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Speaker
Hastert names Rep. Steve Pearce
to
Task Force for Affordable Natural Gas
Urges
panel findings by Sept. 30
to
help consumers avoid energy crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - With a potential
natural gas crisis looming this fall and winter because of historically
high prices and low inventories, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
today asked Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM) to help him take action to
ward off its devastating impact on American families, farms and
businesses.
With 60-million homes, businesses and
industries dependent upon natural gas, Speaker Hastert announced a
Republican Task Force for Affordable Natural Gas.
The Speaker charged the 18-member panel
to report back within 80 days, by Sept. 30, on three main areas of
inquiry:
1. The causes of today's natural gas shortage;
2. The impact of natural gas prices on the American economy; and,
3. Short and long-term ideas to encourage a stable supply of natural
gas to ease prices.
"Steve will be a crucial component
to this team," Speaker Hastert said. "His background in the
natural gas industry, coupled with his deep knowledge of energy issues
gives him a unique understanding of what we need to do to provide
affordable energy for all Americans."
Pleased to be tapped for this position,
Pearce said, "The work of this task force is critical because we've
witnessed time and time again how our nation's economic prosperity depends
upon the availability of abundant, affordable energy. We need a better
solution."
"Whether its building cars or
software, America's economy runs on energy, and every winter we find out
how important natural gas is to heat our homes and generate
electricity,” Hastert said.
“I'm particularly concerned for
American families who will bear the burden of higher heating bills should
a natural gas crisis emerge. Make no mistake, higher energy costs are a
hidden tax that put a drain on families, farms, businesses and our
nation's overall economy," he said.
<<<
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(posted
7/10/03)
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Emergency
fire fighting money
will
help battle NM’s wildfires
Appropriations
Committee
approves
FY2003 supplemental funds
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pete
Domenici, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted
Wednesday to approve the Bush administration's request for nearly $300
million in emergency funding to fortify federal fire fighting funds this
year.
The committee Wednesday approved a $2
billion emergency supplemental plan, which includes $289 million requested
by the White House for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest
Service for forest firefighting expenses.
The supplemental funding, included
within the FY2004 Legislative Affairs Appropriations Bill, is now cleared
for consideration by the full Senate.
"This funding will allow the BLM
and Forest Service to carry on with their work to battle another bad fire
season in the West. I fully expect that a good portion of this money will
be directed to New Mexico where wildfires have already charred thousands
and thousands of acres," Domenici said.
Domenici said the funding was added to
the Legislative Affairs bill because it is deemed to be on a relatively
quick legislative track through the Senate and House, and could be enacted
soon.
"Last fall, we warned that the
outlook for the 2003 fire season looked like it would be worse than last
summer," Domenici said. "We've already seen problems in the
Gila, around Taos and in the Ruidoso area. And the Bosque fire in
Albuquerque was a real scare for the city,” Domenici said.
“We must be vigilant against
wildfires. The emergency supplemental funding we've approved should ensure
that federal agencies have the resources needed to battle hot spots this
summer," he said.
Domenici, as a member of the Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee, earlier Wednesday supported subcommittee
approval of $2.2 billion for the National Fire Plan in FY2004.
This funding level would provide $698.7
million for the BLM and $1.54 billion for the Forest Service. This FY2004
Interior Appropriations Committee recommendation includes $111.3 million
for the BLM and $160 million for the Forest Service to continue Domenici's
"Happy Forests" initiative to continue hazardous fuels reduction
work on Forest Service lands.
In 2000, Domenici wrote the law that
created the Forest Hazardous Fuels Reduction, or "Happy
Forests," Initiative.
Also as part of the supplemental
package, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved another $1.55
billion for the Department of Homeland Security for FEMA's disaster relief
fund to respond to natural disasters.
In addition, the committee added $100
million for the National Service Corps program that operates the
AmeriCorps program. The funding, if enacted, should help avert reductions
in the program this year.
"I have questions about the
overall management of the AmeriCorps program, which has its merits. We
should provide funding to support the program, and its leaders should
ensure that they stay within the perimeters of those resources,"
Domenici said.
