ABQ City Councilor Ken Sanchez died too young at 63, but with nearly 25 years in elective office and a record of involvement and achievement, he will be long remembered for effectively championing the Westside of the city, which was often treated as an orphan in favor of more prosperous neighborhoods.

Sanchez, who had an undisclosed "medical emergency" over a month ago, died New Year's Day. No cause was announced. Another Westsider, City Council President Klarissa Pena, summed up Sanchez's impact during his 14 council years beginning in 2005:

We lost a pillar of our community – a true giant in his service to others, his generosity, and his morality. He believed in this community and in our government’s ability to continue to make Albuquerque a better place, and he lived it through his actions every day. It’s with heavy hearts that we must bid farewell to a man who was a friend, colleague, mentor, and supporter to so many – he will not be forgotten.

Sanchez made a living preparing tax returns, among other things. The financial acumen he brought to the nine member council was a defining feature of his career. He was one of the few councilors who truly understood city financial affairs.

A moderate to conservative Democrat, Sanchez climbed to area fame along with like-minded ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez. Sanchez was elected to the first of two terms on the BernCo commission in 1995 while fellow Westsider Chavez had been elected to his first mayoral term in 1993.

Those were the salad days for them and the city. ABQ's future looked limitless, with tech and other companies beginning to flock here as the economy had a sustained boom along with its population.

Sanchez and Chavez were at their most effective meeting and nurturing those growth challenges, with Sanchez ensuring the then rapidly growing Westside received its share of the prosperity.

Like fellow Councilor Brad Winter who last year concluded a 20 year council career, it was the later years of Sanchez's career that gave him trouble. The ABQ these two dedicated men had known their entire lives started to come undone with the 2009 economic crash. Crime soared, APD started to unravel and opportunities dried up. Sanchez continued to champion the Westside but it wasn't the same. Nothing really was.

One of Councilor Sanchez's last public appearances was on my long-running KANW 89.1 FM Election Night broadcast. It was for the November '19 ABQ city election. I thought he was ribbing me when he said it had been "a 30 year dream" of his to appear on the roundtable. But he wasn't. He was a truly humble man who loved ABQ with fervor. Talking about that love on Election Night was something he savored.

Mayor Keller will name a replacement to fill out Sanchez's council term which will be up for election in 2021. They will truly be big shoes to fill.

THE IRISHMAN (CONT.)

A film review of "The Irishman" on the New Year's Day blog by reader and reviewer Eric Lucero drew a response from reader Mitchell Freedman in Rio Rancho:

Joe, I hate to break it to Eric Lucero, but The Irishman is based upon a falsehood. Frank Sheeran was lying about his supposed role in killing Hoffa, as the legendary investigative reporter, Dan Moldea has shown. See also Jack Goldsmith, the former FBI lawyer who turned against the Bush administration on the subject of torture, who has written a recent book debunking Sheeran, based upon the fact that one of his family members was tied up with the Mob and Hoffa.

Sheeran's allegations and claimed admissions were thoroughly investigated and found wanting. If moviegoers want to see a film that gets at truth in a dramatic way, and far less long a time of movie watching, I would suggest "Dark Waters," about DuPont poisoning countless people with its product known as Teflon, particularly for workers in West Virginia where the product was made.

And reader Nancy Cliff in Silver City wrote:

Thanks for the review of The Irishman. Having grown up on the East Coast in the period covered, the film resonated. It was overly long but director Martin Scorsese takes advantage of the audience when he can. Robert De Niro is on screen most of the time, but his acting is so nuanced and subtle that one hardly notices. Thanks too for the explanation of the book title. "Splatter" made it all too real. Happy 2020.

The Irishman is playing on Netflix.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020