Keller & Balderas

Congrats or something must be in order for Attorney General Hector Balderas and State Auditor Tim Keller. They've been singled out for an editorial bashing for daring to send out fund-raising appeals to fellow Dems for the '16 election.

It's a repeat of an old lesson for state Dems who have been crushed by the Guv's political machine with the assistance of its chief propaganda instrument. The more Keller and Balderas try to play nice and keep the machine at bay the more it will gnaw at them as it tries to keep them out of the game.

Both Balderas and Keller are being earmarked for attacks by the R's and their newspaper so early in their terms because both are seen as having the potential to go higher on the political ladder. The intent is to inhibit them from engaging in politics and most important to keep them off the trail of Republican Gov. Martinez and ABQ Mayor Berry.

Final note for Hector and Tim: You can't pet a dog that knows only how to bite. Don't say we didn't tell you (and if you don't believe us ask Martin Heinrich.)

Senator Tom Udall keeps sending out fund-raising letters, even though he was just re-elected this past November. Hey, Alligators, what's that all about? And what's that weird talk about him running for Governor?

Who in Sam Hell is "Bones Jones? " Is this what passes for "celebrity" these days? Can't we get actor Neal Patrick Harris to move back to town or something? We are in desperate need of an "A" list . . .

Things to wonder about: How's Jamie Estrada doing in prison? Will the Republican who fell out of favor with Gov. Martinez over emailgate get an early release?. . .

When the TV media goes through the roof over another incident of APD stonewalling them for information, why don't they ever put Mayor Berry on the spot and ask what he thinks about his chief's actions? He's the ultimate boss of Chief Eden. Would the microphones be kept away from ABQ Mayor Chavez in similar circumstances? You bet your booty, they wouldn't. . .

Of course, the APD chaos continues. The story du jour:

Three members of APD's public records unit have been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates allegations of "unprofessional conduct, workplace safety and inadequate supervision" the department says "have impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of the [Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA)] Unit."

Well, there's IPRA and at APD there's ICOFS--In Charge Of Stonewalling.

YUCKA, NM

Hey, here's just what we need after the WIPP accident near Carlsbad cost hundreds of millions:

Holtec International Inc. — a global firm that makes storage canisters for spent nuclear fuel — proposes to build the world’s first “interim” depository for waste from U.S. nuclear power plants in southeastern New Mexico. The company has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Eddy-Lea County Energy Alliance to seek needed federal licenses to build the facility on 32 acres of land currently owned by the Alliance, which includes the cities of Carlsbad and Hobbs and the Lea and Eddy county governments . . .

Geez, why let Hobbs have all these "goodies?" Why not put all that stuff at the Rio Rancho Intel plant when it shuts down? Just think of the economic impact the clean-up money would have when the place starts to leak like a sieve.

GIGAFLOP?

The state's politicos were besides themselves to attract Tesla's giant gigafactory to produce electric car batteries, but maybe it's not so bad we didn't get it because the gigafactory could be a gigaflop:

A disruptive shadow looms over Tesla Motors’ giant Nevada “gigafactory”—the threat of rapidly advancing battery technology. While plenty of hurdles face new battery tech, the emergence of a viable and significantly better battery in the next five years could turn Tesla’s $5 billion facility for mass producing lithium-ion batteries into a giga-albatross.

So have a nice day, Nevada.