Another Issue with Legalizing Drugs.

I have commented often in my blog about legalizing drugs and my opposition to legalization. Whenever we are in the same room with each other an attorney friend of mine and I have spirited discussions about drug legalization and we often send each other news clippings and research to back up our stances. I came across this article this morning in the Santa Fe New Mexican. It discusses the shortage of employees at the Oil Fields in the Lea County Area. I recently met with the Chief of Police in Questa New Mexico at a Region wide Drug Enforcement Meeting. He was looking for help in his area because of the same problem. The Questa Mines which are operated by Molycorp and are used to mine Molybdenum. Molybdenum is used to make alloy metals. The Chief of Questa says the mines are asking for help because of the high rate of employee applicants and current employees who are failing random drug tests.

I have not talked to my attorney friend about this but I suspect even she would be against having users working in mines, oilfields, as bus drivers, train engineers, pilots etc. So what would happen if we legalize even small amounts of marijuana? Alcohol can be out of your system in 8 to 12 hours depending on how small the amounts are. Marijuana on the other hand can remain detectable in your system for up to 45 days. The most common period of time is anywhere from 3-30 days, depending on your metabolism and the amount of marijuana that youÂ’ve smoked. This is unfortunate, since it means that while most drug tests can only turn up evidence of other drugs if youÂ’ve been taking the drug within a few days of the drug test, marijuana could still be detected in a urine test up to a month after the last time it is used. If you smoke it occasionally it will remain in your system for up to 10 days. If you smoke marijuana on a regular basis it will stay in your system for as long as 45 days, and if you smoke marijuana at a constant pace, it can stay in the body for 90 days, Marijuana is fat soluble. It stores in the fat cells of the body, the brain, the liver, the kidneys, in other words the major organs.

So, what do we do with those jobs which we deem unacceptable to have drug use show up in tests? Or do we come up with an acceptable amount that will be allowed in these types of jobs? How do we determine that acceptable amount knowing that different peoplabsorbbe and get rid of amounts at a different pace than others? In Alcohol we have determined as a society at least in New Mexico that .08 blood alcohol level is the most we will allow the average citizen to have in their system and still be able to drive. However, most companies, taxis, police, government workers, etc. still have a .00 requirement for work.

If drugs are legalized even if only small amounts of marijuana are allowed employers will have a whole new predicament to deal with. I know at the jail and in law enforcement roughly half of all prospective applicants fail either the background check or the pre-employment drug test. Drug and alcohol is the predominant factor among all the inmates in jail. Whether the underlying charge is domestic violence or rape and murder the one common thread you will see is substance abuse whether its drugs or alcohol.

I am still adamantly opposed to drug legalization but I have to admit that my attorney friend makes a good argument. I do know people who have used, or not to my personal knowledge but I at least have a feeling that they recreationaly use marijuana and they are functioning members of society. I also know many, many more who used marijuana and now are hopelessly addicted to worse drugs. I also know many who still only use marijuana but are still not functioning members of society, at least not to the level I feel should be considered functional.
My feelings in this situation go back to high school. I had several friends who were considered "pot heads" in high school. My mind goes back to a particular two friends from high school. One started with marijuana went to cocaine, killed a man, raped a woman, and is back in prison for drug dealing after at least two previous stints in prison. The other friend,...... He is dead.

Friday Funny - Frank Caliendo

One of my favorite comedians. Enjoy

I'm Baack.

I apologize to my readers for the two week absence. It wasn't planned, I just kept not getting to it. It has been two weeks made up of animals. First we have the cougar in the back yard of a county resident. That generated much controversy and criticism. Next we had the Scrimshaw family struck by a drunk driver while horseriding near their home on County Road 45. Both of these incidents happened in ajoining neighborhoods off highway 14 and in my old stomping grounds. My family and I lived in the area and once owned a Video Store and Mail Center in the area. I know the family whose yard the cougar was put down in and I know many of the neighbors in the area of the horse incident. Both incidents caused me much stress and sorrow.

The night of the cougar incident I received a call from my Sergeant who advised me that a cougar was in the backyard of an old friend of mine. The cougar was eating a housecat and we felt the cougar was probably the same one who had been eating housecats in the city also. We had called N.M. State Game and Fish who usually are prompt and handle these situations by tranquilizing the animals for us. The Sergeant advised me that the local Game and Fish officers were out of town on training and we were attempting to find someone else with a tranquilizer rifle. I advised him to put the animal down if it tried to leave. I could not take the chance that the animal would leave and then return another day to find a small child in a yard. This animal had shown that it was not afraid of populated neighborhoods and could attack if given the chance.

My wife was lying in bed next to me and heard me give the order. She immediately began expressing her disapproval with my order. After I got off the phone with the Sergeant we discussed the issue and why I told the Sergeant to put the animal down if it tried to leave. She expressed her disappointment that we could not find a tranquilizer gun but understood why I gave the order which I did. A few minutes later I received a call from the Sergeant that we located a Game and Fish Officer in Edgewood. He was probably 40 minutes away. I hoped and prayed he got there before we had to take action. 45 minutes after I received the first call I got a call back that the animal tried to leave and was put down by my deputies. The Game and Fish Officer arrived about 10 minutes after we put it down. I still know that we did what we had to do and I will take the criticisms that I have received and chalk it up to " that's why the buck stops here".

I feel bad for my wife who was forced to defend me to animal loving co-workers and friends. Especially since no one cares more about animals than she does. She pulls over and chases prairie dogs off the street so they don't get run over. Her and my son bring home dogs much to my annoyance every year. I will never forget the time she was driving on Fifth Street near Saint Michaels Drive when she saw a large prairie dog in the road. She wanted to scare it off the road so she threw a 16 ounce plastic Pepsi bottle at it just trying to scare it. She hit it on the head with the bottle by accident and after it looked at her with a dazed but pissed off look before it ran off the road to live another day. I am literally laughing right now as I type this story. Its one of the many reasons I love her. (she makes me laugh).

The Horse Rider DWI incident was next and was horrifing yet you can't help but thank god that the children and father lived. Once again the animals died. The highway 14 area was once very rural and did not have the problems that more populated areas had. Now it like all areas have grown and the once rural area is very heavily populated. Growth in the area is exploding as the city and county push growth purposly into this area which has been targeted as almost the only planned (if you can call it that) growth area in the county. It reminds me of a quote by Robert C. Gallagher "Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine."

Friday Funny - Fransisco Pablo

Would Sheriff Joe Arpaio last a day in Santa Fe?

