Monday, May 09, 2011Government Jobs Cast Even Bigger Shadow; Their Share Of State Work Force Soars As Private Sector Sags, Plus: Dear Intel, Throw Us A Bone Be careful, government cutters. If you use that scalpel too much, you could keep the New Mexico recession hanging around even longer. We say that because while the state's private sector continues to sag, the percentage of the work force employed by government at all levels has soared to 23.1 percent. In late 2007, just prior to the economic crash, government jobs averaged just over 20 percent of the work force.And you know it's really much higher than that 23 percent. Throw in the thousands of contractors for the defense and energy departments plus the state, cities and counties and government jobs and you wonder just what the percentage would be. It would be interesting to know for sure, but we don't know of anyone who does that type of survey. Even as government becomes an ever larger piece of the employment pie here, government jobs, like their private sector counterparts, are actually diminishing, but at a slower rate than the private sector thus their increasing percentage. From the latest state report: Government employment slipped by 2,800 jobs from its year ago total, with job losses reported at all levels. State government reported 1,900 fewer jobs, while local government, the largest of the three public-sector components, posted a loss of 500 jobs. Federal government employment was down 400 jobs from this time last year, when census work was just getting started. It's Governor Susana's job to clean up after the Bull Market party and trim government. But she has to find the right balance. Thousands of well-paying government jobs have already been shed or frozen the past two years. Each time we lose another it's a hit to economic activity--shopping, going to the dry cleaners etc. That in turn is a hit to government tax revenue, exacerbating the budget shortfalls for local and state government. With the private economy here still stalled, there are not a lot of places for the displaced government employees to find a job. As things hopefully pick up that will change. Meanwhile, the Guv and mayors need to be mindful that budget cuts have a downside--if they go too far.
DEAR INTEL....  State officials are jumping up and down for joy over the issuance of a revised air quality permit for manufacturing giant Intel which operates a sizable plant at Rio Rancho. They say it positions the state for jobs if and when Intel expands there. Neighborhood opponents were not pleased.The favorable air permit from the state Environment Department comes on the heels of a major controversy over the firing of Sandoval County Manager Juan Vigil. He was given the axe after he pressured Intel to make good on taxes he says the company owes. He is taking the county to court over his firing. These are two big breaks for the computer chip maker, so where are the jobs? Intel says we are now "positioned" to get them. But Intel employment has plummeted from a high of about 5,500 in 2006 to the current 3,300. That's a decline of 40 percent. You won't hear many people around here say that out loud. But as much as the company has contributed to the manufacturing economy of the state (besides it's permanent employees, there are numerous Intel contractors), it is not the player it once was but still casts an intimidating shadow. Maybe that isn't so bad if we were getting more of those nice paying jobs out of the deal, but we aren't. Take a look at this October announcement from Chandler, AZ: Intel officials said the company plans to expand its factory site in Chandler and create thousands of jobs while building a sleeker, higher performance microprocessor. Intel officials said the company plans to invest between $6 billion and $8 billion in manufacturing in its American facilities for its next-generation 22-nanometer manufacturing processor across several U.S. factories. The microprocessor will enable sleeker device designs, higher performance and longer battery life at lower costs. The investment will support the creation of 6,000 to 8,000 construction jobs and 800 to 1,000 new permanent high-tech jobs in the United States, with a significant portion of those coming to Arizona. Then there's the recent expansions in China and the state of Oregon: Intel opened a 300mm wafer fabrication facility in China, its first semiconductor manufacturing plant in Asia. Meanwhile, the chip maker is also expanding in Oregon with a $6- to $8 billion investment in five 22nm fab projects targeting processors for mobile devices. Intel opened the company's first Asia-based advanced chip manufacturing plant in China, the company said Oct. 26. So what about us? Excuse us for being the guy at the dinner table who doesn't use his napkin, but someone has to ask. It seems recent Intel expansions are big on the construction phase but not as big as they once were when adding permanent employees to make the new chips. That's efficiency. But New Mexico still wants and needs our share. Positioning us for jobs is one thing, providing them is another. And it's not like we're bashing the company which has been around here since 1980. We like them so much we want more of them here--just like Arizona, Oregon and China. ENDORSEMENT DUEL Hector Balderas announced a new round of endorsements last week--mostly politicos from the north. So now Rep. Martin Heinrich, touring the state and dueling with Balderas for the 2012 Dem US Senate nomination, comes with his own list---from the south: Former Rep. J. Paul Taylor endorsed my campaign along with State Representative Joni Gutierrez, State Senator Steve Fischmann, and former Rep. Jeff Steinborn. I’m honored to have them standing with me in this campaign. Okay, Hector has the north covered and Martin has come with the south. How about ABQ, fellas? Whose up first? GARY WHO?  