I'll be gone for the next week, so this blog, baring anything totally earthshaking, will be dark during that time.
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| Rod Adair |
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| NM Supreme Court hears case in October |
“My personal views on this issue are well-known, and I’m confident that most New Mexicans believe, like I do, that it should have been settled by a vote of the people. Instead, the Supreme Court stepped in and rendered their decision. While there will surely be intense debate about this decision moving forward, I encourage New Mexicans to continue to respect one another in their discourse, as this is an important issue for many New Mexicans on both sides. As we move forward, I am hopeful that we will not be divided, as we must come together to tackle very pressing issues, like reforming education and growing our economy, in the weeks and months ahead.”
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| Wirth speaking in Rotunda during a previous session |
The New Mexican looks for a "Quote of the Day" during legislative sessions. We don't do that for interim committee meetings, but if we did, yesterday would have provided a doozy.
Former Gov. Gary Johnson, a former Republican now titular head of the Libertarian Party, has started a new Super PAC aimed at helping "Liberty-minded" candidates across the land.
Former Gov. Bill Richardson, in an interview with Newsmax last week, admitted that he’d “screwed up” in trying to negotiate a hostage release in Cuba a few years ago.
Martinez, whose husband is in law enforcement, supports a national gun registry to prevent sales to people with proven histories of mental illness. And she approved an expansion of Medicaid in New Mexico that was an option under President Obama's signature health care law, a step some conservative Republicans have likened to embracing the law in its entirety.
“I had no intentions of leaving my state, and no intentions, vetted or not, offered or not, of that position,” Martinez explained in an interview with the Washington Examiner at the Republican Governors Association conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., last month. “So it would have been a waste of their time.”
Berg gave a couple of prominent New Mexico Democrats a chance to share their feelings on Susana Martinez.:
Asked whether she would consider being vetted for the job in 2016, her response was no less Shermanesque, if more succinct: She shook her head “no,” somewhat wistfully, followed by a firm, “Nuh uh.”
Were her state record subjected to further scrutiny, New Mexico Democrats say, it would not hold up.(The story actually identifies Bregman as "Sam Bernalillo.")
“Anyone considering her as a running mate should be aware, she will be the Sarah Palin of New Mexico,” said New Mexico Democratic Party Chairman Sam [Bregman].
Martinez’s predecessor, former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson, declined an interview because he has “a very negative opinion of Martinez,” a spokesperson said.
Former state Sen. Manny Aragon, known for years as the most powerful force in the state Legislature, was released from federal prison in Colorado Thursday.
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| Sen. Morales |
Gov. Susana Martinez, along with her running mate, uhhh..., I mean fellow GOP governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, is on the cover of the latest issue of The Ripon Forum with a caption that labels them "Role Models"
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| Conrad James |
During his term in the legislature, James was a stand-out – he carried important legislation that reduced tax pyramiding in the manufacturing and construction industries, and he received the Spirit of Bipartisanship Rising Star Award from New Mexico First and the Soaring Eagle Award from the New Mexico Association of Counties. In January of 2013, Gov. Susana Martinez appointed James to the New Mexico Board of Regents where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee.James, who works at Sandia National Laboratory, has a PhD in applied and engineering physics.
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| Marie Q. Julienne |
an institutional researcher and Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Mexico. Her research interests include the critical examination of public education institutional structures, processes, and policies that impact educational pathways for underrepresented groups. Topics concerning tribal education and the social and political implications of technology are also of special interest.
A graduate of the Emerge 2013 class, Marie is a strong, intelligent and accomplished single mother of two daughters (Sa'angna "Ana," 12, and Jasmine Uchme, 13) with strong ties to the Native American community. She lives in Albuquerque's EDO (East Downtown) and is a marathon runner who enjoys morning runs on the Bosque trail.
State Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, D-Santa Fe just told me that he's seeking re-election -- which he had said several months ago, but added and said this would be his final term.
“Lynn and I are pleased to pledge our support for Democrat Debra Haaland for Lt. Governor of New Mexico. Debra has worked hard for the people of New Mexico, the Democratic Party, and will be an asset in the 2014 gubernatorial race. As a Native American, she will bring a fresh, new perspective to the office of Lt. Governor.”
Michael Corwin, the private investigator who has worked as an investigator for several state Democrats, including former Gov. Bill Richardson, hasn't been in the news much since his Independent Source PAC went inactive a few months ago.
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| Arnold-Jones in her outlaw webcasting days |
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| Dendahl in 2006 |
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| McCleskey |
But back home, some of her key allies were finding that courage in short supply. They had begun to see Martinez not as a fresh-faced technocrat, but as a callow figure who had placed far too much trust in a single political aide, the 39-year-old McCleskey, whom many here view as the "Karl Rove of New Mexico." Yes, he discovered her and transformed her from a county district attorney into a national force. But these Martinez allies say that his mercenary, dog-eat-dog style of politics now superseded the act of governing, and that he had effectively walled off any other voices from pricking the governor's eardrums, let alone her conscience.
"As is the job of any political consultant, my role is not to be loved, but rather to be effective at winning campaigns and garnering support for the policies pursued by those who have been elected," McCleskey says. "I am proud of that record of success, and the petty whining, sniping, and resentment of malcontents doesn't bother me. ... Any leader who breaks the mold and challenges the status quo, like Governor Martinez does, will face criticism, even from within her own party."
