New Mexico Is a Microcosm

With the Democratic National Convention in full swing, it's a good time to review one of the key economic policy differences between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.

Here's is Senator McCain's policy on raising taxes in a nutshell:

McCain sounded most like Kemp when he told me: "I want everyone to be rich. I worry about inequities. I think that corporate greed is hurting their image. But trying to enact some kind of legislation that would take money from the rich and give it to the poor, that's just out of the question."

And, here is Senator Obama's policy on raising taxes in a nutshell:

Senator Obama would raise the top individual tax rate back to 39.6 percent, impose an additional 2 to 4 percent tax on earnings for some over the existing Social Security wage cap, and bring back the phase-out of the personal exemption and certain itemized deductions for higher-income taxpayers. When added up, the top effective marginal tax rate rises by 12 to 14 percentage points, from 37.9 percent to roughly 48 to 50 percent. "High" is in the eye of the beholder, but these are tax rates not seen since before the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

The bottomline is that Senator Obama wants to increase taxes, so that he can increase spending, which brings us to New Mexico. Any time anyone suggests that increasing government spending is the solution to curing poverty, you really need to take a look at the poverty statistics in our state (subscription).

About one in four New Mexico children lived in poverty in 2007, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau in its American Community Survey.

That number is up from previous estimates of a nearly 20 percent poverty level for New Mexicans under 18. National poverty estimates for 2007 are at about 18 percent for children, according to the Census Bureau.

Census Bureau spokesman Jerry O'Donnell said Tuesday that while poverty levels across the nation have leveled off in recent years, the numbers of children in poverty have been growing.

New Mexico had fewer than one in five —about 18 percent — of its total population living in poverty last year, while the United States remained level at about 12.5 percent.

Poverty levels differ based on family size, but a family of four in poverty would make less than $21,200 annually, according to federal guidelines.

The number of New Mexicans without health insurance also grew, according to data from a separate Census Bureau survey — the Current Population Survey — also released Tuesday.

About 22.5 percent of New Mexico's population was uninsured last year, while 15.3 percent went uninsured across the nation, according to the Census Bureau.

Government spending has increased in New Mexico from $3.9 billion to over $6 billion in the last six years, and more children are living in poverty. Increased spending on government programs are not the answer to solving the poverty problem in America. It doesn't work in New Mexico, and it won't work nationally.

Busy Season for the Attorney General

This should be a busy election season for Attorney General Gary King. He has already had to push the Secretary of State to act on Eli Lee's creatively questionable use of not for profits, and now it remains to be seen whether he will begin investigations in the other efforts going on in New Mexico to undermine our elections.

I have long held that we don't need to create ethics laws. We just need to enforce the laws on the books, and I believe it is up to the Attorney General to put partisanship aside (justice is neither Republican nor Democrat) and fully prosecute those who break the law.

Dave Maass of the Santa Fe Reporter has a recent article about PRC candidate Jerome Block Jr. writing check after check to a county clerk:

The money in the fund comes from inspection fees placed on utilities and a tax on insurance premiums. In other words, publicly-financed candidates receive their money from the state government.

In Block’s case, some of it ended up in the San Miguel County Clerk’s Office.

According to Block’s campaign records, a few days after the June 3 primary election, Block cut a $300 check to San Miguel County Clerk “Pecos” Paul Maez for “campaign coordination.”

San Miguel is the only county Block won in the six-way Democratic primary. Block used Maez’ official clerk’s office address on the report.

That same day, Block also cut a $2,500 check to the country-western band Wyld Country, in which Maez is a guitarist. According to Block’s campaign, the payment was for a rally in San Miguel County just prior to the primary election. Block deferred questions to his recently appointed campaign manager Jonathan Valdez.

Block used nearly 10% of his taxpayer funded (not government funded Mr. Maass) campaign funds to write checks to the county clerk in the only county he actually won in a primary. If this doesn't scream for an investigation by the Attorney General, then I don't know what does.

Oh wait. I do know something else that is just as atrocious...

Election season after election season the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) gets a pass as it strives to undermine the election system by paying people to turn in fraudulent voter registrations or intimidate voters. And, Scott Sandlin's recent article shows that this year is no different:

Clovis native Rebecca Sitterly registered to vote soon after returning to her native state in 1979 and jumped right into Democratic politics about the same time.

So the former Bernalillo County district judge was surprised to get a July 3 call from a community nonprofit that was checking on her new registration.

When Sitterly said she hadn't filled out a registration form � indeed, she'd been regularly voting in the same place on Mountain Road NW in Albuquerque for nearly 20 years � a supervisor with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now promised to destroy the card, Sitterly said in a phone interview.

"He said, 'Don't worry, it won't go anywhere,' " she said.

More surprises were in store. She got a call from the Bureau of Elections in the Bernalillo County Clerk's Office three weeks later, asking again about the registration card, which was missing its required Social Security number.

"They were finishing out the card � they weren't calling about the fraud," she said.

Sitterly went to the sixth-floor clerk's office, got a copy of the card and discovered that it understated her age by three decades.

So, let's review, shall we?

We have a "former" Democratic political consultant, Eli Lee, running not for profits and pledging to spend a million tax deductible dollars to "educate" voters. We have a Democratic candidate for the PRC [side note: there is no Republican in this race, so I don't have a partisan motive here] writing big checks to sitting county clerks to help him win the election. And, we have ACORN continuing their well documented efforts to pay good money to submit fraudulent voter registration forms in an effort to undermine the election process.

