Heather Wilson

Once they soared like Icarus over this vast Land of Enchantment and now...splat! Both former Senator Pete Domenici and his protege--former ABQ GOP US Congresswoman Heather Wilson--have fallen from grace faster than a Twinkie disappearing at a weight watchers meeting. Who would have thunk it?

Domenici was so revered that he earned the title "St. Pete," only to see his angelic garments severely soiled when he admitted fathering a child out of wedlock with the daughter of a fellow Senator during his first term in the 70.s When that news broke this year, they had to rewrite the history books.

And now Heather--Pete's surrogate daughter--is busted by federal government watchdogs for collecting nearly $500,000 in questionable contract payments from four federally funded national labs--mostly New Mexico's Sandia and Los Alamos.

The history buffs already had Heather's US Attorney scandal as a major drag on her future standing, Now this gets plopped on top. Looks like she'll be remembered as fondly as Albert Fall. Now she belongs to the School of Mines in South Dakota where she was named president earlier this year. That is, if they decide to keep her around as talk swirls of a possible criminal investigation. And no wonder:

The report also says it found no evidence that work performed by Wilson under contracts with the labs was completed, although the payments to Wilson made by the labs were reimbursed by the federal government.

Wilson came with this:

The report confirms that the labs were satisfied with my work,” Wilson said. “The work was done in full compliance with the contracts we signed and under the direct supervision of lab sponsors.”

So far, Heather's new employer is standing behind her.

When the Domenici love child scandal broke it was the hypocrisy that had the denizens in the bleacher seats retching, They had watched for years as Pete preached "character counts," all the while hiding his major character defect. And now it's Wilson getting the same guffaws. She always maintained an "above it all" superior countenance that she used to brush off her critics. Now it turns out the Rhodes Scholar from New Hampshire was just another politician with her hand out.

And to think back when she and Domenici called up then US Attorney Iglesias and demanded to know when former state Senator Manny Aragon was going to be indicted so it could help her electoral chances. Move over, Manny. You may have a new cellmate.

The payments to Wilson for "consulting" services that could not be documented were given to the former five term congresswoman from 2009 to March 2011. In June 2008, she lost the GOP US Senate nomination to Steve Pearce and in January 2009 she vacated the House seat she held for five terms. Shortly after the payments stopped in March 2011, she began her pursuit for another US Senate seat. She won the GOP nomination but lost to Martin Heinrich in 2012.

Wilson is a transitory figure in state history, but Sandia and Los Alamos Labs are economic linchpins for the entire state economy. That their management could be so flippant in doling out what appear to be influence payments is a real blow to the battle in Washington to keep the labs adequately funded.

Some of us who have been vocal about the need to keep the money flowing to the nuclear labs have been tiring of the arrogance and sense of entitlement that surround them. Sandia and Los Alamos need to make real friends--not ones bought and paid for and that reveal a culture of corruption that puts our state's economic fortunes at risk.

The kicker is that Los Alamos was preparing hundreds of layoffs while they were paying off Wilson and pleading poverty. Sandia was also scaling back contracts and travel as budgets grew tight--but apparently not tight enough to keep them from doing their darndest to keep their "Senator-in-waiting" flush with cash.

PADDLE AWAY

Will Senators Udall and Heinrich now demand that management heads roll at the national labs over what the Department of Energy says are out-of-bounds payments to Wilson? (Lockheed Martin, manager of Sandia, and Bechtel, manager of Los Alamos, have had to pay back to the government the nearly $500,000 Wilson received.)

The Alligators freaked out when UNM President Frank recently made a move to have his school have a larger management role at Sandia. They feared it could become a political dumping ground. Turns out it already was.

Over the years Domenici and Wilson looked mostly the other way when the labs lost their way and these contracts for Wilson are easily seen as payback for that service.

Udall and Heinrich have their work cut out for them as the budget cutters add the "Wilson card" to their
pile as they move to scale back lab funding. Maybe if they kick some management butt they can keep it in the deck and out of the game. Does that mean companies other than Lockheed and Bechtel should be brought in to manage the labs? Why not, Senators?

ALLIGATOR STRIKE

One of the Alligators, a longtime foe of Wilson, found his moment to strike when the latest news broke about the former GOP Congresswoman:

I like the fact that we can now call heather Wilson an “Undocumented Worker," he poked

THE HEALTH OF UNM

We have readers who care deeply about the University of New Mexico. Several of them are of the "Senior Alligator" variety--our most trusted sources on what is really happening there and elsewhere.

Today two of them weigh in on the political struggle that has broken out over control of the UNM Health Sciences Center--a vast organization with a $1.5 billion annual budget. UNM President Frank says the Center has strayed from under the control of his office and he wants and needs it back if he is to lead effectively.

(But in a turnabout Wednesday, Frank said he was backing off from trying to take more control of UNM Health Sciences. Hmm. Who talked to him?).

Both of our longtime UNM sources--with decades of experience in the inner workings of academia-- sympathize with to Frank's plight. Our first Senior Gator starts us off with a history lesson on how UNM became a highly politicized institution beginning a decade ago and how that has led to the situation today:

Things have really deteriorated at UNM since then Governor Bill Richardson, in 2003 decided to intervene in UNM with hardball Washington-style partisan politics, asking for signed, undated letters of resignation from all Regents and appointing his buddies Mel Eaves and Jamie Koch to the Board of Regents. They in turn then picked Friend of Bill Louis Caldera as UNM president.

