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Tuesday, December 07, 2010Santa Fe Jockeying Updated: GOP Whip Race & Latest Coalition Talk, Plus: Is Jeff Ready? And: Darren Tweets Gov. Gary The under-the-radar jockeying for Santa Fe leadership positions continues. Even the usually little noticed posts are getting scrutiny because of the uncertainty over who will ultimately be in charge in the state House come January 18th when the 60 day session kicks off.The latest from the Capitol wall-leaners is that ten year legislative veteran Rep. Don Bratton of Lea County is the heavy favorite to replace Rep. Keith Gardner as minority whip for the R's, but Bratton may have to give up his seat on House Appropriations--the most powerful committee--to get his colleagues to let him take on the whip chores. Others seeking to replace Gardner who has been named chief of staff for Gov-elect Martinez are Rep Jimmie Hall of ABQ and Rep. Dennis Roch of Texico. The GOP caucus meets Dec. 18 to make the choice. THE GUESSING GAME Meanwhile, the most popular guessing game in Santa Fe this December is not what Santa will leave under the Christmas trees, but whether there will be a coalition in the state House that will further empower the R's. With 33 members, they are at their strongest in that chamber in decades. If the R's were to somehow form a coalition, their minority whip would suddenly morph into majority whip. The odds of there being a coalition change as often as the weather. Some of the 33 R's say they don't want to join with a handful of southern Dems to make Rep. Joe Cervantes the speaker and in the process topple Ben Lujan from the post. If not all R's are brought aboard the coalition bandwagon by the time the final speaker vote is held January 18, it could be difficult indeed for any coalition to get off the ground, But there are 70 members of the state House and some of them could be absent on the Legislature's opening day. That could throw a monkey wrench into the nose counting. Only those present can vote. So if you are counting on 70 votes, but only 67 show, it can change everything. A key question is how any coalition of R's and a small group of Dems would carve up the power. Would a Speaker Cervantes give committee chairmanships to the minority R's in exchange for their making him king of the House? That's how it was back in the early 80's when Dem Gene Samberson took the throne courtesy of R support. But the state Senate currently has a coalition of R's and conservative Dems, but the majority Dems retain all committee chairmanships. As for the Guv-elect's camp, the vibe we get is that they would warmly welcome a coalition in the House. All the easier for them to advance their important first year agenda. THE OTHER TEAM Over in the Dem camp, Chairman Javier Gonzales appears in line to be re-elected next spring, but that doesn't mean there isn't grumbling about the lousy election results for the majority party. Gonzales has no major opposition yet--Santa Fe's Letitia Montoya says she will run--but he is taking the opportunity to reach out and mend any fences in need of repair. He launched a "listening tour" and continued it this weekend by making stops in the north. But Gonzales and chums have a real problem--they seem like Republican Light. First, Big Bill slashes tax rates for the wealthy and now President Obama throws in the towel on taxing the rich. Dem Diane Denish meekly complied with Richardson's economics when she ran for Guv this year. Hey, how's that working out for you, Di? Richardson's eagerness to cut the top tax rates to attract support for his presidential bid cost the state millions. He was joined in this acquiescence by a speaker of the state House who normally would have said no, but was indebted to the executive for advancing his son's congressional ambitions. And they did so without attracting the jobs they claimed the cuts would bring. Denish's watered down Republicanomics left her indistinguishable from her Republican foe. Now Obama risks a similar fate because all of this takes place against a backdrop in which the richest Americans have more of the nation's wealth in their pockets than anytime in history. Surely, a breaking point is coming. Even folks who disagree with you respect you when you fight for a belief. But the fight seems to have gone out of this White House while the congressional R's stand firm. IS JEFF READY?  Dem US Senator Jeff Bingaman is now being watched closely as he prepares for his 2012 re-election bid. Here's a clip of him from the Senate floor last week talking about the economy so you can get a sense of where he's at. His demeanor remains largely the same--studious and low-key--although there are glimpses of the state's senior senator being a wee bit more animated. Bingaman, 67, does not seem off his game.The WaPo recently ran a piece on the ten Senators most likely to retire in advance of 2012. Bingaman was not on it. He continues to publicly say he is undecided on running, but it's best to stay a non-candidate as long as possible. He has been there a long time and has accumulated important power for the state as chairman of the Senate energy committee. He seeks a sixth, six year term. That's how many terms GOP Senator Domenici