<<<
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(posted
7/10/03)
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Gila
National Forest Fire Update
July 9, 2003
The Gila National Forest continues to
manage the Dry Lake Fire Use Complex while also maintaining initial attack
resources in order to deal with any new starts as they occur. The
following is a wrap-up of Fire Use operations and other fire activity
occurring on the Gila as of July 9:
Dry
Lake Fire Use Complex
Comprised of the Dry Lake Fire (48,350
acres, started May 30), the Moonshine Fire (18,000 acres, started June 7),
the Granny Fire (1,100 acres, June 28 origin) and the Sycamore Fire (less
than an acre, started June 5), the Dry Lake Fire Use Complex now totals
approximately 68,450 acres. The complex fires are being managed for
resource benefits and to minimize future threats to firefighters by
reducing hazardous fuels buildups. Located 27 miles northwest of Silver
City (the Moonshine Fire is roughly 3 miles southwest of Snow Lake) in the
Gila Wilderness area, these lightning caused fires have shown varying
amounts of activity in recent days. Low relative humidity continues to
drive fire spread with active backing, uphill runs, short range spotting
and occasional torching. The Dry Lake Fire is steadily backing toward the
Gila River and into McKenna Park. In steeper terrain on the northwest
side, the fire is backing into canyons and making occasional uphill runs.
Fire spread continues to be diverted from trout habitat and cultural
resources. Helicopters continued to provide air support with numerous
bucket drops and by providing aerial reconnaissance of the Dry Lake Fire,
which is burning actively on the northwest, north and northeast flanks.
Active on the south and east sides, the Moonshine Fire was advancing
toward the Gila River. The Granny Fire was relatively inactive through the
last burning period, with scattered activity in the south and west
portions. This low-intensity fire has merged with the Dry Lake Fire to the
west and has also run into the edge of the Grave Fire, which burned in
2000. An area closure remains in effect for the Dry Lake Complex.
Goat
Fire
The Goat Fire (started by lightning on July 5)
exhibited moderate fire behavior on July 8, increasing from 991 acres to
approximately 1,300 during the burning period. The Goat Fire was
previously categorized as a candidate for Fire Use, however, the decision
has been made to suppress the fire and suppression activities are now in
place. Ground forces suppressed yesterday’s fire activity and air
tankers were to be utilized today to further secure the fire area. The
Goat Fire is burning in light pinyon, juniper and grass fuels.
Other
fires
The Jenny Fire (6,520 acres) and the
Seco Fire (approximately 5,300 acres), two lightning caused wildfires
which started June 20, were turned over to the Black Range Ranger District
Sunday and are continuing to be monitored. The Morgan Fire (approximately
5,000 acres), the Boiler Fire Use Fire (over 58,000 acres) and the Ten Cow
Fire (13,500 acres) are also being monitored but have made no significant
changes since June 21.
Two more lightning caused fires were
discovered on the Gila NF this week, but neither is considered problematic
at this time. The Marshall Fire, a 5 acre incident first reported Tuesday
(July 8) immediately southeast of the Seco Fire on the Black Range Ranger
District, is burning in very rugged terrain and will not be staffed until
managers employ confinement strategies when it becomes safe to put people
on the fire. The Marshall Fire is well inside Aldo Leopold Wilderness
boundaries and is being monitored regularly. Today (Wednesday), the
McKnight Fire was discovered and staffed outside wilderness boundaries on
the Wilderness Ranger District. The McKnight Fire is estimated to be
one-tenth of an acre and is located on a gentle northwest slope.
Several other lightning caused fires,
which started last weekend, have been contained. The Gila NF continues to
monitor the area for additional fire starts.
<<<
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(posted
7/10/03)
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Dry
Lake Fire Use Complex Fact Sheet
Thursday,
July 10, 2003
FIRE
NAME:
Dry Lake Fire Use Complex (Dry Lake, Moonshine, Granny and Sycamore
Fires)
CAUSE:
Lightning
SIZE:
The Dry Lake Complex
totals approximately 72,400 acres, consisting of Dry Lake Fire, about
51,000 acres (started May 30th); Moonshine Fire, estimated at
20,000 acres (started June 7th); Granny Fire, approximately
1,400 acres (started June 28th); and Sycamore Fire, less than 1
acre, (started June 5th).