It was a dismal night for former Governor Gary Johnson at the Fox News presidential debate. The carnage was detailed in the WaPo:Gary who?: Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson came into the debate with low expectations and managed to underperform them. Sensing he was bordering on irrelevance, Johnson asked the moderators for more questions but when he got them he did next-to-nothing with them. It’s hard to see how Johnson builds any momentum with a performance like the one he gave Thursday night. Pretty scathing, but no surprise here as we've been saying from day one that if Bill Richardson could not break through on the national stage, Gary Johnson sure wasn't going to. (That was one of the safest political predictions we'll ever make.) But segments of the New Mexico press seem mesmerized by his quixotic campaign and give it acres of space, just about all of it favorable. Why? We detect minimal public curiosity about Johnson who left the governorship in 2002 and has essentially been in political hiding since. He has some interesting ideas (ending the wars is one of them) but his credibility caves when he advocates cutting the Medicare and Medicaid budgets by nearly half and repeatedly advocates for legalizing marijuana. His infinitesimal chances of breaking through came and went Thursday night when he seemed dumbfounded and out of place. Gary is a master at tackling the ski slopes, but when it comes to national politics, he is stuck on the beginner's trail. SPACED OUT PAYMENTS  The state economic development department is pointing fingers at Big Bill's administration for very slow payments for Spaceport contractors, but that's the past. The new team owns it now and the taxpayers expect smooth oversight from the new administration. The news:A backlog in Santa Fe is causing payment delays of more than two months for about 10 spaceport construction firms, said Christine Anderson, executive director for Spaceport America, while addressing the spaceport's governing body in late April. The companies affected include a mix of the primary contractors--including Summit West--and sub-contractors involved in both construction and professional services, Anderson said. Anderson, speaking to board members, highlighted a complex invoice approval process that routes paperwork through a series of state agencies. She said she began addressing the concerns soon after being hired. "People are still working, but we have to work very hard to get them paid because that's not a good situation," she said. The Spaceport falls under the state's economic development department which is headed by Jon Barela. If the slow billing isn't straightened out soon, the fingers will be pointing at him. THE BOTTOM LINES Campbell  This comes from David Campbell, the longtime ABQ attorney and former chief administrative officer for the city of ABQ who left to join the Foreign Service:We got our first assignment in the Foreign Service to Port Louis, Mauritius! Beginning in August, 2011, I will be the Political/Military Officer in the U. S. Embassy there. Shelly and I are thrilled with the assignment, and we look forward to getting there and starting work. You can find Campbell's blog here. 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 2011 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Friday, May 06, 2011Our Newsy Cinco de Mayo Lunch; Senate Leader Says Week Is Enough For Special Redistricting Session, Plus: More End Of Week La Politica
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 Whenever we run into State Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez at the Barelas Coffee House nestled in the South Valley of ABQ, we seem to come away some news tidbits. So it was when we stopped there on Cinco de Mayo for lunch with a couple of Alligators. While waiting for our enchiladas Sanchez strolled in and we took the opportunity to quiz him on a subject that is on the minds of a lot of politicos--the upcoming special legislative session over redistricting.The leader said the month of September is certain for the session which will be called by the Governor. So what about the speculation that the Guv could load up the agenda and the lawmakers could be up in Santa Fe for much longer than imagined. "I have heard that, but I haven't heard that from her," he responded. Sanchez guessed that the session to redraw the 112 legislative and three congressional districts to conform with the 2010 census will last about a week--seven days or so. He agreed that longer than that could cause hardship for the citizen lawmakers, many of whom have job and business responsibilities. The leader also had some good news for the state construction industry. He said the $225 capital outlay bill that was stalled for political reasons in the final moments of the session that concluded in March should have no trouble winning approval in the special September session. Gov. Martinez has said she will put it on the agenda and Sanchez says "we need to do it to get things moving." Those "things" mean jobs and the economy. We're hearing that several GOP lawmakers are already expressing concern that Martinez could come with a special session agenda laden with subjects that could keep them in Santa Fe much longer than a week. They are not happy about that prospect. Martinez has said the capital outlay bill will be put on the agenda along with the redistricting. She has not yet revealed a broader special session agenda that is causing the concern. For his part, Sanchez pointed out that the Legislature could call itself into special session while in Santa Fe and pursue a crowded agenda of its own, but he is not going to encourage that. The majority leader seems to be of a mind if God made the Earth in seven days, surely the legislature can do a redistricting session in a similar amount of time. OBAMA TO EL PASO  First the news:President Obama is expected to address border trade and security issues Tuesday during his second visit to El Paso in less than a year next week and then head off to attend a fundraiser in Austin, El Paso Mayor John Cook told The Associated Press Thursday that he has received information that Obama will visit Chamizal National Memorial, on the U.S.