In the BC era (Before Caldera), UNM presidents had worked cooperatively with deans and vice-presidents at the UNM Health Sciences Center to coordinate activities and to narrow the canyon between the main campus and the north campus.

Since the BC era UNM has had presidents who could not care less about UNM, its various parts, and its primary functions--only about themselves and politics. The Regents were micro-managing the University, even ordering an office and a staff on campus. Those who played ball with Richardson, Koch and Eaves were richly rewarded. Others, who were suspected of having loyalty to former presidents, were "retired" or transferred. Paul Roth (a fine administrator) was one of the favored ones.  He was rewarded with an interim presidential term and better yet the exalted title of "Chancellor" of the UNM Health Sciences.

When UNM President David Schmidly came in he gave up his chief operating officer function to Friend of Bill politico David Harris. Instead of having the Provost and the Chief Academic Officer being second to the UNM president--as is customary at most higher education institutions--Harris was and is clearly the second in command. Several directors who were "compatible" were promoted to VPs, Associate and Assistant VPs, including the Athletic Department director who became a Vice President.

UNM had become more fragmented. Its leadership lost sight of their obligation to serve the faculty and students in the core functions of teaching and research, and became self-serving. The Regents micro-managed more and more and made many bad decisions, including allowing or encouraging the UNM Health Sciences to drift even farther away and for athletics to become seemingly the most important function of the state's flagship university.

It will take a long time to undo the harm done since 2003. It is hoped that UNM President Frank has the insight, values and ability to make things right again.

Our second Senior Gator weighs in with this:

The UNM main campus can be compared to a dog with two tails: the UNM Health Sciences Center on the North Campus and the Athletic complex on the South Campus. Both campuses can provide important benefits to favored friends and alumni.

Free basketball tickets or opportunities to get close to star athletes are sought after. At the Health Sciences Center it goes without saying, they can save one’s life. Since the Center has some of the finest medical care in the country, this is no small benefit to friends of UNM. And then there are the endowments and investment companies and construction contracts to be given at a Center with a $1.5 billion annual budget.. Whoever controls all this is powerful. “Follow the money." The money and influence should be transparent and in the control of the UNM President and not hidden within a bureaucratic maze with Chancellors and subsidiary boards.

Does President Frank--who took over at UNM last June-- need new players in his inner circle who can break him free from the politics of the gubernatorial past, as well as the present?

MICHELLE AND UNM

Rep. Lujan Grisham

ABQ Dem Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham landed a blow against Paul Roth and UNM Health Sciences when last month she questioned why the jobs of 57 medical transcriptionists had to be outsourced from the Center when it has millions in cash reserves. It's not the first time the congresswoman was involved with Roth. Back in 2008, when she was leaving a cabinet post under Governor Richardson, this story broke:

Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration approached the University of New Mexico about hiring controversial Health Secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham just before she left her cabinet post, according to a tape recording made before the start of a regents meeting. “The governor....called me last night ... to hire Michelle Grisham. He fired her,” then-acting university President David Harris could be heard saying on the tape prepared by UNM officials and included in the official record.... While she gave her resume to both Harris and Paul Roth, UNM’s executive vice president for health sciences, Grisham wasn’t hired.“I think it dispels the notion of cronyism at UNM,” Harris said....

Grisham at the time said she was not "fired" by Big Bill. Harris said he had misspoke when he said she had. Harris also evoked smiles and chuckles among the Alligators when he gave that assertion that because UNM did not hire Michelle it showed there was no "cronyism" at UNM. You have to appreciate the chutzpah.

THE BOTTOM LINES

In blogging about ex-Governor Martinez campaign staffer Anissa Ford Tuesday, we linked to a Web site that listed Ford as a project manager for "Safer New Mexico Now," a traffic safety group. Ford concluded her work there two years ago. The site is out of date.

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Steve Alford

The Easter weekend news that UNM Lobo coach Steve Alford was joining what sometimes seems like an exodus out of ABQ hit the town like the crash of an unexpected comet. Alford has been the star on the state leadership stage. He and his winning Lobos have provided relief from the never-ending funereal news backdrop that today frames the city. Unfortunately, his departure fits right in with the Albuquerque and New Mexico zeitgeist of 2013.

Just grazing the headlines reveals about the only thing looking up around here is the Duke City crime rate. Traffic has plunged at the fabled ABQ Sunport, the ABQ metro is the worst in the west in creating jobs and the Mayor's proposed city budget shows negative growth when inflation is factored in.

And it seems many of our best and brightest would rather take flight than stay and fight--Alford among them. He and his family will be part of the statistics that put NM among the top five states that folks are fleeing and seeking greener pastures.

And in this case the grass is greener on the other side not only for Alford. Look at Colorado:

Colorado added 10,800 payroll jobs in February, and the state's unemployment rate edged down to 7.2 percent, the lowest level in four years, the Colorado Department of Labor and Industry reported. It's the state's lowest unemployment rate since February 2009, and the eighth consecutive monthly decline in Colorado's unemployment rate. Unemployment stood at 7.3 percent in January.