LOCATION:
These four fires are
located in the Gila Wilderness. The Dry Lake and Granny Fires are
approximately 3 to 4 miles southwest of the Gila Cliff Dwellings and about
27 miles northwest of Silver City, New Mexico.
The Moonshine Fire is roughly 3 miles southwest of Snow Lake.
RESOURCE
BENEFITS: All
four fires are being managed for resource benefit. Long-term benefits
include reducing dead and down fuels, enhancing wildlife habitat,
increasing opportunities for low intensity fires to play a natural role in
wilderness, and minimizing future threats to firefighters.
FUELS:
The Dry Lake Fire is
burning in heavy brush, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer. The Moonshine Fire
is burning in the area of the 1997 Lilly Fire; characterized by small
patches of downed dead trees, open forest, and small patches of brush on
steeper slopes. The Granny Fire is burning near the southern edge of the
2000 Bloodgood Fire in manzanita and open ponderosa pine. Smokey
conditions were widespread due to the heavy inversion.
SUMMARY
OF ACTIVITY: The Dry Lake Fire breached the pre-designated boundary on the
west side for about 50-80 acres. The fire advanced well into McKenna Park
and made significant runs north toward the West Fork of the Gila through
the canyons east of the area. One fire use module and 6 smokejumpers
continued to construct a line for possible mitigation measures on the
northeast portion of the Dry Lake Fire. Three jumpers were inserted at the
pre-designated boundary along Turnbo Creek to attempt mitigation actions
to defend the boundary, but were removed when that effort failed.
Northeast winds, combined with relative humidities as low as 2-3%, and
temperatures over 100 degrees, resulted in significantly increased
activities.
TRAIL
CLOSURES: An area closure is in
effect which closes the area and trails around the fires for public
safety. Please call
505-388-8416 for detailed information.
CONCERNS:
Firefighter, aviation, and public safety; Threatened and Endangered
Species habitat: Mexican Spotted Owl, Gila Trout, Gila Chub, Mexican Wolf,
Spikedace, Chiricahua Leopard Frog and Loach Minnow; New Mexico Fish and
Game cabin.
RESOURCES:
The Great Basin #1 Interagency
Fire Use Management Team is managing this complex of four fires for
resource benefit. Four
helicopters, two fire use module crews, two watertenders, and the
management team, totaling 70 personnel from USDA Forest Service, Bureau of
Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service,
and U. S. Geological Survey were assigned to the fires yesterday.
DRY
LAKE COMPLEX AND FIRE RESTRICTIONS INFORMATION:
505-388-8416
<<<
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(posted
7/10/03)
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Moonshine
Packers support
fire fighters in
the Gila’s wild
SILVER CITY - When lightning ignites
fire in wilderness, how do firefighters get necessary supplies needed to
sustain themselves and manage the fire?
On the Gila National Forest, pack mules
are used. In the case of the Moonshine Wildland Fire Use located four
miles southeast of Willow Creek, packers are being used to support
firefighter needs.
Before the crack of dawn, packers
Johnny Zapata, Charlie Ortiz and Cole Wentzel sorted supplies, packed them
on mules, saddled up, and rode up to the firefighters’ camp to deliver
food supplies and water.
The packers were using the Willow Creek
area for their packing operations and riding into the Gila Wilderness to
drop off supplies at the firefighters camp. The packers are employees on
the Wilderness Ranger District.
In wilderness areas where the terrain
is rough, rugged and full of canyons, packers are used a lot to support
fire activities.
Various materials and supplies are
transported to the firefighters. Packers also transport Mogollon Baldy
lookout tower personnel during mid-spring and bring them back at the end
of fire season.
From local communities, packers also
were hired under a contract to support fire such as the recent Seco
Wildland Fire.
What does it take to be a topnotch
packer? Good horsemanship, good packing skills and knowledge of the
backcountry plus safety awareness and endurance are a few of the
requirements.
