This "rain gauge" sent in by a reader sums up New Mexico's drought conditions pretty well. The summer Monsoon season has been a bust and rain totals for the year remain far below normal.

As for the political news, the cup around here always runneth over. Here we go...

The Jerome Block, Jr. nightmare should be over soon. The universal opinion is that Jerome will resign from the Public Regulation Commission by the end of the month, sparing us impeachment proceedings in the state House during the upcoming September special session.

PRC member and Dem Jason Marks wants the Guv to appoint a middle of the road commissioner to replace Jerome when he finally does head toward the exits. He says if a conservative Republican gets named they might immediately join with the other two R commissioners and try to repeal stuff like how much renewable energy utilities are required to produce. He says Block's northern district is not conservative, even if Block often does vote with the R's.

But it's the Guv's call and having a more conservative commission for a year before Block's northern seat goes up for election just might be to her liking. Don't you think?

Maybe the creative mind of Santa Fe's Jim Terr will come with an update of this well-received "Rock Around The Block" video that we posted here a few years ago. (Yes, Jerome's problems go back a long way.)

THE FINALISTS

How about those finalists for the plum job of Bernalillo County Manager? Here they are:

Ed Adams, Albuquerqe; Deanna Archuleta, Arlington, James B. Bitzer, Albuquerque; Melinda Carlton, N. Myrtle Beach, S.C, Bruce Perlman, Albuquerque, Oscar Rodriguez, Riverdale Park, Md; Tom Zdunek, Albuquerque.

Zdunek is the current interim manager. Adams and Perlman are former ABQ chief administrative officers and Deanna Archuleta used to hold the county commission seat now held by Dem Maggie Hart Stebbins.

Will the three Dems on the five member panel stick together to pick the new manager who will be paid close to $160,000? If not, one of the Dems could join with the two R's and make the pick.

DAYS OF DARREN
White & Blanchard
Our Thursday blog had the Alligators reporting former ABQ Public Safety Director Darren White had landed some kind of gig over at Expo NM. The specifics are now in with the press reporting that Darren is consulting the Downs at ABQ which is located on the Expo fairgrounds.

He will consult the Downs as it prepares a request for proposals to provide security at the track. The Dem Party immediately came with the hit, accusing the Governor of playing a role in Darren's new deal and calling it old fashioned political patronage:

Darren’s buddy is steering sizeable government contracts his way with a security consulting contract at Expo NM. Once again, Martinez’s actions don’t measure up to her words, and New Mexicans are left holding the bag. Despite her crusade against cronyism and corruption in her campaign for Governor, in her short time in office Martinez has perfected the fine art of political patronage. The biggest beneficiary of Martinez’s kindness has to be Darren White, who has been relying on political favors for jobs since he was first appointed by Gary Johnson.

But State R's say the Dems got their facts wrong, pointing out that the party erred in stating exactly who Darren had a contract with:

...The Democrats falsely claimed Governor Martinez's administration awarded Darren White a contract to do security at Expo-NM (State Fair) and that the Governor is "steering sizeable government contracts to White."

Fact check: Darren White does not have a contract with Expo NM, nor does Darren White have any contract with the state of New Mexico.

"Governor Martinez is focused on turning New Mexico around by tackling real issues and that's why New Mexicans are standing solidly behind her....

In their release, the New Mexico Republican Party also attacked unnamed bloggers who "wake up every morning to push rumor-based narratives to advance a bitter, personal agenda."

Since we tend to do our blog at night, we know they can't be talking about us. Right? And how could we be bitter when we're having so much fun? Well, we love you no matter what, Monty. (You too, Jay).

Now back to the action...

No word on how much Darren's contract is for. It's interesting to note that the Downs at ABQ owner is Paul Blanchard, a major friend of Dem Guv Big Bill who gave the ex-Guv thousands in campaign dollars and palled around with him. Blanchard also served as Big Bill's appointee to the State Board of Finance from 2003-2006. He was later named to the State Investment Council where he served from January 2007 until April 2008.

Now the R's are in charge and Paul's munificence is being showered upon Darren, whose close friend Dan Mourning was named interim Expo NM chair by Governor Susana. Expo NM decides who gets the racetrack/casino lease.

But none of this, of course, is connected or has any politics involved. It's all just the "bitter" musings of an unnamed blogger. Who the heck is that guy, anyway?

NO CONSPIRACY

Reader Mark Rosenblum writes:

I find the set of pictures of the Democratic Senatorial primary candidates at the top of your Thursday column disturbing. There is a formal portrait of Heinrich taken at some distance and quite dim and a close up of Balderas which is much brighter...Am I noticing a purposeful visual effect? If not, please correct.