My only question... When is someone going to jail?

A Cool Million

Well, according to an article by Colleen Heild, it looks like part of Eli Lee's quietly built empire for progressive change is going to see some sunshine (subscription):

An Albuquerque nonprofit that distributed mailers portraying Sen. Shannon Robinson and other lawmakers as being in the pocket of big business must register as a political committee, according to Secretary of State Mary Herrera.

In a letter Herrera sent Monday after consultation with the state Attorney General's Office, she said, "It appears that New Mexico Youth Organized is operating as a political committee for purposes of the (state) Campaign Reporting Act."

The group, an arm of the Center for Civic Policy, has 10 working days to "correct this matter and provide a written explanation of the apparent violation," the secretary of state said.

Eli Lee, executive director of the Center for Civic Policy, said in a statement late Monday that his group strongly disagrees with the directive and will "pursue all legal remedies at our disposal."

Which raises the question, why is Mr. Lee so hell bent on keeping his donors a secret until after the election in November? Who is he protecting? As a former not for profit executive director, I can assure you that timely disclosure of his donors would be a rather simple task - if he was so inclined. But, of course, he is not.

Mr. Lee wants nothing (not even public outcry) to get in the way of his plan to influence the election in November. There is too much at stake:

The center received nearly $600,000 in contributions last year and expects to spend more than $1 million this fiscal year.

Let's put that $1 million dollar number in perspective. According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, in 2004 (the last time all State House and Senate seats were up for re-election) the total amount spent by 201 candidates was just shy of $5.3 million dollars for an average expenditure per campaign of about $26,000. Mr. Lee is targeting nine races, and expecting to spend more than a million dollars for an average expenditure in excess of a $100,000 - over 4 times the amount spent in 2004!

He's buying the election, and he is doing it by skirting the exact same campaign finance laws, he insists he wants in New Mexico. My only request, keep Mr. Lee's actions in mind the next time some legislator or political activist gets on a soap box and proclaims the need for campaign finance reform. Remember how they quietly supported Mr. Lee and his agenda with no concern to limiting his expenditure or seeking disclosure of his sources.

Maybe a Write-in PRC Candidate for District 3?

Jerome Block, Sr., the father of the Democratic PRC candidate for District 3, sent myself and two others a note last Thursday with a simple question:

Now that you have reported extensively about the grave crime of peeing in the bushes, when will you report about the candidate who beats women?!

It's definitely a fair question. Of course, contrary to popular belief lately, I don't actually report things. Instead, I tend to opine on things reported. The good news for Mr. Block, Sr. is that "the candidate who beats women" (as he put it) was reported on by one of my favorite political reporters, Mr. Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican:

And Lass apparently won't be making an issue of Block's past legal skirmishes. He told The New Mexican this week that he thinks it's "odd" Block doesn't remember his disorderly conduct violation. "I actually consider this a bit of a distraction from the main campaign that I plan on running, talking about how important the PRC is and how we need an advocate for the people," Lass said.

Lass, in a 2004 interview when he was running for a state Senate seat, admitted he'd been arrested in 1999 on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery in a fight with his girlfriend. He said the charge was dropped after he successfully completed the Municipal Court domestic-violence program, which he said involved anger-management classes.

But at least he remembered it.

Mr. Block Sr., a seasoned politician in his own right, should have told his son that pretending something didn't happen doesn't make it go away. Block Jr.'s problem is less about committing "the grave crime of peeing in the bushes," and more about his unwillingness to come clean with that and other details. What could have been written off as juvenile stupidity has instead turned into a questionable character trait of an adult - namely, the ability to come clean with the truth.

As to Mr. Lass, well, he has come clean; however, that does little in my eyes to make him electable. I said the first time I wrote about Mr. Block Jr.'s problems that his opponent deserved a second look. Now, after a second look at both candidates, I'd suggest that the citizens of PRC District 3 might want to encourage a write-in candidate for the $90,000 a year job. On the upside, if the candidate does not have any past criminal charges, he or she would already have a leg up on the competition.

I don't know what it is about the PRC, but for such a small group, they sure do attract individuals who seem to have more than their fair share of legal troubles - from misdemeanor battery charges to peeing in the bushes to sexual harassment to possession of marijuana.

Geez, what a bunch. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the PRC is one of those elected positions that the candidates get to run for on the taxpayers' dime. Yup, there is no doubt about it. Taxpayer funded elections sure are bringing us a higher caliber of candidate.

Jerome Block Jr's Troubled Legal History

In the past, I've picked on PRC Commissioner Ben Ray Lujan regarding his qualifications to run for Congress. However, compared to the guy the Democrats chose to replace him, Ben Ray is a boy scout and stellar candidate:

Aggravated DWI, unlawful riding, urinating in public, ditching out on court-ordered child-support mediation and breach of contract—these are the charges that Jerome Block Jr., the Democratic nominee to represent District 3 on the Public Regulation Commission, has faced in court over the last decade, SFR has discovered.

Wow, are the people in District 3 really going to give this guy a $90,000 a year job that makes policy decisions? There are no Republicans running, but just based on Jerome Block's legal troubles, I suggest that the Green in race deserves a second look.