Almost every Month since the day I won my first election in June 2002 someone from somewhere in America forwards me this email. They "if from New Mexico are usually recent transplants to our area" want me to be like Joe. Most of you have probably read this but if you have not, read ahead and afterwards we will discuss if Sheriff Joe Arpaio would last a day in Santa Fe.

Subject: Fw: Sheriff Joe - Re-elected

sheriff Joe - Re-elected

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO - HE IS THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER.

THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who created the "tent city jail":

He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights. Cut off all but "G" movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.

He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable TV again only let in the Disney channel and the weather channel.

When asked why the weather channel he replied, so they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs.

He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value.

When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't the Ritz/Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back."

He bought Newt Gingrich' lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails.

When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.

More on the Arizona Sheriff:

With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record), the Associated Press reports: About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government-issued pink boxer shorts.

On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before.

Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks.

"It feels like we are in a furnace," said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 ½ years. "It's inhumane."

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat Bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your damned mouths!"

Way to go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

If you agree, pass this on. If not, delete it.

So there you have it. As I stated earlier the email is sent to me often and usually with a suggestion that I implement these ideas here. Here, the land of Rothstein, Donatelli, Hughes, Dahlstrom, Schoenburg & Bienvenu LLP. In case you don't know of this law firm they are the local Santa Fe Attorneys who made millions of Taxpayer dollars in the Duran Consent Decree case which came out of the 1980 Prison Riot. In between then and now, millions more taxpayer dollars were made suing practically every city and county in the state as well as numerous other state and federal cases. They specialize in suing government and taking taxpayer dollars that if not given to them could actually be used to make jail, prison, and law enforcement better.


The firm recently made 2 million in the Santa Fe Strip Search Case in which allegations were made that the private company which ran the jail at the time took part in illegal strip searches. This case amazed me since the firm did about 6 months of work on the case which amounts to about 1,600 a day assuming someone worked 8 hours a day Monday through Friday for the approximately six months this case was worked on. So How much would Rothstein, Donatelli and company get if we operated a tent city and fed prisoners 40 cents a day worth of food?

Some have tried unsuccessfully to recall Sheriff Arpaio however his election numbers continue to be very high and with no term limits he will probably be Sheriff as long as he wants to be.

The big question I have is why has the Department of Justice has allowed Joe Arpaio to continue to these conditions while we work hard to provide a safe secure facility in Santa Fe? The truth is that we have people here who continue and probably always will complain while in Arizona Joe Arpaio is considered a hero. Don't get me wrong, this is not a case of Sheriff envy. I would never want to be known for the things Sheriff Arpaio is known for. In Santa Fe the worst thing I could do would be to subject prisoners to hours of watching Newt Gingrich, that would be cruel and unusual punishment if I ever saw it. In the land of the city different, living wage, immigrant free zones, and what is arguably among the most liberal counties in America, would Joe Arpaio ever even be elected? (he is a Republican which explains a lot) I usually respond to these emails, when I do respond, with a polite but firm statement. I would be hung on the plaza at high noon from the new bandstand if I even considered 10% of what Sheriff Arpaio does in Arizona, and rightfully so.

Would you elect Joe Arpaio Sheriff in Santa Fe County? Click comments below and talk about it. You can do so Anonymously.

My 2006 Memorial to the Victims of September 11, 2001

Today we honor those who died in the September 11, 2001 Attacks on America.

2948 Victims died on that day.

3251 Children lost a parent on that day. The youngest victim was 2 year old Christie Hanson, the oldest was 85 year old Robert Grant Norton.

333 Firefighters and 60 Law Enforcement Officers, and 125 members of our Armed Forces died that day.

How do we honor those heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice on that day? We raise a new generation of heroes. Ready to take thier place. Years ago we had hundreds of applicants for Police and Firefighter jobs. Today accross New Mexico we have hundreds of vacancys for these positions. Parents, talk to your children about the honor and pride of serving your country and your commmunity. Lets raise a new generation of heroes.

Below is my tribue to the victims of 9-11.

Alfred Gilles Padre Joseph Marchand- The only New Mexican to die in the September 11, Attacks. He was a retired Alamogordo Police Officer who wanted to be a pilot someday. He was working as a flight attendant on United Flight 175 which was crashed into the World Trade Center South Tower.

Names of those Killed in the September 11 Attacks.

Death, destruction, charity, salvation, war, money, real estate, spouses, babies, and other September 11 statistics.

Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes.

Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

* Total number killed in attacks (official figure as of 9/5/02): 2,819

* Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343

* Number of NYPD officers: 23

* Number of Port Authority police officers: 37

* Number of WTC companies that lost people: 60

* Number of employees who died in Tower One: 1,402

* Number of employees who died in Tower Two: 614

* Number of employees lost at Cantor Fitzgerald: 658

* Number of U.S. troops killed in Operation Enduring Freedom: 22

* Number of nations whose citizens were killed in attacks: 115

* Ratio of men to women who died: 3:1

* Age of the greatest number who died: between 35 and 39

* Bodies found "intact": 289

* Body parts found: 19,858

* Number of families who got no remains: 1,717

* Estimated units of blood donated to the New York Blood Center: 36,000

* Total units of donated blood actually used: 258

* Number of people who lost a spouse or partner in the attacks: 1,609

* Estimated number of children who lost a parent: 3,051

* Percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks: 20

* FDNY retirements, January–July 2001: 274

* FDNY retirements, January–July 2002: 661

* Number of firefighters on leave for respiratory problems by January 2002: 300

* Number of funerals attended by Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200

* Number of FDNY vehicles destroyed: 98

* Tons of debris removed from site: 1,506,124

* Days fires continued to burn after the attack: 99

* Jobs lost in New York owing to the attacks: 146,100

* Days the New York Stock Exchange was closed: 6

* Point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average when the NYSE reopened: 684.81

* Days after 9/11 that the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan: 26

* Total number of hate crimes reported to the Council on
American-Islamic Relations nationwide since 9/11: 1,714

* Economic loss to New York in month following the attacks: $105 billion

* Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million

* Total FEMA money spent on the emergency: $970 million

* Estimated amount donated to 9/11 charities: $1.4 billion

* Estimated amount of insurance paid worldwide related to 9/11: $40.2 billion

* Estimated amount of money needed to overhaul
lower-Manhattan subways: $7.5 billion

* Amount of money recently granted by U.S. government to
overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $4.55 billion

* Estimated amount of money raised for funds dedicated to
NYPD and FDNY families: $500 million

* Percentage of total charity money raised going to FDNY and NYPD families: 25

* Average benefit already received by each FDNY and NYPD widow: $1 million

* Percentage increase in law-school applications from 2001 to 2002: 17.9

* Percentage increase in Peace Corps applications from 2001 to 2002: 40

* Percentage increase in CIA applications from 2001 to 2002: 50

* Number of songs Clear Channel Radio considered "inappropriate" to play after 9/11: 150