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| Lawrence Rael |
I had a quick chat with Lawrence Rael today and he confirmed that he will soon be announcing his candidacy for governor.
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| Matthew McQueen |
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| Dendahl in 2006 |
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| Sen. Orrin Hatch |
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| Human Services Secretary Sidonie Squier |
Santa Fe – Today, the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) announced the release of two additional Medicaid pay-holds to agencies audited by the State earlier this year. Both agencies are severing ties with TeamBuilders and its various corporate and non-profit affiliates and will together agree to repay $4,240,000 in behavioral health funding alleged to have been improperly billed to the Medicaid system.
Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS) and Youth Development, Inc. (YDI) received the lift on their pay-holds after agreeing to pay back overpayment amounts found by a recent audit of behavioral health companies in New Mexico. PMS will repay $4,000,000 and YDI will repay $240,000. PMS and YDI will also be subject to intensive new training and oversight of its management until billing and management systems are fully operational and determined to be sound.
Each of the companies will continue to provide behavioral health services to their clients, though Valle del Sol will provide temporary oversight of YDI and La Frontera will provide temporary oversight of PMS. Among other tasks, Valle del Sol and La Frontera will train and provide technical assistance to staff members at each company, ensure program compliance with state and federal laws and rules, require accurate and timely billing (including pre-submission review of claims), and assist in developing new performance measures.
“We have a responsibility to protect taxpayer dollars and to ensure that consumers are receiving continued access to care. This is a positive outcome that allows us to recoup a significant portion of the Medicaid funding that has been identified as overpayments,” said HSD Secretary Sidonie Squier. “PMS and YDI should be commended for working with the State from the get-go to improve service delivery, acknowledge the need to repay overpayments assigned to their work, and sever ties with other troubled entities.”
PMS and YDI are not among the behavioral health companies with the most serious or numerous whistleblower complaints against them, which include allegations that, in other companies, employees were told to intentionally up-code services as a means of siphoning extra money out of the Medicaid system, told to bill for services never provided, or told to obstruct the reporting of critical incidents to proper authorities and regulators.
Additionally, neither PMS nor YDI are as deeply engrained in the complex financial relationships and potential conflicts of interest that exist around the entities that comprise the seven Rio Grande behavioral health care companies and the numerous not-for profit and for-profit companies that are closely related to TeamBuilders.
Today’s announcement is separate and distinct from, and has no bearing on, the continuing criminal investigation being conducted by state and federal authorities into the conduct of all 15 companies audited this year.
After four months of working with the Human Services Department on the behavioral health audit conducted by PCG, YDI and the Department have reached a settlement. However, YDI did not fully agree with the processes employed by the State and PCG. Seeking resolution, YDI fully cooperated with HSD in this matter and continued to provide services while payments to it were suspended.
In the interest of resolving all differences between YDI and HSD amicably, and in order to avoid the time, trouble, expense, delay and uncertainty of the time litigating this matter we believed this was the most prudent path for YDI to take.
The amount settled for is about 8 percent of the amount billed over the last 3 years. According to the GAO, the National average claim failure rate is between 3 percent and 9 percent . We are working diligently with the State and Valle del Sol to improve to our behavioral health systems in order to reduce that rate to zero.
We look forward to continue to serve the many people who are our consumers and who have put their faith and confidence in the critical services YDI has provided for over 42 years.
... latest attempt to reach out to the Hispanic community, a constituency he has courted often throughout his campaign and one Christie will need should he jump into the 2016 presidential election.
"As we enter the final days of the campaign having her on the trail is going to help us tell our story and bolster our vision for the next four years," said Christie campaign spokesman Kevin Roberts. It also makes another statement about what we are doing and the non-traditional support we are getting."
What industry had the most lobbyists working the New Mexico state Legislature this year? Was it the oil and gas industry, which is responsible for a huge portion of state revenues? Was it the big pharmaceutical companies? The liquor industry? Ranchers? Chile farmers?
If you predicted that Gov. Susana Martinez would chose a fellow Republican to replace the late Stephen Easley in the state House of Representatives, you were right.
Today, Governor Susana Martinez appointed Republican Vickie Perea to the State House of Representatives District 50 seat. Perea will fill the vacancy created by the passing of State Representative Stephen Easley. She will assume the term that ends December 31, 2014.
Perea, a former Democrat, is a native New Mexican, wife, mother, and grandmother with a varied, life-long history of public service. As an employee and administrator at the City of Albuquerque, she served for twenty-five years. After her retirement from the City, Perea served for four years as a City Councilor, which included service as Council President. In addition to her tenure as an elected official, Perea has devoted much of her time to service in other capacities, including past work as a Regent for Trinity International University, as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairperson of New Mexico First, and as Vice-Chairperson of the Unification Charter Commission for the City of Albuquerque/Bernalillo County. She has previously also been involved with the New Mexico Municipal League and the Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Perea attended the University of New Mexico and completed the program for executives in state and local government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and holds an Honorary LLD, Doctor of Laws from Cohen University and Theological Seminary.
“I had an opportunity to speak with all three nominees for this position and appreciate their willingness to serve,” Governor Martinez said. “In Vickie, the citizens of House District 50 have a passionate public servant who will bring a fresh voice to the Legislature. She is capable of working across party lines and is well-qualified to help craft public policy that will benefit New Mexico’s economy, schools, and families.”
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| Ann Jenkins |
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| AG King |
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| Where the campaign contributions from oil companies to NM politicians come from |
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