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Tuesday, September 07, 2010Mr. & Mrs. New Mexico Start To Tune-In: The Real Campaign Starts Now, Plus: Heinrich's Debate Decision, Malott's Mistake And Valerie's Cat Fight You mean you are only now starting to pay close attention to the state political scene? Bully for you. Someone has to show some restraint in this age of around-the-clock minutiae posing as news. Heck, when we were kids they would throw a hot dog at any politician who came around before Labor Day. Nowadays voters just learn to ignore them--until now.With the last summer holiday in the rear view mirror, Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico are ready to do their duty (albeit reluctantly) and actually start watching some of the already ubiquitous TV ads, read a few articles and maybe even glance at yer little 'ol blog now and again as they prepare to sort out who's who and who should get their vote. While they'll be looking for info on the major candidates, they won't be wandering all over the map when it comes to the issues. Not this year. Abortion? Save it for next time. Gay marriage and civil unions? Say what? Medical marijuana? Who cares? No, this election is about nothing less than the future economic security of the nearly two million souls who populate the state. Sure, the candidates may try to make it about something else, but everything will be filtered through a voter lens that is focused sharply on their jobs, their savings accounts, their kids' jobs and educations, their health costs and that of their parents. In other words, the bread and butter issues. The official jobless rate in the state is averaging a bit below 9 percent, but the experts tell you that when you count those who can only find part-time work or have given up on getting a job all together, the actual rate here is probably in teenage numbers--13 percent or more. Add to that a state budget crisis that looks like a rolling stone storming down a mountain and you have the most challenging economic circumstances of our lifetimes. And that's no hype. Not that any of this is going to prevent us--and you--from having a whole lot of fun in the next two months. Just drop by here every day from now until November 2. The stuff these candidates do will get your mind off any depression--economic or otherwise. And you don't even have to donate a can of food. NOW TO THE ACTION...  Will the refusal of ABQ Dem US Congressman Martin Heinrich to meet Republican challenger Jon Barela at a mid-October TV debate sponsored by KOAT and the ABQ Journal do him any harm? Probably not, but that doesn't make it a good decision.Heinrich had a polling scare this summer when the SurveyUSA showed him running behind Barela, but the first ABQ Journal poll straightened that out and gives Heinrich a healthy 47% to 41% lead (Even a conservative group's poll shows Heinrich leading 49% to 42%). We rank the race "likely Dem." Political guru Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia calls it lean Dem. Rothenberg also now has it lean Dem. But Heinrich is in the "People's House" and it's unusual for an ABQ congressman to not show up to just about everywhere he's invited. It leaves a bad taste that Heinrich is refusing the TV debate and shows that the young politico may be overly cautious. We hope this reticent temperament does not take hold when he is called upon to defend ABQ's interests on Capitol Hill. Heinrich will do at least one TV debate with Barela--on public television KNME-TV, which won't be as nearly as watched as a face-off on KOAT, but it does prevent Barela from claiming that Heinrich won't debate him. In addition, the congressman is attending various candidate forums where he and Barela will both be in attendance. KOAT-TV GM Mary Lynn Roper says she can't recall a candidate refusing to debate at the station in its "33 year history" of hosting such events. Well, not quite. Mary Lynn would be correct in saying it is very rare, but we clearly recall, in 1984, when GOP US Senator Pete Domenici, seeking a third term, refused to debate State Rep. Judy Pratt, his Dem opponent, on commercial TV. Like Heinrich, Pete agreed to one debate on KNME-TV so the press could not make it a major issue. (Pete beat Judy that year by garnering 72 percent--his highest ever). TEAGUE TV Embattled southern Dem Congressman Harry Teague has a lot more to worry about than Heinrich. He has Republican Steve Pearce breathing down his neck so he's starting to spend. Here's his first TV ad debuting today. It's a 60 second spot that concentrates on his visits to the districts, not his work in Washington. Heinrich did the same. While Teague stays on the high road (they show him driving his truck around) Pearce has been getting beat up by out-of-state interest group money that bought TV time. The spots appear to have helped Teague grab the early polling leading in the Journal survey. At best the race is a toss-up for Teague. DC's Rothenberg says it is "lean R" and he won't get a fight from this corner. MALOTT MUCK  And what of Bruce Malott? Bruce, what were you thinking? Taking a loan from a guy (the now infamous Anthony Correra) whose son Marc was making millions on placement fees from state investments made by the Educational Retirement Board on which you served as chairman? And it was a loan to pay your taxes? Heavens to Betsy, Bruce!In the end Bruce is a civilian (He has resigned from the board). It is his ties to Big Bill, and more important, to Lt. Governor and Dem Guv nominee Diane Denish that are of interest. Malott gave sizable campaign donations to Denish and now, like she's done during past donor ethical mishaps, she has been forced to donate the cash to charity. GOP Guv nominee Susana Martinez got on Di over this like a case of bad fleas. And she should. The Santa Fe mud pit where politicos splashed with players has splattered all over the body politic. It's a key issue for the Dona Ana County DA. But Susana has already taken that mud pile on a guided tour of all four corners of our beloved state. Unless Denish is directly implicated in a pay-to-play or "hand-in-the-till" scheme, Martinez is going to have to seek harder ground. She has run it to 45% in the Journal poll, but for a Republican to get that final five points is like, well, getting traction in quicksand. She can do it, but it may take more novelty than the diminutive DA has planned for. LET THE FUN BEGIN Espinoza  Earlier we promised you that the candidates would get your mind off your troubles, and that's no idle promise. Here we go. Take Santa Fe County Clerk Valerie Espinoza and Santa Fe City Manager Robert Romero. They apparently took each other and that caused a cat fight of near-legendary status. Frank's ex-wife saw the two hangin' at a northern NM casino and that was enough to set her off on a hair-pulling, face-scratching and we assume an obscenity laced rampage. Just our kind of gal.Well, this whole thing is in the courts where some lucky judge will have to separate the warring parties. Valerie now says she only has an "official relationship" with Romero. Right. And Lady Gaga is a virgin. Anyway, all of this was met with envy at the office of Secretary of State Mary Herrera who heretofore had the corner on Santa Fe political soap operas. But there was also time for some gloating seeing how Valerie has very publicly revealed her distaste for Mary and even thought of running against her in this year's Democratic primary. What a