DAILY LOBO new mexico
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wednesday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
February 24, 2010
Hackers attack Physical Plant PCs
Banged up
by Tricia Remark Daily Lobo
Daniel Hulsbos / Daily Lobo An unidentified APD officer examines the damage to a 2007 Pontiac at the corner of Central Avenue and University Boulevard on Tuesday. Melissa Chavez, the Pontiac’s driver, said she slammed into a black SUV around 2 p.m. as she sped through a yellow light.
Liveblogging changes the game in Legislature by Pat Lohmann Daily Lobo
The reporters at the New Mexico Independent were happy to hear that the special session of the New Mexico Legislature was postponed for five days. Having spent hundreds of hours liveblogging the torturous 30-day legislative session, the staff of the online news source kept New Mexicans informed about how their officials were spending tax dollars. Gwyneth Doland, Independent editor, said the liveblog allowed people a chance to watch New Mexico
government in action. “Normal people don’t have the time to take off of work, go to Santa Fe and sit in on committee hearings and floor debates,” she said. Reporters sit in on hearings of interest and constantly update the Independent Web site, for hours at a time. Legislators, viewers, Roundhouse staff and journalists are allowed to comment on the blog as it’s updated. Doland said that at its peak, 500 people were watching the liveblog during the legislative session, and she said its presence in the hearings had an impact on the legislative process.
2010 special session liveblog: NewMexicoInmindependent.com “We heard legislators say things like, ‘I believe this, and I don’t care if it’s going out over the whole Internet right now or not,’ or ‘I’ve got a whole lot of people who are watching this webcast, and they’re sending me their e-mails, and I’m still going to vote no on this,’” she said. “This is something you didn’t hear at all a year ago.” The Legislature started webcasting its meetings in February of last year. However, the webcasts are
Richardson delays special session LEGISLATIVE SESSION
by Susan Montoya Bryan The Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. — Gov. Bill Richardson is delaying the start of a special legislative session so lawmakers can work out differences before returning to the New Mexico Capitol on Monday to hammer out a plan for financing public schools and state government in the coming year. Richardson initially called for the special session to begin Wednesday, but House and Senate leaders urged him to push that back so they could have more time to discuss potential solutions to the state’s $600 million budget deficit. Richardson said a few more days of meetings among legislative leaders and his administration would benefit everyone. “I’m somebody who wants to get this done as rapidly as possible,” the governor said during a news
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 114
issue 105
conference Tuesday. The state is projected to collect $5.1 billion next year, and it’s spending $5.7 billion in the current fiscal year. At least $200 million in federal economic stimulus money is available to temporarily plug the shortfall. Making up the difference is what has stalled lawmakers. They face several unpopular proposals — from trimming government spending to raising gross receipts taxes on goods and services and taxes on certain foods and cigarettes. Despite Richardson’s decision to postpone the session, some lawmakers say it’s a mistake to rush budget negotiations before getting more updated revenue forecasts. Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat who heads the finance committee, said he believes New Mexico’s revenue growth will be half of the projected 6 percent that lawmakers assumed when debating budget proposals that failed during the regular 30-day session, which ended last week. That means the state could be short another
see Session page 3
see Liveblog page 3
Computers in one of UNM’s largest departments were hacked last semester, disabling hundreds of terminals and shutting down online services for a week. But no personnel or student information was stolen, said Chris Vallejos, Institutional Support Services spokesman. “I don’t believe it was a virus. They were hacked into, and it’s still under investigation where the malicious attack came from,” he said. “These are very difficult to track.” Vallejos said around 200 PCs will need to be either replaced or restored as a result of the hacking; however, there is no estimate for how much the restoration will cost. Mary Vosevich, Physical Plant Department director, said employees in the department haven’t had Internet access since October, when the attack happened. She said Information Technology just installed about a dozen computers with Internet access this month. “Obviously, there are things you do every day in this day in age where you access the Internet,” she said. Even though employees didn’t have Internet access, Vosevich said the speed of PPD services wasn’t affected. “I think we’ve been able to hold our own through all of this,” she said. Vosevich said information on PPD issues was announced on UNM
see Hackers page 3
A meow mix
Sean Gordon / Daily Lobo A cat in a condo plays during a volunteer’s visit at Animal Humane Association of New Mexico. To read more about this story go to page 6.
Where are we?
Religious violence
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