All around us the economic garden is starting to bloom, but ours is still in a freeze.

A former New Mexican turned holiday visitor comments,

The town is dead--stagnated. Driving around on the week nights, nothing seems to be opened and I don't see many young people out and about. And it looks and seems a rougher replace than I remember...

Well, four years of recession will do that. Here's more:

Average weekly wages in Bernalillo County fell by 3 percent between 2011 and 2012, and by 2.3 percent in New Mexico, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. In addition, the number of jobs in Bernalillo County dropped by 0.3 percent...The average weekly wage in Bernalillo County was $809, putting it in 276th place among the 329 largest U.S. counties. The average weekly wage was $761 in New Mexico.

The city has lost much of its spirit, along with its economic fortunes. For a brief, shining moment, Steve Alford and the Lobos took our collective mind away from that, but only for a moment...

THE UNM STORY

Paul Krebs

Alford's sudden departure for UCLA had die-hard Lobo fans scowling and damning Alford for being a turncoat, even though he has been here six years and three times delivered the Lobos to the NCAA tournament. But it has never been enough for the die-hards for 40 years. So why change now?

Actually the Alford departure was another in a long series of blows to the management of the UNM Athletic Department and its director Paul Krebs. Just before UNM met Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Krebs announced with bravado that Alford was signing a new 10 year contract with UNM. And then this...

UNM President Bob Frank has a chance to dial down expectations with Alford's departure. For a variety of reasons UNM is not and probably never will be a national basketball power that regularly goes to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA. Maybe he needs some new faces at the athletic department that match those expectations?

Even as Alford was calling the moving vans, Krebs was insisting that New Mexico is a "Top 25" team. Well, maybe some years, but not all of them and therein lies the rub. Unless this university administration wants to spend money it can't afford to take it "to the next level," it's staying where it's at.

SANDIA AND UNM

The embarrassment over how Alford's departure came about reinforced the views of the Alligators that UNM appears to be overreaching in its bid to have a major management role at Sandia National Labs. Their first line of concern is that we could see politics enter into the hiring at the labs. not an unfounded concern given UNM's history. A Senior Gator with experience at the school comes with this:

In the past, it It was correctly decided not to pursue broader control at Sandia but to continue with the many cooperative agreements the University already has with the Labs. The thinking then and that I believe holds true today is that  UNM has enough difficulties managing itself, much less also assuming the huge responsibilities of taking on the management of Sandia Labs.

Hallelujah to that, but kudos to President Frank for trying. He seems to understand more than most how wobbly the state's current economic model is.

ALFORD REACT

You've heard plenty of reaction about Alford bolting from UNM, but our Alligators have the takes you won't get elsewhere:

The folks that we need to stay in ABQ--like Alford--can't get out of here fast enough. And the ones who need to go--like APD Chief Schultz--have to be dragged away kicking and screaming.

And another:

I have a suggestion for UNM: Instead of wasting the one million from the buyout of Alford's contract on UNM athletics, apply it to providing a decent pay increase to UNM employees who have received nothing in five years.

It's unclear whether UNM will get $150,000 or $1 million in buyout money as a result of Alford's departure.

MAYOR'S RACE

From the mayoral campaign of Dem Pete Dinelli:

Today Pete Dinelli, the only candidate for Mayor seeking public financing, will submit all remaining contributions received to the City Clerk. In total, Dinelli will submit over 4,800 $5 contributions from voters in every corner of the city and from all across the political spectrum, including over 18% from registered Republicans. The campaign will also submit nearly 5,000 petition signatures.

It takes about 3,600 individual $5 dollar contributions from registered voters to win $362,000 in public financing. It appears Dinelli has them. It also takes 3,000 petition signatures to make the ballot and he appears to have them as well.

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BULLETIN: BRUCE KING DEAD. HELD GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR THREE TERMS; WAS 85

The Guv
Brutal economic reality has been stalking Bill Richardson and it finally forced the chief executive to pronounce the "F" word. He has now laid the groundwork for furloughs of state government workers in the budget year we are in and for the one that starts next July. (Guv's complete budget release here).

It was a major change in tone and substance for the chief executive who has continually said furloughs and layoffs were off the table, even as the budget shortfall skyrocketed to shocking heights.

The mantra was beginning to grate on the nerves of a state where unemployment has soared and business has soured. Richardson's insistence on protecting the government classes, while most everyone else suffered, was becoming politically untenable.

The mandatory five day furloughs cover nearly 20,000 state workers and are to be taken by June 30. However, there will probably be exemptions for public safety and other critical need employees.

It is salaries and other personnel costs that make up the bulk of state spending and where savings will have to be extracted in the years ahead (Yes, we said years).

The Governor started us down that road by announcing that he will permanently keep vacant up to 1,000 positions in state government that have gone empty because of the hiring freeze. Of course, there is no money to pay for those positions, but the Guv's acknowledgment of the need for a permanent downsizing of the state work force was, for him, a step in a new direction. That should be helpful when the Legislature convenes Jan. 19.

However, there was some grumbling heard about the furloughs around the Roundhouse. Wall-leaners point out that the Governor still has under his control $58 million in unspent federal stimulus money. The furloughs are estimated to save about $10 million. Couldn't Bill use some of that stimulus to avoid the furloughs? He probably could, but what about next year?

