Mayor Shows His Softer Side

Sunday's Albuquerque Journal had a rather lengthy story about the pandemonium that was unleashed at the city's second annual Bunnies and Balloons Egg Hunt at Balloon Fiesta Park. Apparently, there was mass confusion with small children separated from their parents and many of the youngest participants leaving the hunt empty handed.

What was the Mayor's response to all of this:

Mayor Martin Chávez was philosophical.

"Some of the kids didn't get eggs, but that's a life lesson," he said.

Six-year-old Madison Marino said she was scared. "I thought I wouldn't find my daddy," she said, wide-eyed.

Yeah Marty, I'm sure that is exactly what they needed was another life lesson. These little kids whose families dragged them out at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning to get a chance at a plastic egg filled with candy must be truly spoiled. I'm sure they have the best of everything in life. Good thing the city taught them this much needed lesson.

Job Opening: Traveling Protesters

You've got to wonder if this is listed here.

You're Either Ethical or You're Not

Ten days ago, I made it clear that I think the whole concept of public funding of elections is a bad idea. Well, that resulted in receiving a very polite email from Matt Brix, the NM Executive Director of Common Cause. Here's an excerpt:

The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Judicial Independence released a report in February 2002. The primary recommendation of the report states, "The Commission recommends that states which select judges in contested elections finance judicial elections with public funds, as a means to address the perceived impropriety associated with judicial candidates accepting private contributions from individuals and organizations interested in the outcomes of cases those candidates may later decide as judges."

See the problem with this recommendation is that it does not address the root of the problem. Namely, the public perception, and unfortunate reality, that there may be some unethical judges (registration). If elected officials, judicial or otherwise, are for sale for the price of a campaign contribution, chances are that they're lacking when it comes to a personal code of ethics. Unethical judges will behave in an dishonest fashion regardless of how their campaign is funded.

Keep in mind, this is my stand even though Republicans stand to gain the most (subscription) by public funding of judicial campaigns in New Mexico. A perfect example of sticking to your principles even though they're not in your best interest.

A closing thought. A previous bill was passed and signed into law that will now allow New Mexico PRC candidates to run publicly funded campaigns. Nothing illustrates the problem with this practice better than the fact that individuals like Commissioner E. Shirley Baca can now run for re-election at taxpayer expense. Here is the latest on Baca debacle from the Albuquerque Journal (subscription):

Baca was arrested at Albuquerque International Sunport in December after a substance, which tested positive as marijuana, and a glass pipe were found in her suitcase while she was going through security screening. She was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.

Baca has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges.

The motions filed by Baca's attorneys, Timothy M. Padilla and Richard B. McClarkin, make several arguments.

Among them:

That "Ms. Baca's bag was entered without her consent, without warrant and the contraband taken from Ms. Baca's bag was removed from Ms. Baca's bag outside the correct and proper procedure of the Transportation Security Agency training."

"Property was removed from Ms. E. Shirley Baca's personal belongings illegally or without proper authorization, unreasonably and in violation of her rights under the Constitution of the United States, the 4th Amendment and her rights under Section 10, Article II of the New Mexico Constitution, her right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure."

Obviously, no question that the pipe and pot belonged to the Commissioner. The lawyers are just arguing that she shouldn't have been caught. Watch for this unethical and hypocritical (registration) Commissioner to get off on a technicality and then contemplate that she is now eligible to run for office again on your hard earned tax dollars.

I rest my case.

Ah, the Irony

I'm sitting here with GAC ( yes, I like Country) running in the background while I finish up some work, and surprise, surprise another Governor Richardson PSA comes on the tube. This one is about reporting Medicaid fraud.

I want to know who is going to call the number on the bottom of the screen to report this.

An Important Cause

There are a lot of bloggers that have ads on their pages to generate revenue. There are other bloggers that ask for donations to support their blogging efforts. I do neither; however, if you enjoy reading this blog, I'd like to ask you to join me in supporting an important cause - The March of Dimes.

I volunteered to be on a revenue generating committee and pledged to raise $3,000. I'm two thirds of the way there. Granted, I took the easy way out. I pledged a $1,000, and I got one of my clients to match me. Now, I'm hoping the readers of this blog will help me raise the other $1,000.

