tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88273703665220888722024-03-19T14:01:42.258-06:00Brian For Santa FeThe Official Blog of Brian Egolf's Campaign for New Mexico State House of Representatives - District 47Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-10753436143885575142012-02-22T21:46:00.001-07:002012-02-22T21:47:37.551-07:002012 Legislative Session Wrap-Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">Dear Friends and Neighbors,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;tab-stops:56.4pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">I write to update you on the just-concluded session of the New Mexico legislature.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hope you find this letter informative.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I also hope that you will share your views with me and let me know how I may continue to be of service to you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Representing you in the House of Representatives is a great honor that I take very seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;tab-stops:94.95pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">As with every thirty day session, the main focus of 2012 was the state budget. This year, the legislature passed the first unanimous budget in a very great while – a tremendous moment of bi-partisan cooperation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The $5.6 billion budget is about ten percent smaller than it was when I took office in 2009, but it still makes new investments in education for early-childhood programs and programs meant to improve reading performance by our youngest students.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;tab-stops:221.1pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">The legislature also tackled the urgent need to spur job creation and boost our local economy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We introduced and passed bills to invest more than $290 million in infrastructure and economic development projects statewide, including more than $25 million for projects in Santa Fe.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The funding for these job creation projects will come from existing taxes on oil, gas, coal and extractive industries dedicated to funding capital outlay projects.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The bills will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">not</i> raise taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Local projects slated to receive new investment include road improvements, La Familia Medical Clinics, Women’s Health Services, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, and other economic development-focused initiatives.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">I am proud to have had a pivotal role in the passage of several other important pieces of legislation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Below are some highlights, and a full list is available at www.nmlegis.gov:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-13.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-fareast-font-family:GoudyOldSty;mso-bidi-font-family: GoudyOldSty"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt">A highlight of the session was the passage of Senate Bill 9.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was very glad to be the House sponsor of Senator Wirth’s bill to close the tax loophole that allows “big box” stores to evade New Mexico’s income tax.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Closing the loophole eliminates big boxes’ unfair advantage over New Mexico’s home-grown businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The bill is now on the governor’s desk awaiting signature.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-13.5pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-13.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-fareast-font-family:GoudyOldSty;mso-bidi-font-family: GoudyOldSty"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt">I was co-author of House Bill 201, which will eliminate major roadblocks preventing the development New Mexico’s geothermal resources.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With the passage of this bill, New Mexico is poised to develop a clean, zero-emission, renewable energy source for electricity generation and bring new clean-energy jobs and tremendous environmental benefits for many years to come.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-13.5pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-13.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-fareast-font-family:GoudyOldSty;mso-bidi-font-family: GoudyOldSty"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt">The House passed a memorial I wrote to study implementing statewide standards for safe nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We know safe ratios improve patient safety, reduce health care costs and make sure patients get the quality attention and care they deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I introduced this memorial as a direct result of last year’s dispute between Christus St. Vincent Hospital and its nurses, and I hope that this measure will provide a constructive way forward for both parties.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-13.5pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-13.5pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-fareast-font-family:GoudyOldSty;mso-bidi-font-family: GoudyOldSty"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was able to bring new attention to how unlimited special interest money in politics jeopardizes our democracy by co-sponsoring a memorial calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the dangerous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Citizens United</i> decision.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In passing this bill, the House sent a clear message of opposition to the outrageous spending by “Super PACs” around the country.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">Outside of the framework of passing legislation, I was also able to advance other issues that will be the focus of my work in future legislative sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I held the legislature’s first hearing on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and its effect on our groundwater and land.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We highlighted several key issues that need further attention, and I will pursue efforts in the future to make sure that we have safe and clean water into the future</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">Despite these successes, many good ideas presented on both sides of the aisle failed to make progress. In fact, fewer bills passed this year than any year since 1976.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The governor’s all-or-nothing approach on key issues means that no progress will be made for another year. Among these were bills to end the social promotion of 3rd graders unable to read at grade-level and to address fraud and abuse of our policy to issue driver’s licenses to foreign nationals without social security numbers. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">I am deeply concerned about the poor reading performance of our students and I was eager to support many of the ideas presented in the governor’s education reform proposal. However, the bill contained a dangerous provision giving school administrators too much control and stripping parental rights to be involved in education decisions for their children. Ultimately, my opposition was based on the insufficient time allowed for remediation measures. With only 18 months to put in place early intervention programs and allow them to be effective for today’s 2nd graders, the bill carried tremendous risk that hundreds of children would be required to be held back at the end of the next school year. All of my efforts to add a small change and create a “safety valve” for children immediately affected by the bill were refused by the administration, but I look forward to revisiting this issue in the next session with the hopes that we can reach a compromise to move education reform forward.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:GoudyOldSty">Progress must also be made on driver’s licenses for foreign nationals. It is outrageous that “brokers” come into our state and arrange licenses for non-residents. There is far too much fraud in the system, the penalties for breaking our license laws are too lenient, and there is no way to verify the authenticity of documents submitted with an application. To address these specific problems, I sponsored legislation to impose tough new restrictions requiring finger printing, real residency verification, immediate document verification, shortened license periods, and significantly enhanced fraud penalties. These reforms would make our licenses more secure and our roads safer, but more importantly, they are not contentious. New Mexicans should be able to count on their legislature and governor to find common ground and make basic progress on fixing straight forward problems.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:GoudyOldSty;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt">Again, thank you for the privilege of representing you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hope in the future you will email me to </span><a href="mailto:Brian@BrianEgolf.com"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"></span></a><span style="font-size:11.5pt">let me know how I may be of service to you.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count:7"> </span>Sincerely,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> Brian<br /></span></p>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-18828393508891024412011-10-10T20:39:00.002-06:002011-10-10T20:44:36.364-06:002011 Special Session on RedistrictingDear Friends,<br /><br />I hope you are well. I am writing to give you a brief update on the recent special session of the New Mexico Legislature and what to expect in the next few months regarding job creation and redistricting.<br /><br />On the important issue of <span style="font-weight: bold;">jobs</span>, the legislature was able to pass a capital outlay bill that is focused on starting <span style="font-weight: bold;">new infrastructure projects immediately and state-wide</span>. I pushed hard to get the bill passed and fought efforts by the minority party to adjourn before we could vote on the bill. Fortunately, we were able to defeat the effort to adjourn and kill the capital outlay bill, which eventually passed. I wish the bill has contained funding for more projects, but we will have a chance in the upcoming thirty-day session in January to invest in more infrastructure projects. <br /><br />The legislature also passed an important bill to <span style="font-weight: bold;">give New Mexico-owned businesses a real advantage </span>over out-of-state companies when bidding on state contracts as well as a bill to preserve Medicaid funding for children and food assistance funding for our senior citizens.