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Tuesday, June 07, 2011Where Are New ABQ City Council Districts? ACLU Files Suit To Force Issue, Plus: Griego Gets Union Boost, And: Conservancy District Election Today The ACLU of New Mexico has filed a lawsuit in state district court demanding that the nine city council districts be redistricted in time for the October 4 election. The civil liberties union says the redistricting is required following the 2010 census, but it was put off this year because the redistricting committee said it could not be completed in time to meet this year's earlier election deadlines, especially with regard to public financing. But the ACLU points out city redistricting was completed in a timely manner in 1991 and 2001 and not to do it now is unfair to voters:The City is constitutionally required to reapportion voting districts every 10 years following the release of federal census data to ensure equal representation among voters. 2010 census data shows that Albuquerque’s West Side experienced significant population growth, while other areas of the city remained stagnant or shrunk in population. By unlawfully postponing redistricting, the ACLU believes the Albuquerque City Council will dilute the voting power of residents on the West Side. “At the heart of our democracy is the principle of ‘one person, one vote’,” said ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson. “When one city council district is grossly underrepresented, other areas of the city speak with a louder voice when it comes to making decisions about political leadership, bond proposals, and other important issues that affect us all. Failing to redistrict waters down the vote of citizens living in high-growth areas.” Among those appointed to the redistricting committee by the city council are GOP firebrands Mickey Barnett and Hal Stratton. The panel is chaired by Republican Janice Arnold-Jones. Some Dems argue the redistricting delay is political because their party stands a chance to pick up a West Side council seat. The current council is divided among five Republicans and four Democrats. So is the redistricting committee. However, the committee voted 8 to 1 for the delay, so other critics claim the committee was trying to protect all council incumbents, not only R's. The new population numbers indicate the West Side will pick up a third councilor when the redistricting is finally done. GOP Mayor Berry is up for re-election in 2013, along with five of the nine council seats. Four of them are up for election this October. The major threat to his GOP majority on the council would be the election of independent Republican Greg Payne who is challenging fellow R Trudy Jones for her NE Heights seat. In 2009, Berry became the first ABQ GOP mayor since Harry Kinney finished up a term in 1985. It would seem unlikely that a judge would order the redistricting with the election process so far along, but the committee's hand-wringing over not having enough time to get the job done and delivering the voters the new districts they are entitled to isn't a legacy for the future. TEAMSTERS ENDORSE  The local branch of the Teamsters Union isn't going to wait to see who else will make a bid for the Dem nomination for the ABQ House seat. They've endorsed ABQ State Senator Eric Griego who so far is flying solo in this contest. That is bound to change, but the early union endorsement could help him build some momentum in the face of the headwind he faces over his electability. If he can pick up a few more labor endorsements--as Dem US Senate candidate Martin Heinrich has--it will mean money and campaign manpower. Heinrich is vacating the ABQ House seat after two terms to run for the Senate.Dems sniping from the sidelines say Griego is too liberal for the district. But Griego's position has strenghtened in the past month with word that State Senator Tim Keller and State Rep. Al Park will not challenge him for the Dem nod. Still on the bench and looking it over are former Lt. Governor Diane Denish and former ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez. Unlike Keller and Park, they have trouble with the liberal wing of their party which turns out the primary vote. It may sound odd, but while Chavez and Denish are both potentially formidable candidates, Griego supporters can see a clearer path to victory against them than with Keller or Park who don't have as much baggage. Public Regulation Commissioner Jason Marks is also eyeing the race as is Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham. State Rep. Moe Maestas has indicated interest, but is not expected to stay for the long haul. ELECTION DAY A follow-up now to our Monday blog on today's election for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. We noted that there is no legal requirement for the candidates to file campaign reports or expenditures, but they can file voluntary reports. Engineer John Kelly, who has sited campaign finance reform as one of his goals, says in his voluntary report he has raised over $14,000 for a position on the seven member panel which is responsible for flood control along the Rio Grande. But Kelly does not give the first names of his donors nor their occupations. Candidate Bill Turner did not have much to file. He reports raising "zero" dollars for today's election. Several other candidates who chose to voluntarily file also reported negligible amounts. A tidbit from Kelly's report: He received $150 from GOP State Rep. Larry Larranga and $500 from Sam Bregman's law firm. Larranaga is an engineer and once headed up the state highway department. Bregman, a trial attorney, recently ran for the chairmanship of the state Democratic party. Kelly is a Republican. Today's election is nonpartisan. THEY CAN DO LITTLE?  