Santa Fe Reporter Endorses Sheriff Solano

Today The Santa Fe Reporter Endorsed me for the Democratic Primary on June 6, 2006. I am very grateful they have endorsed me for the third time in my three Sheriff's Races. This Complete's the Triple Crown of Print Media Endorsements with all three major local papers endorsing me in the Sheriff's Race. The Santa Fe Reporter joins The New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal North with thier endorsements. Also endorsing me is the Fraternal Order of Police, and AFSCME's Local unions as well. The Reporter's endorsement is quoted below.

Endorsement as printed on May 31, 2006, The Santa Fe
Reporter.

Santa Fe County Sheriff/Democrats
Greg Solano

The Race: Incumbent Greg Solano is finishing his first
term and seeking re-election. Sgt. Linda Ortiz, also of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department, is challenging him in the June primary. There is no Republican on the general election ballot.

The Issues: The county jail, which returned to county management last fall, was a topic of discussion. Solano, who advocated the move during his last campaign, maintains the county is improving conditions at the jail and says having it under local control is the right thing to do. Ortiz initially made public statements that she favored privatization, but the Journal Santa Fe subsequently reported Ortiz was rethinking that position. Ortiz, in her campaign, cited low morale at the Sheriff’s Department as one reason for her run. Solano points to the increased salaries for his deputies and lack of vacancies as a rebuttal. The campaigns also have discussed DWI laws and other crimes in the area.

Our Pick: We profiled Solano, both his life and first term, in a cover story in May. That story also included a section about Ortiz’ challenge and contentions regarding Solano’s tenure. Following that story, Ortiz declined to come in for an endorsement interview, which made it challenging to evaluate her for the office she seeks. It also was disconcerting. The media—and hopefully the public—should be wary of public officials, or public official hopefuls, who respond to articles they don’t like with silence. It never bodes well. Solano, on the other hand, is likely one of the most accessible public officials in recent history. He keeps an online blog, is outspoken, returns all calls promptly, provides police reports quickly and without argument. He has been an active sheriff, pushing for not just public control of the jail, but DWI forfeiture laws. He writes grants to acquire technology for his department; initiated a project for counseling for his officers to address their jobs. He’s willing to speak out, even when his views aren’t popular, and even deputies who supported his opponents in the previous election say he’s doing a good job. Universally popular? No. Deserving of a second term? No question.

If you have not gotten out to vote early yet, Saturday June 3, is the last day to vote early. Click here for early voting election sites.

New Mexican Endorses Greg!

Today the Santa Fe New Mexican added its endorsement to the growing list of endorsements I have received. I wholeheartedly thank The New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal North, AFSCME Local 1782, and the Fraternal Order of Police for their endorsements. Wednesday is the last of the big three print media endorsements when the Santa Fe Reporter makes their choice. Below is the text from the New Mexicans editorial which ran Today, Sunday, May 28, 2006.

Below is the endorsement as printed in the Santa Fe New Mexican, 05-28-06

Santa Fe County has a good Sheriff - Greg Solano, who carried through on his commitment to putting the jail back in public hands, and more deputies on patrol. This high-energy public servant should be given a second term.

Printed from Freenewmexican.com.

11 Days To Go!

The June 6, 2006 primary is eleven days away and the campaigns are heating up! I have watched the Attorney General Ads heat up on TV with Geno Zamora and Gary King airing some hard hitting commercials. The Santa Fe County Assessors race and the Magistrate Court races are also heating up.

I began radio ads almost two weeks ago and voters got a look at my print ads in publications such as Round the Roundhouse, The Santa Fe Reporter, The Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal North. Look for additional publications next week.

My opponent and I faced off in the last scheduled forum in Eldorado at the Community Center last night. It was a structured debate that became heated towards the end as my opponents negative campaigning continued. I will not get negative and instead will continue to talk about what I have done and will continue to do in a future Sheriff Solano Administration. Look for pictures from the forum to be posted soon at my campaign web site www.solano4sheriff.com. If you would like to view my opponent and I in a debate you can do so by watching Community Access Channel 16 on Comcast Cable at the following dates and times. May 29, at 9am, June 1, at 2pm, and June 4, at 8pm.

