Don't have any New Year's Eve plans yet? How about ushering in 2014 with Governor Susana and an assortment of high rolling friends?

It will set you back $1,500 a couple, but heck your company just got a corporate tax cut from Susana, didn't it?

The four hour fundraising reception is being hosted by Leland Gould, a native of Hobbs and the longtime director of governmental affairs for Western Refining, Inc.

The invite doesn't say what kind of champagne and hors d' oeuvres will be served, but we're pretty sure they'll be  high end. As I recall, a few years ago we accompanied the late lobbyist Bob McBride to lunch at the Rio Chama in Santa Fe and Gould joined us. He either picked up the tab or offered to. And with oil holding above $90 bucks a barrel, why hold back? Get that Dom Pérignon chilled, Leland.

Martinez's last finance report shows she had already banked about $3.3 million for '14. That's sure to more than double before the campaign is over. The trick when raising that kind of money is to show a good chunk of it is not coming from Texas and other out-of-state interests. The New Year's bash at Gould's ABQ North Valley outpost should advance that goal.

FESTIVE ATTIRE

The invite for the New Year's Eve bash calls for festive attire. The gals get it, but it sounds confusing for the guys. So before you fork over your $1,500 for you and the Mrs. here's what that means:

It means attire that is not so casual as t-shirt and jeans, but does not have to be formal or semi-formal. Basically, the host does not want guests that look like they are dressed to go to a work or a wedding. They should add custom touches that give their outfits character and personality.

However for First gentleman Chuck Franco it means simply getting the blue jeans pressed at the dry cleaners and Guv political adviser Jay McCleskey will have to forgo his customary baseball cap.
Otherwise, it's party on.

NUKE IRAN

A reader in Washington, D.C. writes:

I know you do not usually cover international issues, but I thought you would appreciate just how far to the right the Republican Party has drifted. At least one Republican in Congress thinks we should nuke Iran to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.

That' not to the right, that's over the ledge.

THE PRC MOVIDA

Becenti-Aguilar

A number of readers have commented on that recent and controversial decision from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) that allows the state's utilities to reduce the amount of energy they generate from renewable resources. That includes sources like solar and geothermal. Reader Evan Byers has the inside La Politica on the 3 to 2 decision that is likely to end up in court:

Not only does their decision have the potential to stymie the continued growth of the state’s solar industry, but it smacks of  self-interest. For example, the swing vote that helped pass the decision was cast by Commissioner Theresa Becenti-Aguilar, a Democrat who represents the northwest part of the state.

Originally appointed to the PRC in 2010 by Gov. Richardson, she once worked for then-Congressman Udall as his constituent services representative for tribal relations (according to her bio on the PRC website she is, “a proud member of the Navajo Nation.”).

One would think she supports renewable energy industry in NM. But, as you may have noticed a few weeks ago, this article appeared in the New Mexican: “Navajo Nation signs documents to acquire coal mine."They bought the mine near Farmington “…which produces up to 8.5 million tons of coal annually. It is the sole provider of coal to the nearby Four Corners Power Plant…”

As the solar industry continues to grow in the state, perhaps that hits a little too close to home for Commissioner Becenti-Aguilar?

It should also be noted that  the only industry that the PRC's renewable decision doesn’t impact is NM’s wind industry. It just so happens that about 80% of NM’s wind installations are located in Republican Commissioner Patrick Lyon’s district That’s a heckuva coincidence. So, not only does the utility industry win with this PRC decision, but so, too, does the Navajo Nation and the wind energy industry primarily located in Commissioner Lyon’s district. That's "Movida" at its best.

Good blogging there, Evan. The Sierra Club says it is looking at all its options to overturn the PRC ruling.

NOW THEY TELL US



25 THINGS

Dazzle your holiday guests with this: "25 Food Things Only A New Mexican Would Understand."

Of course you know that shredded iceberg lettuce and tomato are compulsory garnishes and that green chile is hotter than red chile. But did you know that the best beef jerky is purchased on the side of the road? As for that green chile cheeseburger at McDonald's, it's only acceptable during a genuine chile emergency. But what about Blake's?.....

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author