Welcome back. 

The first political question for the new year is left over from last year: What to do with the billions in oil surplus and federal funds flooding into the state. 

The answers offered thus far have been mostly unimaginative but with the 30 day legislative session approaching that could change. 

For example, our insiders report former ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez, now one of MLG's point men to allocate the state's federal infrastructure funds ($3.7 billion), has been talking up a concept with ABQ officials that would transform the state fairgrounds in central ABQ. 

The property is located adjacent to crime-ridden and disadvantaged neighborhoods. We're told discussions have centered on finally moving the Fairgrounds to the Westside and repositioning the land for development. (And don't forget about building a new Tingley Coliseum that could be a showcase for the entire state.)

A big idea that surfaced briefly at the December legislative redistricting session is to invest $100 million in the state's behavioral health system as that crisis has been compounded by Covid. 

And Las Cruces Dem State Senator Bill Soules is thinking big--too big for the skeptics, for sure. He says now is the time to revive the idea of building a bullet train from Cruces to Colorado to enhance economic development. Well, former Guv and bullet train advocate Toney Anaya would be proud but we don't know about Marty and Michelle.

MLG has been low key about the immense surplus dollars. Campaigning in the North at year's end she was touting the itsy-bitsy quarter cent gross receipts tax cut she's proposing. But that's not going to shake loose votes come November, raising the question of whether she will break her incrementalist mold in her 2022 state of the state address at the opening of the legislative session.

The Hill lists the Governor as one of the seven most vulnerable up for re-election while acknowledging that the Cook Report, as nonpartisan as it gets, rates the contest "likely Democratic."

MLG's nearly singular identification with Covid has given her an aura of vulnerability. That's why effective and eye catching deployment of the state's newfound wealth gives her an opportunity to redefine the administration in a nonpartisan light. 

The Cook report, founded in 1984, has been renamed the The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter as founder Charlie Cook's protege and sharp-eyed analyst Amy Walter takes the helm. 

We chatted up Cook redistricting expert Dave Wasserman over the holidays as he joined the debate over the new maps for our state's three congressional districts. He sent this take on the nationally important southern congressional district:

There's no indication Torres Small will make the run but the DC rumor mill has the DCCC decidedly displeased with Heinrich's early endorsement of Vasquez, believing a woman--especially an Hispanic woman--would be a stronger challenger to Rep. Herrell.

With the district now including a chunk of ABQ, our Alligators offered up the name of Dem City Councilor Klarissa Pena as a possible candidate. That's a no-go. Now they're floating Dem ABQ Valley state Rep. Andres Romero. With no obvious primary challengers Vasquez and Heinrich are hoping to run out the clock. 

Baldonado

After 11 years as a Santa Fe insider GOP state Rep. Alonzo Baldonado will now be watching the action from the sidelines. He has resigned his Valencia County House seat. A replacement will be named by the Valencia County Commission. No doubt that new face will be an R as the commission is controlled 5 to zip by the GOP. 

In an exit interview on New Year's Eve day Baldonado, a Belen native who now lives in Los Lunas, told me he was ready to return to the real estate sector. While pleased with his tenure, he complained that there is no center in politics anymore and with an overwhelming Dem state House, that's not going to change. He said:

There could be some rare bipartisanship in the House in the upcoming session regarding the ongoing crime wave. 

Baldonado, 47, was majority whip when the R's held the House briefly (2015-'16) but when they lost it back to the Dems the whip spot went to Farmington area Rep. Rod Montoya. 

Baldonado, a business oriented R, clashed with more conservative elements of the House GOP caucus.

The ex-rep says he is pleased with the economic growth in Valencia the last decade. Facebook is there and Amazon is rumored to follow but he says the state must concentrate on bringing even more businesses, saying: 

Keller takes oath

With a more assertive ABQ city council as a result of the 2021 election, ABQ Mayor Tim Keller got a bit testy as he and four newly elected councilors took their oaths of office at the Convention Center New Year's Day: 

Full inauguration video here. 

The new Council is 5 to 4 Dem. The R's picked up a seat at the November election. But Dem Councilors Benton and Davis have peeled away from Keller on some issues and Keller, elected to a second term, has to be concerned that his veto power could be weakened.

Then again, the Mayor also signaled that most, if not all, the major legislation and programs he wanted are already in place and now it's time "to build on that foundation" to fight, drugs, crime and homelessness. 

In his first term Keller won approval of a major homeless shelter, a public safety tax increase and more funding for high tech for APD.

Okay, we're kind of caught up after the break, but not for long in the never-ending merry-go-round of La Politica. 

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