I really believe that if you have not made up your mind or have any doubts, that watching this forum will convince you that I am the best qualified candidate. I believe this so much that I purchased print ads publicizing the dates and times that the forum will be televised.

My campaign staff has been working overtime helping me put up more signs as citizens continue to call for them, meet with voters, attending forums and political events, waving signs at street corners and raising funds to pay for it all. I really appreciate them all and I could not do it with out them. I am often in awe of these friends, family and supporters who believe in me.

Now I am waiting for the final endorsements to come out. So far I have received the endorsements from AFSCME Local 1782, The Fraternal Order of Police, and the Albuquerque Journal North. Julie Goldberg talks about the frustration at writing the endorsement issue at the Santa Fe Reporter on her Blog. Trust me Julie waiting for the results of your writing is as grueling if not more that writing them must be. Oh well, we each have our cross to bear.

DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE! The last day to early vote is June 3, 2006. Click here for early voting sites and times.

Albuquerque Journal Endorses Sheriff Greg Solano

Today the Albuquerque Journal Endorsed me in the June Primary race for Sheriff. I am very appreciative of this endorsement. The Journal did not endorse me in the 2002 June Primary and its good to see that I have earned their confidence. I have always tried to work with the media seeing them as an important part of our democracy. The Santa Fe Reporter should come out with their endorsements May 31 and only the editor knows when the Santa Fe New Mexican will come out with theirs. I have worked hard to earn all of their endorsements and most of all to earn the voters endorsement with your votes. Thank you to all who have helped and continue to help me in my re-election bid. Only 13 more days to go! Below is the endorsement as written in the Albuquerque Journal North.

Printed from ABQjournal.com, a service of the Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

ENDORSEMENT: Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano

The Journal didn't endorse Solano when he ran for the office the first time, in 2002. We judged him short on law enforcement experience- he had been out of the police force for seven years when he ran for sheriff.

But Solano has acquitted himself well in his four years in office. He seems to have steered clear of the garden variety personnel and department loyalty problems that might have plagued a young office-holder without much shared experience with the staff he would supervise. He has overseen the county's takeover of a privately run jail plagued with serious problems- a takeover long overdue. And he has been very visible as the public voice of the law enforcement agency responsible for the best part of 2,000 square miles, thus fulfilling another of his campaign promises.

We see no reason not to return Solano for another term. (No Republican is on the ballot in November.)

An Audio Excerpt from SFCC Forum

As I mentioned in an earlier post my opponent and I took part in a forum at the Santa Fe Community College. It was sponsored by the community access channel 16 and KSFR radio. KSFR has been running portions of the questions and answers on their news segments. Here you can listen to a question regarding the jail. My opponent wants to go back to having a private company run the jail although she alters her answer to that question based on where we are speaking. One of her campaign websites (she has two) clearly states she wants to privatize the jail.

The entire forum can be watched on Community Access Channel 16, (you must have comcast cable) The forum was taped for later showings and will be on air at 8 pm on May 26, and June 4. It will also air at 1pm on 23, and at 9 am on May 29, It will also air at 2 pm on June 1, 2006.

The Sheriff's race has also been featured on KOAT Channel 7 in a news segment called commitment 2006. I have received numerous calls in support of my answers to the questions in these segments. I hope to provide a link to these segments if KOAT puts them on their website. On Thursday May 25, 2006 there will be a forum for candidates put on by the Eldorado Residents Association at the community center in Eldorado. The forum will begin at 7:00 pm.

There are not a lot of forum's scheduled and my opponent was a no show at the Edgewood forum on Friday May 19, 2006. Early Voting has begun at several sites throughout Santa Fe, stop by and get your vote cast. There are seldom lines and you can be in and out quick.

2006 Primary Election Early Voting Sites

Main Location - Open May 9 through June 3
Santa Fe County Clerk's Office, 102 Grant Street Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
Location Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday, June 3 ONLY, 10:00am - 6:00pm

Alternate Sites Open May 13 through June 3

Santa Fe County Fair Building, East of Rodeo Grounds, Rodeo Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507

Pojoaque Fire Station #1, Pojoaque 17919 US 84/285, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506

Edgewood Fire Station #1, Edgewood 23, East Frontage Road, Edgewood, New Mexico 87015

Cimarron Office Complex, Eldorado, 2 North Chamisa Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508

Abedon Lopez Senior Center, Santa Cruz 153 Camino De Quintana, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 87567

Location Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

2006 Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

As promised I want to describe to you the events which took place this morning at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Memorial. All three major TV networks were there and KRQE's newscast is presented below. That is me in the black Sheriff's hat and grey uniform which you can see presenting a wreath in the middle of the story.