* Number of mentions of 9/11 at the Oscars: 26

* Apartments in lower Manhattan eligible for asbestos cleanup: 30,000

* Number of apartments whose residents have requested cleanup and testing: 4,110

* Number of Americans who changed their 2001 holiday-travel plans
from plane to train or car: 1.4 million

* Estimated number of New Yorkers suffering from post-traumatic-stress
disorder as a result of 9/11: 422,000

Knife verses Gun, Police Shootings

In a recent police shooting in the City of Santa Fe involving a suicidal subject who had attacked his girlfriend the usual Monday Morning quarterback in the comments section of the Free New Mexican has begun. I know this will always happen and since the investigation is still pending and usually this things are presented to either a Grand Jury or a Judge in a Preliminary Hearing I am going to reserve judgment on the shooting pending the case receiving a fair investigation and hearing. I do however want to part from this weeks tribute to September 11 to attempt to educate the public on the facts about weapons such as tazers and firearms versus knifes. I was President of the City Police Union during the Pancho Ortega Shooting which raised questions about police handling and resulted in political, racial and other very divisive issues to come into Santa Fe.

As President one of the things we attempted to do was educate the public as to why you cannot shoot a knife out of someone's hand or shoot them in the leg to stop them. Many people who watch Kung Foo or their favorite Hollywood Action Flick want to know why police can not kick the knife out of their hands or disarm them with some kind super cop move. In the below video you can see a demonstration of a police training video in which it shows the reaction time for an officer to react to a knife attack from as little as 2 feet to as much as 12 feet.

What the instructor is trying to show is the amount of time it takes to react with your gun in your holster. Watch the video for a few other things also. Take a look at the suspect rushing the officer. Imagine that you are trying to aim a gun at a small moving object like an arm or leg while the split second you have from the time the suspect begins rushing at you from even as far away as 12 feet. Imagine you have to decide between some hokey karate move that may or may not work or using your sidearm in this split second or seconds. Keep in mind that even when a person is shot they do not just drop dead like in the movies. Many people can continue to rush and get a stab wound in place even if they have been shot.

Take a look at the now infamous FBI Miami Shootout involving two men by the names of William Matix and Michael Platt. William was shot 6 times and Platt 12, these were not all wound received at once. The Shootout lasted over 4 minutes and even after the suspects were shot several times they continued to shoot back and kill two agents and would an additional five. There have been many cases where a knife welding suspect has continued to attack after being shot. Getting back to aiming for arms, legs, or hands this is only done in the movies or in the best case scenario I have seen it done by a sniper on sitting subject who was holding a gun and the sniper had plenty of time to take aim and take the shot with the subject relatively still.

So that is why we cannot train or even suggest to officers that they can take out a knife welding subject with some kind of super cop or kung foo moves. We are fully responsible for the lives of officers and yes someone will always sue, even the officers family when we fail to use realistic training or fail to teach them proven techniques to keep themselves or others safe. If the officer allows him or herself to be overwhelmed or injured by the knife welding subject then the officers weapons are now available to be used against the next citizen or the family members who called for help. Back to the video, Please watch it carefully and try to imagine you are the officer trying to react in the short amount of time it takes for a subject to attack you with a knife. Finally please allow the investigations of which there will be many, to take place before you make judgment.

Note: Thanks to my brother for finding the video without the background music.

Effects of 9-11 on Local Law Enforcement

The effects of the September 11, 2001 attacks on local law enforcement in Santa Fe is much different than the effects in cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. When the Bush administration took over from the Clinton administration it was the beginning of massive changes to the relationship between the Federal Government and local law enforcement. The Clinton Community Oriented Policing Program nicknamed C.O.P.S. was a successful grassroots policing program. It had a goal of expanding the numbers of police on the street throughout America as well as training local police about the new age of community policing.

C.O.P.S. was a cornerstone of Clintons Political Agenda and as such the Bush administration began dismantling the program as soon as it took office. Then comes September 11, 2001, Rightly so, the Bush Administration began a new era of Homeland Security. America needed to change its attitude and preparedness for these types of attacks. What the Bush administration did wrong was to use September 11, as the excuse to drive the final nails into the coffin of the C.O.P.S. Program. No longer did local agency's have federal dollars to buy bullet resistant vests for police, No longer did local agency's have the training, and ability to hire additional police with Federal dollars. Some local agency's like Torrance County lost half their deputies to these cuts. They went from a Sheriff's Office of 14 deputies to 7 deputies overnight. Where Santa Fe County once got 15 to $20,000 per year to buy expensive bullet resistant vests we now get 3 to $5,000 per year. When I took office in 2003 there were 5 less deputies in the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office than two years before. Three of these were directly attributed to the loss of the C.O.P.S. Funding.

The Homeland Security Dollars now are distributed by a complicated formula based on so much dollars per each state which are funneled through the state government and how they are used and disseminated is decided by the state, and another allocation goes to some states based on population. Local law enforcement and fire then must work together to apply for and spend the dollars which finally filter down to the local agencies.

What the Bush administration has always fail to realize is that by the time these dollars reach the local agencies they are greatly diminished and the restrictions and politics involved in spending these dollars are such that their effectiveness is greatly diminished.



Much discussion in the community surrounded the City Police Departments receiving an Armored Swat Vehicle recently. Many said those dollars could have been better used at the local level. The truth of the matter is that those dollars were set aside by someone way above the local city police and if they did not accept the vehicle it would have been just given to someone else. There was no discretion on what would be best to use that money for. The money could have been used to help buy much needed police cars or other equiptment but the city police did not have that option. It was either accept the armored vehicle or not.

These types of decisions are made for us with most of the Homeland Security Dollars. The local agencies are the first and sometimes the only agency's to respond at the time attacks like September 11, happen. Take a look at who responded to the World Trade Center attacks. Local Fire and Police. When lives needed to be saved and during that short window of opportunity before the buildings collapsed it was primarily local agencies coming to the rescue. By the time federal and other assistance arrived it was the next day. The same lesson is learned from the hurricanes that ravaged New Orleans and the coast. Your first responders must have adequate personnel and equiptment to deal with a major event until the secondary outside assistance can arrive.

There are less police on the streets today than five years ago. Let me repeat that, There are less police on the streets today than five years ago. Some of this is attributed to the fact that the 100,000 new cops program C.O.P.S. is dead. Some of this is attributed to the fact that vacancies in police agencies can not be filled. The Santa Fe City Police has approximately 19 vacancies, the State Police has approximately 70 vacancies, Albuquerque Police has over 100 vacancies, the list goes on and on across this nation.

