Ever More Open Society - Except in Government

We live in the information age.  A quick web search, and you can find information about almost anything.  Overall, I think this is a good thing.  In my mind knowledge is power.  The ability to learn and find answers quickly makes overcoming some previously insurmountable challenges surmountable.

Yet, there is one place in our society where open sharing of information is seemingly going in the wrong direction. Ironically, this place is called the "public sector."

New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act is meant to help ensure public involvement and to prevent backroom deals in state and local government, but violations of the law are widespread, an investigation by The Independent has found. School boards, universities, town councils, county and state commissions, and boards across the state have broken the law, casting a shroud of secrecy over government officials’ deliberations and bargaining.

Violating the Open Meetings law can contribute to a culture of political secrecy and corruption, Foundation for Open Government Executive Director Sarah Welsh told The Independent. It also raises questions about the legality of decisions reached based on issues discussed during illegally convened closed sessions.

And, it's not just the violation of open meetings that is troublesome:

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government says a state agency violated the Inspection of Public Records Act when it redacted information from public documents before giving them to Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh.

Now it appears the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) is in the process of correcting that violation.

Sarah Welsh, the sunshine group’s executive director, recently made her own request for some of the public records DFA had provided to Weh with redactions. The agency provided the records to Welsh without redactions, which allowed her to see that DFA had inappropriately blacked out routine information – such as handwritten notations of account numbers or notes such as “OK to pay” – before providing the documents to Weh.

“They provided different information to me and to the Weh campaign, which is not the way it’s supposed to work,” Welsh said.

Story after story have shown that increasingly all levels of public government feel free to act with impunity in keeping the public in the dark:

Attorney General Gary King is accusing Gov. Bill Richardson of violating the state open-records act by withholding the names of those in the 59 political jobs Richardson said he eliminated.

"It seems implausible that your office would make a formal announcement (about the layoffs) when it had no set of records to support its numerical assertion," Chief Deputy Attorney General Albert Lama wrote in an opinion this week. "It creates the impression that some staff member in the Governor's Office possesses, contrary to your response letter's assertions, records pertaining to the 59 exempt employees ...

At some point, the voters are going to say enough is enough.  And, it's increasingly looking like that point may occur this November.

Anti-Incumbent Sentiment Confirmed

When considering the polling prior to the outcome of the recent Albuquerque mayoral election, I noted that a strong anti-incumbent sentiment was in play:

In 2008, incumbents were swept out of office. Sure, it was a huge Democratic sweep. But, it was just as much an anti-incumbent sweep. People wanted new blood. They voted for "change."

The Obama administration and the Democrats now in control of the Congress misunderstood this vote for change to mean the country was endorsing a shift to the left and bigger government programs. This wasn't and isn't the case at all. The vast majority of Americans are not extremist - neither right nor left. Instead, they are firmly planted in the center.

So, the change they were voting for was against the incumbents, and the direction in which they were taking our country, which ironically enough was towards bigger government programs. Now, it seems to me that the anti-incumbent sentiment has not subsided. It is still alive and well.

My observation regarding the anti-incumbent sentiment seems to be confirmed by a recent Pew Research Group study:

According to the Pew Research Group, the number of people who would like to see their own U.S Representative re-elected has reached a low point — the same type of low point seen in the 1994 and 2006 midterms when the parties in power suffered large losses.

“About half (52 percent) of registered voters would like to see their own representative re-elected next year, while 34 percent say that most members of Congress should be re-elected,” according to Pew. “Both measures are among the most negative in two decades of Pew Research surveys.”

And, in more bad news for Democrats, Republicans are currently much more enthusiastic about voting in 2010.

I'd argue that these results also apply to the Governor's office and any swing legislative districts in 2010. Spend time talking to people about politics, and you'll see its true. Its probably the reason behind State Senator Eichenberg's recent candid observation:

He wrote that Eichenberg told the crowd at the Southwest Learning Center in Albuquerque that due to Denish's "complacency or complicity" with the ‘pay-to-play’ atmosphere surrounding the administration of Governor Bill Richardson, and standing quietly behind him," that he was unwilling to invest a half million dollars in a 'losing campaign.'

Bralley writes Eichenberg said, "I looked her square in the eye when I said that. I told her I didn’t think she was going to win.”

I'd say the numbers support his assertion.

Congratulations Albuquerque You Made a Good Choice!

RJ Berry's election win last night is a win for Albuquerque and New Mexico. Mayor-elect Berry is exactly the type of new leader we need in New Mexico. He is a 3H guy - honest, humble, hard-working - who take his responsibilities very seriously. Congratulations to RJ and his family!

I think the GOP needs to be careful about misinterpreting this win as a vindication. As the Democrats are quick to point out, the majority of votes went to the Democratic candidates, not the Republican candidate. However, more important is this fact noted by Eye on Albuquerque:

But what's also clear is that a solid 65% of voters wanted someone other than Martin Chavez to be mayor.

There is no mistaking it. There is a strong anti-incumbent sentiment out there among the voters. As Don Harris' City Council race demonstrated, that doesn't mean that anyone can win a seat, but it does mean that voters will choose a truly qualified leader over the entrenched incumbent. We saw it last night in the mayoral race, and we also saw it in Dan Lewis' win over Michael Cadigan. Dan was another 3H type of candidate.

So, where does that leave us. Well, Lt. Governor Diane Denish needs to take notice. Try as she may, its a little too late to disengage herself from the scandal fraught Richardson administration. As the economy crisis continues to worsen, people will rightfully be blaming the incumbents and those who enabled them, and looking for viable alternatives.

Taxpayers Paying to Advocate More Taxes

I've noted in the past that the problem with state created "Authority" entities is that they are nothing more than a license to tax without accountability:

Here comes the bad part. When elected government officials raise taxes, we at least have an opportunity to vote them out of office the next election cycle. The same is not true for government created Authorities. These folks are appointed, not elected, so the taxpayer has no recourse whatsoever.

It basically boils down to "Taxation without Representation." The last time that got out of control there was a revolution in this country.

The Rio Grande Foundation points out one more reason to fight against the creation of Authority entities:

Now, enclosed in your most recent water bill from the government-controlled Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority, “customers” of the authority are receiving the following notices alerting them to the 1/4 cent transportation tax on the ballot with language that clearly endorses the tax. Check out both sides of the insert below:

Nothing like making taxpayers pay to promote additional taxes on taxpayers. Angry and want to take it out on someone? Well, you can't take it out on the folks running the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority because the state conveniently set it up so that these people are appointed and not elected to this fee increasing non-accountable entity.