The event was a solemn one, three names were added to the wall this year. The names of Bernalillo County Sheriff''s Deputy James McGrane and Albuquerque Police Officers Richard Smith and Michael King were added to the Wall of Honor. The wall is located in the courtyard of the Police Academy in Santa Fe. It is a constant reminder to the cadets in school there of how important their training at the academy is.

Michael King and Richard Smith were shot and killed while serving a medical order on a disturbed man in August of 2005. John Hyde, age 48, was arrested for the murders. John Hyde was also accused of killing 3 others earlier in the day, prior to the two APD Officers trying to pick him up on the medical order.

James McGrane was shot and killed March 22, 2006 during a routine traffic stop in Tijeras Canyon. Michael Paul Astorga was arrested after a massive manhunt. He was found in Juarez Mexico. When James McGrane stopped Michael Paul Astorga that night he had no idea that the driver was wanted for a previous murder and was on the run from law enforcement.

A coincidence in all three murdered officer's was the fact that all three had left law enforcement and then come back. Michael King and Richard Smith retired from APD then returned to work as junior officers basically starting their careers all over again from scratch. James Mc Grane left police work and went to work for the U.S. Postal Service for many years before returning to his first love as a deputy for the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office in 2002.

Many dignitaries and law enforcement from throughout the state attended the ceremony and the heads of the two agencies whom the fallen officers belonged gave speeches. Sheriff Darren White of Bernalillo County and Chief of Police Ray Schultz gave moving speeches honoring their fallen comrades. Bagpipes played,helicopters flew over, flags were lowered and raised, and the silence was broken by the loud pops of the 21 gun salute. Then the families returned to their homes to deal with their loss. I have seen many of the same families year after year. Their hearts must break again and again each time they hear the bagpipes play. I know my heart aches and I feel a lump in my throat even though I have heard them every year since I first became an officer in 1988.

Eight columns of names have been added to the original wall as through the years names are added. It would be nice if no more names ever had to be added. Often quoted in the death of a peace officer is the bible quote "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)." This is what Law Enforcement is all about. Whether you give of your life with all the nights and endless hours away from your family, or you give of your life with the supreme sacrifice, all peace officers give. Its not a job, its a calling. God Bless the soldiers and peace officers who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Televised Sheriff Candidate Forum

Santa Fe Community Television channel 16 and KSFR Radio sponsored a televised forum for Sheriff's Candidates tonight at the Community College. The forum was taped for later showings and will be on air at 8 pm on May 20, May 26, and June 4. It will also air at 1pm on May 21, 23, and at 9 am on May 29, It will also air at 2 pm on June 1, 2006. The discussion was moderated by Bill Dupuy the on air news anchor from KSFR Radio. It was an informal format with more of a Charlie Rose feel to it as opposed to the normal debate type format.

I feel things went really well, my opponent has a much less issue oriented campaign and answered the questions much more broadly then I tried to answer them. When she did cite numbers or specifics they tended to be skewed or just plain wrong. I am not sure whether this is on purpose or if she just does not have the right information. Either way I felt really good with the forum. If you have not heard one or either of us speak the forum would be worth watching. It is only a half hour so its not a long drawn out forum and should be easy to watch. You must have comcast cable to watch the program and it is on channel 16. If you do get to see it please feel free to email me with any further questions or comments at sfsheriff@aol.com.

The Santa Fe Reporter will be coming out with their endorsements on May 31,and the New Mexican and Albuquerque Journal usually come out the week before the election which is June 6, 2006. I am looking forward to these and have my fingers crossed. These endorsements come out late for early and absentee voting but can still assist with last minute undecided voters. Today marks three weeks to the Primary Election, it is getting busier everyday as election day approaches.

