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Dem NM State Auditor Maestas has bad news for wasteful Lujan Grisham regime

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

In the fall of last year, New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney and a division director undertook a costly trip to Australia, with taxpayers footing the bill for $30,000 for their two flights. 

This expenditure has drawn scrutiny and criticism from the state auditor, who labeled it a misuse of public funds and a breach of state regulations.

Democrat State Auditor Joseph Maestas addressed a letter to Kenney, highlighting that the trip’s expenses were inflated due to the officials upgrading their seats to business class. 

While economy class tickets would have cost approximately $2,000 each, the business class seats purchased were nearly $15,000 each, leading to a 600% increase in costs. Maestas described this as a “clear case of waste of public resources” and noted it violated state policy.

“In seeking and obtaining airfare rates at greater cost than otherwise normally allowable, NMED management inappropriately applied private business standards for travel and overrode important preventative internal controls. Specifically, NMED Out of State Travel Policy 07-04, which was last updated in 1996, requires travel be taken in a manner that optimizes NMED resources, and Department of Finance and Administration travel guidelines requires the utilization of the lowest fare available,” read Maestas’ letter.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also attended the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit in Sydney during this trip. She announced a partnership with an Australian company to establish an innovation hub in New Mexico.

Lujan Grisham has been well-known for her taxpayer-funded jet-setting across the globe, from Scotland and the Netherlands to multiple trips to Washington, D.C., funded by New Mexico taxpayers. 

Secretary Kenney did not grant an interview to KRQE but issued a statement explaining that the business class upgrade was to ensure a full and productive workday upon arrival, which was crucial for the summit’s effective participation. 

He acknowledged the need for stronger internal controls and mentioned that the Department of Finance and Administration would introduce a final travel policy for state employees soon.

“The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) upgraded to business class for extended international air travel to allow for a full and productive workday upon arrival. This was essential for effective participation in the Asia Pacific Hydrogen Summit where the Governor and NMED secured and announced a $100M investment in Albuquerque by Australian-based Star Scientific. The NMED acknowledges the need for stronger internal controls, and the Department of Finance and Administration will replace its interim travel policy with a final travel policy for state employees next month,” his statement read. 

Read State Auditor Maestas’ letter here.

Dem NM State Auditor Maestas has bad news for wasteful Lujan Grisham regime Read More »

Desperate to win reelection, Heinrich bathes in Wall Street cash and hypocrisy

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is campaigning for a third term this November, has criticized his Republican opponent, former hedge fund executive Nella Domenici, for her Wall Street connections. Despite this, according to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by the Washington Examiner, Heinrich has received significant donations from financial industry political action committees and executives from private equity, hedge funds, and venture capital firms.

Over the past decade, PACs associated with major banks have contributed more than $330,000 to Heinrich’s campaign and leadership PAC. Additionally, Heinrich has accepted at least $450,000 from executives at influential firms. This includes donations from executives at top firms such as Bain Capital, Blackrock, Blackstone, Lone Pine Capital, and Schooner Capital.

This could expose Heinrich to Republicans’ accusations of hypocrisy as he campaigns against Domenici. In a recent fundraising email, Heinrich criticized Domenici for “making the ultra-wealthy wealthier,” referencing her financial disclosure that she and her husband hold up to $94 million in assets.

Domenici’s background includes working at Bridgewater Associates, Citadel, Credit Suisse, and other companies. She is also the daughter of the late former New Mexico Republican Sen. Pete Domenici.

Heinrich has made pointed remarks about Domenici on social media, suggesting that her career path to the U.S. Senate follows a history of profiting at the expense of American workers. He reiterated his stance in a fundraising email, asserting that he is “not in this fight to prop up Wall Street.”

Despite his critiques, Heinrich’s campaign continues to receive support from executives and corporate PACs, including UBS, the American Bankers Association, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. Heinrich’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment on these donations.

A recent poll showed Domenici trailing Heinrich by only three points. However, Domenici closed this gap when respondents heard positive information about her and negative messages about Heinrich.

Poll spooks Heinrich, showing him with razor-thin lead over Domenici

Desperate to win reelection, Heinrich bathes in Wall Street cash and hypocrisy Read More »

NM med student brags about helping mutilate 16 people during ‘#Pride month’

19 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A New Mexico osteopathic medical student at the Burrell College of Medicine in Las Cruces, Ryan Keller, took to social media to brag about his third year of plastic surgery school where he says he and other students “performed 16 top surgeries during #Pride month,” saying it “is something I’ll never forget.” 