What's Tom Udall Doing in Congress?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what Tom Udall is doing in Congress is voting to raise taxes on the middle class, families and small businesses. Of course, don't take my word for it. Instead, read what Democratic Congressman Bill Foster (IL-14) had to say about the tax bill that Tom Udall voted to pass:

“I can’t support a budget, from either party, that raises taxes on the middle class. This bill hurts families all across the 14th District by eliminating the 10-percent bracket for lower-income taxpayers, reinstating the marriage penalty and increasing taxes on small businesses and investments.

I campaigned on a platform of middle class tax relief, and I was elected to Washington to bring about change. When asked to choose between my party and the people I represent, I will choose the families of the 14th District every single time.”

Before my readers on the left start leaving comments about how Congressman Bill Foster is just some sort of rogue Democratic Congressman, I think you ought to watch the recent video endorsement by one of the Congressman's supporters.



So where does that leave us? Well, I think that leaves us with a novel concept that Tom Udall might want to consider... putting families before party. Congressman Tom Udall wants to become Senator Tom Udall, yet he's voting to eliminate the 10-percent bracket for lower income taxpayers.

In case you're wondering what someone in the 10-percent bracket is earning, if they're single, the answer is up to $8,025 per year. If they're married filing jointly, it is $16,050 per year. Let me put that another way. We're talking about people barely making the minimum wage, and Congressman Tom Udall voted to raise their taxes.

Is there any wonder that most people think Congressman Tom Udall is too liberal to be elected to represent everyday New Mexicans in the Senate?

My Sincere Appreciation to All Who Ran

I guess it was pretty obvious to all readers that for the most part I stayed away from writing about the primaries on the Republican side. That is because, with the exception of the 1st Congressional District, there wasn't a Republican candidate I wouldn't proudly support if they won the primary. So, my congratulations go out to Congressman Steve Pearce, Sheriff Darren White, Ed Tinsley and Dan East. I look forward to helping each of you win in November.

I'd also like to express my sincere admiration for everyone else that put themselves forward as a candidate, both on the federal and state levels and on both sides of the aisle. Your willingness to do so is what makes this country great. As someone who has been a candidate, I know it's not easy.

I'm not sure most people realize the level of commitment that goes into a campaign. It's a 24/7 roller coaster ride that doesn't stop until you win or lose. You campaign all day, and it's the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning and the last thing on your mind when you go to sleep at night. You never feel like you're doing quite enough, and you're always second guessing your last move.

Basically, you're applying for a job, But, what makes this job so unique is that everyone you know (heck, even people you don't know) is aware that you're applying. They're all witnesses to the interview process and everything you do and everything you've ever done is under a microscope for all to see. And, when you don't get the job, everyone knows it. That part is not fun. However, the people you meet along the way will become new friends. I guarantee it. And, as time goes by, you realize that without you're participation there would be no Democratic process.

So, thank you to all who ran. You are what makes this country great.

Get Out and Vote in Today's Primary

It looks like they're predicting a "high turnout" for today's Primary Election (subscription):

In the state's 2006 primary election, fewer than 181,000 Republicans and Democrats voted in the top-tier contests— a figure that represented less than 21 percent of eligible voters.

Secretary of State Mary Herrera predicted Monday that the four open congressional seats this year will help drive a record turnout today.

"Voter turnout should be in the high 30s," Herrera said, referring to the percentage of registered voters expected to cast ballots today. "I'm expecting the highest turnout in history for a primary."

It's kind of sad, when a turnout in the "high 30s" will qualify as the "highest turnout in history for a primary." Voting really is one of our most important civic duties. The fact that 70% of eligible voters won't vote is more than a little disturbing.

The internet makes it so easy to find information on the various candidates. And, when you consider the average American works more than four months every year just to pay for government, you'd think more people would take an interest. Unfortunately, you'd probably find that most people spend more time researching movie and music reviews than researching the candidates running for office.

Well, this year there really are some important choices to make in the primary, so get out and vote. And, encourage everyone else you know to do the same.

Wiviott's Attack on Lujan

Don Wiviott and Ben Ray Lujan are battling it out in a very public way for the 3rd Congressional District Democratic nomination. Don Wiviott put up an ad attacking Ben Ray Lujan, and apparently the Lujan campaign is weakly contesting the inaccuracies in the ad:

The Telehealth Commission, which Ben Ray Luján was appointed to, has nothing to do with his elected duties as a Public Regulation Commissioner despite the deceptive tie Don Wiviott tries to make here. His membership on the Telehealth Commission is unpaid. Ben Ray Luján missed meetings to perform his duties as Public Regulation Commissioner, which Commissioner Luján believes take priority since he represents the people of the third district as a PRC Commissioner.

Good thing our unpaid state legislator's don't take this same approach to their voluntary service. Here is the thing. Mr. Lujan makes a point on his campaign website to mention his Telehealth Commission and put it in the best possible light to bolster what can only be described as a lackluster history of personal accomplishments:

He is a member of the New Mexico Telehealth Commission, where he works to encourage a single, statewide effort to create a system to deliver health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies.

Obviously, Mr. Wiviott is just pointing out that when Mr. Lujan uses the term "works" he means it in the loosest sense of the term. What I don't understand is why the Wiviott's campaign just didn't do a little google search to find the truth of exactly where Mr. Lujan worked as a casino dealer?

A simple search would have surely turned up a much better way of presenting Mr. Lujan's curriculum vitae to the voters. If you do follow that last link, I should point out that I believe that Mr. Lujan has in fact now completed his college degree. Apparently, his $90,000 PRC job allowed him the flexibility to work on that.

