A4 Sunday, October 24, 2010
OPINION
Notion that all politics is local falls by the wayside
SANTA FE — “All politics is local.” It’s a famous warning by former U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill. It is an admonition not to lose touch with local voters and not to forget that local issues mean the most to those voters. But that maxim has taken a beating the past two elections and may suf fer even more in 2010. U.S. Rep Newt Gingrich gave it a big kick in the head back in 1994 when he led the effort that took the House and Senate from Democrats halfway through President Bill Clinton’s first term in office. Rep. Gingrich nationalized politics that year by writing a Contract With America, which promised to reform Congress, Social Security, welfare and tort law, balance the budget and give tax breaks to small business. The contract captured Americans’ minds. I’ve told the story before of New Mexico’s Rep. Steve Schiff tracking me down on a
JAY MILLER
INSIDE THE CAPITOL
rural beach in Hawaii with no phone and no TV to excitedly tell me that Rep Gingrich had developed an ingenious plan to take back Congress for the first time in four decades. It worked, as 367 Republican House candidates, incumbents and non-incumbents, stood on the steps of Congress and signed the contract. Historians tell us it was the first nationalized congressional election since 1918. President Bill Clinton took the bait, responding to the Contract and Republicans swept to victory, taking advantage of Clinton’s widespread unpopularity. True to their Contract, Gin-
Roswell Daily Record
grich & Co. introduced 10 bills implementing the Contract during the first 100 days of Congress. All of them passed except the bill imposing term limits. Most of the bills either died in the Republican Senate or were vetoed by Clinton. But then Clinton grabbed the advantage, introducing bills of his own implementing the Contract. Through a method he called triangulation, Clinton played Republicans and Democrats against each other. He not only succeeded in getting most of the bills passed but took credit for them and won reelection in 1996. Ten years later, Democrats managed to nationalize congressional elections, playing off the unpopularity of the two wars we were fighting, to take back Congress. Two years later, they widened their congressional margins with the help of Barack Obama’s call for change.
Now 2010, and House Republicans are employing Gingrich’s 1994 strategy with a Pledge to America. The Pledge isn’t as specific about what it will do or how it will do it if Republicans take back the House. Essentially it talks more about what it will undo, which is everything that has happened in the past two years. But it did succeed in drawing immediate reaction from President Obama, a big step in nationalizing this election. Since then, talk of the Pledge has subsided but there are numerous indications it is working. Democrats Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague began with campaign ads about all the good things they are doing within their congressional districts. Now they have been drawn into defending votes in Washington and their support for the Wicked Witch of the West, Nancy Pelosi.
Xenophobic efforts to portray Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez as a Tejana, and not one of us, appear to be backfiring. Out-of-state money is giving a big boost to Republican candidates since last spring when the U.S. Supreme court ruled corporations can spend all the money they want on political campaigns. Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is giving a national flavor to campaigns, traveling around the country making endorsements. Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell is said not to even have a campaign office. Her entire campaign evidently revolves around good and bad reviews she gets from national appearances on television and radio. (Write to Jay Miller at 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505; by fax at 984-0982; or by e-mail at insidethecapitol@hotmail.com)
ENDORSEMENTS
Lyons for PRC, District 2
We’d be hard pressed to name another government body in the state which could challenge the Public Regulation Commission’s reputation for being a disfunctional operation. Since its creation it’s been plagued with problems. One of our commissioners left the PRC out of disgust with the political maneuverings which were taking place. There have been scandals involving commission members and with staff. It’s going to take some serious work to straighten out the mess the relatively new body has become. This is why we put our support behind Patrick L yons. During his time as the state land commissioner he’s proven to be an effective administrator capable of handling the complexities of interaction between government and the private sector. It’s going to be a long road to transform the PRC into what it was envisioned to become, but L yons has the intelligence and fortitude to get the job done. The Daily Record endorses Patrick Lyons for Public Regulation Commission, District 2.
Halvorson for Magistrate Court judge, Division 2
This is the type of race we’d like to see across the rest of the ballot. Two honorable candidates, Republican John Halvorson and Democrat Oscar Gonzalez, informing voters about their qualifications and staying away from the attack ads so prevalent elsewhere. We’re thankful to have two community leaders competing for this position. Both have the qualifications to serve in Magistrate Court. The deciding factor for us is that while he has only been a judge for a short time, Halvorson has successfully demonstrated he can do the job. We believe he should be kept in place and allowed to continue his service to our community. The Daily Record endorses John Halvorson for Magistrate Court judge, Division 2.