Homeland Security is not the only place all the C.O.P.S. money has gone. The war in Iraq has taken more than its fair share of Federal Dollars. The Spend like there is no tomorrow Bush Administration and Republican Congress has foolishly misspent billions of dollars while allowing true homeland security issues such as local police and fire to languish. As I think of the 343 firefighters, 40 EMT's and Paramedics, 23 Police Officers, 37 Port Authority Officers, and 1 K-9 Officer who died just at the World Trade Center Attacks I realize that the tribute our Federal Government has paid to them and their peers is to reduce their numbers so when the next attack comes their will be less of them to respond.

Things don't look any better in the next budget. The Bush administration asked Congress for an 8 percent decrease in discretionary spending for the Justice Department for fiscal 2007, cutting grants to state and local law enforcement programs by $1.1 billion. I can only think to myself, As Santa Fe County's Federal dollars for police and fire continue to diminish will there be any left next year at all?

Below is my next tribute Video for the victims of 9-11. This video was made by an eighth grade student. Its a little long but very well done for his age. Along with the Numbers of Police and Fire I just named as killed on September 11 were a grand total of 2997 persons killed. We must never forget those who died in these vicious attacks and we must honor them by making America better prepared to both prevent and respond to these attacks should they occur.

A Week of Memorial to the Victims of 9-11

Today marks one week to the five year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. During this week I want to honor the Police, Firefighters, and Americans who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks. To begin this week I want to show you a video tribute to the children of those who died. This originally was an animated video posted on the internet. Someone changed the scenes to photos however they kept the original soundtrack. It brought tears to my eyes and I bet it will to yours also.



The first thing that comes to my mind is where I was when the attacks first were announced on the news. It comes to my mind because I was driving my daughter to school. She was nine years old and I was driving down San Mateo Street near the intersection of St Francis Drive when I heard about the first plane striking the World Trade Center on 77 KKOB Radio station. I thought it was odd and a horrible accident. I dropped my daughter off at elementary school and headed home.


At the time my wife and I worked out of our home. I called my wife and told her to turn on the TV as I headed home. I got home and a short time later we watched horrified as the second plane struck the second tower. My wife cries at movies and I remember the look on her face as the tears fell from her eyes. My son was in high school at the time and she wanted me to go get both kids from school. I argued against it and we decided, (maybe I decided) to leave them at school.

After the attack on the pentagon I remember thinking this was the beginning of World War 3. It seemed a lot like the kamikaze pilots at Pearl Harbor. I really thought the missiles or other military strikes were coming next. I remember this day vividly and it must be like the day President Kennedy was shot, or Pearl Harbor to our generation. I always remember my mother talking about the day President Kennedy was shot and what she was doing. She was driving me home from the hospital one week after my birth. She heard of Kennedy's assassination on the radio just like I first heard of the September 11 attacks. Where were you when the planes struck? Use the comment section to talk about it. In my next post I will talk about the effect that September 11, 2001 had on local law enforcement.

Friday Funny- The Election Ballot of Tomorrow, Today

Another General Election is coming this November. In this Friday Funny, Stephen Colbert teaches Jon Stewart about 2002 election reforms. Includes the now famous Ta-Da ballot. I understand that New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron is considering the Ta-Da Ballot and is looking into cloning Joe Monahan to be placed in Ta-Da ballots in all 33 counties throughout New Mexico. I suggest that if Joe is unavailable or unwilling perhaps our own Steve Terrell would donate his DNA to the cause.

Enjoy.

Armijo Resigns

Right after I posted my last blog post I received a phone call that Jeff Armijo has dropped out of the race. I received the call from one of his disappointed campaign workers. The only word of advice I could give them was "it's not about right or wrong, it's about politics." Jeff had to make a political decision and this will give him time to deal with the charges that may still come in the future. I am really sure that this hurt his core supporters as much as it did Jeff. I hope that they will not give up on politics and will work for another candidate someday with as much hope and heart as they did Jeff Armijo's race.

The Saga of Jeff Armijo

Today as I write this State Auditor Candidate Jeff Armijo is meeting with the Governor to discuss his political future. As a politician things like this bring chills to all who have run for office. What do you do when an allegation is made with no charges being yet brought? Or may never be brought for that matter. Jeff is adamant about his innocence. I have know Jeff and have met the alleged most recent victim and the unfortunate thing about this kind of case is that they are hard to prove without physical evidence. Not to say that there may not be some as I am not privy nor would I want to be to the Albuquerque Police Departments case. Witnesses in these kinds of cases are usually non existent and unless physical evidence is present it becomes ones word against another's.

A mutual friend of Jeff and mine asked me "what if the D.A. announces she will not press charges or that Jeff is innocent? Shouldn't he wait to drop out in case that happens ?" The truth is because of the politics involved expect no decision on charges to come before Novembers election. Even after November normally these cases if they are not prosecuted just fade away without any announcement. Because I expect the press to continue to ask for an answer, sometime after November the D.A. will either prosecute or announce that there was insufficient evidence to do so.

So what do you do as a politician when this kind of charge is leveled against you and you are innocent? You can not prove your innocence in most cases and your guilt goes unproven as well. You might be the nicest and most honorable guy or gal but how do you escape the cloud that this kind of allegation may bring? In smaller local races you may decide to march ahead and let the voters decide. However, in State wide races your election or loss and the surrounding turmoil can affect the party you belong to as well as other candidates aligned with your party. Do you give up your aspirations for the benefit of the greater good of your party? What must be going through Jeff's mind is what if I drop out and I would have won anyway? And if I run and lose isn't it my race to win or lose? Should I be responsible for other candidates races or just my own? A whole lot of questions that a candidate in this situation must ask his or herself. If you are innocent how does one set that fact aside and resign the race anyway?


I know some campaign workers and true believers in Jeff Armijo. This is becoming very hard for them. They know him or have come to know him personally and they are very distraught over the fate of their candidate. I watch their angst and can't help but admire their loyalty. They truly and with all their heart believe in their candidate. I have seen tears well up in their eyes as they discuss the situation and it put a lump in my throat as I spoke to them. There are those who really put their heart and soul into their candidate and as they work the campaign they truly become personally involved in the fight to get their candidate elected. It becomes a passion and the ups and downs of a campaign affect them as much as the ups and downs of loving relationships affect all of us. It reminds me of the movie primary colors which was not really about the candidate " Jack Stanton" and his run for office but about those around him and how the ups and downs of the campaign effect them. They will do almost anything for their candidate and if their candidate lets them down its not unlike a son or daughter who lets their parents down.