Nothing purposeful, Mark. Those happened to be the formal portrait shots we had available. But we do appreciate a fellow conspiratorial mind. Hey, maybe Martin darkened that photo to appeal to Hispanic voters and Balderas lightened his up for Gringo appeal.

Okay, now we're really looking for trouble...

MATH LESSON

Reader Loyola Chastain says UNM President David Schmidly has left a math question in the wake of his message about UNM vice-presidents that we carried on Thursday's blog:

I thought I was pretty good at math, but Schmidly's claim that they have reduced the number of VPs and overall salaries just doesn't make any sense. If one divides the 2008 salary budget of $4.3 million by 16, the average salary was $268,750. And he is so proud to tell us that the number has been reduced to 12 with an overall salary budget of $3.4 mil. Average that out and they are making $283,333 each. I thought salaries were frozen at UNM...

And an anonymous reader came with this:

Those 16 UNM VP’s average salaries were $269K in 2008, and for the 12 were $283K in 2009. UNM VP David Harris’ salary, at last count, was around $435K! By the way, student tuition for the Fall Semester increased an average of 6% per year from 2003 to 2011 compared to the CPI average of 2.6%. No wonder students and parents are mad as hell!

But reader Mitch Jones says Schmidly has it right:

If the 4 VP slots that were eliminated were at the lower end of the totem poll, which the $900,000 reduction in salary for 4 positions suggests (that's some $225,000 per position which is below the average for 2008), then it's certainly possible that the "new" average would be higher. The people left in place had, it appears, higher salaries to begin with, those higher salaries now account for an even larger percentage of the total of the VP salary budget, thus the average increases, but that does not mean that the salaries changed at all. It's basic math, and the problem isn't David Schmidly's, it's your readers'.

IT'S UP

Lots of back and forth here recently over the web site of SoulRio Church. Dan Lewis, the pastor of SoulRio, as well as a city councilor and a GOP candidate for the ABQ congressional seat, reports:

The site is back up and has the same exact content as it has been for years. In fact, you've linked to it before over the last few years. Nothing has changed. By they way, I've never downplayed my faith or my church, and I've also never used it politically for some kind of advantage....

Thanks, Dan. He is being opposed for the GOP nod by former State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones.

OUR TOWN

From the city of ABQ:

...It's a small, weathered California Mission-style building lodged between the Alvarado Transportation Center and the Amtrak/Greyhound depot...This is one of the last surviving buildings from the grand old Alvarado Hotel that once graced the area. And it’s about to become relevant again...

Once known as the Alvarado Hotel’s Indian Curio Store the building at 214 1st St. SW is being renovated as offices for Amtrak...Craftspeople are reapplying the exterior’s famous pebble-dash stucco, which once covered the old Alvarado Hotel...

“This project allows Albuquerque to preserve a piece of its history, both from an architectural and cultural standpoint,” said Mayor Richard J. Berry. “It’s also gratifying anytime we can take an historic, but dilapidated, older property and redevelop it for new use...

That's a start, Mayor. Now about all those vacant lots dotting Central Avenue since the city tore down all the old motels...

That's all for this week, folks. Thanks for stopping by.

Reporting from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan.

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Heinrich Vs. Balderas
The early announcement from Dem US Senate contender Hector Balderas raises the question of where Rep. Martin Heinrich stands on the often controversial matter. In 2008, when he first sought the ABQ congressional seat, Heinrich was against gay marriage. But flash forward to his contest today for the Dem Senate nod and Heinrich has changed positions. Like Balderas, he is now in favor of gay marraige, but has not made that position widely known. As a result some news articles continue to cite Heinrich's 2008 stance. His office told us:

Martin has supported gay marriage for some time. I just don't think he was asked about it. Thanks for asking!

That contrasts with his 2008 view when he said:

I am not supportive of gay marriage, but I do believe that everybody in the United States has the same civil rights in front of the government.

News of Heinrich's switch comes as polling shows gay marriage opponents are now in the minority. However, Hispanic Catholics are a more conservative group and the Balderas decision to come out (no pun intended) for gay marriage so early had some analysts questioning whether he should have held back. The upside is that the position gets him more notice in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party--the heart of Martin's support.

If Heinrich had stayed static in his gay marriage position it might have cost him campaign dollars from the local and national Dem gay community as well as important votes.