served before he retired in 2008. That 36 year run is the state record which Bingaman would tie if he wins re-election two years from now and serves the full six years. PRESIDENT HARRIS As expected, Republican Don Harris was elected to a one year term as president of the city council last night. It was done unanimously. The council breakdown is five Republicans and four Democrats. Harris is seen as a moderate R who has made overtures to the Dems on the panel. He takes over from Councilor Ken Sanchez. Councilor Rey Garduno was elected vice-president. KEEP THEM ALL Jerry Geist  Our posting on the troubled hierarchy of the University of New Mexico and how it is probably time for UNM President Schmidly, Athletic Director Krebs and football coach Locksley to head to the showers brought this retort from former PNM president and longtime civic activist Jerry Geist:Dr. Schmidly has been quite ill but engaged. Lt’s cut a little slack until he is back. Paul Krebs has really brought all UNM athletic programs, graduation rates and grades up and has put in a process to keep them that way. His staff seems super. Coach Locksley has had a tough two years as has been covered a lot. No one has an easy answer and Locksley will have to be part of getting the answer. I do not know Coach L but an acquaintance of mine related an observation. His daughter wanted to give back after getting a teaching certificate and so went to work in the DC area that Coach L came from. She is proud that from that sad and unsupported area he has become an example of “bootstrapping”oneself up. That is character we do not hear about. We are not a patient bunch but this is a good season to try again... A tweet from ABQ Public Safety Director Darren White upon learning that former GOP Governor Gary Johnson admits to being a regular pot user as recently as 2008: Gary Johnson admits that he smoked pot from 2005-'08. Some think he was high when he appointed me Department of Public Safety boss in '95. White resigned that cabinet post when he disagreed with Johnson's position advocating drug legalization. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail 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, December 06, 2010Flying High With The Guv To Be; How And Who Pays? Plus: A Game Plan For Econ Secretary Barela, And: The Bottom Lines From Shanghai Susana Martinez will trek to the Santa Fe Plaza New Year's day to be sworn in as the state's next Governor. The 10 a.m. open air ceremony will be heavy on symbolism as Martinez campaigned on a pledge of open and transparent government. Unless a snowstorm blows in, the oath-taking should take place under chilly, but clear blue skies. The official and traditional swearing-in will occur at an invitation only event at the Roundhouse Rotunda at midnight January 1.But the Susana camp has chosen not to invoke any symbolism--at least not yet--when it comes to big money in state politics. They have yet to comment on whether they will voluntarily apply the new state spending contribution limit of $5,000 to donations being made to fund Martinez's inaugural ceremonies. Since it is only weeks away, we assume not. They say they will release the names and amount of the contributions they receive, but that isn't going to be read as the "bold change" she pledged. Couldn't some of her leftover campaign funds have been donated to the inaugural and then she could have voluntarily abided by the new limits? Well, politicians of any party aren't about to give up any chance to raise a bucket load of cash until the law absolutely says they have to. Susana Martinez doesn't seem to be of a mind to break the mold, even after a campaign centered on pay-to-play allegations in the current administration. THE PARTY The Alligators came with a report here a while back that Martinez would not only have an inaugural party in Santa Fe, but also one in Las Cruces. We wondered how she would manage that in the same day. Well, it turns out the Las Cruces bash--a "send-off gala"--will take place Dec 30, not January 1. That means Susana won't have to worry about flying up and down the state on her big day. COME FLY WITH ME  But the question of how this new Governor gets around is going to be front and center after a campaign in which she railed against use of the state jet and said she would sell it.Martinez has now named a transition committee to assess the three state aircraft that includes the jet purchased under Big Bill. This comes after a TV news report that showed the two other state-owned aircraft used to ferry officials about to be in poor shape and questionable maintenance practices being used. Will Martinez sell the jet and use some of the proceeds to fix up the two aging aircraft that are used for in-state flying? Not a bad guess. But how is the Governor going to get to all those appearances around the country? She seems to relish them, and as the nation's first female Hispanic Governor the invitations will flow. TV news asked her how she paid for a jet flight from Las Cruces to ABQ recently. The campaign said the plane was donated by Bode Aviation. There have been no news reports on how Martinez was flown to recent trips to San Diego or Washington D.C. or who paid. How about something on that as