-Mexico border, a few blocks from downtown El Paso. The AP adds: The White House says President Barack Obama will deliver a speech on immigration when he visits El Paso next Tuesday. It will be the latest in a string of events the White House has devoted to immigration policy despite an unfavorable climate on Capitol Hill for passing the kind of comprehensive legislation Obama favors. And the analysis. Well, border trade is very important, but a mile from where Obama will be in downtown El Paso, it's like the killing fields. The spectacular failure to end the drug wars is a black mark on the Mexican government and maybe on Obama's White House. Has the USA done all it can to stop the blood from flowing in the streets?It is a real moral contradiction to have the President urges good trade relations while the biggest item of trade is illegal drugs and the value of human life is so demeaned on our doorstep. Can't the US be more vigorous in its involvement? On the political front, the President's support among Hispanics has taken a dive. That's another reason for his attention to El Paso which will also get him into the New Mexico media market. BALDERAS BANDWAGON  Senate contender Hector Balderas has come with another round of endorsements (full list here). While it shows he has traction in the north, the list is very light on any ABQ or southern supporters, big holes he is going to have to fill as he attempts to beat ABQ US Rep. Martin Heinrich for the nomination.Some of the Balderas supporters: State Senator Carlos Cisneros, State Senator David Ulibarri, State Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, Rep. Thomas Garcia, District Attorney Richard Flores, District Attorney Donald Gallegos, Taos County Commissioner Dan Barrone, Taos City Councilor Rudy Abeyta and Taos City Councilor Michael Silva. This quote of one of the endorsers caught our attention: Although Hector is committed to cutting spending, he will always make the needed investments in education,” Las Vegas City School Board Member Ricky Serna added. As we've said before, the cost-cutting and "fiscal accountability" that Balderas is pushing is a pretty conservative message for a Democratic primary. You can see why the major labor unions are with Heinrich. His team feels the fiscal message combined with his strong ethics record as auditor will do the trick. But is he shooting over the heads of the electorate? We'll see. And some clarification on the advisors to the Balderas campaign. A former staffer for the 2o10 Diane Denish Dem Guv campaign told us that Hilltop Consulting in DC was involved in the Denish campaign. A Balderas associate says Ken Morely of Hilltop, not Mo Elleithee of Hilltop who is now helping Balderas, was the general consultant for Denish and not the "message consultant." They say the message consultant was Dawn Laguens, not of Hilltop. They say the last NM campaign that Elleithee was involved in here was the Udall Senate campaign in 2008 where they say "the messaging turned out just fine." Elleithee is now consulting Balderas. The messaging of the Denish campaign came under intense criticism in the final weeks of the Guv campaign. NO TAX INCREASE? James Thorson, a UNM emeritus professor of English, writes: When are the Democrats (or the teachers, who are directly affected) going to come down on our Republican Governor about not raising taxes? That may be true for the business people she was addressing recently, but a tax has been levied on everybody in education by way of a 1.75 % retirement "contribution" that does not go to the ERA fund but into the tax coffers to help balance the budget. Point taken, Jim. And we're glad you did not correct our English or that would have been a really long email. To offset the pension pay cuts, the paper reports "UNM President Schmidly will propose one-time pay increases for staff and merit benefits for faculty if enrollments and tuition revenues increase next fall." PAIN FOR PAYNE Corwin  Democrat Michael Corwin ran against and lost to newly announced city council candidate Greg Payne when the two squared off for a far NE Heights legislative seat in 2004. Although he came up short, Corwin thinks the contest showed that Payne will be vulnerable to hits from fellow Republican and incumbent City Councilor Trudy Jones who Payne is challenging:....I got 44% in 2004 when Democratic congressional candidate Richard Romero got 31% and John Kerry got 39% from the voter's of District 31. Payne spent almost $60,000 on the race and was in from the get go. I spent $12K and didn't come in the race until September. I had no name recognition and was publicly pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Obviously, many in the district did not share my positions. But, I got more Republican support than any other Dem ever did. The reason: countless numbers of Republicans approached me to say that they had never crossed party lines, but did so because Payne's well-documented behavior was an anathema to them. Pretty hard to think that has changed or that Trudy Jones can't capitalize on it. We blogged yesterday that Payne was doing contract work for PR agency DW Turner. A spokesman for the firm said Payne did do work for them last year, but is not currently under contract. CALIFORNIA AND US Some thinkers around here believe as the California economy goes, so goes New Mexico. If so, here is a bit of good news: State officials are reporting an unexpected $2-billion surge in tax receipts that will help lawmakers close the remaining $15-billion budget deficit, and the Capitol is humming with hope that more is coming. But the windfall could complicate Gov. Jerry Brown's push for tax increases, which he says are needed for California's longer-term financial health. NM tax collections have picked up some in recent weeks as well. The question is whether the pick-up has staying power. Thanks for the company this week. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Reporting from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Thursday, May 05, 2011Dullness To Take Holiday In City Election; Greg Payne Will Challenge Fellow R For Council; Race Could Impact Berry, Plus: Heather Cautious On Cuts Forget about the 2011 ABQ City Council election being a dull affair or one where the stakes are low. Greg Payne will make sure of that. Albuquerque's well-known political lightning rod announces that he will challenge fellow Republican and NE Heights Councilor Trudy Jones in the October balloting. Payne, 44, burst onto the scene when he won that council seat back in '99 and went on to engage Mayor Jim Baca in a series of clashes that made him a memorable, if controversial city politico.After his stint on the council, he ran for a NE Heights legislative seat in 2004 and won again. He resigned from the Legislature in 2005 and in 2006 was hired by Dem Mayor ABQ Marty Chavez as the city's transit director. It his association with Chavez that Jones and other R's will seize upon to try and thwart Payne. And they will give it all they've got because his election could literally alter the balance of power on the nine member panel and present a major governing challenge to Republican Mayor Richard Berry. Although he played it low-key in his announcement, Payne made it clear that if he gets on the council, there's going to be a wake-up call to the 11th Floor: Mayor Berry has done a good job guiding the city through some difficult times, but I also know there's more we can do to re-structure City Hall and move Albuquerque forward. And we must do everything possible as a city to re-ignite our economy and attract private sector jobs to Albuquerque. I also believe the City Council can play a more active role in addressing the challenges Albuquerque faces. I look forward to working with Mayor Berry and the other City Councilors to ensure taxpayers are getting their money's worth out of City Hall and to create a business climate that supports the private sector and high-paying jobs. Payne, a divorced father of three, added that his campaign will participate in the city's public finance system. Jones has said she will not, giving her the opportunity to raise more money than public financing provides. However, Payne could be eligible for matching funds, depending on how high she goes. Now, about that crucial balance of power. For the first time since the 80's, the ABQ council is controlled by the R's. They have five members and the Dems have four. Payne is a Republican, but he is an independent R, who Republican Mayor Berry will not be able to count on for automatic support as he has with the present council. Payne has conservative leanings but he is also an activist with populist blood in him. And he learned the art of high-performance governing when laboring under the three term Mayor Chavez. He upset the Berry team when he made mildly critical newspaper comments about His Honor's first year in office. He reprised them in his announcement statement above. Of course, veteran Payne watchers know he has a long list of venial sins--the infamous coke can and cop incident being the most sensational among them--and those will certainly will be rehashed in the pages of the Daily Chronicle and in the hit pieces sent to the mail boxes by the Jones forces. TRUDY'S CHALLENGE  Despite the negative ammo available to puncture him with, Payne's chances of beating incumbent Jones are good. He may be a pain to some R's, but he is a proven vote-getter in District 8. He is also a professional political consultant who did contract work last year for PR company DW Turner, owned by 2010 GOP Guv candidate Doug Turner. His campaign experience is broad and deep. Also, much of the negative about him was already vetted by voters when they elected him to the Legislature.Jones, prominent in the real estate biz, is supported by the mainstream business community and can count on support from the Berry forces (yes, that means Public Safety Director and former Sheriff Darren White and Guv Martinez consultant Jay McCleskey) but much of a city council race consists of going door-to-door. Only 5,000 or so souls are expected to vote in the district. Trudy will have to work it to win. In 2007, Jones ran unopposed and faced no campaign pressure. Also, Berry will have to be careful how far he goes in supporting Jones. Past mayors have found that their embrace can repel voters who don't like being told what to do. There are four city council seats on the October ballot. Mayor Berry is not up for re-election until 2013. The current city council and mayor have been among the most low-key in years, in contrast to when Payne was on the council. He and Dem Mayor Baca and Dem Councilor Eric Griego repeatedly clashed. That council was called uncivil while this one is is being called stagnant. Whether Payne gets on the council and gives it a Vitamin B-12 shot will be settled in October, but his entry guarantees the forthcoming campaign has been given immunity from boredom. To that, City political junkies will shout, Hallelujah! BLIND ART Payne says one of his first $5.00 contributors to help him qualify under the city's public financing rules is none other than Art Schreiber, the blind activist and business leader who goes by the moniker "Blind Art." Schreiber himself ran for mayor a number of years ago. He would laugh if we joked that his support of Payne is a case of the blind leading the blind, wouldn't you, Art? THE PLAN  While Payne and others pine for a somewhat more activist administration to get ABQ moving--especially when it comes to the economy--Mayor Berry says he is doing something--at