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Thursday, January 17, 2019

Yet Another Spate Of Deadly Violence Pokes Hole in ABQ's Soul, Plus: Howie Takes A Hit; Progressives Feel Betrayed By Light Guv, And: Is ABQ Shortchanged On A Powerful House Panel? 

The soul of the city took another battering Wednesday when in the course of a single morning a man was murdered in broad daylight near Old Town, a woman on the Westside was killed as a result of domestic violence and an investigation began into the death of an 11 day old infant at a detox center. The talking points:

--It was only January 7 when we chronicled another spate of violence and mayhem that included the murders of two teenaged boys, their bodies buried in shallow graves, as well as other atrocities.

--Some ABQ residents don't want to hear it anymore. They seem to have accepted it as a new normal. Former ABQ City Councilor and attorney Greg Payne is not among them:

When is the last time you heard of a major drug bust in this city? The powers that be seem to have little interest in getting at the real problem here. There is not one tough politician in the bunch. The city continues to be a tolerant free zone for all sorts of crime--just about all of which is caused by the ongoing drug epidemic which city law enforcement and the Mayor are simply not addressing effectively, if at all. 

--Reader Suzanne Cully weighs in:

We are at the confluence of two major highway systems, I-40 and I-25. Drugs flow through here. Add to that entrenched poverty and you have a recipe for disaster. This is a mean place. And it’s becoming too violent. Joe, glad you tell it like you do. You gave the big picture. In two weeks how many murders here? And an 11 year old infant may be among them? It's really gettng unlivable here.

--Reader Jeanie has another take: 

Joe, I always find it interesting that Mayor Berry and Governor Martinez spent eight years destroying this city and our state, yet people expect Mayor Keller, and I'm sure Governor Lujan-Grisham to be able to undo the damage in a year. The damage Berry and Martinez did is going to take time and effort by everyone to fix. So perhaps you could point out the incredible challenge facing these two by remembering this problem won't be fixed in a year, probably not in several years. I believe Mayor Keller is trying and cares very much about turning this city around as I believe the Governor will.

--Mayor Keller, fresh from his upbeat state of the city party, has counseled patience and says that the gradual addition of more police officers will resolve the violence. But dead kids and a public murder near the city's most well-known tourist location ignites much rawer emotions than patience. Our January 7 blog has more on the crime wave.

HOWIE HIT

Lt. Gov. Morales
It was the Governor they defied, but it's Howie taking the hit over the appointment of his replacement to the State Senate. Here's the inside scoop:

--Conservative Dem Gabe Ramos from Grant County was recommended to the Governor as Morales' replacement by all three county commissioners in the SW Senate district that Morales held for a decade.

--MLG was unhappy with the selection and asked for the commissions to send her other names. They refused and under the law Ramos took the seat. Now progressives are warning that Ramos, who is in the insurance business, could be the newest member of the Senate's conservative coalition that features all the Republicans and a handful of Dems who regularly join with them to thwart the progressives, who are now blaming Howie for strengthening the coalition.

Sen. Ramos
--Why, they ask, didn't the Lt. Governor use his stroke to make sure he was replaced by someone more liberal minded? It's a failure of his leadership, they charge. A longtime friend of Morales's counters that if the "ABQ progressives wanted someone else they should have gone to work in the area that is 300 miles from where they live. Howie can't control the commissions and he didn't try. Ramos did a strong job of lining up support. That's the story."

--The progressives rail that the bigger story could be close votes in the Senate on enviro issues, noting Ramos' support of the oil, gas and mining industries. They are also disgruntled over his socially conservative stands on abortion and gay rights which they say are out of step with core Dem values.

--But it's over now. MLG has had her first dust-up with conservative rural Democrats. They don't have big numbers anymore, but they are still adept at keeping a seat at the table--and seats in the New Mexico State Senate.

FRUSTRATION ALREADY 

There's more progressive frustration rising through the ranks. ABQ activist Javier Benavidez is anything but hopeful that the progressive agenda will have an easier time of it because of big Democratic legislative election wins. He made this prediction on Twitter:

The Senate has again approved conservative Democrat Mary Kay Papen as President Pro Tem. She will again appoint conservative Democrat John Arthur Smith as Senate Finance Chair and conservative Dem Senator Clemente Sanchez as chairman of the Senate Corporations Committee. Those two committees are where everything good will go to die. Congratulations NM, Senate.

BERNCO POWER (OR NOT)

Sen. Candelaria
Meantime BernCo Dems are congratulating ABQ State Senator Jacob Candelaria for securing a slot on that powerful Senate Finance Committee. Voting wise he will not be much different from Morales, whose spot he is filling, but he adds an urban voice to the mix. Candelaria has long said he wants more Hispano power in the Legislature. Now he's got it. (ABQ also gets Republican Senator Jim White on the panel).

However, on the House side one of our Alligators reports the BernCo Dem delegation is taking note of their slipping power on the important House Appropriations Committee:

Joe, I find it interesting that the county that delivered the most for the Dems in the election seems to be getting punished in House Appropriations. From Bernalillo County’s hey day of nine members with Chairman Kiki Saavedra of Bernalillo County to seven with Chairman Larranaga, also of BernCo, to just five last year under Chairman Patty Lundstrom and now all the way down to three this year. NM’s largest tax base and largest delegation in the Roundhouse have been sidelined when it comes to spending the historic surplus.

That's a good story, Gator, and you can bet the chair of the committee, Rep. Lundstrom of the small town of Grants, is quite happy with the rural composition of her panel. Again, the cowboys always find a way to ride in New Mexico politics, just as the austerity hawks find a way to fly--no matter how much the climate is against them.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Things really aren't so bad in this old world of ours after all. Look what's yours:

Dion’s Pizza is pleased to announce the launch of our new mobile app making it easier and quicker for customers to place their orders. Please find attached a press release with more details as well as some photos. Please let me know if you might need anything else.

Okay, thanks for asking. How about one of those half turkey salads and a simple slice of cheese pizza? Forget the famous dressing. We're pretty much over that. 

Don't forget to join us tomorrow for Friday Photo Fun. 

Thanks for your company this week. Reporting from Albuquerque, New Mexico, I am Joe Monahan. 

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019
 
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