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Letter America: Dear Author
Letter America May 4, 2013 Jonathan Franzen ... More
May 06, 2013 By Robert Wilder Comments 0
News
09.21.2010
1 Comments
Wild horse enthusiasts will recognize Madeleine Pickens' name not for her marriage to Texas oil baron T. Boone Pickens, but rather for her work promoting a large-scale preserve for mustangs. According to New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter, Pickens is planning to fly in for today's press conference on a wild horse preserve Gov. Bill Richardson hopes to establish outside Madrid.
Last week, Richardson's office announced his plan to purchase over 12,000 acres of the Ortiz Mountain Ranch, just outside Madrid, to expand Cerrillos Hills State Park and create a wild horse sanctuary. The purchase will be funded with $2.8 million in federal stimulus money, according to a Sept. 16 press release.
Several elements of the plan remain up in the air. For one thing, any land acquisition must be approved by the State Board of Finance (which is scheduled to meet today but does not list the Ortiz Mountain Ranch property on its agenda). And developing New Mexico's first wild horse sanctuary will certainly take time to plan and execute—which makes the press release's air of certainty appear somewhat premature.
The use of badly needed stimulus funding for a horse preserve has also elicited some criticism: On Saturday, Albuquerque Journal staff writer Thomas J Cole suggested a GOP campaign ad accusing Richardson's administration of "putting horses before kids."
Wild horse activists, needless to say, are happy. Alicia Nation, the founder of the New Mexico Mustang and Burro Association, tells SFR she's thrilled with a project that has the potential to transform the state's tourism, education and recreation opportunities. And for Richardson, it's a chance to build a legacy that goes beyond corruption scandals.
Today, 1 - 2 pm
3 miles south of Madrid on Hwy 14
Madeleine Pickens to Hit Up NM
By Alexa Schirtzinger
Wild horse enthusiasts will recognize Madeleine Pickens' name not for her marriage to Texas oil baron T. Boone Pickens, but rather for her work promoting a large-scale preserve for mustangs. According to New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter, Pickens is planning to fly in for today's press conference on a wild horse preserve Gov. Bill Richardson hopes to establish outside Madrid.Last week, Richardson's office announced his plan to purchase over 12,000 acres of the Ortiz Mountain Ranch, just outside Madrid, to expand Cerrillos Hills State Park and create a wild horse sanctuary. The purchase will be funded with $2.8 million in federal stimulus money, according to a Sept. 16 press release.
Several elements of the plan remain up in the air. For one thing, any land acquisition must be approved by the State Board of Finance (which is scheduled to meet today but does not list the Ortiz Mountain Ranch property on its agenda). And developing New Mexico's first wild horse sanctuary will certainly take time to plan and execute—which makes the press release's air of certainty appear somewhat premature.
The use of badly needed stimulus funding for a horse preserve has also elicited some criticism: On Saturday, Albuquerque Journal staff writer Thomas J Cole suggested a GOP campaign ad accusing Richardson's administration of "putting horses before kids."
Wild horse activists, needless to say, are happy. Alicia Nation, the founder of the New Mexico Mustang and Burro Association, tells SFR she's thrilled with a project that has the potential to transform the state's tourism, education and recreation opportunities. And for Richardson, it's a chance to build a legacy that goes beyond corruption scandals.
Today, 1 - 2 pm
3 miles south of Madrid on Hwy 14
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The $2.8 million for purchasing 12,000 acres to expand Cerrillos State Park calculates out to 0.07% of the $3.9 billion Federal Stimulus funds directed to New Mexico. Governor Richardson has already allocated 8.18% of New Mexico’s share of stimulus funds to the budgetary category of “Family Safety Net”.
The Thomas Cole in his Albuquerque Journal opinion piece, masquerading as a front page news article, is propagating a “False Choice”, were if you promote and expand the State’s eco-tourism with a Wild Horse Sanctuary, then you don’t care about family and children.
Below are a few other numbers which may be of interest, as long as we’re making false choices:
A few other Stimulus numbers (as a percent of NM Stimulus funds):</br></br>
– 0.21%: Reconstruction of Existing Lanes fo NM 128, a rural road in Lea County (birthplace of Governor-Candidate Diane Denish).</br></br>
- 1.31%: Levee improvements in Dona Ana County (home to Governor-Candidate Susana Martinez</br></br>
- 0.06%: Improvements to Columbus US Land Port of Entry in Luna County (home of NM Senate Finance Chairman John Arthur Smith)</br></br>
And Other Loosely Related NM Budget Facts:</br></br>
- $1.9 million: Increase budget for DA office of Governor-Candidate Susana Martinez, from 2003 to 2009.</br></br>
- $2.8 million: Approximate cumulative budget for Lt. Governor office of Governor-Candidate Diane Denish, 2007-2010.</br></br>
- $7.5 million: Expenses for 2010 NM Legislative Session</br></br>
- $4.2 million: FY2010 Budget Recommendation for Legislative Finance Committee.</br></br>
- Energy and Natural Resources: Biggest Campaign Contributors to NM Senate Finance Chairman John Arthur Smith, 2004/2006/2008.