, “Santiago the War Chief”, from the Harwood Museum (speaking to our art colony status), unique shopping, spa and spiritual rejuvenation, incredible outdoor beauty.

And bam. Amid the tunes, all of us on I-40 hit a snow storm that takes us down to 35 miles and hour, picking out semis and cozying up to them pretending that helps, and questioning the entire undertaking while snow builds up on windshield wipers and visibility drops. White knuckle time.

View a few minutes of Cathy's road trip video here.

Obviously I made it through, and the Taos van and I are now in Kingman, Arizona, resting for the night until we point again toward Los Angeles and the Tournament of Roses for leg two of the journey. The van’s filled with Taos information – press kits and vacation guides – to educate the audiences and press in California as to why they should immediately drop everything and get themselves to Taos.

Problem is, I can’t really put the full impact of that first view of the Rio Grande Gorge into the van. I guess the lucky ones will just have to get that on their own.

Wish me luck. 350 more miles to go. Who knows what might happen.

Note: I'll be flying to Los Angeles and covering the parade for 770KKOB. We'll have interviews with all the volunteers building the New Mexico Float and let you know if the state captures another top trophy for its Roadrunner and Coyote Float.