break for Mary. She can now tell voters that as crazy as she sometimes gets up there, just think if they had Valerie. But maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if Mary started wearing those old-fashioned hair curlers. You never know when you're going to need some extra protection when trying your luck at the slot machines. In case you're thinking we are giving Valerie too hard of a time, let's bring in Joe Barela of Rio Rancho who informs: Wow! All of this makes you wonder if the Secretary of State will single-handedly bring down the Democrats in November. I mean it can't be making the voters too happy! This is just from Thursday, Sept. 2: Rio Grande Sun, Steve Terrell and KUNM-FM VILDASOL AND FLORES FIRED SOS Mary Herrera said late Monday that Administrator Manny Vildasol and Public Information Officer James Flores have been fired. She said the duo were let go after an investigation by a private investigator for state risk management. She said fellow employees of the pair complained that they were being tape recorded and video recorded and that the investigation resulted in the dismissal. She said she is confident the firings will hold up in court where she expects them to be challenged.
Herrera put Vildasol on paid administrative leave after he spoke publicly about turning over information to the FBI. Flores also talked to the FBI and was put on leave Aug. 25. Herrera says there has been no wrongdoing at the office and that the charges are politically motivated. NOT ETHICALLY TAINTED When we wrote of the land commission office last week we said the two previous Dem nominees were "ethically tainted." But it was Art Trujillo in 2002 who had the ethical baggage in the form of his drunk driving record. Jim Baca, the 2006 Dem land commission nominee and former ABQ mayor, did not have ethical baggage but had become deeply unpopular in the city as a result of his mayoralty. That paved the way for the re-election of Republican Pat Lyons who had beaten Trujillo in 2002. The last GOP land commissioner before Lyons was Bill Humphries who was elected in 1986. By the way, in 1982, we recall that Baca was elected land commissioner with a stunning winning margin of over 100,000 votes. Bet he wants that in his obit. THE MESSAGE Just what is the message of the NM Democratic Party in 2010? In a fund-raising letter for the party US Senator Jeff Bingaman says it's this: Our message of creating jobs, improving education and healthcare for our children and protecting our vast natural wonders must resonate throughout our State. Your continued support of our Party is crucial in this time. SPANISH IDENTITY (Take 3)  It's been a blast but it really must end soon, this Great Reader Debate over Spanish identity in New Mexico and the controversial remarks of Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center. But we've been taken with the caliber of the e-mail and the audience seems to like the show, so here we go again...Michael Corwin of Corwin Research & Investigations: ...Dr. Stanley Hordes, formerly the NM state historian, did extensive research (his book is called To the Ends of the Earth) on the conversos/ hidden Jews of New Mexico (most 100% catholic by now including many, many priests) and how they came here from Spain (via Portugal where no blood oath was required as it was required to leave Spain) to the Canary Islands, from the Canary Islands to Mexico City, from Mexico City to Nuevo De Leon (when the Inquisition reached Mexico City) and finally up the Rio Grande into what is now New Mexico. Ironically, New Amsterdam (NY), Rhode Island, South Carolina and Georgia were very early on populated by jews from Portugal as well. In fact the merchant ships used by the newly created US navy in the revolutionary war were provided by the Seixas family who were the ancestors of the first US Supreme Court justice with Hispanic blood (long predating Justice Sotomayor). The difference was that there was no need to hide their heritage or religion in the places that did not fall under the Inquisition as did those who came here. Perhaps a part of this issue of identity and "pure blood" stems from those who came here that were not fleeing the Inquisition? Remember no blood oath from Portugal but a blood oath required from Spain. (Names like Sais, Chaves are considered Portuguese in origin while Saiz and Chavez are Spanish) By the way, the two parts of NM thought to have been settled heavily by conversos are Espanola Valley (highest level of circumcision in the state) and in Tome. Ironically, also the two areas with the highest concentration of drug addiction. Perhaps the Hispanic Cultural Center might be willing to launch a genetic/public health study to see if hundreds of years of burying your identity plays a role in such high levels of addiction? And Kevin Wenderoth comes with a "can't we all get along" plea: Sure, Hispanic people in New Mexico have surnames that could have only originated from Spain--but we don’t share their culture, food, or general way of life. Being born and growing up in Albuquerque my experience is that New Mexican culture is much more closely related to that of Mexico. And, after 400 years, it seems fairly inevitable that bloods from Native-Americans, Mexicans, Spaniards, and other Anglo Europeans would have mixed... New Mexicans should be proud of the influence Spain has had on our culture, but I think there are very few people in New Mexico who can claim to be only of Spanish-European descent. Can’t we all just be happy with being New Mexicans? We also received an insightful email from Laura Gómez, a professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law who wrote a book about the origin of the Mexican-American race. However, we were traveling and somehow lost the email. If she resends it we will put it up for you. NO WAY, JOSE  We've enjoyed the back and forth and the stimulating comments the controversy over the remarks made by Rael-Galvez, but if you think that means we're going to wade into another similar debate, fuggedaboutit! But we are being tempted. Here's a news release from a group that can't handle the Santa Fe Fiesta:Diocese of Santa Fe Leads Annual Celebration of the Conquest and Subjugation of Native Americans in New Mexico Santa Fe--For the 298th time, citizens of northern New Mexico will gather to celebrate the conquest and subjugation of local Native Americans. Under the guidance of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Fiesta Council, Fiesta Santa Fe is a four month celebration culminating on September 10th, when a young Hispanic male imitating Spanish Conquistador Don Diego de Vargas and a young Hispanic female ‘Queen’ ride triumphant through, Santa Fe. On September 12th a Pontifical Mass is held at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi to bring this cultural travesty to a close. Maybe we should ask This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Monday, September 06, 2010Labor Day Clippings From My Newsroom Floor: The Press & The State Jet, Plus: Even More Spanish Identity Debate, And: Some Campiagn Humor (Finally)
Here are some clippings from my newsroom floor before you jump back in the pool this Labor Day 2010 and get a final refresher before the campaigns kick into high gear tomorrow. We start off with jet fatigue...