The proverbial "between a rock and a hard place" doesn't give justice to the predicament that Jeff Armijo and the Democratic Party is in right now. I shudder to think if some kind of accusation was leveled against me. In my case not so much for my political career which is secondary to my family. I would hate for my wife and kids to face such a private matter in the public eye. That is really the hardest thing about being in politics. The fact that if and allegation such as this is leveled against the average citizen only the victim and suspect and very few others would ever know about it. For those who chose public service you give up the right to have a private life and that is just something that goes with the territory. Parts of my private life and my families lives have made the front pages or the ten o-clock news and it is just something my family has had to deal with. I do always tell my wife and myself that I had a job and a life before public life and I will have one afterwards. I knock on wood as I thank God I am not in the position Jeff Armijo is in right now. I say a prayer for both Jeff and his alleged victim and hope that however this works out that they will find some kind of peace when this is all done.

Off to the Opera

It was a real busy week as you can tell by my week of no blogging. This week was sandwiched between some play time as well. Last weekend I hit the trails, horseback riding in the Chama area, we went from New Mexico, across into Colorado and back. I really enjoyed this and it was the perfect getaway after the prior weeks distressing news stories. It was kind of a City Slickers weekend and I was pretty sore after two days of riding as I don't get to ride to often.















Sheriff Greg Solano on "Apache"
















Break time on the Trail Ride
















One of Twenty lakes in the area we traveled.

After a week of one busy day after another in which we interviewed candidates for the jail administrator my wife Antoinette and I were off to the Opera to see Jules Massenet's "Cendrillon (Cinderella). I got into trouble with my wife for calling it "hokey" during intermission. The Santa Fe Opera puts on some great shows and even this one had some great costumes, props and scenery. This was probably a woman's opera since it seemed to appeal to my wife and a female friend of ours. My male companion and I thought it was kind of like a Hee Haw Opera. The two ladies seated behind us really enjoyed it since they were laughing as though Rodney Dangerfield was on the stage. Are you really supposed to laugh that hard at an Opera? I found myself nodding off during the third act however the fourth act was a bit more interesting and woke me up. This is not the Disney version of Cinderella, there was no mice, and this version has a father who's role is very prominent in the storyline. There was a Fairy godmother who sang very well and played a good role. Over all it was ok, and I can't ask for too much, we knew going in that it was Cinderella.













A scene from Santa Fe Opera's Cinderella

I have received this same question from a lot of people today so I thought I would answer it here.

NewMexiKen said...

While I understand you are doing as other officials, including Gov. Richardson, have done, I do not understand your motives. Mr. Epstein has been accused of a victim-less crime. He did not earn the money he donated to you or others from this crime. He has not, so far as I know, been convicted. And even if convicted, can a "bad" man do no good?

I for one would be interested in your thinking on this.

I could give you the politically correct answer but I don't work that way. The truth is that Republicans and other political attack dogs are criticizing me heavily on this issue. I know that this is something they will try and use against me and something that could haunt me for a long time to come. I decided it was better to just put this behind me and move on. The best way was to go ahead and make this symbolic donation and move on. I call it symbolic because of course the election is over and the campaign has ended, the money is all spent. So there is no way to give back or donate the actual money instead we will just have to come up with money and donate it so as to put the issue to rest and take it away from the attack dogs as an issue. Such is life when you go into public service.

It is true that these moneys are not alleged to be the fruits of any crime. If Mr. Epstein is guilty of what he is accused then even though the current charge is solicitation of a prostitute, the actual allegations are that the young girls he paid for sex and massages were actually as young as 14 and usually in the 16 to 17 year age. I have read the police affidavit for the arrest and was pretty disgusted by what I read. He also donated millions to charity and I hope the charities will not be pressured into returning the money. Thank you for the question and Thank you to all who have called, written and even sent in donations to assist me.

P.S. (if you sent a donation please don't get arrested !)

Sheriff Solano to donate funds to Charity

Sheriff Solano to donate funds to Charity
August 17, 2006
Sheriff Greg Solano will be donating $1000 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving and $1000 to Challenge New Mexico both local charities doing important work for citizens of New Mexico. The money represents money donated by Jeffrey Epstein to Sheriff Solano’s Campaign in 2005. Although the money had been spent and the election over in June of 2006 Sheriff Solano felt it was the right thing to do in this circumstance. Sheriff Solano will make the donations using a combination of new donations and his own money.

Republican Hack at it again.

Republican hack Whitney Cheshire, AKA The Wednesday Morning Quarterback is at it again not only criticizing my political life but taking digs at my personal life including calling me a wannabe blogger. That hurts, LOL. Whitney has to understand that I have thicker skin than to succumb to childlike name calling.

In a November 2005 Press Release Whitney Republican Hack Cheshire stated the following:

“I've found that liberal bloggers - with a liberal agenda - hit local candidates the hardest,” said Cheshire. Those candidates don‚’t have thousands of dollars to spend on radio and TV to counter the punches being landed on the Internet,” said Cheshire. Bloggers don’t have to be correct, and they don'’t have to be fair. And sometimes, it takes too much money to set the record straight, she said.



“Blog postings land in the press and have an effect on campaigns” said Cheshire. “That’s why it is irresponsible when bloggers refuse to seek comment from the candidates and people about whom they are writing. With The Wednesday Morning Quarterback, we’ll work to report fairly and present more than one side of the story,” she said.

As I read that press release and read her blog I realize, and I wonder if she realizes she has become that which she once criticized. She does nothing but bash Democrats in her blog whether deserving or not. The truth is unimportant to her. Even those whom she as a resident of Albuquerque are not even part of her voting districts are not safe from her pit bull attacks. I don't remember her asking me for comment before writing (or bashing) me on any of the occasions which she has done so. I give her the Fumble of the year award for her unabashed Democrat bashing and childlike behavior on the field.

Political Campaign Financing

Jay Miller has a thought provoking blog post which discusses campaign financing and the governor candidates views on the subject on his blog Inside the Capitol.

While I think voter participation in the process is important and many voters and supporters feel good about helping their candidates whether it is $10 or $1000 or by holding a sign or selling a raffle ticket. There is still a lot to be said about public campaign financing. It would allow candidates a chance to just get out and speak to the people instead of spending so much time fundraising. It would also remove any allegations of favoritism or special access for donors. But as advertising and media expenses rise and rise can the costs get too high for taxpayers to bear? Are they already too high? What do you think?


