Candelaria

This column also ran in the ABQ Free Press.

The best jobs that have come into this city the past seventy years are federal government jobs. They're mostly good paying with full benefits and an enviable retirement plan. But now we're told the party is over. We're told that flat federal spending makes it essential we "diversify" away from the Feds if Albuquerque is to have a vital economy. The mayor, governor and economic planners seem to give only lip service to the federal jobs that for generations have been the backbone of the metro economy. They dutifully say we must continue to "fight" to protect our federal money but anyone can see their hearts aren't in it. Just where has that fight been since we started losing those DC dollars? Heck, has anyone at the Roundhouse or City Hall even thrown a punch?

The truth is there is an antipathy toward the federal government in local governmental quarters here. Too often the cries for diversification really mean bringing in jobs that pay 10 bucks an hour at a call center or flipping burgers.

But not all of our policy makers frown at the Feds and some still look to them to provide jobs that are good enough to keep the next generation hanging around here, even if they don't happen to have a pocket full of degrees and the six figure student loan debt that goes with them. And that brings us to NM US Marshal Conrad Candelaria.

The Albuquerque native, retired from APD when President Obama appointed him marshal, has a proposal that if it came to fruition could employ hundreds of city residents in good paying federal positions that don't necessarily require a four year degree. That proposal is to build a federal correctional facility on the outskirts of the metro. Now before you say "not in my backyard" think about it.

Entry level federal correctional officers can earn between $39,000 and $51,000 a year. Then there's the administrative staff pulling down even more dollars. That thick payroll would be spun off to the local economy. It's a tried and true formula that has worked for our area since WWII. In fact, there would be no NE Heights or for that matter a "metro Albuquerque" if it hadn't happened.

A big advantage is land, opines Candelaria. "There is open space galore on the Westside or in Torrance County, We located the Bernalillo County jail on the Westside and have had no ill effects. A federal prison could be added to the mix and provide great career opportunities for hundreds of area young people."

A four year college degree is a requirement for a federal correctional officer. However, that can be waived if an applicant has at least three years of full time experience in teaching, management, sales, counseling, or emergency response.

Candelaria thinks the first step to lure the Feds here is to conduct a geographic study to see if the need is there. "Our state's congressional delegation would be in a position to get that ball rolling," He said.

Candelaria points out that on an average day some 1,600 inmates are housed at 13 local jails that have contracts with the federal government. Wouldn't a federal prison draw stiff opposition from those facilities who are already benefiting from federal largess?

"I don't believe so," declared Candelaria. "Remember, those inmates are pre-sentence inmates. Once they are sentenced they are shipped out of state. Our local jails would still be used to house them but the new federal prison could be where many of them serve out their sentences."

Everyone wants Albuquerque to attract the next Google or Microsoft but the chances are slim because we have so much competition from other states that have more built-in advantages. However, not all of them have the open space, the community support and the lengthy and deep relationship New Mexico has with the federal government. Shouldn't our politicians and policymakers be building on that relationship and really fighting for those federal dollars instead of acting as if they are a necessary evil?

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Tucson

The woes of ABQ have been well chronicled here in recent years, including the failure of the state and city to adequately invest in itself in the wake of the economic crash. Sometimes it takes a set of outside eyes to open ours. In an incisive letter reader Kathryn Carroll of Tucson tells the tale of two cities—how one advanced and one was left behind . . . .

Joe, your recent column outlining how the decay of the iconic Tingley Coliseum was brought about by inexcusable neglect and shortsightedness due to a void in city and state leadership brought to mind an earlier era. I recalled when Albuquerque was the "go to city" other municipalities wanted to replicate for progressive rebirth, development and job creation.

It was 2009, a year following the collapse of Wall Street, but Albuquerque was still on the upswing, boasting revitalization of the downtown and job creation with massive developments such as Mesa Del Sol and the selection of Albuquerque over Tucson by Schott Solar for a 200,000 square foot facility to manufacture their solar panels.  The future of the city couldn't have been brighter, or so they boasted.