A Little Break and Reflection

Ok, I hadn't planned on taking a blogging break, but I'm glad I did. Like State Representative Joseph Cervantes, I spent some quality time with my family and reflected on what's important. This upcoming year is undoubtedly going to be busy on the political scene, and there is no question that balancing politics and kids can be a difficult task.

But, at the same time, I strongly believe that giving our kids an introduction into politics at an early age is a good thing. Too many adults are apathetic when it comes to politics. They just don't take an active role. Maybe they believe that their vote just doesn't matter, or maybe they just believe that the system will be just fine without their involvement.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Take the upcoming elections for the open Congressional seats. Because of a change in the law, those voting in their party's pre-primary convention will be the first and last word who gets on the ballot for the primary election (although that might change). In the 2nd Congressional race on the GOP side, that would be less than 200 people.

Still think your vote doesn't count? When you make your New Year's Resolutions this year, I hope you'll consider including a commitment to take an active role in what is sure to be a historic political year.

Qualifications of a Congressional Representative

It sort of blows my mind that in 2007, the Speaker of the House of the New Mexico State Legislature has enough power to get candidate after candidate to step aside in an effort to clear a path for his son to run for Congress.

But Solano — who is serving his second term as sheriff and prohibited from seeking a third term — said he's concerned that a small group of Democratic Party officials could effectively choose the next Northern New Mexico congressman before any votes are cast.

And that candidate, he said, likely would be State Public Regulation Commissioner Ben Ray Luján, mainly because of the influence of his father, state House Speaker Ben Luján.

Now, I guess I could understand if Ben Ray Luján was an impressive candidate in his own right with a long list of accomplishments, but that sure doesn't seem to be the case:

By Karla Duarte
(Submitted: 12/05/2006 12:25 pm)

Please get your facts straight: Ben Ray was appointed to be the chief financial administrator for the state cultural affairs department without a college degree and after previously being employed as a casino dealer. Then the full weight of the governor and the legislature went to promoting him and discouraging other qualified candidates for the PRC. I'm sure he is a fine young man, but the point is that government should not work that way.

From casino dealer to Congressional front runner... only in New Mexico.

Anyone Can Do Anything

Last weekend, I attended my 20th high school reunion in Philadelphia. Maybe as a result, I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic about the impact great teachers can make. So, it's probably not all that surprising that this article about a Santa Fe High School English teacher running for the open U.S. Senate seat caught my attention:

It might sound like a joke at first, an unknown English teacher deciding to run for the U.S. Senate seat held for more than 30 years by Pete Domenici, R-N.M. But it isn't.

Zach Boatman is jumping into a race that includes Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M. He said he's doing it because he believes the U.S. election process makes it possible for anyone to run for any position.

The 41-year-old Santa Fe High School teacher decided a couple of weeks ago to run for Domenici's seat because, he said, "this is the first time in like three decades that there's been this open door."

Boatman, who's teaching Advanced Placement English this year, said a recent conversation in one of his classes turned to politics and students' complaints about the election process. "(Students) said, 'There's nobody to vote for; they're all the same,' " Boatman said.

Now, I don't know anything about this guy, and his chances are very slim, but in this case, I don't think that is what matters. What I think is important is that a teacher is putting himself out there to show his students what is possible. It's actually what many great teachers do everyday. [Disclaimer: I worked in education for over a decade].

We've got a huge civic problem in the country - too few people care enough to vote or get involved. We've also got this great human experiment occurring, the emergence of social media, that gives everyone and anyone a voice.

I think it would be very cool if kids got behind this teacher and got him the 16,000 signatures he needs to get on the ballot . I don't think most students realize the power they have to create change. Is there an adult out there who wouldn't sign a petition to get someone on the ballot if their son or daughter, nephew or niece asked them to do it. I know I'd sign. Students under 18 may not be able to vote, but there is nothing from stopping them being part of the process.

Mayor Martin Chavez's Finance Committee Fiasco

The fact that two of three Democratic heavy hitters (the third is apparently just staying away from the phone) are contradicting Mayor Martin Chavez's assertion that they are serving on his finance committee is nothing short of extraordinary:

Since the names were published on Thursday, accusations have surfaced on the Internet and within Democratic circles that Chávez may have exaggerated or lied about their involvement in his campaign.

Not so, Chávez said today.

“They’re all on,” he said of Blanchard, Cope and Gonzales. “I talked to them yesterday. They’re all on.”

But Blanchard, when I reached him today by telephone, refused to talk about whether he’s a member of Chávez’s finance committee – a clear indicator that something unusual is afoot.

“At this point, I don’t want to comment on anything,” he said.

And Gonzales said today that he is not a member of Chávez’s committee.

What makes this so bizarre is that Mayor Martin Chavez is a seasoned politician. We're talking about a man who should know better than to assert publicly that someone is on his finance committee when they aren't.

My guess is that this is the first of many mistakes we are going to see from the Mayor in the coming months.

Mayor Chavez Changes Gear

Oh what a bummer! It looks like Mayor Chavez has decided to abandon his gubernatorial campaign website for 2010 (see the last listing):


Now, he has decided to change gears. My favorite line from his announcement speech:

I know that in my gut the national and state GOP will fight mean and dirty. Their war effort and power are at stake. But in my heart, I know they no longer represent the mainstream of their party or New Mexico.

Say What! Republican power is at stake? Um, exactly where are we talking about? The Democrats control both Houses of Congress. The Democrats control both bodies of the state legislature. Am I missing something?