The same press that gave us oodles of coverage of the purchase of a $5.5 million state jet and whose backsides were being comfortably ensconced in the plane are now complaining that the jet has dominated too much of the campaign for Governor which now has less than two months to go. The Rio Grande Sun cries in its beer over the campaign jet coverage, saying it's time to move on to more substantive matters. But it was early in Big Bill's administration that the paper devoted reams of copy (and conspiracy theories) about the various state plane rides he took. And the ABQ Journal--previously jet-obsessed with front-pager after front-pager--now laments that the story it ran riot with is now nearly daily fodder on the campaign trail. Well, the lesson for the press is you may want it both ways, but that doesn't mean you're going to get it. SPANISH IDENTITY (CONT.) There is going to be no easy way to bring to an end the Great Reader Debate over Spanish identity because the email--some of it pretty damn articulate--keeps pouring in. And because it's such a hot topic we'll stay with a day or two more. Here's Barry Simon of ABQ and the NM Institute for Conflict Literacy who says we went too far when we dubbed a letter of explanation written by Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez "an apology." (For those of you not up to snuff on all this, just scroll down to read previous entries). Here's Barry: ..Dr. Rael-Gálvez did not present an apology; he sent an apologia which is a justification of his original comments. How do I know this? Just read the first sentence of his email: "...I wish to apologize for any misunderstandings and...any offense caused by my remarks in the Alibi..." This is as conditional as it gets. He suggests that the readers were at fault for misunderstanding his comments. As such, they are responsible for feeling offended because of their misunderstandings. Then he goes on to blame the Alibi since the article was the result of a longer conversation. Clearly, Alibi misrepresented what he said in that conversation. Finally, he goes on to tell us he is an expert in this subject and that identity is fluid and, therefore, his original comments were not incorrect. And you accept this as an apology? What he should have written was "I wish to apologize for the statements I made about New Mexico and Spanish heritage. It was not my intention to offended anyone and I am deeply saddened by the hurt my comments have caused." Now that's an apology. Then he can go onto explain why he made these comments and then finish by offering some kind of reparation, such as pledging to be more sensitive in the future. However, I doubt you will get such an apology from Dr. Rael-Galvez because he is not sorry for his comments but only for the commotion they created. This was a PR ploy, often used by politicians and the politically inclined, to get past the situation his comments created, not a real attempt to take responsibility for what occurred. I suspect if you ask the offended parties if they accept this "apology," they would reply in the negative. Before he can truly apologize, the good doctor needs to understand the damage his comments caused and take responsibility for that. That takes empathy and humility. Hopefully, he has these qualities and will try again to genuinely apologize to those he hurt. WANT MORE? New Mexico public relations guru, John Cordova, comes with this take: One hundred years ago a Mexican philosopher and education minister coined the phrase the "Cosmic Race" noting that Mexicans were the best of all groups because they were a mixture of all races. His perceptions were a reaction to the Spanish and French elite-class pressure to define the Mexican Culture. New Mexico was experiencing a similar pressure at the time as we bid to be a state. We were being defined in Washington DC as "mongrels" unable to speak English. Elite pretensions and expediency prevailed and our genetic roots were edited and most of us were accepted as full fledged citizens. In the 1960s Reies Lopez Tijerina awakened many of us to the commonality of our genetics by referring to us as Indo-Hispanics as he attempted to created a "brown movement." He wasn't able to sustain a movement but he did raise our consciousness. And, of course, there was "push back" by those who preferred the "pure" Spanish myth. I have felt that it was a class-based myth, denying that we were Mexicans or Indians and leaving us with hard to explain physical characteristics. Those of us who are interested can trace our roots back four centuries but an honest accounting nearly always finds some Indian in the genealogical wood pile. We are proud of Estevan Rael-Galvez, his intellect and accomplishments. We need to lose our class pretensions and embrace our multi-genetic and multi-cultural reality. Finally for today, here's ABQ's Louis Martinez with a quick take: We need to check the Rael-Galvez DNA...Living on Venus has fried his brain. My family has records of their continuous habitation of the high desert upper Rio Grande Valley for four centuries and how they originally came from Spain and the Iberian Peninsula.. WE'RE HIGH ON THIS LIST In times past we were first in the nation in this category, but we are still way up there, underlining the importance of the federal establishment here: The state ranks fifth in the nation for the amount of money the federal government spent per resident in fiscal year 2009, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Direct federal per capita spending in New Mexico totaled a little less than $14,000 in FY09... Alaska topped the list with more than $20,000 in per capita federal spending. New Mexico, the report said, received $27.4 billion in direct federal spending in the fiscal year. Direct spending includes federal salaries, retirement, disability payments, unemployment benefits, procurement spending and federal grants... HUMOR WATCH Sure, the Guv campaign has been dry as cactus, but there is some humor out there. One of our readers asks: Have you seen the "No Tejana Susana" bumper stickers? I just saw one. Well,the Martinez camp might find that too amusing but their El Paso born candidate will be taking much tougher hits than that should she be elected November 2. And how about some tongue-in-cheek yard sign tips? We've got some from a wag in the Denish camp. Enjoy them. Happy Labor Day, New Mexico: --Make sure you put them up in a well-lit area. Preferably shrouded in a halo of Christmas lights that you know you will be putting up in a month anyway. You don't want that yard sign walking away late at night as they have been known to do. --Please do be sure to put your yard sign in the front yard. Backyard signs can usually only be seen by voters who have made up their minds (you), children with too much time on their hands, and of course Fido who may want to take a bite or leave his mark. --The signs are designed to easily go into grass or dirt yards, so please no jackhammer rentals this year to install signs into your driveway, sidewalks or city streets. The excitement is appreciated, but probably not by your local municipality or your neighbors! --We try to be very green here at the Denish-Colon campaign and re-use things as much as possible, but please keep in mind for after the election that these recycled yard signs are not edible, and no amount of red chile will change that. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Friday, September 03, 2010Holiday Weekend History Blogging: The Spanish Influence In New Mexico; Fact Or Fantasy; Readers Lead The Great Debate
Estevan Rael-Gálvez
