Wednesday, February 03, 2021Heinrich Scores Top Committee But Is He Still Eyeing A NM Return? Also: Fourth Floor Pay Hikes Draw Eyeballs And On The Oil Watch: Energy Exec Argues Biden Lease Action Will Cost NM
I look forward to serving on the Appropriations Committee. . . As the new Congress and administration prioritize addressing the inequities in our economy and providing relief to Americans who are struggling, the Appropriations Committee will be at the center of those important policy and funding decisions. I am eager to get to work and help shape the future of our country and put New Mexico on the best path for long-term, sustainable success so we emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever before. Heinrich, 49, and first elected to the Senate in 2012, is now the state's senior senator. Even with his appropriations appointment and continued service on the Energy, Intelligence and Joint Economic Committees, Heinrich's future remains the subject of speculation. That's because last year he let rumors fly that he would be interested in running for Governor if MLG scored a job in the Biden cabinet. That didn't happen but talk continues that he may want to leave the Senate. Perhaps with the prestige appropriations post he'll be more enamored with the job. Or maybe not. FOURTH FLOOR PAY HIKES Speaking of the Governor, the tradition of high dollar pay raises soon after a Guv takes office is continuing under MLG's watch. Labor activist Bruce Wetherbee finds that while pay raises for most state employees have been nonexistent, sporadic or meager, many Fourth Floor paychecks have been fattened up considerably. A few examples: Policy advisor and former head of the ABQ firefighters union Diego Arencon has seen his pay go from $90,000 at the start of the administration in 2019 to $135,000, a $45,000 hike in two years. Cabinet Affairs Director Caroline Buerkle's paycheck has climbed from $110,000 to $135,000 and Communications Director Tripp Stelnicki's salary has gone from $85,000 to $107,000. The staffers still fall short of the $150,000 area cabinet secretaries make. MLG 's PR wing tells TV news the staffers deserve the raises because they've been working "24/7" during the COVID crisis. But Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca retorts: I think a lot of New Mexicans are working harder. MLG's current salary is $110,000. MORE DC BEAT  Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Committee on Indian Affairs; and the Committee on the Budget.
Lujan also announced that Ane Romero will be his state director. She twice ran for office ('16 and '19) in GOP leaning areas--for state House and ABQ city council. For nine years she oversaw the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and has worked policy for MLG, Sen. Heinrich and Rep. Grace Napolitano. OIL WATCH Many of us in the media reported that President Biden's executive order pausing permits for oil and gas drilling on federal lands--including the many acres in the SE NM Permian Basin--should not have significant financial impact on the state, if the order is not made permanent. But Mark Murphy, chief executive of Strata Production, an oil and gas exploration firm in Roswell, sees it differently: I always enjoy reading your blog but I beg to differ on your analysis of the recent actions regarding oil and gas operations on Federal lands. With respect to the suspension of leasing, it will have an immediate effect on state revenues as NM receives about 1/2 of the lease bonus proceeds. In recent years that had been as much as $400 million in a single sale. While lease prices are currently down, it still will mean losses in the tens of millions. These are dollars that state won’t have to spend on education, health care, unemployment benefits, etc. In addition, the suspension of local regulatory authority isn’t just about drilling permits. It is also about right of ways (ROW) and easements for pipelines, roads and electrical lines. There are many other types of approvals needed from setting certain types of equipment to plugging, abandonment and remediation activities. These are all in limbo and are in many cases preventing existing wells from coming on line. We are involved with a Texas based company who moved in 2 drilling rigs. Each rig was scheduled to drill 4 wells. After drilling the first one, each of the rigs were moved back to Texas because the right of way needed to lay a gas line was in question. Don’t believe for a minute that these actions won’t have real world consequences from folks being laid off to the loss of millions in revenue to our state. NAME GAME Eddy Aragon, Michaela Chavez, Michelle Garica Holmes, Ron Lucero, Peggy Aragon and Jared Vander Dussen. 134 GOP Central Committee members from the ABQ district would choose the nominee for a special election to fill Haaland's seat. There are at least six Dems running and one independent--Aubrey Dunn This is the home of New Mexico politics. Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021 |
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