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To the Point with Mick Rich
Mick Rich will provide articles once or twice a week. Some will address New Mexico issues and some will talk about national issues.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
Pardons were to right injustices not to escape justice
In the 1930s, Lead Belly and the Golden Gate Quartet recorded “The Midnight Special”
The Power of the Presidential Pardon: A Legacy of Justice and Controversy
The Founding Fathers granted the President the power to issue pardons, likely envisioning it as a means to correct unjust verdicts and sentences. Historically, those most in need of this mercy were often hardworking individuals without the wealth or influence to challenge the system. The folk song Midnight Special, which emerged from Southern prisons in the early 1900s, encapsulated this hope: "Piece of paper in her hand. She come to see the gov’nor. She wants to free her man, lord."
A Personal Perspective on Pardons
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
Lessons Learned for the Reconstruction of Los Angeles County
The 2000 Cerro Grande Fire in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, offers critical insights for understanding and responding to the 2024 Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles County, California. Both events forced residents to flee their homes, presenting valuable lessons on disaster response and recovery.
The Cerro Grande Fire
The Cerro Grande Fire began at Bandelier National Monument due to a poorly managed controlled burn initiated by an inexperienced supervisor. Despite dry conditions, low humidity, and high winds—common in New Mexico's spring—the control burn proceeded, quickly spiraling out of control. Within ten days, the fire burned 43,000 acres and destroyed 235 homes.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
When I heard someone say, "I can't believe we will have a convicted felon as President," I was prepared with a few simple questions: What do you know about Federal Election Commission regulations, business accounting, or legal settlements? Unsurprisingly, the response was silence."
The FEC does not recognize hush money as a campaign contribution.
While I am not an FEC attorney, I have signed enough FEC reports to understand that payments like those made to Stormy Daniels cannot be classified as campaign expenses.
In 2018, we purchased an off-highway recreational vehicle (OHRV) for backcountry travel and my U.S. Senate campaign. Because the OHRV wasn't solely for campaign use, its purchase cost couldn't be charged to the campaign. However, we did charge the campaign for mileage and daily use when it was used for the campaign. I reimbursed the campaign for the initial expense.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
The 2024 State Central Committee
Republican Party of New Mexico
5150 San Francisco Rd. NE, Suite A
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Subject: State Central Committee Convention 12.07.2024
Reference: Election of Officers
Good afternoon:
First, thank you all for your hard work and dedication to the Republican Party of New Mexico and your efforts to turn our state red. Second, despite all your hard work, we went from once holding the Second Congressional District, Governor’s, Secretary of State’s, and Land Commissioner’s offices and a majority in the U.S. House in 2018, 2022, and 2024 to have the NM GOP completely shut out of Congress and the NM Executive Branch and relegated to minority party status in the NM legislature.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
New Mexico has been blessed with a temperate climate, blue skies, vast open spaces, beautiful landscapes, rich culture, one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world and an absence of natural disasters. Yet, WalletHub listed the 10 worst US states to live in based on five key metrics. It assessed each state's affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Louisiana was ranked the worst state to live in, followed by New Mexico.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
Donald Trump, “I love Hispanics”
My observations of the Trump Rally began a mile north of Sunport Boulevard on I-25 until Donald J. Trump left the podium. It took a day to collect my thoughts and put them on paper.
My Observations of the Trump Rally
APD Vehicle and damaged Trump rally-goer vehicle blocking an Intersection
It took me almost four hours to get to the Trump rally, and I expected it would be longer for most rally-goers. Why did it take so long to get to the venue in Albuquerque when it took a quarter of the time to get to the rally in Rio Rancho? Mayor Keller denied President Trump access to the Albuquerque Convention Center (which has excellent access and parking). Governor Lujan-Grisham's New Mexico State Police and Mayor Keller’s Albuquerque Police Department brought chaos from Albuquerque’s neighborhoods into every intersection on the road into the rally. Land Commissioner Garcia-Richards denied rally-goers access to the Isleta Amphitheater parking lot. Despite the delays, I only saw a few cars drive away.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
Beyond the poll numbers
I believe polling should be used to confirm what is observed instead of as an alternative to observing what is occurring. In 2018, a Heinrich staffer was overheard talking with a prospective recruit about what they were polling to know what the people of New Mexico care about. We should know what they care about from discussions with the people of New Mexico; polling should only confirm what is observed to ensure an important issue is not missed and to understand the priorities.
- Category: To the Point with Mick Rich
Mick Rich interviewed Gabriel Ramos on his podcast.
The full interview can be listened to in one part instead of two at https://mickrich.substack.com/p/interview-gabriel-ramos-senate-district?utm_source=podcast-email%2Csubstack&publication_id=234333&post_id=149832310&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_medium=email&r=48bl2&triedRedirect=true
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