Keller added, “Proud of healthcare in New Mexico and proud of my new suturing (stitching) skills,” sharing pictures of the location he assists with, where body mutilation occurs. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, so-called “top surgery” “is surgery that removes or augments breast tissue and reshapes the nipples and chest to create a more masculine or feminine appearance.” This may include a double mastectomy for women to remove their breasts or surgically implanting silicone implants for men.

Apparently, from Keller’s bio, he is studying pediatrics-physical medicine, and rehabilitation, meaning he is potentially training to perform these “gender-affirming” plastic surgery procedures on children. 

In previous posts, Keller has touted lectures held at Burrell College, such as “Trans and Nonbinary People in Care, Special Considerations.” 

Burrell College of Medicine Campus in Las Cruces. Mac2678, Wiki Commons

He wrote of these body mutilation lectures, “Pretty proud of these initiatives and those who have helped us put them on. #LGBTQIA health education belongs in #MedEd everywhere. Thank you to these advocates and leaders for sharing your invaluable insights. We need you now and always!” 

These types of body mutilation described by Keller are supported by New Mexico legislators, who have in recent years passed measures, such as 2023’s H.B. 207 amending the Human Rights Act that states that public bodies, including schools, “cannot discriminate against a person based on a wide variety of personal characteristics. Gender identity and gender are among those factors, gender being added in several places in this bill,” per the legislation’s fiscal impact report.

Also in 2023, Democrats rammed through H.B. 7, which prohibits “public bodies from discriminating against persons based on their use or non-use of reproductive or gender-affirming care,” which can also extend to these public bodies facilitating and referring prospective patients for these body-mutilating procedures. 

The 2023 budget (H.B. 2) under the Higher Education Department (HED) included a $1,000,000 line-item “[f]or the Burrell [C]ollege of [O]steopathic [M]edicine for outreach, minority student services, and to assist with enhancing and expanding graduate medical education programs. For expenditure in fiscal years 2023 through 2026.”  Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s HED touted this spending.

Therefore, public money is directly contributing to the mutilation of people in New Mexico through its sponsorship of the school, which purportedly trains medical professionals in so-called “gender-affirming care.”  

Since the publishing of this article, Keller has attempted to wipe evidence of the so-called “gender-affirming care” by making his X account private:

NM med student brags about helping mutilate 16 people during ‘#Pride month’ Read More »

New Mexico wages plummet in May after April increase

6 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The latest ADP Pay Insights report shows that the median annual wage in New Mexico declined in May.

In April 2024, the median annual wage stood at $40,000. However, in May 2024, it dropped by 1% to $39,600. Despite this recent dip, there was a 2.06% increase compared to May 2023, when the median wage was $38,800.

New Mexico’s wages have hovered around $40,000 since experiencing a decline in the spring of 2022. Unlike some neighboring states, New Mexico hasn’t witnessed sustained wage growth since the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Among its neighbors, Utah was the only state with an increase in median annual income between April and May 2024.

The ADP Pay Insights report is based on payroll data, tracking pay changes for approximately 17 million jobs over a 12-month period. This results in about 10 million monthly individual pay change observations, which are then used to compile the report.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was 3.9% in April. North Dakota and South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rates, at 2%. New Mexico ranked 33rd in the country with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, the same as in March 2024.

New Mexico’s unemployment rate falls in the middle in the Southwestern region. States like Texas, Nevada, and California have higher unemployment rates, while Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Utah have lower rates.

New Mexico wages plummet in May after April increase Read More »

New Mexico no longer safe for Democrats: Cook Political Report

17 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The Cook Political Report has shifted its rating of Virginia and New Mexico from “Solid Democrat” to “Likely Democrat” in its latest forecast for the 2024 election.

This adjustment comes amid Joe Biden’s ongoing struggles in polls across several states, particularly with black and Hispanic voters.

“Virginia and New Mexico are the only two states in our Solid Democrat column that Biden carried by 11 points or less in 2020,” remarked Cook Editor-in-Chief Amy Walter. “Given the current polling, they are now in the mid-single digit range and, as such, move into the Likely Democrat column.”

Walter added that while the Cook team believes these states “are at low risk of flipping to [45th President Donald] Trump, they are no longer the ‘gimmes’ a Solid Democrat rating suggests.”

If Trump were to win either state in November, he would achieve something no Republican presidential candidate has done since George W. Bush carried both states in his 2004 re-election.