<br /><br />I was glad that on the issue of capital outlay, in-state preference and other bills, I and the governor agreed about the importance of the proposals. It was good to work in a bi-partisan way to support the creation of jobs for New Mexico’s working families.<br /><br />Also during the session, the legislature passed plans to redraw the district boundaries of the state house, the state senate, the public regulation commission, and the public education commission to account for shifts in the state’s population. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the plans, which is regrettable because her veto has thrown redistricting to the courts at a very high cost to taxpayers. <br /><br />The plans we passed are constitutionally sound, fair and protect the voting rights of Native Americans and minorities. The plans ensure that the principles of “one person, one vote” and equal representation will remain alive and well in New Mexico. Also, despite political statements to the contrary, the state house plan actually lowers the number of “safe” democratic seats by one, makes far more swing seats that could be won be either party, and brings new competition to several areas of the state.<br /><br />The legislature did not pass a plan to redraw the boundaries of our US Congressional districts. There is a lot of speculation regarding why the plan failed to pass, but the fact is that the house was unable to vote on a congressional redistricting bill because the minority party was able to force the house into adjournment before action could be taken. As a result, we’ll never know what might have happened.<br /><br />Finally, you may have read in the paper or seen on television that I am a plaintiff in a court case regarding redistricting. I chose to participate in this legal case because it will be the only way to achieve a redistricting plan once the governor vetoes the redistricting bills. I believe very strongly in the constitution and its promise of equal protection under the law. In order to preserve this important principle in New Mexico’s elections, I chose to go forward to fight for these important American values in court.<br /><br />Thank you for your time in reading this update. If I may be of service, please visit my webpage to send me a message; I am always g;ad to hear from you.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />BrianBrian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-82341112741304166732011-04-06T16:15:00.001-06:002011-04-06T16:15:50.939-06:002011 Session Wrap-UpDear Friends,<br /><br />With the end of the 2011 New Mexico Legislative Session behind us, I thought you would like to see the letter I just sent to my constituents. I hope you enjoy reading it. <br /><br /><br />Dear Constituents,<br /> <br />I hope this letter finds you well. I write today to update you on the recent sixty-day session of the legislature; I hope you find it informative. I am incredibly honored to represent you in the legislature and thank you for the opportunity to serve our community. I understand how difficult the economic situation is and the impact the recession is having on so many in our community. Throughout the session, I have worked with an independent mind and across the aisle to find solutions-based ways to help our economy and our schools recover from the recession. This is work that I will continue throughout my term in office.<br /><br />Overall, the session had a “slow” feel, with far fewer bills introduced than usual and a great deal of uncertainty about the direction of the new administration. The slim margin in the House between both parties added another new element to our debates and committee work, leading sometimes to good compromise and other times to strenuous debate. None the less, I hope to find more common ground with the governor and the minority party in the future. <br /><br />On the important issue of jobs, we delivered results in several areas. The legislature passed an extension of the important job training incentive program (JTIP), which has helped employers hire and train thousands of new employees state-wide. I sponsored in the House several bills that will help spur new investment and job creation in renewable energy, including SB 237, 266 and 549. These bills will allow colleges and other public schools to make new renewable energy investments, allocate new bonding capacity for renewable projects statewide and allow towns and counties to keep money in their communities for renewable investment instead of sending it to the state’s large electric utilities. These bills will create jobs and new work all over New Mexico. <br /><br />I also sponsored a successful bill (HB 174) that will allow homeowners who successfully defend their homes in foreclosure cases their attorney’s fees from the banks who brought the flawed actions against them. While so many of our neighbors are losing their homes around our state, I believe that it is important to give homeowners upon whom the banks wrongly attempt to foreclose a tool in their toolbox against the big banks. This bill is currently awaiting action by the Governor.<br /><br />Unfortunately, two significant bills to stimulate our economy failed to pass. I introduced HB 173 to move billions of state dollars out of big national banks and into our community banks and HB 290 to create a new state-owned development bank to support our states’ small businesses. I believe strongly that these ideas are good for New Mexico and I will reintroduce them and continue to fight for their passage in the future.<br /><br />The state’s successful film incentive program was another major issue during the session. The governor announced in her state of the state address her desire to target the program for reduction, and possibly elimination, despite the program’s record of creating and sustaining as many as 10,000 jobs and hundreds of small businesses. This unmerited targeting of the film industry was deeply disappointing to me and to the many legislators who understand the film industry’s importance to New Mexico’s economic future. <br /><br />Throughout the session, I fought to keep the film incentive program intact because so many constituents and New Mexico families depend of this industry for their jobs. I pointed out that the governor presented a false choice: our schools or the film industry. The truth is that a strong film industry is good for education in New Mexico, offering students well-paying and exciting jobs in the field and generating revenue for our schools. In future sessions, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the film industry and will work to fully restore the program.<br /><br />You may know that I accepted appointment as Chairman of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which put me in the middle of the debate on conservation and energy policy. This new position allows me to stand up for the conservation and environmental issues that are so important to the future of our state. <br /><br />With the support of my colleagues on the committee, we were able to pass a wide range of bills to support renewable energy. We also stopped every bill that sought to roll back common sense rules protecting our air, land and water. We were the first committee to hold hearings on the natural gas crisis that struck New Mexico at the beginning of February and learned a great deal about the outage. I am committed to finding solutions to prevent future outages that threaten the lives and property of northern New Mexico families and will continue to push the committee to develop solid recommendations in collaboration with other parts of state government. <br /><br />The legislature passed a balanced budget package that left me very dissatisfied. As in past sessions, revenues were down and cuts were necessary. This year’s budget will be approximately $5.4 billion, down from more than $6 billion in 2009. The state’s workforce has now shrunk by 25%, and critical services have been scaled back several years in a row. <br /><br />Unlike previous sessions, however, the governor promised to veto any measure that changed rates of taxation, including a refusal to close tax loopholes that allow large out-of-state corporations to avoid paying their fair share of corporate income taxes. The governor’s pledge means that working families will have to bear the burden of cuts and reductions to basic services. In future sessions, we must begin to address our state’s structural deficit by looking to level the playing field between New Mexico’s businesses and those who come from out-of-state.<br /><br />While we may not agree completely on every issue, I am eager to hear your thoughts. I remain dedicated to creating and introducing legislation to create jobs, protect our natural resources, and improve the quality of education available to all our children. For a complete list of the bills I introduced, please visit www.nmlegis.gov. You can also stay in touch via my website and blog at www.BrianForSantaFe.com. Please feel free to contact me anytime with your thoughts, concerns and input. Thanks you, again, for the opportunity to be of service.<br /><br /> Sincerely,<br /> BrianBrian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-88287423713384064832010-07-01T10:58:00.002-06:002010-07-01T11:43:33.387-06:00The Truth About New Mexico's "Pit Rule"<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBRIANE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBRIANE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CBRIANE%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> 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mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Over the past two years, a debate has raged in New Mexico between those who work protect our water and land and some irresponsible oil and gas operators who oppose common sense efforts to make oil and gas exploration safer for everyone. The subject of the debate has been New Mexico's new "Pit Rule," which requires that drilling operations follow several new procedure to ensure that groundwater doesn't become contaminated by the drilling operations.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">First, the rule requires that the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drilling_fluid">mud pits</a>" alongside drilling sites be lined for the first time to prevent contaminants from leeching into the ground. Second, the rule requires that a record be kept of where each pit is located. Third, the rule required that the toxic wastes in the lined pits be removed to a disposal facility when drilling finished. Finally, the rule requires that a "closed loop system" be used when groundwater is withing fifty feet of the service to prevent groundwater contamination.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Since the New Mexico Oil and Gas Conservation Division adopted the rule, opponents have many numerous, loud and baseless claims that the rule has cost jobs and revenue to the state. The claims are wrong and are unsupported. There is no evidence to support such claims. In fact, the truth shows that opponents of the pit rule are dead wrong.