And, what did our esteemed Mayor forget to mention in his announcement speech:

All together, the city collected $10,611,397 in revenue [through red light cameras] and handed over $2,844,920 to Redflex. This left the city with between $5.8 and $7.8 million in net profit. The precise figure is not known as officials charged as photo enforcement expenses a number of part and full-time police officer salaries as well as the entire administrative hearing office budget. The audit report sidestepped the question of whether the ticketing program has had any beneficial effect on traffic accidents. It mentioned that police could claim only two of the nineteen intersections with cameras might have seen a decrease in accidents.

Kinda makes you wonder if he is elected Senator, whether or not he would be pushing for a national red light program. After all, it has been just so dang profitable for the City of Albuquerque.

Conversation with a Senior Wilson Advisor

Before I sat down to blog, I decided to go through my snail mail. In that pile of bills and solicitations was a letter from the People for Pete campaign asking me to help organize and collect petition signatures for our Senator. That letter was dated October 1, 2007 - only three days before the Senator announced his plans to retire for medical reasons. A political frenzy has since ensued with prospective candidates on both sides of the aisle trying to determine if they've got a shot at representing New Mexicans in Congress as a Senator or Representative.

The usual gang of blogosphere pundits are producing posts at a feverish pitch. There are those emerging from desert swamps with alligator predictions supported by the most unscientific of polls. Others are going straight to the source and getting prospective candidates to think out loud about their plans and rationale.

Personally, I think sometimes it pays to wait a beat or two for the dust to begin to settle a bit before jumping into the fray with predictions and insights. After all, it is impossible to make any sort of reasonable guess as to who is going to win a race until you at least know for sure who is running in it. I guess you could call me old fashioned that way.

Still, we do know that one candidate, Congresswoman Heather Wilson, has stepped in, and stepped in boldly. She did not wait to see what the presidential candidate and occasional state visitor, Governor Bill Richardson, is planning to do. She didn't call around to her Republican peers to try and figure out what they were going to do before taking the next step.

Nope, she just made a decision and announced her decision to run for the Senate seat - 24 hours after we all learned officially that it would be open. That's what I believe could be called a healthy dose of moxie.

Well, today I had a phone conversation with a Senior Wilson Advisor to discover the source of that gumption. The Advisor, who shall remain nameless (I learned that from my reporter friends), made some strong arguments as to why the Congresswoman should become New Mexico's next Junior Senator.

The Advisor pointed out to me, Wilson has won one hard battle after another against odds that most Las Vegas bookmakers wouldn't take. First, she beat a millionaire (or is it billionaire) native son. She followed that campaign win by not once, but twice defeating a well-funded and highly regarded Senator Pro-tem. Then in this last election cycle, she prevailed over a sitting Attorney General despite the anti-Republican tide that swept the nation and sent many of her colleagues packing. All of this in a district that went to Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

"Yeah," I said. "But, this is a statewide race." The Advisor quickly threw out a little known fact... The statewide registration of Average Republican Voting Strength (ARVS) is actually four points higher than that of Heather's Congressional District.

Since I have no problem at all with basic math, I didn't even have to start counting on my fingers to figure out that this means Heather Wilson would start this race with a four point head start over all of the previous races. The races she won.

But, the Advisor didn't stop there. I was asked to consider the amount of money spent on media in the last couple of elections. Since it just so happens I know a thing or two about media buying in our state (part of my day job), I got the message loud and clear. You see, New Mexico's television networks reach every corner of the state except around Las Cruces, which is part of the El Paso market. This means that the vast majority of New Mexicans know Heather Wilson.

The Advisor didn't have to state the obvious, but I will. Based on the amount of money she has spent on television in the last couple of elections, the Congresswoman's name id has got to be close to, if not greater, than 90%, in the vast majority of New Mexico.

And, based on a press release I saw from the campaign today, Wilson is already well on her way to raising the money she needs to get that name id to 100%:

The Heather Wilson for Congress campaign announced today that it will file a third quarter Federal Election Commission (FEC) report showing at least $754,000 cash on hand as of September 30, 2007.

Wilson’s campaign raised $238,000 during the third quarter of 2007 that ended on September 30^th and $908,000 for the year to date. The $754,000 her campaign has in cash on hand is nearly $25,000 more than two years ago.

As of September 30, 2007, the Heather Wilson for Congress campaign has received contributions from 2339 New Mexicans - 94.2% of her individual contributions.

“I’m honored to enjoy such strong support from New Mexicans,” Wilson said.

Well, all this is well and good, but I didn't shy away from asking the question on everyone's mind. What happens if our occasional Governor, the presidential candidate Bill Richardson, decides to jump into the race, despite his statement to the contrary? The Advisor's response was simple. The people of New Mexico would expect to see debates in every corner of the Land of Enchantment, and this time the Governor would be hard pressed to find an excuse not to participate.

"Ouch," I thought. That whole debating thing hasn't really proven to be one of the Governor's strengths of late.

Alright, it was time to wrap it up (after all, a guy has to make a living to feed his family). Still, I couldn't help just throwing out one last question before getting back to work. You see, when push comes to shove, I'm a limited government kind of guy at my core. So, I off-handedly asked the Advisor about the press release put out last week by the Club for Growth that chastised Wilson for being on the left when it comes to fiscal policy.

"You mean the release that came out about the same time that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee published their release attacking Heather Wilson for being too far to the right?" the Advisor asked.