WHITE WATCH

Alligators checking in here report that former ABQ Public Safety Darren White apparently is not going to stay jobless for long. They say he has a deal in the works--or a deal already made--to do security consulting either at the Downs at ABQ racetrack or for Expo NM where the track is located.

In March the Martinez administration dumped Expo NM manager Craig Swagerty. Dan Mourning, a close friend of White's, was named interim manager. Mourning previously managed Capo's restaurant in downtown ABQ which has since been closed.

White remains under investigation for his actions at the scene of a July auto accident involving his wife. The city's inspector general is conducting that probe. White was forced to resign as public safety director because of the controversy and also had to give up his position on the state Judicial Standards Commission which he was named to by Governor Martinez.

Now Darren is out of the city orbit, but apparently back under the wing of Susana and state government--even if it is via a private contract or employment through an Expo vendor. But that's the way things usually work in New Mexico politics. Isn't it?

JOHNSON WHO?
.
From the Washington Times:

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is the Rodney Dangerfield of this year’s GOP presidential field — he gets no respect, despite a strong conservative record, a stint as governor of a key state, and a colorful background in the public and private sectors. In a year when voters seem tired of what is seen as wasteful spending and regulatory overreach in Washington, Mr. Johnson said he is surprised he is not getting the attention of other governors who have served fewer years, or whose campaigns are sputtering, or who aren’t even in the race.

MIDDLE OF THE ROVE?

A reader writes of that $1,000 a person ABQ fund-raiser tonight for GOP US Senate candidate Heather Wilson with Bush political strategist Karl Rove as the featured guest:

If Heather is in the "midstream" and Rep. Steve Pearce is on the conservative end of the spectrum, does bringing in Karl make Heather "Middle of the Rove?" And where is that on the axis?

Wilson can surely use the campaign cash, but bringing Karl Rove in dredges up the muck of the past. The putative reason for the visits is that Rove will appeal to conservatives that are giving Heather a hard time.
Trouble is Rove has lousy relations with tea party types--the very group Wilson is vulnerable from.

We need to see some new tricks from this US Senate candidate if she is going to stall challenger John Sanchez.

CHASING HISPANICS

From the wires:

--A Republican group formed last year to woo more Hispanics to the GOP will hold its second conference in Albuquerque next month. The Hispanic Leadership Network, which is backed by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and his American Action Network, will meet Sept. 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency...

Coleman said the Hispanic Leadership Network was created to engage the country's growing minority voting block as the group builds a "center-right" agenda on issues like the economy, jobs, education and immigration reform...New Mexico was chosen in part because it has a new Republican Hispanic governor, Susana Martinez, who along with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has agreed to speak at the conference.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

So the good news is personal income in the Albuquerque metro area grew by 2.2 percent in 2010. But the not so good news is that almost all the growth came from “transfer payments” such as unemployment, Social Security and other government benefits programs, not from a robust economy.

And the state reports that its projected $120 million surplus for the budget year that started July 1st will probably all be gobbled up by a Medicaid accounting error ranging from anywhere from $60 to $120 million. The state has a budget of about $5.4 billion and is spending $860 million a year on the program for mainly low-income New Mexicans. That's about 16 percent of the entire budget---and growing.

A lot of us are hoping the NM Spaceport will bring some good-paying jobs on line in the years ahead and the news on that front is good:

Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline..has been selected by NASA to provide flight opportunities for engineers, technologists and scientific researchers to fly technology payloads into space. This arrangement marks the first time that NASA has contracted with a commercial partner to provide flights into space on a suborbital spacecraft, and represents another important endorsement of the value of regular commercial space access for a wide range of science and educational applications.

That's a welcome addition to the Spaceport from which Virgin plans to launch tourists into space at $200,000 a pop. The NASA contract expands the mission--and the opportunity.

FROM UNM

One of the hottest of the hot-button issues we've covered here in recent years is the top-heavy administration at the University of New Mexico. Now that he is headed for the exits, outgoing President David Schmidly says the incessant criticism over the matter has brought results. In a recent "Monday Morning Message," the Prez wrote:

In 2008, UNM had a total of 16 vice presidents--10.5 on main campus and 5.5 at the Health Sciences Center. Total salary was $4.3 million. By 2011, the number of vice president and equivalent positions was reduced to 12 with seven on main campus and five at the Health Sciences Center. Total salary is now $3.4 million. In the same three-year period, UNM reduced its annual salary expenses by $900,000, representing a 21 percent cut. Cuts were achieved by attrition savings. Total annual payroll at UNM is in excess of $835 million. The VP expenses account for less than ½ of one percent of total payroll...