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Look this statement from Apache Corporation, a New Mexico producer. They're busier now than ever: "<i> We expect to drill in excess of 200 new wells during 2010 and currently have five rigs running in the Permian Basin. Of the 200-plus wells expected to be drilled, 100 new wells will be drilled in New Mexico, which will represent the most wells drilled by Apache in the state in any year. Also, we’ve identified areas that can take advantage of horizontal well technology. The first of those wells is drilled and in the process of being completed.</i>" (<a href="http://www.apachecorp.com/explore/Browse_Archives/View_Article.aspx?Article.ItemID=978"><span style="color:#000000;">http://www.apachecorp.com/explore/Browse_Archives/View_Article.aspx?Article.ItemID=978</span></a>).
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Opponents of the pit rule seem not to understand the fundamental truth of the oil and gas business: production follows opportunity, which is made or broken by the price of the commodity. It is the fall in prices since 2008, not the Pit Rule, that has affected production. I have repeatedly raised this issue in committee and on the floor. Each time I have asked for evidence to support the claims made by the rule's opponents, I have heard nothing but silence.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The funny thing is that there is a lot of evidence to contradict the opponents. Take a look at the Baker-Hughes Rig Count data from 02-08. Note that all three states saw rig counts drop in Dec. '08. Colorado saw a HUGE drop, far worse than NM or WY. New Mexico's pit rule, obviously had nothing to do with CO or WY. It was all about commodity prices. Here is the document (pay special attention to the final two pages):</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a title="View 2009 2-19 Baker Huges Rotary Rig Count Weekly Comparison Thru February 13, 2009 on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/33785542/2009-2-19-Baker-Huges-Rotary-Rig-Count-Weekly-Comparison-Thru-February-13-2009" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">2009 2-19 Baker Huges Rotary Rig Count Weekly Comparison Thru February 13, 2009</a> <object id="doc_15820007503622" name="doc_15820007503622" height="600" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=33785542&access_key=key-qswykv6wn195tk865ov&page=1&viewMode=list"> <embed id="doc_15820007503622" name="doc_15820007503622" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=33785542&access_key=key-qswykv6wn195tk865ov&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="600" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object>
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">For more recent data, as of June 4, there were 67 rigs drilling in New Mexico; that's up from 50 in Feb. 09, and increase of MORE THAN THIRTY PERCENT. Colorado had 52, which is down more than twenty percent from Feb. 09. Wyoming only had 34 drilling, a huge further decrease from Feb. 09. So, since Feb. 09, only one of the three states has seen an increase in drilling: New Mexico!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, the data show that New Mexico's production is GROWING IN SPITE OF THE PIT RULE.
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Opposition to the pit rule is about politics and Republicans' opposition to common sense environmental protections.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-83884193354846054442010-06-15T21:10:00.004-06:002010-07-01T11:00:32.728-06:00A New Bank of New Mexico - One Step Closer to Reality!Since the last session of the legislature, I have been working on a plan to create in New Mexico a state-owned bank for New Mexico. Today, that vision got one step closer to reality.<div><br /></div><div>Today, the New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee, on which I serve during the interim (the period between our legislative sessions), added the creation of a state-owned bank for New Mexico to its agenda. We are working hard on a bill and plan to present it to the committee in October.</div><div><br /></div><div>As you may know, this idea has been incredibly successful in North Dakota, where the <a href="http://www.banknd.nd.gov/">Bank of North Dakota</a> has been working with that state's local economy to grow its economy and work with its local businesses for over ninety years (learn more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_North_Dakota">HERE</a> and <a href="http://www.newrules.org/banking/rules/bank-north-dakota">HERE</a>). The idea is based on the concept that we should keep New Mexico's money in New Mexico for the benefit of our citizens instead of sending our state's funds to California, North Carolina and New York.</div><div><br /></div><div>By creating a Bank of New Mexico, we will be able to provide an important new resource for the state and critical support to our community banks and credit unions during these tumultuous times. The Bank will be able to do several key things:</div><div><ol><li>Work with our New Mexico-based banks and credit unions to expand credit to homeowners and small businesses,</li><li>Maintain our state's "check book" so we don't have to hire big national banks to do it for us, and</li><li>Invest in our local economies statewide by leveraging state funds to make available billions of dollars in loans to worthy projects.</li></ol><div>The new Bank of New Mexico won't compete with our community banks and credit unions. Instead, it will partner with them to assist the loan-making process and drive credit access further into New Mexico's under-served communities.<br /><br />The great thing is that New Mexico already has all the building blocks we need to make this vision a reality. We have a well-run and stable <a href="http://www.nmfa.net/NMFAInternet/">Finance Authority</a> that is already doing some of this work, though on a much smaller scale. The Finance Authority will have a surplus in excess of $100 million in the next two years that can be used to capitalize the new bank. And, we have a terrific and competent staff that can manage this new bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pleas follow this blog to keep up with the project.</div></div>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-87239347458836295912010-04-16T12:07:00.002-06:002010-04-16T12:14:49.230-06:00Earlier this week I listened to a story on This American Life about how a single Chicago-based hedge fund may have very likely been the proximate cause of the financial meltdown that nearly destroyed the global economy. That company is called Magnetar, and it is a scandal that you’ve probably never heard of it. <br /><br /> Magnetar played a critical role in keeping alive the market for some of the riskiest investments in 2006 and 2007. By doing so, Magnetar drove demand for riskier and riskier investments throughout the financial industry and created a market for the risky mortgage-backed securities that were the foundation for the collapse of the housing market. Here’s how they did it:<br /><br /> One of the biggest, if not the biggest, causes of the financial collapse in 2008 was the combined effect of two interlocking securities instruments called Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) and Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). CDOs are a type of asset-back security, similar to a bond, that pays investors from the proceeds of an underlying bundle of investments. In some cases, CDOs are issued based on mortgage-backed securities. If the underlying mortgages default, the CDOs can’t pay the investors, and the CDOs collapse in stages. Failed mortgages led to a cascading series of failure of CDOs throughout the financial industry and eventually to the failure of the financial system itself.<br /><br /> CDSs come into play because they are like insurance. If you make a large investment, you can buy a CDS to protect, or insure, you investment in case the investment fails. You can also, unbelievably, buy a CDS on an investment even if you’re not the investor. This is exactly like taking out a life insurance policy in a stranger. In other words, you can buy a CDS for a small amount on a bet that a large instrument will fail. If it does indeed fail, you get paid the full amount of the investment.<br /><br /> Magnetar’s scheme was to buy the riskiest portions of the CDOs, encourage the CDO manager to place riskier and riskier securities into the CDOs (making the CDO’s failure far more likely), then bet against the success of the CDO by purchasing CDSs that paid if the CDO failed. For example, Magnetar would spend $10 million on the risky portion of the CDO, would make the CDO virtually certain to fail, would buy a CDS that pays when the CDO fails, then collect $100 million or more when the CDO fails. It makes, by doing this $90 million on a $10 million “investment.”