Lawmakers will have to cut at least $400 million in recurring revenue from next year's budget. While tax increases are in the mix, large swaths of the public is not going to want to shoulder this burden without state government sacrifice. Those furloughs and the 1,000 employee reduction is going to appeal to them. Maybe it will give a couple of tax boosts a fighting chance--even in an election year like 2010.

A WHIFF OF POPULISM

The whiff of populism in the air also moved the Guv to announce he will kill off some of those hot potoato political jobs, known as "governor exempt" positions. And he previously said he is reconsidering his position on double dippers--workers who get a retirement check, but then go back on the state payroll.

The Alligators and wall-leaners were quick to point out that many of the exempt positions he says he is cutting are currently vacant and that many of their previous occupants have found classified positions elsewhere in state government. And they also note that the several thousand double-dippers currently on the payroll would not be impacted by the Guv's new anti-dipping proposal.

For all his wailing and gnashing of teeth prior to his Thursday budget announcement, in the end Bill agreed to much of what the Legislature passed.

Which brings us to the other key word now in play in New Mexican politics: Flexibility. Richardson is starting to show some--and even if there is really no other choice--it is still welcome.

Call us optimists, but we're still hoping to someday see a photo of Bill and the conservative state Senate leaders congratulating each other on solving the state's budget crisis.

BLOGGING UNM: OUR READERS

We had some tough love for the University of New Mexico on our Thursday blog as we took a trip down commentary lane. And we received a lot of email in response. Here's a sample:

Virginia: I can only say that your suggestions (instructions) for righting the UNM ship are right-on, and in a perfect world they would indeed set the sailing of the ship on a correct course. But I fear there are too many oars in the water to get them implemented, and the ship will be rudderless until the captains are replaced...Maybe God (Big Bill) needs to reach down and set everything right (make it perfect Bill!).

Sylvia: I so wish that what you suggest could happen. The cancer of conceit, greed, back-stabbing and bald-face lying at UNM is awful! The departure of David Harris, along with Schmidly would be the best thing ever for UNM!!...I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to see the right thing in print! Thanks, Joe, just reading what you wrote eased, for a time, the sense of depression I have about UNM these days.

UNM professor: Thanks for your strong call for change at UNM and for your accurate assessment of where things stand. I agree that a reset of UNM's athletic aspirations are in order and that employing New Mexicans as coaches--and selecting them as players--is a healthy idea. Perhaps that might involve dropping football down to a lower division. Why not have a UNM football team composed largely of New Mexicans?

An issue that arose in the general faculty meeting last week is money taken from general funds to support the athletic programs...We learned of one small but significant item at the meeting: $175,000 for Mountain West Conference dues. You'd think that with all the money the athletic department has to pay coaches, furnish their offices, etc., that they could afford this fee, but according to (UNM) President Schmidly that fee was paid out of “general” university funds.

Anonymous: I have followed you for a long time...I grew up here and knew of you before the Internet. About half the time I don't agree with your politics which I guess is ok, that makes you in the middle...kind of like me. In any case, I applaud and totally support today's position on the University of New Mexico. You are absolutely correct and while they are at it they should get a new Human Resources Vice President.

EVEN MORE UNM BLOGGING

Loyola Chastain: My father was a Regent for Highlands University from 1968- 1970--back when Regent's were not necessarily political appointees. My father was not a political contributor and was a Democrat, when the governor was a Republican. He was the superintendent of Taos Municipal Schools. Governor Cargo appointed him because Taos was a feeder school to Highlands. He thought a superintendent might have a vested interest in ensuring the University met all standards to educate students from our district. This is how it should be done today. Thank you for your blog. It warms my heart that there are others out there that are not afraid to bring to light what others try to keep in the dark...

Michael Barnes: Great posting. Very courageous. Hopefully you have started what is needed to clean up UNM. Congratulations.

Mike English: I'm with you on the need to clean house, up to but not including your proposal for Alford to serve as Athletic Director and your point about resetting the bar on Lobo athletics. (Alford) would be no good as AD, wouldn't want to do it, and whether or not he's overpaid as basketball coach is a separate issue. But I also suspect you had your tongue in your cheek as you wrote that part.

As far as the expectations of Lobo athletics, I would argue there is an economic base in this growing city for the aspirations of winning programs. For basketball that history is already there. The lavish upgrade of the Pit will be looked at as a good thing. For football, well that's a jaw-dropping train wreck right now, but the potential to build a winning/financially sound tradition exists.

I think that ESPN report on (football coach) Locksley sealed the fate of Schmidly and (Athletic Director) Krebs. The lame cover up was exposed. Local media was embarrassed by getting scooped, and they are mad. There is no more slack in that rope. Your post captures the mood and the reality very well.

Hollie: Interesting analysis. I agree wholeheartedly. There was also an interesting blurb in the news about UNM's graduation rate. Something about a exercise in failure. Have you heard anything? As an employee at UNM, I desire to see the regents become elected, rather than political appointees. The atmosphere is definitely one of fear and distrust among the staff.

The news article Hollie refers to details the latest UNM graduation rate--42.7 percent--and quotes UNM President Schmidly as being "extremely disappointed."