From reader Norm in response to comments here from veteran NM broadcaster Larry Ahrens on Thursday's blog:With all due respect to Larry Ahrens and to the general concept of political "leadership," there really is very little that politicians can do to get the economy moving. It's well known that corporations are sitting on tons of cash right now, and that interest rates are at historic lows because there is a world-wide surfeit of idle capital. If that capital was invested in new plant it would end the recession this quick. It isn't happening because corporations aren't using the plants they already have to full capacity--consumer demand simply isn't there. Tax policies, stimulus spending, stronger regulations or weaker regulations, none of it matters all that much.... What Ahrens implies is that perhaps politicians in other places have better ideas than New Mexicans. Yes, no, maybe so. Whatever those ideas are, they are not going to change what we're going through now, which is the blowback from a disastrous recession caused by incompetence on the part of banks and other lending institutions. Politicians can do things to prevent this from happening again, but they can't erase the damage wrought to the economy. 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 Monday, June 06, 2011Little Election With Big Hole: No Campaign Reports Required, Plus: Are R's Wasting Shots On Ben Ray? And: Karl & Heather; Together Again
On the river
 We have no idea how much money is being spent or who donated it for an election that will be held tomorrow in the ABQ metro, and neither does anyone else.The below-the-radar election is for three seats on the seven member Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, set up in the 1920's to ensure flood control, but whose election rules are an anachronism that persist into the 21st century. (Some of the candidates have filed reports voluntarily.) The conservancy controls the ditches, dams and levees from Cochiti Reservoir to the Bosque del Apache near Socorro. It also maintains popular recreation sites along the Rio Grande. It has a budget of around $19 million a year, much of which comes from property taxes. Only property owners are eligible to vote in Tuesday's election. (Voting info is here.) The board, although unpaid, makes decisions that impact property owners thus the issue of campaign contributions. One of the candidates in Tuesday's balloting, engineer John Kelly, is calling for a campaign finance reporting system and other MGRCD reforms. He is getting strong backing from ABQ Dem North Valley State Senator Dede Feldman. Kelly is trying to oust Augusta Myers, a former TV news reporter who served as public information officer for the district before deciding to run and winning her seat four years ago. There are four other candidates vying for Myers' Bernalillo County seat, with Kelly seen as the main threat. The other candidates are Andrew Leo Lopez, Lawrence Rodriguez, Elaine Hebard and Claudio Gonzales. Another name being watched is former MRGCD member Bill Turner, a hydrologist and water broker, who previously served on the board and was a thorn in the side of longtime conservancy executive Subhas Shah. Turner, the father of 2010 GOP Guv candidate Doug Turner, is seeking the at-large seat held by Eugene Abeita. The other contender is John Avila. The third seat to be decided represents Valencia County and is held by Janet Jaratt, the current chairman of the board. She has drawn a challenge from Johnny Paiz. Shah is the ultimate survivor. Despite repeated moves through the decades to get rid of him, Shah has won the confidence of the many boards he has served under. In 1977, Shah was named as the district's chief engineer in. In 1989, he also took on the title of chief executive officer after then-CEO Jim Baca was fired. It's nice work, too. Subhas retired in 2009 for 90 days and began collecting a state pension of more than $100,000 a year. He was then hired back at MRGCD at a salary of $160,000. Before he retired, he cashed in sick leave and leave hours that brought him a cool $300,000 in cash. How's that for an "only in New Mexico" moment? WASTEFUL SPENDING?  