least about the long-term future. Tonight he has a town hall meeting to discuss what he calls, "ABQ, The Plan."What potential projects can improve Albuquerque? Discuss with Mayor Richard J. Berry potential projects to improve Albuquerque. When May 05, 2011 7:00-8:00 pm-- Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, 2000 Mountain NW We are looking at large public projects that will shape the future of our community. These projects will make visitors want to vacation in Albuquerque and make our residents proud that they live here. These enhancements will entice new and existing businesses to grow here, creating new quality jobs. One plus for Berry? Job creation is a nationwide problem. Citizens here may be reluctant to blame him for the still sky-high unemployment. (Hey, Mayor, don't be disappointed if you don't get a really big crowd. Looks like you are competing with Cinco de Mayo happy hour). HEATHER AND SPENDING  The Tea Party types might not be ecstatic about it but GOP US Senate candidate Heather Wilson is staking out some important ground on federal spending cuts. She says she wants to bring that spending under control, but is not going to do at the expense of the military. In other words, if elected, she is going to work to protect the federal military bases here.Wilson, an Air Force Academy graduate, said her candidacy is about cutting the deficit and reducing government spending. What (she says) makes her different is that she has a good reputation for supporting defense spending and some of the strongest supporters of defense in the Senate are retiring. Wilson said the Senate needs to have a Republican majority to stop runaway government spending, but it can’t be done at the expense of the military. Knowing Wilson's record as a five term ABQ congresswoman, you can probably expand that to include resisting cuts to Los Alamos and Sandia Labs which are funded by the Department of Energy to the tune of billions annually. Protecting the federal funding and employment in the state are a time-honored role for a New Mexico Senator. In that regard, Wilson would be on strong footing with general election voters if she were the nominee. Her problem remains a Republican primary electorate, a large segment of which can be fairly described as radicalized when it comes to any federal spending being protected. If Lt. Governor John Sanchez challenges Wilson for the GOP nomination, will he share Wilson's views on defense spending? And what about declared candidate Greg Sowards? A NEW CONGRESS?  Well, maybe what the country needs is a brand new Congress. Something like this?WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – In a startling measurement of public opinion since the successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden, Americans in record numbers are signing a petition to replace Congress with SEAL Team Six, the elite unit that took out the al-Qaeda madman. The petition echoes the results of a new poll by the University of Minnesota’s Opinion Research Institute, in which the Navy SEALS trounce Congress by a lopsided 97% to 2% margin, with the remaining 1% answering, “Superman.” Professor Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota said that the numbers behind the numbers were even more striking: “By a wide margin, Americans favor SEAL Team Six landing on the Capitol building with helicopters and taking out Congress by force.” Well, we think it's a joke. Meanwhile, toasts are being lifted across the nation to those exceptionally skillful, but unknown Seals who took out Bin Laden. NM southern Congressman Steve Pearce ended up outside the White House Sunday night and came with a moving account of the spontaneous celebration there. Like Steve, a Vietnam vet, we were moved by the young people who turned out for the momentous occasion and we wrote about it on Monday's blog. MEDIA BEAT A media Alligator reacts to the news that State Auditor and Dem US Senate candidate Hector Balderas has hired Hilltop Public Solutions of DC to assist with this campaign: Hilltop was also Diane Denish's campaign communications firm/consultancy for her 2010 Governor run. Funny how they don't advertise her Guv race on their website. They can be pinned for most of the messaging that failed to connect with "those everyday" New Mexicans the campaign talked so much about. There were frequent objections to the messaging from New Mexico communications, political and field advisors.... We remember that well as Denish was urged by the Senior Alligators, among others, to take a more populist bent in the closing weeks of the campaign but it fell on deaf ears. Not to put all the blame on Hilltop, but it a player in a Guv campaign that was and is frequently criticized for having its head in the sand. KOB-TV has hired a new news director with some local roots: Laurie Passman comes to KOB-TV from KTVK-TV...in Phoenix where she was the Assistant News Director. Passman...grew up in the North Valley, attended Cibola High School and the University of New Mexico. She started in news as an intern at KOB 4 in 1996. Passman left KOB in 1999 to join KTVK... THE BOTTOM LINES  Our old friend and veteran media maven Arthur Alpert tossed a compliment our way the other day, saying, "Joe, You're an institution!""Well," we responded, "then how come Big Bill didn't name one of those state buildings after us like he did for every Tom, Dick and Harry?" Arthur replied, "It's too late for that. But Governor Martinez's staff has agreed to take up a collection for a going away gift for you anytime it's needed." Thanks, Arthur. It's so nice to be thought of (I think). This is the home of New Mexico politics. It's led by your humble servant, Joe Monahan. E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Wednesday, May 04, 2011Longest Serving State Senator To Retire; Pinto Packing It In, Plus: Young Dems Elect New Prez, And Incredible Tsunami Video You Haven't Seen
