KALH Radio

03/03/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
From Community Radio 95.1 FM – KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass reporting News and Commentary

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BREAKING NEWS about a developing story:
First information about this came to the KALH Spectrum News Room at 5:16 PM last evening (Tuesday, March 2nd) from one of our growing number of reliable KALH News Tipsters. What I report today is what I have been able to verify through documents which you are welcome to “Fact Check” via this link to a public document: https://dot.state.nm.us/content/dam/nmdot/utilities/telecomm_Manual.pdf

New regulations pending acceptance by a New Mexico State agency, unless stopped, will inflict new regulations and fees on the New Mexico Telecommunications industry which could drive up the costs of residential and business High Speed Internet service to the point you will no longer be able to have either wired, or wireless internet service of your own.

Here is what I know. We keep hearing from the Biden administration on the national level ... and from the Luhan Grisham administration on the state level about how they want to do everything they can to get high speed internet spread through rural areas.
There are also concerns being expressed, especially by conservative groups, that “Big Tech” including service providers like Facebook, Twitter and Amazon are striving to limit materials you have access to on the Internet to only those that have political and social policies that match those of the big companies.
While saying they want to spread the availability of internet services universally … it now appears that the New Mexico Democrat controlled administration by seeking increased regulation and huge annual fees may be working to keep most families from having internet access at all.
The new regulations about to be adopted in New Mexico that will result in huge cost increases to the installers and providers of high-speed internet services statewide including massive annual fee increases from a state agency which can clearly be seen in the proposed NMDOT BROADBAND and TELECOM MANUAL which is being considered for adoption.
How is it that the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has any say over how internet and data services are delivered?
That is the NM Agency that governs the rights-of-way along the roads and highways in New Mexico where the cables are laid ... including fiber optic cables … needed for high speed internet service to your homes and businesses.
They also govern much of the land on which towers, antenna and other internet infrastructure is build, even for WIRELESS INTERNET services.
I have also confirmed that these new rules and fees which are outlined in the new 13 page manual named the "NMDOT BROADBAND and TELECOM MANUAL are the to regulate the telecom infrastructure and operation in order to “preserve the integrity, safe operation, and function of the state highway system in compliance with all state and federal regulations.”
The fees involved are annual fees to these telecom service providers ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per mile of cable and thousands of dollars annually for things like roadside terminals to communications towers and antennas.
When you think of how many miles of highways and even rural roads there are that already have, and will have more telecom cables as the industry grows as the state administration appears to support, you can start to get a feel for the overall cost that will be inflicted on the suppliers of data services, including internet services will have to pay to the state over and above their normal cost of operation.
Recently, fiber optic cable was buried along much of the length of Riata Road in Otero County with neighborhood service cables laid along side feeder roads in the area.
Then picture how many dollars a year the fees will amount to and the limited number of potential customers there are in sparsely populated rural areas, you can see what the added cost per customer can soon become.
My industry source reports this can add up to hundreds of dollars a month per residential customer … even more for commercial customers. These high rates can make already expensive rural internet services totally unaffordable even considering just the fee aspect, not including what ever the cost of new regulations would add to the formula.
How are these regulations and fees in that manual going to be finally approved?
NMDOT is like the US Forest Service. They make their own rules. There is a process whereby the agency does a "scoping" to seek public and “stakeholder” input relative to those items in the manual. But, it is up to the AGENCY, not a legislative body, to rule as to what public or stakeholder comments are actually considered by that department.
If you as a current or potential future internet or other data service subscriber (like for Streaming TV) you need to voice your opinion about these added costs, not only to NMDOT … but also to your State Senators and Representatives.
While they do not have direct approval over these rules and rates … they need to be aware of what is about to happen with the rates you have to pay for these services as a result of the rules so they have the option of becoming involved through legislative intervention with the NMDOT.
Remember, when you call, write or email a State Senator or Representative, it’s not necessary to have a long comment about why you are, or are not happy about the topic you are addressing. Just state how you feel about the possibility of your internet rates doubling, tripling or more as a result of the new NMDOT rules and fees outlined in their Broadband and Telecomm Manual.
Who should you call, write or email?
I suggest you start with your local Senators and Representatives that include for the Alamogordo Area:
Rep. Rachel Black – 505-986-4467 – [email protected]
Rep. Zach Cook – 505-986-4243 – [email protected]
Rep. Willie Madrid – 505-986-4436 – [email protected]
Rep. James Townsend – 505-986-4758 – [email protected]
Sen. William (Bill) Burt – 505-986-4366 – [email protected]
Sen. Ron Griggs – 505-986-4391 – [email protected]
Sen. Cliff Pirtle – 505-986-4369 – [email protected]
The best reference I have found for locating information about your or other state districts or legislators by name is the NM League of Women Voters listing at lwvnm.org/Action/legislators.html
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The League of Women Voters encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