Ortega for County Commission, District 2
Eloy Ortega Jr. has years of experience in elected offices and has demonstrated he’s a dedicated public servant. Ortega ran up against term limits after being elected to the County Commission twice. After taking a break for a few years, he’s again eligible to hold a seat on the commission. In the interim, he’s been serving the community as a member of the Roswell School Board. Ortega is a proven element when it comes to local elected bodies. He’s well versed in the issues facing our county, he knows how county government works and we’re confident he’ll do everything he can to help the residents and businesses here. The Daily Record endorses Eloy Ortega Jr. for the Chaves County Commission, District 1.
Lethgo for county assessor
Political affiliation has no bearing on the operation of the County Assessor’s Office. Assessors are responsible for following the law and managing their staff. There’s little interpretation allowed. Ron Lethgo is by all accounts doing a solid job in his position and is a reliable county assessor. His office has received positive evaluations and it’s performing its function for county residents. The addition of a website for public research during his tenure is further proof he’s working hard to make information available to the public. We recommend that voters allow him to continue in his duties. The Daily Record endorses Ron Lethgo for Chaves County assessor.
Youth ChalleNGe Academy needs our help In the course of any given day, the challenges we face as a community seem to outweigh the resources that we have at our disposal. Whether we need more time to evaluate a given issue, talent to lead the charge, or treasures to finance the mission, there seems to never be enough. And to that end, you should not be surprised when I tell you that managing the city’s budget is no different than managing your family budget. When our desires exceed our revenues, trouble abounds. Just like at home, we are forced to slow down and prioritize our decisions. Before you mistake this as a
Doonesbury
DEAR DR. GOTT: My mother-in-law is 70 years old. She never had a need to see an eye doctor until last week, when she scratched her eye. She found a local ophthalmologist who told her that she has Fuchs’ disease, something she had never heard of before. As a coincidence, I decided since I turned 50 recently that it was time for me to have my eyes checked. Lo and behold, and hundreds of dollars later, I had an exam and was told that I needed glasses. When I asked my eye doctor about Fuchs’, he told me briefly about the condition. Can you tell me more? DEAR READER: The outermost layer of the eye is known as the cornea. It doesn’t con-
DEL
JURNEY FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK
prelude for bad news, let me tell you that our budget is in good order. Our revenue projections are conservative and our projected expenses are inflated … and that, my friends … is a recipe to success. Our collective gratitude goes out to those who oversee our finances and to our city councilors for
ASK DR. GOTT UNITED MEDIA SYNDICATE
tain any blood vessels to nourish or protect it, but it gets its nourishment from the aqueous humor behind the eyes and from tears. Its purpose is to protect the eye from debris, dust and germs. In order for a person to see well, all five layers of the cornea must be free of any cloudy areas. Visual disorders are quite common, affecting about
paying close attention to the wisdom of our staff. My intent in beginning with some of the more obvious components to our budgetary needs, is to bring forth one of those more subtle dilemmas. When asked my three top priorities for Roswell, I briefly share a reminder of my campaign objectives: reduce crime, increase jobs and create an open dialogue between elected officials and those who elected us. Over the course of the past nine months, I find myself taking on traits of a seasoned politician. In other words, my top three priorities have gradually morphed into four. And, as
the math becomes a bit fuzzy, the outcome remains quite clear. You see, over the past nine months, I have grown to understand and appreciate the program known as Youth ChalleNGe. Youth ChalleNGe is a phenomenal opportunity for young men and women, from across the state, to receive a second chance in life. It is directed toward those who have been identified as “at risk” youth and who, without strong discipline and focus, will certainly find themselves struggling for the duration of life. This program provides hope for those
120 million people in the United States, causing them to wear glasses or contact lenses. The disorders to which I refer are known as refractive errors. They affect the cornea and include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism (uneven curvature of the cornea). Some of the more common disorders of the cor nea include allergies that may be the result of a prescribed medication, animal hair, eye makeup, mascara, pollen and more; pinkeye (conjunctivitis), which can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection; irritants in the environment; eyedrops and ointments; infection of the cor nea
brought on by bacteria or fungi from contact lenses that have not been cleaned properly; dry eyes, which can result from antihistamines, nasal decongestants, antidepressants and tranquilizers; herpes zoster (shingles) produced by the varicella-zoster virus; and ocular herpes, a recurrent viral infection caused by the herpes-simplex virus. A less common disorder is known as Fuchs’ dystrophy, a slowly progressing disease that ordinarily affects both eyes. The condition is slightly more common in women than in men and can be detected in its earliest stages when a person is in his or her mid-30s;
See JURNEY, Page A5
See GOTT, Page A5