Gov. Lujan Grisham started her tenure as a darling of the environmentalists but her recent vetoes of climate change legislation sent her popularity plummeting with them. Reader and journalist D. Reed Eckhardt in Santa Fe offers up a theory about this new alienation between the chief executive and a key Democratic interest group:
Thunderheads darkened the skies when Lujan Grisham announced her advocacy for a ”climate hub” in New Mexico. The problems with her proposal were evident: The governor’s hub would revolve around “blue” hydrogen, which uses methane to create hydrogen and gives off carbon dioxide. Using methane would spur further fossil fuel use, generate more significant emissions and harm the climate. Lujan Grisham supports blue hydrogen — a climate dead end —as an effort to appease the oil and gas industry, which would benefit most and fears a fading future. And she continues to back blue hydrogen firmly, even after her efforts were throttled in the 2022 session of the Legislature.
This beating seems to have soured the governor on climate advocacy. Indeed, some of Lujan Grisham’s recent moves in the Legislature can be seen as payback for that defeat. Since Lujan Grisham has cozied up to the fossil fuel industry, that only has increased its power. It already moves too many levers in the Legislature. Add to that the governor’s office under the oil and gas thumb, and the job of climate advocates has gotten even more challenging.
HIGH RATE HOUSING
Our May 24 our blog focusing on ABQ housing mentioned that the average monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment has neared $1,200 a month. That brought this from Kelley Vigil:
Joe, $1,200.00 is pretty accurate. My son, 23 a student and a full time CNM employee pays $1,085.00 in Taylor Ranch. This for a junior one bedroom, a step up from an efficiency. CNM does not pay much, therefore guess who supplements his rent? Me. Our agreement as long as he works and goes to school. I realize he/we are the lucky ones. I feel for those facing housing, drug and homelessness. It’s very sad.
WHERE'S THE JUSTICE?
Longtime blog reader and contributor Dan Klein thinks there's been a miscarriage of justice in the November shooting death of 19 year old Brandon Travis at the UNM campus:
Joe, did you see the editorial about BernCo District Attorney Sam Bregman and the UNM/NMSU murder? Two sets of justice, one for the elite well-connected and one for the rest of us. NMSU athlete Mike Peake, his teammates and those coaches should have been charged. The evidence was clear and very damning. Instead, nothing, because it’s NCAA basketball and it involves coaches.
Prosecutors said Peake acted in self-defense when he shot Travis but there were numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice by NMSU's athletic department in the aftermath of the murder, among other legal questions, that were left untouched by the DA.
PONTIFICATING AND PUNTING
Reader Michele Connelly of Gila Hot Springs writes of our take on the Govenror's habit of appointing commissions to address major policy issues.
Thank you Joe, for your very astute comments about MLG’s lack of commitment to act rather than pontificate and punt to a commission on so many important issues. She’s been such a disappointment! She could have been a game changer for the state; instead one of the few times she acted with conviction without concern for the supposed consequences, was having an aide slip out and buy jewelry for her during the lockdown. That about says it. Sadly, like most politicians— think Big Bill, Susana, etc. etc-- her zeal has turned into self interest. So sorry I voted for her. Again. But I already knew Mark Ronchetti’s weather report couldn’t hold water. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like two really good candidates were asking for out votes instead of this nonsense?
FINAL MUSEUM CHAPTER
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| Al Unser |
The $4 million cost of moving the museum caused an uproar with supporter's of the ABQ Museum who said the diversion of money would comprise that museum's planned growth. Now that $4 million of a bond that the City Council decided to send to voters at this November's election is defunct, the ABQ museum could benefit. They are certainly working on it.
The other questionable part of the story was unveiled here by reader/researcher Alan Schwartz who reported May 4 that the Unser Museum, if the move was approved, would be moved to land apparently owned by the Garcia automative/development family who have had a heavy hand in city politics as their real estate interests--particularly in the Downtown area--have grown. From Schwartz:
Joe, according to Bernalillo County records the owner of the current museum site is Rio Grande Valley Ventures LLC located in Saint Paul, MN. Does the Museum operate as a nonprofit? According to records at the NM SOS, it appears that was the case at one time but currently the status is “Revoked Final” and the standing is “Not in Good Standing”. I was unable to find any Unser Museum records at GuideStar.
The Museum does not own the Unser and Central site. Until recently it was owned by the Al Unser revocable trust. But in January of 2021 a real estate contract was executed between the trust as Grantor and Start Your Engines LLC as grantee. The mailing address listed for Start Your Engines is 8301 Lomas which is Garcia Motors and the agent for Start Your Engines is Edward T. Garcia and the business classification is “Real Estate Development” per Open Corporates.
The decision to move the museum avoids a taint on the Unser legacy. That the museum's final days were on Memorial Day weekend where the Indy 500 is held and at which the Unsers made so much history was especially poignant.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023