UNM student parent: Really enjoyed your blog on UNM's failures and controversies under Schmidly and Harris. While you call for resignations and clean up of the UNM mess all around, everyone knows nothing will be done as long as Richardson is in office--nor by anyone else in the future. Unfortunately, politics, scandal, and corruption in New Mexico go hand-in-hand, and political cronies, pals and supporters, most of them inept, get the cushy jobs. After all, this is New Mexico.

Arthur Olona: Joe: You hit a major league home run on the problems at UNM! The column was factual, concise and to the point. The only way changes are going to be made is if all of us make noise. I’ve done my part in emailing the Regents, the UNM President, the Athletic Director. and friends of mine in the Lobo Club. Let’s hope your readers do the same. We need to save UNM, a New Mexico treasure. The present scandals make the Ellenberger scandal look like a cupcake in comparison.

Thanks to all who took time to email. We appreciate the insights. UNM has a lot of friends out there.

Have news? A comment? Email it in, anonymously if you wish.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

The slow motion destruction of the credibility of the University of New Mexico continues inexorably. It seems no one can or will stop it. Not the UNM Board of Regents. Not the Governor. Not the Lieutenant Governor who would be Governor. Not the powers that be in the Legislature. And not depressed university boosters who remain silent.

The university sails alone in troubled waters, captained by the politics of cronyism. The ship is listing badly, struck by too many torpedoes--the coach Locksley scandal, the faculty vote of no-confidence in the UNM president, the hiring of multiple Governor-backed political appointees and the blatant politicization of the UNM regents.

The leading figures at the helm of the university are locked so deeply in politically incestuous relationships that no one will check the other's actions. What is to be done?

THE PRESIDENT
Schmidly
The time for bashing university president David Schmidly is past. This administration is effectively over.

Now we can only beseech him to announce that he will resign his position within a year and spend that time attempting to clean up the mess (Ditto for Schmidly's right hand man, the politically connected executive vice-president David Harris). The president's best chance to preserve any legacy is to acknowledge that his has been a very troubled tenure, but that in the end reality was recognized.

Once his resignation is announced the president will need to dismiss UNM athletic director Paul Krebs and his key associates. He will also have to hand walking papers to UNM football coach Locksley which could mean a large severance payout, but there is no choice. The damage is done, and irrevocable if the same players remain. The cover-up culture must be purged and with it the elitist salaries and perquisites.

After securing Krebs' resignation, the president should then consider giving the title of athletic director to UNM Lobo basketball coach Steve Alford. Through this violent storm he has retained his credibility nationally and locally. Paid $1 million a year, Alford should have no problem handling both jobs on a temporary basis.

The search for permanent replacements for Locksley and Krebs should be confined to New Mexicans. There are many fine coaches and administrators at area high schools. UNM alumni, athletic boosters and the sports media cheerleaders need to have expectations dialed down.

In short, the bar needs to be reset on the aspirations of Lobo athletics. Student athletes--especially those in the football and basketball programs--have been subjected to unreasonable expectations which in turn leads to the chaos we now confront. Basketball coach Alford seems to be finding a balance--another reason why we see him as a prime choice for an interim athletic director.

THE GOVERNOR

There is apparently no chance that Governor Richardson will take any action to acknowledge the manifold messes strangling UNM. His forceful political personality, so effective in other matters, overwhelmed the institutional strength of the university and set in motion the events that are consuming the school. But if he were to see the light, he would call for the regents' resignations and begin replacing them with appointees who are not from the world of politics. (Is that possible?)

THE SENATOR

There is still a chance for the Legislature to prevent a complete shipwreck. We warned during the 2009 legislative session that the decision of state Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Linda Lopez not to hold an intensive confirmation hearing on the reappointment of regent Jamie Koch and the turmoil-ridden campus sent a signal that legislative oversight of UNM was not to be. Lopez could still hold that hearing in January and appropriators could start demanding change in exchange for dollars.

THE HOUSE

In the state House the current leadership is so deeply entwined with regent Koch and regents president and former longtime NM House speaker Raymond Sanchez, we don't know where to look for reform. But university area state representatives and senators are a start. That would be Sen. McSorley and Rep. Chasey. They have safe seats for life. Where are they?

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish has made education a banner issue, but she has yet to wade into the UNM waters. That will come when the campaign for Governor begins in earnest. But she needs to know now that deep concern is being expressed among major donors and supporters of UNM about her long political relationship with former Democratic Party chairman and regent Koch. It is causing worried speculation that her election as Governor would be more of the same--which in this case means an endless spiral of controversy, cronyism and damage to UNM's reputation. Will she have the political will to break with the past? Will she send any early signals?

THE OTHER REGENTS

And where are the regents you hear little from--Santa Fe attorney Gene Gallegos, car dealer Don Chalmers, attorney Carolyn Abieta and Farmington's Jack Fortner? These are all distinguished volunteers, but the time for being bumps on the log is long past. They have the power to pressure the UNM president and even the governor who appointed them. Being an "honorific" regent in the breaking point year of 2009 is not an option.

Change must and will come, but this rudderless ship is headed into the sandbars. How much more damage it will suffer before the rescue party arrives is the dreaded unknown hanging over the home of the Lobos and those who fret over its future.