Meantime UNM has put up $250,000 for a firm to help it fund a new president.

HAWAII HAPPINESS

Two well-known politicos found love later in life and tied the knot July 11 in Hawaii. Dona Ana County Dem State Senator Cynthia Nava, chairman of the education committee and a professional educator, and Ron Curry, the environment department cabinet chief under former Governor Big Bill, report "life is good."

Nava, 59, has announced she is retiring as superintendent of the Gadsden Independent School District to enjoy more free time now that she is married. She was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and is expected to seek re-election next year.

Ron says he is busy "working in Texas, Florida and Tennessee on enviro/management issues, flying the balloon and spending a bunch of time with Cynthia."

He'll have to enjoy that time with his new bride as she is soon off to Santa Fe for a special session of the Legislature. Insiders say that will start September 6. We wonder if she will look as happy after that contentious confab as she does in her wedding pic.

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Martinez & Cole
The old saying has it that no good deed goes unpunished and that appears to be the case with Terri Cole, longtime president of the ABQ Chamber of Commerce, a group which counts hundreds of GOP heavyweights in its ranks. She extended an olive branch to Governor Martinez, only to have it torn to shreds by the most recent mailing from SusanaPAC--Martinez's political action committee.

On July 22, Cole gave a conciliatory statement over Martinez's veto of an increase in unemployment taxes after initially questioning the action:

Cole...said such an increase would devastate businesses struggling because of the weak economy."We are confident that this administration is laser focused on this issue. They don't want an increase in rates to the business community any more than we do," Cole said in an interview.

That wasn't enough to satisfy Susana and company. Their mailer came with this blast:

While the President of the ABQ Chamber of Commerce is pushing the tax increase, most business leaders, including the ABQ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, support Governor Martinez's veto...

Cole has been associated with the chamber for over 30 years and its president since 1983. Like many such groups, the Chamber has had trouble retaining and recruiting members in the rocky economy but Cole has held on to the support of her board of directors.

Insiders say the Cole-Martinez relationship was on the rocks early because of her past support of policies of Dem Governor Big Bill. It only got worse because of bad blood between Cole and Martinez political consultant Jay McCleskey whose firm produced the PAC piece.

The unemployment fund tax increase was taken to the Supreme Court. They kicked it back to the Legislature which will take up the issue at the September special session. Many businesses supported the increase Martinez vetoed because they feared higher federal rates would kick in.

If the fund faces less pressure because of fewer unemployment claims, Martinez's veto will look sound. But there is much uncertainty over the fund balances going forward.

More interesting than the mud wrestling over this complicated issue is the need felt by Susana to take to the woodshed the president of the city's major business group who had been making friendly overtures. That sure doesn't sound like "Susana's softer touch" that the national media was recently shopping.

Nope, this is a hardball administration led by a hardball political consultant with a sitting Governor hanging on his every word. Don't say we didn't tell you.

ROVE VISIT

The ultimate hardball consultant is the GOP's Karl Rove who mastered and promulgated the tactics we are seeing put to use in the new administration. The former top adviser to Bush is not a popular figure outside of GOP circles, but that isn't stopping Heather Wilson from bringing him in for a $1,000 fund-raiser tomorrow night. The invitation lists lawyer-lobbyist Mickey Barnett as a co-host. He goes way back with Rove and has been associated with the hardball wing of the state GOP that forced Ramsay Gorham out as state chair back in 2003/'04. Former NM GOP chairman Allen Weh, who succeeded Gorham and who became ensnared with Rove in the US attorney scandal, is a notable Wilson supporter not listed as a Rove co-host. Wilson herself escaped from the scandal with bruises and scratches, but no fatal wounds.

As for Rove, he will be long remembered for the US attorney controversy, but New Mexico politicos will also always recall the formidable 2004 re-election campaign he ran for President Bush. He had the President visit Hobbs for their first presidential visit ever. Bush also stopped in Farmington as Rove worked a rural over urban strategy that drew accolades and led to the defeat here of Dem John Kerry.

REMOVING BLOCK

First the news. This is the first step toward impeaching wayward Dem Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block, Jr.:

House Minority Leader Tom Taylor sent a letter to Speaker of the House Ben Lujan to appoint a special, bipartisan, committee to convene during the upcoming legislative session in September to review the allegations surrounding Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block, Jr.

“We have a serious situation that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later,” stated Minority Floor Leader Tom Taylor.