"Yeah, I responded, "that's the one I'm talking about."

"Well," the Advisor responded, "if two East Coast organizations, one on the left and one on the right, accuse the Congresswoman of being too conservative and too liberal in the same day, then I'd say we're right about where we should be - firmly, in the center."

And, with that, the conversation came to an end.

Before anyone asks, I would be happy to talk to Senior Advisors for other candidates as they get around to announcing. Just shoot me an email, and I'll send you back an email with the best number to reach me.


The Disclaimer: I was an active member of Blogs for Heather Wilson this last election cycle, and have enjoyed the privilege of serving as a member of her finance committee.

The Making of a Political Animal

After reading a post over at Duke City Fix about Joanie Griffin, I was ready to write Ms. Griffin off as a viable candidate:

Joanie Griffin failed to disclose. She fibbed to the Albuquerque Journal -- exactly what's she's been attacking her opponent for doing. Welcome to Council District 6.

On Griffin's Journal questionnaire published September 19, she answered "No" to the question: "Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?" The answer should have been "Yes." In 1994 Griffin and her husband were issued a state tax lien for $1,057.67.

After reading that, how can you feel anything but disgust? Then, I decided to read the Journal article Coco sourced (subscription), and I found that Coco was not entirely forthcoming with the facts:

The lien lists the Social Security number of Griffin's ex-husband, Charles Griffin. The unpaid taxes date to 1987— two years before Charles and Joanie Griffin were married [empahsis added].

The lien, however, was filed after the two were married and jointly owned property in Albuquerque. It was filed in January 1994 and repaid by March 1994, according to county records.

Now, it can be argued that Coco is "technically" correct, and Ms. Griffin's answer should have been "Yes" to the Journal question. But, the fact remains that Ms. Griffin never did anything to cause a state or federal lien against herself, which I'm sure is the intent of the question. Moreover, I believe it is entirely plausible that she may not have been aware of the lien against her husband for his tax issues, especially a lien he paid off within three months of it being filed.

So, where does this leave us?

Well, Coco is obviously upset (probably an understatement) by the recent push polls and campaign literature coming out of the Griffin campaign against her own favored candidate for the City Council seat, Rey Garduno. So, in an effort to "hit back," Coco is trying to equate the actions of Mr. Garduno's attempt to hide his conviction of shoplifting at 45 years old (subscription) with the failure to disclose a three month state tax lien against Ms. Griffin's deceased ex-husband, which happened before she married the man.

Sorry, but that's just not going to fly.

Worse, this really is an example of Coco becoming politically intoxicated in the late hours of a campaign and transforming into the type of political animal she is going to hate to see when she looks in the mirror on the morning after the election.

Sitting Through a Candidates Forum

I attended the Albuquerque City Council Candidate forum organized by the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of Realtors, the Apartment Association of New Mexico, the Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico, the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico and the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties.

You can read about it over at the New Mexico Business Weekly online. Overall, it was pretty unexciting. For the most part, people said exactly what you would expect them to say on some of the hotter topics:

Affordable housing was a hot topic given the pending $10 million general obligation bond that will be on the ballot Oct. 6. The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce has come out in opposition to the bond question, arguing the bill could prevent implementation of the workforce housing ordinance.

Katherine Martinez, director of government and community affairs for the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico, who is running against Debbie O'Malley for the District 6 seat, said there should be a focus on keeping housing affordable across the city by evaluating legislation that puts additional fees on the building industry that are then passed to homebuyers. Her comments were echoed by Harris and Jones, who preached incentives rather than mandates for creating such housing, and Brad Winter, the incumbent in District 4. His opponent, Paulette de'Pascal, added that there should be input from all stakeholders when creating mandates for things like affordable housing -- a stance she reiterated often during other questions. De'Pascal owns Success Group International, a marketing, public relations and consulting firm.

Yup, as reported, Ms. de'Pascal was very fond of using the phrase "input from all stakeholders." So, I'm guessing that must have been something she learned during her studies.

This is not to say there weren't a few amusingly bizarre moments. For example, Joan Griffin commented that she was in part motivated to run because she was tired of hearing about "men picking up men in public restrooms." I kid you not, she did say that line.

Then there was Paulette De'Pascal's claim that she has "no enemies other than her ex-husband as widely reported in the Albuquerque Journal."

Oh, and I almost forgot, Councilor Debbie O'Malley decided to try and "discredit" her opponent Katherine Martinez by pointing out that O'Malley's family has deeper roots in the North Valley. How backwards is that? Maybe Councilor O'Malley would like to pass a city ordinance barring any recent migrant from another state from voting or seeking public office until their family has been in New Mexico for two or more generations.

I'm glad I live in the East Mountains. If you want to experience what I sat through, radio station KANW-FM 89.1 will broadcast a recording of the forum Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.

Not a Smart Move

The Albuquerque Journal has reported that Lt. Governor Diane Denish has decided to endorse District 6 City Council Candidate, Rey Garduño (subscription):

While [Mayor Marty] Chávez wouldn't comment on Denish's motivation for the endorsement, he said in reference to Garduño's conviction in a 1988 shoplifting case, that "given his background, it's unusual."

[Lt. Governor Diane] Denish said she was aware of the shoplifting case— in which Garduño pleaded no contest and was found guilty— but said it didn't dissuade her.

Garduño didn't reveal the incident on his initial response to the Journal's candidate questionnaire.