From this success, there were lessons to be learned and Tucson, struggling with slow job growth and numerous failures in attempting to rejuvenate its downtown, wanted to learn first hand how Albuquerque had been so successful in developing a private/public partnership.

In October 2009, the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) investors sponsored a three-day "Leadership Exchange Trip" to Albuquerque and Santa Fe for 40-plus elected officials and civic leaders to see first hand how the successes of this comparable-sized city were achieved.  The irony is the trip occurred just days after Mayor Chavez lost his re-election bid to current Mayor RJ Berry.

The local newspaper even paid for a reporter to go along so that details of the trip could be recorded in hopes of bringing encouragement back to the weary taxpayers of Tucson and Pima County. Now fast forward to 2015.

While Albuquerque has experienced job losses, population decline, development stagnation and a steep increase in violent crime, Tucson has flourished since that 2009 trip. Today downtown Tucson is thriving with new restaurants, new upscale housing developments, University of Arizona student housing complexes, an expansion and renovation of the convention center and a theater that attracts capacity crowds.  The newly completed streetcar that traverses the downtown area has brought new life and business to these venues and has exceeded ridership expectations. Two new and much needed national hotels have received approval to serve the convention center area.  In short, in the last three years huge and exciting changes have come to downtown Tucson by way of over $320-million in public and private investment. That also includes the nine-story corporate headquarters for UniSource Energy, the parent company of Tucson Electric Power and completion of the multi-story Pima County Court building.

It's not just the restaurants, entertainment and hotel rooms that are contributing to the growth of Tucson and Pima County.  In January, the Board of Regents finalized and approved the merger of all University Medical Center facilities with Phoenix-based Banner Health Care, the largest healthcare provider in Arizona.  In announcing the merger, Banner announced a $500-million capital injection for renovation and expansion of the existing Medical Center which will include a new seven-story tower.  Over the next few years, the merger and expansion is anticipated to create hundreds of new jobs as construction begins and new healthcare services are provided.

In January, HomeGoods, a division of the TJX Companies which includes Marshall's and T. J. Maxx, announced that Tucson was chosen to become the site of their new $80-million West Coast distribution center.  Besides Tucson, HomeGoods considered New Mexico, California and Nevada to build their new 800,000 square foot distribution center, It’s expected to create 400 new jobs upon completion and approximately 900 long-term.  As of February, the 100 acres needed to construct the facility had already been purchased and construction is scheduled to be completed this year.

This is only a small fraction of what's happening in this exciting area.  While I always dreamed of moving to beautiful New Mexico, I’m glad we stayed in Tucson.  Last April, we stopped in Albuquerque for a couple of days and were extremely disheartened by what appeared to be a major decline of the city we once loved to visit.  Many areas, including the Northeast Heights, appeared neglected, unkempt, and dirty.

The roles have reversed since 2009. Perhaps the elected officials and civic leaders of Albuquerque and New Mexico should now consider making a trip to Tucson to see the results of what Tucson's leadership may have learned on that three-day trip in October, 2009, just prior to the "changing of the guard" in City Hall and a year later in the Roundhouse.  What a difference five years makes in two cities which once shared ideas for economic success.

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So what do we have here? Why it's Gov. Martinez pouring cement at recent groundbreaking ceremonies for a new osteopathic medical school in Las Cruces. And the Alligator cutline? Try this:

Well, concrete worked for Jimmy Hoffa, let’s see Michael Sanchez dig himself out of this!

Which raises the question of whether the Guv will once again try to bury Democrat Sanchez at the polls come November '16. She gave it her--all as well as a wheelbarrow full of cash--in 2013. But it was to no avail and Sanchez retained his title as  Senate Majority Leader. All signs point to Sanchez seeking re-election, even if he has to wear cement boots.

