Let' s start this May 1 with a rib tickler in the form of a headline from the Ruidoso News:

Fire engulfs Can't Stop Smokin' restaurant in Ruidoso

No injuries in that blaze that also had a bit of a political connection. "Can't Stop Smokin'' is located on Mechem Drive in Ruidoso, named for former NM GOP Governor and federal Judge Ed Mechem. Hey, when you're a certified political junkie there's La Politica to be found in every story.

As usual, there's nothing very funny about the ABQ crime beat. No sooner had we reported on the Monday blog the there had been 26 murders in the city this year, then we had the 27th at a park near downtown where homeless often congregate.

CRIME PERCEPTION

We blogged about that speech last week from ABQ Planning Director Dave Campbell in which he asserted the media is over emphasizing crime coverage, but James Miller from Alto, NM says the problem is definitely not one of perception. He writes:

I work with other community leaders in rural economic development in southcentral New Mexico. As such, I know that for decades many rural NM residents frequently visited and did a good deal of their shopping in Albuquerque. Entertainment, retail shopping, college/professional sports--these things brought us to Albuquerque. That has increasingly changed over the past several years out of personal experience for many people. 

The car theft impact there has been significant. My nephew, a UNM student, a retired banker friend and an elderly fellow church member have all had their vehicles stolen in Albuquerque. Stolen cars coupled with high murder and other violent crime in Albuquerque have caused many of us to no longer visit, or certainly to visit less frequently and no longer to stay overnight. We've also shifted our shopping trips to Las Cruces or El Paso. For many of us, these perceptions are real, through personal experience, not due to media excess.

Keeping it in the south, what's up with Yvette and Monty, the two leading candidates for the GOP nomination for the southern congressional district? Well, supporters of State Rep.Yvette Herrell say they aren't too concerned about the cash on hand discrepancy between her and former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newton. They point to contributions that Newman has collected for both the primary and general elections, upping his cash on hand total, even though he can only use the primary money for the June 5 election.

Accounting for that, Herrell's advocates say, the cash battle is much closer than it appears. As of March 31 Newman reported $369,000 in cash and Herrell $256,000.

POLL WATCH 

A PPP poll conducted for ABQ Dem congressional candidate Pat Davis before TV ads kicked in had the two women contenders in the race--Deb Haaland and Antoinette Sedillo Lopez--leading the contest with 15% each. But with TV ads blasting from those two and Damon Martinez things are moving fast. Later this month we'll see how fast. ABQ Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff confirms he will conduct a poll for the paper this month on the ABQ congressional contest as well as the Dem Guv race and more.

RED HOT

Here's a red hot one for you Roundhouse watchers this primary season:

Whoever comes out on top in the June 5 primary, either retired LANL physicist Peter Sheehey or former lab attorney Christine Chandler, will face Republican candidate Lisa Shin in November to represent a state House district that covers Los Alamos County, and parts of Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties. Current Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, a Democrat who is vacating her seat to run for state land commissioner, took what had been considered a GOP stronghold when she was first elected in 2012, then soundly defeated Republican challengers in two subsequent elections.

If you're with the R's you're all over this one because Lisa Shin is a high quality player who could deliver one of the few bright spots for the GOP this year.

Chandler had $6,300 cash on hand for the final month at the last report and Sheehey had $3,250.
THE BOTTOM LINES

In a first blog draft Monday we put the Joe Cervantes TV ad buy for the Guv race at $95,000. That was for the ABQ broadcast market and did not include ABQ cable and El Paso. Buys there brought his total to $175,000 for the period 4/25-5/6.

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 2018