Sure it's a cliché that "it's the cover-up not the crime that gets them." But it's true and as the holidays beckoned that's where we were with Governor Martinez and her now infamous pizza party.

Release of  new police audio tape from the Eldorado Hotel party was damning for her. It contradicted her earlier statements that she had had only one drink and was not drunk, that it was snowballs--not bottles--that were being tossed from the balcony of the party room and on the number of people actually in the room. The last video we see of Martinez before the holidays has her refusing to answer reporters barking questions at her and being hustled away in her SUV. My, how the worm has turned.

And Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez floated an intriguing idea to me Tuesday, saying perhaps the attorney general may want to look at abuse of power allegations against the Governor for her bullying of the Santa Fe policeman and Eldorado desk clerk. The plot could get thick. . .

THE WISH LIST

We'll take a break with you for the holidays so blogging will be light (unless there's another pizza party) but before we deck the halls we'd like to share with you our wish list for New Mexico that we sent to Santa Claus for Christmas 2015. Enjoy. . .

The news this December that New Mexico ranks as the worst run state in the nation and that Albuquerque's housing market has been the USA's worst performer since 2012 makes a visit to Santa Claus all the more crucial. We're going to need some super-sized presents to turn this place around.

Santa, we know your checking your list to see who has been naughty and nice and when you look at the political leadership here you might want to put coal in the entire state's Christmas stocking. But we think our Christmas wish list will give you reason to resist that urge and you can fly high over our luminaria lighted land this Christmas Eve with presents that delight and surprise.

First, we ask Santa to get Gov. Martinez a really high paying job as a corporate spokeswoman somewhere. That way she resigns and level-headed Lt. Governor John Sanchez takes over for the final three years of her second term, replacing Santa Fe's chief Grinch with a smiling elf.

We respectfully ask Santa to give at least two or three members of the Albuquerque city council hind legs that are as strong as those of his mighty reindeer. That's the only way Mayor Berry is going to change his errant ways. And, Santa, don't forget the state Democratic Party and the state legislature Democrats. Please give them a year's worth of free access to all Starbucks locations so they can once again become politically caffeinated.

High on the Christmas wish list is a new Albuquerque police chief, a new upper command structure at APD, a police force of over 1,000 and not the dangerously understaffed one we have now. (Santa, maybe you can give the Mayor an all-expense paid vacation to the Caribbean for a week and we can get all that done while he's gone?)

This is the year we would like to see on Santa's sled a gift-wrapped package from the state Legislature containing a constitutional amendment to allow a small portion of  the state's $15 billion Land Grant Permanent School Fund to be used for very early childhood programs. The science shows such programs are crucial in developing a skilled generation that turns away from a life of dysfunction,  the root cause of the state's generational poverty.

Unless the city's various alphabet soup economic promoters, AED, GACC, EF and NAIOP, can start putting some significant points on the board, we ask Santa to put them all under one roof and rename them "GTHOOT, " short for the new economic development slogan of "Get The Hell Out Of Town."

While we're on that subject, Santa, we also ask that if the stonewalling of the Inspection of Public Records Act( IPRA) by APD is not resolved that the department henceforth deny all such records request by using the initials, UYAA, or "Up Your Ass Act."

And when WisePies ultimately defaults on its multi-million dollar pledge for the naming rights for the UNM basketball arena, could you please arrange for it to be renamed "The Bottomless Pit?" Just asking, Santa.

No Christmas wish list would be complete without our annual pleading to the North Pole that someone, somewhere offer the Albuquerque Journal "an offer they can't refuse" and we get new ownership that ends the denial of New Mexico's real problems.

To simply have some fun and to aggravate the far-right that has such disdain for all government spending, we put on our wish list that Congress make a special $1 billion appropriation for improvements to the city of Albuquerque just so we can see the look on their faces.

Santa, please don't forget the gift card from Sandia Casino for former Secretary of State Dianna Duran. And while you're at it, could you give some encouragement to that federal grand jury that's investigating possible campaign finance irregularities by the governor's chief political adviser?

Thanks for your consideration, Santa. Looking over this list we see that if you even granted only one of our wishes, it would be a very Merry Christmas indeed.

Here's our annual Christmas card to you with best wishes and deep appreciation for joining us on the blog during the past year.

Merry Christmas, New Mexico!

Reporting from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com)

Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2015