Cast Your Vote

Free Vote Casters by Bravenet.com

Billionaire Donor In Palm Beach Sex Scandal

Jeffrey Epstein a Billionaire with a 27,000-square-foot hilltop mansion on a 10,000-acre ranch outside Santa Fe has been indicted for felony solicitation of prostitution by a grand jury following accusations by teen girls. Many believed his home in Stanley to be the largest home in the state. Beginning in mid-March 2005, Epstein became the target of a sexual battery probe conducted by the Palm Beach Police Department, according to the affidavit, which alleges that Epstein, 53, paid a series of underage girls to engage in sexual activity with him.

Mr. Epstein is a donor to many democratic candidates across the nation and was considered an upstanding citizen. He has helped such candidates as John Kerry's presidential bid, the Senate bids of Joe Lieberman, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Christopher Dodd and Charles Schumer, and Bill Clinton. In New Mexico he has donated money to many statewide candidates such as Gary King, the reelection campaign of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and many other local politicians, Including my 2006 Primary Election Campaign. Most of these donations were in the $100,000 dollar range.

I am not sure if I ever met Mr. Epstein, I may have met him at one of many political or charitable functions I attend. I had heard of him and his large home in Stanley New Mexico. In August of 2005 I received a $2000 check in the mail from Mr. Epstein. I knew he lived in Stanley, one of the rural areas of the county where we provide almost exclusive police protection, with some occasional assistance from the state Police. So when I received the check I thought it was just a nice donation from someone who appreciated our services. I received several such checks in the mail although most were in the $100 to $500 range. In 2005 there was no such allegations and Mr. Epstein was still well respected. I learned of the indictment in late July of 2006 when I read about it on The Smoking Gun Website. I was very disappointed and it bothered me greatly that even though someone is innocent until proven guilty, I would never have accepted the donation if I had known the allegations.

Steve Terrell, political reporter for The Santa Fe New Mexican called me tonight to get my comments on the indictment. He asked me whether I would be returning the money he donated to my campaign. I received the $2000 donation in August of 2005 and used it for the June 2006 Primary Campaign. I completed the June Primary having spent all donations and actually ending the campaign over $2000 in debt. That debt means that the remaining money was paid out of my pocket. So the short answer is there is nothing left to return. It is now nearly a year since I recieved the donation and the campaign for Sheriff is over and done. As I have no Republican opponent I will not have to wage a General Election Campaign. I did not plan on any further fundraising although some who read in my campaign reports that I had ended with a debt offered to raise some additional money to clear the debt. If I did have the money I probably would return it or give it to a charity as the $2000, returned to Mr. Epstein who is a billionaire would probably not mean much to him.

Running for office and gathering donations to run a campaign is one of the hardest parts of public service. My opponent and myself each spent about $30,000 on the primary Sheriff's campaign. Other offices easily spend a million dollars or more in today's day and age. Publicly financed campaigns would remove this burden and perhaps remove the accusations that this money buys influence. In my case that would be a lot of money to just try and get out of a speeding ticket or buy influence in the few areas where I could really do anything. Of course I would never let donations influence my decisions.

So all I can do now is trust that the public will believe in me still and understand that there is no way when a donation like Mr. Epstein is received that you could ever know that something like this indictment could come a year or two later.

Senator John Edwards- The Road to the White House

I was watching "The Road to the White House 2008" on C-Span Sunday night and it featured Senator and former Vice-Presidential Candidate John Edwards recent event in Cornish, NH. I first met John Edwards when he was introduced to me by Attorney General Patricia Madrid who was heading up his New Mexico Campaign for President prior to John Kerry winning the nomination. He impressed me and seemed to have the ideals and energy of a John F. Kennedy. Even though John F. Kennedy died as my mother was bringing me home from a week in the hospital after my birth, my family worshiped him. I remember growing up there was a Saint Jude Statue right next to the statue of John F. Kennedy in my home. There for I was often told, read about and watched with my family the TV specials on John F. Kennedy as I grew up.


Back to C-Span, Senator Edwards spoke about raising minimum wages, about the Bush administrations support of the big Oil interests while inadequately supporting the efforts to rebuild hurricane ravaged areas. He spoke about poverty in America and the failures of our educational system. I still have not made up my mind about the Democratic nominee of my choice in the primary's to come but Senator Edwards impressed me again as he did the first time I met him.

It would be nice to see our own Governor Bill Richardson in the White House and that would do a lot for New Mexico. I still remember the days when the Clinton White House had economic stability and growth combined with a balanced budget plan. A time when the C.O.P.S. programs helped small departments like Santa Fe County's to hire personnel and buy much needed equipment. Perhaps Hillary Clinton could lead the country in that direction again? Any of these candidates would be better than another Republican Administration. Combine that with the Democrats re-taking congress this November and I believe our country will be back on the path to prosperity. After watching Senator Edwards speak again I think he will be one to watch in the 2008 race. He continues to impress me and seems to get better and better in delivering his message. Finally, for those of you in Rep. Heather Wilsons District, Please elect Patricia Madrid and take one giant step towards a democratically controlled Congress.

"Note: the opinions expressed on this blog are mine and only mine however, keep reading and maybe they will be yours too, if they are not already." :-)

Friday Funny- Santa Fe County Field Sobriety Test

Here is the proposed new Santa Fe County Field Sobriety Test.

My Trip to the World Series of Poker Part 3

Here is part 3 of my trip to the World Series of Poker.


After a little sleep (very little) I went back to the Rio arriving by 9 am because I was told Doyle Brunson would be at the Doyles Room Hospitality suite between 10 and 11 am before he was scheduled to play in the 11 am $1500 buy in Holdem tournament. I got there and found out that there was an early satellite tournament with a $175 buy in. The winner would get a seat in the $1500 tournament which included Doyle and Todd Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilley, John Juanda, Mike The Mouth Matasow, Phil Hellmuth and about 340 others. I decided to give up meeting Doyle in the hospitality suite and play in the satellite tournament.














Here I am playing in the WSOP Satellite tournament.

So I sat down put on my sunglasses and got set to play my first game in the same room as the greatest players in the world for a seat in a WSOP tournament and a chance at a World Series of Poker Bracelet. The first hour went well, I held my own and had nearly doubled my chip stack. The Main event was getting re-started at 11:00 so our table was moved to the other end of the room. I think this began a change in luck or my playing. Which ever it was I began to lose hands or be forced to fold when the turn or river killed me.

I received pocket kings and went all in pre-flop hoping to at least pick up the blinds and maybe get one caller with A,K or a smaller pair. I got two callers and immediately got nervous. One lady turned over pocket twos which made me sigh with relief and the other player turned over K,Q unsuited. I thought I had it won. The flop turned with only rags (low cards that did nothing for any of us). The turn came and it stung like a thousand bees. It was a two, I knew I was sunk but still held out hope as I asked the dealer to turn over a king. No king came and I was out of the tournament. I congratulated the lady and got up from my seat. I kept thinking to myself, HOW COULD SHE GO ALL IN PRE FLOP WITH TWOS! Oh well now I know how Phil Hellmuth and Mike the Mouth feel the only difference is I held the anger in.

