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2010Gold Sponsors
AUI INC
WESTERN SUMMIT
2010 Silver Sponsor
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From the Executive Director's Desk:
The 2010 NM Legislative Session is over and NUCA of NM Lobbyist gave a comprehensive overview of the session in regards to how proposed bills faired during the session.
On Monday, March 1, 2010 NM Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) hearing will be addressing the New Energy Environment Petition. The NEE petition calls for a reduction in statewide GHG emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by the year 2020. This is more stringent than the federal legislation being considered which set a 17% reduction limit on GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2020.
If adopted, the NEE cap could have an extremely negative impact on NM's economy. Estimates indicate that costs for some utilities could be higher than $1 billion because the controls to reach the NEE recommended cap are not commercially available. This issue will effect every business and every person in New Mexico.
Please write, call or fax a letter to the the EIB and let them know your position on the NEE Proposal. See links below.
Jane Jernigan
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NUCA Washington Summit |
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 This year's Washington Summit is scheduled for May 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Register for this exciting annual fly-in event by May 2. To secure the discounted group room rate of $305 single/double at the Hyatt, call 1 800 233 1234no later than April 23 and identify yourself as attending the National Utility Contractors Association Washington Summit. Please note that NUCA will be charging a nominal registration fee ($95 for members, $225 for nonmembers) to help defray the costs associated with four networking events. NUCA's National Awards Luncheon is included in the registration fee. This year, following our streamlined committee meeting format, only the Government Relations and PAC committees will meet on Monday and the Chapter Executive Directors and Chapter Presidents will meet (separately) on Wednesday. See the schedule for details. Congress needs direction, and you can help advance our solutions. The more NUCA members that show up, the more clout we have! Come to Washington in May; your voice needs to be heard!
Click here for more information. |
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March 2010 Dates |
- March 6 - Volunteer day for the Big Brother Big Sister/Lowes Heroe's Park for the NUCA of NM Community Project
- March 8 - NMRCGA EXPO Planning Meeting 9am
- March 9 - CICA Meeting 10am
- March 10 - Safety Committee Meeting 8am
- March 11 - Planning Committee Meeting 8am
- March 11 - Education Committee Meeting 3pm
- March 19 - NMRCGA General Meeting and Committee meetings 9am
- March 22 - Board of Directors Meeting
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Healthcare - NUCA is watching out for you |
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On February 25, the White House held a large bipartisan healthcare summit attended by dozens of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, administration officials and cabinet secretaries in an effort to break the huge impasse currently existing on Capitol Hill over healthcare reform legislation. Although there was strong skepticism in Washington about the effectiveness of the meeting, it is rare to see a large group of Republicans and Democrats talking at a nationally televised forum. NUCA remains an active member of the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare (SBCAH), which sent a letter to House and Senate Leaders to again lay out what the small business community would like to see in a final healthcare bill. Specifically, the letter stated the true healthcare reform to improve access to quality, affordable healthcare would include a number of provisions:
New opportunities for small businesses to pool together and purchase insurance across state lines;
- Balanced and responsible insurance market reforms;
- Streamlined benefit packages;
- Much-needed choices like SIMPLE cafeteria plans;
- Tax equity for our nation's self-employed and;
- Meaningful liability reform.
The letter also described the importance of driving down the cost of health insurance. "If the price for these benefits increases the cost of doing business, small businesses will not support the overall legislation," and that if new taxes, new mandates and new government programs are used to finance healthcare reform, those costs would quickly erase any savings that could have been realized from the above-mentioned reforms. The SBCAH indicated that healthcare reform that improves access to quality, affordable healthcare should not include:
- New taxes on small business health insurance;
- An employer mandate that encourages job cuts, not job creation, including mandates targeted at specific industries;
- Union and big business carve-outs;
- Increases in Medicare payroll taxes;
- New paperwork burdens and costs for small businesses;
- New taxes specifically targeted at the small business community; and
- Prohibitions on HSAs, FSAs and HRAs that limit employer and employee flexibility and choice.
Reprinted with permission from the National Utility Contractors Association. |
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College Scholarships
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NUCA of NM Scholarship is open to any employee in your company as long as you are a member in good standing!
The NUCA and NUCA of NM Scholarship Applications are available and downloadable. Between these two scholarships, there is $17,000 available for NUCA and NUCA of NM members.
CLICK HERE for the NUCA of NM and Bill R. Alexander Scholarship Application due May 10, 2010
CLICK HERE for the NUCA Scholarship Application due May 13, 2010. |
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ZIA Partnership |
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The 2010 Zia Partnership applications were mailed out to all contractor members about a week ago. Please take a few moments to look over the information and return your applications to the Association office ASAP!
There is no-cost to be in the partnership and it allows you to advance and improve safety programs while making your job-sites safer. The Zia Partnership was created by NUCA of NM Contractors for NUCA of NM Contractors and has several different levels to fit your company. Please call Jane at 888-0752 for more information.
NM has one of the best records in the nation for safety, so join in and get recognized for all of your hard work!
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March Training |
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For registration information, please contact Jane at 888-0752.
- 2-4 Traffic Control
- 9-10 MSHA New Miner 16 Hour
- 11 First Aid/CPR AED
- 16 Fall Protection
- 18 Storm Water Qualified Person
- 23 OSHA 10 Hour
- 30-2 UTA Standards for General Industry
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Major League Baseball at Isotopes Park |
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On April 3, 2010 NUCA of NM is having a group outing at Isotopes Park to watch the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners play.
Starting at 12:05 on April 3, 2010
Tickets are $23.50 Each
We have a limited number of tickets, so please keep in mind that ticket sales are first come, first serve and we expect to sell ALL of the tickets.
This is a great opportunity to start off the 2010 baseball season while enjoying some Major League Baseball without all the travel expenses usually involved.
Please call Jane at 888-0752 to order tickets. |
SENATE PASSES SCALED-DOWN JOBS BILL |
 This week the Senate passed a $15 billion job-creation bill by a vote of 70-28. Thirteen Republicans joined 55 Democrats and two Independents in voting for the measure, which includes a one-year extension to the Highway Trust Fund, Build America Bonds provisions, tax breaks for new small-business hires and language on small-business tax breaks. Just one Democrat, Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), voted against the bill. Although no direct funding was provided for water and wastewater infrastructure financing, NUCA expects significant water infrastructure investment to be provided though the expansion of Build America Bonds. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) indicated more job creation legislation to be considered at a later date. Even with this week's vote, the ultimate fate of the bill remains unclear. The House has passed a much broader jobs bill late last year, and many liberals in that chamber have criticized Reid's piecemeal approach to job creation. NUCA will continue to encourage Congress to provide further investment in America's environmental infrastructure though direct funding and other legislative efforts, specifically through legislation (HR 537) that would lift the state volume cap on private activity bonds for public-private partnerships to fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Reprinted with permission from the National Utility Contractors Association | |
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NUCA of NM
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