Disqus - Latest Comments for Owinurame

Re: Most calls to hotline complain about “double-dippers”

Owinurame — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:47:39 -0000

Don't distract us with this "double-dipping is making us go broke" myth.
The danger of double-dipping is that it allows nepotism and favoritism to continue even after your friend or relative retires. But this is also a problem regardless of the retirement status of your chosen buddy.
Double-dipping certainly improves the chosen indiviuals' bottom line, but it adds nothing to the state budget deficit. If those jobs are vacant (and not frozen) someone is going to he hired and the state will be paying that salary.
Sin taxes, rolling back tax cuts for upper income, and reforming state corporate tax laws - however - will actually improve the budget outlook. I support them all.

Re: UNM Care doesn’t seem to care much for the undocumented

Owinurame — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:46:21 -0000

UNM has come a long way in improving care and in establishing dialogue with advocates for patients in the community. Sadly there is still much to do.
The issue is a case study of why we need health care and health insurance reform. The health sciences center facilities must navigate the assorted bureacracies of over a hundred insurance plans. The money save by simplifying that alone would pay for the modest number of unqualified immigrants. It would also make us ALL healthier.

Re: American Cement permit appears headed for approval

Owinurame — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:47:54 -0000

Exactly - the entire process should be changed to consider the total impact and burden on the community. From a resident's perspective, quality of life is air AND water, soil, noise, traffic and polluting businesses, AS WELL AS the current and historic rates of sickness and death, PLUS the availability and maintenance of services and amenities and property values. All these things come together to create or detain a community's health and happiness - to allow the rule makers and enforcers to isolate each issue from the others is one more form of divide and conquer.
Does anybody believe that 4 times more particluate matter will IMPROVE the quality of life?

Re: Anti-immigration activists see opportunity in health care debate

Owinurame — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:34:12 -0000

The baseless fears about health care reform stem from some people's inability to accept the fact the we have a half-white president who is smarter and more competent than most of his all-white predecessors. Outrageous threats and claims about immigrants - come from the same hateful ignorance. Both typify the last death rattle of right wing racism.

Re: American Cement permit appears headed for approval

Owinurame — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:13:15 -0000

I hope Ms Doland will write about the Air Quality Division's attempt to re-write the rules for public hearings and no longer require the community's input when a polluter seeks to extend hours and multiply the amount of dust by a factor of 3-5.
Exactly that proposal was made at the City-County Air Quality Control Board meeting on Aug 12th.

Re: ABQNews: School Board Should Make Condoms Available In Schools

Owinurame — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:44:53 -0000

Thank you for an intelligent and balanced analysis of an issue few seem to be able to address rationally.

Re: ABQ Journal gives health care reform mostly sickly coverage

Owinurame — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:21:03 -0000

Right on, Senator!

CORRECTION to the lnk below: Try http://hsc.unm.edu/about/community
Then click on:
"2007 Community Perspectives Report"

Re: ABQ Journal gives health care reform mostly sickly coverage

Owinurame — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:09:19 -0000

There's an unreported local story here: http://hsc.unm.edu/about/community/docs/Communi...

Re: ABQ water authority is plenty accountable

Owinurame — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:43:13 -0000

Accountability might also mean publication of plans and results of testing. Will more than 50% of our drinking water be river water in the winter season? What exactly does that water contain? How much of the pollutants can actually be filtered out? Where can we go to hear and comment on these issues?
etc. etc.

Re: Tyrus Toribio’s tragic death offers lessons

Owinurame — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:40:16 -0000

Perhaps we (and the media) will start to realize how overexagerated some of our other fears are, such as kdnapping and murder of children by strangers; cyberstalking and school shootings. The vast majority of murders of children under 12 are committed by parents and caregivers, totalling approximately 20 children or more a year in NM.

Re: Beware the hidden cost of an early tax refund

Owinurame — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:49:32 -0000

Great article - thank you. Wish it had been published a month ago . . .

Re: ‘Tea parties’ come to New Mexico this week

Owinurame — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:00:55 -0000

"Last but not least: it turns out that the tea parties don’t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They’re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News." - P Krugman, "Tea Parties Forever"

See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13kru...

Re: New Mexico media struggle for viability online

Owinurame — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:28:07 -0000

Does the NM Independent accept or solicit donations? Why not? I might cough up some cash to see your excellent articles increase in number.
Th ABQ Journal will never survive as a web-only - not with the total mess of a website they have! (not to mention they censor comments).

Re: ABQJOURNAL UPFRONT: We All Have Stake in Medicaid Fight

Owinurame — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:04:54 -0000

Good piece, Thom.
However, I wouldn't call Medicaid 'wildly expensive'. New Mexico pays an average of less than $1800 per person for a whole year's health insurance for Medicaid enrollees - 70% of whom are children. Compared to any private, or even employer-based health insurance, I call that a deal. And we haven't begun to discuss what it does for our state's economy.
In fact it was entirely wthin reach to insure every child under 5, when the Governor promised to do so over 3 years ago. Ask him where we are on that promise of his.
And now that even more people are needing it, What has he done? Crashed the ambulance.
He should open up all the books so that New Mexicans can see not just every penny, but exactly why HSD can't seem to get its work done . . .