I walked away and decided to go back to trying to meet as many big name poker players as I could. First to come within my radar screen was Jennifer Tilley. I was really happy about this after missing my chance for photo's and an autograph yesterday when I ran into her at Binions. Not to be shy I stalked her for about 30 minutes as I watched her play until a break. I then approached her introduced myself and gave her one of my Sheriff's Pins. I secured an autograph on an article about her in ALL IN Magazine and a photo with her. Much to my surprise she put the pin on a green sweater she had previously had hanging on her chair and then she put the sweater on. Late that night I ran into her again and she was still wearing the pin but had been knocked out of the tournament.

Next I hooked up with Todd Brunson and retrieved an autograph from WSOP Champions Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, Chris Jesus Ferguson, Mike Caro, Greg Raymer, Clonie Gowen, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Amir Vahedi, T.J. Cloutier, Kathy Liebert,Cindy Violette, and finally the grand daddy of them all Doyle Brunson. I actually got to spend a few minutes with Doyle and felt truly honored to have spent that time with a living legend. After Stalking all these players, watching the main event all day and spending more time collecting free stuff, I headed back to Binions at about 11:30 at night, still excited about my two days at the World Series of Poker.

Here are some of the pics with the players.













Cindy Violette and Me.













Barry Greenstein and I with the card he signed for me.












Greg Raymer and Greg.


















Chris Jesus Ferguson and Me.
















Daniel Negreanu and I.

















The Grand Daddy of them all Doyle Brunson and an Ecstatic Me.

My Trip to the World Series of Poker Part 2

My Trip to the World Series of Poker Part 2














Day one of my trip to the World Series of Poker began with my arrival at Binions Hotel and Casino on the old strip. It was our home for the next few days. I headed to the poker room where the World series of poker was held for years before bieng moved last year to the Rio. While I was looking at the gallery of World Series of Poker previous winners in walks Jennifer Tilley and the Unibomber Phil Laak. I did not have a camera or anything to autograpgh so I just shook thier hands and said hello and how much I enjoyed thier poker playing skills. No one else recognized them so they looked at the photos on the wall then picked up some poker magazines and began flipping through them. Phil Laak remarked that he was not as well loved in the media at the time as he looked at all the other players in the magazines. They then headed out on to Freemont Street. I have always liked Jennifer Tilley as an actress and as a poker player after she won the ladies World Series of Poker Bracelet last year. I was kicking myself for not having my usual sharpie and camera.


Next it was off to the Rio Pavillion. It is a huge convention center at the back of the casino with the entire center booked with all things poker. Each online poker site had a hospitality room where givaways included, dvd's, t-shirts, hats, Special edition chips, books, poker diarys, pins, posters and probrably a lot of other things that I still havent realized I brought home with me.

Of course there was booths selling stuff but why buy anything when you got armloads of free stuff. Once I made my way through the hospitality rooms and after meeting my first Poker Celebrity Joe Hachem last years main event winner. I got an autograph but no photo. This was one of the few which I did not get a photo with on the trip. Next I ran into Phil Helmuth who was on a break in the Ultimate Bet Hospitality Room. I was the only one in a shirt and tie so I think when I walked past the public area and into the private breakroom I was probrably mistaken for an employee or security. I walked over to Phil and asked him for an autograph and a photo. He gave both and then we had a cup of coffee and talked strategy for about 20 minutes.















Phil Helmuth and Me.

Now it was off to the big show. Inside a large convention floor were over 200 poker tables. There were approxametly 300 players left from the 8700 which started at the begining of the main event. There were also cash games bieng played on one corner and a smaller tournament in another corner. This is truly heaven for a serious poker player and the greatest poker players in the world were seated in this one room. I walked around and gawked for a while before I had to leave. I had come to Vegas for a friends wedding and although I attended the wedding earlier in the day I had to meet the wedding party at Gilleys Western Bar.



So off to Gilleys where soon after we walked in we meet none other than Bill Engvall the comedian from the Blue Collar Comedy show with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy. I had my trusty sharpie and camera and not one to be shy my wife and I walked up introduced ourselves and got a photo and two autographs. He offered me a shot of Crown Royal from his own bottle he had with him but I can't drink hard liquor so I declined. He was appearing over the weekend at The Orleans hotel and casino but he brought his wife to Gilleys for her birthday. The birthday was announced and the whole bar joined Bill in singing happy birthday.














Bill Engvall my Wife and I

That Concluded my first day at the WSOP. Stay tuned for day two and my first day playing at the WSOP.

My Trip to the World Series of Poker

My Trip to the World Series of Poker.



















This was photoshopped and given to me by the folks at the Full Tilt Poker Hospitality Room.

A couple of my good friends got married in Vegas on Friday (congrats Steve and Pam), and my wife and I attended the wedding. The trip coincided with the main event at the World Series of Poker and I could not pass up the chance to attend. Of course since I did not have the $10,000 entrance fee I attended as a spectectator for the most part. I say for the most part because I did play in a $175 satellite event which the winner would then be given a seat in the $1,500 holdem event. The $1,500 event had many notables in it also including Jennifer Tilley the actress and WSOP bracelet holder, Phil Hellmuth (the Poker Brat), Mike (the Mouth) Matusow, Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, and most famous poker player of all Doyle Brunson and his son Todd Brunson . Oh and I was eliminated from the Satellite event with pocket kings against trip twos when the ladies pocket twos held up with a third two on the turn. That's my bad beat story for the 2006 WSOP.















Doyle Brunson at his WSOP Table















Phil (the poker brat) Hellmuth and myself at the 2006 WYSOP.

The highlights of my trip to the WSOP was that I was lucky enough to meet, get photo's with and get autographs from nearly all the big names in poker. I even got to discuss strategy with Phil Hellmuth over a cup of coffee and talk about Doyle Brunsons book with Doyle Brunson himself.













Jennifer Tilley at the 2006 WSOP

Jennifer Tilley was really nice and she has become my favorite celebrity poker player. After I gave her a Santa Fe County Sheriff's Pin, she proudly wore it on her green sweater while she competed in the $1,500 event. I spent two days hanging around the main event and saw Daniel Negreanu (kid poker) get knocked out at 229th place and collect his $42,000 winnings. I also was present when Joe Hachem last years defending champion was knocked out of the main event at 238 place also collecting $42,000, after he outlasted all previous bracelet holders.

