Thursday, December 06, 2018Battle Over Pearce: Foes Look For Last Minute Longshot Upset To Deny Him Party Chair Position; Meeting This Saturday, Plus: About That Sixth Racino; Do We need It? Where Should It Go? Racing Commission Decides Today The machine candidate is ABQ businessman John Rockwell, who says Pearce represents the status quo and that a new face is needed. But this is Rockwell's third time running for chairman, having been soundly rejected in his past two efforts. In addition, his critics say he has done little to advance his business credentials which are key in raising the millions of dollars the party will need going forward. On the other hand, Pearce is both a veteran congressman and oilman who has the biz connections needed to raise the cash. The Martinez faction had former NM GOP House Speaker Don Tripp issue an endorsement of Rockwell over Pearce. But Tripp served only one term as speaker during which he did little to advance the GOP's chances of holding on to the majority in the chamber. They promptly lost to the Dems after only one term under Tripp. The Machine appears to have flipped one R who has become prominent in recent months--Michelle Garcia Holmes. She was an unsuccessful independent ABQ mayoral candidate in 2017 and Pearce's running mate in his unsuccessful Guv run. She has now turned on Pearce and announced her support of Rockwell. But she is a newcomer to the party and has little influence with the central committee. Meanwhile, Pearce has secured the endorsement of incoming state House Minority Leader James Townsend of Artesia and State Rep. Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo who lost her bid for Congress. It will be interesting to see how many votes will go against Pearce. Another argument against him is that he has not sworn off any 2020 run for the southern congressional seat he gave up to run for Guv. But Pearce brings to the table money--lots of it--and he has enough of his own so he won't be forced to kneel before the altar of Martinez acolytes like former GOP National Committeeman Pat Rogers who was ousted by much of the same central committee that will pick the new chair. Pearce may not represent a change to Rockwell, who is still clinging to the skirts of outgoing Governor Martinez, but he is a seismic shift away from that Governor and her notorious political consultant Jay McCleskey who have made so many enemies in the party. Ultimately it is that change that most insider Republicans hunger for and which Pearce represents. ABOUT THAT RACINO  This week we pointed to a possible racino (slot machines and horse racing) in the Clovis area as providing a potential kick start to the 2019 economy on the east side. Reader Richard Randles responds: You must have good info not to mention the other cities besides Clovis that are in contention for the racino. I have no opinion other than NM does not have the horse inventory for another track per a very reliable source who has been in racing over 40 years nationwide. Richard is right. There are other cities in contention for the racino but we see Clovis as the most natural location: Five bidders are competing for the sixth and last New Mexico racino license permitted under tribal compacts. Three of the five bids propose a racino in Clovis; the two other projects are proposed for Tucumcari and Lordsburg. The State Racing Commission is expected to make a decision – which could include opting not to issue a license – on Thursday. The operators of the current five racinos have written a letter asking the commission to nix the awarding of any license, pointing out what Randles argued: The decline of the horse breeding industry here and nationally will make it difficult to find animals to race on a sixth track; attendance at live races and those that are simulcast are already falling; and the presence of a sixth track would cannibalize revenue generated by the existing racinos, among other concerns. They have a point but the proposal from Las Vegas developer Full House Resorts does seem promising. The company is already listed on the NASDAQ so it should be able to secure the necessary capital to make it work. Full House is currently valued at about $78 million. Their proposal for a $200 million racino includes a moving grandstand at the racetrack which is also intriguing. Not that they don't have their problems, as this article examines. Most important, of all the proposed locations Clovis would finally do what gambling supporters have claimed would happen but hasn't--a Clovis racetrack and casino would attract many of its gamblers from out of state--from Texas. A Clovis racino would actually help end the cannibalization that we are seeing in the NM gaming industry and bring in new players and new money. Let the Texans come here and drop those taxable dollars and finance the New Mexico jobs and then take their problems home with them. That's what makes Las Vegas such a success--the tourists--and Clovis could be a mini example of that. It's true that New Mexicans are over gambled with five racinos and a bevy of tribal casinos. There's a good argument to be made that no racino should be authorized by the commission. However, if we're going to do it, a Clovis racino holds out the promise of being the most lucrative by tapping into the hefty piggy banks of those Texans only a few miles from Clovis and who are itching to bring their gambling dollars to New Mexico. STOP THE DECLINE As for the decline of horse racing and the difficulty in finding horses to race, that problem belongs squarely in the laps of the existing racinos that continue to reap millions from the slots, a portion of which is pledged to advance horse breeding and racing in the state. Even though they are not making what they once did, the racinos are still very profitable. And improving the breeding and racing industries was a key reason why the state authorized racinos in the first place. Can't they do better for New Mexico's young horsemen and women? Shouldn't they be doing better? A CAST OF CHARACTERS The racino proposal is attracting a true cast of lobbying characters. Look at the names trying to influence the racing commission to give their clients the deal at today's meeting. From one of the Alligators: Republicans Darren White, Pat Rogers and Joe Thompson have been working for L&M Entertainment, a joint venture of Laguna Development and an Illinois company that wants to build a casino and track in Clovis area. Former NM House Speaker Raymond Sanchez and former state House Majority Leader Michael Olguin are in with Full House Resorts, which also wants to build in Clovis. Rob Doughty, attorney and Gov. Martinez appointee to the UNM Regents, is representing Shaun Hubbard, Johnny Cope et al in a third proposal for Clovis racino. Quite a cast of characters, eh? A real cast of characters indeed. No wonder Netflix is coming to ABQ. THE BOTTOM LINES  From left to right in this photo is KRQE-TV investigative reporter Gabrielle Burkhart; veteran PR man and journalist Gerges Scott of Agenda; your blogger; Rebecca Long, president of the NMAC and a Lea County Commissioner; Melissa Perez, the public information for Sandoval County and crack Santa Fe New Mexican government reporter Andrew Oxford. There was no fake news in that bunch. Fun stuff. That's it for now kids but we'll be here Saturday to update the results of the race for the NM GOP chairmanship and later today we'll update the blog with whatever the state racing commission decides on that sixth racino. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018 |
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