Here's a pic we came across of the five current members of the Bernalillo County Commission. They are the latest in a very, very long line of leaders.

Bernalillo County was established in 1852 as one of the nine original counties created by the Territorial Legislature. It was one of the seven Partidos created during Mexican rule. It may have been named for the Gonzales-Bernal family that lived in the area before 1692.

Pictured left to right are Dem Commission Chairman Art De La Cruz, Republican Michael Wiener, Dem Alan Armijo, Dem Maggie Hart Stebbins and Republican Michael Brasher.

Brasher, 59, has been around local government since 1989, as both a city councilor and county commissioner. He is term limited and will end his eight years on the commission and probably his political career in 2010. Armijo is also winding up a lengthy politcal stint. Like Brasher, he served on the city council and is finishing up eight years on the commission. Both seats will be taken over by new faces in '10.

Another interesting race to watch next year--if it develops--will be any Dem primary challenge to Commissoner Hart Stebbins who was appointed to her seat to fill the unexpired term of Deanna Archuleta.

Bernalillo County today has a population of over 635,000, or 32 percent of New Mexico's population of 1,984,000.

SANTA FE SCENE

The March city election in Santa Fe will be all about the economy, or should be. One city council candidate there emails to tell us he gets it:

I read your bit on the "Santa Fe Slump," and couldn't help but direct you to my platform for Santa Fe City Council.

It's a restructuring of the government and an economic shakeup all together. The community-owned electric utility would give the city a stable source of income other than gross receipts tax, while the mentorship program would get the city focused on developing the economy beyond tourism. Both would help encourage local entrepreneurship.

Simon, 27, is an enviornmentalist who worked as a a reporter for the ABQ Journal North.

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

Hassan Nemazee and New Mexico's investments catches the attention of Forbes.

THE NEW FACES

Here's a complete list of the new department directors and their contact info at ABQ's City Hall. A couple of them still have "acting" directors, but most of them were appointed by Mayor Berry.

ANOTHER NEW FACE
Forrester
Here's a pic of 27 year old Scott Forrester, the new executive director of the NM Democratic Party. Forrester is an Albuquerque native who attended St. Pius X High School. He worked with former ABQ Mayor Chavez as an executive assistant and was a top aide in the mayor's recent unsuccessful re-election bid. Forrester tells us he is gearing up for 2010 and the party is looking for a press aide. Javier Gonzales, the new party chair, tapped Forrester for the post. He succeeds Josh Geise who left the party on good terms. He should have. The Dems won just about everything in sight in the 2008 cycle.

MANNY'S CASTLE

This one had them talking this week. A video of the inside of "Manny's Castle." That would be the South Valley home of the now imprisoned former state Senate leader Manny Aragon.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
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