Morning Word: Gas Prices Rise

Production slowdown leads to a 10 percent jump

By Peter St. Cyr

Pumped Up

After bottoming out this summer, it looks like

gas prices are back on the rise

. We all paid about 10 percent more to fill up our tanks last week. Still, the

average price in New Mexico

is $2.26.  Analysts say the increase is the result of an oil production slowdown.

Campaign Fine

Bail bondsman Patrick Madrid says a $16,000 campaign reporting violation fine levied against him by the secretary of state isn’t “logical.” Madrid said no one ever told him

he had to zero out his accounts

after he dropped out of the Bernalillo County Commissioners race. Madrid was one of 31 cases Dianna Duran referred to the New Mexico attorney general’s office for investigation, only to have Hector Balderas return them to her, since he’s stopped providing the secretary any legal services following her indictments on 65 felony charges.

Shut Down the Park

A group of Sunland Park city residents are so disgruntled with their city leaders that they’re preparing to circulate a petition to

dissolve the city government

. Sam Gutierrez tells the Las Cruces Sun-News, "Their corruptiveness [stet] has gone on too long, too far, and we're tired of it. They have proven they can't rule themselves, much less us. We're ready to fight this all the way. It's not about when it's going to happen, it will happen." Petition organizers don’t think it will take them long to collect about 1,400 signatures. If they do, there will be a citywide vote on the issue.

Transparency Still Not a Priority 
This just isn’t cool. Another public servant is putting transparency on the back burner. The administrator for the chairman of Gov. Susan Martinez’ Judicial Nominating Commission told journalist Phaedra Haywood she doesn’t have the time to release applications submitted by people interested in replacing retiring New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Richard C Bosson. With the documents' release delayed until at least tomorrow, some folks are suggesting that a public hearing to review applications be rescheduled. 
Plant Retrofits
To comply with strict new federal haze rules, engineers have started installing pollution control equipment on those two coal-fired plants near Farmington. The work at the San Juan Generation Station and Four Corners Power Plant should be done by 2018.

Latino Surge
Joey Peters, who has been spending time in Roswell working on stories for New Mexico Political Report, has an interesting piece profiling an immigration and workers rights group’s effort to recruit new members and organize the city’s majority Hispanic population ahead of next year’s election.

Asian Population Booming
While Hispanics learn to leverage their majority in old Republican dominions like Roswell, Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic segment in New Mexico. By 2065, the Asian population, according to the Pew Research Group, will be even larger than Hispanics. In the last census, their group saw a 46 percent increase in the state.

Student Passports
While demographers track shifting populations here, UNM students who want to study abroad are making Spain their top classroom destination. Semesters in Mexico and the United Kingdom are also popular.

Political Infighting
Dan Lewis, an Albuquerque city councilor, says he’s planning to introduce a motion to censure the council’s retiring president. Lewis is upset with public comments Councilor Rey Garduño made after Republican councilors decided to oppose a proclamation for making the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day. Despite the political infighting, hundreds of people marched outside City Hall carrying signs and shouting, “Native lives matter.” In California, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law banning public schools from using the “Redskins” name for their sports teams. At least four schools will have to come up with a new mascot.

Democrats Debate Tonight
If you’re like us and hoping to get away from the office in time to watch the Democratic presidential debate, here are six things to watch for tonight. Who knows, maybe the conversation will alter the race. Can Hillary Clinton protect her lead or will Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders continue to close the gap? 

A Picture Is Worth ... Two Hours
A California company that specializes in collectibles and rare American coins says it authenticated a tintype picture of Billy the Kid and members of his notorious gang playing croquet in Lincoln County. The photo, which has been appraised and insured for $5 million, will be featured during a two-hour special on the National Geographic Channel on October 18.

Rumors Squelched
Roch Hart, the man who manages Diamond Tail Ranch east of Placitas, says he’s decided to allow film production companies to keep using the land for location shots after studio executives “squelched rumors that actors stole American Indian artifacts while filming Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials there” this summer. Hart, who offers tourists Jeep tours on the ranch, tells the AP that film production is a better option than cattle ranching. 

Moonquakes 
If you’ve ever gazed at the moon and noticed what looks like big cracks in the surface, now you can blame the earth. As it turns out, our little world’s gravity is responsible for creating some of the lunar faults and crevices. The pulling and pushing is reciprocal, since we already know the moon’s own gravity is responsible for creating ocean waves here.

'Cocks Not Glocks'
Students at public universities in Texas, who are upset that guns will be allowed on campus next August, are protesting the new rules by carrying dildos to school. 

For the Record
We blew it yesterday and published the wrong first name of the Rio Arriba political operative struggling with heroin addiction. It should have been Carlos Trujillo.

Santa Fe Reporter

Letters to the Editor

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page.