Re: New Mexico is actually making matters worse for state’s poor

Owinurame — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:56:40 -0000

State labor leaders warned about this on these same pages in November:
http://newmexicoindependent.com/10900/guvs-appr...

The warning could be summed up by the title of a rock song: "Don't Crash the Ambulance"

The state has a long history of building eligibility barriers to public assistance in order to save pennies. For example, how are we doing with the Governor's pledge (made over 3 years ago) to insure every child under 5?

At the moment when the need for public services began to rise, the Governor's high-income appointees froze the hiring of low-income public servants. For those state workers who could be helping the poor get access to benefits, the stimulus has already "disappeared into some dark hole" : taken away by HB 854.

Re: Albuquerque Journal

Owinurame — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:20:22 -0000

These are hard questions that need to be asked - Thank you for asking them, Joline.
Those studying homicides of young people in NM now know that the apparent low rate of abducted and murdered young women in the state was actually only due to the lack of attention and information.

Re: Bill to speed up access to state records is larded up with exceptions

Owinurame — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:42:57 -0000

NM's Inspection of Public Records Act is the last bulwark protecting us from total cronyism and unethical behavior. Bravo to Ken Martinez for defending it.

Re: Albuquerque Journal

Owinurame — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:43:21 -0000

The Journal also reports that over 20 young women have gone missing in the last 10 or more years in the Albuquerque area. Did the Journal ever report on those stories? Can you link us to them in your articles?
Thanks

Re: Richardson’s budget fix ‘impossible,’ lawmakers say

Owinurame — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:18:27 -0000

Mucho pedo para seis porciento del presupuesto. En este año percibimos más ingresos que en toda la historia del estado.

Re: Health care reform isn’t rocket science

Owinurame — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:06:35 -0000

Bien dicho, Terry. Aunque no trae caso echarle toda la culpa a Bill. Un estado solo nunca va a poder mostrar la eficaz de atención universal. Tiene que ser todo o nada. Por lo menos él nos adelantó el diálogo. Los corporados apreitan más que lo estatal, aún más que lo nacional. Dura será la lucha.

Re: Card-check bill is bad for workers

Owinurame — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:43:48 -0000

I spend 10 to 30 hours a week helping workers defend themselves against bosses who try every imaginable type of manipulation and vengeance and personality-based discipline in order to run competent employees off the job, for fear that smart and capable workers will make a clueless boss look bad.
I do it totally as a volunteer, with no extra pay, and drawing a target on my own back as the only reward.
I have fought to save worker's jobs from bosses who fired them the day after attending a union meeting, or for some minor offense after drawing attention to nepotism or stealing. Like the 67 year old nurse who spoke up against her manager only to be forced to undergo the indignity of a baseless drug test, or the technician reprimanded for reporting a crime to the police, or the worker forced to take another job when management harassment began after he pointed out the missing night shift pay of 8 workers over a 2-year period.
We know how to walk the walk, we speak truth to power, we know that labor precedes and creates capital. We know company policy and the law better than managers who constantly seek to pervert it for their own gain. Our union holds no heirarchy over us, we work for workers.
Who are we? We are what you call union 'bosses' - volunteers who won't back down from speakers of falsehood and who will stand up for fair treatment. We have no golden parachute to fight for - we fight to have the right to work hard and earn our daily wage.
EFCA represents fair treatment for those who have no defenders, who are in one of the few places in America where democracy is scoffed at and scorned - a workplace without a union.
The only fear workers have about card check is that the boss might find out - not that fellow workers might know their choice. Intimidation doesn't come from the guy who slaves next to you, who is your only support against the injustices going on in many workplaces - it comes from the managers and their friends the bosses and their buddies the CEOs.
Coercion happens daily in nearly every worksite - but its not the workers trying to organize who are doing the coercion.
We are thousands to your dozens, Dan Foley and Thomas James, and we will prevail.

Re: Guv’s approach to budget woes is shortsighted

Owinurame — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:54:18 -0000

RIGHT ON.
What is it with this kneejerk reaction to make the little guy pay for every mistake made by politicians and their buddies?
State employees are the ones who will be providing basic life support services for all of us non-CEOs who are going to be out of a job if this gets any worse.
So the Guv's logic is decommision the ambulances when the skyscrapers start falling!?

Re: Card-check bill is bad for workers

Owinurame — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:42:31 -0000

I second BabyFatt and Alfdom. Comparing a national election with an election held at a workplace is not only inaccurate, its off the wall. Dan also tries unsuccessfully to equate what managers OFTEN do to workers (leave you in the street or worse) to what workers might do to each other (support each others rights and advocate for solidarity).
Intelligent readers who work hard for their employers and see their income and rights eroding are not going to swallow Dan's faulty logic.

Re: As Obama promises union push, business promises to push back

Owinurame — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:28:56 -0000

Thank you for a very fair presentation of these issues. There is so much hype and manipulation of the public around the Employee Free Choice Act that a clear presentation of the real barriers currently faced by workers who want to organize is a rare find.
Union workers and New Mexicans from all walks of life united around the election - and they will support each other undaunted as we go forward to make the EFCA into law.

Re: Common Cause: GOP fraud claims ’simply inaccurate’

Owinurame — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:59:59 -0000

Why would anybody be afraid of full participation in democracy??