The NRCC never misses an opportunity to complain about wasteful government spending, but the GOP campaign committee might want to question its own spending. They've decided to launch robo calls into the districts of 11 Dem congressmen, faulting them for voting for an increase in the national debt ceiling without accompanying spending cuts. But one of the congressmen targeted is New Mexico Dem Rep. Ben Ray Lujan. He holds one of the safest districts in the nation, has no announced GOP opponent and after congressional redistricting is done later this year, his district is not going to change appreciably. And Lujan has a plausible and politically popular explanation for his vote in the heavily Dem and low-income district.Republicans had no problem borrowing trillions of dollars to give bigger tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. Yet our country’s ability to continue sending Social Security checks and paying VA benefits relies upon an increase in the debt limit to pay for the obligations made by the Bush administration, and Republicans are irresponsibly holding the U.S. economy hostage in an effort to end Medicare as we know it. Maybe the national R's were encouraged by the 2010 election results when Lujan, seeking a second term, was held below 60 percent by Republican and tea party backed Tom Mullins. Lujan won with 57 percent. But 2012 will be a presidential election year drawing a more moderate electorate and with growing concerns over Medicare and Social Security, tea party fervor appears to have peaked in New Mexico. Lujan would be most vulnerable to a primary challenge, but that's about as likely as him voting to cut Medicare to balance the budget. For the NRCC, there must be happier hunting grounds. By the way, Ben Ray turns the ripe old age of 39 today. He may feel older, but as our old friend Odis Echols was fond of saying, "I've got ties older than him." PLANE WATCH With all the attention given to politicians and planes, we wondered on our May 31 blog how Gov. Martinez would travel to southern California June 13 for a speech before Orange County Republicans. Her office says the Guv's newly-formed political action committee will pay for the trip and that Martinez will travel on a commercial flight, not on a private plane owned by a campaign donor. Martinez made the use of state aircraft by top politicos a major issue last year. When her administration misfired recently in allowing a state plan to be used in violation of state rules, she took a hit. And it's not just New Mexico where this is a hot button issue. You probably heard about New Jersey Governor Christie's travails when he took a state helicopter to his sons' baseball game. He agreed to reimburse the cost, but only after a media firestorm over the ride. KARL AND HEATHER  For months on end the headlines wedded Heather Wilson and White House political adviser Karl Rove to the US Attorney scandal. So when they appeared together recently at a political fund-raiser it was a major eyebrow raiser and an opportunity for Wilson's foes to pounce:Wilson showed up at the El Paso County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner in Colorado Wednesday Wednesday, where Rove and she both spoke: “Heather Wilson's decision to campaign with Karl Rove shows that nothing has changed since she was named one of Congress' most corrupt members by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington in 2007," said Shripal Shah, with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Former US Rep. Wilson is now engaged in a hotly contested race for the GOP US Senate nomination with Lt. Governor John Sanchez. The US attorney scandal is not expected to play much in the GOP primary, but if Wilson is the general election nominee it will again be fodder for her Dem foes. THE COSMETICS Wilson did a video taping while in Colorado that revealed a more youthful appearance than when she announced earlier this year. Her hair was colored to a darker shade of brown and there was more attention to the make-up and clothes. The cosmetics of the GOP race are an issue. Even though Sanchez, 48, is only two years younger than Wilson, 50, his youthful TV persona is on full display in his first round of TV ads. Looking senatorial is all part of the game, however one chooses to define it. THE BOTTOM LINES  It's going to take more than a Clovis lawyer tossing bribery charges out like their cow chips to take down Big Bill:Unless Richardson is charged with a crime, the former governor's reputation in national and foreign policy circles is unlikely to be sullied by the pay-to-play allegations that have generated local headlines in New Mexico, according to Norman Ornstein, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank. "The skills he brings to the table....a great sense of how to interact with people and how to negotiate, those don't go away," Ornstein said in an interview. "If he's out there in the middle of something where he has already built up some credibility, in a place like North Korea or if he has the imprimatur of the U.S. government, which is what some of these negotiations have had, none of this stuff would make a difference." Is this where we're supposed to join with the new administration and certain segments of the media and start dumping all over Bill? Guess we missed the memo. What do the kids say? That's so 2010..... 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 Labels: Ben Ray Lujan, conservancy district, Heather Wilson Friday, June 03, 2011Friday Clippings From Our Newsroom Floor: Spaceport Potential, State Goverment Jobs And Minnie Gallegos
Blogging New Mexico