I really enjoy the campaign and getting out and meeting the voters. Over the years I have met some running for office who really don't enjoy the campaigning part of the job. To me this would seem as something that if you don't enjoy it I really can't see running for office. It is so integral to public office that I believe you really must enjoy running for office in order to be a successful public servant.
Well I am yawning so I will cut this post short and hit the sack. Tomorrow morning I will be attending the Law Enforcement Memorial Services which begin at 10:00am at the Law Enforcement Academy. It is always a sad service and each year it seems we always have someone's name to add to the wall. Maybe this time next year we will not add any new names. We can only hope and pray. For those who have never been to one of these services I will try and describe the services as they occurred this year, tomorrow night in this blog.

President Al Gore Speech

In case you missed it here is President Al Gore and the speech he gave on Saturday Night.

Children Are Our Future?

Today I had lunch with volunteers and residents at the Santa Fe Youth Development Center (previously known as the youth detention center). Federal Judge Martha Vasquez joined me in honoring the volunteers who teach students, Music, Art, Native American Rituals, Religion, Culinary Arts, and Academics. It was a moving experience.

The program started with Aztec Dancers who danced and prayed. First just the Indian dancers danced then about 9 brave residents and one of the volunteers joined them. As I watched the teens dance they really got into it and had big smiles on their faces. Dressed in their sweat pants and green t-shirts, when I first arrived it was easy to distinguish them as residents. However, dancing with big smiles on their faces they looked just like any other kid, actually they looked a lot like my kids. I have a 13 year old daughter and a 20 year old son.

These were all long term detainees, most were Federal Indian Nation prisoners. In order to be placed in this program one must have been convicted of a serious felony. Dancing, smiling and enjoying the beautiful day outside these kids looked just like kids should look. Happy and enjoying life. All this was happening in the back recreation yard of the Youth Development Program. As I watched them my eyes caught the fence surrounding the property. It is tall and topped with razor wire. Just outside the fence you can see a normal playground belonging to a nearby daycare. What a difference from the harsh playground in the fence to the colorful inviting playground outside.

Inside the building we were served a meal as good as I have had in some of Santa Fe's finest restaurants. All of it was cooked by residents enrolled in the culinary arts program. Many of the volunteers were honored by the kids with moving speeches, prayers, and awards. This entire program once run by a private company is now run by Santa Fe County. It is really a shining star and a great example of government doing things right.

I know one day some of these kids will serve us a meal in their own restaurant. One day we will enjoy a sold out concert played by one of these kids. One day we will attend a gallery opening with the works of one of these children. The sad truth is one day I will also see one of these kids at the adult jail. Maybe one day I will be able to say this will not be the case, at least that is why all these great volunteers do what they do.

Early and absentee Voting Begins

On May 9, 2006 early and absentee voting began in Santa Fe County. You can vote right now at the Santa Fe County Clerks Office at 102 Grant Ave. Numerous parking spaces are reserved for voters only, right in front of the building so parking is usually easy for voters. Beginning the third Saturday (May 20th) before the election there are four early voting sites available throughout the county. In general, early sites are located at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds, Pojoaque Fire Station, in El Dorado, in Edgewood, and in Espanola. The exact locations and hours will be posted and advertised soon.

If you wish to vote by mail (absentee) you need only call the Santa Fe County Clerks Office at 986-6280 to get an application. Do this early as it takes time to get the application sent to you and then you must return it. The ballot will then be sent to you by mail. Mail in ballots will only be sent out by the clerks office until June 2, 2006. The primary election is June 6, 2006. I appreciate and Thank you for your vote but regardless who you vote for the important thing is for you to get out and cast your ballot.

A word of thanks to the Secretary of States Office who's employees tried hard to deal with the snags involved in the new on line campaign reporting system. Its always hard to implement new technology in what was previously a paper system. I had to deal with the staff both on the phone and in person and even though they were swamped with calls and issues the staff remained friendly and helpful. All the issues I had were dealt with promptly and efficiently. I am sure the bugs will get worked out and we will have a better system when its all done.

One final note on the story by Dan Frosch and the Santa Fe Reporter "Behind the Badge" . I received at least 50 calls from people who read and enjoyed the story. Even some of Dan's peers from other print and TV media commented on how the story was very well written. I also received calls from people who had to search for a copy as by the weekend many Santa Fe Reporter boxes were empty. As a new issue comes out today if you still would like a copy, the Reporters downtown office at 132 East Marcy street usually still has copies of the previous weeks issues. You can also access the article on line. Great job Dan!