well as a news story on whether donated jets will be taking off from Santa Fe to fly the Governor-elect around the USA? What are the latest rules on that for a sitting governor? When is the Governor a political candidate? When is plane travel counted as a campaign donation which the new law limits to $5,000 per person per campaign? Inquiring minds want to know. MICROSCOPES OUT A fishing trip that results in a fine from the game and fish department is not exactly front-page material, unless it involves a soon-to-be deputy chief of staff for Gov-elect Martinez. Brian Moore, welcome to the brightly lit stage of La Politica. We won't say you're going to like it. Just that you are now one of the actors on it. BUILDING A CABINET  The Alligators called this one nearly the day after the election--Jon Barela would be tapped to be Secretary of Economic Development. And that's just what happened Friday with Governor-elect Martinez making the announcement. Barela, who lost narrowly to Dem Martin Heinrich for the ABQ congressional seat, needed a job, now he needs to help create jobs for others--lots of others. The state's jobless rate is still dismal. Take a look at this. In the ABQ area, our private sector employment for October was back where it was in October of 2000. In fact, it was below the ten year old levels. In other words, all of the private employment gains and then some made during the Great Bull Market in ABQ have been wiped out by the Great Recession. Government employment as a percent of the New Mexico workforce has now jumped from 20 percent to 25 percent. And some of those jobs look shaky. City government's workforce shrunk by 3 per cent in the past year. A GAME PLAN We don't want to sound like a broken record, but since Secretary-designate Barela is about to be handed the ball, we repeat what we see are key tasks for him and the new Governor. ---Bolster our relationship with the federal government to protect our federal installations in this new era of budget cutting. ---Ensure that the Spaceport for southern New Mexico is competently run and that we think big in regards to future research and development there. ---Push the development of a dental school at UNM, similar to our medical and dental schools. ---Do not ash can the film industry. Review the incentives, but remember the vital role tourism plays in the state ---End raids on our permanent funds to invest in questionable businesses that fail to bring jobs here. --Promote our agricultural industry and its exports around the globe --Get involved at our many universities and colleges to encourage future entrepreneurs. The immediate challenge for Barela is to strengthen and protect what we have as this economy continues to limp along. Barela is personally invested in the film business through Cerelink. So he understands that industry. However, he will probably have to sort out conflict of interest questions that will inevitably be raised if he takes an active role in supporting state film incentives. He also has federal experience as a legislative aide to the late Congressman Joe Skeen. He has seen up close the tremendous impact the feds have on this economy. He is also an attorney so he can wade through the mish-mash of regulations, some that need to be overhauled or discarded. Economic development in New Mexico is going to take more than sloganeering over cutting taxes and regulations. It's going to take elbow grease and a lot of thinking outside the box. Barela may have the most challenging job in state government. WIENER'S WORLD Speaking of the Guv-elect's cabinet picks, it appears GOP Bernalillo County Commissioner and noted license plate collector Michael Wiener is earning serious consideration for the position of Director of the Motor Vehicle Division. The former ABQ city councilor and state senator ought to be able keep up on all the latest license plates from that perch. And what about his perch at the county commission? His vacancy would be filled by an appointment from the new Governor so it would stay in R hands. Now Wiener wouldn't be thinking of trying to have a go at both jobs, would he? MONTY'S NUMBER The state GOP did not release the percentage that former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman won with in Saturday's contest for state party chair. About 300 GOP central committee members chose Monty over attorney Nina Martinez. In the absence of any hard numbers, the rumor mill started churning out some. They had Monty taking the two year term with 58% to Nina's 42%. Given the divisions in the party over the years that doesn't sound far-fetched. THE BOTTOM LINES  From Shanghai, a reader writes:Greetings from China, Joe. Thought you would be amused to know that your blog appears to be so incendiary and controversial that it is even blocked in the Peoples Republic of China! Wear that as a badge of honor... Incendiary and controversial? The Chinese must have us mixed up with someone else. Heck, we even favored spending big money to bring panda bears to the ABQ zoo. But if we offended them for any reason, we will forcefully apply the traditional punishment around here--ten lashes with a wet noodle--a Chinese noodle, of course. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail 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 Labels: com Saturday, December 04, 2010Monty Newman Takes State GOP Chairman Contest; Won With Support Of Martinez & Pearce Former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman was elected to a two year term as chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party at a Saturday afternoon convention of the GOP State Central Committee. Newman defeated attorney Nina Martinez of Bernalillo County.Newman was backed by Gov-elect Martinez and Rep. Steve Pearce. John Billingsley of southern NM was elected first vice chair; ABQ's Robert Perea second vice chair; Peter Shams-Avari of ABQ was elected secretary and Bill Redmond of Los Alamos as Treasurer. There were no vote totals released on the Newman-Martinez race, so we don't know right now if Newman won overwhelmingly. Nina Martinez campaigned for the job until the end and had the support of many backers of failed GOP Guv candidates Allen Weh and Doug Turner. The chairmanship is primarily about raising money for the next election cycle. Newman had the edge in that category. But by staying in the race Nina Martinez signaled that there are still some fences for the Governor-elect to mend. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Friday, December 03, 2010Has Bear's Appetite Peaked? State Cash Flow Has Glimmer Of Hope, Plus: Blogging UNM; Athletics Vs. Academics And Schmidly's Future Has the appetite of the Great Bear finally been satisfied? Santa Fe announces that we are up $56 million in projected revenue for the budget year we are currently in and that the shortfall for the the year that begins next July 1 is now at around $410 million, down from the $452 million that Big Bill's bookkeepers recently predicted. This "consensus" forecast is the final one before the Legislature is gaveled into session January 18 to again deal with the deepest and most stubborn downturn in generations. The inkling of good news is prompted by an increase in gross receipts taxes being collected. That's a leading indicator of economic activity. It may not be signaling the next roaring bull market, but maybe we've finally stopped going down? This, of course, is a welcome development for Gov.-elect Susana Martinez, although in a backhanded sort of way. When she won election Nov. 2, the budget shortfall was projected to be $262 million. When it jumped to $452 some in her camp cried "Conspiracy!" Of course, as much as we love a to run with the Illuminati, it isn't. It is because of differing forecasters over Medicaid and other costs. Another big reason for the all-over-the-map estimates has been due to the continued reliance on revenue forecasts that don't materialize. That's also known as pain avoidance. Each year, the rosier predictions have allowed lawmakers to continue to kick the can down the road, reducing the amount they trim only see deficits balloon when they go back in session. Even now, Santa Fe is forecasting a 4 percent growth in state revenues for the next budget year. Again, the Walgreen's in the City Different must stock loads of those rose-colored eye wear. If the $410 million shortfall sticks in the coming months, it looks as though Santa Fe will finally have run out of road to kick the can down. Deep cuts will have to be made. That's fine in some quarters where the budget debacle is seen as a golden opportunity to streamline and do a long overdue reorganization of the state bureaucracy. But what if the good news on tax receipts were to turn real good and the budget shortfall shrunk dramatically? Would momentum for reform falter? The kindergarten class of your choice could easily answer that question--Yes. BLOGGING UNM  Our readers over at the University of New Mexico are always eagle-eyed. Lissa Knudsen, president of the grad students, comes with her reaction to this suggestion made here:Susana, you can trim $2 million off that $452 million projected shortfall. That's the amount the University of New Mexico Athletic Department is getting from the state General Fund. If we can't cut that out with a dull-edged butter knife, we can't cut anything. Now Lissa: Joe, The fear from students at both UNM and NMSU is that when state subsidies are cut from athletics those costs will be shifted to students. Last year, despite a vote by the UNM Student Fee Review Board to decrease the fee allocation to Athletics, the Regents approved a $10 student fee hike. UNM enrollment went up to 23,116 thus Athletics received a $231,000 increase to their existing $71.75 student ($1,658,573.00) student fee subsidy. On August 11, the LFC released a report on Higher Education that stated, "The [NMSU] athletic program’s revenue is consistently insufficient to cover program expenditures, let alone to cover the previous years’ deficit fund balances. Revenue from student paid fees is anticipated to increase 105 percent between FY07 actual receipts and budgeted amounts for FY11 ($1.4 to $2.9 million)" The NCAA reports that UNM's athletics program spent $39,368,459.00 in 2008/2009 (and that was before Locksleygate and our recent significant decrease in ticket sales). Student Activity Fees have increased (110%) at a higher rate than tuition (74%) in the last 8 years (UNM Factbook) and that 30% of that increase