 We noticed this while over in Arizona recently and the potential of our own Spaceport America immediately came to mind:University of Arizona has won a NASA contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to send an unmanned spacecraft to study and take a sample of an asteroid that's potentially hazardous to Earth. The mission, estimated to cost up to $1 billion and last more than a decade, is the largest space contract in the school's history. Previously, the university's largest space contract was the $428 million Phoenix Mars Mission in 2008. Nice catch for Arizona. Could NMSU and UNM someday compete for such funding? They might--if we have an up and running full-fledged Spaceport fully embraced by our political leadership. SPACE SUPPORT LaDonna Giron, an ABQ attorney, isn't buying what the Spaceport naysayers are selling and writes to "New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan" with this: Thank you for writing on the spaceport and for keeping this project in the public consciousness. There are everyday folks like me who marvel at the ambitious goal of bringing spaceflight to New Mexico. I am not a scientist nor could I afford space flight. But, I have a 9 year old daughter who is captivated by space, who dreams of a career with NASA, and the possibility of space travel for all. Having a spaceport will make her happy and I assume will inspire many NM children to pursue science and technology careers. Too many New Mexicans can't fathom why we need to invest in these projects. Your blogging, although focused on the political aspects of spaceport policy, will likely help the public understand that there are practical reasons for investing in the Spaceport and for that I am truly thankful. It's not just about putting rich tourists in space--the aspect of the project that seems to provoke the most derision from the critics. It's about building on that foundation and GOVERNMENT WORK We've been shedding government workers of late, but the very long-term trend still has us gaining: New Mexico had a 10-year upswing in federal, state and local government jobs, adding 14,300 positions. In the past year, the state has lost 3,200 government jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A total of 187,600 New Mexicans held government jobs in April 2001, a figure that grew to 201,900 by April 2011.STATE JOBS  Those highly coveted state jobs with their health and retirement benefits and most important--their security--are becoming harder to come by and a whole lot less secure. Back in March we ran a newspaper report that showed the carnage since the state slapped on a hiring freeze. Updated figures show the numbers are not quite that bad, but still enough to sink the hearts of those who have their eyes on a state government prize. Here's the word from the Legislative Finance Committee:The total number of state employees was down slightly in May compared with April, continuing a decline that started with a freeze ordered by the executive in December 2008. The State Personnel Office reported the state employed 22,430 full-time workers on May 16. The figures for April 1 were 22,752 and 25,808 for December 1, 2008. Those figures represent a month-to-month drop of 1.4 percent and a total decline of about 13 percent over two and a half years. Among the ten largest agencies, those with the biggest drop in employees were environment, shedding 16 percent of its workers and transportation has 6 percent fewer employees than in Dec. 2008. That's nearly 3,400 workers gone from the state payroll. Most are good-paying jobs never to return. By most accounts, the state was top-heavy with employees. With a 13 percent reduction we have made a painful adjustment. It probably has given us more efficiency but also hurt by way of decreased economic activity. Look at how the Santa Fe area has been hammered by the recession. For a number of generations state government jobs have been at the top rung of the career climb here. They still may be, but there is much less room on the ladder. NO PANIC NECESSARY Whether it was a superior investment team or the lucky stars up above, this is good news for the states many retired educators: Over the past five years the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board (NMERB) fund returned 4.8% per year, ranking in the top 24% of the same group of public funds. While the five-year results are below the target return of 7.75% per year, capital markets have been very turbulent over this time period. For example, the S&P 500 index, a widely followed group of large U.S. stocks, returned only 2.6% over the same time period. Given the market environment with its continued volatility, ERB’s investments have done well. The fund now has about $9.5 billion. There was discussion during the past legislative session of dramatically increasing the years of service needed for an educator to draw a retirement check, but that would appear to be off the table for the foreseeable future. The fund seems solid and educators should reap the benefit for years to come. In other words, there is no need to panic. THE BOTTOM LINES  Nice write-up"for Dem US Senate candidate Hector Balderas from the WaPo's Rachel Weiner.Minnie Gallegos, 82, longtime Santa Fe Democratic Party activist and former county chairman there, passed away this week. We asked former State Rep. Patsy Trujillo of Santa Fe, now working in Washington for the Department of Homeland Security, to remember her: Minnie Gallegos was ahead of her time. She knew what being inclusive meant, which describes the Democratic Party. And she was. She had a warm smile, infectious laugh, and was politically savvy. She was the County Chair for over a decade. Her legacy is that she always made sure you felt welcomed to the Santa Fe Democratic Party. She greeted you with a big abrazo (hug in Spanish). She could meet with Presidents, but always had a personal relationship with the plebe (common folk). She loved wearing her big turquoise jewelery, sharing stories with her compadres and maybe if you were lucky sharing a shot of Patron. She loved her community of Santa Fe and they loved her back. She always made everyone feel welcome. Thank you for your public service, Minnie! And thank you, Patsy, for that remembrance. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Glad to have you with us this week. 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 Labels: Joe Monahan Thursday, June 02, 2011Momentum Grows For Simple Special Session; Ball In Susana's Court, Plus: Senate Money Chase Analysis, And: The Berry Bonds Momentum appears to be growing to keep the special redistricting session of the Legislature from becoming more of a political playground than one would normally expect from 112 politicians gathered under one roof.Governor Martinez will ask lawmakers to take up the hyper-controversial issue of repealing driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and perhaps other issues that led to gridlock at this year's regular legislative session. A newspaper editorial sums up the concern now swirling that the redistricting session, set for September, could morph into an ugly and divisive circus: ....Unless New Mexico’s leaders can walk into the Roundhouse with some compromise and consensus on those issues — or at the minimum a commitment to put things to a vote — the session promises to drag out as an exercise in futility that distracts all from the redistricting job at hand. And that makes the proposal for a separate special session, or waiting for the 2012 regular session, sound better all the time. The session to redistrict the state's congressional and legislative districts to conform with the 2010 census is estimated to cost $50,000 a day--not chump change when the state can't even come up with money for supplemental food stamps for 4,000 old people. Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez told us recently that he would like the special to last seven days or so. He pointed out that Governor Martinez can include on her "call" any issues she wants, but that doesn't mean the lawmakers will consider them. Martinez has not yet come with her full agenda, but she's getting plenty of warning that if her political arm tries to turn the session into a lengthy wedge issue festival aimed at the 2012 campaigns and not the redistricting business at hand, she is going to have her hands full stemming the resulting rebellion. THE MONEY CHASE  By turning her back on the Senate bid of Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, Governor Martinez hopes to dry up his money. Some R's who don't want to be on the wrong side of the Guv will oblige, but it will be interesting to see how conservative oil money flows. They are no fans of Heather Wilson, the other major GOP Senate contender, but did give heavily to Susana.Southern Congressman Steve Pearce, who beat Wilson for the Senate nod in 2008, could be very helpful to Sanchez in making up any money he loses because of Martinez's near endorsement of Heather. How much of a behind-the-scenes role will Steve play? Also, with national conservative groups on the war path against Wilson, Sanchez seems positioned to get more out-of-state money than Heather, as well as indirect support through third-party TV advertising as Pearce did. How much out-of-state conservative grass roots money will flow his way is unknown, but if they put out the call, it could be substantial. Then there is the X factor of personal wealth. No one knows yet how much Sanchez is worth, but the roofing company owner last year gave over $200,000 of his own money to his successful campaign for the GOP nod for Light Guv. If he comes with a similar amount for the Senate race, it would go a long way in a primary in which raising $1.5 million or so is a big deal. Then there's that best fund-raiser of all--the polls. If Sanchez starts closing the gap with front-runner Wilson, the money will flow. No wonder Sanchez spent $25,000 on TV ads over the weekend---a year before the primary election. BERRY BONDS ABQ Mayor Berry is promoting a number of "fun" quality of life projects as possibles for the $50 million bond issue he passed through the city council and which will be on the October city election ballot. But this Alligator says before the fun begins it's time to get serious about bond money already approved by voters. He comes with this example: Before the Berry administration launches millions of dollars worth of "game-changing" general-obligation bond projects, it should audit how city bureaucrats have managed past GO bond money. Four years later, neighbors of Ladera Golf Course still don't know what happened to $750,000 in 2007 bond money earmarked for golf maintenance equipment there. Nearly two years after voters OK'd $1.5 million to replace Ladera's leaky 31-year-old irrigation system, nothing has been built. Where has this money gone? As Ricky Ricardo once told Lucy, the Parks and Recreation Department has "some 'splainin' to do" regarding past finances