We're glad to report the backers of an increase in the ABQ minimum wage spared themselves any embarrassment and are paying more than the minimum as they start hiring for a door-to-door to canvass to get their vote out. The canvassers will get $8 to ten bucks an hour. Job inquiries to 505-242-7411.

Insiders report that the supporters of hiking the minimum to $7.50 from $5.15 an hour have raised enough money to buy some last minute TV ads. We shall see. The business opposition to the hike is out with TV and media. It's complicated stuff that claims the measure would allow intrusions into the workplace by pro-union types. My wage watchers predict a victory for the wage boost. One of them is Mayor Marty himself who ventured during a recent TV debate that it would garner voter support.

GOP mayoral hopeful Brad Winter has run into controversy over his sexual poltics. A flyer put out by the GOP faults Mayor Marty for saying on his Web site that he "stands proud" for Gay rights. The Gay group known as the Log Cabin Republicans didn't take kindly to the attack since they had given some money to Winter. But Brad backed the R's hit. The Log Cabin R’s withdrew their supprot and asked for their money back. Hey, how about we get to do that after the politicans take office?

OTHER-WORLDLY?

Big Bill's new book, "Between Worlds," might be other-worldly in parts, especially the one about deciding to run for governor shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This according to Steve Terrell at the Santa Fe New Mexican. Terrell remembers that the campaign was already set to get underway by that time.

Another of the Guv's tidbits: He regrets never telling his father that he loved him. That's something for everyone to think about.

Terrell drew the displeasure of the Fourth Floor with lines like this in his book review: "As could be expected, much of the book is self-aggrandizing." That'll keep the press flacks in Santa Fe busy spinning back.

SUPREMES: WHAT'S THE RUSH?

The Guv and the Attorney General may have thought it was an emergency, but the NM Supreme Court is taking its time ruling on the pairs request from last week that NM have two state treasurers, both of whom would be paid $85,000 a year. The plan would keep Treasurer Robert Vigil, indicted on corruption charges, on the payroll but not working, and has drawn fire, especially from the R's.

In a sign that the political stakes are getting higher, Big Bill says impeaching Vigil is a "prerogative" of the State House. Does anyone hear someone twisting, slowly, slowly in the wind? Does Robert Vigil want to be in the state history books as the first elected state official to ever be impeached? Seems from this corner that the constitutional process is coming into play. The Supremes need not hurry on this one.

Meanwhile, predictably enough, the R's are trying to speed up the impeachment train and go after Vigil during the upcoming Special Session. The D's are trying to slow it down until the regular January session, hoping Vigil will have resigned by then. The AP's Barrey Massey has the details.

WE’RE ON THE AIRWAVES TODAY

Join Jim Villanucci and me on 770 KKOB-AM radio today at 4 p.m. as we run down the latest from La Politica. We'll wax sentimental over the Treasurer scandal and the soon to be history ABQ mayoral race. Some of the stuff could even end up in Jim's stand-up comedy routine. See ya' then.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
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