KENT'S CRAVING
Sen. Cravens
Alligators are reporting that ABQ/Sandoval County GOP State Senator Kent Cravens is ready to take a free ride and toss his hat into what is becoming a competitive contest for the 2010 GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. They say he is poised to announce soon. The two termer is not up for re-election until 2012. He has owned and operated Alphagraphics with wife Melanie for ten years. She continues there, but Cravens also recently took a job as a broker with Vaughn Co.

This looks like a good move for Cravens. He is the only candidate in the race from the vote-rich ABQ area. His main challenger will likely be former State Rep. Brian Moore of Clayton. Santa Fe's J.R. Damron is also in the race.

We blogged last week how 2002 GOP Guv candidate John Sanchez told us he is now weighing a bid for the '10 GOP Guv nod. He also mentioned a light guv run. John is a former neighbor of Kent's. If they ended up on the GOP ticket together, that's one neighborhood they should carry big, unless they've kept the neighbors up with those loud Republican parties.

(P.S. Be the first to name all the Republicans who have served as lieutenant governor since 1965 and we're buying you a New Mexican lunch.)

This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments, anonymously if you wish.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

The Governor has called a special session of the legislature to begin Friday and appears to be hoping for a train wreck that she can blame on the Senate Democrats just in time for the November election.

The session is essential to resolve the $220 million deficit left over from the budget year that ended June 30. The state must legally pay its bills. But Martinez is insisting that  a trio of crime bills--including one to reinstate the death penalty for child and cop killers--are equivalent in importance to the historic budget shortfall and has placed them on the call of the session.

It appears it is time for the Senate to call the Governor's bluff. With her popularity down to the low 40's and saddled with a Trump presidential candidacy that could very well collapse on the GOP in the final month, Senate Democrats are positioned to take a stand and win, if they can swallow their courage pills.

Plugging last year's shortfall is essential and can be done by sweeping money from various funds. As for the budget year we are now in and which is already projected to have a deficit of nearly $500 million, the Senate Dems are not going to be able to get a deal with this Governor and the radical House Republicans which does not involve violating their pledge not to cut the budgets of the public schools and universities. They can propose additional sweeps to start on that problem and leave the heavy lifting of cuts and revenue enhancement for the 2017 session in January.

As for the crime bills, the Senate might be able to give the Governor something on the "three strikes and you're out" legislation, but the death penalty is a nonstarter. The bill could be referred to Senate Finance Committee where it could be tabled on the grounds of its significant fiscal impact with the pledge to take it up in the '17 session.

The Governor's office says "we hope (the special session) will be short" but accuses the Senate Dems of "playing games," meaning the Dems won't give on the crime bills.

The Senate needs to act fast. The longer the session drags on the more definition it will have in the mind of the public and they will take the hit. They need to be out of there Friday night, let the Governor do her bleating into the weekend and into the start of Balloon Fiesta and be done with it. Then everyone heads out to the campaign trail to fight it out with each side accusing the other of playing political games.

VICTORIA POLITICS

The gruesome murder of 10 year old Victoria Martens started the talk of reinstating the death penalty but now a flip side.

The progressive Center for Civic Action comes with a hard- hitting 30 second TV spot that places blame for the murder of Victoria not on the lack of a death penalty but squarely in the lap of Gov. Martinez.

The ad features a little boy posing questions about the murder to his mother who explains that Victoria was killed by "bad people but she's in Heaven now." The little boy wonders if the "people who protect kids" could have saved Victoria." The mom's answer: "The CYFD should have protected Victoria but Governor Martinez didn't give them the support they needed to save kids like Victoria."

The ad states that APS notified CYFD of concerns about Victoria and that the agency interviewed the little girl but no action was taken. The ad also says there are over 390 vacant positions at CYFD.

The new ad could provide some cover for Democrats fighting the Guv's political machine and its top heavy crime agenda in key House and Senate races. Certainly, the blame game for Victoria's murder is now part of Campaign '16 as we will see at the special session.

The ad is pretty brutal but the buy of $36,000 over a three week period on the big broadcast stations and cable is a break for Martinez. If it were something like $136,000 it just might bring her approval ratings down even further.

The Center is a tax exempt group that is not required to reveal where it gets its donations, but groups associated with liberal billionaire George Soros have in the past given money to the group.

PNM RATE HIKE

Nine percent is better than 14 percent but not by much. The Public Regulation Commission (PRC) fell short of giving the electric utility monopoly the 14 percent boost it wanted but also did not come close to the 6 percent increase that its own hearing officer said should be granted. Pushing through a rate hike that will increase average residential bills by 9 percent in the middle of a long term economic stagnation replete with low wages is going to hurt. A 6 percent hike would not have endangered PNM's financial standing or its stock price. PNM says it will appeal to the NM Supreme Court asking for the full 14 percent.

UNM WOES

Harris

When we blogged of how UNM Executive Vice-President David Harris stormed out of a TV news interview when asked about expensive dinners hosted for donors to the UNM athletic department, we quoted his compensation at $307,000 as stated on the UNM sunshine portal. But it is actually much, much more than that as this UNM reader points out:

David Harris' salary, and several other executives for that matter, contain a significant portion in deferred compensation. That amount never appears in the sunshine portal and is "hidden" compensation. You can only find out how much it is by requesting the contract addendum through an IPRA request. This was routinely done a few years ago by the Journal and others but I don't think anyone has requested it in recent years. It would be interesting to know who gets it and how much they get. I think we would all be surprised.