before it is entrusted with tens of millions more. One project on the list for possible use of the bond money is reconstruction of the scene of the city's worst traffic mess--the Paseo del Norte and I-25 interchange. It will take anywhere from $250 to $450 million to get that done. If we took the entire $50 million in bonding capacity in question and put it towards that project, it might show the federal government we are dead serious and free up Uncle Sam's cash to see the project to completion (using local contractors and employees). It might not be "fun" but it might be more in line with the city's needs. THE BOTTOM LINES Larry Ahrens  We averred in Wednesday's blog that ABQ seems adrift, largely because of the lackluster economy, but also for reasons dealing with leadership. That view found support from veteran NM radio broadcaster and longtime Republican Larry Ahrens who now works in creative for Comcast:Joe, Your words on our community adrift were very much appreciated. I made my living for years on the radio feeling the “vibe” of this city. There were a lot of people and institutions who carried momentum forward. Slow at times--but at least there was momentum. The “vibe” now is just as you described. We are making do. Getting by. Taking it a day at a time. I agree with you. I sense little urgency on the part of business and our political class to redefine things around here. To acknowledge your point about both political parties, the stagnation of ideas is palpable on both sides. Nobody seems willing to look at new approaches. Over the years on the air, I always said that New Mexico doesn’t have to invent anything. Just go model cities and states where things are working and duplicate it. Texas seems to have some ideas on creating jobs. Let’s go see what they’re doing. Same for North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana and others. Cities that are growing, creating jobs and prospering right now are Austin, TX, Columbus, Ohio, Raleigh, NC, Omaha, Nebraska, Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City. Isn’t it possible we could learn a few things from them? Your comments come on the announcement of the passing of business icon Bob Hoffman. Bob never saw New Mexico as second-best. He always believed in what was possible both in the state and our city. It’s enigmatic that we should be mired in self-doubt at a time like this. Thanks to you for bringing this topic forward. Pretty good stuff there, Larry. You even have us rethinking our attitude toward Texas. Maybe you ought to run for something? 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 Labels: ABQ economy, redistricting Wednesday, June 01, 2011ABQ Still Flatlining; We Round Up The Latest, Plus: Scandal Watch--Readers Keep Critical Eye On Murphy Case, And: John Sanchez: Not Senate Material? After sixty years of almost always hard-charging growth the ABQ metro remains in an historic and extended flat phase commercially, culturally and politically. And no wonder. The state reports that for 31 consecutive months--that is nearly three years--the area has reported negative job growth. Now the unemployment rate has finally started to dip, but not because there are jobs, but because the unemployed are leaving or have dropped out of the labor force. In other words, we are shrinking. From the state:The Albuquerque...unemployment rate dipped to 8.0 percent in April, a 0.5 percentage point decline from March. Much of the over-the-month improvement in the jobless rate...was due to a shrinking civilian labor force, as large decreases in unemployment were combined with much smaller increases in employment. This was also the case for the state as a whole during the same period. The unemployment rate in the Albuquerque MSA stood at 8.6 percent a year ago.... The life-changing recession has flattened city tax revenue, trimmed business profits and seen an heretofore unheard of decline in government jobs--the very spine of the city's economic body. The city is adrift, in part, because its public and private leadership doesn't seem particularly engaged. When it comes to jobs, ABQ has long been a low expectations town. People make do. And although this recession is as persistent as they come, the city has generated just enough revenue to keep vital public services going without a major malfunction. The economic foundation may be shaky, but it is slowly revealing itself over years, not months. Culturally, the city remains vibrant on a certain level, but the demise of the NM Symphony signaled a retrenchment. The city's philanthropic class was AWOL. But then the political leadership never bothered to engage them in fighting to preserve a major cultural amenity in a city that can ill-afford to lose one. Republican leadership seems more fitting for boom times, not a prolonged downturn. The party's traditional prescription to spur economic growth--tax cuts and less regulation--are intellectually exhausted. But you can't say the Dems are brimming with ideas, either. So we wait for the next big thing that will move the needle on the ABQ growth meter. And we wait. SCANDAL WATCH Is it one of the biggest judicial scandals in state history or a tempest in a teapot? That's the question we've examined ever since special prosecutor Matt Chandler announced the indictment of Las Cruces