A good helpful attitude also goes a
long way. It takes many other people to support fire, and packers
certainly have their niche in this team effort.
With all the hard work of these
packers, hotshot crews and other firefighters are able to enjoy a nice,
cooked meal when they finish their shift and arrive back into camp.
The Moonshine Wildland Fire Use was
started by lightning in early June and is being managed to reduce fuels.
<<<
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(posted
7/8/03)
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City
police arrest two men
on
arson & burglary charges
Desert
Journal Staff Report
Truth or Consequences police today and Monday
arrested two local men on charges of arson, burglary, conspiracy,
tampering with evidence and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer
during an incident that occurred May 5 at 807 Locust St.
Richmond Garcia, 21, of 604 N. Ash St.
in T or C, and Joseph Griego, 21, of 104 Central in Williamsburg,
allegedly set the victim’s house afire after burglarizing it, according
to court documents. The victim was identified as Claudia Mosqueda.
A neighbor reported he heard banging
and crashing sounds in his neighborhood and then saw a red Ford Ranger and
white passenger car leaving the area. The neighbor called police a second
time to say he also smelled smoke in the area. City police confirmed a
fire at the residence with black smoke pouring out of the windows and
front door.
After the two men committed the crimes
at about 15 minutes after midnight and police were securing the scene,
police noticed a vehicle with its lights off turn southbound onto Locust
from Ninth Street. The neighbor told police it was one of the vehicles he
reported just moments earlier.
Police called out for the vehicle to
stop but the driver, identified as Griego, just looked at the officer and
yelled an obscenity as he continued to go past the crime scene.
Police then chased the vehicle and got
a license plate number from its rear.
Officers from the sheriff’s office
and city and state police detained one of the men, identified as Garcia,
as he exited the passenger door of the suspicious vehicle after it stopped
at Sierra Glass and Mirror in Williamsburg. Police also observed tracks
that began just outside the driver’s side door of the Ford Ranger pickup
truck but they found no one in the area.
City Detective Ron Huff said when he
arrived at the crime scene in T or C he found fire fighters trying to
extinguish the blaze and he also noticed a television set creating a
traffic hazard in the intersection at 8th and Locust streets.
Huff said in the affidavit for arrest
warrant that Garcia agreed to talk with him but without a tape recorder.
Huff said Garcia mentioned that he did not want to disappoint his mother
by going to jail again and that he had been good by staying out of trouble
recently.
Garcia then allegedly admitted taking
the television set from the home and told Huff that police need not bother
dusting it for prints. Garcia also allegedly told the detective he took a
VCR, a canvas chair, a pit bull dog and other stuff and that he would show
the detective where the stolen goods were taken – at his neighbor’s
house at 365 E. Sixth St.
Griego later called police to inquire
about his truck and Det. Huff told Griego he had questions for him. Once
at the police station, Griego told police he had loaned his truck to
Garcia between 9 and 9:30 p.m. the night before so that Garcia could go
home from Griego’s house next to Sierra Auto Glass.
Griego said he hadn’t seen Garcia the
rest of the night as Griego went out with a lady friend, first cruising
town, then having an intimate relations, according to the affidavit.
Griego said he remained at her house
until about 6:30 a.m. the next morning. But when police asked who was the
girlfriend, Griego at first refused to answer saying that she had another
boyfriend and he didn’t want to get her into trouble. But later he told
the detective her name, the make of her car and her place of employment.
Police however confirmed that it was
Griego who had driven the Ford Ranger pickup that fled the crime scene and
the purported girlfriend told police she hadn’t seen Griego for at least
two weeks and that she wasn’t around him that much anymore.
Police said the victim’s home was
extensively damaged by smoke. The house also had been ransacked with the
entertainment center turned over, clothes strewn about and the dining room
table knocked over. Most of the fire damage was in a child’s room that
contained a child’s bed and a crib. Police said they also found melted
skateboards, damaged Spider Man figures and toy cars.
Police said the fire was started with
papers and clothing in a corner next to a closet in the room. The State
Fire Marshal also collected a sample of the debris to test for an
accelerant.