02/26/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
Friday, Feb. 26, 2021
FROM: Community Radio 95.1 FM - KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass reporting News and Commentary

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UPDATING BREAKING NEWS:

In the 6 AM edition this Moring, KALH Spectrum News broke the story locally about the Las Cruces Superintendent of Schools Karen Trujillo (age 50) having been killed when she was struck by a minivan while walking her dog's in the Elk's Neighborhood in north Las Cruces about 5:30 PM last night.

Updating the story based on new information received from police, a Nissan Quest minivan was west-bound on Edgewood. The exact details of how the crash occurred have yet to be released.

This reporter is very familiar with that neighborhood having served as the contract engineer for the "KGRT" group of stations there for almost 20 years. I recognize that a west-bound driver at roughly a half-hour prior to sunset last night could have had issues with sun impacting their ability to see a pedestrian.

Police reports to KOAT-TV, Action 7 News in Albuquerque overnight indicated the driver of the minivan remained at the scene of the crash and was cooperating with police in the investigation.

No charges have been filed as a result of that investigation to this point.

Family members quickly responded to Facebook.com chatter about the identity of the crash victim by confirming that was Karen Trujillo who was walking the two dogs when the crash occurred.

Trujillo was transported to Mountain View Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead soon after arrival.

The two dogs were seriously injured are are undergoing treatment at a local veterinarian facility.

A statement issued by Las Cruces Public Schools this morning, in addition to expressing condolences to the Trujillo family stated, "Karen Trujillo exemplified the best characteristics of a public servant who loved being a public school educator and felt deeply about the value of a public education system."

On background, the Las Cruces Sun News reports that Karen Trujillo was named superintendent in February of last year. In addition to dealing with all of the issues created by the COVID-19 Pandemic, she led the district through controversies including complaints about her predecessor's leadership, infrastructure issues including a persistent mold infestation at an elementary school and a cyber attack that serenely impacted the district's digital systems.

Karen Trujillo in January of 2019 began serving as a new Dona Ana County Commissioner and was quickly elected as it's chair. Almost immediately after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took office, she named Trujillo as the head of the NM Public Education Department. She was quickly confirmed by the NM Senate to that position on a 38 - 0 vote.

That didn't last long. After falling out of favor with the governor who claimed were concerns with Ms. Trujillo's leadership.

In effect, Trujillo alleged she was blindsided by her dismissal from the state post ... something the governor's office said Trujillo should have seen coming.

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Also breaking this morning on KALH Spectrum Local and Reginal News was details (contents may be upsetting to some) as the NM Supreme Court on Thursday handed down a unanimous decision rejecting an appeal by a Clovis man of his 2019 conviction for the R**e potion of a First Degree Murder-R**e conviction related to a 2019 case.

Lorenzo Martinez had been found guilty by a Curry County Jury of stabbing a woman to death, then, an hour later, moving her lifeless body to his bedroom and having s*xual in*******se with her remains ... TWICE.

Martinez's appeal claimed that the NM Felony Criminal Sexual Pe*******on statute requires the victim to be an unwilling participant in the act. In other words, since Martinez's victim didn't say NO ... he should not have been charged with Felony Criminal Sexual Pe*******on (CSR).

This is the first time in history this legal question as addressed by the high court.