District Court Judge Michael Murphy. It is claimed the judge bribed his way onto the bench with a $4,000 contribution to Governor Richardson. But the case as outlined so far is murky at best and continues to draw a critical eye from readers here,Pat Davis, a Democrat and former spokesman for the Bernalillo County district attorney's office, chimes in today with this critique of Governor Martinez's involvement: My question is, which is it? If Martinez knew of alleged improprieties in the judicial selection process in 2009, why did she do nothing? It would seem that Martinez has an ethical obligation to report misconduct, especially if it involves judges she and her office appear in front of. Having worked with our District Attorneys for several years, a number of things about this prosecution seem unusual to me. I find it highly irregular that a reporter--Heath Haussamen--was present (and allowed to remain) outside the grand jury to photograph and interview each witness to the grand jury and that the very same reporter was the first one to receive a copy of the full investigator’s report and indictment and post them online. In either case, the allegations are serious, but it is hard to argue that the matter is being seriously prosecuted when the then DA, and now governor, knew of the alleged discrepancies as early as a year before and failed to raise the flag, even as she used the same judicial selection process to pick her first two appointees (both her former deputies, including one who gave $600 to Martinez just months before his appointment). It has some wondering whether Martinez's highly-touted ethics are situational --"on" when they can be used to score political points, but "off" or "neutral" when it serves some personal purpose. The Sunday Journal article Davis cited is not posted on the paper's web site. THE SENATE RACE Ari Fleischer, the former press secretary to President Bush and before that NM Senator Pete Domenici, will headline a June 14 fund-raiser for GOP Senate hopeful Heather Wilson. Fleischer is now in sports communication and had a brief stint with Tiger Woods but the two soon parted ways. Too bad. Heather could use a nice big donation from Tiger with John Sanchez breathing down her neck. Wilson's campaign also says: Since March 7 when Wilson announced her candidacy, over 100 New Mexico leaders have endorsed her candidacy. 11 of 15 sitting Republican State Senators have publicly endorsed Wilson as have 15 sitting Republican House Members, county commissioners and local officials from all regions of the state. But a caveat. Wilson had many of the same "leaders" endorse her when she lost the 2008 Senate nomination to Steve Pearce. NOT SENATE MATERIAL?  Heather has to prove that she has expanded her base within the GOP and her rival, Lt. Governor John Sanchez, has to establish more credibility. Sanchez served as a trustee for the village of Los Ranchos early in his political career. A former Democratic mayor there, John Hooker, makes this case against the Light Guv's candidacy:John has a solid reputation as a roofing contractor. Beyond that, exactly what has he done in his civic leadership? --Passive trustee of the mighty village of Los Ranchos? What improvements to the quality of life of the village did he initiate? --A giant-killer who was elected state representative in 2000 over Dem House Speaker Raymond Sanchez in a Republican-trending House district. Then what? What significant legislation did he lead on? --A good looking Hispanic Republican beating out the Anglo Republicans for Guv Light? And that proves....? Sorry to be so skeptical. John's a nice guy, I would hire his company on a construction project (and in fact have). I just would not call him Senate material. THE BOTTOM LINES Greg Payne's ABQ city council candidacy appears to have hit a pothole. Payne has withdrawn his effort to qualify for public financing of his campaign. He needed to receive 400 contributions of $5 each, but reports to the city he only collected about 80 donations by Tuesday's deadline. That means he will have to raise private money in his bid to unseat GOP Councilor Trudy Jones in the NE Heights that Payne, also a Republican, used to represent. Jones did not seek to qualify for public financing. The Berry administration has lined up in Jones' corner, knowing that an independent Republican like Payne would upset the Mayor's delicate 5-4 GOP majority on the nine member panel. City finance laws are tough. A candidate can't accept money from any contractor or vendor who does business with the city so Payne now faces a tougher road ahead. Still, a city council race can be won on shoe leather and that's where he could have an advantage. Payne would have received about $40,000 in public financing. Jones, who has personal wealth and a deep list of biz contacts, has to be feeling pretty good right about now. From the email: Strategies 360 (a consulting firm) is expanding its reach to New Mexico with the addition of Chris Cervini, former chief of staff for New Mexico’s Lieutenant Governor. As Vice President of New Mexico operations, Chris will open and run the new Albuquerque office for the strategic communications firm headquartered in Seattle. 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
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