Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 160 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
July 4, 2014
Complaint charges Udall with IRS interference BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A group formed to protect First Amendment political rights has filed a complaint with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, charging New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall and other Senate Democrats with improperly interfering with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The complaint filed by the Center for Competitive Politics on June 2 alleges
Udall and several other sitting Senate Democrats in 2012 improperly requested the tax agency shut down certain tax-exempt organizations in the midst of an election year and suppressed their First Amendment speech rights. Udall’s office denied the allegations, saying the complaint is baseless and was filed by a group of Republican operatives in an attempt to generate unfavorable media coverage of Udall. “This baseless ethics
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complaint was filed by a group of political operatives to make political mischief,” Udall spokeswoman, Jennifer Talhelm, said Thursday. “Shadowy groups on both sides of the aisle are trying to skirt the law to sway elections and influence politicians with their money.” The CCP is an Alexandria, Va.-based group that works to promote and defend First Amendment rights to free political speech, assembly and petition. Founded in 2005, the
CCP touts itself as the nation’s largest organization dedicated solely to protecting First Amendment political rights. Udall is implicated in letters several Democrat senators wrote former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman in February and March of 2012, urging the IRS to impose a strict cap on the amount of political spending by tax-exempt, nonprofit groups. In a Feb. 6, 2012, letter to Shulman signed by Udall and Sens. Michael Bennet,
D-Colo., Al Franken, DMinn., Jef f Merkley, DOre., Charles Schumer, DN.Y., Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H. and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., the senators asked the IRS if it was investigating or intending to investigate whether groups designated as “social welfare” organizations were improperly engaged in a substantial or even predominant amount of campaign activity. The senators urged Shulman to investigate their allegations.
The same group of senators, including Udall, wrote Shulman again on March 12, 2012, urging the IRS to regulate the political campaign activities of social welfare groups.
Federal law defines 501(c)4 groups as groups engaged exclusively in social welfare activities. The IRS, however, has allowed the 501(c)4 groups to venture into political activities as long as civic and chari-
American flag means much to many Vet cemetery
opens today
BY MARY MORGAN RECORD INTERN
During Independence Day, Americans remember all that makes this country great. We celebrate the freedoms that were fought for us in the past so that we still fight to protect them today. One symbol reminds us of all we have: The American flag. Like all flags, there is a meaning behind its design. There are several theories behind the choice of using red, white and blue. But the meaning behind the stars and stripes is the same. The stripes are the original 13 colonies that settled in America. And the stars now stand for each of the 50 states. But what about the colors? Many believe that red stands for the blood, war and courage, blue is justice and freedom and white is purity. Another belief is that white is for purity and innocence, red is hardness and valor and blue being the color of the chief, or presi-
STAFF REPORT
dent. These meanings tend to be used more for the Great Seal during 1782 but could be tied into the meaning of the flag. The flag can hold different meanings to different peo-
See UDALL, Page A8
Mary Morgan Photo
ple. ster, also a member of the “It represents freedom. It’s Eagle Riders. our country,” said Edna WilThe original flag, created son, a member of the motorJune 4, 1777, had 13 stars cycle club Eagle Riders. “It represents the United See FLAG, Page A3 States,” said Teresa Brew-
The Gen. Douglas L. McBride Roswell Veterans Cemetery will officially open at 10 a.m. today with a memorial service and grand opening ceremony. The community is invited to join the Chaves County Veterans Cemetery Board and local veterans at the cemetery, located on the north side of South Park Cemetery. A process is in place to assist veterans’ families who need help paying for the burial costs. The service will bring hundreds of people and several hundred motorcycles are also expected to be on hand for the ceremony. “We will open on Friday, and we would like for everybody to be out there,” said Bert Eldridge, board member. “We hope to have 300 bikes, and we have
people coming from Taos and Albuquerque. I think it will be pretty good.”
Families should contact Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home at 6225888 to complete the process, starting with the provision of a copy of the DD Form 214 for the deceased.
The Veterans Cemetery Committee is still seeking donations to pay for components of the work that need to be done prior to the opening. It is particularly important to get donations that will be used to purchase sod for the one-acre plot. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Embrace Inc. at PO Box 4425 Roswell, NM 88202 or by calling Bert Eldridge at 4203527.
AerSale project to The tourists have landed: 2014 bring local revenue UFO Fest, CosmiCon begin today Roswell will be bringing in more revenue, thanks to a new project that AerSale is working on. AerSale, a company that buys and leases airplanes, is working with Xtra Airways out of Boise, Idaho, to do maintenance on four 747s over the next four months. “We basically take out all the interior, remove floorboards, and do a complete inspection of the aircraft looking for any corrosion, wiring issues, cracks, leaks, anything that doesn’t meet the inspection criteria,” said general manager Jim Barker. Most of the corrosion that is found on an airplane is in the lavatories and in the galleries of the planes, said Valory Brakeman of the company’s human resources department.
The project is already underway, having started on June 24. The company hired 30 more people to work on the project, adding to the 60 mechanics they already have, Barker said. There will also be 25 Xtra Airways workers who will be living in Roswell for the duration of the maintenance, living in the hotels and dining at local restaurants. Barker said it is the first step of a relationship with the company. “Going forward, their maintenance on their aircraft will be performed in Roswell,” he said. This means that the company will be expanding, he said. “We’ll have to build out our facility to support Xtra Airways and whatever maintenance and parts they may need or that they have,” Barker said. See AERSALE, Page A3
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TODAY’S FORECAST
STAFF REPORT
UFO enthusiasts and skeptics and everyone in the middle have arrived in Roswell to participate in the 2014 UFO Festival and CosmiCon, the annual sci-fi/comic convention that coincides with the UFO Festival this year. The UFO Festival celebrates one of the most debated incidents in history — the supposed crash landing of an alien craft near Roswell in the 1940s, according to the official festival website, ufofestivalroswell.com. In July 1947, a mysterious object reportedly crashed on a ranch 30 miles north of Roswell. The Roswell Ar my Air Field issued a statement claiming to have recovered a crashed “flying disk.” An article ran on the front page of the Roswell Daily
and
BY DYLANNE PETROS RECORD STAFF WRITER
THERE
STAY SAFE
Record and the next day, RAAF changed its statement to say that the object was a weather balloon, not a flying disk as they previously reported. This revised statement sparked immediate controversy and has continued to be a topic of debate more than 60 years later. UFO festivities kicked off Thursday night with music and planetarium shows. Planetarium shows continue today, along with guest speakers, authors and live entertainment. The majority of the events will be held downSee FESTIVAL, Page A3
Randal Seyler Photo
Heather Harkness, left, welcomes customers to her booth at the 2014 UFO Festival, which started Thursday in downtown Roswell. Harkness and her husband, Tim, are from Roswell and they are ready for the festival, which continues today and Saturday.
If energy comes into your home by an overhead power line, you need to be careful to stay at least 10 feet away, especially when you’re up on a ladder. And if you see any low-hanging lines, stay away and call 1-800-895-1999. Learn more about safety at xcelenergy.com/Safety.
ARE NO LOCAL OBITUARIES FOR TODAY. SERVICE INFORMATION, SEE PAGE A8.
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
FOR
FUNERAL
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B4
xcelenergy.com/Safety
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10
LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10