Here's how it works. If the state House approves articles of impeachment against Block it is not necessary that he be found guilty at a Senate trial in order to be temporarily removed from the commission. According to the state Constitution (Article IV, Section 36) as soon as a vote of impeachment is approved and he is notified, Block must give up his office pending the outcome of a Senate trial.

The Alligator betting line on Block being impeached at the special session of the Legislature in September? There is no line out because the odds are so prohibitive in favor of impeachment if it comes to that. However, there are odds on Block resigning before the Legislature gets to him. It's 60-40 that Block will get out before he is forced to faced the Legislature's music. Democrats across the board have called on the northern NM commissioner to throw in the towel.

ALLIGATOR ADVICE

The gators cooling themselves at Tingley Beach this week are advising the Guv to start collecting resumes for the Block PRC commission seat. They say a northern Hispanic Republican would be a good option for her.

THE SHRINKING METRO

This is not the kind of news that makes your day as mayor of ABQ very pleasant:

Albuquerque is near the bottom of America's metropolitan areas in terms of employment strength, according to national rankings issued on Monday. The Duke City is No. 82 out of 100 ranked cities, with a five-year private job growth rate of -8.99 percent.

So what are we doing about this worst economic record of the last 60 years?

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Let's stray over to the national scene where the compelling story for many is over how Obama has lot his mojo. How did it happen and why--why did Obama blink?

..When faced with the greatest economic crisis, the greatest levels of economic inequality, and the greatest levels of corporate influence on politics since the Depression, Barack Obama stared into the eyes of history and chose to avert his gaze. Instead of indicting the people whose recklessness wrecked the economy, he put them in charge of it. He never explained that decision to the public--a failure in storytelling as extraordinary as the failure in judgment behind it. Had the president chosen to bend the arc of history, he would have told the public the story of the destruction wrought by the dismantling of the New Deal regulations that had protected them for more than half a century. He would have offered them a counternarrative of how to fix the problem other than the politics of appeasement, one that emphasized creating economic demand and consumer confidence by putting consumers back to work. He would have had to stare down those who had wrecked the economy, and he would have had to tolerate their hatred if not welcome it. But the arc of his temperament just didn’t bend that far....

But the arc of history does not bend toward justice through capitulation cast as compromise. It does not bend when 400 people control more of the wealth than 150 million of their fellow Americans. It does not bend when the average middle-class family has seen its income stagnate over the last 30 years while the richest 1 percent has seen its income rise astronomically. It does not bend when we cut the fixed incomes of our parents and grandparents so hedge fund managers can keep their 15 percent tax rates. It does not bend when only one side in negotiations between workers and their bosses is allowed representation. And it does not bend when, as political scientists have shown, it is not public opinion but the opinions of the wealthy that predict the votes of the Senate. The arc of history can bend only so far before it breaks...

From Drew Westen, a professor of psychology at Emory University and the author of “The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation.”

YOUTH SPEAKS OUT

From the Young Dems:

On August 10, members of Young Democrats of New Mexico and Democratic Party of Bernalillo County will set-up non-partisan voter registration tables at selected APS high schools in order to register students who will be eighteen years old on or before Election Day 2012. “Registering young people is essential to building and maintaining a healthy democracy. My team will be there to help,” stated YDNM President Benai Padilla.

Young voters have been voting in increasing numbers in recent elections. There was a 103% increase in young voter turnout in 2008 relative to 2004 during the primary elections for President. Youth voter turnout for the 2008 election was 51%, a 11% increase from the year 2000....

THE BOTTOM LINES

From Jay Leno:

"The big weekend movie opening is 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes.' Pretty amazing story. Not only do the apes take over, they actually do a better job with the debt crisis than Congress. Fascinating story."

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Can Obama hang in here? He has a sub-par 46% average approval rating in New Mexico for the first half of this year, says the Gallup Poll, but everything seems up in the air--with the notable exception of the stock market. The president has leaked support here along with the economy. Unlike 2008, when we were technically a "swing state," this time it looks like it will be the real deal.

Uncertainty, anger, disgust and hopelessness are the emotions we see and hear on the ground in reaction to what is happening on Wall Street and Main Street.

We expect to see Obama on the ground here sooner rather than later, but what will he say? A presidential visit is usually a special event for a small state like ours. Obama now must fight for the ear of an audience increasingly restive and yearning for strong and assured leadership.

As for the immediate impact around here of the renewed market turmoil, keep your eye on oil and natural gas prices. Oil at a hundred bucks a barrel has given the state a needed boost. It's now trading near $80. Natural gas has been less robust, but royalties from it are still important. It has now plunged before $4.