The legal opinion supporting this ruling by the NM Supreme Court was written by Justice David K. Thompson. In it he said, in part, "It is critical to articulate that the Criminal Sexual Pe*******on (or CSP) statute extends protections to victims who are unable to express consent. We (the court) therefore determine that it would be contrary to the spirit of the statute to exclude victims who were unable to consent or resist solely because the perpetrator ‘rendered the victim permanently unconscious’ by killing the victim,”

The perpetrator of the crime should not be able to benefit by not being charged with CSP (or R**e) because of the prior criminal action of that perpetrator. In this case that action was a violent murder. I'm not a lawyer, but, I believe, if tested, this could also to apply to someone who had otherwise rendered an intended r**e victim unable to say "no" by knocking them out physically or through the use of a "date r**e" drug.

I am very pleased with this decision, no only on the face of it ... but because it was possible for a New Mexico Supreme Court Panel of Judges to agree on such a common sense application of the law UNANIMOUSLY.

Justice Thompson went further imparting something I didn't realize about the laws in New Mexico. He stated the court wanted to note that the State of New Mexico currently "does not prohibit the act of Necrophilia or the abuse of a co**se".

Dang ... I never imagined the Undertakers Lobby in New Mexico would be strong enough to keep an Anti-Necrophilia law, or Felony Abuse of a Co**se law from being passed by the legislature. It may have never been brought forth.

Let me see if I have this straight ... Okay ... if you kill a person, then have s*x with them ... THAT'S BAD under NM Law. But, if you just happen along a co**se, say while waking in the woods ... and the urge comes upon you ... exercising that urge to have s*x with that co**se would be just fine under New Mexico law.

What's wrong with this picture?

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BREAKING NOW: Just prior to 1 PM this afternoon, the Office of the Governor in Santa Fe announced that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had signed Senate Bill 10 the so called "reproductive rights" bill what now repeals a 1969 state stature criminalizing abortion.

On signing the bill, the governor said “A woman has the right to make decisions about her own body,” adding, “A woman has the right to make decisions about her own body,”

With the old law in place, should the US Supreme Court have ever overturned Row v. Wade, participating in an abortion as a recipient or provider would still have been against the law.

Prolife Groups had fought to try and prevent the passage of SB-10, but, with the Democrat control of both house of the legislature and the governors seat ... this outcome was, I feel, inevitable.

My question is ... should not someone be able to make this decision on behalf of the unborn child, sometimes, with liberal policies, just seconds away from life?

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Immediately after receiving the anti-life bill being signed by the Governor, came word she also has signed House Bill 11, delivering $200 million in grants to support New Mexico businesses make it easer to re-hire or hire new employees as the state reopens.

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I'd bet you have been hit-up on-line and on the phone about installing solar power generation panels on you home as you have about your car not having an extended maintenance warrantee.

Now, KRQE - News 13 reports some NM homeowners who want to install solar power are being told that they CAN'T.

To get installed, your local power provider has to have the capacity to accept excess power from your system. If your supplier form the power grid (called a "feeder") doesn't have the capacity to match up with what they tell you is what you get to sell back to the electric feeder company.

So, why don't you go OFF GRID. As Texas found out, your own Sunshine Electric Company (Solar on the roof) only works when THE SUN SHINES. You need a sizable and expensive battery system to store electricity from the daytime to use at night. You also should have a significant sized Gasoline, Diesel or Propane generator to kick in during prolonged periods with reduced solar activity. It can be done.

Or, you might do like the Amish do. In areas I know of in Illinois the local bishop says, NO ELECTRICITY, the county says YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELETRIC FROM THE POWER COMPANY. Their solution is, they pay for the electric service and have it go to only one light fixture with one bulb in it. The Bishop can live with that and so can the county.

The question for an electrician out there would be ... is it permissible to operate two electrical systems in a home. One from the power company with a light or two on it to keep it active and a full solar system with generator backup. Then, in an extended emergency situation, critical appliances like freezers, refrigerators, basic lighting, could be plugged into the power grid feed if the solar system was not functional.

Over a year ago, I got one of those solar powers, LED outdoor motion activated outdoor lights for the front of the house. It works great.