This seems just plain foolish to me. First, you've got to wonder what the Lt. Governor is thinking by stepping into this fight. Second, could she have picked a worse candidate to endorse? As near as I can tell, partisan politics aside, Mr. Garduño has two strikes against him.

First, you've got a guy running for office, on the taxpayers dime I might add, who was caught shoplifting. Sure, it happened almost 20 years ago. But, he was 45 years old at the time... FORTY-FIVE YEARS OLD AND SHOPLIFTING (subscription):

A police incident report said a Sears store employee accused Garduño of putting a $200 telephone in his bag and leaving without paying for it.

The charge was a misdemeanor and he was issued a citation.

Garduño said the incident was a misunderstanding. He had bought light bulbs and a lamp at Sears and was looking at the phone, he said. He didn't intend to leave the store without paying, he said.

"It's not something I planned to do," Garduño said. "It was a mistake."

Garduño said he didn't recall being found guilty. He thought the charge was to be dismissed if he agreed to go to school.

We're not talking about the mistake of an immature kid. We're talking about a man, who at 45 years of age, gets caught trying to walk out of a store with a $200 phone. Then, he makes matter worse by running for office and not owning up to his petty theft until he is caught again:

He said Tuesday that he misunderstood the question. A campaign spokesman said Garduño would submit an updated response to the questions. The campaign had thought the 1988 citation was akin to a traffic ticket, not a misdemeanor, the spokesman said.

I'm sorry. We're supposed to believe shoplifting is "akin to a traffic ticket?" Yet another great example of the caliber of candidates we get when the taxpayer is footing the bill for the election.

Gotta Love Publicly Funded Campaigns

It's amazing the caliber of candidates we can now enjoy in the City of Albuquerque - now that taxpayers get to foot the campaign bills. Let's take Council District Four for example where the incumbent, City Councilor Brad Winter, is enjoying a strong challenge from an opponent with an "impressive" record of academic achievement, Paulette De'Pascal (subscription):

City Council candidate Paulette de'Pascal claims she has a B.S. and an M.B.A., but she acknowledged Tuesday that she never took any classes for either degree.

The degrees de'Pascal listed as part of her education in a Journal questionnaire were obtained through Almeda University, an online university that gives clients credit for "life experience."

De'Pascal listed other educational programs on the questionnaire but acknowledged she didn't complete all of them.

Isn't it just grand how we're now allowing "qualified" candidates to run for office? You know, candidates who might otherwise have not been able to run because... well... because no one in their right mind would have given their campaign any significant level of funding support.

In attempt at fairness, I thought I'd see what Ms. De'Pascal had to say about this fiasco on her blog - oops, that didn't last too long, did it?

Would someone please explain to me again how publicly funded elections are supposed to make politics more ethical? Matt???

A Quick Reality Check

It's been said before, but it is worth repeating. Mayor Martin Chavez has virtually no chance of beating Lt. Governor Diane Denish in a race for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2010. What is amusing in this week's Journal poll is not how low he polled, but Mayor Chavez's response to the poll (subscription):

The election is almost three years away and one of the candidates hasn't even committed to running, but just for fun let's ask the question:

What if Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez faced off in a Democratic primary for governor today?

The results of a Journal Poll of New Mexico Democrats indicate Denish would win. And maybe by a bunch.

Half of those surveyed— who said they're likely to vote in a 2010 primary— said they would vote for Denish. Chávez had the support of 30 percent. The rest said it was too early to say.

Chávez, who is raising political money but hasn't said yet whether he'll run for governor, on Saturday called his numbers "remarkable."

"She's been campaigning full time for almost a year and I'm not even a candidate, so I'm very pleased. Those are good numbers," Chávez said.

Did Mayor Chavez actually say that with a straight face? We're talking about a guy who has held as many as 57 news conferences in 69 days. Mayor Chavez gets a lot more statewide press than Lt. Governor Denish, yet it's just not working for him.

Heatwave Results in Political Insanity

The general rule of thumb in politics is that the summer is supposed to be a slow time. After all, we're all thinking about barbecues, pools and vacations. No one wants to focus on campaigns... except in the City of Albuquerque.

This summer is going to go down in the history books as one of the most bizarre in recent history. Today's Albuquerque Journal Around the Metro (subscription) section has one City Councilor facing ethics complaint and the Mayor's Transit Director in the hot seat:

Councilor Raises Campaign Concern

City Councilor Brad Winter has called on the mayor to ensure that Transit Director Greg Payne isn't doing campaign work on city time.

He sent a letter to Mayor Martin Chávez this week. It stems from concern that Payne is helping Winter's opponent in this year's council race, Paulette de'Pascal.

Payne said Wednesday he has no role in de'Pascal's campaign and isn't doing campaign work for anyone on city time. He said supporters of de'Pascal had approached him about helping her, but he doesn't have the "time or energy to get involved."

De'Pascal said Payne "is not affiliated with my campaign in any way."

She said an employee in the mayor's office, Tony Pedroncelli, did help gather signatures— but not on city time.

Ok, probably not worth more than a head scratch. Or, at least that's what I thought until I had this email forwarded to me:

From: "Sandra P. Richardson"

Date: July 14, 2007 7:39:55 AM MDT

To:

Cc: "Sandra P. Richardson" ,

Subject: Paulette, THE PLAN and the structure

While you ask for structure, you resist it like a honey bee, flitting from person to person, seeking their advice and opinion...wearing yourself and us out. Not a winning strategy in any political campaign...especially this one. Hard to be the candidate and not the consultant, isn't it?

