Tag: General Info

The critics and pundits say that newsprint is dead. Don’t believe it! The Rio Grande Foundation has a print publication focusing on issues relating to the Legislature and state policy issues called Capitol Report New Mexico. You can subscribe to Capitol Report by donating to the Rio Grande Foundation.

Another recently-launched publication is The New Mexico Breeze. The publication attempts to:

1. better inform readers regarding politics and current events with behind-the-scenes information, and

2. provide positive news about the state, leaving readers with a sense of pride as New Mexicans.

Recently they published an article by our own Jim Scarantino on the paper’s front page.

Have a great Independence Day (while remembering the principles that made America a great nation in the first place) and a successful tea party.

This week on “Speaking Freely” on AM 1550 from 9am to 10am on Saturday, Jim and Paul will be interviewing the leaders of the Albuquerque Tea Party movement about the July 4 tea party being planned. In addition, we will be discussing this new study which I recently blogged about on New Mexico’s difficult climate for those who would like to drill for oil and gas within the state’s borders.
Also up for discussion is renewable energy and the “cap and trade” bill moving through Congress. Call in at 505-265-1550 and make your voice heard. As usual, the podcast will be available in podcast format on Monday if not sooner.

Tea Partiers across the nation and here in Albuquerque are gearing up for the 4th of July Tea Party. While the Rio Grande Foundation will not be broadcasting live as we did on April 15 we will be supporting the efforts in spirit.
As the Tea Party movement grows and continues, organization will be key. To that end, our friends at the Michigan-based Mackinac Center have created a “Tea Party Activist Toolbox” which is full of helpful ideas for maximizing the effectiveness of the Tea Party movement. We at the Rio Grande Foundation stand ready to assist the Tea Parties throughout New Mexico in formulating policy and organizing to maximize their effectiveness.

The powerpoint presentation is available here.

Speaking Freely airs on AM 1550 on Saturdays from 9am to 10am. This week, Victor Bruno, member of the Rio Grande Foundation’s board of directors and an expert on commercial real estate will join Jim from the NTU conference in Washington to discuss his upcoming event in Albuquerque. Reservations are $10 and can be made for the June 24 event can be made here.
Jim will also be interviewing Dan Lewis a candidate for the District 5 City Council seat now held by Michael Cadigan. Jim and I interviewed Cadigan a few weeks ago on the show. That episode is available here.
Tune in! And if you miss the show live, check back here for the podcast on Monday

If you are not already a listener, this is a good weekend to check out our radio show “Speaking Freely” from 9 to 10am on AM 1550 (listen here online). Mayoral candidate RJ Berry will be on the show. Berry had this column in the Albuquerque Journal in which he decried Mayor Marty’s having “grown the city budget by almost 50 percent between 2003 and 2007” and policies that Berry says have “put the city’s financial future, our public safety and our quality-of-life projects on shaky ground.”
Check back for upcoming interview with Richard Romero and Mayor Marty — that is if Chavez decides to run…

In case you didn’t already know it, Portland-based transportation and government planning expert John Charles will be coming to Albuquerque and Santa Fe for events on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are interested in hearing Mr. Charles discuss the issues and talking to him on the radio, listen to “Speaking Freely” from 9am to 10am on AM 1550.
Hopefully you can make one of the events with Mr. Charles this week, but check out the radio program as well.

Even though I couldn’t get on to the campus of Rio Rancho High to interview people about Obama’s talk (video of the town hall can be accessed here), I did have an opportunity later on in the day to lead a panel discussion on Obama’s talk, specifically relating to his proposals for imposing federal regulations on the credit card industry. You can listen to the audio along with the rest of our “Speaking Freely” shows here.
Not surprisingly, many consumers would like to pay lower interest rates on credit card debt, but such regulations could also wind up making it more difficult for responsible consumers to obtain such cards. Besides, if you don’t want a credit card, you don’t have to get one.

In case you missed it this weekend, Jim Scarantino and I interviewed Albuquerque City Councilor Michael Cadigan this weekend on “Speaking Freely.” As usual, the podcast of this show is now posted on our website here.