Rays knock out Indians in wild card, head to Boston Sports, B-1
Locally owned and independent
Thursday, October 3, 2013
www.santafenewmexican.com 75¢
Clancy gave world taste of intrigue
The best-selling novelist, whose high-tech, political thrillers were made into blockbuster movies, died Tuesday in Baltimore at 66. PAge A-2 u Pasatiempo co-founder John Wadleigh dies at 85. LocAL news, A-6
Good news for solar
Price triples for LANL nuke project
Study finds energy source good for economy. PAge A-6
A radioactive waste facility is 11 years behind, a government audit says. PAge A-7
New Mexico amid shutdown: Spaceport cancels rocket launch, LANL warns of furloughs and economist expects another recession
Brace for impact
spaceport America: The Southern New Mexico facility canceled a rocket launch planned for Oct. 9 due to the federal shutdown. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Fired CEO of Finance Authority sues Gov. Martinez May seeks public records to help clear reputation tarnished by fake audit By Barry Massey
The Associated Press
By Bruce Krasnow The New Mexican
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prolonged federal government shutdown could have perilous consequences for New Mexico’s fragile economy, rippling across multiple industries in a state that relies more than most on federal spending. At least one economist warns the budget impasse could thrust the state into another recession if it continues past next week. New Mexico has more than 32,000 federal workers. And because it’s a small state, that number represents 3 percent of the labor force, which is higher than the national average. Likewise, military workers make up 1 percent of the state’s workforce, a percentage
twice the national average, said Christopher Erickson, associate professor of economics at New Mexico State University. “This furlough is none too good for our local economy,” Erickson said Wednesday, the second day of an impasse between President Barack Obama and the GOP-controlled House over a spending plan. Look at a map of New Mexico, and it’s easy to see the government’s footprint: from Los Alamos and Sandia national labs to three national forests and 11 national parks and monuments; from Navajo Nation lands and 19 individual Indian pueblos to the military installations of Holloman, Kirkland, Clovis, White Sands and Cannon.
Please see IMPAcT, Page A-4
Washington: With no budget deal in sight, focus shifts to debt limit By Zachary A. Goldfarb The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — The fight over the government shutdown quickly moved Wednesday to a bigger showdown over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, as the first White House talks to solve the fiscal standoff failed to make any progress toward a deal. President Barack Obama and business leaders warned that the clash has raised the
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This time, I think Wall Street should be concerned. When you have a situation in which a faction is willing to default on U.S. obligations, then we are in trouble.”
chances of a historic default on the national debt, which would occur if Congress does not agree to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit later this month and could cause a new recession. Obama said investors should take more seriously the threat of a potential default, which global markets have brushed off for months as Washington’s usual partisan theatrics. “This time, I think Wall
Please see deBT, Page A-5
u Shutdown takes toll on nation’s reputation and security. u Tribes are feeling the hit. u Lawmakers donate pay. PAge A-4
City, state launch first wide-scale brownfield testing
Index
Calendar A-2
Classifieds B-6
Comics B-12
Lotteries A-2
Initial test site
Test wells
What is a Brownfield? It’s an area potentially contaminated by waste or leaks from buried fuel tanks, manufacturing operations, dry cleaning establishments and other business operations.
Opinion A-11
Police notes A-7
Editor: Ray Rivera, 986-3033, rrivera@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Cynthia Miller, cmiller@sfnewmexican.com
Several high-risk areas discovered Pala ce San Fra
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6th well: Northeast of Cerrillos, St. Francis intersection
Sports B-1
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Please see BRownFIeLd, Page A-5
Brownfield corridor
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Six new monitoring wells will soon be installed in and near downtown Santa Fe to determine if contaminants from businesses have polluted the city’s groundwater or reached the Santa Fe River. The city of Santa Fe and the state Environment Department are work-
Brownfield project
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The New Mexican
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By Staci Matlock
ing together on the project, which is funded through the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfield program. Brownfields are areas potentially contaminated by waste or leaks from buried fuel tanks, manufacturing operations, dry cleaning establishments and other business operations. The $112,000 project is the first in the state that covers an entire corridor instead of a single brownfield site, according to the Environment Department. “It is a very unique project,” said Jerry Schoeppner, chief of the Environment Department’s
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Monitoring project aims to detect underground contamination left by business operations
Please see sUes, Page A-5
Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com
Backyard Astronomy
InsIde
President Barack Obama
A former top executive of the New Mexico Finance Authority sued Gov. Susana Martinez and one of her Cabinet secretaries Wednesday for failing to release public records requested six months ago. Ex-CEO Rick May, who was fired last year in the wake of a scandal over a fake audit, brought a lawsuit in state District Court in Santa Fe against the govRick May ernor and Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford. Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell called it a “frivolous” lawsuit and said the administration had offered to release documents in batches while continuing to review thousands of documents covered by May’s request. The lawsuit seeks damages and a court order requiring the release of requested documents, including email and other correspondence between administration officials, Finance Authority board members and others from 2011 until April of this year. May was fired by the authority’s governing board, whose members included Clifford, after the discovery that a financial audit had been faked and distributed to potential investors.
A public program of the Santa Fe Community College, 7-8 p.m., outdoor viewing of the night sky follows, SFCC Planetarium, 1401 Richards Ave., $5, discounts available, 505-428-1744.
obituaries Julian Wencel Rymar, 94, Santa Fe John Robert Vincent, 78, Sept. 3 Dick Masterson, 73, Santa Fe, Sept. 28
Joseph D. Baca, 85, Santa Fe, Sept. 29 John Ellvinger, 86, Santa Fe, Sept. 27 Bonifacio Anglada, Sept. 30 PAge A-10
Today Sunny and breezy. High 75, low 43. PAge A-12
The New Mexican
Time Out A-8
Scoop A-9
Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010
Two sections, 24 pages 164th year, No. 276 Publication No. 596-440