I'm going to make it really easy for you. If you just click here. You'll be taken to the donation site for the NM Chapter of the March of Dimes. Then just shoot me an email at clearthinking@gmail.com or post a comment to let me know you donated. If ten people are willing to give a $100 (although any amount would be appreciated), I'll meet my goal.

More importantly, we'll all be saving babies together.

When the Left and Right Agree

In his remarks at the end of the session, Governor Richardson proudly proclaimed, "We're investing in teachers." However, it would seem the teachers disagree:

Teachers and other public school employees around New Mexico will see the pay raise from the Legislature this year eaten up by increases in insurance premiums.

The president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, Ellen Bernstein, says most employees will have to pay just to keep their jobs. And the head of the New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees, Christine Trujillo, says it wasn't a pay increase: It was a pay raid.

The Legislature approved a 1.25 percent increase for public school employees except teachers moving up a three-tiered pay system. Trujillo says the increase won't cover the cost of higher insurance premiums.

Well, that just sort of makes you sit up and wonder. If the teachers' union is saying that the Governor's claims about investing in our educators is an outright lie, maybe those Republicans might be telling the truth when they say Governor Richardson's claims of tax cutting are nothing more than a shell game:

The tax bill passed by the House would provide tax cuts for low- and middle-income taxpayers and change the rate for single parents to the same as those who are married. To pay for the cuts, the House delayed the phase-in of the 2003 tax cut by one year, and increased the severance tax on oil to make it equal with natural gas.

House Republicans complained that the package was actually a tax hike.

"This governor is constantly on the national news claiming to be a tax-cutting Democrat. But now he's getting rid of the exact tax cut he's unabashedly selling to a national audience," said Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell.

So there you have it. Prominent Republicans and Ellen Bernstein arriving at the same conclusion. The Governor is a raider, whose claims just don't hold water.

Too Long a Walk

Imagine you're a legislator, and the expensive meals (subscription), heavy drinking (registration) and political squabbling (subscription) are taking a toll on you and your colleagues. You remember reading somewhere that physical fitness is important to your well-being.

So, naturally you would take a walk to one of the fitness centers within a mile of the Roundhouse, right?

Nah, that would require too much effort. Besides, then you might be over exercising those "fiscal restraint" muscles. This is a much better solution. Hopefully next year, someone will set aside money for a sauna, swimming pool, putting green and full spa services.

Richardson Pumps Well Dry

During this past legislative session, it was virtually impossible to listen to the radio without hearing Governor Richardson touting his agenda (subscription) for New Mexico:

Four radio ads sponsored by the Democratic Party have already run concerning tax cuts, public safety, higher education and public schools. Five draft television scripts concerning similar issues have also been written, although it's unclear if those ads are running.

The New Mexico Democratic Party went all out and spent nearly $100,000 on the Governor's vanity ads. In fact, it would appear that the Governor must have tapped the well dry. According to this post the Democratic Party is now scrambling to keep up with the Republicans:

The Democratic Party has purchased two ads to announce the upcoming ward and precinct meetings on March 28 at locations around Bernalillo County. You may recall that Eric Elison of NM Democratic Friends spearheaded a drive to raise money for this after seeing a Republican Party ad in the Journal announcing their county meeting. Prior to this fundraising drive, the Party had plans to run only tiny print legal notices in the legal section of the newspapers.

This just all seems so sad. Democrats suffering ad envy at the same time as their elected officials are raising and spending dough in $1,000 increments. Now remind me again which is the party that values grassroots volunteers?

People Power[less]

The legislative session is behind us, and by some accounts there was something unique about this session:

But lawmakers and Richardson both noticed something different about this year's session: more people power.

"I've never seen such concern by citizens," said House Majority Leader Ken Martinez of Grants. "They really took a huge part in it."

Richardson agreed, noting that issues like cockfighting, gay marriage and medical marijuana, all issues that went unresolved this year, attracted crowds to the Roundhouse.

"There were hundreds of people," Richardson said. "I couldn't get in my office sometimes."

Interesting to note that the issues that drew that largest crowds all went unresolved (i.e. they were killed in committee). I guess that would mean that the session was somewhat of a disappointment to large numbers of citizens. I'm sure Governor Richardson, a man of the people, empathized with the general frustration of the legislators unwillingness to challenge the status quo:

Governor Bill Richardson delivered the following remarks during a news conference today following the adjournment of the 2005 Legislature:

This has been a solid, respectable session, marked by hard work and progress for the people of New Mexico.

