Mayor Larry Delgado
Forget Big Bill. Put Saint Pete on ice. Hands down, the most important New Mexico political figure of 2005 thus far has been Santa Fe Mayor Larry Delgado. How's that? Delgado touched off a coast-to-coast debate over the future of the nation's oldest capitol city when he proposed that the City Different purchase over two billion gallons of water from the Estancia Basin south of the city. It was a gutsy, in-your-face call rare for a politician; one that will ring in the ears of future generations of New Mexicans.

"Delgado has made public our dirty little secret. New Mexico does not have a water shortage as much as it has a water allocation problem. The move to reduce agricultural use and divert it to cities like Santa Fe will be the biggest issue of the century. Delgado is the first warrior in the battle," remarked a tapped-in Santa Fe politico.

Before his city council said no, Delgado not only wanted to spend $26 million to buy water rights from a group of agricultural users willing to sell, he wanted to put up another $100 million to pipe in the water! This, in one of the most "green" cities in America.

"Delgado may be accused of being in the pockets of the developers, but he's reflecting a vision of a lot of people. Agriculture is a declining industry. It's that water that city dwellers will eventually get. The screaming and kicking will go on for years, but when push comes to shove, I think Delgado's viewpoint will prevail. Trouble is, he probably won't be around to see it," said our Santa Fe insider.

Visionary or madman? Whatever the case, Santa Fe's Larry Delgado has secured himself a prominent place in the history of La Politica. Don't say we didn't tell you.

OUR RECORD BREAKING WEEK

We had a visitor explosion here this week and I want to welcome our many new readers. We have Heather Wilson to thank. We blogged of the GOP ABQ Congresswoman's difficulty with the Prez's hot-potato Social Security reform plan which was picked up by national blog Talking Points Memo. That link translated into over 6,000 new visitors here. I know we are in a sea change when it comes to media in the U.S., but I feel like I am riding a tidal wave. Thanks for your continued support.

MY MEDIA CORNER

Insiders at KOB-TV 4 in ABQ report that come April the station plans a 4 p.m. newscast to compete with KRQE-TV 13. Veteran Nelson Martinez is slated to anchor the program and will be paired with a female anchor. The new offering will expand KOB's news presence, but some insiders worry that it could strain manpower at the newsroom.....On its 10 p.m news last night, KOB-TV announced that "Eyewitness News has learned" that ex Mora State Rep. Bengie Regensburg was planning on challenging Big Bill for the 06' Dem Guv nomination. Hey Eyewitness News, you learned that from www.joemonahan.com Tuesday. Did you forget?......Dianne Anderson, formerly of KOAT-TV, had the line of the week when she told me at the launch party for her new radio gig: "I look forward to having bad hair days and no one knowing about them." The comely blonde will do an afternoon talk show on 106.3 FM in ABQ/S. Fe and will follow Larry Ahrens who will take on morning chores at the station come mid-March.

Over at liberal talk radio station KABQ AM 1350, listeners are getting a dose of a famous TV personality. Jerry Springer is on the air, sitting in for Randi Rhodes who's on medical leave. Springer is on the Air America affiliate here from 4 to 7 p.m. The station might want to pay a bit more attention to its product though. Often, two tapes are running at once making the program and news unintelligible. Of course, the R's would say the whole station, with or without technical problems, is unintelligible.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM, one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

The path to another term as NM Republican Party chair is becoming less cluttered for Allen Weh. The insiders report that ABQ businessman Tom Tinnin of the moderate wing of the party is done toying with the idea of challenging Weh. "He will not do it," a friend of Tinnin's reports. "A family member is battling illness and the timing is just not right, even though he thinks a change is needed." Tinnin told me over the holidays that he felt the GOP was giving Big Bill too much of a free ride.

Anti-Weh R's complain that the staff has grown larger at state headquarters while the criticisms of Big Bill have grown muted. Weh has not appeared on TV in months. The insiders also tell me they believe Weh could be ousted because the GOP central committee which meets in May to decide the chairmanship remains dominated by supporters of former party chair Ramsay Gorham who was ousted in a bloody internal coup last year. "We showed we could do it when we beat Mickey Barnett for national committeeman. If we could get Mickey, we can get Weh," analyzed a R operating from the deepest of covers. For now, most R's seem happy to say good riddance to leading the still-divided, but somewhat sleepy Grand old Party.

MY GREAT CHILE DEBATE

"A major cultural transgression," is how longtime politico and newsy Janet Blair characterized the misspelling of "chile" on the blog this week. One of our readers complained about Wal-Mart selling roasted "chili" and claiming it was from the "chili" capital of Hatch, NM, when it wasn't. They also claimed Wal-Mart was undercutting local "chili" growers. Janet was joined in sounding the three chile alarm bell by ex-New Mexicans Linda Doran and many other readers. They are all right. The correct spelling is c-h-i-l-e. And as punishment for this transgression I will spend a weekend in Amarillo.

MORE FROM THE CHILE FRONT

If you get the idea that chile is taken seriously in these parts, you're right. Take this e-mail sent to us from Steve Dawson, President of Hatch Chile Co. & Hatch Farms, Inc. in response to the Wal-Mart complainer: "We have marketed canned and glass food items under the Hatch Select trademark since 1987. We obtained our Federal trademark registration in 1991. No party can use the word "hatch" as it relates to green chile peppers, unless the chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley.

The word "hatch" is deemed to be geographically descriptive and is protected by Federal laws. Other examples: Florida Orange Juice and Washington Apples. Any company that intrudes on the rights of the Hatch Valley growers should be quickly notified they are breaking federal law. Many years ago Luc Longley, the basketball player from Australia, began growing green chiles in Australia and was going to label them as Hatch Chile. Through the years we have learned that the intruders are just not aware of the issue. I think a simple letter from Santa Fe to Wal-Mart would suffice."

