A news release from the capital just came in, and it sounds like good news: Gov. Richardson’s freezing capital outlay projects and canceling grant agreements for all projects that don’t have third-party agreements. According to politico Steve Terrell, this could mean eliminating anything from the opera’s plein air practice facility to water and sewer systems, rape crisis centers or affordable housing. From the release:

“I am taking this bold action since the Legislature chose not to cut even one dime of its pork projects,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “These pork projects should be the first to be cut before we take any action that affects people.”

Well, why didn’t you say so before we spent $350,000 on a special legislative session? And whose pork is it, really? The release says the goal of the freeze is to save $150 million, though, so it could be worth it. The whole statement just seems weird.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia.

The Egyptians may be committing swine-o-cide, but the fact of the matter is you can’t get swine flu from eating pork (or licking Gwyneth Doland’s tattoos, for that matter). I mean, just listen to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who is very much alive:

“This morning I had pork for breakfast. Last night I had pork. I’m going to continue to eat pork and I’m going to encourage American consumers to do the same.” (As told to CNN)

And yet, as New Mexico faces its first suspected case of H1N1 (a death of a six-year-old in Las Cruces), some folk are surely ignorant enough to toss out their bacon.

Over at Whole Hog Cafe on Cerrillos, manager Manuel Angon tells SFR he’s more worried about the recession.

“I think it’s the economy is the only thing,” Angon says. “No, we doing OK. We just slowed down a little bit in the business, but we are doing caterings for 125 people and 300 people this month.”

But Angon is glad to hear that SFR is going to spread the news that pork won’t kill you.

“We have a paper that explains what the flu comes from,” he says. “We got it in the store just explain to the people it’s not in the food, it’s in the air. Some people, they can get it confused… But we’re doing OK.”

Um…no, I just made that rumor up.

Now, I grew up around skaters (wasn’t one myself – couldn’t get the ollie down) and I love them and respect what they do. And I also have a special place in my heart for rural and reservation kids who don’t get the chance to grind urban rails.

But, at the same time, with the budget as it is, do these two projects before today’s capital outlay committee even have a chance?

Rep. Ray Begaye, D-San Juan, wants $250,000 for a skate park in Shiprock.

Rep. Jose Campos, D-DeBaca, wants $150,000 for a skate park in Melrose.

And what do I want?  $2 million for an Ethiopian culture center.

It’s “Enchanted Circle Day” at the Roundhouse, which means folks from Taos, Moreno and Colfax counties have set up tables in the hallways to either side of the rotunda. They are hawking all manner of budget requests and handing out buttons, candy, tote bags and Mardi Gras necklaces in return for your attention.

Here’s one that caught my eye: a single sheet, on cream colored paper, from the office of the mayor of Eagle Nest, New Mexico, titled “CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW LAGOON.”

“Situated on the north shore of majestic Eagle Nest Lake State Park,” the Village of Eagle Nest needs $650,000 for Phase 3 of its new lagoon project:

“In 2007, the Village began a much need 8-phased improvement plan to the wastewater system. The lagoon system almost breached during the summers of 2007 & 2008 due to inadequate evaporation and storage space. Emergency measures had to be taken. The Village recognizes capital outlay funds are limited this year, however, a breach could potentially contaminate the nearby Lake and streams, impacting a valuable resource to New Mexico.”

The appropriation they’d like for this year is $650,000. They’ve already been given about $1.7 million for Phase 1 and 2 (New lift station and pumps, sewer lines, manholes, fences, disposal of sludge….and by the time they finish Phase 8 it will have cost more than $4.9 million

Eagle Nest’s population, according to the 2000 US Census is…… 306 people.

Eagle Nest  is the location of an infamous annual “Fish Fest” (see photo), scheduled this year for Sept. 19-27. Itsis $20 to enter, with “Daily door prizes, 4 jackpot drawings, prizes for tagged fish caught, casting & worm-eating contests!”

Capital Outlay requesters: Rep. Thomas Garcia and Sen. Clinton Harden Jr

Despite the fact that the Legislature is looking at half a billion hole in the budget and a capital outlay (one-off infrastructure) account predicted to drop to  a low of $150 million, some folks still have their hands out…in Santa Fe in particular the La Cienega community, Pojoaque Pueblo and the Tesuque Pueblo. Here are the 2009 capital outlay requests for Santa Fe County so far.

GRAND TOTAL: $26,813,492
(TESUQUE ALONE: $26,014,390)

• ACEQUIA DE LA CIENEGA CONSTRUCT – SANTA FE CO $143,000 La Cienega
  to plan, design and construct improvements to the acequia de La Cienega, including transmission lines and gate valves, in La Cienega in Santa Fe county. (requested by Rep. Jeannette Wallace)
• LA CIENEGA COMMUNITY PARK CONSTRUCT $50,000 La Cienega
  to design and construct a community park and center, including fencing, for La Cienega in Santa Fe county. (requested by Wallace)
• LA CIENEGA MDWC & MSW WATER SYSTEM IMPROVE $441,112 La Cienega
  to plan, design, construct and install water system improvements, including water pipes, water lines and fire hydrants, for La Cienega mutual domestic water consumers and mutual sewage works association in Santa Fe county. (requested by Wallace)
• SANTA FE POJOAQUE SWCD SANTA CRUZ DAMS $165,000 Santa Fe-Pojoaque
  to plan, design and construct barriers at Santa Cruz flood control dams for the Santa Fe-Pojoaque soil and water conservation district in Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties. (Requested by Sen. Carlos Cisneros, Sen. Richard Martinez)
• TESUQUE PUEBLO AGR SUSTAINABILITY CTR $2,639,000 Tesuque Pueblo
  to plan, design, construct and equip an agriculture sustainability center in the Pueblo of Tesuque in Santa Fe county. (Requested by Cisneros)
• TESUQUE PUEBLO EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX CONSTRUCT $8,903,800 Tesuque Pueblo to plan, design, construct and equip an educational complex, including a playground, in the Pueblo of Tesuque in Santa Fe county. (Requested by Cisneros)
• TESUQUE PUEBLO LAW ENFORCE TRAIN FCLTY CONSTRUCT $8,744,750 Tesuque Pueblo to plan, design, construct and equip a multipurpose law enforcement training facility for law enforcement agencies and emergency responders in the Pueblo of Tesuque in Santa Fe county. (Requested by Cisneros)
• TESUQUE PUEBLO TRIBAL ADMIN OFF COMPLEX CONSTRUCT $5,726,830 Tesuque Pueblo to plan, design, construct and equip a tribal administrative office complex in the Pueblo of Tesuque in Santa Fe county. (Requested by Cisneros)

So far none of Santa Fe’s other legislators have filed requests (at least ones available online).