The only thing certain going forward seems to be more uncertainty.

AT THE RACES

On the Dem nomination for US Senate between Martin Heinrich and Hector Balderas via AP:

"Both are good Democrats, both are good moderates," said Jamie Koch, a former party chairman. "I think Martin Heinrich has probably got the inside track at this point." But Balderas showed how formidable an opponent he might be by raising $407,635 his first quarter in the race to Heinrich's $485,244.

Balderas' Hispanic surname could give him an edge in the primary, if he raises enough money, said veteran Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff..

Balderas and Heinrich may become moderates, as Koch indicates, but right now they are keeping it to the left as they curry favor with activist Dems who vote in primaries.

VEEP CHASE

It's the new deal. If you're a Republican governor or senator and Hispanic you are automatically entered in the 2012 Veep sweepstakes. That includes new Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.

BRINGING BACON HOME

Former ABQ GOP State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones comes with her web site as she competes for the ABQ GOP US House nomination against City Councilor Dan Lewis. Some lines of interest:

I understand the critical missions of our national laboratories and the military installations in New Mexico, especially Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base. In Congress, I will defend the mission of these institutions that are so vital to our economy and our national security, and I will help guide the process through which their missions will, inevitably, change over time.

Arnold-Jones is a senior executive with EnergySolutions, an international nuclear services company

Her statement raises the question of whether tea party types can or want to make a distinction on their desire to cut federal spending. Do they want NM money and jobs sacrificed on the deficit altar? Arnold-Jones doesn't seem to or at least she thinks the voters she is going after don't.

PNM PANIC

There's a key money line in the controversy over the Feds ordering tougher pollution control at PNM's Four Corners plant:

PNM estimates installing that technology would cost more than $750 million and call into question the plant's long-term viability. The federal agency counters with its own estimate that the requirements will cost only about $229 million.

That's a huge difference and if the lower amount prevailed, the impact on the company and consumers would be substantially lower than PNM asserts.

BLOCK PARTY

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado we present to you another of the greatest hits of Jerome Block, Jr.

Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr., already accused of misusing campaign money and under investigation for questionable charges on his state-issued gas card, is now a suspect in a stolen vehicle case, according to Santa Fe police.

Police told KOB-TV that Block is accused of test driving a used Honda from Capitol City Auto and never returning it. Police say the car was missing for three weeks before it was found undamaged last week on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe.

Hey, was Carlos Fierro a passenger in that car? By the way, there's no truth to the rumor that Block drove the Democratic Party over a cliff in that stolen car, but there's still plenty of time.

EXPENSIVE POLICING

A retired APD office, monitoring the ongoing controversy with city police and the Berry administration, comes with the numbers on how much police shootings are costing taxpayers:

Here is the list so far (taken from media reports):

Roderick Jones $950,000 (settled in 2011)
Tera Chavez $230,000 (settled in 2011)
Kevin Lowery $495,000 (settled in 2011)
Robert Gonzales $1,300,000 (settled in December 2010)
Michael Lee $950,000 (settled in 2011)
Andrew Lopez $417,000 (settled in 2011, although Judge Baca allowed for $4,250,000)
Sam Costales $950,000 ( settled in October of 2009)
Regensberg $685,000 (2009)

These are the ones that I found in an Internet search. I am sure a search at NM Courts and US Civil Court will reflect a lot more cases, we just haven't been told about. If my math is correct, since 2009 this is almost $6,000,000 taxpayers dollars spent on APD lawsuits and Ray Schultz is still the chief. Amazing.

A lot of police equipment could have been purchased for that amount of money. I see my taxes going up, do you?

Taxes going up? Maybe. We need to hear how much money the city has in its risk management fund. If it is depleted by these and future lawsuits, taxes would indeed have to make up any shortfall. The numbers being paid are already a significant story and could be a really big one going forward.

DOJ, COME ON DOWN

Mayor Berry has softened his position on a possible Department of Justice investigation of the fatal police shootings. A Senior Alligator reacts;

Berry has wisely decided to join the opposition rather that continue to oppose the DOJ investigation. It is a wise move but fraught with danger for him if he continues to justify Chief Schultz' methods. The DOJ needs to look at where the APD is recruiting and hiring. Many of us think they are hiring from culturally different areas such as Texas, Colorado and Arizona.