 There are more than a few armchair historians among our blog readers, and it seemed just about all of them jumped out of their easy chairs when on Tuesday we posted and commented on controversial remarks from Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Ph.D., the executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center and a former state historian for New Mexico.Rael-Gálvez dubbed the Spanish legacy in New Mexico "a fantasy" and "somewhat of a fabrication." He added: "Spain may be the least of what has shaped our heritage of converging streams..." We argued that Rael-Gálvez is the one in a fantasy world and perhaps the cultural center needed to be located next to Disneyland if it was going to engage in make-believe history. A flood of email supporting the comments of Dr. Rael-Gálvez flooded in, raising suspicions that his friends organized a support group, but we also received comments agreeing with our assessment. We're going to run some from both camps, but we start off with the most interesting comment of all. It comes from Rael-Gálvez who originally made his remarks in the Alibi, ABQ's alternative news weekly. After apparently getting an earful from the "fantasy" families who claim Spanish ancestry, he issued this letter to the editor apology: ...I wish to apologize for any misunderstandings and...any offense caused by my remarks in the Alibi... This was never my intention. In no way did I intend to deny the origins of our ancestry and certainly not that of Spain, from which a rich legacy flows in New Mexico. As excerpts, these answers were drawn from a much longer conversation. I have dedicated my professional life to creating open dialogue, even about issues that are the most difficult to talk about, and I will continue to assume the responsibility of raising consciousness through discourse. The published interview, however, was only a glimpse at a much longer conversation where I was able to more fully elaborate on years of in-depth research and my professional interpretations on identity and consciousness. I stand by that work. Beyond my inability to better contextualize the answers in the interview, the primary intention of my entire response to the question of identity was to recognize the beauty and complexity of who we have become, long after the first points of contact. I recognize that identity is such a sensitive topic, but as a community we cannot shy away from engaging in open dialogue about race and ethnicity. Neither can we ignore the notion that identity is not static. My hope is that we can continue this especially important conversation... Well, thanks for that, Doc. We were starting to wonder if a bunch of Tejanos had kidnapped you ad subjected you to mind control. That apology doesn't make the email any less fascinating so off we go. From Taos, Sam Herrera writes: Approximately 16,000 Spaniards (no women) colonized the Southwest in the entire history of colonization. That is Texas, NM, AZ, and California. Thus, any Spanish blood that may have coursed through anyone's veins is gone now. It is just biologically impossible that any "Spanish blood" is left in anyone from around Northern NM. Prior to 1900, the Hispanics around Northern NM called themselves "Mexican." After 1900, when more Anglos were moving to the area, in an effort to combat discrimination against themselves, the Hispanics started emphasizing their white "Spanish" background and de-emphasizing their brown Indian blood. The myth was created that people around here were therefore Spanish, and not Mexican or Mestizo, etc. Various rationales were bandied about, like we were isolated, our Spanish is different, etc. But ultimately, it was a myth concocted as a hedge against racism. Today, the local "Spanish" people now believe they have no kinship with their brothers south of the border--Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc. and discriminate against these peoples. It appears that Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez is attempting to bring some reality to the situation so that we (Hispanic people) can appreciate and accept our brotherhood with other Latins around the world. As a Hispanic born in Northern NM and whose parents call themselves "Spanish," I believe this farce needs to end. It may have had a good purpose when this myth was created but now it is hurting us and keeping us from progressing. If anything, Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez, a native of Northern NM, should be commended for his standing up against the tide of historical revisionists. From a reader who requested anonymity: Joe, You've been dealing with politicos too long and thus were too dismissive of real academic research. Dr. Rael-Galvez talked about Spanish "heritage" fantasy and you referred to it as Spanish influence. There is a difference. Dr. Rael-Galvez is quite correct is his discussion of the myth of Spanish ancestry. A recent book by Laura Gomez, a native New Mexican, describes that issue in academic depth in her book "Manifest Destiny: The Making of the Mexican-American Race," which focused on New Mexico. "Mexican" was the term most consistently used in the historical records of the nineteenth century. Second, it more accurately describes the population's mestizo--or mixed Indian/Spanish/African--racial heritage" and "by the early nineteenth century, very few of these people were born in Spain or had parents or even grandparents who were Spanish, although they spoke the Spanish language, were practicing Roman Catholics, and otherwise conformed to cultural practices consistent with having been colonized by Spain. In terms of ancestry, the vast majority of these people were more indigenous than Spanish, and some of their religious, cultural, and political practices had indigenous origins." There was a lot of opposition to New Mexico statehood at the end of the nineteenth century, much of it because of the number of "Mexicans" in the state that only spoke Spanish. Thus, the effort at statehood included comparing New Mexico settlers with the settlers of the eastern United States -- Europeans and, hence, Spanish became the operative word. Call it a melting pot or a tapestry, but the insistence by so many New Mexicans that they are "Spanish" (God forbid you call them Mexicans), is not only incorrect, it's also insulting to those of us who acknowledge and are proud of the mestizo or Mexican heritage. Spain is a part of that heritage neither the sole or major part of that heritage... Ed Romero, former US Ambassador to Spain and Edward Lujan, a founding father of the Hispanic Cultural Center an former chairman of the NM Republican Party (via the Alibi): ...The front page carries the title that states Rael-Gálvez is “the mind” behind the NHCC. This statement denigrates all the present and past staff at the NHCC. It also belittles the inspiration, determination and work of the many people and institutions that made the NHCC what it is today. Simply put, there is no single mind behind the NHCC but many minds. Second, the interviewee was allowed to edit his answers via the Internet. The reader must assume that he chose his words with care, which gives rise to our third and most troubling concern. Rael-Gálvez described Spanish identity in New Mexico as “somewhat of a fabrication” after “a mere two centuries of Spanish occupation.” “The Spanish heritage fantasy,” he continues, “is really about denial and not based on history.” Really? Are not his very names Spanish? Is not Spanish