I'm planning to replace my indoor LED nightlights I have to be able to see to get around the house at night with these solar units. The ones like on the porch cost around $25 each. I figure 4 of them with the solar charging unit mounted outside ... and the light fixture mounted indoors with the low voltage power wire run through the outside wall and properly water sealed ... with the motion sensor switch on the fixture inside the house, I should be able to have light come on and off as we move around indoors at night, whether the electric power is on or not. I consider this project one for safety as much as for savings on the electric bill.

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02/18/2021

Good morning this Thursday, Feb, 18, 2021.

I have several things in the way of personal business and comments to communicate today.

First, our families hearts are heavy, yet glad this morning as SPOTS, the KALH Cat who is featured in her much younger days on our website (kahl.org) home page left us this morning. This was not surprise and while we ae sad, we are happy that she passed in her sleep peacefully after sending here near full time close to Myra and I over the past two weeks after having reduced her eating to almost none. Yet, as she lost weight, she drank water well and remained very active, still jumping onto the bed at night and for naps and to send time in our laps while were in our recliners for TV, reading, phone visits with family and friends or a nap ourselves.

Spots, along with her 2 sisters were outdoor feral residents on our home place when we bought it soon to be 25 years ago. The sisters didn't survive the coyotes very long. We soon made spots into and in and out cat for several years until she disappeared one day. We figured she had befallen the same fate as her sisters.

Almost a year later, one morning she was at my studio door wanting in. We never knew where she had been for sure, but she was heathy, well fed and perfectly happy to become an indoor house cat from then on, except to slip through an open door on occasion to prove to us she was still capable of doing that ... at least as far at the porch. But, it was only moments till she came back in looking very self satisfied.

She was never sick a day in her, as best we can compute, 25 years.

She shared our home with as many as 7 other rescue cats and kittens who came to our property over the years ... not always without being a little begrudging for a while until they became friends.

She has been our one-and-only after one of those kittens, Scamp, died some months back of two back-to-back hard strokes minuets apart at about 12 years-old without any advance signs of having a problem.

All of our fur-babies have lived long and healthy lives and have been loving family members, each with their own distinct personalities and all of whom we will forever remember.

We have decided that, at our age and health conditions, we will have any more babies come into our lives. If we want some feline companionship ... our daughter Tiffany has several we can go visit through and adjoining door ... one a couple of her babies slip through to come and visit us from time to time.

Spots was a loving companion for so many years ... she will be missed.

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On air today (again at 12:35 and 5:35 PM at 95.1 FM, I will again re-broadcast a 5 minuet remembrance of a 30 year or so radio friend, Rush Limbaugh who died form Lung Cancer early yesterday. Though we both came from about 100 miles apart in Missouri, me in St. Charles ... he from Cape Cape Girardeau ... yet, I never had the honor and pleasure of meeting him face-to-face.

My piece today recalled the only specifics about one of his comments to a listener from the thousands I heard over more than 30 years of hearing him on-air. That was when a soon to graduate from college young man called Rush to request one piece of advice El Rushbo could give this young man that would give him a success "leg-up' over the other thousands of young college seniors who would also graduate later that spring.

Rush said simply ... After you graduate and get a job ... show up for work EVERY DAY ... NO MATTER WHAT! If you are sick, they will send you home, but you showed up to work. After a commercial break, he brought the young man back with one more though. "When your are at work, give it the best you have EVERY DAY".
He told the young man this would assure him of success because almost no other of his fellow graduates would ever be known for doing those things.

I took that advice to heart and, unless in a hospital ... have done just that myself.

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Over the years, as I have said on-air from time to time ... I have been singularly blessed by having been helped by some of what I am sure have been Doctors who many have heard that very show and the advise Rush gave that young man because, with very few exceptions, the aid they provided me medically have me still hear every day, doing my best after 77 years when, due to my heart problems first encountered in my early 30's and a cousin who dropped dead of a heart attack at 49 ... my expectations were not good.

