Parking at the legislature?

I was bummed about the delay at the legislature with issuing parking passes, until I saw the number I received.

David Robbins, APS School Board re-election bid gets spiced with Latino Community support from Luis Acle endorsement

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2013

Contact: Howard DeLaCruz-Bancroft;

(505) 489-5403

nmgov.tv@gmail.com

LUIS ACLE, FORMER ARIZONA US SENATE CANDIDATE, PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL BOARD, PRESIDENT REAGAN APPOINTEE & FOUNDER OF “LATINO VALUES” ENDORSES DAVID ROBBINS FOR RE-ELECTION TO APS SCHOOL BOARD

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ALBUQUERQUE –Luis Acle, former Arizona US Senate candidate, former President of the San Diego Public School Board, President Reagan Associate Director appointee and founder of “Latino Values” Super PAC, announced his formal endorsement and support for David L. Robbins for re-election to the APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) board election to be held on Feb. 5, 2013.

Mr. Acle’s reason for supporting David L. Robbins for APS school board

“Mr. Robbins has an MBA in Finance and an undergraduate degree in Economics. Having been the president and a public school board member in one of the largest school districts in the USA, I can assure you there is a great need to understand the budgetary issues to be effective. Otherwise, depending on others who may have vested interests is not responsible leadership. I know that Mr. Robbins currently serves as Governor Appointee under Taxation and Revenue Secretary, Demesia Padilla, as the Director of Administrative Services. I also understand he was the only board member who voted for an “independent audit” of the APS budget.”

  Mr. Acle’s reason for involvement

Mr. Robbins has included Latinos in his close circle of friends and advisors. He walks the talk and that is what is needed to bring Latinos into the circles of political influence. His willingness to be accountable is worthy of my support and endorsement. As the founding member of “Latino Values Super PAC” we are committed to helping elect both Latinos and supporters of the Latino community who believe in similar traditional, historically conservative values.

  There is a need for continued involvement in the local school boards

Luis Acle added, “There is an ongoing struggle to keep accountability and transparency in our local public schools. I am convinced that David Robbins is committed to both and he is someone that can be trusted with the publics’ fiduciary interests. I understand David L. Robbins, is the best candidate to fight for fiscal restraint, conservative, and traditional family values, something most Latinos favor and I am proud to support and endorse his re-election bid for APS school board.

   “Results not Promises” campaign contact information:

Luis Acle, is encouraging others to help David L. Robbins,in his “Results not Promises” campaign, by visiting http://www.improveaps.com or email: drobbins10@comcast.net people can also call (505) 400-9355 for more information if they want to help improve APS.

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Teil Plont withdraws to endorse David Robbins for APS 2013 school board

Teil Plont withdraws to endorse David Robbins for APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) 2013 (District 6, NE & East Mtns.) school board

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2013

Contact: Howard DeLaCruz-Bancroft;

(505) 489-5403

nmgov.tv@gmail.com

TEIL PLONT, FORMER CANDIDATE FOR APS (ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL) BOARD, DISTRICT 6, ANNOUNCES WITHDRAWAL TO SUPPORT DAVID L. ROBBINS, INCUMBENT FOR RE-ELECTION

Teil Plont, Official withdrawal filed, December 31, 2012

ALBUQUERQUE – Teil Plont, former candidate for APS (Albuquerque Public School Board) District 6, announced his withdrawal, so he could support David L. Robbins, the incumbent for re-election on February 5^th, 2013.

Mr. Plont's reason for supporting David L. Robbins for APS school board

“After sitting down with Mr. Robbins, I felt that we shared similar viewpoints on most issues. I was very impressed with his in-depth understanding of the ongoing concerns of parents like me.”

There is a need for continual improvement at APS

Teil Plont further explained. “There are still problems that need attention and I believe David L. Robbins, is the best suited candidate to make those changes. He continues to fight the good fight, for fiscal restraint, conservative, and traditional family values.”

David L. Robbins background

“Mr. Robbins has an undergraduate degree in “Economics” and an MBA in “Finance”, and it will take someone very knowledgeable to sort out the complexities of APS financial issues. He was the only APS school board member to vote for an “independent audit” of the APS budget and that was very re-assuring” said Teil Plont.

Mr. Plont's reason for involvement

Teil Plont became interested in helping APS because of his children, where he saw the need for developing resources without spending taxpayer dollars by motivating volunteers.

Mr. Plont's background

He refined his academic training skills in the US Army, where he began his military career in 1987. Mr. Plont was assigned to TRADOC (Training & Doctrine Command) in 2006, where he became attached to the US Army's “Schoolhouse Operations” which performed: Management, Quality Control, and developed, Course Protocol and Curriculum. He will continue to pursue his interests in developing volunteers by working with David Robbins and his local school.

“Results not Promises” campaign contact information:

Teil Plont is encouraging others to help David L. Robbins, in his “ Results not Promises” campaign, by visiting http://www.improveaps.com or email: drobbins10@comcast.net people can also call (505) 400-9355 for more information if they want to help improve APS.