OF BERRY AND SCHULTZ

Mayor Berry is said to have been south of the border--down Mexico way--when all hell broke loose with the release of that state audit that said former APD Chief Ray Schultz had probably violated the law when working to "grease" a nearly $2 million city contract fort Taser--the maker of the lapel cameras worn by officers. While Berry avoided the media storm, he since has been questioned about Schultz and Taser and here's what he had to say:

There will always be something that comes up in a city of this size. If we find a breach in protocol or if we find someone circumvented a process, we need to look it right in the eye and we need to tell folks we won't back away from it and we'll fix it. Then the responsibility falls on me as the mayor to direct people to go and make the fixes that need to be made. . . . 

Let's parse the mayor's statement. He says "there will always be something that comes up in a city of his size." But when was the last time the city's top ranking law enforcement officer was implicated in a shady deal (pay to play)  that could very well lead to his criminal prosecution? In fact, we can't recall any city official of Schultz's rank or of similar rank who has faced these kind of corruption allegations in modern history. In fact. . . .

The history of the modern government of ABQ is a clean history. There are a number of reasons for that, not the least of which is that it is located in the state's media and business center and subjected to much more scrutiny than governments elsewhere in our sprawling state. At least until now.

When it came to APD, the fatal police shootings and the Taser deal, the checks and balances broke down. In other words, the tale of Taser corruption--reaching as it does to the highest level of city government--is unique. It hasn't happened before. Mayor Berry's effort to dismiss it as simply "something that comes up" contradicts the historical record. It only came up this time because most of the media, the city council, the Mayor and his chief administrative officer and the business community shut their eyes.

Again, Ray Schultz's Taser caper is not just another "something." If it is treated as such ABQ will have to prepare itself for a level of corruption at City hall that heretofore has been unheard of.

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Regarding the early talk of Mayor '17, several readers wondered just which ABQ city councilors are looking at getting in that race. The answer is Democrat Ken Sanchez and Republican Dan Lewis.  Neither has formally announced but are headed in that direction.

The name Taser may be sour around here after former APD Schultz was accused by the state auditor of "greasing" a $2 million contract for the manufacturer of the lapel camera maker, but as we pointed out Monday the company is in the sweet spot nationally, with its stock price continuing to roar ahead. Here's the latest on why:

Taser International shares are climbing. . . as the company continues to gain following its earnings release last week and an announcement that the U.S. Department of Justice plans to spend $20 million on body cameras similar to the one the company makes. The Justice Department's announcement of its investment in body cameras came on the same day that Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that her office was filing charges against six officers in connection to the death of Freddie Gibbs. 

 The DOJ said that the investment was just the initial round of funding for its three-year $75 million plan to dispense 50,000 body cameras to police departments around the country.

That DOJ blessing could be be enough to keep Taser around ABQ for a long time, despite its controversial involvement with Schultz. Still, there is this:

A high-ranking retired member of the department (says) they had serious concerns about those (Taser) cameras. They say the gear was "shoved down their throats," even as people questioned their reliability.

GOOD NEWS?

Some beleaguered APD police officers are tired of all the negative publicity about the department and have launched the  #GoodNewsAboutCopsCampaign. You can read up on it by clicking on the image posted here. The email sent out promoting the launch says: "It's high time we show everybody what APD is all about."

Well, they might adjust that to "what a part of APD is all about." After suffering through five years of horror stories Mr. and Mrs. Albuquerque are well aware that their police department is not all about "good news." Not that there isn't room to hear some. . .

LOOK OUT HOBBS

Most of NM has watched enviously as Hobbs in the SE oil patch boomed as they busted. The recession that has been sticky as fly paper in the ABQ metro bypassed Hobbs as oil prices skyrocketed. But the party is finally ending:

The New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department is forecasting at least 2,000 jobs will be lost over the coming months due to sharp declines in the price of crude oil.

Hobbs has made strides in diversifying its economy so things won't be as bad as in previous busts, but neither will it be an entirely recession free zone. And speaking of oil prices. . . .

