Our State Senate Dems shot a video (h/t Lynn Bartels, also the DP for the title quote) of their so-called jobs creation bills. In the video was Adams County Sen. Mary Hodge's spaceflight bill. A similar operation – well funded with New Mexico tax dollars – produced a pitiable increase in permanent jobs.

Since Hodge was elected to the State Senate in 2008, Adams County has lost 5,441 jobs. Those lost jobs make for cranky voters. No wonder she 'needs' a jobs bill.

Wobbly Hodge Campaign

Hodge didn't run a sterling campaign last time. Only 50.2% of the ballots were marked for her. Obama got 57.7% and Udall got 55.3% in Adams County. She did have plenty of campaign cash, however. Her opponent raised $26,000; she got $113,000 – about half of that in huge contributions from labor unions and other special interests, including over $7,000 from the New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Imagine what could happen if the GOP had a well-funded candidate.

Dissatisfaction with the Democratic ticket could make her a loser. Consider one factor: voter enthusiasm. In 2008, Democrats had a 64% enthusiasm edge (more enthusiastic Democrats minus less enthusiastic ones) while Republicans were at minus 4%. Gallup reports Democrats currently have a tiny 3% edge; Republicans have a 14% edge. By itself, this could retire Sen. Hodge. Add in those lost jobs, and she could really be a goner.

Hodge Bill and New Mexico Experience

New Mexico's former Democratic governor Bill Richardson found state dollars for a spaceport near Hatch. (Enter the governor's name and the word “corruption” into Google, and you get 2 million hits. Beating him out in the corruption sweepstakes is Adams County at 2.2 million hits.)

The New Mexico Spaceport got $209 million in tax dollars. One company, Futron, said it would produce 2,460 jobs. That's $85,000 per job.

How did that work out? Local County Commissioner Karen Perez said she “remains skeptical.” Good instincts, since there were only about 800 temporary construction jobs, and permanent jobs at the Spaceport could be a skimpy 250. That works out to $836,000 per permanent Spaceport job.

Aren't job creation estimates always wrong – like the Obamabucks “jobs” estimates? So we can't count on much from the Hodge bill – if anything.

Adams County needs new jobs, not political show-boating, and Colorado Democrats' tax hikes of 2009 and 2010 didn't create jobs.

New Mexico's Spaceport supporters call it a long term investment. Senator Hodge thinks “long term” means any date after November 6, 2012.

This bill is really about re-electing Mary Hodge against a backdrop of corrupt Democrats in her home, Adams County. Whistle for those mythical jobs.

Mary's Republican opponent is John Sampson.