But, don't bottle up that anger. Redirect it toward something useful. Vote one of the biggest proponents of this tax increase out of office - Mayor Marty Chavez. You know, the guy who has been trying for years to force this tax increase on the public in order to build his trolley on Central.

In fact, Mayor Marty Chavez is on the Governing Board of the organization, which means he approved this misuse of funds. Make no mistake, a water authority spending your money to push a transportation tax to build a trolley is a misuse funds. Just another example of politics as usual from Mayor Marty.

Anti-Incumbent Sentiment Still Strong

I'm man enough to admit that I'm shocked by the polling numbers released from the mayoral race this weekend in the Albuquerque Journal:

It's a tight race for mayor of Albuquerque, but Richard Berry appeared to have a slight edge over three-term incumbent Martin Chávez 12 days before the Oct. 6 election, a Journal Poll found.

Richard Romero was a close third in the poll, just two percentage points behind Chávez.

Thirty-one percent of the registered, likely voters polled last week supported Berry, 26 percent chose Chávez and 24 percent sided with Romero. Nineteen percent were undecided.

The race clearly isn't over yet, said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the poll.

Now, my surprise does not come as a result that more voters think RJ Berry would make a better mayor than politics as usual Mayor Marty Chavez. I've always been a fan of RJ Berry's [disclosure: contributed to RJ Berry campaign in the past]. But, I was convinced that the limits imposed on the campaign as a result of public financing would provide a benefit for the incumbent that would be insurmountable.

This still may be the case. However, I do think there is something else going on here. A lot has already be written about the way that the two Democratic candidates in the race are splitting the vote and that the politics as usual incumbent is bleeding conservative votes to... well, to the more conservative candidate. But, I think there is something more going on here.

In 2008, incumbents were swept out of office. Sure, it was a huge Democratic sweep. But, it was just as much an anti-incumbent sweep. People wanted new blood. They voted for "change."

The Obama administration and the Democrats now in control of the Congress misunderstood this vote for change to mean the country was endorsing a shift to the left and bigger government programs. This wasn't and isn't the case at all. The vast majority of Americans are not extremist - neither right nor left. Instead, they are firmly planted in the center.

So, the change they were voting for was against the incumbents, and the direction in which they were taking our country, which ironically enough was towards bigger government programs. Now, it seems to me that the anti-incumbent sentiment has not subsided. It is still alive and well.

If the 12-year mayor rightly gets voted out of office, it should serve as a warning to the other incumbents running for office in 2010. Our budgets are in the red. Our school systems are failing. Everyday more of our family, friends and neighbors are losing their jobs and their homes while big government rewards big business with taxpayers funds.

It's going to be harder and harder for the incumbents to convince folks they're part of the solution when the the truth is that they created the problem.

Bode Aviation Video

The surveillance video of Bode Aviation's negotiations with the City of Albuquerque [hat tip: Peter St. Cyr], and the role Mayor Martin Chavez plays "messing with" contracts is unnerving at the least. Watch the video, and then ask yourself, "How does this guy get elected term after term?"

Bode Surveillance- Short Version from Richard M. Romero on Vimeo.

Why isn't this more front and center in the campaign? Oh right, publicly funded campaigns don't allow the campaigns enough resources to get the truth out. Explain to me again how this has improved the process?

Election Cycle 2010 is in Full Swing

When it comes to political campaigning, it is often said that no one is really paying attention until after Labor Day. Of course, what they are talking about is the Labor Day preceding that year's November election (i.e. Labor Day 2009 and Election Day 2009).

However, we now have undeniable evidence that our election cycles have been greatly expanded. This year's election day marked the official start not of Election Cycle 2009, but of Election Cycle 2010. Last night was the first debate of the Democratic Lt. Governor candidates of 2010. I know I keep repeating the year, but I just can't get over it. Seriously, it's not like these folks are running for President of the United States. They're running for a position that really doesn't do much other than collect a salary and break the occasional tie vote:

This money fits in well with the theme in a cable television ad from the state GOP last week lambasting [Lt. Governor Diane] Denish for casting tie-breaking votes on a bill to expand the hours of operations for nontribal casinos in the state while taking tens of thousands of dollars from gambling interests. The ads refer to statements Denish made prior to being elected that gambling was bad for the economy. The ad calls Denish's votes "a pay-to-play jackpot."

What's even more bizarre than a Lt. Governor race getting media attention fourteen months before the election? The fact that the six candidates think that campaigning for raising taxes in tough economic times is a solid campaign strategy:

Several Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor who attended a forum Wednesday at the NEA building on Botulph Road said they'd like to repeal state personal income tax cuts for upper-income bracket taxpayers — a plan pushed at the outset of Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson's administration.

That's right, the state has gone an unrivaled spending spree over the last seven years, and rather than cut waste, these folks want to take more out of our pockets. Of course, some of the folks running for the relatively high-paying low stress job, are the same legislators that approved these massive budget-breaking spending sprees, so I guess its CYA time.

Now, in case you're thinking this expanded election season is limited to the Lt. Governor race, think again. It looks like the Secretary of State office is also kicking it into gear for Election Cycle 2010:

Attention candidates and potential candidates of any party: The Secretary of State’s Office is hosting “candidacy seminars” at the Roundhouse next week in an effort to teach budding politicians the basics of filing for public office and convey some general understanding of election laws and regulations.

The free three-hour workshops — scheduled for 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Wednesday — will cover such topics as opening a campaign account, campaign finance reporting laws, withdrawal dates, hardship exceptions for online reporting, financial disclosure requirements, in-kind contributions, etc.

Wow, I wonder just how many people are going to show up for this? Now, don't get me wrong, people running for state offices have always started toying with the idea this early. It's not uncommon for them to put out feelers to check for support levels. But, this is way beyond that. This is full official campaign mode at a very early time. I guess on the upside if the Secretary of State asks budding candidates to sign in, a simple records requests will make it clear, which seats are in play for 2010.

Mayor Chavez is Right... Enough with Politics as Usual

With only a few weeks left until the Albuquerque City elections, the mayoral debates are coming with increasing speed. There looks to be an interesting mayoral debate coming up on Wednesday, September 16. Here is the info I received:

The Alibi is joining forces with KNME-5, the New Mexico Independent and KUNM 89.9 FM to bring you a free—totally free—mayoral debate on Wednesday, Sept. 16 (details below).

“The Line” host Gene Grant, KUNM’s News Director Jim Williams, New Mexico Independent Editor Gwyneth Doland and I will moderate. We'll pose your burning questions about your city to the candidates.