I have also been a frequent kidney stone maker since in the Air Force in 1968. At one point I made one of those little jewels a month for 7 years. I have also had kidney damage due to the many procedures I have had related to my hear damage ... and now age.

While one of those was told to me in the early 2000's exists, but, while it produces excessive readings in one of the blood tests I have a couple times a year ... it really isn't that big a deal. Yet, concerned primary care providers I have at the VA and at the PMS Clinic in Tularosa every few years want me to see a Nephrologist to check me out. I have seen many kidney doctors, Urologists and Nephrologists over the years ... some clearly better than others.

I have just had a most satisfying referral to Dr. Mansoor. MD here in Alamogordo. On my first meeting him, I had taken my latest VA blood work results for him to review.

On telling him about my long history with Kidney Stones, he apologized to me for his fellow MD's who had failed to provide me with the medication that has been around well longer than my problem. A CURE that with two pills a day, would assure me of never having another kidney stone as long as I tool those pills every day as long as I live. He said he could tell that he could GUARANTEE me that cure based on the test I showed him, but, he wanted to repeat that and run some other tests to see what he could learn about my health issues before proscribing the cure.

I took the simple tests at GCRMC Labs and went back on yesterday to follow-u with Dr. Mansoor. He reviewed my tests and gave me a proscription to fix the kidney stone issue for good. He also gave me another prescription for an Iron pill to fix an iron deficiency that showed-up in the test. He also noted from one of the tests he ran that I make a LOT of another body chemical that many people do not. The presence of that chemical that is one of the few positive results from my genetic history is one that he said he can let him guarantee me that never as long as I live will I ever have any form of CANCER. Even with that assurance, I'm not going to start smoking again after having quit about 45 years ago COLD TURCKEY when the price of ci******es went up to $0.75 a pack and I was a 3 pack a day man. After all these years ... and the high price of them today ... I no longer miss ci******es'.

There was only one problem with what I have found out from our good local Dr. Mansoor. When I went to Walgreens, I was told by the lady in the drive-up window the co-pay on the iron pills for a 3 months supply is about $6.00. I can handle that.

But, she asked if I was aware the price on the Kidney Pills was $145 per prescription. I told her that with all of the other meds I take for heart and diabetes conditions ... and double knee surgery coming u starting in April ... I guess after all these years ... I doubt kidney stones will be a fatal condition.

There appears to be good news about this situation though, too, what the Kidney prescription amounted to is not a "patent medicine" brand name. I don't know why it is so expensive.

It is a mineral combination that can be bought in power form from Amazon for about $16 bucks a bag that will give me the same dosage ... without the Time Release function found in the pills ... so I can mix that powder in OJ or other juice or protein shakes two times a day and that should give me the same result for a year for what a couple refills on the pills would cost.

If you don't rat me out to the Doc after reading this ... I'll see how my next blood test results turn out on that one kidney test to see if the powder is doing the job for me when I go back in July.

Wish me luck.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings ... as you probably already know "Brevity" is not in my vocabulary.

Ken ... the radio guy.

02/05/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
BULLETIN
FROM: Community Radio 95.1 FM - KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass Reporting

Couy Griffin is out of jail awaiting his trial on charges related to his trespassing on a secured area at the US Capitol on January 6-th, 2021.

The Hill reports the judge hearing Griffins appeal reversed a Federal Magistrate Judges order which has detained him prior to his next lower court appearance that would have again considered bail this coming Monday.

Judge Beryl Howell, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for D.C. ruled that Griffin does not appear to be a flight risk. He added "The defendant's charged conduct was largely peaceful". The judge did say subsequent statements made by Griffin, the leader of the Cowboy's for Trump organization, "while provocative, do not suggest that there are no combination of conditions that could assure his appearance in court".

In the article in "The Hill" we find no reference to the setting of a bail amount as a condition of his release.

02/05/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
BULLETIN UPDATE: Thursday, Feb 4, 2021
FROM: Community Radio 95.1 FM - KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass reporting:

BULLETIN UPDATE: NM State Policeman shot and killed in the line of duty:
As often happens with such stories, as more details become available in bits and pieces, what actually happens often becomes less than more clear until the full investigation is complete.