Det. Huff on May 7 obtained a search
warrant for the 1993 Ford Ranger from the magistrate court and he executed
it on May 8. Huff said he seized the glass transport rack from the back of
the truck and other items including an electric shaver, VHS movies, and
other items. The rack was taken because of a dust transfer from the rack
to the TV set that was recovered from the middle of the street.
Later on May 7 Huff returned to 807
Locust St. as Rodrigo Dominguez, the victim’s brother, reported that two
vehicles behind the home also had been damaged and burglarized. Police
said burglars managed to take a stereo from one car, but failed to remove
the stereo from another one.
Ms. Mosqueda, the victim, told police
on May 10 that the stolen items included four TVs, a satellite receiver,
Play Station 2, registration sticker to her Lincoln Town Car, titles to
both of her cars and her son’s remote control car.
The victim told police she had known
Garcia because he lived in the same neighborhood and that she eventually
met him through Griego’s sister.
On May 12, Det. Huff said he went to
365 E. Sixth St. where the stolen items and dog were recovered on the
morning of May 5. The resident told police she discovered some clothing
and a black ceramic elephant in her back yard.
The court documents don’t reveal the
reason it took T or C police two months before filing criminal complaints
and obtaining arrest warrants on Monday for the two suspects.
Bond for Griego and Garcia was set at
$41,000 cash surety.
The arson and burglary charges are
third degree felonies in this case and the conspiracy and evidence
tampering charges are fourth degree felonies. The resisting police charge
is a misdemeanor.
If convicted of all of the crimes,
Garcia and Griego could face more than nine years in prison.
<<<
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(posted
7/8/03)
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Pearce
secures more than $9M
for
NM in defense appropriations
WASHINGTON, DC - Service members at
both White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base will soon see
an increase in their paychecks come January and New Mexico will see some
much needed funds for defense related projects.
Congressman Steve Pearce today (July 8)
showed his support for the United States military by voting in favor of
the fiscal year 2004 Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 2658); a measure
designed to provide the Defense Department with the funding to meet terror
threats, ensure homeland security and support military personnel.
Pearce said he supports the measure
because it provides more for military men and women. The bill appropriates
$98.3 billion to fund pay raises (average level of 4.1 percent) and Basic
Allowance for Housing, which will lower service personnel's out of pocket
housing expenses from 7.5 percent in fiscal year 2003 to 3.5 percent in
fiscal year 2004.
"I recognize the sacrifices made
by our military personnel and their families by supporting their needs
with a pay raise and other quality of life improvements, we all know they
have earned it." Pearce said.
Socorro, Magdalena, White Sands and
Holloman Air Force Base will be among the first to reap benefits from this
legislation in Southern New Mexico, as Congressman Pearce secured funding
for the following projects:
·
$5 million for the Geo-synchronous Light Imaging National
Testbed (GLINT). GLINT is being built on New Mexico Tech property, which
can later be used by NMT graduates and by researchers at the Magdalena
Ridge Observatory. This one-of-a-kind test bed will provide high
resolution images of satellites in geo-synchronous orbit.
·
$2 million for White Sands Missile Range Test Modernization.
WSMR currently uses data collection media that is old, difficult to manage
and is subject to non-recoverable loss of data. This funding will help
provide the instrumentation and data infrastructure systems necessary for
the collection, transmission, analysis and management of digital flight
test data.
·
$2 million for Tandem Explosively Formed Penetrator Warhead
System. Aerojet Corporation in Socorro will conduct most of the work on
the warhead system. The system will be created as a counter-active
protection systems warhead and be able to pierce through thicker armor,
giving it greater lethality.
The bill provides a total of $368.7
billion in new discretionary spending authority for the Department of
Defense for fiscal year 2004.
This amount is $4.3 billion more than
was appropriated for fiscal year 2003 (excluding the amounts provided in
the Iraq supplemental in April 2003), and is $3.05 billion below the
President's fiscal year 2004 budget request.
