Jim Scarantino's Archive

Rio Rancho Solar Plant on Hold

Reality intrudes.  Where’s the money?  Cut through the hype, the warm fuzzies of “green jobs,” and you still need money, lots of it.  There’s lots of gullibility in the mix–from Bill Richardson to Jeff Bingaman to the city fathers of Rio Rancho–what’s missing is real money. New Mexico Watchdog still on the trail of Green2v [...]

Rail Runner Running Out of (our) Money

Great story by Kim Holland of KRQE-TV.  http://bit.ly/blHbcI

State Investment Performance Cause for Concern

But the new members on the SIC, due to their independence from Governor Richardson, and the new State Investment Officer, who also has newfound independence from the Fourth Floor of the Roundhouse, are also cause for hope.  The latest report from New Mexico Watchdog on what’s happening with our $14 billion in permanent funds.

Stimulus Creates Few New Jobs in NM

$2 billion awarded, an only 332 more stimulus-funded jobs since last quarter, and the state’s unemployment rate hits 9% according to U.S. Department of Labor.  All those “stimulus-funded jobs,” where are they?  Mostly state government.  We’ve simply switched out funding sources.  New report at New Mexico Watchdog.

Mystery Surrounds Backers of $500 Million Bonds for Rio Rancho Solar Start-Up

What kind of an outfit presenting a $500 million letter of credit has its “corporate offices” in a UPS store on the west side of Sin City?  The kind of outfit that is part of the team behind the effort to get Rio Rancho to issue half a billion in industrial revenue bonds to launch [...]

Diane Denish Used State Planes 143 Times, Charged Taxpayers $208,000 Plus

The Lt. Governor has no real power. She sits on boards, presides over the Senate, votes in cases of a tie, etc.  But she has a small staff, and no executive powers to direct any part of state government.  Yet, she flew around the state for brief meetings, photo ops and parades.  Sometimes her only [...]

The Schedule for All Tea Party Tax Day Rallies

Liberty, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, fiscal responsibility, the freedom to prosper–got a problem with that?  Unfortunately, many of our political leaders seem to have forgotten what has made America great.  A lot of New Mexicans will try to job their memories tomorrow.
Here’s the lineup for Tea Party Tax Day Rallies across [...]

State Investments Don’t Beat Common Vanguard Fund

Small investors in Vanguard’s Wellington fund are beating the high-priced professionals running over $30 billion of state investments.  Our latest report at New Mexico Watchdog.  Translate these competitive differences into dollars and you’ll see how New Mexico has been losing out on billions of dollars in investment returns.  Maybe it would be better to convert [...]

Denish Advisers: Cut State Payroll to Grow Economy

The Rio Grande Foundation has been telling the political class for years that a disproportionately large public sector was stifling our economy.  Turns our the Lt. Governor’s–and the Governor’s–own advisers have been saying the same thing.  New report from New Mexico Watchdog.

$2.5 Million Doesn’t Go Far on the Rail Runner

You might enjoy the New Mexico Watchdog video report on the Kewa “station.”  We had fun doing it.

Capitol Report New Mexico
New Mexico Watchdog


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