I had the opportunity last weekend to participate in the annual Chile Challenge hosted by the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club.  This is an ultimate off road adventure.  They drive 4WD vehicles on trails throughout the mountains. There are trails for drivers with different expertise levels.  They even suggest the drivers and passengers on the expert trails wear full body armor.  This “challenge” is definitely for the thrill seekers in Southern New Mexico.  

This activity in Las Cruces is in danger of ending because of legislation that continues to make more of our wilderness land off limits to people and activities. 

Senator Jeff Bingaman is holding a field hearing on his wilderness bill the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act (S.1689) in Las Cruces on Monday, February, 15 at 2:30pm. The hearing will be on the New Mexico State Campus at the Corbett Center.

Please attend the hearing or contact your elected officials to voice your concerns. People for Preserving Our Western Heritage have more information on the bill and the field hearing on their website: www.peopleforwesternheritage.com

Below is an opinion editorial I wrote on the Wilderness bill and was published in the Artesia Daily Press last month. I hope you will share this information with others who are concerned about access to our public lands.

Artesia Daily Press
Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010
By: Steve Pearce — Guest Columnist

I just met with Dudley and Rose Williams. They own a ranch on the West Potrillos, an area designated to become wilderness in the new bill presented by both US Senators from New Mexico, SB 1689. You are told the bill will be good for the country and good for New Mexico.

If it will be good for everyone, why is the truth not told? Why do the facts get so buried? Why do we not have a hearing in Las Cruces?

In a recent interview with the Cibola Beacon, Congressman Harry Teague said  “The bad economy has impacted some of rural America in a good way.” (“Teague visits Cibola County, again,” Cibola Beacon, 01/14/10)

A good way?  You don't hear many stories about Southern New Mexicans that are enjoying the struggling economy. 

It seems as though 1 year in Washington, is 1 year too long for Harry Teague.  He is out of touch.

People Say Conservatives Are Not Conservationists

There is an idea that conservatives do not push environmental or conservation issues, but nothing could be further from the truth.  As a backpacker, sportsman and hiker I am passionate about the outdoors and protecting it.  I do not know of anyone, liberal or conservative, who thinks we should leave a legacy of contaminated earth, air and water.  I watched my father's generation leave a mess in the oilfields, and I have helped my generation begin to clean up those mistakes.

My wife and I bought a property that had been grandfathered into allowing oil waste to be put into the septic system.  We gave up that grandfather privilege and paid $30,000 to clean up the former owner's septic system.  We didn't want that contamination to someday make its way down into the water table.

High Taxes And Over-Regulation Killing New Mexico Chile Growers

Taxes and over regulation are killing our jobs.  The New Mexico agriculture industry supports over 23,000 jobs in the state, with cash receipts close to $3 billion annually.  The following blog, "American chile production cools while consumption increases," written by Todd Fitchette, provides one more example of where New Mexico jobs are being lost.

A Conservative Political Blog
American chile production cools while consumption increases

Public Option Will Leave No Other Options

I met with insurance underwriters a few days ago. These are the people who sell you your health insurance, explain your benefits to you and take care of documenting the details about your claims.

In other words, they are your neighbors and people who employ a few people in your town. They pay taxes, support the local soccer or little league teams. They serve in the local chamber of commerce, volunteer through Lions clubs and Rotary clubs, and teach your Sunday school classes.

They are just like you and me

This morning, they were afraid. They told me that "The health care bill will take our jobs away," and that "The health care bill will kill our small business." And they're absolutely right. If a national healthcare plan with a public option is passed, these jobs that used to be in your community will disappear and there will be fewer soccer teams next year. There will be less money deposited in the local banks. The jobs that used to provide local and state taxes will be transferred to the government run insurance-the so-called public option.

Obama's Job Creation Plan A Complete Loss

Hundreds Of Millions Of Your Dollars Wasted With No Jobs Created

Unemployment not only went up after the stimulus, it turns out that we've lost more jobs with the stimulus than we would have without it.  The whole stimulus plan might have had a very different purpose after all.  It certainly didn't create jobs.  It didn't stimulate the economy in any way, but the money - your money was given to someone.  Looks like a payoff on this side.  Someone, maybe a lot of someones were given your money and not only did you get nothing in return, neither did the economy. 

The following video gives a great visual representation to help you see exactly what happened.  This information uses data from several months ago, but it hasn't gotten any better since June.  Millions of jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars right down the drain.