Holy Enchiladas! Enough already. Memo to chile Rep. Cervantes and Sen. John Arthur Smith: let's get that letter out to Wal-Mart pronto.

Have some political news? Gossip? Speculation? Be my guest. E-mail me from the top right of this page and help your fellow political junkies keep up with the latest.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM, one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Regensburg
Who needs the movies when you have New Mexico politics? The supply of drama and comedy seems to be ceaseless. Take the latest told to me exclusively by deep insiders: Ex Dem State Rep. Bengie Regensburg is looking to unseat Big Bill in 2006! The plot line for this one starts a couple of years ago when Bengie of Mora split with the Big Guy on a variety of issues and found himself facing a Big Bill sanctioned opponent in one Hector Balderas, who easily defeated Bengie in the Dem primary and went on to capture the seat.

Now, Bengie has resurfaced and the insiders say he has even started to print up literature touting his gubernatorial bid. Many of you will best remember Regensburg for providing glorious entertainment in his final legislative session last year (See my Feb. 17, 2004 archives) when he got into a fistfight with state police who were summoned to his hotel room to take him back to the House floor for a vote. Bengie's forthright stand in favor of cockfighting also put him on the political radar.

Can Benjie go the distance? The Dem Guv primary isn't until June of next year. But he isn't poor and he has one of the strongest motivations in politics: revenge. Sure, Big Bill will see this as a mere thorn in his side, but for political junkies waiting for the idle R's to get an actor on the stage, Bengie will be nominated for an Oscar. Like I said, who needs the movies when you have La Politica??

FIRST THERE WAS FRAN

Fran Langholf
In today's politics women shine. Stars like Heather Wilson, Diane Denish and Patsy Madrid are the rule, not the exception. But their careers are built on a platform constructed by the likes of New Mexico's Fran Langholf. She started out as a GOP volunteer in the 60's and went on to manage the NM office of U.S. Senator Pete Domenici for over 20 years and to become a trusted and loyal confidant of just about every top Republican power player of the last generation.

Pretty heady stuff for the diminutive redhead from Iowa, armed as she was with just some business school, not the advanced degrees of today. But in politics it's instinct and people skills that carry the day and Fran, who will be honored by Republicans at a dinner Wednesday night at the ABQ Marriott Pyramid, has an abundance of both.

When she labored for Domenici in his only losing campaign, the 1970 race for governor, she thought the loss was the end and told Pete so when he approached her about his first senate run in 72'. "What makes you think you can win? We haven't had a Republican Senator in 38 years," she declared.

But win he did and Pete's races since have been cakewalks. But Langholf also spread her energies to dozens of other contests, many of which she ached over as Republican losses mounted in the Democratic dominated 70's. But she was there for the turn and witnessed the election of a couple of Republican governors and continued to move the party along as executive director of the Bernalillo County GOP.

The bottom line on Fran is that she builds things that last. A lifelong career in politics, a marriage of 59 years and a legacy to the women of today who can look back at the political wilderness of yesteryear and thank the Fran Langholf's who carved the path out. The Wednesday dinner will honor Langholf and GOP volunteers with proceeds going to Langholf's favorite charity: the Bernalillo County GOP. Ticket info at 505-298-3214.

Have some political news? Gossip? Speculation? Be my guest. E-mail me from the top right of this page and help your fellow political junkies keep up with the latest.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM, one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Gary Johnson
At least two New Mexicans are not thinking about past occupants of the White House on this President's Day. They're pondering the future occupants and whether they will be one of them. We all know Big Bill has 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on his mind, but did you know that former NM Guv Gary Johnson also dreams of the ultimate power trip? Associates of the former two term governor say Johnson just might pop up as a 2008 GOP Prez candidate using the issue that makes people love him or hate him: drug legalization. Governor Gary would seem a natural for the Libertarian Party, but as one wag put it: "Who cares if you run as a Libertarian?"

Johnson, holed up in Taos enjoying the outdoor life since leaving office in 2002, has always enjoyed the limelight A run for Prez would win him media invites and speaking engagements, but do little to unite his already divided party. But Johnson always prided himself on being the anti-politician and rarely did consider the impact his policies had on the party. So far, on drug legalization Gary Johnson has not been shown to be a man ahead of his time. In fact, no notable elected official is carrying the banner. But that won't bother Gary if he does decide to attempt a quixotic White House campaign. He has spent a lifetime tilting against windmills. Stay tuned.

HATCHING A PLOT

This next item is barely political, but it could turn in that direction. A concerned reader asked us to give the issue a shove in the hope that a concerned state legislator or two might take notice. Here goes:

"Wal-Mart sells chili under the name Hatch chili. There is nothing illegal about using the name Hatch. Their chili is imported from Mexico. Last year they sold the chili for $10.00 a bag roasted. Most local grower cannot sell the chili for less than $15.00 dollars a bag roasted. Because of this, most local growers are dropping out of a NM tradition of growing chili. What can be done to bring this issue to light?"

Well, gentle reader it's under the light now. How about it southern NM lawmakers? Does this fellow have it right?

THE BIZARRE BLOG

My Thursday blog was a bit bizarre containing as it did the more than usual grammatical errors. According to longtime reader and former top NM Capitol Hill aide Jack Daum, and several others, I had three of them in just the opening sentence! They have since been corrected so I can look smart for posterity. I was in a hurry to finish up so I could head over to Arizona to hit the little white ball. That was interrupted by the mother of all rainstorms, but I did bring back some Arizona La Politica for you and will post it this week. Until then, thanks for your corrections, email and news tips and, most of all, your company.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM, one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author