<<<
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(posted
7/8/03)
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NM lawmakers
introduce legislation
to
preserve SW Native American languages
WASHINGTON, DC - New Mexico lawmakers
today (July 8) introduced legislation in both the Senate and House of
Representatives designed to ensure that Native American languages of the
Southwest are preserved for generations to come.
Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete
Domenici, and Representatives Heather Wilson and Tom Udall introduced the
"Southwest Native American Language Revitalization Act of 2003,"
whose intent is to encourage the development of Native American language
survival as a means of addressing the effects of past discrimination
against Native American language speakers.
The measure would create a center at
the University of New Mexico (UNM), working in consortium with the
Linguistic Institute for Native Americans, whose aim would be to encourage
the teaching of languages native to the Southwest. The center would be
part of the Native American Studies Department at UNM.
"For years many schools across the
country did their best to eradicate languages used by tribes and pueblos.
Punishments were carried out on those students who spoke their native
tongue. Thankfully, in more recent years, we have come to see the
importance of preserving Native American languages," Bingaman said.
"Our bill would make preserving
the languages of tribes and pueblos of the Southwest a priority," he
said.
"Language can be just as artistic
as the pots, rugs or jewelry produced by America's native peoples. This
bill would create a demonstration program to ensure that such native
tongues do not disappear," Domenici said.
"Native languages contribute to
overall linguistic and cultural richness of our society. We only need to
look to our own Code Talkers in New Mexico to understand just one of the
benefits of keeping native languages alive," Domenici said.
"When the Jicarilla Apache Nation
came to me about setting up Native American language schools, I was very
excited about the idea. This bill will ensure that Native American
languages will be taught to children and culture preserved," said
Wilson, who is the bill's principal co-sponsor in the U.S. House.
"This legislation empowers Native
Americans for whom language builds a bridge of understanding that connects
the wisdom of the past, the experiences of the present, and the hopes of
the future. It is imperative to tap the experiences of Native elders as
quickly as possible to stem any further loss of Native languages,"
said Udall, who is cosponsoring the bill in the House.
Specifically, the legislation would
provide federal funds to:
·
Train Native American language mentors, and assist in the
development of training programs for Native American language speakers and
teachers through onsite training and university or college courses, summer
training institutes, regional seminars on Native American language issues;
·
Conduct community education and outreach;
·
Examine the effects of federal, state and local education
policies on the long-term survival of Native American languages;
·
Assess the impact of culturally-responsive curricula on
Native American languages;
·
Establish endowments to further study and preserve Native
American languages.
The lawmakers are working to ensure
their measure is made part of the larger Native American Languages Act
Amendments Act of 2003, which will be considered by Congress in the coming
months.
<<<
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(posted
7/8/03)
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NM
awarded $490,000
to
assist crime victims
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pete
Domenici reported today (July 8) the New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation
Commission has been awarded $490,000 by the U.S. Department of Justice to
provide services for victims of crime.
The funds, provided through DOJ's Crime
Victim Compensation Program, will be used to help victims and survivors of
domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, drunk driving, homicide
and other crimes.
"This grant program uses fines
paid by convicted federal offenders to help crime victims shoulder the
financial burden of recovery. Through the help this program provides,
crime victims can better seek the treatment and services they need after
suffering from damaging incidents committed against them," Domenici
said.
Domenici said the program works to
reimburse victims and their families for crime-related expenses such as
medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, and
lost wages or loss of support.
Funding for the grant is obtained from
the Crime Victims Fund, established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
The money in the fund is derived from fines, penalty assessments, and bond
forfeitures from convicted federal offenders, not taxpayers.
Domenici is a member of the Commerce,
Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets
priorities and funding levels for the Department of Justice.
<<<
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(posted
7/8/03)
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FCC
responds to consumers'
concerns
about telemarketers
By
the Federal Communications Commission
In response to an increasing flow of
consumer complaints about telemarketers, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has joined with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to
create a national do-not-call registry that promises to give consumers the
power to reduce the number of unsolicited telemarketer calls they receive.
"It was time to re-examine our
rules to ensure that they created a proper balance between the consumer's
right to privacy and the valid efforts of businesses to market their
products," according to K. Dane Snowden, Chief of the Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau at the FCC.