has gone to Athletics (UNM Bursar's Office). This shifting of the burden of Athletics to students is a very real concern that I think your readers (especially those that are parents of potential UNM students) should be aware of. AND ANOTHER VIEW Now let's move it down to Las Cruces for a little comeback to that from Barbara Couture, the new NMSU president: ...Universities transfer an average of $10.2 million to athletics programs. NMSU, in fiscal 2011, transferred $4.1 million, well below the average. The fact is the vast majority of athletics programs like ours require some support from instruction and general budgets. If we look at that budget transfer in light of our overall university budget, our total athletics budget as reported to the state is $16 million, just 2 percent of our total university budget (all sources, all campuses) of $682 million. The $4.1 million transfer is less than 1 percent of that total. Yet the athletics program supports 425 student athletes whose graduation rates are 20 percent better than our overall student population... UNCERTAINTY AT THE TOP Schmidly  Meantime, the situation with UNM President David Schmidly remains dicey. He has been out on medical leave since mid-August and there is no firm idea on when or if he will return. UNM Acting President Paul Roth says Schmidly's medical and other leave won't be used up until February.Schmidly is being treated for an abdominal tumor. It has not been reported whether the tumor is cancerous or not. Hopefully, Schmidly will recover. But the university hierarchy remains in need of major change. That includes the presidency, the athletic department director, the football coach and a stable of highly-paid and some would say mostly unnecessary vice-presidents. (UNM announced Thursday that football coach Locksley will return next year, avoiding the axe that has been poised over his neck). Governor-elect Martinez will get to appoint a couple of new UNM regents when she takes over next month, but the majority will be holdovers from the Richardson administration. Big Bill intervened in university affairs more than any other Governor we've seen, especially when it came to getting jobs for his backers. Martinez should not follow that path, but the authority of the new Governor may be needed to reverse the politicization of UNM that, combined with budget cuts, has sent morale into the basement. PIO PLUM
That plum public info officer job for Bernalillo County went to Tia Bland, the current PIO for the state corrections department but who needed to get out of there before the axe fell with the arrival of a new Guv administration. From one of our downtown Alligators we get the official word and comment: Joe, Thought you'd like to know that Tia Bland got the Bernalillo County PIO job, despite a lame duck Governor trying to get County Manager Thaddeus Lucero to hire his buddy. She was hired Wednesday. That "buddy" of Big Bill is his communications honcho Gilbert Gallegos who will now have to continue his search for safe harbor as time runs out for Governor Bill. JAVIER CHALLENGE The Dems now join the R's in having a contested battle for the state chair job. Incumbent Javier Gonzales told me a couple of weeks ago he will seek re-election to the job. The challenger is longtime Santa Fe political gadfly Letitia Montoya. She says she wants to hold accountable Dems who supported R's in the recent election, a reference to Dem county clerks supporting R Dianna Duran for Secretary of state. The Dem chair election is in the spring. Gonzales of Santa Fe is favored to keep the chairmanship, but after a tough Dem year there is room for debate--and criticism--on how the party performed and its direction going forward. HOTLINE HEATHER Here is the latest on the "will she or won't she?" speculation surrounding a possible 2012 US Senate run against Dem US Senator Jeff Bingaman by former ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson. It comes from the DC Hotline: I just have to focus on helping the governor and can't focus on that right now," she said, referring to her job chairing Gov.-elect Susana Martinez's transition team. Wilson added that "the speculation is flattering." Does that mean Heather likes the Alligators who keep mentioning her? Well, whatever. For sure she is keeping the door wide open for a Senate bid. As for Jeff, he says he will announce his intentions about a sixth term around March. His aides are preparing for a run. We guess he gets in after the 60 day legislative session wraps up in mid-March. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Thanks for joining us this week and for making us New Mexico's #1 politics site in 2010. E-mail 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, December 02, 2010Defying Susana: No Back Down From Nina Martinez in GOP Chair Race, Plus: The Tussle Over Tinseltown, And: US House Sleepovers; Time To Get A Room? Susana Martinez isn't scaring out Nina Martinez. Despite a letter the Guv-elect and Congressman-elect Steve Pearce sent out this week in support of Monty Newman's bid to become the next chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, Nina Martinez is not backing off. She says she will fight for every last one of the 331 GOP Central Committee members when they meet in ABQ this Saturday to pick a replacement for outgoing chair Harvey Yates. She circulated her own letter to make her case.We and others speculated that Nina might bow out of the race in deference to Susana who is, after all, about to become the new Republican Governor. But Nina's message is a fighting one and signals that the internecine warfare within the state party was not swept away when the R's scored a sweeping victory in the Guv's race. Tell us about it, Nina: Joe, just a note to let you know I have no intention of dropping out of the race for RPNM State Chairman. This is a life long goal for me. When I was 18, I registered at the San Miguel County Courthouse as a Republican and have worked tirelessly for Republican candidates and principles ever since. I've served as precinct chair, county secretary, state secretary, 1st Vice Chair and now I'm ready to fulfill my dream of becoming State Chair and securing a Republican majority in the NM State Legislature. I believe I'm the most qualified candidate. My opponent has not been active in the party and isn't even a member of the State Central Committee. He can't even vote for himself or any other officers on Saturday. ...Committee members...want a choice. Gov-elect Martinez and Rep. Pearce may support any candidate they wish but the state party rules are clear: the State Central Committee has responsibility to vote and elect their next state chairman. I've earned the privilege... Oh, and she dropped one other thing into cyberspace about her now uphill battle: I have solid support and commitments from all corners of the state. The implication that the bulk of my support is coming from Allen Weh and Doug Turner is false. I have sought out the advice and counsel of senior party members with whom I have worked over many years. We dig Nina's passion. There have been years when they had to search the graveyards for someone willing to lead the state's minority party. So while Martinez and company may not be too happy that their new found authority is being challenged, it sure is a kick to see this party often led by the rocking chair brigade getting it on. Dare we say these R's are "fired up and ready to go?" DI'S DAYS As is tradition, nothing much has been heard from losing Guv candidate Diane Denish. But some friends of the lieutenant governor think she would be a fine addition to the Obama administration when she finishes here term Dec. 31. Of course, those same friends were hoping Obama would have gotten Big Bill out of here and made Di Guv and give her a leg up in the Guv's race. THE SUSANA CIRCLE  A reader in California writes of what he has seen so far of Governor-elect Martinez's inner circle and of which we blogged on Wednesday:If the national Republicans want to expand their tentacles into the growing Hispanic population, they would be well-advised to encourage Martinez to bring in at least a few token Hispanics into her inner circle. Look what happened in CA; mega-bucks Meg Whitman was taken out by her former Hispanic maid for being disrespectful... There is no quota system for Hispanic appointments, but Martinez is looking light in that category. There are a lot more posts to fill, however. What surprises us is how few women have been put in key positions. We thought there would be more based on Martinez's record as Dona Ana County district attorney. Ans then there was this pithy take on the matter from former ABQ mayor and leading New Mexico liberal Jim Baca: Uhh...all these powerful people in the new administration are white guys from the oil patch! THE NEWS RACE Checking in on the 10 p.m. weekday news race in the ABQ TV market we find KRQE still dominating but KOAT in the vicinity. KOB continues to suffer mightily, dragged down by weak prime time NBC programming. In the November ratings sweeps it was KRQE pulling a 9.6 rating, KOAT an 8.2 and KOB a 4.9. BACK TO THE MAIL  Reader Mike Lamb has thoughts on that Bloomberg article we posted Friday and that described how states are starting to cut down on incentives to attract Hollywood filmmakers. It's a hot issue here as well, with proposals floating that would trim the tax incentives we use to lure Tinseltown:The Bloomberg article avoided any mention of New Mexico's incentive program, even though the film industry and mainstream media have identified it as being the most successful and professionally structured in the country...In any case, since NMreimburses 25 percent of a production company's expenses for its in-state purchases of goods and services, the 118 productions that were paid $181 million over the last three years spent at least $724 million here--which by conservative estimates had an overall financial impact of at least $2 billion. With money like this at stake there’s a fierce competition for it between states because of the potential size of the return on a relatively small inducement. Take that inducement away (which is what capping the incentives will do) and N.M. will lose it's ability to compete for this business, which will put an end to the tax revenues and other economic benefits we've been getting from it. The debate rages over whether these tax breaks for the movie industry result in enough jobs and economic activity