Sen. Pinto
 We're getting word on the first legislative retirement in advance of the 2012 election and it's a biggie. Our insiders report the longest serving member of the New Mexico State Senate--Senator John Pinto--will not seek re-election next year. He has served since 1977 and is co-chair of the Indian Affairs Committee. When he ends his run next year he will have been elected to nine terms and served 36 years.Pinto, 86, is a Navajo who represents McKinley and San Juan counties and was one of the first Native Americans to serve in the Legislature. During WWII he was trained as a Navajo Code Talker. He is known for bringing numerous public works projects to his district and working to have more Indians involved in government. He is also well-known for his annual singing of "The Potato Song" which he usually performs at the conclusion of each legislative session. It has come to be known as an uniquely New Mexican moment. Early speculation about who will seek to replace Pinto centers on his son, but there will be other names. The legislative redistricting later this year will be closely watched now to see how it impacts this sprawling NW district. Pinto was born in 1924 into a family of sheepherders on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and was raised in Gallup. He earned a masters degree at UNM and became a school teacher. There's more about his fascinating life story. Here's an excerpt that brings it home: Back in 1977, (ABQ State Senator) Manny Aragon was on his way to the opening session of the New Mexico Legislature in a terrible January snowstorm when he spotted a middle-aged Navajo man standing in Downtown Albuquerque with a blanket over his head and his thumb out. Aragon pulled over in his old Cadillac and gave the guy a ride. "I just thought he was a transient," Aragon said. As they drove north, Aragon asked his passenger where he was headed. The hitchhiker said he had taken a bus from Gallup to Albuquerque and was now traveling on to Santa Fe. "Oh, yeah?" Aragon said. "What are you going to do there?" "I'm a state senator," the hitchhiker replied. "So am I," Aragon said. How about that? ADVISING HECTOR Freshly minted Dem US Senate candidate Hector Balderas is getting some heavyweight help in his bid to upset US Rep. Martin Heinrich for the nomination. Mo Elleithee of Hilltop Public Solutions has signed up to advise Balderas on communications. Among Elleithee's former clients is NM Senator Tom Udall. The senator's step-daughter, Amanda Cooper, is a political consultant with close ties to attorney Brian Colon, a close friend of Balderas and who is involved in his Senate bid. Both Cooper and Colon were closely associated with former Governor Richardson. None of this means Senator Udall is leaning toward Balderas, but the lines are worth connecting. As for Hector's communications skills, Mo may want to examine the state auditor's repeated use of the term "fiscal accountability." Is that really a phrase that is going to get hard-core Dems out of their seats? Just asking. MOVING UP
Garcia  John Garcia, head of the state veterans' department under Big Bill, is moving up. A friend tells us he will move to Washington to become deputy assistant secretary of intergovernmental affairs in the national veterans' department. He will deal with Capitol Hill as well as state veterans' agencies like the one he led here.Garcia, a Vietnam vet, is a an old government hand. He was deputy chief of staff to Governor Bruce King back in the day. He is a graduate of ABQ's West Mesa High School. JET SET Readers have been asking about the Guv's plans to sell the state jet. The latest: New Mexico has awarded a contract to a Colorado-based aviation broker to sell the state's executive jet plane. A source close to the negotiations confirmed to The Associated Press that the state General Services Department has hired Wetzel Aviation Inc. to sell the Cessna Citation Bravo.Big Bill bought the jet in 2005 for $5.5 million. Maybe you can pick it up for $3 million or so. YOUNG LEADER Benai Padilla  The NM Young Democrats have a new president. She's 25 year old Benai Padilla of ABQ. She's starting her political career the right way, too. Benai beat out Adrian Carver by getting 71 percent of the vote at the group's recent election.She is currently an aide to ABQ Dem State Senator Tim Keller and worked in Diane Denish's Guv campaign. The new prez says she plans on attending law school at UNM. HIGH JOBLESS It's no bed of roses around here when it comes to the jobless rate, but look at this: MADRID (AP) - Spain's unemployment rate rose sharply to a new eurozone high of 21.3 percent in the first quarter of the year, with a record 4.9 million people out of work, the government said Friday. The rate was the highest reported by the country since 1997. Joblessness during the January-March period jumped 1 percentage point from 20.3 percent at the end of 2010, and adds pressure on Spain as it tries to recover from nearly two years of recession and convince investors that it can handle its heavy debt load. Not to say New Mexico is completely unfamiliar with this sky high unemployment. In Luna County, in the southwest, the Feds say the jobless rate is 20.9 percent. KEEPING IT GOING There are some jobs coming to the ABQ metro--thanks to the Feds: Albuquerque's economy is about to get an $89 million boost from a U.S. Air Force laboratory where scientists and technicians will predict the weather in space and ensure the reliability of satellites. Kirtland Air Force Base officials and a handful of dignitaries cut the ribbon on the new $59.5 million Battlespace Environment Laboratory, which brings with it nearly 200 jobs. NOT WISCONSIN  Governor Susana drives it down the middle of the road when it comes to public employee unions. New Mexico is no Wisconsin:"We have to work with collective bargaining and the unions, we have to make sure that we get the most for the taxpayer dollar...especially, like, for example, in education...We have to make sure we are working with the unions but that both of us are putting the kids first." But no, she said, she doesn't see a need for major changes to the state law. Although not a member of a union, the Governor is a lifelong public employee having served as a longtime district attorney and prosecutor before being elected Guv. WHAT A HEADLINE Happiest kids live with two parents, have no younger siblings, don’t argue, eat together, and have happy mom And the story. DID YOU KNOW?  