Yesterday, I was talking with Greg. We worked out what HE needs YOU to do and I fully support because I trust Greg and know that if you follow this Plan, you WILL win. If you continue to avoid, you can cost yourself the election.

Here's the structure we're committed to:

1. Greg is THE Captain of the team. He's the ONLY person to whom you seek political advice. He's THE strategist...period. (He's "gold" for this campaign.)

a. Do NOT undermine his efforts by being a "honey bee." Frustrating for him, frustrating for me, frustrating for you.

b. Everyone else is just signature helpers...NOT strategists. If you indulge in the "honey bee," you sacrifice winning...period.

c. "Loose lips sink ships." In this case, being a "honey bee" compromises your campaign. You cannot discuss the elements with anyone else. Period. This is not a tea party, this is WAR. Period.

2. I agree with Greg. I have made a commitment to him and to you. My role is to work with Greg, find out what his game plan is for that period of time and then work with you to make sure you follow. Period.

a. If you have a concern, you tell me so that I can tell Greg. Period. No honey bee.

b. You have to follow this structure to protect Greg and me and yourself. Period.

c. Greg is held ethically to very strict guidelines...he cannot indulge your need to hear from him every day...that's why we've worked out this plan.

d. I'm your coach ,as I committed mid May!! Period. As such, you MAKE time for me, first.

3. THE PLAN-structure:

a. Greg is the only Captain of this ship. He creates the strategy. He decides.

b. I am his First Mate. I report to the Captain. YOU report to ME. Period.

c. You are the candidate. You report to me....NOT "if you get time" between all the "flowers." You MAKE time. I'm not your mother...I'm your coach. This is the PLAN. You want to win? You follow Greg's Plan. Period.

d. Caleb is the manager of compliance and your schedule. He does NOT take a trip or day off to play without checking The Book first, assuring that nothing is due. He let's me know if and when he leaves...and assures ME that nothing is due. Period. He earns the money funded by the pubic. period.

e. EVERYONE else is a helper ONLY for door-to-door.

4. . Everyone else,EVERYONE else is NOT for you to discuss any strategy...you cannot indulge or you will sink your candidacy and us along with it!

a. They help with going door to door. Period.

b. They are NOT the ones you turn to for "What should I do."

1) Tony, et al, help you by walking door to door...period. He is NOT your strategist...he works for Greg in this campaign. He is not the "go-to" guy.

2) Eddie is NOT. You do NOT discuss stuff with him. He keeps you company on the door-to-door, Talk about other stuff. "Loose lips..."

3) Not your old buddies, relatives, especially girlfriends.

4) Not other candidates. This is not 8th grade.

5). NO one, nada, nil.

5. THE PLAN-Per Greg, this is what you focus on...and only this:

a. Keep walking getting signatures...lots and lots of signatures. that's ALL.

b. You do not need to do anything else unless it falls under "compliance."

6. Caleb, as the publically paid person, has the responsibility to organize the paperwork from the City Clerk's Office and be responsible for your compliance with the rules.

a. As promised, I will coordinate with him...not you.

b. He will inform you when and what you need to do and you will comply with whatever the paperwork says.

c. He can always check with Kelli on your behalf...you. do NOT.

d. as the paid manager, he does not take off unless he let's me know that all is okay, nothing is due. He tells me.

5. Caleb will maintain your calendar...you do NOT schedule without clearing with him...remember, "I have to check with my manager."

a. Real easy to do.

b. You cannot "try,"

c. You have to make that commitment to the campaign.

d. You make that commitment to those of us who are working (Greg, Caleb, me) for your success.

You wanted structure...I've been trying for several months to bring you structure with a little success but there's still too much frustration for all.

You owe your campaign the commitment to follow what Greg and I have the experience to know. YOU WOULD DEMAND THIS OF YOUR OWN CLIENTS!

The only way this campaign will fail is if you do not follow The Plan.. You absolutely must. Or, you're wasting your time and ours.

You have a tendency to bring this to everyone you know, get their input and cherry-pick what you think will work for you. BUT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN THE CANDIDATE.

You are not objective and the people you ask are not experts nor do they know the District 4 political scene nor will they have to "pick up the pieces" if this campaign "goes South."

No more 8th grade stuff. This is serious...for Greg, for me and for you. We all have a great deal at stake. You absolutely need to put your candidacy in Greg's hands. You have to trust him...

He's won every campaign. He's savvy and experienced and believes strongly in you...as do I. BUT, Paulette, you can be your own worse enemy. When you're unsure, you indulge in the "honey bee" syndrome, trying to get a secure feeling inside.

Campaigning takes personal discipline. Do what you do best: get signatures.. Can you imagine if you had 5,000 signatures what the impact would be on your campaign???

So, focus on just one thing: getting signatures...get to know as many constituents as you possibly can. You do this so well. Capitalize on your strength. Only you can do this part well.

Make time, first, for me to coach you on the background for issues that you will need at debate and forum time.

I expect your compliance to Greg's plan. Greg expects your compliance to his Plan.

Starting now...

Sandra 821-1347

sprichardson@comcast.net

And, if this wasn't bizarre enough, it turns out that there is a Mayoral Appointee to the City of Albuquerque Ethics Board named Mr. Cliff Richardson. I wonder if there is any relationship between Ms. Sandra Richardson and Mr. Cliff Richardson.

Weird stuff.