Thursday, March 30, 2023Political Leadership Delivers On State Film Academy As Controversy Continues Over Generous Industry Rebates; Goal Of 1,000 Students A Year, Plus: Reader React To Sec. Haaland Tepid House Testimony Meantime, MLG, Mayor Keller, Econ Sec. Keyes and CNM have put some points on the board this week for the film industry--with the help of $40 million in capital outlay approved at the recent legislative session: The downtown Albuquerque Rail Yards will be the new headquarters for the New Mexico Media Academy. . . that will equip New Mexico residents with the advanced skills they need to work in the film and television industry. A satellite campus will be located in Las Cruces. ABQ area voters approved $7 million for the college (CNM) to improve and expand its film training program, and funding will go toward designing and constructing the program at the Albuquerque Rail Yards. The best part, if it comes to fruition, would be this: The academy is centered on collaborative partnerships with the ultimate goal of admitting 1,000 students annually. That is an ambitious goal in terms of students, but a worthy one. The announcement that the Rail Yards--after lengthy talks--will indeed be the home for the state Academy the Governor initially proposed is a dose of vindication for Keller's expensive plan to renovate the large and abandoned Rail Yards in the Barelas Neighborhood in ABQ: We’ve always had a vision that the Rail Yards would be the active heart of Albuquerque once again, and now that vision is becoming a reality. This is the result of years of intentional re-investment. With the usual cautionary note of "we shall see" this does appear to be a good "get" for the city, state and the next generation. It makes those huge tax subsides for film a bit easier to swallow--for now. HAALAND REACT  Joe, you wrote: "The national GOP went on the attack Tuesday when Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland stumbled during an appearance before the House Interior, Environment, Appropriations Subcommittee." The GOP went on the attack...What?? She didn't stumble as you aptly put it, Joe, she couldn't answer a lot of questions and when she did answer a question she responded with incoherent nonsense.
Now member(s) of Congress who do their job by asking questions of appointed members of Biden's administration are guilty of attacking them? Reader Mitch Jones writes: Joe, Fact checking the GOP congressman who supposedly caught Deb Haaland flat footed on the Green New Deal and fracking: he’s wrong. The GND didn’t mention fracking. In fact the words “fossil fuels” don’t even appear in the text. You can check for yourself here. Good catch, Mitch. Haaland did tell the committee that she supported the GND when she was a congresswoman but she did not commit to it at the hearing. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 Wednesday, March 29, 2023GOP Takes Over House And Takes Down Secretary Haaland; Rigorous Grilling At Subcommittee Hearing Catches Her Flat-Footed, Plus: Another Round Please; Senator Hopes To Try Again To Limit Roundhouse Bar Hopping
RNC Research called her testimony "absolutely clueless" regarding the Green New Deal, a bill she co-sponsored as a New Mexico congresswoman. And they labeled her completely and totally dumbstruck" when responding to questions about the production of critical minerals which are vital to US national security. Haaland seemed nonplussed by her lack of knowledge of the questions thrown at her by the GOP congressmen, replying to them a number of times, saying, "thank you for the information, Congressman." Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a Montana congressman who served under Trump for two years and resigned his cabinet post under an ethics cloud, challenged Haaland over whether the minerals should be sought in the US and not China and Russia. She replied that her department is working on identifying the minerals with the US Geological Survey. Video here. Another GOP congressman hammered away at the Green New Deal, asking whether Haaland supported the ban on fracking contained in the bill. She said she did when she was a congresswoman and said she was unaware of many other provisions of the bill because it was drafted several years ago. Video here. The Secretary has never aced committee testimony but the first two years of her term the Dems were in the House majority and provided her cover. Now the Republicans are in command and showing no mercy in trying to expose Haaland as uninformed, out of the loop on national policy and when she isn't, too far to the left. NEW REALITY Given the new reality Haaland may want to bone up more before future committee appearances or severely limit them as they will be used in the '24 election cycle. Also, her performance will be gauged more critically here as the 2026 gubernatorial election creates chatter that she is a possible candidate. One of our longtime DC observers questioned whey Haaland's staff had not given her a briefing book to read from concerning the most important and complicated subjects that were bound to come up. "At least that would have evened the playing field some." He opined. There was a human moment at the end of the hearing. Congressman Zinke, aware that he had scored heavy hits against the Secretary, the first Native American to hold the post, went up to her afterwards and said: “I wear a hat, but it’s not cowboys and Indians, I’ll tell you.” Haaland laughed. “Thank you for clarifying that,” the Interior secretary told her predecessor. CALLING ALL CONSTITUENTS Long gone are the days when congressional representatives routinely held large in-person town hall meetings. The conversation and the crowds are too hot to handle. The favored way of constituent outreach is now the telephone town hall and ABQ Dem US Rep. Melanie Stansbury will host one tonight: On Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m MT/8:30 p.m. ET, Rep. Stansbury (N.M.-01) will host her eleventh telephone town hall to give updates from Congress and speak directly with her constituents. Please RSVP here to receive dial-in information. ROUNDHOUSE BAR HOPPING