<br /><br /> To make matters worse, in 2005 the CDO market was starting to dry up. Money managers and investors were starting to realize that mortgage-backed securities were getting too risky, and there was a dwinding appetite for CDOs based on them. Magnetar, however, realized that it could make a killing if the CDO market stayed alive and therefore propped up the CDO market by strategically buying the riskiest portion of the CDOs. This not only propped up the CDO market, it fueled it into record growth. This meant that a housing market that would have likely cooled off without a bubble actually sped up and grew. Along the way tens of thousands of Americans got mortgages they never should have gotten in order to supply the demand for mortgage-backed securities. When the housing bubble burst and the CDOs failed, Magnetar made billions.<br /><br /> The final outrage is that much of the Bush Bail Out Money went to stabilize institutions who made bad decisions in issuing CDSs. Undoubtedly some (or a lot) of Magnetar’s huge profits came from the US Government, via AIG and other financial firms.<br /><br /> In the final analysis, Magnetar seems to have created a scheme for huge profits based on the misfortunes of tens of thousands of Americans and the generosity of the American Taxpayer. You and I paid taxes so that Magnetar and other firms could get paid on bets that they new were sure to pay off because they had gamed the system. This is outrageous.<br /><br /> Please take a minute to watch this video, made by the good folks at This American Life. It sums up the story in about two minutes. <a href="http://vimeo.com/10864430"> CLICK HERE</a>.<br /><br /> Also, please visit this page at Pro Publica <a href="http://www.propublica.org/feature/all-the-magnetar-trade-how-one-hedge-fund-helped-keep-the-housing-bubble"> CLICK HERE</a>. They are the team of reporters who have broken the story and who have put this all together.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-66291362306070913022010-03-05T11:07:00.003-07:002010-03-05T11:20:30.150-07:00New Mexico Legislature Concludes its Special Session - We Have A Budget<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEGOLF-%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEGOLF-%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEGOLF-%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;">Yesterday the New Mexico Legislature concluded the Special Session called by the Governor for the purpose of passing a budget for the new fiscal year. It was a terribly grueling process and session. I am copying below a version of the email I sent to my email distribution list yesterday that sums up what we did in the session:
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;">Dear Friends,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">I write to update you on what occurred during the recently concluded special session of the New Mexico Legislature. First, and most importantly<b>, I am very pleased to tell you that the legislature passed a balanced budget</b>. It was a very difficult session, but the work is complete, and I would like to share with you some of the details of the new budget.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">Regarding the state’s expenditures, the new budget continues the process of cutting waste and unnecessary spending that began at this time last year. With the passage of the new budget, <b>the legislature has reduced state spending by 12% (more than $700 million) from the spending level of just one year ago</b>. We have cut across the board, but we have done so carefully to ensure that critical education, health and human spending has been maintained. With specific regard to education, I am very proud that in spite of the tremendous challenges facing the budget, <b>the House passed a budget package that actually increased classroom funding by $1.7 million</b>. This was critical to my support of the budget because education is so important to the families of our community.
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act on the full budget package. Because of that inaction, less than the full budget package passed the legislature, and education will see a cut of approximately 1.2%. I am terribly disappointed that education will see a cut. It was not the will of the House, but the Senate simply would not agree to fully fund education.
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">In spite of the cuts, the legislature found it necessary to increase revenues in order to balance the budget. I voted for a limited and responsible tax package, but I did so reluctantly. I voted for the package in the firm belief that <b>it was the only way to avoid debilitating cuts to education</b> and other critical spending on health care. On the positive side, for the first time in memory the legislature <b>added major progressive elements to our tax code</b>. The inclusion of new progressivity in the tax code has been a major goal of my legislative service, and I am glad to have made significant progress on this front. The tax package includes six elements:</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>First, the package includes changes to the state compensating tax, which will begin to<span style="font-weight: bold;"> level the playing field between New Mexico companies and out of state corporations</span>. </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>Second, the package removes the double-deduction for state income tax. This change, referred to as the PIT add-back, means <b>New Mexico joins forty other states that implement this sound tax policy</b>. </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>Third, the package <b>increases by 20% the low-income comprehensive tax rebate</b> to reduce and eliminate the impact of the tax changes on low income earners. </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>Fourth, the package <b>increases the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $.75</b> and earmarks a third of that for education.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>Fifth, the package includes a 1/8% increase in the gross receipts tax.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">·<span style="font-size:7pt;"> </span>Sixth, the package includes a provision that ends the exemption food has from <b>locally-imposed gross receipts taxes</b>. This element also <b>ends the outdated tax policy that has sent to city and county governments hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been better spent on important state priorities like education</b>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;">Neither the budget nor the tax package is perfect, but we made tremendous progress in making the package vastly more progressive than when the negotiations started. We also provided truly progressive solutions in both the budget and tax package. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">During the regular session of the legislature that ended two weeks ago, several important initiatives passed. First, I sponsored in the House the <b>Natural Heritage Conservation Act</b>, which for the first time will allow the state to obtain federal funds for conservation and restoration projects statewide. I also sponsored in the House the legislation that has <b>ended “double dipping,”</b> the practice that used to allow state workers to retire then return to state employment with both a salary and their retirement benefits simultaneously. Both of these measures passed and went to the Governor’s office for action.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">I also introduced a bill that would have <b>moved as much as $5 billion of New Mexico’s money from large national banks into community banks and credit unions statewide</b>. The bill, House Bill 66, received national attention and passed the House unanimously but failed to receive a vote on the Senate floor in the final hours of the session. You can read about the bill by clicking HERE. I was deeply disappointed that this bill did not pass, but I will certainly reintroduce it in future sessions if I am reelected to the House. Two other bills I worked on during the session addressed serious environmental problems in New Mexico. I carried bills that would have allowed the state to <b>recover damages for injuries to aquifers and other types of groundwater</b> from industrial pollution and that would have allowed the state to deny permits to “bad actors” that repeatedly violate the terms of their air quality permits. The “bad actor” bill, House Bill 276, was only one vote short of passage in the House. For a complete list of the other bills I carried in the session, including the State Ethics Commission Act and legislation designed to end pay-to-play, please visit the legislature’s website at <a href="http://images.myngp.com/LinkTracker.aspx?crypt=IVi0ax2%2b6UBSinc%2fCPYaKZk%2bC5U2piw7YYtHPzQcePX5dydqm2zakqYUhi927gpk5CHXzTSvGE83RTNHzQowDrEdRSn9QgAYTZw6w1XO8%2bI%3d" target="_blank">www.NMLegis.gov</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;">Finally, I want to thank you for the honor and privilege of serving in the New Mexico House. I am so proud to represent Santa Fe in the House and hope that my service has lived up to the expectations of my constituents and community. Thank you for your time reading this message. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I may be of service to you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> Sincerely,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> Brian Egolf</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-family: times new roman;"> New Mexico Representative, District 47 </p> Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-77860258273069712992010-02-06T11:46:00.003-07:002010-02-06T11:48:08.446-07:00Progress in Moving New Mexico's Money!My proposal to move more of New Mexico's money to community banks took a big step on Thursday. The House Business and Industry Committee passed it unanimously, and the bill now goes to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. <br /><br />I am greatly encouraged by the bipartisan support of this bill and am optimistic that it will keep up its momentum.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-27447290232411622252010-01-22T18:42:00.003-07:002010-01-22T19:30:08.857-07:00Effort to Move New Mexico's Money to Local Banks Goes National!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3aZ48ipDFKhKPUB680gNsBcn6a7lWWpi8NP3qAOtcYeRYC4vnBvLSPlMJuEJldku8ZsJws4kXPQ-mzRGvtvJKN9XplH0dDbcju723UyHASuDmqMd6Efdz0pA_dcMDX34zZ-2U0cMLbw/s1600-h/Egolf+on+HuffPost.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3aZ48ipDFKhKPUB680gNsBcn6a7lWWpi8NP3qAOtcYeRYC4vnBvLSPlMJuEJldku8ZsJws4kXPQ-mzRGvtvJKN9XplH0dDbcju723UyHASuDmqMd6Efdz0pA_dcMDX34zZ-2U0cMLbw/s400/Egolf+on+HuffPost.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429756517687675218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This week I introduced a bill, House Bill 66, that would start the process of moving New Mexico's $1.4 billion main account (it's like our state's checking account) from Bank of America to community banks and credit unions around the state.<br /><br />So far I've gotten great responses, and today the Huffington Post picked up the story. You can read it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/22/new-mexico-state-legislat_n_433325.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br />If we succeed in moving our money, we will be able to make a HUGE investment in our state and in the community banks and credit unions that do so much for regular folks statewide. This investment by the state will greatly expand the access to credit that so many need and will also keep New Mexico's money in New Mexico, where it belongs.<br /><br />Yuo can follow the progress of the bill <a href="http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/BillDisplay.aspx?SponsorCode=HEGOL&year=10">HERE</a>.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-88655641740453143352010-01-20T12:27:00.003-07:002010-01-20T12:39:12.159-07:00The White Peak Fight Progresses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEWOOvJdCHD7RVmIwtAtpk1KFUGZqw1H9a4Vf_XvvG_pwCe7ven_Bte0O4_81muCfXVkNg4qrDqkgnvEz3nyZ_syOASqaYKQqv8psEZYxH2eK4HO1vv2bwUy5wnBC6FKOiBJp60L7SHI/s1600-h/White+Peak+Rally_Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEWOOvJdCHD7RVmIwtAtpk1KFUGZqw1H9a4Vf_XvvG_pwCe7ven_Bte0O4_81muCfXVkNg4qrDqkgnvEz3nyZ_syOASqaYKQqv8psEZYxH2eK4HO1vv2bwUy5wnBC6FKOiBJp60L7SHI/s400/White+Peak+Rally_Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428908754852368674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Photo copyright ABQ Journal/EDDIE MOORE<br /><br />Yesterday, the regular session of the New Mexico Legislature convened. Before the session started, there was a rally of folks from the White Peak area against the Land Commissioner's decision to give away prime hunting land in exchange for less desirable land. The following article describes the rally and the progress on the issue.<br /><br /><br /><br />White Peak Swaps Protested<br />Dozens Rally in the Snow Against Land Commissioner Pat Lyons, Policies<br />By Phil Parker<br />Journal Staff Writer<br /><br /><br /> State Rep. Brian Egolf told a crowd of protesters at the Roundhouse on Tuesday that he’ll introduce legislation to prevent trades like the controversial White Peak land exchanges planned by the State Land Office.<br /><br /> “That’s the only way I see to get away from precooked, back-room deals,” Egolf, D-Santa Fe, said.<br /><br /> Egolf addressed a camouflage clad throng of dozens of protesters who gathered in the snow to decry the White Peak trades as bad for hunters, with signs that read: “You trade state land for junk land” and “Stop giving away our public lands.” Hunters maintain the Land Office is giving up prime elk hunting territory for less desirable parcels.<br /><br /> State trust lands are managed by the Land Office, often with grazing or drilling leases, to generate money for beneficiaries including schools and prisons.<br /><br /> As legislators took turns firing up the crowd, State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons, who says the trades of land north of Ocate are needed to solve trespassing, poaching and access disputes, was referenced repeatedly. One protestor held a sign with a crown on it that read: “Lyons is not a King.”<br /><br /> “This is turning into a political free-for-all,” Land Office spokeswoman Kristin Haase said later. “My boss is the only Republican in town, and the Democrats are taking aim. It’s so transparent. It’s political.” Haase said that by consolidating state trust land, the exchanges would allow hunters more access in an area that is now a checkerboard jumble of state and private property.<br /><br />‘A sham’<br /> Under Egolf’s bill, state trust land would only be disposed of through an open auction after weeks of advertising. Deals agreed upon ahead of time between the Land Office and private property owners would not be allowed before the land is put up for bid.<br /><br /> Egolf called the current bidding process, where the Land Office reached deals before the state’s land parcels were put up for bid, “a sham.” The Land Office did advertise that the White Peak trust land was available, but no one besides the four ranchers the office had negotiated with made offers.<br /><br /> The Land Office wants to trade about 11,000 acres of state trust land around White Peak — plus 40 acres in Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol area and 3,600 acres just south of Española — for about 9,660 acres from the ranchers.<br /><br /> Egolf also said Tuesday, the first day of the legislative session, that he believes the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office is moving toward challenging the first of the four White Peak trades, between the Land Office and rancher David Stanley, who closed with the Land Office earlier this month. The three other swaps are moving forward but haven’t been completed.<br /><br /> Egolf said “it looks like” the Attorney General’s Office “may be close” to contesting the Stanley deal in court. Egolf said no one with the AG has directly told him that, but he’s reached the conclusion after seeing the office ramp up its review of the trade.<br /><br /> Attorney general spokesman Phil Sisneros said the AG continues to review the deal and “all things are on the table, in terms of our review and intent.” He said Attorney General Gary King “is very much aware of the problems that have been voiced by folks against the White Peak deals going on. He’s also concerned about the transparency in the negotiations, or lack of that.”<br /><br /> With the Stanley deal done, the next trade near completion is with UU Bar Express ranch, which is trading about 3,610 acres in White Peak to the Land Office for 3,431 acres of state trust land. Officials at the Land Office had previously said the deal might close Tuesday, but it was postponed because the Land Office is waiting for feedback from the AG and because title work has yet to be nailed down, according to Bob Stranahan, the Land Office’s chief legal counsel.<br /><br />Name-calling<br /> At the Roundhouse rally, Ralph Arellanes, a director with the League of United Latin American Citizens, said he was at a briefing held two weeks ago by Lyons, where a hunter from Ocate was loudly questioning the trade. Lyons said, “We don’t need any wiseasses,” and asked that police be called.<br /><br /> “Are we going to let him call us wiseasses?” Arellanes asked the protesters, who replied with a roar. “He thinks the power of money is stronger than the power of people!”<br /><br /> Former Land Commissioner Ray Powell, who is running to regain that post this year, said when he was land commissioner, “I didn’t sell one inch of state trust land.” When issues arose between hunters and private ranchers at White Peak, Powell said, his office would bring them together and mediate.