still widely spoken here? Does he not direct the National Hispanic Cultural Center? Does he not live in Santa Fe and work in Albuquerque? Were not both cities founded under Spanish administrations? Didn’t Spain administer New Mexico longer than the United States has administered here? Is not our state constitution written in Spanish and English? Is all this (and more) fantasy, myth, denial and not based in history? Really? Then, after claiming the myth, he talks about what it means to be “ ‘Hispanic’ in New Mexico” and that New Mexico Hispanics are part of a multicultural tapestry. How can they be a part of anything if they do not exist? This illogic is very troubling, embarrassing and sad when it comes from the executive director of the NHCC, as a self-described “accidental historian.” Reader Juan Fernandez writes: Hi Joe, I happen to agree very much with Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez. Spaniards went all over Latin America, not just to New Mexico. The argument that New Mexicans are "Spanish" and wish to distance themselves from Mexicans is truly misguided, at best. New Mexicans are as much Spanish as Mexicans are. Let's remember that Mexicans have Spanish blood in them and many of them are very white (watch Univision anytime and you'll see). New Mexican customs are much more linked to Mexican customs: the food, the music, the attire and decorations. All that said, it's unfortunate that as Hispanics we always seek to make up in our minds that one nationality or birthplace makes you "better" than those Hispanics of another area. Instead, Hispanics should come together and seek ways to improve our common problems and challenges. From the ABQ South Valley and reader Andrew Leo Lopez: The professor who debunks Spanish influence in New Mexico will next deny the Holocaust or our own civil war! Dementia runs amok among history professors! Now in random order is the enshrinement of Spanish in the New Mexico Constitution. How about the Catholic religion brought by the colonists and the interesting sidebar of the Penitentes? The acequia system of irrigation survives to the present as does their system of governance. The Spanish brought their domesticated animals which I see everyday. The Spanish were the only Europeans invited back by the indigenous peoples to keep the peace and insure prosperity. The city of the Holy Faith celebrates its quadcentennial this year. Can the professor count to 400? The entire Native population and pueblo and reservation sovereignty owe their present existence to the Spanish and the Spanish King. Finally, a word about the greatest legacy of my Spanish ancestors on both sides of the bed. My ancestors arrived during one of the most intolerant periods of history known as the Inquisition.Having none of it at a time when defiance was a death sentence, the Spanish brought a degree of racial and religious tolerance to New Mexico unknown in its day that exists to a large degree until the present.The foundation laid down by the Spanish centuries ago exists to the present. The professor is a madman. Reader Vince Ramos opines: One of the things which might be worth noting about our inheritances from the Spanish occupation that Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez refers to is the essentially feudal patrón/peón relationship that'ss so firmly entrenched in the culture and goverance of Northern New Mexico. Generally this relationship is characterized as a proscriptive social norm that serves to not only enforce blind loyalty to ethnic leaders but ensures a continuing need to enter into and rely upon secure political or economic positions of dependency, which derives from a preference for a stable hierarchical social system with well-defined strata, roles and utilizations--all of which sustains a continuing resistance on the behalf of Norteños to social, cultural and political changes. Reader Emilio Sanchez comes with this: I have been working on my genealogy for over 15 years and have documented numerous ancestors who were born in Spain or the Canary Islands. If Rael-Galvez has done his genealogy, then he may well have few Hispanic ancestors and is primarily native American. He has not publicized his genealogy therefore I can only guess that he has extensive Native American ancestors. However, most Sanchez, Chavez, Martinez, Garcia, Marquez, Ulibarri, Padilla, et al, can trace their ancestors through Mexico to Spain. Some of these ancestors married Native Americans, but many married only "Espanoles" or as they were called "gente de sangre pura". Rael-Galvez has fallen into the mindset of some at the Hispanic Cultural Center who deny their Hispanic heritage and call themselves "Chicanos" rather than "Hispanic American." Hispanic and proud of it. Here's blog reader Jacob "Jackie" Block: Back to the History books. Actually the settlers of New Mexico came from Northern New Spain (Mexico). The Onate expedition actually started in Zacatecas. I am pretty sure that none of the expeditions into what is now New Mexico started in Spain. Reader Joseph Gurule supports Rael-Galvez: Dear Joe, I am a proud graduate of NMSU (08). I wanted to take issue with your categorization of Dr. Rael-Galvez' work as "historic revisionism". Having been a history major at State this section of the blog was of particular interest to me. There is indeed an element of fantasy accompanying the "Spanish Heritage" of New Mexicans, particularly in the north. Yes, you are correct in pointing out that New Mexico was settled by Spain 400 years ago, 1598 to be exact. But so was much of the Western Hemisphere at the time. Folks in modern Latin America certainly don't share this "obsession" with "Spanish Heritage" that is just as as much a part of their history and culture, but why is that? It's ironic that this debate surfaces at a time when New Mexico is beginning it's Centennial of Statehood commemoration. The quest for statehood one hundred years ago is exactly when the notion of "Spanish Heritage" began to take hold in New Mexico. Prior to this, "New Mexicans" more closely identified with Mexico, and Mexican heritage. Remember, much of present day New Mexico was a part of Mexico much longer than colonial Spain. It is in fact New MEXICO, and not New SPAIN as originally named by Spain. Opponents of Statehood slammed New Mexicans as "inferior" and aligned them with Mexico. It was steeped in prejudice, racism and fear of Mexican culture, sound familiar to any present day debates? Proponents began to stress the "Spanish Heritage" of New Mexico. It was an attempt to align New Mexicans with a more European identification, something Americans could certainly share. It's also ironic this debate is occurring at a time of an increasing populist anti-Mexican mood due to our country's disastrous immigration policy. Sure is a lot easier to call yourself "Spanish" in Northern New Mexico, now more than ever. Perhaps instead of the National Hispanic Cultural Center moving to Anaheim, a new fantasy theme park should be constructed in Santa Fe. It could be called...New Spain. From blog reader Bill Hume, former editor of the editorial pages of the ABQ Journal: In reference to your comment on the Spanish influence in New Mexico. I don't completely disagree with your conclusions, but... "...They (the Spaniards) mated with Mexicans and Native Americans..." Just who were these "Mexicans" -- as distinct from "Native Americans" -- that these Spaniards mated with? The ethnic and cultural