to justify them. Perhaps there needs to be a limit to how much we put out, but Rep. Dennis Kintigh and other ardent foes of the tax credits need to understand that when New Mexico is featured in a movie the impact goes on for decades as the film is shown again and again. We're not Michigan or New Jersey. We are a state with a real tourist industry. We need a continuing investment in the mystique of the Land of Enchantment. So Rep. Kintigh, keep everyone honest and work hard for a compromise, but don't cast aside our state's special role in America's imagination or the public servants that came before you who placed it there. GET A ROOM  We feel the same way about congressmen sleeping in their Capitol Hill offices as we do about those couples necking next to you in the movie theatre---get a room, already. We've chided our own congressman, Democrat Martin Heinrich, for keeping his pajamas in his office even as he takes home $174,000 a year and wife Julie is also well-compensated in a local government gig, but he has plenty of company and is getting more all the time. Take a look:Of the 94 incoming members of the House of Representatives, 90% are Republicans, nearly 40% have law degrees and about 35% have never before held elective office. Oh, and at least 15% plan to bed down in their congressional offices. It's the ultimate I'm-not-a-professional-politician statement, reminiscent of the 1994 midterm elections, when a GOP House takeover led to a surge in House sleepovers. What do you dream about when you sleep on your congressional couch? Probably about Sealy Posturepedic mattresses. THE BOTTOM LINES A couple of state public info officers email in to let us know that not all PIO's are "exempt" employees. Some are "classified" meaning they have job protection. Exempts can be dismissed at any time. We brought up the topic in Wednesday's blog about the Bernalillo County PIO vacancy. We don't know yet how much that PIO gig pays, but we hear it is handsome. Maybe the email today will give us a certain number.
This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail 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, December 01, 2010The Political Power Players Of 2011: Those Who Will Most Influence The New Martinez Adminstration Revealed, Plus: State PIO's Scurry For New Jobs
Gardner, Adair & Barbour
   Who are the new Santa Fe political power players for 2011? That's one of the burning questions surrounding Governor-elect Susana Martinez, and with the help of our Insiders, Alligators, Wall-Leaners and Hangers-on, we have some answers. First, Martinez is described around the Capitol as an empty vessel waiting to be filled. She has little knowledge of the workings of state government. Her policy acumen is limited and is centered on the judiciary since she is a 14 year Dona Ana County district attorney. This means at least for her first year or so in office, the people around her are going to be powerful, maybe in some cases very powerful. We start with the obvious. Roswell State Rep. Keith Gardner, tapped to be Martinez's chief of staff, will be the keeper of the gate. He will have major league power because he will determine who gets face time with the new governor. But who is close to Gardner? Hold on to your chile ristras, kids. It's none other than GOP State Senator "Lightning" Rod Adair who also hails from Roswell. Rod, a political demographer, was instrumental in getting Keith to the state House when he helped him oust Earlene Roberts in a GOP primary in 2004. Adair is known for his volatile temperament but he also possesses a keen political mind and is no slouch when it comes to knowing the operations of state government. He managed the successful campaign of GOP Secretary of State candidate Dianna Duran. Ever since, there has been speculation that he could be in line to become director of the state bureau of elections under Duran. His close relationship with Gardner makes him a key power player for 2011. When Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour calls Susana, she will answer right away. In his role as chairman of the Republican Governor's Association Barbour directed $1.3 million in campaign cash to Susana. That amounts to 19 percent of all of her donations which totaled $6.9 million. Immediately after her election, the RGA singled her out for inclusion on their "leadership team." National R's are obsessed with broadening their party's base by reaching out to the fast growing Hispanic population. Susana is being groomed by them as an example and also to possibly position her for national GOP politics. Barbour will be one of the few out-of-state politicos to be able to insert himself at will into the politics and practices of Martinez. She won't mind because it's all about making her look and perform well. Meanwhile, Barbour may find some New Mexicans tapping at his door as they try to get through Susana's portal. MORE POWER PLAYERS Carruthers  Put former GOP New Mexico Governor Garrey Carruthers ('87-'90) high on your list--very high--of 2011 political power players. Carruthers knows Martinez well. He shares her hometown of Las Cruces where he is a powerhouse at New Mexico State University. She likes him. He has been named to one of her transition