<br /><br /> Powell said that over his 10-year tenure as commissioner he was approached by numerous parties interested in buying or trading for the state trust land in White Peak. He always said no, he said, because White Peak “is one of the few places in the West where you don’t have to be rich to hunt.”<br /><br /> The Land Office’s Haase responded later that Powell was “the commissioner of inactivity.”<br /><br /> “Revenues during his 10-year administration average $160 million per year. Revenues during Pat Lyons’s tenure average $375 million. It’s clear that Pat Lyons is the visionary and the more accomplished land commissioner.”<br />The Associated Press contributed to this report.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-40135891386274929992009-12-31T11:18:00.002-07:002009-12-31T11:33:32.814-07:00New White Peak Development - AG Asks Land Commissioner to Halt SwapThere's more news in the White Peak land swap case: the Attorney General has asked the Land Commissioner to immediately halt all proposed trades at White Peak due to "significant defects" in the appraisals and other "significant concerns" of the AG.<br /><br />You may recall that the White Peak swap is the proposed transaction where the Land Office seeks to swap state trust lands in the White Peak area for lands around the state. This has upset hunters and others who have long valued having access to the lands being given away by the Land Office. The proposed transactions have also raised in my mind serious questions about how this deal came to be and what analysis was done ensure that this is a good deal for New Mexico.<br /><br />Among the problems the AG has identified are:<br /> 1. Faulty assumption in the underlying appraisals<br /> 2. Use of incomparable sales to determine value of the Trust Lands being lost<br /> 3. Numerous technical and clerical errors in the appraisal<br /> 4. Characterizing a "sale" and a "swap," which avoids additional public process<br /><br />This is a serious development that will hopefully lead not only to a cancellation of these swaps but to much-needed reform of the Land Office's policies and practices.<br /><br />I've attached today's ABQ Journal article and the letter from the AG to the Land Commissioner below.<br /><br /><a title="View White Peak AG Says Halt - Text on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24657443/White-Peak-AG-Says-Halt-Text" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">White Peak AG Says Halt - Text</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_674634053620295" name="doc_674634053620295" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" align="middle" height="500" width="100%" > <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24657443&access_key=key-2ix3seo7j5lag4pne9g7&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <param name="mode" value="list"> <embed src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24657443&access_key=key-2ix3seo7j5lag4pne9g7&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_674634053620295_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object> <br /><br />Here is the Attorney General's letter to the Commissioner:<br /><br /><a title="View King Letter to SLO on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24657592/King-Letter-to-SLO" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">King Letter to SLO</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_922539460974404" name="doc_922539460974404" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" align="middle" height="500" width="100%" > <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24657592&access_key=key-2kx8k6s3i445pvgocmdu&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <param name="mode" value="list"> <embed src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24657592&access_key=key-2kx8k6s3i445pvgocmdu&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_922539460974404_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-32194247117531680592009-12-17T15:14:00.001-07:002009-12-17T15:15:34.857-07:00More coverage of the Land Commissioner's Bum Deal Land TradeNMPolitics is covering my call for an investigation into the Land Commissioner's White Peak land swap. Hopefully we can get enough attention to stop this bad deal - trading hunting lands for scrub brush.<br /><br />The article is <a href="http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2009/12/ag-auditor-to-probe-white-peaks-land-deal/">HERE</a>.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-11099417437308654302009-12-15T11:40:00.003-07:002009-12-15T11:55:32.283-07:00Journal Covers White Peak Land SwapYesterday, I sent letters to the New Mexico Attorney General and the State Auditor asking them to look into the "White Peak Exchange" being done by the Land Commissioner. It's a swap of state trust land for private land that will take thousands of acres of prime hunting land out of the trust and place it into private ownership. This means New Mexicans will no longer be able to hunt there - a real loss to northern New Mexico. In exchange, the trust is getting flat grassland along a remote highway.<br /><br />Today's Journal North covered the story. You can find the article <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/north/152332518765north12-15-09.htm">HERE</a>. And here:<br /><a title="View Abqjournal North_ Rep. Ques.. on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24137352/Abqjournal-North-Rep-Ques" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Abqjournal North_ Rep. Ques..</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_576197187655764" name="doc_576197187655764" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" align="middle" height="500" width="100%" > <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24137352&access_key=key-1cb2n136i1c85el05678&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <param name="mode" value="list"> <embed src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24137352&access_key=key-1cb2n136i1c85el05678&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_576197187655764_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object> <br /><br />My concern is that the Land Office appears to have done no real analysis to support its argument that this is a good deal for the trust. Congress set aside these land to generate income for the School for the Deaf, the School for the Blind and the seventeen other beneficiaries of the trust. Any transaction undertaken by the Land Office must be done only after a decision is made that the transaction benefits the beneficiaries. When asked directly, the Commissioner was unable to say how this benefits the beneficiaries and was unable to describe the analysis he conducted.<br /><br />I believe that New Mexicans deserve to know why this swap is being done and why it is a good decision to give up pristine hunting land.<br /><br />The letters are here:<br /><br />Letter to Auditor Balderas<br /><a title="View Balderas Letter on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24136956/Balderas-Letter" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Balderas Letter</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_334554081554451" name="doc_334554081554451" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" 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allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object> <br /><br />Letter to Attorney General King<br /><br /><a title="View King Letter on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24136957/King-Letter" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">King Letter</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_51572258962604" name="doc_51572258962604" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" align="middle" height="500" width="100%" > <param name="movie" 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name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The special session of the State Legislature that has just ended.<span style=""> </span>On the important issue of education funding, I am happy to report that <b style="">I maintained</b> <b style="">my commitment not to support a bill that reduces funding to our children, teachers, and classrooms</b>.<span style=""> </span>The final budget solvency package contains three key provisions that together mean our schools will not see a reduction in classroom funding.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first component of the package is a novel provision that swaps state general fund money for unused capital money to reduce the strain on our state treasury while maintaining education levels.<span style=""> </span>The net effect statewide will be a total reduction approximately .7 percent in education funding from the state, which will cause no perceptible change in the classroom.<span style=""> </span>The package also provides an additional source of funding to districts to close the .7% gap to zero by opening up previously restricted funds at the district level.