history of New Mexico was essentially identical of that of what is now Mexico up until the Mexican war for independence. Following victory in that, however, what is now New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, California, and parts of Colorado (did I miss any?) was part of the Republic of Mexico only for 25 years, until the U.S. took the territory away in the war ending with the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. So, "New Mexico" was only a part of "Mexico" for about a quarter-century, out of the 400-plus years of European interaction. So in my view, the ethnic and cultural ingredients that formed today's Hispanic New Mexicans of the old families are largely identical to those of the families of today's Mexico--but they experienced essentially none of the cultural history of the modern country of Mexico before becoming part of the United States by conquest. Still more reader comment and Eddie Martinez: If I understand Mr. Galvez correctly, I think his point is we should continue to seek facts about our history, and bring light to these stories and ideas that can be exploited to limit some people in their present context. As you are fond of pointing out from a political perspective, some people claim to be "authentic" New Mexicans and others are not...at least not in claiming some connection to some historical land grant in the past. In my opinion, this mistaken idea of who belongs and who doesn't only perpetuates this valueless caste system that will doom New Mexico to slow progress if any, because it can sometimes serve as a barrier between natural allies. You know how the locals here in Santa Fe feel about everyone else...we've got to move past this. By your thinking of "who's got Spanish blood in their veins", is Florida no less "Spanish"? Or Texas, or Arizona? Look how far that got Arizona. By this measure you endorse, we'd probably rank low on the Spanish meter by any standard. There's clearly a logical fallacy here, and some selective reasoning at work. I hope not to come across too negative, but hope to share my perspective on this with you, and hope you'll clarify your statements if you think you came across too condemning of Galvez. I'll look forward to continue reading every morning over coffee... New Mexico patent attorney Kermit Lopez shares his perspective: ..The fact is that Dr. Rael-Galvez is correct and your criticism is unwarranted, particularly when facts, history, and culture and other prominent scholars can concur with and support the statements by Dr. Rael-Galvez. Without going into too much detail here, while it is true that certain socio-cultural elements are residual or reflect Spanish culture, so too does Mexico (especially northern) and many areas of Latin America. This does not mean these people are "Spanish", just like some Americans who may have British ancestry are not "English." My family (both sides) have lived in New Mexico for over 400 hundred years. The majority of the original settlers were from Mexico, i.e., New Spain and were Mestizo (very few were from Spain, and some of these married Mexican or Indigenous women). My grandparents used to say "somosMexicanos" when referring to New Mexico Hispanics amongst themselves. The "Spanish" referral was an attempt after the American conquest of New Mexico to "whiten/purify" themselves in the eyes of the Anglo Americans. This is where the Spanish fantasy derives from. Anyway, next time I suggest stopping and taking a good look at us. We're not pure Spanish and neither is the culture. I have been to Spain and enjoyed their "gastronomía," but they sure do not serve posole, red or green chile, or sopapillas (smile). We can thank our pueblo/mestizo brethren for these New Mexican delicacies! By the way, I have enjoyed your blog over the years and have found it to be very informative and timely. Hope you enjoyed the discussion. There are few other states like ours that provoke such spirited discussion over their histories. It's another reason we find it so satisyign to be a New Mecian. Viva Nuevo Mexico! Viva La Politica! This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Thursday, September 02, 2010Denish And The Passion Gap: Her Campaign Responds, Plus: Heinrich Taps Working Class Roots, And: Our $14 Billion Question For Susana & Di Call it the "passion gap" and it's what Dems across our enchanted land are fretting over. They see their Guv hopeful, Lt. Governor Diane Denish, giving them about as much action as a pacifist's pistol. The mumbling has grown so loud that the Denish campaign brought it up in a recent pitch to their top donors. Take a look:...I know there are those people out there who say Diane is not passionate enough and does not have the fire. Well those people were not part of the 300+ at our event last Friday at the Lodge at Santa Fe, the 200+ with us in Corrales on Saturday, the 600 people in Las Vegas or the 150 in Santa Fe who saw her on Sunday. If they were, they would have seen a Diane Denish who is fired up and ready to go. So if you have any doubts Diane or run into anyone who does, send them to one of our events and I am confident those worries will disappear... "Fired up and ready to go?" Didn't they "borrow" that from Obama's '08 campaign? Why not something more original for the Hobbs native, like, "She's as excited as a hen on a hot griddle." Well, in the next sixty days don't look for Di to come running down the aisle like a contestant on "The Price is Right,"but neither should we confuse the exterior with the interior. This is a hyper-competitive politician who has "burned" a number of political foes over the year. While Denish could probably step on the excitement accelerator some, keep in mind that many of the state's most successful politicians have exhibited laid back personalities. Dem Senator Jeff Bingaman immediately comes to mind. Ditto for Dem Sen. Udall. Also, GOP Senator Pete Domenici who was no firebrand. Add to that list ABQ area GOP Congressman Manuel Lujan who served 20 years and southern NM GOP Congressman Joe Skeen who clocked over 20 years in the House. New Mexicans just seem to like their politicos to speak somewhat softly. After all, this isn't New York where you have to shout to be heard. WORKING CLASS HERO?  In his latest TV spot Dem Congressman Martin Heinrich calls on his working class roots to connect with economically distressed voters in the ABQ US House district. He says his dad was an electrician and his mom worked in a factory. The spot includes old photos of the Heinrich family--with Dad at work--as Heinrich works to build up his favorables before an expected GOP onslaught. Speaking of which, Heinrich challenger Jon Barela is coming late to the TV game and that's not going unnoticed by blog readers like Ron Kathman: The reason Barela is trailing Heinrich in the polls might be due to the fact that so few voters have even heard of him. I've yet to see any of his campaign ads, printed, television, or otherwise. Is he running a stealth race, or does he intend to strike up the bandwagon and make some noise any time soon? He better get loud and soon if he intends to beat Heinrich... We agree, Ron. Come on, Jon, let's get it on. WORTH A POINT? The Dems get the top spot on the ballot, the result of a drawing conducted by Secretary of State Mary Herrera. Is that worth an extra point for Dem candidates? Some think so. NO SHOCKER That the University of New Mexico faculty is practically at war with the Regents