Snowden's office had the responsibility
for crafting the new rules limiting telemarketer calls, rules that include
the new do-not-call registry that will become effective Oct. 1, 2003.
Telemarketing has long been a part of
the American business scene, providing consumers with the opportunity to
consider a wide range of products and services without leaving their
homes.
"I recently logged a number of
calls at home ranging from an offer to refinance my mortgage to a chance
to purchase premium steaks, all within one hour," Snowden said.
"For me, it's a little like eating at a smorgasbord - all the choices
are laid out before you."
Along with legitimate telemarketing
activity there has been some abuse of calls and faxes to consumers' homes,
and in 1992 the FCC adopted comprehensive national rules governing
telemarketing under authority granted by Congress in the 1991 Telephone
Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
The FCC's rules included the
requirement that individual telemarketers maintain company-specific
do-not-call lists, along with restrictions on the time of day allowed for
calls and other practices.
In the past decade-plus, however, the
telemarketing industry has significantly changed the technologies and
methods used to contact consumers, enabling companies to cast an
ever-wider net with features like predictive dialing.
While telemarketers contacted 18
million Americans each day in 1990, today they may make as many as 104
million calls.
The increase in calls has led to a
corresponding increase in consumer frustration. "The Commission heard
the American consumer and responded," Snowden said.
"The new FCC rules will give the
consumers the tools they need in deciding whether they want to receive
marketing calls and from what sources," Snowden said.
The FCC's broad authority extends to
all commercial telemarketers, including those making in-state or
state-to-state calls.
Wireless telephone numbers may also be
placed on the national do-not-call registry, and there is no fee for
consumers to register their numbers in the registry, which will be
maintained by fees charged to telemarketers.
A consumer can elect to receive calls
from certain companies even if his or her residential phone number is in
the national do-not-call registry.
"It's all about consumer
choice," Snowden said. "The FCC's action has given consumers
back their telephones, their privacy, and their choice."
There are exceptions to the prohibition
of the national do-not-call registry, however. If a seller has an
established business relationship with a consumer, through a former
purchase or financial transaction, for example, the seller can contact the
consumer for a period of 18 months after the transaction.
During this period, a consumer can ask
to be added to the company's do-not-call list when the seller calls, and
the calls must stop.
Tax-exempt non-profit organizations,
which may include charitable, religious, and political organizations, are
also exempt.
Violators of the new rules can face
stiff penalties.
"The effectiveness of the national
do-not-call registry will depend in some measure on enforcement, and we
already have an excellent record of enforcing our 1992 rules,"
Snowden said.
In January of this year, the FCC's
Enforcement Bureau issued 13 citations for violations of the TCPA and
corresponding FCC rules. While these citations are warnings that involve
no monetary damages, a company that continues to violate the rules after
receiving a citation can receive a fine in the form of a Notice of
Apparent Liability, which can be up to $11,000 per violation.
"Nearly $7 million in forfeitures
were proposed or issued since December 1999," Snowden said. "And
we expect to continue to be aggressive in enforcing the new rules."
Consumers can get further information
on the new rules and can add their names to the national do-not-call
registry on the FCC web site, www.fcc.gov.
<<<
>>>
(posted
7/8/03)
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…More
honors for T or C swimmer
Legendary swimmer Norman Allish, 88, dons four medals
he won at the U.S. Masters National Short Course Swimming Championships
held in mid May in Tempe, AZ, as well as shows off a copy of SWIM Magazine
that features the 88-year-old freestyle and backstroke champion of Truth
or Consequences. At the finals for the 85-89-year-old men’s division,
Norm placed second in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events with the
times of 2:09.54 and 5:11.50, respectively; third in the 50-yard freestyle
event at 55.82; and fourth in the 50 yard back at 1:17.00. Norm also has
been a champion swimmer at the National Senior Olympic Games. DJ
photo by Bill Johnson |
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…In
the ‘swim’ of it
Swimmers
Norm Allish (left) and Scott Leherissey this morning take advantage of the
lap swim at the Truth or Consequences Municipal Pool at 775 S. Daniels St.