<span style=""> </span>Finally, the package contains a $3 million fund to protect small districts from any unforeseen effects of this funding change.<span style=""> </span>In short, <b style="">we achieved my main goal of the special session: balance the budget without reducing education funding available to our schools.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In addition to the education funding package, the legislature passed bills that protect Medicaid funding while trimming 7.6% from the budgets of our state agencies and requiring the governor to reduce by 102 the number of exempt positions in the administration.<span style=""> </span>These savings will be achievable without layoffs, furloughs or salary reductions for state workers.<span style=""> </span>Taken together, the entire package achieves solvency for our state budget while reducing recurring expenditures by more than $200 million.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, on the issue of new revenues, I led the fight in the House to have revenue bills considered.<span style=""> </span>I introduced three revenue bills and argued strenuously that they should be considered.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, because the governor’s<span style=""> </span>proclamation failed to contain a call to pass new revenue bills, my proposals could not be heard.<span style=""> </span>Though this restriction tied our hands and limited the options to balance the budget, we still found a solution.<span style=""> </span>I will attempt during our next session to raise new revenue so that we can achieve long-term stability in our budget.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On a personal note, I was surprised how difficult the session was.<span style=""> </span>The decisions were heart-wrenching, but I am certain that the legislature did all it could to maintain its responsibility to run our government while minimizing the impact of the budget shortfall on our citizens.<span style=""> </span>I am deeply honored to represent district 47 in the House, and appreciate all the message of support before and during the session.<span style=""> </span>in January we will again have to face hard budget decisions, and I hope to have your input.</p>
<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p> Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-35905389608118400532009-10-16T20:30:00.002-06:002009-10-16T20:35:08.728-06:00Santa Fe New Mexican Highlights Efforts to Increase State RevenuesThe Santa Fe <span style="font-style: italic;">New Mexican</span> today ran an article describing proposals from myself and Senator Wirth to raise new revenues in our state budget in order to avoid drastic cuts to education and health care. You can find the article <a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Pair-push-tax-hikes--to-raise-revenue">HERE</a>.<br /><br />The paper also editorialized in support of our efforts. You can find it <a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Editorial-for-Friday--Oct--16--2009">HERE</a>.<br /><br />The Special Session starts tomorrow. It is still a very fluid session as we attempt to fix a $650 million budget deficit. Stay tuned...Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-11253738104182207972009-09-25T16:18:00.002-06:002009-09-25T16:22:44.600-06:00New York Passes Major Energy Efficiency Legislation - New Mexico Should Too<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Recently the New York State Assembly passed outstanding legislation aimed at tackling one of the toughest problems we face in the energy arena: how to make buildings more efficient. According to the New York </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Times</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, "t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">he bill would enable state energy regulators to loan out funds to cover the upfront costs of improving the energy efficiency of a home or business — as much as $13,000 for residential customers and as much as $26,000 for qualifying businesses. The loan would then be paid back through monthly deductions culled from the energy savings arising from the retrofit." The entire article can be found </span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/business/energy-environment/14green.html?_r=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">HERE</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 22px;">After the last session of our New Mexico Legislature, I think we could get something similar done here. Renewable energy is popular in the legislature, and a measure like the one passed by New York would likely do well. Stay tuned.</span></span></div>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-23696648148207382882009-08-27T11:21:00.003-06:002009-08-27T11:30:25.968-06:00More Coverage of Renewable Energy FightLast week, the New Mexico <span style="font-style: italic;">Business Weekly</span> ran two great articles about the PRC fight over renewable energy and monopolization of new installations.<br /><br />The first article can be found at this link: <a href="http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/08/24/story2.html?b=1251086400%5E1968731">PNM Wants PRC To Protect Its Turf</a>.<br /><br />The second is here: <a href="http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/08/24/story1.html?b=1251086400%5E1968561&s=industry&i=energy">PNM's rollback plan gets sunburned</a>.<br /><br />This issue is really picking up steam. As soon as we have a date for a hearing, I'll post it here.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-71982194559461825282009-08-18T16:59:00.007-06:002009-08-18T21:30:26.807-06:00Terrific Coverage of Our Fight For Clean EnergyI want to share with you a few of the terrific articles and radio spots covering our fight to protect and encourage renewable energy in New Mexico.<br /><br />The Santa Fe <span style="font-style: italic;">New Mexican</span> ran a great article on Monday, August 17 by Staci Matlock. You can find it here: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Legislators%20push%20case%20for%20third-party%20power%20producers">Legislators Push Case for Third-Party Power Producers</a>.<br /><br />This morning, Mark Bentley ran a "Dateline New Mexico" piece on 89.1 KANW on the the fight for renewables in New Mexico. You can hear it by clicking the play button below. It's about four minutes.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.edublogs.tv/addons/audio/player/player.swf" quality="high" name="mp3player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="width=290&height=24&autostart=no&bg=0x000000&leftbg=0xFFBF00&border=0xFFBF00&text=0x333333&soundFile=http://www.edublogs.tv/uploads/audio/bK3qhLciYH4JPS40JzAO.mp3" width="290" height="24"></embed><br /><br />Also, an article by Michael Hartranft in the Albuquerque <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal</span> from August 2 lays out very well PNM's plan to limit new residential renewable energy installation and REC payments. The article is a must-read. You can find it here: <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/02223957metro08-02-09.htm">CLICK HERE</a>. Michael did another good article on the third-party fight. You can find that article <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/biz/06215871084biz08-06-09.htm">HERE</a>.<br /><br />The public support for renewables and the support of legislators and the Governor is incredible. Please join in the fight; send me an email if you'd like to know how to help out. <a href="http://www.brianforsantafe.com/contact">CONTACT ME</a>.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-77510021233985269922009-08-06T09:40:00.002-06:002009-08-06T09:43:27.085-06:00The President and I Have Something in Common<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com/6fc24722bada5f8fe75b525f7c8b9b21.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 863px;" src="http://kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com/6fc24722bada5f8fe75b525f7c8b9b21.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Our Birth Certificates!<div><br /></div><div>This can be made here: <a href="http://kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com/">Kenyan Birth Certificate Generator</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wonder if I'm eligible to hold my office as State Representative?</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully this humor of this generator will show the "birthers" how ridiculous their claims are.