In 2009, the newspaper did a story noting Harris was then getting $50,000 a year in deferred compensation. Our reliable sources at UNM say that it is now $75,000 per year which makes his refusal to answer questions about taxpayer money at UNM all the more disturbing.

Seven years ago total deferred compensation at UNM topped $1 million. What is it today? The legislature ought to gather the numbers and promptly release them and start the cutting. If VP Harris chooses to walk out because of it, so be it.

INSIDER FRANK INFO

Now more on what we're told was the refusal of the UNM Regents to renew the contract of President Bob Frank and who will soon fill a $350,000 gig created especially for him at the UNM Health Sciences Center. A UNM reader writes:

The fact that the Board of Regents didn't renew President Frank's contract is no surprise. The creation of the position at the HSC is actually quite brilliant. It's a big "screw-you" to Dr. Paul Roth, head of HSC. Make Paul Roth pay the outrageous salary and give Frank a title that are duties that belong to the Dean of the Medical School! That strategy has David Harris written all over it.

In case you missed it Frank and the Regents engineered the demotion of Roth at UNM Health Sciences and he will now come under the purview of the UNM President and Regents. Which leads us to declare that UNM politics are more vicious than a Valencia County cockfight. . .

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Schmidly
The downward spiral of the leadership of the University of New Mexico has accelerated with allegations of bid-rigging and nepotism for the $60 million Pit remodeling, and that gives new Governor Martinez an even stronger hand to push for a change in stewardship at UNM. If criminal investigations result, it will only intensify public clamor for the Governor and Regents to move.

Politically embattled and physically ailing President David Schmidly is hanging on by a thread. His tenure has been marked by the worst instincts of the Richardson administration. Much of UNM became politicized, packed with Bill's buddies. The athletic department also spun completely out of control and is another nest that UNM boosters will want the next president to clean out.

And now this direct hit on the President's office.

Martinez has several openings to fill on the UNM Regents and that can be her gateway to point UNM in a new direction. The Regents pick the president. But Martinez will be pressured to depoliticize. That means encouraging the pick of a clearly nonpolitical president and then getting out of the way as Governors did before Richardson. If she simply starts packing the place with her own political cronies, the school will continue to suffer.

One thing is certain. The bid-rigging scandal has given Governor Martinez even more of a mandate to get involved in UNM's future.

DEMANDING ACTION

One of those who challenged Martinez for the Guv's office, Allen Weh, hit the email circuit with a call for action on UNM:



Some reaction to the rumor mill that Wilson is a possible for the presidency if she does not pursue the US Senate seat held by Democrat Jeff Bingaman. Some readers asked if Heather holds a Ph.D, usually a requirement to become UNM prez. Yes, she does. Her doctorate is in international relations from the prestigious Oxford University in England.

Meanwhile, here's the latest from Schmidly on his health. He returned to campus this week after a months-long absence to receive medical treatment for cancer, according to media reports. Schmidly said:

My doctors cleared me to return to work…which has been my wish for the New Year...Needless to say, I am looking forward to returning to the President’s office and my duties.


And we have a new Speaker of the House -- Ohio Congressman John Boehner. ... His new slogan? 'Four more tears.'

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Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Just how much damage has been done to the ABQ metro in the epic economic downturn of the last five years? More than probably anyone thinks. We just crunched the numbers for job growth for the private sector for the past five years for 102 metro areas in the USA. ABQ ranks 101.

Actually, we've had no private job sector growth at all since the economic collapse of 2008, but a substantial decline.

According to the On Numbers survey from the Business Journals, ABQ has lost 8.55% of its private jobs in the past five years. Only Las Vegas, Nevada, suffering from a real estate and tourism recession was worse, losing nearly 10% of its workforce to the Great Bear Market.

ABQ also had a real estate bubble that led to a construction depression and the subsequent loss of thousands of construction jobs. But professional jobs have also been pummelled. Restoring the city to anywhere near the buoyant days will take years--absent another bubble economy.

In the past year, ABQ is finally posting some private sector job additions, but looking at the state employment reports, it appears we are adding them in the low paying sectors such as leisure and hospitality. Any job growth is good news, but the fact is the city is a lot poorer than it was five years ago. (The workforce here was over 400,000 in late 2007. Today the state says it is at around 371,900).

If ABQ has its hands full trying to prevent people from feeling for the exits, rural New Mexico needs armed guards to prevent the exodus. The latest example? Raton in the north, where the newspaper there--the Raton Range--has closed down. They hope to reappear in some form someday, but with the population there dropping--now about 6,800--and business in a long term slump, the good years are gone.

THE EYE HUNT

Retired APD Seargent Dan Klein, always on the beat for us, comes with this news about the hunt for the author of an anonymous blog critical of APD---the "Eye on ABQ" :

Joe, I just watched KRQE-TV at 5:30 pm tonight July 22. The lead story was about the Eye on Albuquerque and how APD believes it is one of their own that runs it (Really like we didn't already know this?)  They never name the person accused but do talk about the social media policy at APD. 