Register to Vote by Tuesday!

Tuesday May 9, 2006 is the last day you can register to vote and still cast your ballot in the June 6, 2006 Primary. Only those registered as a Democrat can vote in the Sheriff's race, as well as the many other races which have no Republican opponents. Many Races will be decided in the June 6, primary in Santa Fe County as there are seldom Republicans running in this county. As a side note the County is looking for Election day workers! It takes a lot of good help to make the democratic process of elections work. Please consider taking the day to help with elections. Poll Workers get $130 for the day and $150 for presiding judges. Click here for more information on working the polls.

As election day gets closer the candidate forums are starting to be scheduled. May 25, 2006 there is one tentatively scheduled in Eldorado and on May 19, 2006 my wife and I will celebrate our 22 year wedding anniversary and her birthday by attending a forum scheduled in Edgewood. I will owe her a dinner and a night out on a different date to make it up to her. It is a good thing I have such a supportive and understanding wife. Even though we are celebrating our 22 wedding anniversary we have been together for 26 years, Since we were 16 years old. Hard to believe so many years have passed and now here we are with our first grandchild.

Anyway, If you are not yet registered to vote get out and do so by Tuesday!

You may register at the following locations:

Santa Fe County Clerks office at 102 Grant Avenue
Office of the Secretary of State at 325 Don Gaspar
Motor Vehicle Division located at 2544 Camino Edward Ortiz
MVD Express located at the corner of Calle Lorca and St Michaels Drive
Santa Fe Public Library at 145 Washington Avenue
Santa Fe Community College at 6401 Richards Avenue
Santa Fe Indian School at 1501 Cerrillos Road
St. Johns College at 1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca
Children, Youth and Families Department at 1920 5th Street
Human Services Department at 2542 Cerrillos Road
Health Department at 605 Letrado Street
Vocational Rehabilitation at 2109 Warner Circle
Commission for the Blind at 2905 Rodeo Road Park E, Bldg 4, Ste. 100
Commission for the Deaf at 2055 South Pacheco
Veterans Service Commission at the Bataan Memorial Building/Don Gaspar
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council at 810 W. San Mateo, Ste. C

Voter Registration is also provided for the clients of the following home health care agencies:

Professional Home Health Care at 10 Calle Medico
Visions Case Management at 1570 Pacheco Street
EGIS at 227 East Palace, Ste. N

Pop Quiz

I forgot in my last post to mention the Santa Fe Reporters Pop Quiz. These things are fun to read but nerve racking to answer the questions when they call you. You get an unannounced call and they ask you the questions and you must answer right there and then. The reporter writes exactly what you say and that's it. I actually knew that Rachel O' Conner is the DWI Czar however at the time I mixed her up with Linda Atkinson who is the director of the DWI Resource Center. I had her on my mind because she assisted me a lot with the statistics and research for the DWI forfeiture Ordinance. Other wise I answered all the questions and the quiz went well. Take a click on the link above to see how my opponent and I did.




P.S. , sorry Rachel O' Conner I bet I remember you next time I am asked.

Behind the Badge.

Behind the Badge, Hmm, interesting title. When the Santa Fe Reporter first called me and said they wanted to do a day in the life type story about me I had mixed emotions. Our wise former Governor Bruce King once said a "controversial front page story where they spell your name right is worth much more than a paid ad on the inside of the paper". It is true, people will remember story's involving you much more that they will the ad you paid for. When I first received the call from Dan Frosh, a great writer who not only writes for the Santa Fe Reporter but also for the New York Times, I had no idea it was to be a cover story. When I later found out I was to grace the cover I was much more nervous. I soon found out they were to interview family, friends, co-workers and detractors and the story was to expand from a day in the life to my whole life story. Ok, now I am really nervous and I swear I could actually see the new white hairs growing on my scalp.

Well, Dan did an excellent job and while there are parts I would not have added if I had written the story, I understand the story had to show all sides of my life. Several serious and more laid back smiling photos were taken as potential cover shots and the likability vote on the chosen shot is still out among my friends and family. Some like it and some do not, I kind of wish I did not look so serious. David Kaufman the photographer, was a real nice person and I like his work. You can not tell from the end result but the photo was taken with a backdrop provided by the downstairs disco room at Swig.