committees. But most important, Martinez will be able to lean on Carruthers who has already been there and done that. His interest will be in making her look good and influencing public policy. Maybe also getting a friend or two some government work. But Carruthers, 71, will have the Guv's ear and confidence because like Barbour he is not seeking personal political advancement.Harvey Yates may be leaving the chairmanship of the NM Republican Party, but he was instrumental in advancing Martinez to the governorship. He will be gone, but not forgotten and a full-fledged 2011 political power player. His main concern will be protecting the oil and gas industry. No one will have better access to Martinez to make that case than Yates. Heather Wilson has stepped on some toes in the Martinez camp during this transition which she was chosen to head up. But the former ABQ congresswoman is populating state government with her operatives and they will be running the government. Through them, Wilson will easily be placed on the 2011 political power list. You don't hear much about Martinez's husband, Chuck Franco, but he will be a 2011 political power player. The quiet and unassuming soon to retire undersheriff of Dona Ana County is a constant and supportive presence for Martinez. One can easily speculate that his role will be in helping Martinez who she can and can not trust. If Chuck says you don't pass the smell test, your chances of getting through to the new Guv will be about as good as finding a donut shop not filled with cops. We'll have a new Governor who will be using training wheels during her first year but make no mistake about it, Susana Martinez will be the ultimate political power player of 2011. The state Constitution and the people of New Mexico have made sure of that. OLD HAND Gordon Eden, a longtime fixture in various high-level government posts and a Republican of moderate reputation, takes over the Department of Public Safety under Susana. He just finished a nine year stint as US Marshall for NM and was motor vehicle secretary under GOP Guv Gary Johnson. The appointment should put an end to the speculation about ABQ Public Safety Director Darren White joining the Martinez administration. The former sheriff had been mentioned as a possible chief of staff for Susana as well as secretary for the public safety department--a job he held under Governor Johnson. Eden's appointment may alleviate concerns among Hispanics that DPS would take a hard turn to the right when it came to immigration issues. IN THE OPEN So much for playing it dark. Gov-elect Martinez and Congressman-elect Steve Pearce, ABQ Mayor Berry and other top R's have written a letter to state GOP central Committee members endorsing former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman as the next GOP party chair. Attorney Nina Martinez, the state GOP first vice-chair, is the other candidate for chair. The letter says Newman would be effective in raising funds for the 2010 cycle. We came with the story Tuesday that Newman had the backing of the Martinez camp, but it was not out in the open. We wondered why the Governor-elect could not have cleared the field for her favorite candidate. This letter effectively ends the Nina Martinez candidacy which was backed by Susana Martinez Republican Gvv primary rivals Allen Weh and Doug Turner. It would not be surprising to see Nina throw in the towel and give it to Monty by acclamation at Saturday's ABQ convention. And that's what Governors do. GOING FOR GILBERT? Could Big Bill communications honcho Gilbert Gallegos, a former ABQ Tribune reporter, find work as the Bernalillo County public information officer when the clock runs out on Bill come December 31. One of our downtown ABQ Alligators says it is indeed a possibility and gives us the inside story:The opening for a Public Information Director for Bernalillo County comes after the recent removal of Liz Hamm from that position, and her placement in a “new” job as PIO for County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Insiders know that Hamm’s removal was fallout from the summer’s continuing bad news stories in the local media. Liz was encouraging taking the high road, yet the County Manager and Commissioners wanted to curtail the flow of information to the media and public. This position, which is at-will, is really all about supporting the Commissioners and Manager. Insiders also note that Governor Richardson has personally spoken to County Manager Thaddeus Lucero about hiring the Gov’s communications director Gilbert Gallegos for the County position. Gallegos did get a recent interview, as did other current state PR flacks Tia Bland and Dan Ware. Here is the job posting. Many PIO's for the state are "exempt," meaning a lot of them can and will be canned when new GOP Governor Martinez takes over the first of the year. Gallegos has been one of Bill's most loyal lieutenants, staying through the good times and bad. Richardson's reticence to talk to some of the media in his final months has made it tougher for Gallegos, but he has earned his stripes in one of the toughest PR jobs in the state. E-mail 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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