Virginia, once a Republican stronghold, has consistently voted Democratic since 2008. However, recent polling indicates potential changes. Walter cited a FOX News poll showing Biden and Trump “in a dead heat” in Virginia, with both receiving 48% in a head-to-head matchup.

Trump’s unexpected competitiveness in Virginia is attributed to his rising support among black voters. While Biden still leads among black voters, his margin has significantly decreased from 81 points in 2020 to 48 points in the latest survey, with Trump increasing his share from 9% to 25%.

Walter noted, “The fact that the Biden campaign is spending as much time reaching out to Black voters as they are suggests that they too are worried about lagging support from this critical constituency.” She remained skeptical, however, that Trump would maintain his current level of support among black voters, suggesting the real danger for Biden is that many black voters may choose to stay home.

In 2020, Biden won Virginia by just over 10 points. The state has also voted Democratic in the previous three presidential elections, with Hillary Clinton carrying it by five points in 2016 and Barack Obama winning it by six points in both 2008 and 2012.

Virginia’s recent Democratic success is largely attributed to the heavily populated, deep-blue suburbs of Washington D.C. in the north. Despite this, Republicans have recently seen victories in statewide elections, with Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears, and Jason Miyares winning the top three statewide offices in 2021.

Regarding New Mexico, Walter mentioned that while there hasn’t been recent public polling, a well-placed Republican source indicated Biden’s lead has narrowed to around four points, reflecting similar trends in Arizona and Nevada.

Walter highlighted that “43% of New Mexico’s citizen voting-age population is Hispanic,” suggesting Biden’s challenges with this demographic could have a significant impact in the state.

Polling has consistently shown Biden underperforming in battleground states with substantial Hispanic populations. For instance, a recent New York Times/Siena poll found Trump leading Biden by 12 points among registered voters and 13 points among likely voters in Nevada, where roughly 20% of voters are Hispanic. Similarly, Trump leads in Arizona by seven points among registered voters and six points among likely voters, with Hispanic voters making up about a quarter of the electorate.

An Axios/Ipsos poll reported that from December 2021 to March 2024, Biden’s favorability among Latinos dropped 12 points, while Trump’s favorability increased by eight points. This shift has narrowed Biden’s lead among Latinos who plan to vote in November to just three points.

In 2020, Biden won New Mexico by a margin of 10.8%. The state had also voted Democratic in previous elections, with Clinton winning by eight points in 2016, Obama by 10 points in 2012, and 15 points in 2008. Bush narrowly won New Mexico in 2004, defeating John Kerry by less than one percent, as reported by Catholic Vote.

New Mexico no longer safe for Democrats: Cook Political Report Read More »

‘Most prominent’ national school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis coming to NM

7 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A leading national school choice advocate, Dr. Corey A. DeAngelis, Ph.D., is making a stop in the Land of Enchantment next Monday, June 17th, as part of the Rio Grande Foundation’s (RGF)education project, “Opportunity for All Kids NM.” 

“School choice is sweeping the nation. Arguably the most prominent national spokesperson and expert on allowing education dollars to follow students is Corey DeAngelis,” wrote RGF. DeAngelis is a visiting fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, a senior fellow at the Reason Foundation, and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, among other accolades. 

45th President Trump wrote about DeAngelis, “Corey DeAngelis is a FIGHTER for Parental Rights. His new book, The Parent Revolution, is a great guide to help Moms and Dads take back control of their children’s education from the RADICAL MARXISTS ruining our schools. As I have long said, School Choice is the CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE of our time, and parents must have a voice in their child’s education!”

DeAngelis is the author of “The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools.” The book is the #1 seller on Amazon for education funding and is a national USA Today bestseller. 

There will be talks and book signings in Albuquerque and Alamogordo. The Albuqueruqe event will be held at 12:00 p.m. at the Greater Association of Albuquerque Realtors (GAAR) located at 1635 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. The registration link is here.

The Alamogordo talk will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts at 1110 N New York Ave, Alamogordo, NM 88310. The registration link is here.

For a special Piñon Post reader exclusive offer, enter the code PINONPOST at checkout to receive 10% off your ticket to either event! 

‘Most prominent’ national school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis coming to NM Read More »

NMSP Officer Hare’s suspected murderer has trial delayed

17 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A federal judge has postponed the trial for a Marion, North Carolina, man charged with the murder of a New Mexico State Police officer in March. U.S. District Court Judge James O. Browning granted the defense team’s request to delay the trial of Jaremy Smith by nearly a month, moving the date from June 10 to July 8.