I still am surprised by my opponents assertion that morale at the Sheriff's Office is low. Granted I have over 100 employees and some are not going to be happy, but look at the facts. Sheriff's Deputies have received an average of over 21% in raises since I became Sheriff. When I started we had 14 vacancies, we now have none. Deputies now have Tasers, Pepper spray, and increased radio channels with more to come. Deputies would buy their own weapons because the Sheriff's Office weapons were old and outdated. This is no longer the case, we now provide new state of the art Glock pistols to all. Deputies were unhappy with our uniforms and at their request we changed them to one that the deputies union members picked out by committee. If morale is so low then why do we not see the 16% vacancy rate that other police agencies have. The city police is down 18 officers, The State Police is down 70, Albuquerque is down over 140 officers. We used to be the training ground for other agencies, now we take officers from other agencies. Combine the 14 vacancies we had when I became Sheriff, add the 3 new positions which have been funded and filled and this means we now have 17 more deputies patrolling the streets.

My opponent has also come out in public for privatization to occur once again at our jail. She wants to turn the jail back over to a private company and leave the employees to once again fend for themselves among the private companies that come and go every few years at privately run jails. She made this announcement at Tuesday nights AFSCME meeting where we were both invited to speak. What would morale be like when employees who now enjoy the great benefits of Santa Fe County Employment lose those benefits to a private company which in order to make a profit offers meager retirement and medical benefits. What will the jail be like when three previous companies failed to make a profit and the next company looks to cut corners and succeed where the others have all failed. Unlike my opponent I will not launch personal attacks but I will point out where I feel my opponents ideas and statements are wrong. The jail is one of those instances.

Legalizing Drugs in Mexico and New Mexico

Joe Monahan blogs about legalization of drugs in Mexico and New Mexico.

The Mexican Congress has approved a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, heroin, cocaine and even Ecstasy. Mexico says it hopes the measure will help police focus on large drug trafficking, rather than minor drug busts. The NM pro-drug message died a quiet death when Johnson & Company exited. No wonder. New Mexico's Rio Arriba County has the highest rate of heroin overdose deaths in America. (17 in 2004) If Mexico is going to concentrate on the big dealers they could start with the gangs that continue to flood Rio Arriba with deadly dope. Our own state and federal governments also need to do more.

Before this vote was taken in Mexico I wrote a college paper on drug legalization and then posted some of the paper on my blog. I still miss the logic that allowing small amounts of drugs would give Law Enforcement more time to concentrate on big dealers. Joe is correct on his mention of the high rate of heroin overdoses in Northern New Mexico. Ever wonder why we don't have a lot of Meth labs in Northern New Mexico? Because the Meth is brought in from Mexico along with the Heroin trucked in to New Mexico from Mexico.

Someone close to me was upset about my stand on immigration because they felt that the building of walls and the increased security would put a dent in the drug trafficking also. I still feel the main problem with legalization of even small amounts of narcotics will not deter crime related to drug addiction and remove a major avenue for those addicted to get treatment. Most people who get some type of treatment do so through the courts after charges are filed by law enforcement.

Joe Monehan and Julia Goldberg each mention how boring the primary elections are so far. I don't know, it is not boring to me. From the signs blowing away in the winds or otherwise coming to their demise,to the nasty comments from opponents. (Are Patricia Madrid and I the only ones getting negative campaigning from our opponents?) The election cycle is in full swing. With five weeks to go the radio ads, newsprint ads, forums, endorsements, and the fight for them are closing in. Oh well, 6-6-06 will come and pass pretty quickly. What a date for an election! You can see why I always throw in the zero.

In some unrelated good news my wife and I became Grandparents this last weekend. My Granddaughter Marilyn Judy was born Saturday. I still don't think of myself as a Grandfather and I don't think I am ready for the "Grandpa" license plate or t-shirt. Nonetheless I am very happy for my son and his fiancé. I am still hopeful that the world will be a better place for her and my Great Grandchildren. Isn't that what we all strive for in our own way? Whether its news reporters performing their service, or most politicians and especially those who believe in them and work for their election, all the way to those who just work hard every day just to pay the bills and give their children the basic necessities. We all hope for a better life for our children and their children. Its the basic premise of life in America.