Audience members will be given notecards and can submit their queries at the start of the throwdown. Or, film a question, upload it to YouTube and send the link to abqmayoraldebate@gmail.com. (Extra points if your backdrop relates to the subject of your question.)

R.J. Berry, Martin Chavez, Richard Romero
Submit video questions for candidates to abqmayoraldebate@gmail.com
See what people are already asking at youtube.com/user/DebateHosts
Wednesday, Sept. 16
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1710 Fourth Street NW
Doors open at 6 p.m., debate at 7 p.m.
Seating is first-come, first-served. About 300 available.
Hear it live on KUNM 89.9 FM
Watch it and live-blog it at alibi.com and newmexicoindependent.com
See it Friday, Sept. 18, on KNME-5

After the mayoral debate, join Alibi and local politicos for discourse, libations and complimentary canapés. Municipal DJs play eclectic Americana and rare groove as citizens of Albuquerque snack and mingle.

Downtown at Blackbird Buvette (509 Central), Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 8:30 p.m. 21+

Now, it's not often that an after debate party complete with libations and complimentary canapés is advertised to draw in a crowd, but believe it or not, that's not what I think makes it potentially interesting. What makes it a potentially interesting debate is the timing.

The mayoral election is just now starting to get some attention. This is one of the effects of a taxpayer funded mayoral campaign. None of the candidates have really had the cash necessary to pound home the issues, or each other's shortcomings.

A lot of people might think that's a good thing, but the truth of the matter is, intended or not, this has worked to the advantage of the incumbent, Mayor Marty Chavez. If you're a fan of Mayor Marty, then it's great. If not, well, not so great.

Mayoral candidate and State Representative RJ Berry is starting to make some noise about the Mayor's "real record of accomplishment." Unfortunately, I'm not convinced the taxpayer funded campaign is going to provide enough resources for the message to get the penetration that is needed to be effective.

On the upside, the Mayor is spending his equally limited funds playing defense, which in a campaign is never a good thing. You can listen to the radio ad here [hat tip: New Mexico Independent]. In the ad, the Mayor denies ever turning Albuquerque into a Sanctuary City or pushing a trolley for Central, and implies that anyone who says otherwise is guilty of politics as usual.

Ok, first let me address the obvious. If anyone is to be equated with "politics as usual", it would have to be the Mayor who fought a legal battle to overturn term limits, so he could continue... Yup, "politics as usual." Geez, talk about opening mouth and inserting foot. Mayor Martin is practically the poster child for politics as usual.

Enough of that. Let's get to the meat of the matter. If there is one thing I hate, it is politicians who attempt to rewrite the history they helped create. Of course, I'm not the only one who has that pet peeve. I think you ought to take a listen to this segment from the Jim Villanucci show circa 2007 [hat tip: Eye on Albuquerque]


It's kind of hard to deny the facts two years later, when anyone can go back and find the truth.

Effective immediately, Albuquerque police officers who find illegal immigrants will no longer contact either federal immigration agents or the border patrol.

Sorry Mayor Chavez, that politics as usual tactic of denying your record just doesn't work in the modern age. [side rant: This originally came from a KOB-TV news story, which is no longer available. Is it really too much to ask for MSM news outlets to keep their articles up in perpetuity?]

Now what's even funnier than Mayor Marty Chavez denying in his campaign ad that he is being maligned on his record of turning Albuquerque into a sanctuary city? It would be the Mayor pretending he doesn't want to build a trolley on Central. First, in order for us to all be on the same page, let's look at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of a trolley:

• Main Entry: ¹trol·ley
• Variant(s): also trol·ly \ˈträ-lē\
• Function: noun
• Inflected Form(s): plural trolleys also trollies
• Etymology: probably from ¹troll
• Date: 1823

1 dialect English : a cart of any of various kinds
2 a : a device that carries electric current from an overhead wire to an electrically driven vehicle b : a streetcar powered electrically through a trolley —called also trolley car
3 : a wheeled carriage running on an overhead rail or track
4 chiefly British : a cart or wheeled stand used for conveying something (as food or books)

I hope you noted the use of the word streetcar to define the word trolley. Also, pay special attention to definition 2a and compare it to this definition of a "modern streetcar" found on the City of Albuquerque website:

Streetcars feature a pole that touches an overhead wire, called catenary. Once the power reaches the streetcar through the trolley pole, it is fed to motors, which are called traction motors that are located on each wheelset.

Pretty dang close, wouldn't you say? Yet, the Mayor wants us to believe he doesn't want to reach into our pockets and pull out additional tax money to build a trolley. He can call it a modern streetcar. He can call it a light rail system. But, it doesn't change the fact that he's itching to build a trolley. Just another fine example of politics as usual.

What's that you say? You are still not convinced that Mayor Marty is a politics and usual kind of politician. Well, let's look at the other half of his claim. He only supports building a trolley system "if passed by the voters." REALLY?

Time for another trip down memory lane. Let's go back to November 3, 2006 to see what Mayor Chavez tried to do when he thought no one was looking:

[The transportation] tax was originally sold to the taxpayers as a means of modernizing the transit system and fixing streets, and it has done that. The tax has also "ballooned in dollars received." In other words, it brought in a lot more than expected. Yet, rather than let the temporary tax sunset, the Mayor and City Council want to make it a permanent tax while no one is looking.

It's the old bait and switch, and it is blatantly UNETHICAL.

So, the truth is that Mayor Marty only supported seeking taxpayer approval once he got caught with his fingers in the taxpayers' back pocket. C'mon everybody. It's time for the chorus... Just another fine example of politics as usual.

So, how about we close with the closing thought from Mayor Chavez's radio ad?

You mean a candidate would intentionally distort the truth just to get elected? Unfortunately true.

Haven't we all had enough of politics as usual?

The Makings of a Perfect Storm

During last year's election cycle, the perfect storm was created, and Democrats from the Roundhouse to the White House prevailed. Come the day after the election, there were some lost seats that astounded everyone:

Nobody thought Karen Giannini was going to win.

Not local political junkies (like us at NMI) watching tight races on election night; not her new Democratic colleagues in the state House of Representatives; and certainly not her incumbent opponent, Rep. Justine Fox-Young, who was sitting in what everyone considered a safe Republican seat.

But somehow this Air Force veteran and divorced mother of three defied all odds and expectations by beating her well-financed incumbent opponent.

And she did it without spending a dime.

Of course, next year's election is shaping up to be a little different. There are no indications on Main Street USA that the economy is improving. Quite the contrary, with even the Administration having to admit that the massive bailouts have been a failure. Instead of creating 3.5 million new jobs as promised, the bailouts, at best, have saved or created 600,000 jobs:

Just 10 days before taking office, Obama's top economic advisers released a report predicting unemployment would remain at 8 percent or below through this year if an economic stimulus plan won congressional approval.

Yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment in May rose to 9.4 percent.

Biden said the White House is keenly aware of the gap between the rhetoric used to sell fast passage of the legislation and the reality that has 14.5 million people unemployed. The administration had predicted that the stimulus bill would create or save as many as 3.5 million jobs.

14.5 million people in America are now unemployed, and what lays ahead in the future? Well, for the answer we go straight to the top:

President Barack Obama offered stern words for Wall Street and a prediction of 10 percent U.S. unemployment even as he said the “engines” of an economic recovery have begun to turn.

Now, I know that some of you will consider leaving comments that unemployment is a lagging indicator, and that the economy is turning around. Personally, I don't think so, but honestly, it's nothing more than an academic discussion. What's important is the political reality come Election Day 2010.

All of these people are not going to suddenly be employed by that point, and the people's concerns quelled. Hungry, unemployed people really don't care about lagging indicators. They care about providing for their families. In fact, if the public opinion trends continue, we have the makings of a Jimmy Carter situation:

Nearly seven in 10 survey respondents said they had concerns about federal interventions into the economy, including Mr. Obama's decision to take an ownership stake in General Motors Corp., limits on executive compensation and the prospect of more government involvement in health care. The negative feeling toward the GM rescue was reflected elsewhere in the survey as well.

A solid majority -- 58% -- said that the president and Congress should focus on keeping the budget deficit down, even if takes longer for the economy to recover.

Yet, Congress is going to keep on spending because that is what Congress does - at least of late. We've got bigger and bigger and vastly more expensive programs coming down the pike. Now, you couple these federal problems with the never ever ending list of political scandals plaguing the Land of Enchantment, and you have the makings of a new perfect storm.

A storm where those that were swept in the last election cycle with little to no effort, could very easily find themselves just as quickly swept out. With this being the case, it's probably no surprise that new candidates for the Roundhouse are starting to emerge at what may seem to many a very early date. Take for example Nate Gentry, a former aide to Senator Domenici, who has already launched his website to take on the accidental incumbent noted at the beginning of this post in House District 30.

Let the games begin.

Investigation Upon Investigation

I have to admit at being a bit perplexed. It seems like the general level of public outrage during the NM Treasurer Scandals was significantly higher than it is today in the face of what appears to be a much larger bilking of the taxpayers here and throughout the nation:

Marc Correra has been at the center of the investment controversy in New Mexico.

He is the son of Anthony Correra, a retired stockbroker from New York who agreed to surrender his license in connection with insider trading allegations. The two share a Santa Fe business address.

Anthony Correra was on Richardson's transition team and a member of the search committee that led to the hiring of Gary Bland as State Investment Officer.

Geez, talk about a smoking gun. Governor Richardson puts a gut on the search committee to hire the the State Investment Officer who had to surrender his license to due to insider trading allegations. Then, his son is paid millions of dollars in fees for deals involving the State Investment Council:

Records show that [Marc Correra] was involved as a placement agent and shared in more than $11 million on nearly two dozen investment deals with the State Investment Council, which is appointed and chaired by Richardson and run by Bland.

Marc Correra shared in more than $4 million in fees for investments made by the ERB.

He has not been charged with any wrongdoing. His Albuquerque attorney, Sam Bregman, said Wednesday he had no comment.

And, when was the last time anyone remembering Sam Bregman having no comment? Heck, you even have a U.S. Senator's step-daughter and campaign manager of his Senate run being granted immunity. Bottom line, this isn't a pretty picture. Yet, the general public outrage just doesn't seem to be at the level it should be. If it was, it would be hard to see how anyone even remotely connected with this administration could be considering a run for anything in 2010.

Now, does that mean I think every elected and appointed official in the Richardson administration is corrupt. No. But, at the very least they were quiet enablers. At some point, heads should start rolling, right? How much longer can all of this go on? Think about the last few years. We've had...

• the treasurer scandal and its far reaching associations followed by...
• the state insurance scandal followed by...
• the housing authority scandal followed by...
• the court house scandal followed by...
• the Secretary of State scandal followed by...
• the New Mexico Finance Authority scandal followed...
• the State Investment Council scandal...
• the Attorney General scandal...

Isn't it about time to clean house? That's a heck of a list in just four years. I can't even keep track of which came first. New Mexico has been a one party state for so long that it proves the adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's one of the reasons that I think, no make that I hope, that 2010 brings change to New Mexico. We need to restore a balance. It's also why Ed Rollins recent commentary makes perfect sense:

As bleak as things might seem today for Republicans, I have to put things into context.

I became a Republican in the summer of 1972. I was involved in running President Nixon's re -election campaign in California and became part of his administration at the start of his second term.

In very short order after my arrival in Washington in January 1973, the Nixon administration came apart at the seams with a daily soap opera of criminal charges, congressional hearings, federal indictments and the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew for bribe taking, followed 10 months later by the resignation of Richard Nixon who was about to be impeached by the Congress.

I was demoralized and ashamed of the leaders of my new party. But I wasn't going to quit because I still believed in the principles of strong national defense and smaller government, and in the idea that working people should do better than those who don't.

In the aftermath of all this, Republicans got slaughtered in the midterm elections of 1974, losing 48 House seats and five Senate seats. Republicans had only 144 House members in the 94th Congress.

Two years later, Jimmy Carter was elected president and I was convinced Republicans would be in the wilderness the rest of my political life. After the first 100 days, President Carter's approval rating was 69 percent -- higher than President Obama's.

And four years after that I was working in the White House as an assistant to President Ronald Reagan -- who defeated Carter by a landslide and won a Senate majority and a philosophical majority in the House. For 20 of the next 28 years, a Republican was in the White House.

What's been going on in New Mexico makes Watergate look like childs play. It's is time for a change. Anyone that is part of the current insanely corrupt government political structure in New Mexico needs to go in these next rounds of elections.

Same Day Voter Registration - Bad Idea

I'm all for getting more and more people to vote. But, same day voter registration doesn't make any sense. If you're not going to take the time to register to vote before Election Day, how interested are you? You're not is the simple answer.

Plus, the bill introduced by State Representative Joe Cervantes has one huge problem - the potential for voter fraud. Representative Cervantes tries to allay our concerns with the following:

Unfortunately, the same thinking that opposed access to voting throughout our country’s history is again opposing this effort. Some now claim, as they have in the past, that advances in providing access to working men and women to vote will lead to voter fraud. Factually, this simply isn’t the case. Recent studies of 12 states have shown that the incidence of voter fraud is low.