Jaremy Smith, 33, is accused of several charges, including carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death, related to the March 15 shooting of Officer Justin Hare on Interstate 40 near Albuquerque. Smith was arrested on March 17 by Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies in an Albuquerque neighborhood after being shot multiple times during a brief foot chase.

Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9. Prosecutors have stated they are considering the death penalty if he is convicted. Smith’s attorneys mentioned in court documents that a “mitigation presentation” is planned for early July, which could potentially remove the death penalty from consideration. They argued that preparing for this presentation, along with the criminal trial, is overwhelming.

“There is still a great deal of work to be done, which cannot be accomplished by the current deadlines set by the court,” Smith’s attorneys stated in their motion.

On April 18, Smith pleaded not guilty to charges including carjacking resulting in death, causing death by the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle.

Last week, Smith’s legal team requested a delay in the trial, citing the “voluminous” evidence, which includes over 7,700 individual items.

Judge Browning, in his June 4 decision, noted, “The court finds that granting the continuance will strike a proper balance between the ends of justice and the best interests of the public.” He also mentioned that the delay was necessary as “defense counsel anticipates plea negotiations with the government will begin shortly.”

In addition to the charges related to Officer Hare’s death, Smith is facing 17 charges in connection with the death of Pee Dee paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore, whose body was discovered on March 15 outside Lake View in Dillon County, North Carolina.

NMSP Officer Hare’s suspected murderer has trial delayed Read More »

Poll spooks Heinrich, showing him with razor-thin lead over Domenici

25 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Since Pete Domenici’s victory in 2002, no Republican has secured a U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico. Currently, Republicans are hopeful that Domenici’s daughter, Nella Domenici, a former CFO at Bridgewater Associates and a newcomer to politics, might challenge Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich.

While this race isn’t a primary focus for Senate Republicans, who are directing most of their efforts towards states like West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana, Nella Domenici’s potential financial backing and favorable political conditions could make the contest more competitive than expected.

A Red Oak Strategies poll conducted for Domenici and the National Republican Senatorial Committee indicates that she has the potential to grow her support base in the months leading up to Election Day. The poll, based on a survey of 1,800 registered voters, shows that while 66% of New Mexicans are unfamiliar with Nella, 46% recall her father, Pete Domenici, positively and support her candidacy. “This is a huge advantage as the campaign begins to deliver Nella’s message across direct voter contact platforms,” noted her team in a strategy memo shared with the National Review.

The poll revealed Heinrich leading Domenici by only three points among likely voters, within a 2.3 percent margin of error. However, Domenici closed this gap when respondents heard positive information about her and negative messages about Heinrich.

Despite New Mexico’s strong Democrat leaning and expectations of an easy win for Heinrich, as indicated by forecasters like Sabato’s Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report, Domenici’s campaign believes Joe Biden’s declining favorability ratings might negatively impact Heinrich. The strategy memo highlighted Biden’s 42% favorable and 56% unfavorable ratings compared to Trump’s 39% favorable and 59% unfavorable ratings, suggesting potential vulnerabilities for Democrats.

Domenici’s financial resources and business background, with experience at Bridgewater, Credit Suisse, and Citadel Investment Group, could prove advantageous, especially if she secures substantial contributions from Wall Street contacts. Notably, her latest Federal Election Commission report includes a donation from Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman.

If Domenici can improve her fundraising, which was around $1 million compared to Heinrich’s $4.4 million as of mid-May, Democrats might have to allocate more resources to defend Heinrich, diverting funds from more competitive battleground states.

Domenici launched her first campaign ad last month, and Heinrich responded with attacks this week. Her campaign plans to criticize Heinrich on energy policy, immigration, and public safety while adopting a centrist stance on abortion, opposing a federal ban on the procedure.

“Nella Domenici is well-positioned to take on Martin Heinrich and make this race competitive. New Mexico is a race to watch,” stated NRSC spokeswoman Maggie Abboud.

Heinrich’s team responded to the poll results in a fundraising email, calling it a “dead heat.” His team wrote, “This new poll is concerning enough. But the National Republican Senatorial Committee has put their full support behind Martin’s opponent and is calling New Mexico ‘a race to watch.’ NPR reports that the state has ‘pivotal races’ for the House and the Senate — including Martin’s — that could ‘help determine the control of those chambers.’”