For those of you unfamiliar with the WSOP there were 8773 players who each put up $10,000 or won a seat from various online poker sites or they could have also won a seat from one of the thousands of casinos across the world. Out of all these players one will be named world champion with an estimated 12 million dollar first place prize. The top 12 players will each receive over 1 million dollars and even the 873 place finish paid $14,000 with prizes going up from there to the first place 12 million dollar prize.















WSOP Champion Johnny Chan at the 2006 WSOP

I took a lot of pictures but I used a 35mm camera so once those are developed I will post some of the more notable ones. I took a few with my camera phone and those are posted today in this blog post. In the next few days I will chronicle my WSOP adventure with photo's and also talk about meeting Bill Engvall the comedian from the Blue Collar Comedy show with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy. We met at Gilley's located at the Frontier Casino. I also have pictures of Bill Engvall and provided my film develops ok I will post them, I have my fingers crossed. Until next post, be safe and have a great day!

Friday Funny- Making fun of the Media

Clever News Reporter
A car was involved in an accident in a street. As expected a large crowd gathered. A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story could not get near the car.

Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, "Let me through! Let me through! I am the son of the victim."

The crowd made way for him.

Lying in front of the car was a donkey.


Funny Newspaper Headlines

* 5th-Graders Get to Grill Lions
* Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
* Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
* Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
* New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
* Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
* Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
* Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
* Hospitals are Sued by Seven Foot Doctors
* Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
* 5th-Graders Get to Grill Lions (Detroit Free Press, Friday Jan 27, 2006)
* Autos killing 110 a Day; Let's Resolve to do Better
* Blind Woman Gets New Kidney from Dad she Hasn't Seen in Years
* British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
* Child's Death Ruins Couple's Holiday
* Child's Stool Great for Use in Garden
* Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
* Deaf Mute Gets New Hearing in Killing
* Dealers will Hear Car Talk at Noon
* Dr. Ruth to Talk about Sex with Newspaper Editors
* Drunk Drivers Paid $1,000 in 1984
* Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
* Eye Drops Off Shelf
* Farmer Bill Dies in House
* Grandmother of Eight Makes Hole in One
* If Strike isn't Settled Quickly it May Last a While
* Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
* Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
* Juvenile Court Tries Shooting Defendant
* Kicking Baby Considered To Be Healthy
* Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years
* Lawmen from Mexico Barbecue Guests
* Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms
* Man is Fatally Slain
* Milk Drinkers are Turning to Powder
* Miners Refuse to Work after Death
* Never Withhold Herpes from Loved One
* Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe out Literacy
* NJ Judge to Rule on Nude Beach
* Organ Festival Ends in Smashing Climax
* Panda Mating Fails - Veterinarian Takes Over
* Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
* Quarter of a Million Chinese Live on Water
* Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped
* Reagan Wins on Budget, but More Lies Ahead
* Robber Holds Up Albert's Hosiery
* Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted
* Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66
* Smokers are Productive, but Death Cuts Efficiency
* Some Become Unintentionally Suggestive
* Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
* Soviet Virgin Lands Short of Goal Again
* Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
* Stiff Opposition Expected to Casketless Funeral Plan
* Stolen Painting Found by Tree
* Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
* Two Convicts Evade Noose, Jury Hung
* Two Sisters Reunite after Eighteen Years at Checkout Counter
* Two Soviet Ships Collide - One Dies
* War Dims Hope for Peace
* William Kelly was Fed Secretary

America's Night Out Against Crime

Last Night I visited the plaza where members of the Santa Fe City Police, Sheriff, State Police, and City and County Fire Departments, along with the New Mexico National Guard and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, participated in America's 23rd Annual Night Out against Crime.

It was a true community event with a Band, Cake Walks, Cotton Candy, Snow Cones, Popcorn, Games and Prizes. Each agency had booths with information, specialty vehicles and robots on display and lots of free stuff for the kids. The National Guard had a basketball toss game and one of the biggest hits a rock climbing tower.

The organizers did a great job of putting on the event and deserve much accolades for their hard work. The event was well attended by many locals who came out to celebrate National Night Out. Here are some pictures of the event. I apologize to the City Fire Department and the County Eldorado Volunteer Fire Department as well as the National Guard, I forgot to take pictures of their displays.















Judy and Corporal Vanessa man ( is that the right word?) the Sheriff's Booth.















My favorite booth, the popcorn and snow cone booth.














Jordan and the Safety Pup !















Sgt Ken, Corporal Vanessa and myself with our Community Support Services Vehicle.















Sgt. Ken and Corp. Vanessa with the Community Suport Services Vehicle. This vehicle is used to visit schools and community events and has been nicknamed "spongebob" by the kids.















My old Police Academy schoolmate and former partner Captain Gary Johnson from the City Police, and myself in front of their new Armored Swat Vehicle.















Britney and the New Mexico State Police Mobile Command Post.

Homeless Iraq Vets

A few weeks ago I read this article on Homeless Iraq Vets and made a note to myself to write about it. I first looked at this phenomenon in November of 2005 while researching for my short story "From Baghdad to Santa Fe". I was looking into soldiers returning with P.T.S.D. or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I learned that P.T.S.D. has gone by many names but goes back to all documented wars. In World War One it was commonly called Shell Shocked. In Vietnam many soldiers returned with mental illness and later had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Vietnam Veterans brought a widespread acknowledgement of P.T.S.D. as a recognized mental disorder. Now our latest P.T.S.D. casualties of war are returning to the U.S. and discovering that the ravages of war are not easily forgotten.

P.T.S.D. is not just a soldiers disease it can affect anyone who lives through a traumatic experience. There are cases of P.T.S.D. from those who experienced the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, those who survived the hurricanes that ravaged the east coast, and even victims of domestic violence. One time I had to let go an employee who had an alcohol problem. It was very hard to do because I often wonder whether on the job stress contributed to the employee's problem. We had offered counseling and support but there was a point where the employee had to be let go. Those are the hard decisions that even months or years after its done you still think about from time to time.

Not all homeless vets have P.T.S.D. some just have a hard time finding jobs that pay enough to support themselves and their families. The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says homeless veterans are mostly males (2 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. The VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And more than half a million experience homelessness over the course of a year.

What can we do to affect this problem? In my humble opinion, as employers we need to hire our vets when they return. As a government we need to provide transition services and screening for P.T.S.D.. We need to help match employers with the skills the vets have learned while in the service. We offer large bonuses to the soldiers when they sign up, maybe we need to give some of that money at the end when they leave. We also need to work with the soldiers and get them to save money for after their tours are completed.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

A Vietnam Trilogy: Veterans And Post Traumatic Stress : 1968, 1989, 2000 is a very informative book for those experiencing P.T.S.D. or their families.