<div><br /></div></div>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-56980802028595871172009-08-05T10:13:00.002-06:002009-08-05T10:20:04.942-06:00More Legislators Join the BriefSince filing our brief with the PRC, eight more legislators have signed on. They are:<div><br /></div><div><div>The Honorable Eleanor Chavez</div><div>New Mexico Representative, District 13</div><div><br /></div></div><div>The Honorable Joni Gutierrez</div><div>New Mexico Representative, District 33</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>The Honorable Clinton Harden</div><div>New Mexico Senator, District 7</div><div><div><br /></div><div>The Honorable Sandra Jeff,</div><div>New Mexico Representative, District 5</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The Honorable Patricia Lundstrom,</div><div>New Mexico Representative, District 9</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>The Honorable George Munoz</div><div>New Mexico Senator, District 4</div><div><br /></div><div>The Honorable Cynthia Nava</div><div>New Mexico Senator, District 31</div><div><br /></div></div><div>The Honorable John Sapien</div><div>New Mexico Senator, District 9</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-28043255904841467992009-07-31T17:08:00.003-06:002009-08-01T10:28:55.660-06:00Eighteen Legislators Join Me in Critical Renewable Energy FilingToday I, along with eighteen other legislators from both chambers, filed an important legal brief with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission in support of renewable energy in New Mexico. You can view the brief here:<br /><br /><a title="View PRC Brief on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/17938457/PRC-Brief" style="margin: 12px auto 6px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">PRC Brief</a> <object codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" id="doc_607701037993476" name="doc_607701037993476" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="100%" align="middle" height="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17938457&access_key=key-28p6ubsnobuytrws1238&page=1&version=1&viewMode="> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <embed src="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17938457&access_key=key-28p6ubsnobuytrws1238&page=1&version=1&viewMode=" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_607701037993476_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" align="middle" height="500"></embed> </object><br />In this brief, we argue that the renewable energy financing mechanism called a third-party arrangement is legal under New Mexico law. This is important because there is an effort underway to ban such arrangements, which would devastate the growing renewable energy industry in New Mexico and would severely hamper the ability of companies like <a href="http://www.sunedison.com/">Sun Edison</a> to do business in New Mexico.<br /><br />Third-party arrangements help cities, churches and non-profits (entities that cannot take advantage of tax incentive that support renewable energy because these entities do not have tax liabilities) deploy renewable energy generation. The arrangement allows a company to install solar systems at a customer's location while maintaining ownership of the system. In the arrangement, the third-party owner installs, owns, operates and maintains the PV system, charges the customer for the system based on kilowatt hours (kWhs) produced and receives the benefits of owning the system, including state and federal tax credits, depreciation, tax incentives and private investor-owned utility (IOU) cash incentives. The third-party ownership PPA model is fast becoming "the financing method of choice" in many states because of the low or no initial investment cost to the customer. (See Frantzis, L., "<a href="http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy08osti/42304.pdf">Photovoltaics Business Models</a>", National Renewable Energy Laboratory Subcontract Report 581-42304, February 2008.).<br /><br />In the ongoing effort to support and extend the reach of solar, this case will me a major milestone. Please stay tuned.<br /><br />The legislators who signed on to my brief are:<br /><br />The Honorable Ben R. Lujan<br />Speaker of the House, District 46<br /><br />The Honorable Mary Jane Garcia<br />Senate Majority Whip, District 36<br /><br />The Honorable Sheryl Williams-Stapleton<br />House Majority Whip, District 19<br /><br />The Honorable Carlos Cisneros<br />New Mexico Senator, District 6<br /><br />The Honorable Nathan Cote<br />New Mexico Representative, District 53<br /><br />The Honorable Dede Feldman<br />New Mexico Senator, District 13<br /><br />The Honorable Steven Fischmann<br />New Mexico Senator, District 37<br /><br />The Honorable Timothy Keller<br />New Mexico Senator, District 17<br /><br />The Honorable Lynda Lovejoy<br />New Mexico Senator, District 22<br /><br />The Honorable Antonio Lujan<br />New Mexico Representative, District 35<br /><br />The Honorable Roger Madalena<br />New Mexico Representative, District 65<br /><br />The Honorable Antonio Maestas<br />New Mexico Representative, District 16<br /><br />The Honorable Cisco McSorley<br />New Mexico Senator, District 16<br /><br />The Honorable Jerry Ortiz y Pino<br />New Mexico Senator, District 12<br /><br />The Honorable Benjamin Rodefer<br />New Mexico Representative, District 23<br /><br />The Honorable Sander Rue<br />New Mexico Senator, District 23<br /><br />The Honorable Jeff Steinborn<br />New Mexico Representative, District 37<br /><br />The Honorable Mimi Stewart<br />New Mexico Representative, District 21Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-21779478666588551112009-04-09T19:22:00.005-06:002009-04-09T19:45:34.812-06:00Governor Signs HB 572 - Solar Financing Bill Becomes Law!Today, at the Santa Fe Community College's Biomass-powered heating facility, Governor Richardson signed HB 572, my solar financing bill. It was a terrific event at which the Governor also signed a broad range of clean energy bills that encourage development of new renewable energy technologies, incentivize the hiring of new employees for green-collar jobs, and allow counties to issue bonds to pay for new training programs in the renewable energy industry.<br /><br />Here is the Governor signing the bill:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH_4lImG0k5rdviT2VnBcHP2N31S8mPUz9Ro8PS3XYM-fnO6Rx_RtSzELwrNaj_PvhVev7pr4b4RtHcNEpvx2FD_aR6yR8dYJH7OyLVEtz16zLtbahGaVQ2DCmj1jBMA5iarguXqhfd8/s1600-h/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH_4lImG0k5rdviT2VnBcHP2N31S8mPUz9Ro8PS3XYM-fnO6Rx_RtSzELwrNaj_PvhVev7pr4b4RtHcNEpvx2FD_aR6yR8dYJH7OyLVEtz16zLtbahGaVQ2DCmj1jBMA5iarguXqhfd8/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322868751104869330" border="0" /></a><br />Here the Governor gives me the pen he used to sign the bill:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9ac72biUXnTyHOBS7vgPmHbtOo3rZd128QyCLUE_bw_mUovIzdwQ8tlcuAZwxR6d7x73ZwszleU8Z-7Ki357vxoGrkRXnELQZKWS_hkmxoJN0qFu_qvao1i0KMPXUe3OVtA09mYB9dQ/s1600-h/IMG_0006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9ac72biUXnTyHOBS7vgPmHbtOo3rZd128QyCLUE_bw_mUovIzdwQ8tlcuAZwxR6d7x73ZwszleU8Z-7Ki357vxoGrkRXnELQZKWS_hkmxoJN0qFu_qvao1i0KMPXUe3OVtA09mYB9dQ/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322869421736138802" border="0" /></a><br />Now, the effort moves to the county governments, who must use these new tools to implement solar financing programs.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-81685694046724692262009-04-05T10:19:00.002-06:002009-04-05T10:23:55.104-06:00Discussing the Solar Revolution on KNMEOn Friday, I appeared on KNME Channel 5 (our NM PBS station) to discuss solar energy and the big changes our legislative session made to the solar landscape. I spoke about my solar finance bill, HB 572, and about solar gaining wider adopting and recognition as a cost-effective means of generating electricity.<br /><br />You may find the video by clicking <a href="http://www.knme.org/archive/bw.php?v=2009-04-03_IF_240">HERE</a>. If you would like to skip to the segment where I appear, click the progress bar at the bottom of the viewer to 16:25.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-35634310970441188672009-03-20T15:39:00.003-06:002009-04-05T10:28:42.169-06:00Solar Financing Bill Passes Senate Unanimously!Great news! Just a few minutes ago, the New Mexico Senate passed HB 572, my solar financing bill, unanimously on a vote of 35-0. The bill can be found <a href="http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?Chamber=H&LegType=B&LegNo=572&year=09">HERE</a>.<br /><br />The bill now goes to the Governor.<br /><br />Thanks to all of you who have supported me in this effort!Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827370366522088872.post-43591642016822037602009-03-15T14:59:00.002-06:002009-03-15T15:01:17.124-06:00Solar Financing Bill Advances in the SenateThis morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-0 to send House Bill 572 to the Senate Finance Committee. With less than a week to go, the bill has to clear one more committee and pass the Senate floor. It may not seem like much time, but in the Round House, a lot can happen in only six days.Brian Egolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06471790567027765395noreply@blogger.com0