and administration is well-known, but now it is documented in the form of an in-depth survery commissioned by UNM to dig deeper into the animosity that has plagued UNM. A whopping 85% of the faculty polled disagreed with the statement: "An atmosphere of trust exists between the faculty and Central Administration." It may run contrary to their political beliefs and Diane Denish supporters won't like hearing it, but a Governor Martinez, lacking any deep ties to UNM, might be in a better position to use the gubernatorial bully pulpit (and the power to appoint the Regents) to bring about the change so obviously needed on the campus. GEOGRAPHY LESSON  We always think of Fort Bliss as being in Texas and forget that it extends into southern New Mexico, even though we often talk about its economic impact on the southern part of our state. The issue came up when southern Dem congressman Harry Teague greeted President Obama Tuesday as the Prez prepared for a brief visit to the base. We noted that Teague scored good PR for the visit as El Paso TV serves Dona Ana County, the most critical county for Teague's re-election. Here's the geography lesson from Teague's office:While you’re right that Fort Bliss is in the El Paso/Las Cruces media market, the base actually does extend into New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, which is why Harry was there. In fact, a majority of the base is here in New Mexico (little known fact). When we tried to post a link to Fort Bliss, we received a message saying, "This connection is untrusted." So we didn't link it. Maybe they're mad at us down there for getting our geography mixed up..Okay, used our Safari browser and got the link without a warning. That experience scared us enough that we wanted to call our congressman. Who is that anyway--Steve Pearce or Harry Teague? ABOUT THAT $14 BILLION What do Susana Martinez and Diane Denish think about those ideas flying under the radar to increase the amount of money taken from the state's $14 billion in permanent funds to balance the state budget? They haven't been asked that question directly yet, but it could be on the table in the next four years, especially if oil and natural gas prices stay down, resulting in lower royalty revenue for the state. If we were in their shoes, we would play it conservative, but leave just a wee bit of wiggle room. Does anyone have any certainty about the economic outlook for the next four years? DOING HIS PART Big Bill continues to do his part to help Di, handing out more stimulus money this week to avoid furloughs in the judicial system. Is any of this rubbing off on her? And Senators Jeff and Tom were pleased to announce more education money from the feds that will prevent teacher layoffs in the state. And they do all of this without even knowing there is an election in 60 days. :) POWELL VS. RUSH  Dems like their chances to retake the state land office. Ray Powell Jr. is a former land commissioner carrying their banner again and rancher Matt Rush is holding forth for the R's. We've said that Rush faces a tough time because he needs a lot of money to get known. But an in-the-know reader writes:Ray Powell has only raised about $35,000. His opponent will reap oil and gas money--big time and then defeat Ray. Just wait and see. Actually, Powell has raised much more than $100,000 but he spent most of it in the primary. As of July 1 he had about $38,000 in cash on hand, according to state reports. Unlike the past two Dem nominees Powell is not ethically tainted. And the incumbent GOP land commissioner, Pat Lyons, has been snared in ethics issues. Also, Powell held the land office for ten years. His name ID is high and Dems normally perform very well on the down-ballot races. Having said that, we will take our reader's advice and keep the Ray and Matt match-up on our list to watch for future developments. We're the people's choice for blogging in these here parts. Thanks for doing that. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Wednesday, September 01, 2010State Of The State House: Key Races To Watch, Plus: Susana's New Tube: Soft Enough? Also: Jeff's Bucks & Harry's Nice Hit Let's kick it off today with the outlook for the state House in Campaign '10. Currently there are 45 Dems and 25 R's in the 70 member House. Based on reports from Alligators, Insiders, Wall-Leaners, Wanna-Be's and other political creatures, it appears the R's could shrink that margin this year, if only a bit.The no-brainer prediction this cycle is the ABQ mid-NE Heights seat of freshman Dem Rep. Karen Giannini. She won election in 2008 when the Obama wave seeped into this normally GOP district. If Republican attorney and former Senator Domenici aide Nate Gentry doesn't take this one, the predictors will have to eat the broken glass from their crystal balls. Another freshman--Dem Rep. Ben Rodefer of ABQ's West Side and Sandoval County is #2 on the most endangered species list. R's are solidly behind contractor David Doyle who hopes to reclaim this seat for the GOP which Rodefer won in the Obama wave. Rodefer loves being in the Roundhouse and will fight to the last breath, giving him a chance to hang on to what is a very weak limb. How about an endangered Republican? We've got one for you. Roswell rancher Candy Spence-Ezzel is facing a spirited challenge from Dem Chaves County Commissioner Michael Trujillo. He is the third-generation owner of El Charro, a tortilla factory and Mexican food store. Candy was first elected in 2004, but this is a swing district. Julian Luna ousted incumbent Dem State Rep. Elias Barela in the June primary in Valencia County, but now Luna faces a tough campaign to keep the seat in the Dem column. Republican Alonzo Baldonado, a Los Lunas realtor, is the GOP's hope for this one. Definitely on the watch list. Back in ABQ, both parties are geared up for a battle for the seat of Dem State Rep. Bill O'Neill. He is another member of the D freshman class of 2008. He works for the Juvenile Parole Board, loves politics and is walking the district. Newcomer and Republican Justin Horowitz is an attorney with the Rodey firm who has thrown a bunch of his own cash at the contest. This one is ranked a toss-up. Putting it all together, a conservative estimate is that the R's pick up two House seats when we're done cleaning up the confetti November 3. A more aggressive estimate would give them four or five. That would still not put them anywhere close to taking power, but it's a whole lot better than falling back. THE GOVERNOR'S RACE  On the Guv front, several of our campaign watchers were somewhat surprised to see GOP Guv nominee Susana Martinez come with a hard-hitting spot, the tone of which reminded them of some of the stuff she ran in the GOP primary which is dominated by conservative voters.In this latest piece Susana defends herself from TV charges that she should not have used federal border security funds for staff bonuses at her Dona Ana County district attorney's office. She then smacks Di for not pledging to revoke driver's licenses given to illegal immigrants. Denish has said she will not continue the policy. All this is delivered with ominous sound effects and an accusatory and stern narration. Well-produced for what it is, but what happened to the softer Susana, the one posing with kiddies in the classroom? At the end of this spot she brings back former Bernalillo County Sheriff and current ABQ Public Safety Director Darren White. He is joined by three other