New details we are getting into the KALH Spectrum News Room from fellow New Mexico News Network Station - KOAT - TV, Action 7 News indicates this incident appears to have started on I-10 near Mile Post 101 near Deming in Luna County.

State Police say this afternoon, several officers were injured and multiple agencies were involved.

After the suspect shot and killed the NMSP Officer, he took off down the interstate toward Las Cruces.

Las Cruces police responded and an officer tried to stop the suspect. The suspect did stop. He got out of his truck and opened fire on the Las Cruces officer who was also shot. No word yet on the nature or extent of this officers injuries. He was said to have been taken to a "nearby hospital".

It appears the Las Cruces officer was able to shoot and kill the suspect at the scene on I-10 between University and Picacho exits.

More details as they become available.

02/04/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
BULLETIN: Thursday, Feb. 04, 2021
FROM: Community Radio 95.1 FM - KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass reporting

NM Gov. Micelle Lujan Grisham has ordered state flags to be flown at half staff in morning for a uniformed member of the New Mexico State Police officer who was killed in a shooting on I-10 near Las Cruces today.

The officer, who is yet to be named, was shot and taken to an El Paso Hospital where the officer apparently succumbed to injuries sustained in an exchange of gunfire ... a shoot-out that also took the life of the suspect.

The investigation which is still in progress has closed the interstate in both directions between the University and West Picacho Avenue and it is expected to remain closed for several hours.

We will have more details on this incident as soon as they become available with a more detailed report on KALH Spectrum Local and Regional News beginning at 6:05 AM Friday morning.

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01/19/2021

News FLASH Alamogordo
BREAKING NEWS
From: Community Radio 95.1 FM KALH Spectrum News
Ken Bass reporting:

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Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin remains behind bars in Washington D.C. as a motion has been placed before the Federal Court seeking no bail for Griffin and asking the Judge to keep Griffin in jail until the case against him over his role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol IS COMPLETE.

If the judge agrees, this could mean months, maybe years of incarceration for Griffin since, according to the documents submitted to the court "The defendant (Griffin) has taken "nothing off the table" in pursuit of his aims to ensure "Biden will never be president". Further stated is "The defendant's inflammatory conduct, repeated threats, delusional worldview and access to fi****ms makes him a danger to the community"

Will this be the final straw for Couy Griffin?

This afternoon, KALH Spectrum News received a copy of statement by Otero County Commissioners, Gerald Matherly from District 1 and District 3 Commissioner Vickie Marquardt. Their joint statement was directed to District 2 Commissioner Couy Griffin DEMANDING his resignation.

It starts by noting that "from his first day as an Otero County Commissioner" Couy Griffin has "devoted himself to promoting his Cowboys for Trump (C4T)organization rather than being a county commissioner who serves the citizens of Otero County who elected him."

The joint statement goes on to site some of many escapades he has embarked upon including those that have led to investigations by the Secretary of State, Attorney General and State Auditor. There have also been "lawsuits filed against the county because of Commissioner Griffin's actions".

In reference to Griffin's organizing C4T, they note how he refused to comply with state campaign finance laws.

Also noted were what they termed his making "racist statements".
They referenced in the statement how the effort to recall Griffin as a way to remove him from office is underway, but, they state "That process will taken months to complete." The actions initiated by the NM Attorney General to remove Griffin from office will also take time to work through the processes.

Commissioners Matherly and Marquardt reached a conclusion based on these and other actions by Commissioner Couy Griffin which is;e "The people of Otero County deserve an end to this circus now" ... followed by a call for Griffin to "resign his office immediately".

If he does not, these two commissions pledge to join in the recall effort and to encourage the removal proceedings of the Attorney General.

I will note that, in an interview, a portion of which was broadcast earlier today on 95.1 FM - KALH Spectrum News (and which can be heard now at www.kalh.org on the News Page by playing the "Feature Story of the Day") as Paul "Chez" Sanchez, the Chair of the Recall Couy Griffin committee said "we (the committee) don't expect Commissioner Griffin to do the right thing (read that 'resign voluntarily".

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