That former NM GOP Governor and presidential candidate Gary Johnson...Wants to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and he also wants to slash the military budget. Why is he the only Republican taking an anti-war position when polls show most Republicans agree with him? Then there are these problems for Governor Gary: ...If Johnson is a serious candidate for president, then these views will become less significant as the primary season wears on. That is, for Johnson to find real success within the Republican primaries, he’ll have to raise money from GOP donors and satisfy the issue preferences of GOP elites, donors and primary voters. And to that end, he’ll have to repudiate positions – like marijuana decriminalization and marriage equality – that run counter to the views of most Republicans. THE MONEY WATCH  Can former ABQ city councilor and State Senator Eric Griego raise the money needed to run an effective race for the 2012 Dem nomination for the ABQ US House seat? We raised that question Monday and got some feedback from a Griego supporter:He raised over $300K in the 2005 mayor's race against Marty Chavez...That is as much or more than anyone considering the race ever raised (except Marty, of course who mostly leaned on city contractors for his money). Griego has a list of 2,000 donors from his Senate and mayoral race... TSUNAMI TERROR Reader Herb Romero writes and sends incredible Japan tsunami video that you probably have not seen. Terrifying video, Joe. First, focus on the horizon--the video is taken from the hills. At the very end, some people had to be rescued as they tried to get to the hills and safety. I'm not sure all of them made it. You don't have to understand Japanese to hear terror in their voices as they witness their town disintegrate before their eyes. I was mesmerized watching this video, had not seen it before. Thanks, Herb. It is incredible, jaw-dropping video. THE BOTTOM LINES  From David Letterman:There has already been some trouble for Osama bin Laden in the afterlife. It is the kind of "mix-up" that happens all the time. Just a paperwork kind of a deal. He was greeted by 72 vegans. 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 2011 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Tuesday, May 03, 2011Blogging Subjects Du Jour: The Spaceport, Kirtland & Sandia, Los Alamos, The State Budget, UNM Prez Search, And Hector Balderas' Grandmother That huge slash to the NM Spaceport administrative budget that went unnoticed until last week---down to $500,000, for a more than 50 percent haircut--came as a surprise to Spaceport watchers, but they say what's happening in Santa Fe isn't slowing Virgin Galactic's plans to keep moving forward with the plans to launch tourists into space at $200,000 a pop.But with such a slim budget what about state oversight and marketing? That's the danger--operationally and politically. After all, overseeing a Spaceport isn't like building an erector set. Future foul-ups? Look for fingers to point at the spartan budget and the Fourth Floor. The Spaceport construction budget--$209 million from the state and a taxpayer supported tax--is unaffected. Why do Spaceport backers pester Martinez to say something positive and out loud about the Spaceport? Well, because of stuff like this : Space Expedition Curaçao (SXC) will launch 35-minute flights into space from the southern Caribbean island beginning Jan. 1, 2014, according to the company. SXC is an initiative of aviators Ben Droste and Harry van Hulten and investors Michiel Mol and Maarten Elshove; former Space Shuttle pilot Rick Searfoss will pilot the one-passenger flights, which will cost $90,000. Searfoss is a test pilot for XCOR, a U.S.-based manufacturer of and builder of the Lynx2, the two-seater space ship to be used for the flights. We think New Mexico will get it done, but if we don't, someone else will. Besides our Governor, Spaceport backers say the project, which could be a major job generator for the state, could use some renewed interest from State Senator John Arthur Smith, the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He represents a large swath of Sierra County where the Spaceport is located and not a state budget cut goes through without him knowing about it. Will "Dr. No" offer southern New Mexico some assurances about the future? SPACEPORT ALLIGATORS  We have Spaceport Alligators now and they are on the case for us. Here's a letter from one of them:I have been involved with the construction of Spaceport America since ground was broken in 2009. So I've worked with all three Directors...I believe they currently have six staff members. Surely those can't be sustained with only a $500,000 budget. ....The Spaceport has the potential of being a significant economic generator. We've had visitors from around the globe, many exploring how to build similar facilities in places such as Australia, the Caribbean and Scandinavia. National Geographic has been filming the construction activity and will produce a documentary on the project. Boeing Corp. is paying to utilize the completed runway over the next few weeks to conduct testing. The basic infrastructure (the water, wastewater, roadways, drainage, etc.) is essentially complete. However, permanent power to the site is still not available. That has caused considerable construction-related difficulties. Hopefully, permanent