That being said, this doesn’t preclude the need for continued vigilance in protecting the integrity of elections. My bill provides additional mechanisms to prevent fraud by making voters show a photo ID at time of registration. By enacting same-day registration, we prevent further “gaming” of the electoral system that now occurs with registration at shopping centers, markets and by national organizations intending to influence election outcomes.

It's worth noting that he says the incidence of fraud is "low" in states that have implemented same day voter registration. He doesn't say it doesn't exist. He just says its low. Think about how many times in the last few elections the winner won by less than 200 votes. It happens a lot in New Mexico. If I were the one running, I wouldn't want low fraud being the deciding factor in whether I won or loss.

Also, something else to consider. We give drivers licenses to people who are not eligible to vote because they are not US citizens. How is same day registration going to take care of that. I was also struck by the fact we need photo ids for same day voting, but not for everyone else. If it is a good deterrent of fraud for same day voting shouldn't the same apply to everyone else as well?

Wondering What's Wrong with APS?

This is truly amazing to me, 8 School Board Candidates Don't File Financial Disclosures (subscription):

Three of 11 Albuquerque school board candidates filed voluntary financial disclosure forms by the 4 p.m. deadline Monday, with others saying they had forgotten or were busy.

That's right. One candidate, Carolyne DeVore-Parks, running in District 5 actually had the gall to say that she didn't do it because "she had been busy." We're really getting the cream of the crop here.

The Most Pressing Issue of the Day

New Mexico is entering full economic crisis mode. We're facing a half a billion dollar budget shortfall that in all likelihood will continue to worsen through 2011. Jobs are disappearing in our capital city at an ever increasing rate (subscription):

"Overall, the Santa Fe job market has stagnated in recent months, with only five of the area's 12 (industry categories) adding jobs," said the report, released last week.

Santa Fe lost 300 jobs at area hotels and restaurants in November, the report states.

Occupancy rates for Santa Fe hotels have been crashing over the past three months.

Hotel operators have acknowledged there have been layoffs in recent weeks. In November, only about 44 percent of hotel rooms were filled, down from 53 percent for the same month in 2007. It was the first time the average occupancy rate had dropped below 50 percent in 10 months.

And, the job picture for the state as a whole is not much better:

According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in New Mexico rose by more than one third — from 31,000 to 41,700 persons — between November 2007 and November 2008.

The state’s unemployment rate rose from 3.3 percent to 4.3 percent over the same time period. New Mexico lost 3,700 manufacturing jobs, reflecting layoffs at Intel, Eclipse Aviation and TMC in Roswell, among other staff reductions. Construction jobs fell by 2,500 over the past year.

But, it looks like at least one legislator has decided that there are more pressing issues to deal with the then the looming half a billion dollar budgetary crisis and ever shrinking job market. After her last campaign, Representative Mimi Stewart has come to the conclusion that the most pressing issue of the day to is the need to abolish the electoral college:

An Albuquerque lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that would align New Mexico with several other states that are seeking to do away with the electoral college system for presidential elections.

Four states — Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey — have already approved bills calling for a system that would use the national popular vote to determine who's elected president.

Rep. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, who plans to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session to do likewise, said she's heard repeated gripes from constituents who dislike the current system.

"It's a fairness issue," Stewart said Monday in a telephone interview.

"Mathematically, 11 states could currently choose who's elected (president). I think people are tired of the electoral college."

It's good in these times of need that we have legislators who understand our priorities.

The Day After Thank You

I'd like to personally send a heartfelt thank you to all who ran this past election cycle and congratulate those who won from the White House all the way down to the County offices. It takes a tremendous personal commitment to run for office, and the act of campaigning is a public service in and of itself. Our Democracy would crumble without people stepping forward and submitting themselves to what is admittedly a grueling process.

Voter turnout for the 2008 election is projected to be largest ever:

America voted in record numbers, standing in lines that snaked around blocks and in some places in pouring rain. Voters who queued up Tuesday and the millions who balloted early propelled 2008 to what one expert said was the highest turnout in a century.

It looks like 136.6 million Americans will have voted for president this election, based on 88 percent of the country's precincts tallied and projections for absentee ballots, said Michael McDonald of George Mason University. Using his methods, that would give 2008 a 64.1 percent turnout rate.

"That would be the highest turnout rate that we've seen since 1908," which was 65.7 percent, McDonald said early Wednesday. It also would beat the old post World War II high of 63.8 percent in the famed 1960 John F. Kennedy-Richard Nixon squeaker. The 1908 race elected William Howard Taft over William Jennings Bryan.

The total voting in 2008 easily outdistanced 2004's 122.3 million, which had been the highest grand total of voters before.

That's a good thing. No, make that a great thing. It mean the vast majority of Americans are engaged, and as history has shown us time and time again, when Americans are engaged and fully committed we prevail. We have a lot of challenges facing us in the coming months and years, but I have every confidence that when all is said and done we will once more come out on top. It's the American way.

Will Fraud Win the Election?

I've written numerous times about voter registration fraud this election cycle. Most recently about the the Obama campaign worker visiting from California who is (was) planning on voting absentee in New Mexico. Does that mean that I'm worried that fraud will win this election? In a word, "No."

However, I am concerned about the lack of interest in preventing and prosecuting voter fraud. When we start ignoring the little crimes, we create an environment that allows lawlessness to flourish. Before the Republican presidential primary campaigns had gotten underway, I was a big fan of Rudy Giuliani's. I was a fan not because of the leadership he showed post-9/11 (albeit admirable), but because of the leadership he showed pre-9/11. Specifically, the leadership in fighting crime in New York City.

Since I started attending New York University in the pre-Giuliani period, I experienced first hand the deterioration of a great city by the decision of previous administrations to ignore the little crimes (i.e. turnstyle jumping in subways and agressive panhandlers). I also saw the post-Giuliani improvement by concentrating on ridding the city of those crimes.

Now, this is not to say I stayed a fan of Giuliani as the campaign continued. I didn't. He lost me because of his interest in continuing taxpayer funded abortions. Notice, I didn't say his pro-choice stance, which I disagreed with but was willing to ignore - politics is all about compromise.

What does this all have to do with the outcome of today's election? Well, I do believe on a national basis we are going to see a Democratic sweep (hey, I'm partisan, but I'm also a realist), and I do believe the Democrats will be in a position to institute wide-scale change. I just don't believe we will all be better of as the result of it.