Pope's Senate Resolution didn't get a hearing before the Senate Rules Committee. He said he didn't know why but noted the committee had a full plate. "I know there were a lot of pressing matters. There's confirmations in [the Senate Rules Committee], a lot of bills. Sometimes things don't get heard, and it's not just my bill." Pope said he intends to resurrect his proposal--which would have prohibited senators from drinking alcohol before or during committee meetings and floor sessions--in next year's 30-day legislative session; however, he needs to research if he can introduce the measure during a shorter session. . . Is is true that when word spread through the Senate that Pope's bill was dead, cries of "I'll drink to that!" arose from the Senate floor? Perhaps, but some of the better stocked offices surely did banner business. If only they would put a special tax on that premium hooch the Senators enjoy. Heck, with that money we could diversify away from oil and gas. . . This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 Tuesday, March 28, 2023Books Close on Abbey Era; Powerful LFC Director To Retire After Decades Of Service And Economic Ups And Downs; An Assessment, Plus: Make That A Baca Not A Romero
Or put another way by Rep. Nathan Small, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, on Abbey's resignation announced Monday and effective at the end of May: For over 25 years, under Director Abbey’s steady leadership, the Legislative Finance Committee has provided lawmakers with the critical guidance we need to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. He has set a high standard for all others to follow and assembled an incredible team who deliver an invaluable service to our state.
Now the more difficult part. From '97 to 2009 the state's finances were marked by the usual ups and down brought about by the usual suspect--volatile oil prices--but the underlying strength and forward momentum of the economy was not in question. New business was coming in, the population was growing and the periodic financial panics were short-lived and always followed by better recoveries. Abbey, 70, and his cadre of economists ably tracked this action while Gov. Johnson vetoed his way through his second term in the late 90's, followed by Gov. Richardson who reopened the spending floodgates when he took over in 2003. Later under Richardson came the national financial crash followed by the election in 2010 of fiscally conservative GOP Governor Susana Martinez and the rise of a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans who took over the state Senate and reinforced the new era of austerity. That's where the Abbey and LFC legacy gets mixed. The fiscal policy of the 2010 decade soon became obviously wrong. Cutting taxes and shaving budgets for vital social programs in a quasi-welfare state as it experienced deep recession was a calamity. The state reeled. Folks fled. Population growth (or no growth) hit historic lows, business formation stalled and the social conditions crisis worsened as more poverty and crime resulted.  Should the LFC and its economists been more frank about the damage being done as it became more evident--and even as then powerful Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith privately expressed misgivings about budget and economic policy? Conservative by nature since its founding in 1957 as a counterbalance to gubernatorial budget power, we suppose the LFC did what came naturally--as did the elected austerity hawks. There's a lesson here. There needs to be more tension between the legislature, the executive and yes, occasionally the LFC, in crafting economic policy--especially in tough economic times. The disaster that befell the state was not entirely avoidable but the fact that we have yet to regain the momentum of the early part of the century speaks to the permanent damage done. Let the next LFC director follow the admirable leadership ways of Abbey but broaden the vision that guides their decisions. That calls for an outside set of eyes to replace the distinguished Abbey rather than an insider. BACA NOT ROMERO
We like the sound of that, but the voters will need to get acquainted with Mr. Baca not the fictional Mr. Romero. We were hoping 2023 would finally be the year when he we did not have to endure ten lashes with a wet noodle--the traditional punishment here for errors of import. Alas, our backside is now scarlet red from the administration of the cruel but necessary penalty. So for today only, it's a pox on the House of Romero and our apologizes to Mr. Baca. This is the home of New Mexico politics.
E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 Monday, March 27, 2023On The City Beat: Longtime Councilor Benton To Retire; Departure Could Lead To More Hispanic Council, Plus: Gaming the '23 City Election, And: Super-sized Pay Raises For Council And Mayor Proposed; Too Much?