Lap swimming sessions are held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays through
Fridays.
DJ
photos by Bill Johnson
(posted
7-2-03) |
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Dry Lake Fire
Use Complex Fact Sheet
Thursday,
July 3, 2003
FIRE
NAME: Dry Lake Fire Use Complex (Dry Lake, Moonshine, Granny and
Sycamore Fires)
CAUSE:
Lightning
SIZE:
The Dry Lake Complex
totals 46,450 acres, consisting of Dry Lake Fire, 32,600 estimated acres
(started May 30th); Moonshine, estimated at 13,500 acres
(started June 7th); Granny, 350 acres (started June 28th);
and Sycamore (less than 1 acre).
LOCATION:
These fires are located
in the Gila Wilderness. The
Dry Lake and Granny Fires are approximately 3 to 4 miles southwest of the
Gila Cliff Dwellings and about 27 miles northwest of Silver City, NM. The
Moonshine Fire is roughly 3 miles southwest of Snow Lake.
RESOURCE
BENEFITS: These
four fires are being managed for resource benefit.
The long-term benefits will include minimizing future threats to
firefighters and increasing opportunities for future low intensity fires
to play a natural role in wilderness.
FUELS:
The Dry Lake Fire is
burning in heavy brush, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer. The Moonshine Fire
is burning in the area of the 1997 Lilly Fire, characterized by small
patches of downed dead trees, open forest, and small patches of brush on
steeper slopes. The Granny Fire is burning near the southern edge of the
2000 Bloodgood Fire in manzanita and open ponderosa pine.
SUMMARY:
Lower humidity increased fire activity throughout the complex.
The Dry Lake Fire made a small run yesterday down Sycamore Canyon
toward the pre-designated management boundary and backed steadily to the
east toward Little Creek. Crews
continued to monitor the spread of Dry Lake to the east and north on the
northeast side of the fire. Bucket
drops were used to stop the fire spread toward the fish-bearing portion of
Little Creek. Air tankers,
smokejumpers, and rapellers checked the fire spread toward the
pre-designated management boundary on the northwest side of Dry Lake Fire.
The
Moonshine and Granny Fires continued to spread within the wilderness.
Limited bucket drops were used on the Moonshine Fire to stop the
fire from spreading into the bottom of West Fork Gila River. The Moonshine
and Granny fires were monitored from the air.
The fires remain primarily low intensity surface fires, continuing
to remove excess ground fuels.
TRAIL
CLOSURES: An area closure has been
implemented on July 3rd to close the area around the fires for
public safety. Please call
505-388-8416 for detailed information.
CONCERNS:
Firefighter, aviation, and public safety; Threatened and Endangered
Species habitat: Mexican Spotted Owl, Gila Trout, Gila Chub, Mexican Wolf,
Spikedace, Chiricahua Leopard Frog and Loach Minnow; New Mexico Fish and
Game cabin.
RESOURCES:
The Great Basin #1 Interagency
Fire Use Management Team is managing this complex of four fires for
resource benefit. Two
helicopters, 6 fire use module crews, and the management team, totaling 82
personnel from USDA Forest Service, Maryland State Forestry, Mississippi
State Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Geological Survey are currently assigned.
DRY
LAKE COMPLEX AND FIRE RESTRICTIONS INFORMATION:
505-388-8416
<<<
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(posted
7/3/03)
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DoNotCall.gov
inspires campaign for
National
Junk Mail Opt-Out Registry
It's
time for DoNotJunk.gov, group says
TAKOMA PARK, MD - Thanks to the just-launched "Do Not
Call" registry, Americans finally have easy recourse against
relentlessly intrusive telemarketers.
The Center for a New American Dream would like to see Congress
build off that momentum and commission a registry to let citizens opt-out
out of an equally incessant form of marketing - junk mail.
"At long last, Americans can eat dinner free from the
incessant harangue of telemarketers," said New Dream Executive
Director Diane Wood.
"We should also be able to open our mailboxes with similar
peace-of-mind. Let's face it - how many Americans actually want junk mail?
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