One of my fears is that while these changes are going on, those in power will become less and less concerned with the integrity of the process, and when that happens what starts as a little voter fraud will eventually snowball into wide-scale fraud that will result in the collapse of a system (think housing and stock markets).

Regardless, of which side of the aisle you are on, if you believe in a Democratic process, you better take an interest in the integrity of that process. Remember, balances of power shift all of the time. It is up to those in power to enforce the rules of the game. After all, keep in mind that power shifts are like a pendulum, the further they shift to the left in one cycle means the further they will shift to the right in another cycle. And, you won't like the results when that shift occurs again if institutional fraud is part of the game. And you know what? Neither will I.

Private Investiagation Justified

The Democrats in New Mexico who are responsible for prosecuting crimes (read: District Attorney and Attorney General) have turned a blind eye time and time again to voter fraud allegations. Not surprising considering that they'll be the biggest beneficiaries on Election Day of creative uses of fraudulent voter registrations.

It seems that every election cycle the problem is worsening, and every election cycle the Democrats, and one Republican former U.S. Attorney, cite a lack of evidence as the reason for a failure to prosecute. So, it makes perfect sense that local attorney Pat Rogers would try and help round up the evidence that Democrats conveniently seem to be unwilling to gather for themselves (subscription).

An Albuquerque attorney who has been accused in a federal lawsuit of intimidating two voters in an attempt to interfere with their right to vote said Wednesday he has not violated any law.

Pat Rogers, who advises the state Republican Party, is accused of helping disseminate private information about two voters and hiring a private investigator, Al Romero, who allegedly went to their homes and confronted them about their eligibility to vote, the lawsuit said.

This accusation against Pat Rogers is ridiculous. First, let's state the obvious... Someone's voter information is not private. It's public information available to anyone for a fee. Pay the County Clerk, and you too can get everyone's complete voter profile - where they live, when they've voted, their age, etc.

Politicians and their volunteers who go door to door are in essence doing their own voter verification. This is not considered intimidation, why should knocking on someone's door and verifying eligibility be considered intimidation? It shouldn't.

Voter fraud is a problem, and it's growing. The failure to prosecute is beginning to seriously undermining confidence in the system. Heck, people in New Mexico are now so confident that they won't be prosecuted, they're willing to admit registering their dog to vote (subscription):

Don Pizzolato didn't expect his dog to end up registered to vote.

Sure, he filled out the paperwork after he was approached a few years ago at Wal-Mart. But the Social Security number and birth date Pizzolato made up for his dog were fake.

"I fully expected the form to be returned to me," Pizzolato said Wednesday in an interview.

Instead, he received a voter registration card in the mail a few weeks later. Now, with all the debate over registration fraud, Pizzolato is going public with the tale of his dog, Tuckup Koepke.

"I just have one data point to go off of, but in my opinion, if it's this easy to thwart the system, I'm sure it's not an isolated case," Pizzolato said.

Is it any wonder Pat Rogers decided to investigate the fraud? If Pat Rogers hadn't, we would have never known about this story.

Bonds and Levies on the Ballot

If you haven't voted already, I strongly recommend printing up your sample ballot before heading over to the polls. If you live in Bernalillo County, you can download your sample ballot here. The federal office races may get the lion share of attention, but you'll find they only make up a small portion of the ballot real estate.

In fact on my ballot there is no less than a whole page of 12 bond and levy proposals to consider - plus five constitutional amendments. With the market continuing on its downward spiral, and the news of a worsening economy leading off every news hour, you have to wonder who in their right mind would vote to increase property taxes (mill levies) or authorize more government borrowing (bonds).

The problem with the latter is that in a recession, government revenues will drop (think $10 million budget shortfall for Bernalillo County), and when there isn't enough money coming in, you can bet your last dollar that it won't be long before your friendly local government entity will come after you and I with tax increases to make up the revenue shortfall.

Block Gives Our Money to Hillary

It's official, Jerome Block, Jr. is the poster child for all of us against taxpayer financing of campaigns:

In his latest campaign-finance report, Jerome Block Jr. gave $700 to Hillary Clinton, well after the former first lady had given up her run for president.

The contribution, made with public campaign funds, is dated Aug. 25, a week after Gov. Bill Richardson hosted fundraisers in New Mexico to help Clinton get rid of her multimillion-dollar campaign debt.

A section of the Voter Action Act, which funds Public Regulation Commission campaigns, says, "All money distributed to a certified candidate shall be used for that candidate's campaign-related purposes in the election cycle in which the money was distributed."

Mind you, this is the guy who has:

1. already admitted to campaign fraud.
2. a troubled legal history.
3. made a potentially illegal payment to an Attorney General employee.
   

Where's the outrage from all of those pushing ethics reform session after session? As if to add insult to injury, on top of everything else listed above, Block is dining at Twin Peaks on our dime.

The Stealth October Surprise

I just figured out this morning what is missing from this election cycle - the October Surprise. That moment when some terrible secret is revealed that is intended to give the other party the advantage going into the home stretch.

Then I took a look at two articles in this morning's Journal.  The first was the results of recent local polling (subscription):

"Two-thirds said the economy," he said. "I've never seen it that high." 

Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc. in Albuquerque, said the heavy voter focus on the economy is a political "double-whammy" for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who trailed Democrat Barack Obama in New Mexico by five points in the same Journal Poll. 

"It continues to shine a light on an issue perceived as a strength for Obama while taking away the focus from other issues perceived as strengths for McCain," Sanderoff said.

"Barack Obama is rising in the polls not only because people see Obama as doing a better job on the economy. We've gotten off the focus of national security, the war on terrorism, immigration — the things McCain is seen as stronger on. That's the double-whammy," Sanderoff said.

Just last month — when New Mexicans were shelling out an average of $3.69 for a gallon of gasoline — another Research & Polling Inc. survey found the biggest issue facing people in the state was fuel prices, Sanderoff said.

And, the second article tied in nicely by reporting on the falling gas prices:

Call it the good news amongst all the bad: gas prices finally dropping under $3 a gallon all over town.

One sign Wednesday advertising $2.859 for unleaded was a magnet for a steady stream of cars and trucks at the Circle K at the northwest corner of Fourth and Montaño NW during the lunch hour.

 
"I bought this in 2005 — that's what I was paying then," said Ventana Ranch resident Corey Ryan, sitting in line in the cab of his heavy-duty Dodge Ram 2500 pickup.

"I drive this way to work, so I keep my eye out for low prices," he said, nodding at a gas station sign across Montaño for $3.089 a gallon. "Every once in a while, they get into a price war with the place across the street. Circle K's got them beat today. We all win out."