Since the founding of the modern form of government in 1974 the intent has been to have three Hispanic leaning seats but with Benton representing District 2 that covers Downtown, Old Town and parts of UNM Hispanics have been limited to two--those of westside District 1 Councilor Louis Sanchez and District 3 Valley Councilor Klarissa Pena--both Democrats like Benton. That could change at the November city election because Democrat Joaquin Baca, ABQCore Neighborhood Association president and an elected member of the Mid Rio Grande Conservancy District (MGRCD), appears to be the leading hopeful to replace Benton. Actually there are no announced candidates yet Baca, a hydrologist and a Belen High graduate, is poised to be the first with a formal entry in the days ahead. He wants more cops downtown and more local businesses there which he says will help solve the crime. He was a fervent supporter of the proposed downtown ABQ soccer stadium which voters defeated with 65 percent of the vote. If we did go to three Hispanic council members, don't expect them to march in lockstep. Far from it. Councilor Sanchez is an unabashed conservative. Councilor Pena is a longtime moderate and Baca, if elected, would follow mainly in the progressive footsteps of Dem Benton. Forty-nine percent of the city's population currently identifies as Hispanic. THE BENTON FILE As for Benton whose term will expire at the end of the year, the Downtown ABQ News and other analysts said the architect's lengthy time on the council saw him consistently advocating for urbanist themes including: --Carrying the bill that led to the city's 2007 purchase of the Rail Yards. (Whether that Downtown/Barelas landmark will be a major redevelopment hit or a money pit has yet to be determined).
--Advocated strongly for the construction of ART. (This was the renovation of Central Ave. to upgrade the bus system and is often referenced as the most bungled public works project in city history.) --He had better luck with The Workforce Housing Trust Fund that helped build Silver Gardens, Casitas de Colores, the Imperial Building, Sterling Downtown apartments and projects at the Sawmill Community Land Trust. --Benton was instrumental in the city approving the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO). As the Downtown News put it: "A massive rewrite of the city's zoning rules most famous for streamlining regulations. But for some neighborhood leaders, it is infamous for largely doing away with collections of neighborhood-level rules called sector plans." --The Complete Streets Ordinance probably best illustrates Benton's vision for a modern city. It mandates "that when the city refurbishes a road it must make a serious attempt to widen sidewalks, plant trees, install bike lanes, and generally make life easier for everyone not using a car." While Benton gets a solid grade for his areas of interest, it can't be omitted that he and his fellow councilors since 2009 failed to effectively address the public safety crisis in the city which has only grown worse with time and helped stall the rebirth of Downtown that Benton had high hopes for. CITY ELECTION '23  In District 4 in the NE Heights, Republican Brook Bassan will run for re-election. She has not yet drawn an opponent. She took a hit for agreeing with the mayor on a controversial homeless solution but since has veered away from him. The Council has shifted to the right since the 2021 city election with conservatives able to approve measures on a 5 to 4 vote, but Mayor Keller has the veto and it takes six votes to override him--votes they do not have. However, Jones has been voting to uphold some of the vetoes. If a "true-blue" anti-Keller R replaces her it would bolster the conservatives. Councilors Lewis, Sanchez, Grout, Bassan and the new District 8 councilor would then be the bloc to override a mayoral veto, still lacking a sixth vote. That would cause eyes to fall on moderate Dem Klarissa Pena as the sixth and the swing vote in any future override attempts. Keller hasn't been stymied much by the conservative council because he passed his major initiatives while the Dems had a stronger hand. Now it's mainly about execution. BIG PAY RAISES  The commission was given the job of adjusting the salaries in 2009 by a voter-approved Charter Amendment so the voters won't get a say. Still, many of them will see red when they see this: The citizen commission responsible for setting Albuquerque elected officials’ pay wants councilors to get an 87% hike. That would mean going to $62,843 per year from the current rate of $33,660. The council president would get an equivalent increase: up to $66,928 from $35,860. The panel also has voted to increase the mayor’s salary. The position would pay $146,081 up from today’s $132,500. The Citizens Independent Salary Commission voted on the salary changes. The commission is slated to vote on Wednesday. The new pay scale takes effect after elections--that means 2024 for the candidates who win the council District 2, 4, 6, and 8 elections this fall, and 2026 for those who prevail in the 2025 election for mayor and the other five council seats. As we said voters aren't exactly giving these pay hikes a resounding vote of confidence which is no surprise since the city remains engulfed in crime: Among 182 survey respondents, 37% answered that the City Council salary should remain $33,660, but 36% thought councilors should make less and 26% said they should earn more.
When it comes to the mayor, 48% said the position should earn less, 34% thought it was good as it is now, and 18% felt the job deserved a higher salary.
The salary commission should stop ignoring the will of the public. The Commission appears to be overstepping its mandate by expressing concern that some citizens can't run for the council because they can't afford to. The council was created as a part-time body as was the BernCo Commission. The salary commission should concern itself with determining fair pay for a part-time councilor--not who or who isn't running for city council. Each of the nine councilors has a full-time aide with a full-time salary to assist them in their part-time duties. In a rarity, a recent city council meeting took only a couple of hours after which Councilor Davis said they should try to keep it that way instead of multi-hour sessions that drone on and on. The salary commission should reduce the proposed raises so they are in line with a part-time position--like the part-time BernCo Commissioners who receive salaries below $40,000. That still leaves room for a double digit increase. Council candidates could object to those too hefty raises but they would still go through. Hey, do you think any of them would decline the higher pay? . . . Yeah, thought so. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 |
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