Baghdad Or Burque? Downtown Crime Delivers More Stunners Amid Mayoral Campaign, Plus: PAC Supporting Manny Fires At Eddy And APS Keeps Big Money Election Quiet

Here's video of the the latest ABQ mayoral debate aired on KOAT-TV Thursday night and here's a report on what happened.

Widespread early voting for the ABQ election begins Saturday. From BernCo Clerk Linda Stover:

Twenty early voting convenience centers will be open Oct. 16 – 30. Most locations are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is not too late to register to vote and cast a ballot in the 2021 election. Same day registration is available at the 20 early voting convenience centers. Same day registration will not be available on election day. Voters may cast a ballot in-person or hand deliver their completed absentee ballot to any voting convenience center. There are also two outdoor drop boxes where completed absentee ballots can be dropped off; Alvarado Square, 415 Silver Ave. SW, 87102 or the Voting Machine Warehouse, 2400 Broadway Blvd SE, Building H, 87102. 

Is this a photo of a street in Baghdad or Albuquerque? 

The striking lawlessness occurred on downtown Central Ave. early Sunday morning where the bad guy was so emboldened he armed up with a semi-automatic rifle, waved it outside the car window and began shooting in the air. That's in downtown ABQ--not Baghdad. (Video and report here.)

The ongoing violent crime crisis may have desensitized much of the city but then bizarre incidents such as this pop up and the reality again sets in that ABQ has changed in fundamental ways. 

This latest crime shocker in the downtown area follows the August murder of a 13 year old at Washington Middle School by a fellow student, a road rage killing last Wednesday outside of the Central Grill near Old Town and windows of the downtown Bernalillo County government building being shot out. Authorities have arrested a 20 year old who they believe was responsible for both the downtown automatic gun fire and the window incident. They are seeking other suspects. 

All of this mayhem comes in the middle of a mayoral campaign, but with yearly homicides headed for triple digits and property and violent crime still among the worst in the nation, it's hard to see how this will change anytime soon--no matter who is elected. 

TAPE DELAYED DEBATE

Voters will get another look at the three mayoral contenders tonight at 7 p.m. when KOAT-TV airs a one hour debate. Actually the debate already occurred. It was pre-taped via Zoom Tuesday night and there's an interesting backstory why. The ABQ Journal is a co-sponsor and editor-in-chief Karen Moses explains: 

The debate is being done virtually through Zoom rather than live and in person because one of the candidates has not been vaccinated. The process for this debate will be the same as was done for other "remote" debates, such as for the congressional races. The debate is conducted and then aired a couple days later. There is no editing of the debate or candidates' answers. KOAT prepares its intro and ending, which is added to the program. One reason for taping it ahead of time is to protect it from issues that can occur when conducting a Zoom event such as a candidate's internet being interrupted -- it obviously would not be fair if one candidate's internet went out in the middle of a live debate.

The candidate who is not vaccinated is Republican Aragon and he grumbled over the decision to move the debate to zoom because of his vax status. Mayor Keller and Sheriff Manny Gonzlaes have taken their shots. 

WRONG TARGET? 

Gonzales has had a wheelbarrow full of chances to undermine Keller on crime. Just look at our lead story on the blog today. But he has failed to pick up the spear. Now the outside PAC that supports the Sheriff--Save Our City--may have gotten sidetracked. Rather than take the fight to Keller they are taking it to Republican Eddy Aragon. 

The PAC has filed a a complaint over Republican Aragon remaining on his afternoon KIVA-AM radio talk show, claiming he is violating city and federal rules. Aragon says he consulted with his lawyers before continuing the program and is doing nothing wrong.

What is wrong, says veteran political analyst and attorney Greg Payne, is the Gonzales supporters turning their guns on Aragon and not Keller:

This complaint is not going to convince anyone to vote for Gonzales over Aragon. This is an eyes glaze over issue for voters. Their campaign needs to be all about keeping Keller under 50 percent and forcing a run off. The Gonzales PAC and the Gonzales campaign need to focus on the real target--the incumbent mayor. Keller remains poised to get over 50 percent Election Night and take a second term. 

What's next? A Keller tsunami of money from his own campaign and probably from a number of outside groups. Manny and Eddy will have trouble being heard as those waves crash over the city. 

SCHOOL DAYS

If approved, two ballot measures would bring in $630 million over several years but hardly anyone is talking about them, including the ABQ Public Schools that would receive the largesse if the mill levy and property tax is decided in their favor Nov. 2. 

There's a good reason for APD wanting to fly this package under the radar--the scandal that engulfed former State House Majority leader and APS administrator Sheryl Williams Stapleton. It was only recently that Stapleton was indicted on 26 felony charges. She is accused of stealing nearly $1 million from APS. The story was a real stunner and damaged the APS reputation. 

So there has been little or no paid media for the big money measures with APS apparently believing they will pass without much hype, and if there is hype it could break against them. 

Not a bad strategy. APS has lost on bond issues before and has learned. 

The biggest projects for that $630 million money would be replacing older schools. There would be no tax increase if the propositions are approved. An APS 

bond expert explains:

This will continue to slowly chip away at a whopping $7 billion capital infrastructure need of an aging school system where 40% of the buildings are 50 years or older. This coupled with burgeoning technology requirements and a progressively warmer climate (hvac) makes it hard to do more with a set revenue. 

NEW SHERIFF

So who will be the new sheriff in town? Former Dem state rep and retired APD detective Pat Ruiloba hopes it will be him. His announced he is running for the seat held by Sheriff Gonzales who will give it up later this year if he wins election as mayor or when his second term expires at the end of next year. In the event Gonzales left early the BernCo Commission would name a replacement. Otherwise, the sheriff position will be on next year's primary and general election ballots.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021