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Teil Plont withdraws to endorse David Robbins for APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) 2013 (District 6 NE & East Mtns.) school board 

 

Anonymous Response to Comments on USFS fire suppression/retardant story

I received a response to Eddie G.'s comments on my initial story on the USFS firefighting issues from air tankers in the US. I was unable to insert the comments as a reply so I created a new post. The first in black are the comments by Eddie G. The second in red italic is the anonymous response to the comments. 

Eddie G.: Gel is NOT a retardant. Gel is a water enhancer that simply makes water more effective by allowing it to stay in place. Once the water is gone, after only minutes under fire conditions, there is ZERO effectiveness. Retardants react chemically with the fuel to render it non-combustible, don't rely on water to be effective, and are effective until physically removed. Calling a gel a "retardant gel" is wrong, misleading and dangerous.

Anon Response: The definition of a retardant is anything other than water that slows or stops combustion.  The USFS own Specification 5100-306a for “water enhancers” states in the first paragraph:

1. GENERAL

1.1 Scope:

They may be applied from ground or aerial application equipment, directly to the fire area to SLOW OR STOP COMBUSTION, and for exposure protection.

Effectively defining the product as a RETARDANT!

Eddie G.: Gels and retardants must meet the SAME health, safety, toxicity and environmental friendliness requirements in order to be qualified. Calling retardant toxic and gel non-toxic is a lie.

Anon Response: Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy 2011

Similarly, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study found that use  of  aerial  fire  retardant  likely  causes  an  “increase  in invasive species,  loss of substantial fraction of population or habitat, and harm to soil chemistry and plant physiology,” as well as direct mortality to fish and amphibian populations.160

Aerial fire retardant consists of eighty-five percent water and fifteen percent fertilizer, thickeners and corrosion inhibitors.161

Each   year,   firefighters  drop   millions  of   gallons  of   this substance  on  the  nation’s forests, which may  inadvertently

land on people, on animals and in streams.162 The retardant’s

effect  on  streams  can  be  catastrophic  and  can  kill  fish, including  some threatened species.163     For example, in 2001

Fire Regimes, 284 SCIENCE 1829, 1829–32 (1999).

157. See ROBERT L. BESCHTA ET AL., WILDFIRE AND SALVAGE LOGGING 5, 11 (Mar.

1995) [hereinafter Beschta Report], http://www.saveamericasforests.org/congress/Fire/ Beschta-report.htm.  The  Beschta  Report  is  an  independent  scientific  study  that questioned about salvage logging in severely burned areas. See Keiter, supra note 6, at 336.

158. Beschta Report, supra note 157, at 12.

159. Id.

160. Forest Serv. Employees for Envtl. Ethics v. U.S. Forest Serv. (FSEEE III), 726

F. Supp. 2d 1195, 1226 (D. Mont. 2010).

161. Id. at 1225.

162. See id. at 1244–45 (discussing Forest Service guidance on use of aerial fire retardants that prohibits drops within 300 feet of streams).

163. See   Restoration   Project:   Omak   Creek,   WILD   FISH   HABITAT   INITIATIVE, http://wildfish.montana.edu/Cases/browse_details.asp?ProjectID=48 (last updated Apr.

7, 2007) (According to a study by the Wildfish Habitat Initiative, a cooperative effort between  US   FWS  and  the  Montana  Water  Center,  Omak  Creek  in  Eastern Washington State  experienced catastrophic environmental harm from fire retardant drops. In 1992, the Confederated  Tribes of the Colville Reservation began restoring Omak Creek to rehabilitate historic steelhead  and salmon spawning grounds. The project involved removing large boulders and other barriers  that tumbled into the stream as a result of decades of blasting from mining and expansion projects. In 2001, the project experienced a major setback. That summer a wildfire raged on the public lands near the creek. Firefighters called for retardant to be dropped to stop the blaze, but instead of  blanketing the trees, the drop blanketed the fragile creek eventually killing a significant amount of the threatened steelhead in the creek. 

Eddie G.: In addition, retardant must also pass a burn test to prove it is effective stopping and slowing a fire. Gel has no such requirement. There is no data anywhere that proves gel will stop a fire.

Anon Response: Gel has been used since 1960 to STOP fires and many documents exist from the USFS describing its retardant properties on hundreds of fires

In addition all “water enhancers” go through a LIFT test for extinguishment completed by the USFS

Eddie G.: The 300 foot buffer around water streams, a policy that has been in place for 10 years, is good policy because anything dropped directly into a water stream will impact water quality and could impact fish. Including gel.

Anon Response: There are exceptions to the rule when public safety is threatened, and the current Record of Decision on retardant by specification states water or more environmentally friendly product should be substituted ie. Gel

Eddie G.: GelTech's BPAs for Delivery Equipment are for RETARDANT not gel. Perhaps you should read them.

Anon Response: Interesting Issue and may be a violation of FCIC laws concerning competition in contracting

Eddie G.: There is no evidence that FireIce is "the most effective suppressant/retardant in the world." In fact, the QPL would say otherwise. It takes 2-4 times as much FireIce as either AquaGel or Thermogel 500P to achieve the same result.