power will finally be brought to the site by mid-summer. Virgin Galactic remains committed to Spaceport America, despite a very tenuous administrative transition since January 1. Surely, Sir Richard Branson has the financial resources to one day say, "enough is enough New Mexico" and take his operation elsewhere. He'd likely make good on a contract withdrawal payment, but where would that leave our Spaceport? I remain optimistic that such a doomsday scenario will not happen. It's concerning that our Governor, who hails from the region of the state that has the most to gain from the success of the Spaceport, continues to throttle her support.... We aren't ready to throw the towel in on Susana on this. She's got--as the astronauts say--"the right stuff." She just needs to lighten up and show it. Maybe some of the southerners can light a fire under her as well as her top aides--Keith Gardner of Roswell and Brian Moore of Clayton. Surely, they are advocating for rural New Mexico in their new positions, aren't they? FUNNY NUMBERS  Martinez told a business audience Monday that her "administration worked with state legislators during the recent legislative session to close a $420 million budget deficit without raising or imposing new taxes."How does she figure that when the AP reported: Gov. Martinez signed into law a package of financial measures, including a budget allocating $5.4 billion next year for public education and general government programs. The budget, as signed, will cut state spending by nearly 3 percent, or $156 million, in the fiscal year that starts July 1. How she continually gets to $420 million--which makes her political muscle look bigger--is one of the ongoing mysteries of New Mexican politics. THE KIRTLAND FACTOR  We get a little hyper on the Spaceport because we live in a city where everyday we see Sandia Labs, a private-public partnership that serves as a foundation of our economy, as it has for some 60 years. Together with Kirtland Air Force Base the annual economic impact is immense. New figures show the payroll for Kirtland and Sandia is over $2.1 billion annually. Click on the image to see that and more financial info.Could Spaceport America someday make a similar contribution? Well, maybe not a $2 billion payroll, but development of a full-fledged space industry here holds out so much promise that we would violate a blogger's fiduciary responsibility by not taking up its cause. (Geez, that makes us important sounding). LOS ALAMOS Then there's Los Alamos Labs and the latest info on its financial impact in the north. We didn't make New Mexico a federal reservation, but unlike some critics, we don't fight it. We're for the advancement of the people of New Mexico any legal way we can get it. The last we looked that federal money spent is the same as money generated by the private sector. And in this everlasting recession, that's a very good thing, WOMAN POWER?  Come to think of it, there's no woman yet in the race for the ABQ congressional seat and while Diane Denish may seem unlikely for the contest, a field of all men could make the race more enticing. Audience reports say she gave a robust speech at Saturday's Dem central committee meeting nominating Javier Gonzales for another term. Dem media consultant James Hallinan says:When Diane and I discussed CD1 (the ABQ US House seat) she made it very clear to me that she is seriously weighing a run. She has been in regular communication with the DCCC and others in DC, and of course her many supporters. PICKING A PREZ The Tuesday blog marches on with NMSU economics professor Chris Erickson and his thoughts on the search for a new president of the University of New Mexico. He comments on how much faculty representation there should be on the search committee: Joe, Why shouldn’t faculty make up a significant proportion of a university president search committee? After all faculty are higher education professionals who know a lot about running a university. During NMSU’s most recent president search, eight out of thirteen committee members where either current or past employees of NMSU; five were faculty. We also included two politicians: Former Governor Garrey Carruthers, who in a previous life was a tenured full professor at NMSU and is currently Dean of the Business College, and Dolores Connors, a Las Cruces city councilor and long time NMSU booster. No current regents were included on the committee, although the Chair was a former regent. Our committee worked very well and resulted in the hiring of Dr. Barbara Couture who has proved to be a very able leader in a tough budget environment. (See here for further details about the NMSU presidential search committee.) Thanks, Chris. We're never too proud to take advice from an Aggie. Send Dr. Barbara up here for a visit. THE BOTTOM LINES  Media watchers report KOB-TV's Kayla Anderson is leaving the station to become public info officer for Dem Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenberg....When Dem US Senate candidate Hector Balderas got into the race, we blogged about his family background and mentioned that his grandfather on his mother's side--Juan Vigil--was a sheepherder in the Wagon Mound area where Hector was born. So what was the maiden name of his grandmother, a reader asked? Hector's campaign says her name was Fabiola Martinez. And about that name, we find: (The name) possibly means "one who grows beans." Also, Saint Fabiola (fourth century) was an energetic Roman matron who organized the first hospice for sick and needy travelers. See, you learn something new around here every day--or at least we do. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Reporting to you from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan. Thanks for the comments. Send them and your news tips via the email. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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