Just over sixty days ago, I delivered my State of the State message to the Legislature. When I spoke, I laid out a choice that we faced in our state: whether to accept the status quo or embrace bold, positive change.

Working together, we - the Legislature and my administration - we've made a difference for New Mexico.

Oops, I guess I thought wrong. Apparently, the Governor has his mind on other priorities.

Shoulda Gone To Law School

So, you want to run for highest courts in the land, but really don't want to take time off of work to do it. No problem. We'll soon have the campaign package deal that is just too good to pass up (subscription):

Under the measure, Supreme Court or Court of Appeals candidates in a contested general election could receive up to $100,000 in public financing. Candidates in a contested primary election could get up to $25,000.

To qualify for the proposed financing system, candidates would need to collect $5 donations from about 500 registered voters.

That's right, with just one good direct mail campaign, you could continue with your day job and still have a $100,000 to spend on a campaign. Better yet, if you have a relative in the advertising/political consulting business you could keep the money in the family.

Got to run, I'm going to see if any of my relatives want to run for office.

Three Card Monte

On Friday, as I was perusing the Albuquerque Journal this (subscription) caught my eye:

To get around that problem, Richardson is recommending that lawmakers extend the time for phasing in personal income tax reductions enacted in 2003. His proposal has the effect of freeing up $32.5 million in revenue next year that could cover his package of new tax cuts for individuals and businesses.

"I've compromised a bit. I recognize that. But I want the tax cuts to pass. There has got to be tax cuts in this budget," said Richardson.

The problem that Richardson was trying to address had to do with how to pass new tax cuts, increase the budget by more than six percent and still achieve the constitutionally mandated balance. Based on his proposal, it seemed Governor Richardson learned a trick or two on the streets of New York when he served as Ambassador to the United Nations. You see, it is not uncommon in NYC to find a man setting up a game of three card monte on a street corner. The way it works is that the man has three cards that he shuffles back and forth while he announces to passersby that anyone can step up and double his or her money by selecting the queen.

Now it is difficult to draw attention in NYC, and even more difficult to get people to trust you, so according to NY.com this is what usually happens:

Scenario

1. Two or more people are standing around a cardboard box on a busy street trying to win money by choosing the correct card out of the three cards shuffled.
   
2. You notice that someone seems to be winning; this person is usually working with the dealer to lure people in. People who work these scams know that it will be less suspicious to plant a women or someone in a business suit in the game.
   
3. The shuffler will purposely lose the first few rounds to get you to bet more money.
   
4. At this point, if you take your wallet out, someone may grab it and run -OR- it will be pick pocketed as you watch the game.
   
5. If by some fluke you win, you may be followed and mugged.

How to avoid this
The hand is quicker than the eye and these are pros. Don't play - YOU CANNOT WIN!

Notice this last line. The New Mexico legislature wisely heeded this advice. In the budget they just sent to Governor Richardson, who up to this point had been one of the best high stakes three card monte dealers I've ever seen, they refused (subscription) to play his shill:

SANTA FE - Legislators on Sunday approved a nearly $4.7 billion state budget that does not include room for tax cuts sought by Gov. Bill Richardson or as much money as the governor is seeking for a proposed pre-kindergarten program.

Now, I would have preferred to see a budget increase that was limited by inflation, but at least they sent a clear message that the Governor is going to have to find another partner if he wants to continue duping the mainstream media, New Mexico taxpayers and some conservative think tanks.

Way To Go Joe

I'm thinking that it is time for a mandatory state investment due diligence law in our state. It might read something like this:

The state shall conduct due diligence on the directors of companies in which it is interested in investing, and shall not invest in any company with a history of bankruptcy. State Legislators (subscription) shall not introduce bills year after year to entrust the investment of tens of millions of dollars in public funds to individuals with personal bankruptcy filings.

Maybe this can be introduced this late in the game by amending SB 60. I think the sponsor would be ok with the amendment. He is an acknowledged lover of fine arts, and apparently one of only five Senators with any sense when it comes to fiscal responsibility:

Sen. Joseph Carraro, R-Albuquerque, cast one of the few votes against Robinson's bill, saying, "Certainly it seems to me like what we're doing here is we're investing in something that's a little fringe."