I'm sure it is all just coincidence, but you have to admit it the combination of the two make for one heck of an October surprise.

Waiting for the Iglesias's Ad

Joel Gay put up an article today in which he acknowledges the fireworks have begun in the 1st Congressional District race between Darren White and Martin Heinrich. And, by fireworks he means the negative ads.

If you think the race for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District seems quieter than anticipated, you’re not alone. What was widely expected to be a barn-burner has largely been a snoozer. The candidates have kept relatively low profiles and the airwaves have been largely devoid of their names and faces.

That’s started to change, with Republican Darren White and Democrat Martin Heinrich trading blows over debate schedules, resumes and flip-flops on various policies. And just this week, White came out with the first negative ad.

Hmm, Joel, you might want to go back and review the ad releases dates. I'm pretty sure that Mr. Heinrich beat Darren in the "first negative ad" category. There was that embarrassingly cheesy hit piece that Mr. Heinrich put out a couple of weeks ago, and there was at least on other one before that. Although, on second thought that first ad I'm recalling may have been paid for by the DCCC, which I'm sure has nothing to do with the Heinrich campaign - just like Martin Heinrich didn't really need to register as a lobbyist when he was lobbying.

But, I will agree with your assessment that the negative ads are going to start to fly now from both camps. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that David Iglesias was back in the news:

"Looking back on all of this, in hindsight, I wish the department had not gone down this road," he said. He said he would not have included on the dismissal list U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico, who has said he was pressured over a corruption investigation.

Of course, we all know that the "pressure" that David Iglesias received was not over a corruption investigation (he would have been required to report that - kind of the requirement to report you're a lobbyist], but the pressure was about his unwillingness to prosecute ACORN's fraudulent voter registration election cycle after election cycle.

You probably have noticed the result of Mr. Iglesias ongoing failure to prosecute has embolden the organization. ACORN is now acting in such a fraudulently criminal manner that even the Democratic Bernalillo County Clerk has had to call in to question their practices - something Mr. Iglesias never had the stomach for.

Such is the situation for Bernalillo County, which reported, the day before Obama’s Española rally, that it had received 1,100 fraudulent voter-registration cards. While there is no information, yet, on where those cards came from, Matthew Henderson, ACORN’s New Mexico head organizer, acknowledges some could have come from his group. ACORN, he says, has registered 75,000 New Mexicans during this election cycle. While the group separates suspect forms into a separate stack, he says, it’s ultimately up to county clerks to decide which are valid.

In the case of Bernalillo, County Clerk Maggie Toulouse-Oliver notified the district attorney, Attorney General and US Attorney Offices about the bogus voter-registration cards. “If they want to conduct an investigation,” she says, “that’s their prerogative.”

Now, I've got a prediction. I'm willing to bet that Heinrich's campaign (or it's alter ego, the DCCC) will put out an ad trying to link Darren White to David Iglesias as Election Day gets closer. Heck, they'll probably even use an article the Albuquerque Journal published on April 15, 2007, which places Darren White at a meeting with the Department of Justice during the 2006 election cycle. Of course, there would be one problem with that tactic...

FOR THE RECORD: This story has been corrected to reflect that Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White met with Kyle Sampson, chief of staff for U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in Washington in 2005 — not in 2006.

Now, if I know the record has been corrected, we know that Martin Heinrich and his alter ego the DCCC know that it's been corrected. The question is will they let the truth get in their way? You know, like the truth about needing to register as a lobbyist when you're lobbying.

Just Been Waiting

I haven't written about Congressman Tom Udall's son-in-law taking a position as Director of Elections while his father-in-law runs for Senate.

Jim Noel, the son-in-law of U.S. Representative Tom Udall, will be the new director of the state's Bureau of Elections. And that has Republicans crying foul.

After chatting with supporters in Albuquerque Monday night, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall reacted to his son-in-law's new title.

"I think Jim is somebody who is a professional," Udall said after being asked if had a problem with Noel getting the job.

Noel is married to Udall's daughter, Amanda Cooper. And Cooper is Udall's campaign manager.

I've just been waiting. Waiting to see if Congressman Udall was going to listen to the outcry and decide, "Whoa, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Even if Mr. Noel is a standup guy, the appearance of this is not good. Unfortunately, Congressman Udall is showing us just what kind of Senator he would make - one that would put personal interests above those of our state and our country.

Congressman Tom Udall this was a test. Everyone was watching, and you just failed.

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.

Tom Udall Folds Under Union Pressure

Take a moment and imagine what it would be like to live in an America where your right to vote by secret ballot was taken away. It's hard to imagine, right? It just wouldn't be America. Yet, that is precisely what Big Labor wants to do - eliminate the secret ballot. And, Congressman Tom Udall is more than eager to do their bidding:

So important is eliminating the secret ballot to Big Labor that a few weeks ago Democrat Senate candidates, Reps. Tom Allen (ME), Tom Udall (NM), and Mark Udall (CO), along with Kay Hagan (NC), Bruce Lunsford (KY), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Jeff Merkley (OR) all scurried to Chicago for a meeting when Union bosses beckoned. The three current Congressmen already voted to eliminate the secret ballot and likely, along with the other Democrat candidates in Chicago, pledged to eliminate secret ballot elections in the future as well.

Think about that when you step into the voting booth this fall. If Tom Udall is willing to support the elimination of secret ballot protection for workers, can eliminating the secret ballot voting protection for you and me be far behind?

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.

Paper Ballots Solved Nothing

In 2006, we made the change from clean and simple electronic voting back to an antiquated paper ballot system. I thought the move to paper ballots was ludicrous at the time, and I still do.

There are so many alternative solutions that make more sense. But, who are we kidding? It wouldn't be New Mexico if there wasn't institutionalized election fraud with unreasonable delays election after election. Not too mention, it is in the best interests of those who don't really want to see an increase in voter turnout to make the voting process as painful as humanly possible.

The point of this whole rant... Well, it looks like paper ballots have done absolutely nothing to increase voter confidence. After all, it's kind of hard to be confident in a system in which ballots are still being mysteriously "lost" (subscription):

Attorney General Gary King's office is investigating what happened to 182 ballots that are missing from the June primary election.

Phil Sisneros, a spokesman for the attorney general, said Monday there was an investigation but he could not provide any details. Previously, the Attorney General's Office would only say the matter was under review.

Two election reform groups — Verified Voting New Mexico and United Voters of New Mexico — called Monday for a thorough investigation into the missing ballots. They said that was necessary to maintain voter confidence in the fairness of elections, particularly with the state preparing for a general election in November in which New Mexico is likely to be critical in the outcome of the presidential race.