STILL RICH

In 2014 oilman Mack Chase was listed in Forbes as the richest man in New Mexico, worth $900 million. Now in 2015 Forbes says Chase, 84, is still the richest of them all but the oil crash has reduced his wealth to a mere $650 million. We thought something was up when the other day we saw Mack comparing prices at the local Wal-Mart. . .

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Now that one big fat cockroach has crawled out from under the carpets of City Hall, the question is whether there are more to come. 

State Auditor Tim Keller busted former APD Chief Ray Schultz for "greasing" a nearly $2 million city contract for Taser, maker of police video lapel cameras. The Berry administration is reacting by admitting there are some weaknesses in the city "procurement code." That's prompted City Hall watchers to ask if Taser is the only questionable contract approved by APD or other city agencies under this faulty procurement code or are there more cockroaches to come?

As for Keller, his aggressive move against Schultz and the Taser deal--he said there have were criminal violations of ethics laws and forwarded the audit to the AG and DA--put the political guessing game into overdrive.

Veteran politico and independent Mike Santullo took note of our Friday blog on speculation about Keller seeking the '18 Dem Guv nomination by adding, "Don't forget the '17 mayoral race."

We are quite away out,  but aside from a couple of city councilors, I am not hearing any big names. Keller is a former ABQ state Senator and now knee-deep in a major city issue. He could take a serious look at a mayoral run. He would not have to give up his auditor's seat to make a run since he is not up for re-election until '18.

Reader and Dem activist Danny Hernandez also brought up the mayoral angle:

The target of Keller's investigation makes me wonder if his audience is Albuquerque voters. Although it's no secret Keller and (Attorney General) Balderas are both eying the fourth floor of the Roundhouse, it's also no secret that in 2013--before the APD crisis hit the fan with the James Boyd shooting video--Keller was eying the mayor's office. He likely took one look at Berry's high approval rating and decided to take a pass--or a rain check. Is it possible Keller is keeping his options open and he could also be looking at a mayoral run in 2017?

Meanwhile on the 11th floor of Government Center Republican Mayor Berry has hired himself a new spinmeister, but don't expect any drastic change in message. The new spinner is none other than the wife of GOP state House Majority Leader Nate Gentry.

Erin Gentry will collect a handsome salary in the $90,000 area but as a full-fledged member in good standing of the Guv's political machine, it's hard to see anything but more of the same.  Not that Berry couldn't use some Dale Carnegie lessons. . .

His relationship with the three TV stations is in shreds because of the constant APD stonewalling over public records.  Berry has lost much of a politician's most precious asset with the media--trust. The newspaper is still hanging onto his coattails but one wonders how long that can last as TV news gets the jump on the big stories like the Taser corruption, leaving the paper in the dust.

And how about Taser? No worries, really. When they inked the deal with the city its stock was trading at under $9 a share. Today it's in the $32 area--a nearly 300 percent climb. Still, the company's generosity in entertaining (and hiring) police chiefs has won national notice. Wall Street can be pretty merciless if it notices any cracks in the company's armor with those who buy its products.

GOING NUCLEAR

It may seem nearly nonsensical for the Martinez administration to be putting its muscle behind a private company's proposal to store high level nuclear waste in SE NM in light of the recent radiation leak at WIPP. But nuke boosters in Hobbs and Carlsbad say they want to do what no one else in the USA wants to do and Martinez says bring it on.

NM Dem Senator Udall Tom Udall has been taking a lambasting from ardent enviros who oppose his compromise bill on chemical safety, but they--and much of the rest of the state-- may join the cheer leading squad over his reaction to making the state a high level nuke waste dump:

I don’t think we should be talking about this at all while the state and the Department of Energy are still addressing the serious accident and radiation release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. I have helped secure hundreds of millions in vital funding for WIPP for many years, and my focus now is ensuring WIPP can reopen safely and the workers are protected. 

Sen. Heinrich shares Udall's views. Odds of Hobbs becoming the new Yucca Mountain? About the same as Manny Pacquiao winning a rematch against Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

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