If somebody let's me know who the other four Senators are who wisely voted against Sen. Robinson's bill, I will make sure to recognize them here. Speaking of bills introduced by Sen. Robinson, you have to take a look at this list. Apparently, he's never met a bill he doesn't like.

Two Faces, One Governor

Governor Richardson has come up with the perfect plan. On the National stage he plays the Conservative Democrat winning kudos from Cato, and capturing the attention of conservative bloggers with interviews like this:

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON (D): Well, this is very significant. I believe the Bush Administration deserves credit for putting pressure, and saying that authoritarian regimes have to go. What is happening here is, the assassination of a very popular former prime minister in Lebanon, has fueled massive demonstrations in Lebanon, that hopefully will lead to all 14,000 Syrian troops out of Lebanon, plus their intelligence agents, by May. It means that in Lebanon, in Egypt there's some potential new elections. The Palestinian Territories; in Iraq; I think there's a wave of democracy caused by internal pressures, of young people in the Arab world, rooting against these authoritarian regimes--and pressure from the Bush Administration--

KATIE COURIC: I--

BILL RICHARDSON: They deserve credit.

Yup, these are precisely the type of interviews needed to reinforce the Governor's claims of delivering on all of his campaign promises by ringing in an era of strong bipartisan cooperation in New Mexico:

"What we've been able to do in New Mexico in a short time is cut taxes, cut waste, and make key investments in education, health care, and economic development," Richardson said in prepared remarks he gave at a news conference in Washington, D.C. "We've done this with bipartisan cooperation and common goals."

Unfortunately, the truth is not nearly as pretty of a picture (subscription):

But the clearest patterns that emerge from analyses by the Journal and legislative staff appear to be partisanship and political paybacks, with the governor's own proposals getting the lion's share of millions in capital outlay dollars.

The Democratic governor whacked $11.8 million in capital outlay projects sponsored by minority Republicans while vetoing only $2.4 million in projects sponsored by majority Democrats, according to the Legislative Council Service.

If you're thinking that's all water under the bridge, you'd be wrong. The Governor is already off on one of his famous tantrums and "threatening to call legislators back to the Capitol for a special session if they don't send him a budget with more money" (subscription):

The Senate on Saturday approved a nearly $4.7 billion budget measure (committee substitute for HB 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 48), but Richardson said it shortchanges his spending initiatives by more than $31 million.

It will be interesting to see if the legislature is finally going to reign in the monarchy. Luckily for Governor Richardson, no one at the national level pays close attention to how New Mexico politics unfold on a daily basis. They're only interested in the press releases and photo ops he and his staff (subscription) dream up.

Blogger Beware

Some things are just wrong.

It Must Be The Year of the Dog

Man's best friend, despite the stigma of bad breath, is becoming a force to be reckoned with in New Mexico politics. Working to wrestle the limelight away from its feathered brethren (subscription), the canine lobby has been very busy during the last few weeks. First, in a defensive position against attacks on their civil liberties, and then pushing their own health agenda with the legislatively embraced Scooby's Law (subscription).

Albuquerque's ever astute Mayor, Martin Chavez, quickly realized the important role this swing block of voters could play in the upcoming mayoral race. In an effort to appeal to the female constituency, he adopted a 10-week old orphan (subscription):

There's a new top dog at City Hall: a 10-week-old puppy named Dukes.

Mayor Martin Chávez adopted him from the city's East Side animal shelter a few weeks ago, and since then, Dukes has been attending high-level meetings, news conferences and other functions all over town.

"I intend for him to be with me throughout the day. He'll be a well-known puppy," Chávez said.

However, the strategy has backfired. A band of furry citizens, has commenced a full out assault on what they see as an exploitation of a young pup. The 1,000 Friends of Dukes have launched a new website, and rumors are flying among the alligators that the hounds may be grooming their own candidate to turn this into a three-dog race and practically guarantee a run-off in the October election.

Governor Richardson's spokesman, Billy Sparks, has been uncharacteristically muzzled on the subject, but those in the know expect the Governor may have just issued a sit and stay command -- At least until it is clear whether or not this movement could gain momentum and turn his 2008 run into a real Presidential Iditarod.

What A Difference a Week Makes

According to the Albuquerque Journal (subscription), last Thursday APS was celebrating and handing out one-time bonuses:

Albuquerque schools will have about $11 million more to spend this year, and some of it will land in the paychecks of certain employees as a one-time bonus.