BUILDING SOMETHING

You did good, Guv:

Union Pacific Railroad announced Monday the construction commencement of an all-new rail facility just outside Santa Teresa. Joined by Governor Susana Martinez, Union Pacific celebrated the initial preparation work for the 2,200 acre site. The company plans to invest $400 million toward the total cost of a project that is expected to add $500 million to the New Mexico economy. The rail facility site is located just west of the Santa Teresa Airport and will include fueling facilities, crew change buildings, locomotive inspection tracks, an intermodal ramp and a switching yard....

And the Legislature and Senator Bingaman also get a pat on the back for getting this going.

A DAILY DOSE

How could we go a day without mentioning driver's licenses for illegal aliens? Heck, it's like eating just one potato chip--you just can't do it. So forgive us, but:

New Mexico is one of the last battlegrounds when it comes to granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. A dozen states in the last 10 years have repealed laws that allowed people to obtain driver's licenses without proof of immigration status. Legislatures from Hawaii to California, from Michigan to Maine, have overturned laws similar to the one New Mexico is fighting over.

And when the special session of the Legislature convenes September 6 you will get even more driver's license news--just in case you were worried about missing any.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Who says the Governor doesn't take her responsibilities seriously--all of them:

Following her various engagements, Martinez threw the first pitch at the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington Friday night. She said she threw 50 to 60 pitches Thursday night in preparation and had to ice her shoulder to get ready for Friday...

Now she's going to work on throwing strikes during the special legislative session...

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Question of the day: Why would the Guv's office bar the press from covering a seemingly innocuous economic development meeting in Farmington?

Gov. Martinez on Thursday visited with local business and civic leaders as she sought to learn what companies need to grow. Martinez toured Process Equipment and Service Co., and met behind closed doors with invited business owners and elected officials at the San Juan College Quality Center for Business.

"We want to hear feedback from them in reference to any kinds of constraints for them in their businesses," she said, mentioning regulations and taxes. "We want to hear from them how the state can partner with them to be more competitive with surrounding states."

A reporter was barred from the discussion.

So, was what the business and civic leaders and elected officials had to say "state secrets?"

If they want to complain to the Governor in private, they can do so, but can't we all be privy to the Governor's economic development programs when she is discussing them with elected officials in public forums? And if not, why not? Or aren't we supposed to ask?

THE BLAME GAME
Barela
Less charitable speculation could lead one to believe that the Guv doesn't have much to say about economic development so why expose the weakness before the press? If you go down to Roswell with me for a minute, you'll see why that line of thinking could take hold.

Economic development secretary (designate) Jon Barela was on a "Job Creation Tour" there last week but after what he said it might be renamed the "2011 Excuses Tour:"

I can only do so much and the governor can only do so much to try to get our economy moving again in the state," He said. "But when you have a wet blanket being thrown on economic development at the national level...it makes our job much more difficult and much more complex..."

Sorry, Jon, but we're not going to get the violins out. We were told during the campaign that your team could turn things around. You can't give the ball back. Besides, we all have problems getting our work done out here--or in the cases of thousands of New Mexicans--finding any work.

We can play the political consulting blame game or get in the real game--rebuilding New Mexico's economy with tangible proposals, political compromise and outgoing executive leadership.

REALITY BECKONS

Meantime, Federal stats show the NM labor force is shrinking as people give up looking for work and job growth is nowhere to be found. The civilian labor force numbered 938,400 in June compared to 955,800 in January when Martinez took office. And comparing June of 2011 to June of last year, total nonfarm employment growth was virtually zero--0.3%.

We imagine Martinez's current polling shows blaming Obama for the jobs crunch is good politics, but eventually she will own the state economy--for better or for worse. The emotional issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants can only deflect political and economic reality for so long.

A GUY NAMED GARZA
Robert Garza
If Martinez and Barela are bereft of ideas--and there's nothing wrong with that if you own up to it--they might want to stop by and visit with Las Cruces City Manager Robert Garza. He may not have all the answers, but judging from this lengthy (and intelligent) interview, he has a deep understanding of what makes an economy tick:

Garza said he is regularly apprised of several key indicators he calls his “economic dashboard.” They include non-farm payroll, unemployment rates, single-family building permits, permit valuation, the city’s general fund and total permitted value.

Everyone’s aware of the recession of the last few years, and the city’s gauges reflect that downturn. Some of the indicators show Las Cruces and the El Paso area have rebounded better than the rest of New Mexico.

You mean a government official who actually tracks economic data? Heck, if Jon Barela decides to run again for the ABQ congressional seat Garza might be just the fella to replace him.

In this economic wreck, we're always looking for new talent.

