Not that it’s newsworthy …
but we received more snow last night. Everything had nicely melted, only a couple of small piles were left. Damn. When is this winter going to end?
Wild night of weather.
Morning brings remnants of rain, hail and snow on the ground. Low clouds/fog obscuring the mountains. Sheet-grey skies.
Another shot from yesterday.
Heading west on Palace Ave, across from Cathedral Park.
SF New Mexican: Prospects good for 2010 spring runoff.
”The New Mexico portion of the Rio Grande Basin sports the fifth-best snowpack in 16 years, said Wayne Sleep, snow surveyor for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.” And that is excellent news for all of us with water tables served by snowmelt. Hallelujah!
Dawn.
CNN: Texas police warn spring breakers: Stay out of Mexico border towns.
”Recent violent attacks have caused the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacan, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua ... and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution.” The situation’s not stellar at the moment, so listen to this advice.
SF New Mexican: New Mexico lawmakers OK tax increases.
“Lawmakers sent the governor a measure that will generate more than $200 million by raising several taxes. Included is a one-eighth cent increase in the state’s 5 percent gross-receipts tax on goods and services. New Mexicans also will resume paying a tax on food, which will average about 2 percent statewide. Pending in the Senate was a proposed 75-cents-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax to raise $33 million, and measures to finance capital improvement projects.” Incumbents who voted for this are going to be nonstarters in the next election, once the food tax hits the streets.
WSJ: Surface Improvements at Times Square and Herald Square.
“With businesses, urban planners and the mayor’s office solidly behind the idea that proponents said would not only speed traffic but also seduce more tourists, cheer up lunchtime office workers and attract more customers to local stores, why isn’t the DOT taking more assertive steps in making the plazas attractive? Epoxy gravel is hardly the stuff of inspiring design.” Similar problem here in Santa Fe. We can’t even agree on grass in the Plaza here, when other Western towns are putting planters overflowing with flowers on corners and even in the middle of main streets. Hanging baskets of flowers under overhangs. On my trip up to Grand Teton NP in ‘05, I was surprised by how much effort other towns put into aesthetics, compared to our own.
Wired Science: Backpack Hydroelectric Plant Gives You 500 Watts on the Move.
30 pounds. Not bad, all in all. Plenty of year-round mountain streams around here to tap.
BusinessWeek: Virgin to test rocket-powered spaceship next year.
“Meanwhile, Virgin is working to finish a launch site in New Mexico, which this week enacted a law that aims to promote commercial space flight by requiring passengers to give their consent and be informed of the risks involved.” Hey, if you’ve got any extra seats, I’ll write here about the experience ...
This evening’s sunset …
NewWest.Net: Report: Battling Forest Beetles May be Counter-Productive.
”Drought and high temperature are likely the overriding factors behind the current bark beetle epidemic in the western United States ... [snip] ... Because logging and thinning cannot effectively alleviate the overriding effects of climate, it will do little or nothing to control these outbreaks.” Logging and thinning won’t do a damned thing. When the beetles killed nearly all of our piñon trees here in Northern NM, clouds of beetles were swarming over the landscape, far and wide. A tree would turn that sickly yellow-green within a month, be completely dead two months later. Three months from lush and green to brown and dead. That fast. Enjoy your pines while you’ve got ‘em, and water the ones you have control over.
CommonDreams.org: Cracking Down on Fracking.
“There is virtually no federal oversight of fracking, leaving the budget-strapped states to do the job with a patchwork of disparate regulations. They are no match for the major, multinational drilling and energy companies that are exploiting the political goal of ‘energy independence.’” Demand real Federal oversight of fracking fluids. Otherwise you’ll be able to light up your tap water, too. Thanks, Linda!
Linkage after I’ve shoveled.
Again. Tired of snow. Want summer. NOW.
NY Times: In the West, Opposition to New National Monuments.
“If they do things in an open and transparent way and involve everyone, then there’s no need for yelling and screaming.”
Ken is back …
at NewMexiKen.com, closing the brief experiment with PoorKenneth.com. Update your links and feeds.
Discover: Listening to Rush Limbaugh Kills Beetles’ Appetite and Libido.
Stop playing John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” in the mountain states, and trade it for Limbaugh ... perhaps via this delivery method? I could love the smell of dead beetles in the morning.
According to KRQE in Albuquerque,
the Legislature is debating whether or not to tax flour tortillas as ‘junk food’, but not corn tortillas (as part of a larger ‘sin’ tax on certain foods). The whole concept of taxing *any* tortillas has everyone in an uproar. The local bishops are staging a protest tomorrow morning at the Roundhouse, allegedly complete with thousands of tortillas. As soon as I can find a decent link, I’ll post it.
Only in New Mexico, folks. We’ve got ourselves an updated Milagro Beanfield War going on here. I tell you, the tortillas are going to win.
SF New Mexican: City Council delays decision on Wi-Fi.
SF New Mexican: New flights provide three daily links to Dallas.
”Fares are affected by how far in advance you book. A check of the airline Web site on Tuesday evening showed that a last-minute booking for a roundtrip departing Santa Fe early Friday and returning from Dallas on Sunday evening would cost about $599. A similar itinerary in late March was available for about $403.” Of course, you can drive there in about ten hours, for about 60 bucks, 120 round trip.
SF New Mexican: New studies cast doubt on film incentives.
One of the best things we’ve had going in NM in years, and some fools want to kill it. Here’s the narrow mindset: “So a hairdresser, instead of doing the average New Mexican’s hair, is doing the movie star’s hair, which may be an increase in income, but is not a job created.”
SF New Mexican: Bill takes aim at state’s oil, gas rules.
“The legislation also says the pit rules have ‘no scientific basis, provide no environmental benefit and were adopted without legislative approval.’” Wow, that’s a bold statement. Here’s a past item on why NM put the pit rule in place. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again - if there’s money to drill, there’s money to clean up the mess. We taxpayers have even less interest during these economically stressed times in supporting an industry that leaves us to finance the cleanup of Superfund sites years down the road. Much as we’d love the State to have more revenue, we won’t do it by mortgaging the health of our children and grandchildren. Via NMELC on Twitter.
NY Times: Santa Fe, N.M., and How It Came to Be as It is.
Very upbeat. Let’s hope it brings in more tourists!
Today’s snowfall.
This morning’s snow, just about fifteen minutes ago.
Job posting on Santa Fe Craig’s list:
Looking for an exorcist. Thanks, Will D!