Albuquerque Public Schools announced Wednesday that the state made a mid-year adjustment of the "student unit value," giving the district about $5 million more to spend by June 30. The state also is giving APS an additional $6 million for growth.

The student unit value is the amount of money the state gives districts based on students enrolled and services provided.

"We're very happy we have more money, and we'll be able to give some of our employees one-time bonuses," Superintendent Elizabeth Everitt said in a telephone interview.

Flash ahead a week to yesterday and you'll read in the same newspaper (subscription) the following:

Albuquerque Public Schools would be about $6.5 million short next year under the spending bill the House passed last week, assistant superintendent Diego D. Gallegos told board members Wednesday.

That's because state lawmakers didn't put enough money in the nearly $4.7 billion budget to fully cover the district's increased costs, like utility payments, Gallegos said.

The House approved a 1.25 percent raise for public school employees not covered by the state's three-tier licensure system, but did not include enough money for it, Gallegos said.

"It's not time to panic," he said. "But we're expressing our concerns."

Just got $11 million even though the administration wasn't "expecting any adjustments this year." The administration then announces they are going to pass it out like candy, and seven days later the same APS leaders expresses concern about a $6.5 million shortfall. Is it any wonder that kids educated in this system grow up into adults who utilize payday loans?

No Need To Raise Campaign Funds

New Mexico's leading Democrats love the limelight. Unfortunately, their latest tactic for staying in it is coming at the expense of the state's taxpayers. It is unclear who deserves credit for beginning the trend, but according to yesterday's Albuquerque Journal, the latest example of self-promotion using tax dollars belongs to Attorney General, Patricia Madrid:

Madrid's television public service announcements began airing on Friday. Her office spent $138,000 on the spots.

The money came from New Mexico's participation in a consumer protection lawsuit, and a court order that directed that part of the settlement money be used for consumer education, Madrid said.

Now, I have some experience with public service announcements and consumer education from the non-profit perspective, and let me assure you $138,000 is a lot of money to be spending in New Mexico. Worse yet, is these spots appear to have very little educational value. Instead, they are nothing more than flagrant campaign pieces designed to self-promote and influence pending legislation:

"Predatory lending is bad for you, your community and our state's community," Madrid says in the announcement.

Granted, Madrid's spending pales in comparison to the $2 million spent (subscription) by Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron:

Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron on Friday defended her decision to spend nearly $2 million on radio and television ads explaining how New Mexicans could register for and vote in the Nov. 2 general election.

Vigil-Giron said the federal Help America Vote Act required her to spend the money on voter education programs before the election.

The Democratic secretary of state said Republican attacks of her decision were politically motivated.

"If they have a problem with seeing my mug on television, well, then that's their problem," Vigil-Giron said.

All the same, this disturbing practice of politicians using taxpayer money to plaster their "mug" across our television sets needs to come to the end. It would be a nice first step to controlling out of control growth in our state's government spending.

House Speaker Lujan Tables Democracy

When powerful New Mexico legislators want to avoid voting on issues that could come back to haunt them in the next election, they do one of two things. Either they table the issue, or they hide behind the ever convenient urban versus rural myth. According to a recent Albuquerque Tribune article, House Speaker Ben Lujan is doing both:

For now, the Legislature has put the brakes on [Representative Greg] Payne's measure. It has been tabled in the House Voters and Elections Committee, where House Speaker Ben Lujan, a Nambe Democrat, had more than a few questions about how the measure would work in practice. For starters, the overwhelming influence of heavily populated counties like Bernalillo would have to be taken into account when urban versus rural debates sprout up.

Mr. Speaker, let's just put this whole urban versus rural nonsense to bed right now. The November election results clearly contradict your claims that there is any "overwhelming influence of heavily populated counties like Bernalillo." President Bush lost Bernalillo County. He lost it, and New Mexico is now a red state.

In New Mexico, we elect legislators to vote on our behalf. True leaders demonstrate the courage to vote their convictions despite the potential negative impact on their re-election efforts. The voters may not agree with their choice, but we can't help but be impressed with their character. Career politicians avoid uncomfortable votes through procedural maneuvering in an attempt to retain their stranglehold on Democracy.

The legislature's continued tabling of issues important to the majority of New Mexicans is precisely the reason we need a ballot initiative process. Revive HJR7, Law and amendment Initiative Process and give every New Mexicans a chance to be heard.