Michael Morris – In Focus

In the world of politics the only constant is the presence of corruption. Well, in New Mexico, we have the additional component of sloth on the part of many elected official that consider themselves some kind of royalty by virtue of being entrusted to do the People’s business. Lincoln County Clerk Tammie Maddox is by no means alone in criminal behavior in office. Instead she is merely the first to be exposed in what appears to be a widespread corruption regarding ballot manipulation. Yesterday Ruidoso News reporter Julie Carter brought to light the latest felonious act by Maddox. In this case Maddox has been caught willfully subverting the law she is charged with upholding. State law requires that she be imprisoned for this felony.

Michael Morris – In Focus

For me the race for District Attorney in the 12th Judicial District had the potential to be an exceptionally gratifying event. Now I am so glad it is almost over. Ever since day 1 of the “Throw away the Key” campaign one sage after another told me I had no chance of getting rid of the district’s south bound compass needle, Scot Key, or even of getting someone to run against him. As you can see they were wrong. At the same time I have 3 full-time years of my life invested in the improvement of this community and don’t appreciate the juvenile tactics some “adults” have chosen to employ in order to demonize the candidate they do not support. It is your mentally challenged antics that discourage qualified candidates from facing your asinine and childish pranks. Your reward awaits you.

Michael Morris – In Focus

Reading the Alamogordo Daily Blather this morning I am left asking just what the bias is over at the ADN. Then it dawned on me that it is not exactly bias that drives the distortions and unequal reporting that permeates into the public through that miscreant gratuitous assault on trees for its paper and soybeans for its ink. As has been pointed out to me over and over again by executives at Media News Group (majority owner of the ADN) the news department merely supports the efforts of the advertising department. While this explains why the ADN seems all over the map when reporting similar events I have to ask you whether the objective of a free press is met in any way by this sort of “journalism”? First we have to define the benefit of an actual free press.

Michael Morris – In focus

Let’s face it. Without fear none of what we as the body of man understand can operate. In fact a person with no fear is a rather dangerous individual killer or not. Politics is no exception. No matter what political system the basis of power in the world is fear. Whether your party fears an IED through the window or the destruction of species the fear is just product, a commodity bought to enhance market share (offices won). In our system selling that fear to a people distracted by bills, ball games and beer is the way power is obtained. Since the media is focused on the national barkers, rather than compete, I thought it would be fun to trace the fearful roots of some of the taxpayer funded boondoggles we all remember. Just one for today though. Too much fun is like too much liquor.

Michael Morris – In Focus

Today has been truly astounding. Some of you may know that Deputy DA Dave Ceballes announced yesterday at the monthly meeting of the Republican Women of Otero County that he is indeed running for DA. What this means, unless we are in the middle of some childish mis-direction, is that Ceballes’ mentor Scot Key is not seeking another term. This realization is not mine, but rather the axiomatic belief of every one of my readers, contributors and critics alike who have taken the time to call or write me today asking, quite mockingly, what I will do without Key to beat on. Since I have apparently allowed myself to be type cast in the eyes of some newer readers it is incumbent upon me to clear up the work ahead.

Michael Morris – In Focus

The candidate who so boldly proclaimed himself the best possible candidate for City Commission in District 7 is either a pathological liar or is handing down an astounding indictment of the golf course area in which Ron Griggs finds his base of support. Ron Griggs has a big mouth. Ron Griggs has a small mind. Incumbent Ron Griggs has some splaining to do regarding City Manager Pat McCourt’s comments last evening declaring a near emergency requiring draconian spending cuts called necessary in the wake of a projected $1.5 million to $2 million shortfall in the FY 2009 budget. This austerity plan is not quite the kind of economic reform most had envisioned.

Michael Morris – In Focus

Editor’s Note – By popular demand I will do my best to do as so many of you have requested – ignore the ADN like you.

One has to wonder why it is 12th Judicial District Attorney Scot D. Key has been so noticeably absent from Republican events during the first challenge for the DA’s Office in 12 years. As amazing as it may seem it is possible that Key is simply assuming the job is his for life. Alternatively it is more likely that Key is weighing the value of the job in light of the magnitude of the challenge of running on his record. Either way Republicans are noticing Scot Key is not even acting like a party member much less an elected official from the party up for re-election.

Michael Morris – In Focus

Today the Alamogordo Daily News reported child abuse convictions (ADN Story) resulting from a 2-10-06 incident that became the subject of heated accusations by Sheriff’s deputies against CYFD in the form of an article, reprinted in large part from the original Michael Shinabery bobber, in the ADN today. The problem all along was that the child was returned to the now convicted parents because the deputies hurling the allegations were never taught how to do their job. The comments they made show how they saw the situation. When I covered this alarming spectacle originally (Original 2006 Story) I simply overlayed the law on top of their statements. That story was mainly an education piece on the law more expansively and why the ADN is a rag. Today, just a quick version and some revisions now that we are lawfully sure the child went back to bone breakingly abusive parents.

Anderslander or Libelson?
Racquel Morris – Reality Check

Whether you want to call it Anderslander or Tales from Libelson when reading anything the Alamogordo Daily News “reporter” Lord Karl Anderson writes the most important thing to remember is to question everything this guy puts on paper. When reading any reporter’s writing especially this one’s, the most important question is what questions were actually asked in the interview. Were the questions misleading in order to get the answers the reporter was trying to illicit or was he trying to actually get to the facts of the matter he was investigating and was too incompetent to report accurately?

Incident photos by Racquel Morris

Date: 01-09-2008
Time: 17:02
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