It seems that KRQE is getting their marching orders right from (Governor Martinez and Mayor Berry political consultant) Jay McCleskey and (ABQ Downs VP) Darren White--Go after anyone who speaks bad about Susana, Berry or APD Chief Schultz.

After the fiasco with the Santa Fe Reporter you would think they would put their foot down and not be the whipping boys for the governor and mayor. KRQE has lost a lot of respect...

Thanks, Dan. The hunt for "The Eye" comes after it has been publishing for nearly seven years and right in the middle of the 2013 mayoral election in which Mayor Berry is hoping to be re-elected.

The KRQE report fails to point out that the October 8 mayoral election looms and that the sudden interest in identifying any police officer associated with it could be politically motivated and an effort to quiet the web site before the election. You know, giving a full picture of what is going on?

KRQE-TV also failed to mention that in May of 2010 Republican Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson--then a candidate for the commission and an ally of Governor Martinez--would not answer when the ABQ Journal asked him if he was a contributor to the Eye on ABQ. He said at the time:

"My question is, 'Why would it matter?' 

You would think reporting all of this--the other side of coin--would be basic journalism in a town this size, but KRQE has already had to apologize once for being overzealous in reporting about a former campaign staffer critical of Governor Martinez.

We're saddened about what has happened to the CBS affiliate but if they keep using McCleskey and White as their assignment editors, they are going to keep getting burned. Don't say we didn't tell you...

IN THE MONEY PIT

VP Krebs

ABQ Dem state Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto writes in reaction to the report we carried on the blog about naming rights for the UNM basketball arena--"The Pit":

Joe, I am apoplectic over the statement by UNM VP Paul Krebs that without a naming gift the financial structure for The Pit is unsustainable. How irresponsible and disrespectful to taxpayers for UNM to break ground on renovation while they depend on a future, uncommitted $10 million dollar gift--more than 20% of the total cost of the project!

Now when no one steps up to rename the venue, UNM will come back to the taxpayers for more and more financial support. I am researching to see if UNM even mentioned renaming the famed Pit when they sought legislative funding for the renovation...Meanwhile, UNM continues their claim that athletics pays for itself...

Reader Al Duran also weighs in on this one:

Joe, as to the cost of the Pit’s remodel it was about $60 million--not the $45 million cited by the  UNM VP. How do I know? I was in charge of providing builders risk insurance for all State owned buildings in New Mexico at the time of the remodel. Usually remodels are not subject to Builders Risk but because of the cost it was included. Add to the remodel the indoor football practice facility at $5 million that was done a little before the Pit and you have a cost over $65 million.

We've already opined how we were stunned by how little The Pit seemed to have changed when we visited the arena for the first time after the remodel. The addition of sky boxes to bring in corporate revenue and big screen TV's is about it. And the food remains lousy--really lousy.

For $60 million they could have started from scratch and built a new 21st style arena, but nostalgia got in the way of common sense.

BAILING OUT THE PIT

There's been talk around town that the Maloof family--once pillars of the local business community--but now long gone, could somehow come back and pony up $10 million for the naming rights for The Pit. Don't count on it, says one of our Senior Alligators:

The late George Maloof was a great supporter of Albuquerque and UNM sports. His wife, Colleen, was a UNM regent. However, times have changed and the Maloofs are being pressed to dispose of their own debts and probably not in a position to help with UNM's debt on the Pit. With the collapse of Las Vegas and sale of their Palms Casino, the Maloof obligations are significant. My guess is that they had to pledge equity in the Sacramento Kings (The NBA franchise they recently sold) to satisfy Palms creditors. Gavin Maloof recently had his 13,000 sq ft mansion in Las Vegas for sale for $12 million. The life and times of the Maloofs is fodder for an interesting movie. They were good for New Mexico.

The Maloofs are now gone from here but they are fondly remembered in ABQ and NM. A chief reason is the warm relationships they forged with the thousands of people they employed over the many decades they prospered.

BAD NEWS STREAK

Joe Monahan (with Gator)

By the way, the UNM naming rights controversy is among a string of bad news for UNM lately. The Regents have been called out for apparently violating the state Open Meetings Act and UNM President Robert Frank is drawing attention for paying over $1 million to consultants to provide it with advise on--among other things--"strategic vision." A big chunk of the payments raise the issue of cronyism:

Frank’s office paid a North Carolina-based consulting firm, Cirra, Inc., nearly $125,000 to help him transition into his role as president, according to UNM documents. Then he paid Cirra another $130,000 to come up with a road map of where the university wants to be by the end of the decade and how it plans to get there....To put together that plan, Cirra President Steve Sloate, who has known Frank since the two of them worked together at the University of Florida in the 1990s, flew from Durham, N.C., to Albuquerque every month for the last year and a half...

Hey, didn't the Alligators warn a couple of months ago that UNM's play to secure a larger management role for Sandia Labs could lead to political shenanigans there? In any event...

Like his predecessor, David Schmidly, who also hired and out of state consultants for hundreds of thousands who he had past links to, Frank defends the spending by saying outside consultants are necessary to get the vision thing right.

It all brings to mind that old saying: "An expert in New Mexico is anyone not from here."

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