NO EASY ANSWERS

Our friends at state GOP headquarters--protective as they are of the Republican governor's record--may not believe we do, but we do empathize with Martinez's plight when it comes to this economy. We simply haven't seen anything like it in our lifetimes. Look at this one: The bear market in real estate and construction in the ABQ area is so pervasive that the Bernalillo County Assessor has announced plans to lay off 20 workers-- a 23% cut of her entire staff:

Karen Montoya said a downturn in new construction has led to fewer projects for appraisers to work on. The office will focus resources in its commercial department.

And this is big problem for us. Even as we struggle to add private sector jobs, the all-important government sector around here continues to shrink, along with those decent salaries and benefits. If you want our two cents worth, this is a wretched time to be an elected official.

DON'T FIGHT

We know it's bad, but please don't fight over it:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of American Adults say the state of the economy is causing more stress on their family.

JEROME'S ANSWER

One elected official has figured out a way to help his constituents with those onerous gas prices. He handed out to his friends the PIN number for his state credit card. This novel economic relief program was brought to us by none other than the always entertaining Democratic Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block, Jr. Of course, everyone and their mother is now calling on him to resign. There's even talk of the Legislature impeaching him during the upcoming special September redistricting session.

If Block did heed the calls for his resignation as he is investigated for credit card scamming, the Governor would name a replacement to the five member panel.

Dems control the commission 3 to 2. If the Guv appointed an R they would take control. Block's heavy Dem district would probably replace him with a Dem when the seat is up in 2012, but it would be interesting to see what a GOP majority on the commission would do for the year or so they had power. Well, maybe not so interesting to you Dems.

PAISANO BOWS OUT

Former Sandia Pueblo Governor Stuart Paisano recently told us over a coffee break that he was 99.9 percent sure he would seek the Dem nomination for the ABQ US House seat. Well, that one-tenth of a percent of doubt turned out to be a biggie because Paisano now says he will not make the run:

The timing is not right and there are family considerations. I will stay active in the party and look for an opportunity down the road, " he told us.

He's only 40 so that opportunity may come someday. The Native American leader says he is friends with the two announced contenders in the race--former ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez and Eric Griego--but is not endorsing either of them at this point.

THE SENATE RACE

In US Senate action, Julie Heinrich, wife of Dem US Rep. and Senate candidate Martin Heinrich relays news that won't surprise campaign watchers:

...The national Sierra Club and New Mexico's Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Martin for the United States Senate! The Sierra Club has a strong presence in New Mexico with over 8,000 members. What an honor to have the support of an organization so helpful to protecting our rivers, animal habitats, hiking areas and wild places. The Sierra Club also has a youth program that I particularly like--it encourages kids to take a break from city life and video games to explore the natural world around them.

Heinrich worked for enviro organizations before he was elected to Congress. Martin's chief rival for the nomination is State Auditor Hector Balderas.

LOU GALLEGOS

Lou Gallegos did not have a college degree, but he made up for it with sheer determination and a native intelligence. His grit propelled him to the upper circles of New Mexican Republican Party politics and government.

His important career as a top aide and counselor to Senator Pete Domenici, Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan and Governors Gary Johnson and Garrey Carruthers, almost didn't happen. Shortly before Lou, 72, died at his Rio Rancho home Saturday morning, we reminiscned about that and more in a phone conversation with Pete Domenici in Washington.

It was 1977. He was working at the Dept. of Agriculture and was recommended to me for a position that I had open. I noticed he didn't have a college degree, but he had all kinds of promotions in the agriculture department. I hired him over the phone. We had a 10 to 15 minute conversation. I was sold and said: "Do you want the job?" He replied: "I don't know you." I said: "I don't know you either."

Gallegos got to know Pete very well indeed and the pair never looked back. Domenici recalled:

Lou Gallegos had a great ability to recall people and places. He had a special gift...He could talk about a community and instantly know who we needed to see. We didn't need a modern machine...I called on him on anything that I needed...He could be in charge of anything...He had a pretty good feeling about people...Manuel Lujan, when be became Interior Secretary, didn't hesitate to put him in the second position.

After service to Secretary Lujan, Gallegos became chief of staff to eight year Governor Gary Johnson, a political novice whose administration was steadied by the reliable Lou.

We often likened Gallegos, a native of Amalia on the NM-Colorado border, to a political fireman. When the flames broke out he was always there to put them out.

It was a life of hard work and often done while dealing with health challenges, but it all paid off and earned him a well deserved chapter in the never ending book of his beloved La Poltica.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011
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