tough-looking lawmen types who walk behind Susana in slow motion. It looked menacing the first time and looks even more like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse the second time around. (Actually, it is a total of five lawmen parading in slow-motion, but we took poetic license.) In recent weeks Martinez seemed to have begun talking past her GOP base--to the swing and Dem voters she needs to win. This spot takes her back to what got her in the main event, but it may not be the tone or approach that is going to close the deal. Denish also came with new TV, defending herself from Martinez's charges that she overused her riding privileges on the state jet. Denish then goes on to zing Martinez on now familiar ground. She says the GOP nominee would "give public school dollars to wealthy private schools." The Di camp has been hammering Susana for weeks over her switch on school vouchers--or what they say is a switch. The Denish camp received important support on this when the Associated Press pointed out differing statements Martinez has made on the matter. The more soothing tone in the Denish ad stands in marked contrast to the latest Martinez effort. Susana and her conservative consultants need to not only get comfortable with going to the middle of the political spectrum, they must embrace it emotionally and intellectually. That's not easy when the state GOP has been as far right as it has been the past decade. JEFF'S BUCKS  Times may be tough for a lot of New Mexicans, but Senator Bingaman has escaped the ravages of the worst recession in decades. The Hill newspaper says Jeff's net worth is around $6.7 million, making him the 42nd wealthiest member of Congress in 2009. From the article which ranked the 50 wealthiest members:Bingaman played the stock market well in 2009 and saw his minimum net worth rise by almost $2 million... (He) has investment funds at Goldman Sachs worth at least $1 million and $250,000. His wife, Anne, chips in with an investment fund at Eaton Vance worth at least $1 million... Bingaman also has property in Santa Fe that is worth at least $250,000 and a 50 percent state in more than 58 acres of land in Alamogordo, NM... And what of southern NM Congressman Harry Teague who made the Hill's list of the wealthiest members of Congress last year. Well, his net worth has plunged to around $5 million. That's just below the amount the 50th member on the list is worth. Teague's oil based businesses have suffered from the bear market, a boycott by Republican businessmen in the area and the change in management to his son. Still, Harry is not in the poor house, but is net worth has plunged, according to Politico, from $40 million to $5 million. MARTIN'S MONEY One member who won't make the list is ABQ Dem US Congressman Martin Heinrich.The freshman lawmaker enjoys a salary of around $174,000 a year and his wife Julie helps the household budget with a salary from a local government job. But still the Congressman sleeps in his DC office in order to save money. Jeff, do you think you can spare a loan for Martin so he can get out of that sleeping bag? That is, if he is back there with you after November... WORST OF THE STORM? Is the worst over for the Dems? The new Rasmussen survey is being closely eyed by operatives for NM Dem US Reps Heinrich and Teague. It says: A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely Voters would vote for their district's Republican congressional candidate, while 39% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. The survey data was collected on the seven days ending August 29... The Republicans have been consistently ahead in the Generic Ballot every week for over a year, but this is the smallest advantage the party has held since mid-July... But hold your horses. Gallup disagrees with Rasmussen and comes with this: Republicans lead by 51% to 41% among registered voters in Gallup weekly tracking of 2010 congressional voting preferences. The 10-percentage-point lead is the GOP's largest so far this year and is its largest in Gallup's history of tracking the midterm generic ballot for Congress. So what's a Dem to do? Well, running like your life depended in it is usually sound advice for a political campaign. NICE HIT, HARRY  We haven't held back in blogging of the travails of Harry Teague, pointing out time and again (with the help of Politico) his many vulnerabilities. But a score is a score, and Tuesday, when President Obama disembarked Air Force One at the El Paso airport for a brief visit to Fort Bliss, embattled Harry scored.Even though he does not represent El Paso, Teague was there with a big smile to greet the President who stopped at Ft. Bliss to pay respect to the troops. Teague is a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Obama lingered with Teague and two other congressmen and it was carried live at around noontime on El Paso TV. Photos of the meet and greet were sent out on the national and local wires. (The one we have posted is from the El Paso Times which is heavily read in the Las Cruces area). This is important because Dona Ana County, the largest county in the second congressional district and home to many Dems, get their news from El Paso TV, not ABQ. It was nice advance work by the White House and Teague's team to take effective advantage of such a brief stop over. Insiders close to Teague tell us he is more energized about the race. He is pleased with his polling and that of the ABQ Journal which shows him three points ahead of Republican challenger Steve Pearce. He told one of our Alligators recently, "We're going to surprise, Steve." Of course, Harry needs all the optimism and spunk he can get in his tough battle, but if Obama's visit was the start of his fall offensive in Dona Ana County, it was a good one. ON THE RESPIRATOR We've been telling you about First Community Bank being on life support in the aftermath of a slew of commercial real estate loans gone bad in the ABQ area and how it is time to pull the plug and end the suffering. Executives at the bank have been pushing back, but now the Feds have given them a 60 day deadline to either raise $150 million to restore the bank's health or sell yourself to another bank. The stock of the parent company of First Community is down to almost a dime a share. Can't the executives and board of directors sell this thing so we can get on with getting over this real estate depression? It's not like this is the only bank having problems. (The bank now says it has found $150 million from new investors). CAN SHE? We haven't received a definitive answer yet, but we've been told that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense are not permitted to take part in fund-raising for political candidates. The issue came up when we mentioned suggestions that Diane Denish have Sec. of Stare Hillary Clinton campaign for her. Can Hillary campaign, but not raise money? E-mail us if you have a certain answer. SPANISH DENIAL (Cont.)  Not surprisingly, we received quite a bit of email on our Tuesday blog questioning comments from Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez of the National Hispanic Cultural Center. He said there is a "Spanish heritage fantasy" in the state. So far, most of the mail disagreed with our criticism of Rael-Galvez. It makes for interesting reading and we'll post some on the Friday blog.This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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