Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 119, No. 299 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
House Dems ponder changes in tax bill
“This agreement is not subject to being reopened,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “In other words, we have an understanding.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — A strong start to the holiday season is raising confidence that the consumer is back and that 2011 could be a better year for the economy than expected.
WEDNESDAY
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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats considered changes in legislation to avoid a Jan. 1 jump in income taxes on Tuesday, despite a warning from Republicans that the bill’s passage could be endangered as a result.
STRONG SEASON
December 15, 2010
President Barack Obama announced the agreement a week ago, saying it had been worked out with leading lawmakers in both
parties and was essential to help strengthen an economy still struggling to recover from the worst recession in decades.
There is little disagreement among lawmakers about many elements of the bill, but a provision to benefit the wealthy by easing the estate tax draws strong opposition from House liberals. The Democratic rank-and-file voted last week not to permit the bill to come to a vote unless it had been changed first. They appear to have dropped their ultimatum, and arranged a closed-door evening
Going for a car ride
meeting to review other ways to make revisions.
The measure commands strong bipartisan support in the Senate, which voted 83-15 on Monday to advance it to a final vote that is expected either late Tuesday or possibly Wednesday.
At its core, the bill would extend tax cuts at all income levels that were enacted during the presidency of George W. Bush. It also would renew a program of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that is due to lapse, and enact a oneyear cut in Social Security taxes.
The bill’s cost, $858 billion, would be added to the deficit. At the insistence of Republicans, the plan includes a more generous estate tax provision: The first $10 million of a couple’s estate could pass to heirs without taxation. The balance would be subject to a 35 percent tax rate. The lower estate tax infuriated some Democrats who were already unhappy with Obama for agreeing to extend tax cuts for individuals making more than $200,000 and
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TOP 5 WEB For The Last 24 Hours
• Fire destroys Cloudcroft businesses • Memorial service for Jeff Wilson • Electric Light Parade makes 20th journey • Wreaths Across America honor the fallen • UFO experts decry put-down
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
INSIDE SPORTS A dog peers out of a car window from its back seat perch while going for a ride up Main Street recently.
PHILLIES SNAG LEE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels — and Cliff Lee. Yes, Cliff Lee. The Philadelphia Phillies have assembled quite an impressive starting rotation that could eventually go down as one of the best in baseball history. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES • Geoffrey Allen Vandewart • Joseph Antonio Arias • Nicolasa Perez
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HIGH ...79˚ LOW ....37˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........C1 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT.....B8 FINANCIAL .............E4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD .................C1
INDEX
Herrera bound over to District Court See TAX, Page A6
Vandals target area schools
Police say vandals caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to at least eight schools over the weekend. The Roswell Independent School District was set back at least nearly $9,000 after multiple schools suffered broken windows and graffiti attacks, police said. The majority of the reports were made Monday, after teachers and administrators returned to work. Roswell High School, Sierra and Mesa middle schools, Nancy Lopez, Del Norte, Pecos and Valley View elementary schools, as well as Parkview Early Literacy Center were among the schools affected. Criminal damage was also reported in various residential neighborhoods, including broken mail boxes, police said. “We believe they are going to be all related,” said Erica O’Bryon, spokeswoman for the Roswell Police Department. “It’s just (people) up to no good,” she said. Police arrested two Roswell residents for criminal damage on Saturday that they say could be associated with the damage at RISD. Gabriel Ogas, 18, was charged with criminal damage and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Police also arrested a 16-year-old male.
Mark Wilson Photo
Magistrate Court Judge John J. Halvorson ruled that the state had probable cause in its case against Israel S. Herrera, 22, on the charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. The case has been bound over to the 5th Judicial District Court. Herrera is accused of the Nov. 22 shooting death of Stephen Foster, 25. According to the criminal com-
Jennings set to keep top job
Senate Democrats voted over the weekend to keep a local lawmaker in the upper house’s top leadership position. Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, will continue to serve as Senate president pro tempore as lawmakers prepare to gavel in for the 50th Legislature in January. It will be the second time Jennings was voted to the position. “I’m honored to hold the position,” Jennings said. “I’m always proud of my Senate. When we recognized that the state had some serious financial problems ... we addressed them. “It’s an honor to represent the Senate because they have been strong people,” he said. Jennings, who represents parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln and Otero counties, says he anticipates having to enact tough decisions in the near future to plug the
Paving the way
See HERRERA, Page A6
“It’s an honor to represent the Senate because they have been strong people,” — Sen. Tim Jennings
state’s deficit he estimated at between $300 and $400 million.
“We’ve got to do our budget,” he said. “We’ll get it done and we’ll go from there.”
The Democratic Caucus also voted to retain Sen. Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, as majority leader; Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, DDona Ana, minority whip; and Sen. David Ulibarri, D-Grants, as majority caucus chair.
Sunni politician to join Iraqi government BAGHDAD (AP) — The head of a Sunni-backed political party will join the Shiite-led gover nment being assembled by his top rival, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, clearing a final hurdle to end months of tortuous, postelection dealmaking. The breakthrough cements what the Obama administration has been pushing for as U.S. troops prepare to leave Iraq by the end of 2011: an inclusive government that distributes power among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds to forge stability after more than seven years of war. As part of the deal, Ayad
Allawi will join Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government as head of a newly created council to oversee security and foreign policy issues. The two rivals will make the same annual salary, believed to be at least $360,000. Parliament still must decide how much power to give the new council. Allawi, a former premier, had held out for months, insisting that he or one of his allies should be the next prime minister since his secular Iraqiya party narrowly won more seats than any other alliance in See IRAQ, Page A6
Mark Wilson Photo
Constructors Inc. employees work on the re-surfacing of Taxiway Gulf Tuesday at the Roswell International Air Center. The project began Monday by milling off the old surface of the taxi way, readying it for re-paving. The project price tag is $782,000 which is paid for by funds from the Airport Improvement Project. The project is expected to take 60 days and when finished the taxiway will be fully functional.