The paper ballots are missing from two precincts in Cibola County and local elections officials have no explanation for what happened.

The ballots were counted by a voting machine tabulator on Election Day, and there's an electronic record of the votes because of the tabulator's memory card, which was used in a recount in a state Senate race.

Hmm, funny how that worked out... We know that there was fraud, or at the very least incompetence, because of the electronic record of the votes. Kind of makes you sit up and question the logic behind moving away from electronic records, doesn't it?

Eye on New Mexico

You can catch me this Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. on KOB's Eye on New Mexico program discussing Tuesday's primary election with Nicole Brady and Dennis Domrzalski and what it means for November.

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.

Please Unseat this Judge

Pretend you're a Judge. Now, pretend this predator ends up in your court (subscription):

An Albuquerque man agreed to plead guilty to a dozen child pornography charges, provided that he be allowed to perform his civic duty and vote.

Patrick O'Hara, 66, had been facing 180 years in prison if convicted of the 70 charges of sexual exploitation of children he was indicted on in November.

His son, Timothy O'Hara, 42, was also indicted on 20 similar charges.

If he asked you to let him vote in the upcoming election, would you? Me Neither. Unfortunately, we're not sitting on the bench. However, District Judge Charles Brown is, and here is how he ruled:

Before accepting the plea, O'Hara had a question for state District Judge Charles Brown.

"Prior to your sentencing, can I vote in the June election?" he asked, referring to the June 3 primary election.

O'Hara added that he is "working on" obtaining an absentee ballot.

Brown approved the request, partly because O'Hara is not set to be sentenced until July 16.

There is good news here. District Judge Charles Brown is up for re-election on June 3rd:

State District Judge Charles Brown, also appointed in August, will oppose longtime Albuquerque attorney Gail Prosser in the criminal division.

New judges must stand for the first partisan election following their appointments. After that, they are subject to retention races every six years.

As a Republican, I can't vote against District Judge Charles Brown, but many of you reading can. I don't know anything about Gail Prosser, but if she doesn't think its a good idea to grant special requests to child predators, I'd say she HAS to be better than District Judge Charles Brown.

The Vote-Buying Scandal that Never Was

I've never been much on writing about rumors and innuendo. This blog is a political opinion blog. After something hits the news or a piece of legislation is published, I put in my two cents. There have been a few comments left asking why I haven't posted on the vote-buying scandal that was circulating. The simple reason is: there was no scandal.

Heath Haussamen put a great post up about the investigative reporting he did which found little credence to the claims, and Eye on Albuquerque has a great follow up to that post. All I have to add is this...

I've attended numerous county conventions in the first and second congressional district this cycle including my own in Bernalillo County. There was record turnout at every county convention. This had nothing to do with anyone being paid, and everything to do with the fact that there are eight solid Republican candidates running and a lot of interest from the Republican base in ensuring that the right man or woman is our nominee to take on the Democrats in November. [Note: I'm not addressing the CD3 only because I hadn't attended any of their conventions, but I'm sure the same is true up there.]

In my ward in Bernalillo County, there were 38 active Republicans who showed up to vote at the county convention. The most I had ever seen before was 12, but the norm was usually closer to five. I knew almost everyone who showed up at the ward meeting. They are all active Republicans in one way or another.

You Tell Me Which Party is More Open

Not that long ago, I taped an episode of KNME's The Line with former Democratic Party Chairman John Wertheim (Episode 119, Chapter 3). Unfortunately, the day we were taping also happened to be the day that Governor Bill Richardson announced he was pulling out of the Presidential race, so our on air time was greatly reduced with the majority of the show being webcasted.

During a portion of that webcast, John thought he had a pretty good zinger (evident by the smile on his face) about the Democratic Party process being more open and involving than the Republican Party process. I couldn't disagree more, and I think this recent article about the Chaves County Pre-Primary Convention makes my point:

The Democratic Party of Chaves County nominated 32 delegates Wednesday evening, who are to attend the Democratic Party of New Mexico Pre-Primary Nominating Convention to be held March 15 in Rio Rancho, N.M.

A total of 40 delegates from Chaves County in Congressional District 2 are required to attend the convention and help determine which candidates will appear on New Mexico's June 3 primary ballot. Delegates will also consider a platform during the convention, which requires 60 percent of a non-secret vote to be adopted.

Eight of the 40 delegates who are members of the State Central Committee, are automatic delegates.

This means that 20% of the delegate slots are already taken by the party hierarchy. Compare that to the Republican Party in New Mexico where everyone, regardless of their position, has to run to be a delegate, and it is evident, at least in New Mexico, which party is more open to change by grassroot activists.

Standing Room Only at GOP Conventions

I spent the weekend at various Republican Party pre-primary county conventions around the state. There was record, standing room only turnout in several counties. This clearly indicates that the Republican base is energized and involved in the process. Yet, there doesn't seem to be a single story in any of the newspapers.

Seems a little inequitable, don't you think?

Some People Just Shouldn't Talk

So, Patricia Madrid has decided to jump in the fray and attack the Democratic Party volunteers for a poorly run caucus. Mind you, this was the sitting attorney general that lost a Democratic leaning district during a year when Republicans across the country got the boot from Congress.

Call me crazy, but I'm thinking this is the last person in the world who should be taking a whack at anyone's ability to organize volunteers and achieve results. Then, to add insult to injury, she throws in this classic Madridism:

In addition, a party-run caucus puts a critical vote in the hands of volunteers instead of paid, trained election workers.

“It (the caucus system) doesn’t have all the checks and balances and the years of experience of a proper election,” Madrid said.

Excuse me??? Ms. Madrid, have you actually been paying attention to how elections are run in New Mexico? I can't remember the last time an important election in New Mexico was actually decided on, or for that matter somewhere near, Election Day. As I recall, by the time you were ready to admit defeat in 2006, the Christmas shopping season was well under way.

As to "paid, trained election workers," it has obviously been a LONG time since you were down in the trenches. Let me recommend that you take a walk down memory lane and revisit just how well that paid election worker system is operating in New Mexico. Or maybe, instead of Monday morning quarterbacking, you could have offered to help raise the money, or volunteer your time, so that your party could do its caucus right.

Personally, I find it amusing that New Mexico's Democratic Caucus has suffered from the same inability as the state's paid Democratic machine to count ballots in a timely manner, or to have enough ballots at an election site. But, that aside, I just find it offensive that folks like Governor Bill Richardson or Patricia Madrid refused to get involved in the process, and then spend the days after pointing fingers at volunteers... VOLUNTEERS.

We really do need new leadership in New Mexico.