Anon Response: The QPL is a recommendation from a laboratory looking at “water enhancer” products from a primarily structure protection aspect.  All other firefighting agencies currently use the product at the same viscosity as long term retardant with a 100% success rate.

Eddie G.: The planes breaking off wings happened 8 years ago and had nothing to do with the chemical on board. Read the Blue Ribbon Panel Report.

Anon Response: After reading the report the loads associated with the payload causes fatigue on some airframes including the plane in question.

Eddie G.: Just because FireIce is mixed the same, uses the same equipment with the same viscosity...does not make it a retardant versus a water enhancer. That's like saying potatoes and watermelons are the same because they both cut with a knife in a kitchen. Retardants and water enhancers are totally different chemicals that do totally different things. FireIce does not function, in any aspect, as a retardant.

Anon Response: The USFS has called gel a “RETARDANT” since 1960

Eddie G.: Finally the mix ratio of the new Phos-Chek products was reduced to reflect its INCREASED effectiveness. It takes less of the new concentrate than the old to achieve the same effectiveness. That REDUCES the cost per gallon.

Anon Response: The standing joke around the USFS, Tanker Base Managers, and pilots is that Phos-Chek is gum thickened water

Getting new planes for the US Forest Service won't save lives or property if the retardant used isn't replaced with something new.

By Howard DeLaCruz-Bancroft,

I apologize but I am reworking this current story and for the next couple of days it will only have these few summary paragraphs. However the following is the crux of what I hope to accomplish.

Two simple policies of the US Forest Service (USFS) need to be changed.

1. The rest of the world and other federal agencies mandate direct suppression and attack on fires as soon as possible and so should the USFS follow suit. We don't need to manage fires we need to extinguish them.

2. USFS policy does not allow gel based fire retardant's to be used in larger multi-engine air tankers. This prohibition needs to be removed. Even the Bible seems to add wisdom to this issue in Luke 5:38 it advises to put new wine (gel based retardants) in new wineskins (planes). My take if the USFS is getting new planes then don't use old retardant that is toxic and ineffective.

In my second part of this expose to be released later, I want to show how other current policies, practices and procedures hinder the US Forest Service from acting quickly and effectively in firefighting.

Another big fire in NM destroys homes needlessly

Every year lately New Mexico suffers from a large fire that destroys many homes needlessly. Yet we have the technology to save every structure. Last year the Santa Fe New Mexican (newspaper) published an article that outlined one particular instance of a home using SAPG (Super Absorbent Polymer Gel) technology. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Fire-suppression-gel-may-have-helped-save-family-s-home-

It is time again to review this issue. It appears that NM Governor Susana Martinez has partially taken up the idea of using supertankers (10,000 gallon +) for fire drops as opposed the the old World War II planes with only one tenth (1/10) of that capacity.

However, the DC-10 currently being used to help fight the Little Bear fire in NM is dwarfed by the 20,000 gallon 747 Supertankers. More capacity means, more safety, less time in the air which means less fuel and related costs and more importantly less loss of homes and God forbid loss of life. It only makes sense to use all of the resources available to protect the citizens of New Mexico.

Former Senator Joe Carraro introduced a bill a couple of years ago that would have allowed an aviation cooperative for New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah to jointly purchase a 747 supertanker for the region. The cost would have been less expensive and time consuming then what we currently have available.

As much as people may enjoy the Rail Runner I believe saving lives and homes is more important. I don't think our priorities were correct at the time. The aviation cooperative could have actually brought revenue to NM instead of putting us in debt every year as is the case with the Rail Runner.

Judge overturns NM Secretary of State & Bernalillo County Clerk guidelines for challenger

Judge Carl Butkus of the 2nd Judicial District Court ruled this afternoon (04/09/12) in the case (D-202-CV-2012-03200) of a nominating petition challenge involving incumbent state representative Thomas A. Anderson (R) and his Republican challenger, Peggy Muller-Aragon in the westside area called District 29.

Judge Butkus said challenger Muller-Aragon will be allowed to stay on the ballot although she agreed she didn’t have the needed 110 voter signatures as required by the New Mexico Secretary of State, the Bernalillo County Clerk and as stated in the Candidate Guides.

Both sides agreed by stipulation that 30 of the 130 signatures were thrown out, 19 being duplicates appearing on both candidates petitions and another 11 for being the wrong party affiliation. However, the challenger was able to convince the judge that she was not under the same requirements as all the other candidates and those stated by the Secretary of State and the Bernalillo County Clerk.

The challenger appealed to the statute NMSA 1-8-30 which states that three (3) percent of the voters who voted for the Governor in the primary election are used to determine how many signatures were needed to get on the ballot but she decided to to use the “new” district boundaries not the 2010 boundaries as was stated in the the candidate guide and nominating petition forms which were first published in October of 2011.

Interestingly enough the challenger, Muller-Aragon said she used a voter canvass received from the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office back in October 2011. However, the date of certification showed April 5th 2012 which was 5 days after the incumbent filed his complaint in court. Representative Anderson said he will appeal and he has five days in which to do so.