The political angle on the weekend announcement by Mayor Keller that he will seek city council approval of a $50 million bond issue to build a stadium for the United NM soccer team has opponents complaining that besides being a questionable expenditure Keller is trying to stack the deck for the November 2 mayoral election where he faces Sheriff Manny Gonzales. (Video of Keller announcement here.) 

Soccer fans tend to be younger thus presumably lean Democratic and are not a high voting group. Bringing them into the mayoral election to back a stadium bond is seen as a boost for Keller. On the other hand, the prospect of an expensive downtown stadium could wake up conservative voters who will come out to vote against the plan and perhaps vote for Gonzales. 

Opponents of the downtown stadium point out that ABQ voters rejected one at a 2001 special election. It was sold as a means of "revitalizing" the battered area when Mayor Jim Baca pushed the concept. Instead voters approved a $10 million bond to renovate ABQ Isotopes Park, a decision that has stood the test of time. 

As much as they are popular today, the future for NM United could be iffy, if the history of other minor league sports franchises here are any indication. Only one has lasted of the many tried, that being the minor league Isotopes who were preceded by the popular ABQ Dukes. 

Downtown at 2nd and Iron is one of several proposed locations for the stadium as outlined by outside consultants for the city. Coal and Broadway near downtown is another. The Railyards and 12th and I-40 are also mentioned. The study is here.

Putting a stadium downtown, however, would have negligible impact on the down and out downtown which is ensnared in crime, homelessness and has a reputation as a place to stay away from, argues former City Councilor Greg Payne:

Or another possibility. End governmental tribalism and reach an accord to tear down the aged Tingley Coliseum on the state fairgrounds and build a new multipurpose arena that could host large concerts, soccer, other sports teams and the many NM Expo events. Besides being a showcase for the entire state, Santa Fe could put up a much larger share of the financing of that venture than for a downtown stadium.

The city council in August must approve the $50 million bond issue for it to make the Nov. 2 ballot which also for the first time features ABQ School Board elections that will also spike Democratic turnout. The total stadium cost is put at about $70 million.

The bond would not raise taxes but it would reduce bonding capacity for other vital infrastructure projects such as roads. 

United NM has brought much joy to the city in its short time but asking voter approval of a $50 million bond issue just three months from now looks like a rush job, if not an outright political ploy by the incumbent mayor. 

While a dedicated soccer stadium could be a White Elephant in the city's future, the current state of city budgetary affairs is solid, according to the latest bond ratings. 

The bond rating may be obscure to some, but many voters in city elections tilt toward the affluent and are quite aware of their importance. For Keller that's another reason he is in the driver's seat so far in his bid for a second term. 

Eddy Aragon

All the ABQ district court judges have recused themselves from hearing the appeal of BernCo Sheriff Manny Gonzales' public financing case. That means the state Supreme Court will appoint an outside judge to hear the sheriff's appeal of the decision by the city clerk to deny him taxpayer money for his mayoral bid and that should happen this week.

The clerk denied Gonzales $661,000 in public financing because of forgeries involving those $5 donations from individual voters that his campaign was required to collect. The sheriff's campaign has admitted there was forgery of signatures. Keller has qualified for the public cash. 

Also, we've learned that Megan McMillan, a top campaign aide to Gonzales and who the Keller camp asserts was a key player in forging signatures, has left the campaign. Whether she has lawyered up is a matter of speculation.

Then there's radio talker Eddy Aragon, who earlier started a mayoral campaign but then abandoned it, now announcing that he's launching a last minute effort to qualify for the Nov. 2 mayoral ballot. Aragon points out that for the first time there is no Republican choice for mayor and more importantly there is no conservative. So Aragon is trying to collect the required 3,000 petition signatures by the August 10 deadline to make the ballot. Fat chance, says veteran field consultant Steve Cabiedes:

So it appears the mayoral derby will stay a two man duel, but we'll keep you posted in case Eddy surprises.

Balderas & Colón

More trouble for Attorney General Hector Balderas. The latest:

Hector's explanation for sealing the documents in the solar case is on the linked news story.

And Mariel Nasani of the progressive New Energy Economy comes with this: 

That's a tricky referral for State Auditor Brian Colón, arguably Balderas' best friend who worked for the Robles, Anaya & Rael firm for 12 years. Ethics experts could have fun with this one. The full complaint against the AG over his contracting with Rael and that is now on Colón's desk is here. 

Colón's office says they “always contemplate any and all potential conflicts of interest and proceed accordingly and consistently with professional standards” but refused to say whether Colón or an outside auditor would investigate the complaint.

Meanwhile, a California environmental publication--Capital & Main--has dived in to the controversy over Balderas and Rael with the headline:

New Mexico Attorney General Faces Fraud, Corruption Allegations Amid Power Company Merger Civic and environmental groups accuse AG Hector Balderas of improper dealings with a lawyer and longtime friend.   

And a correction on Hector's political history. We blogged that he was "appointed" State Auditor in 2006 by Gov. Richardson. Actually, he was nominated by the state Dems to replace Auditor Jeff Armijo on the November  ballot. Armijo had resigned amid a sex abuse scandal involving two women. Balderas went on to get elected in '06 and re-elected auditor in 2010. We covered all of that ad nauseam back in '06 but what stuck with us this month was that Richardson had cleared the field for Balderas and the Dem Party Central Committee went along. But that was not an "appointment." Here's a bunch of our coverage from back in '06 on the then sensational scandal that brought Balderas to statewide prominence.   

Balderas and Colón once plotted to take over the highest rungs of power in La Politica. Now it's a game of survival for the duo with Colón's hopes of winning the '22 Dem nomination for attorney general hanging by a thread and Balderas hoping to escape more serious damage before his term ends next year. 

Whew! The flash flood warning for La Politica has now expired. Please stay tuned to this station for further developments.