Poll spooks Heinrich, showing him with razor-thin lead over Domenici Read More »

Leftists churn out fake news about Trump’s NM primary margin

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Leftist news networks began attempting to delegitimize 45th President Donald J. Trump’s primary election night victory in New Mexico, claiming former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley created a failure in the primaries with a “huge vote against him.”

KRQE 13 ran a headline reading, “Haley, Christie and others take votes away from Trump in New Mexico primary,” focusing on the meager 8.6 percent Haley took from him, the tiny 2.6 percent Christie took, and the 3.3 percent “uncommitted,” which added up to 14.5 percent.

Newsweek continued perpetuating the fake narrative with the headline, “Donald Trump Suffers Huge Vote Against Him in New Mexico Primary,” bringing attention to the same numbers as the local TV news station. 

Even far-left “comedian” Steven Colbert brought attention to the Newsweek headline, trying to claim the results were a “hiccup” against the 45th President. 

But these leftist news organizations and personalities failed to mention Joe Biden’s performance in New Mexico, which percentage-wise was around one point off from Trump’s numbers.

Biden grabbed 83.5 percent of the New Mexico Democrat primary vote, while Marianne Williamson snatched 6.7 percent, and a huge 9.7 percent or 12,877 rejected Biden — a massive blow to the wildly unpopular Democrat politician. 

One X user wrote, “I don’t like to extrapolate or make predictions based on primary elections, but I find it interesting how Trump has a higher % of the GOP primary vote share vs. Biden in the DEM primary in New Mexico tonight.”

State Rep. John Block wrote regarding the KRQE article, “What a bunch of fake news! Taking votes away from Trump? Try Biden! He only got barely one point more than Trump in NM. Give it a rest! Oh, and 10% of Biden’s votes are uncommitted vs. Trump’s only 3%! Report that!”

The leftist media in New Mexico or nationwide, however, neglected to mention Biden’s abysmal performance, which could tarnish him in the Land of Enchantment, which he purportedly won in 2020 by a 10.79 percent margin of victory.

Leftists churn out fake news about Trump’s NM primary margin Read More »

Vasquez humiliated during border visit as his narrative crumbles before his eyes

20 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

In an unexpected turn of events, New Mexico’s U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez found himself in an awkward situation during a recent border visit, as The Wall Street Journal reported. During the visit, Vasquez accused Republicans of exaggerating the number of illegal border crossings, only to be proven wrong shortly thereafter.

According to the WSJ, Vasquez dismissed claims by Republicans that migrants were crossing the border “24/7” at a specific location. He stated, “This was a spot where Republicans claimed migrants were illegally crossing into the country ‘24/7.’ But no one was there. We’re on that same trail right now.” However, moments after his statement, a group of exhausted-looking men appeared along the sides of the hill, contradicting his claim.

“Moments later, a few exhausted-looking men, then more, appeared along the sides of the hill. They finished their climb and searched the mountain for pockets of shade to rest. In all, about 20 men and one young girl crested the ridge, where the terrain makes any border barrier difficult to maintain. Vasquez offered one of the men his bottle of water, guessing they were all suffering from dehydration,” wrote the WSJ.

This incident highlights a significant disconnect between Vasquez’s stance on border security and the reality on the ground. Vasquez has consistently opposed commonsense border security measures, opting instead for a more lenient, open-border approach. This has drawn criticism, especially as illegal crossings remain at alarmingly high levels and incidents of migrants hiding in New Mexico schools have surfaced.

The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) seized the opportunity to criticize Vasquez. Maureen O’Toole, CLF Regional Press Secretary, stated, “Come November, New Mexico voters will elect the candidate they trust to fix this border crisis – and that’s not Gabe Vasquez.”

Former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell, the GOP nominee for the Second District, wrote on X, “Denying reality doesn’t change it, Gabe!”

The border crisis continues to be a contentious issue in New Mexico and across the nation. With the upcoming elections, voters are increasingly looking for leaders who can effectively address the challenges posed by illegal immigration. Vasquez’s recent misstep at the border may further sway public opinion toward candidates advocating for stricter border controls and enhanced security measures.

As the situation at the border remains critical, the pressure is mounting on politicians to provide viable solutions. The outcome of the November elections will likely reflect the public’s growing concern over border security and their demand for tangible actions to address the crisis.

Vasquez humiliated during border visit as his narrative crumbles before his eyes Read More »

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