Homeless in the 505

"When I feel the heat, I see the light." 

So said the late great US Senator Everett Dirksen and so it is for our very own ABQ GOP City Councilor Brook Bassan. 

In one of the more high profile cases of a politician touching a hot stove Bassan has backed off from her support for city sanctioned homeless encampments for each of the nine city council districts. 

The decision came after she was scorched by her constituents at a meeting that drew 150 from her NE Heights district. Bassan will now propose repealing the legislation that would have made possible the encampments and was approved by Council on a 5 to 4 vote. Here's her mea culpa:

Bassan's reversal is also a defeat for Mayor Keller who, like mayors around the nation, has struggled to deal with a a ceaseless flow of homeless in major metro areas. Anecdotal evidence suggests the problem here is worsening. And no wonder with the aftermath of the pandemic and skyrocketing rents. 

With Bassan backing away the council is expected to join her in reversing approval for the encampments. Then it's back to the drawing board. Meantime the tide is turning away from tolerance for the homeless toward a get tough attitude. 

Councilor Bassan

Keller and his police chief Harold Medina insist the federal courts have tied their hands in dealing with the homeless population that commits illegal offenses, but others heartily disagree and say laws on the books offer the administration plenty of opportunity to alleviate some of the worst public behavior that is making the quality of life dive in sections of the city. 

As for Bassan, she came on the city council as a bright light of moderation and remains so. Her reversal may spare her a stiff election challenge next year. But that's not a given. 

Keller must now think about pulling a Bassan and at least somewhat altering course from the progressive path in dealing with the homeless, as have his counterparts in California and elsewhere. 

The ultimate solution for the vast majority of the homeless population is housing, housing, housing (and addiction treatment). The city is already spending tens of millions annually on affordable housing and services but if there was ever a time for Keller to look to Santa Fe for relief, it's now. 

The state is awash in billions in surplus funds from the oil boom. In addition more billions are set to flow into the state in the next several years from that mammoth federal infrastructure bill. Can the Mayor, Governor and legislators talk about the possibility--remote or not--of employing any of those funds for housing? 

NIMBY--not in my backyard--is now the clarion call for ABQ neighborhoods who see themselves as threatened by the homeless. Unless funding is found for additional housing--in combination with enforcing the law--there's no reason to believe the din will be quieted anytime soon. 

So long, Hector. It's Dem Attorney General nominee Raul Torrez now taking center stage as AG Hector Balderas finishes up his second term and Torrez has a lay-up in beating the Republican nominee in November to become the next AG. 

On that path, he is campaigning with Sec. of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver who also appears to be a shoo-in for another term 

As for Hector, he's been suffering some unkind cuts as he eyes the exits. For example, his office was fined $40,000 for failing to comply with a records request from former APD Chief Geir who asked for all correspondence involving him between the AG and APD. 

That from the office that tells other government agencies to comply with the transparency laws--and pronto. 

Toulouse Oliver has been in the spotlight over election integrity issues since the Otero County Commission refused without reason to certify the primary election results. In the face of possible criminal charges the three member all GOP commission finally buckled and certified the results. 

Their approval came at a bizarre twenty minute meeting (full video here) last week that had one commissioner still voting against the certification, arguing that he knew in his gut that something was awry with the voting. (Maybe it was just a bad hamburger?)

Another commissioner continuously waved a piece of paper, fanning her face as she announced it was very hot in the commission chambers. No one one else was fanning themselves but then no one was feeling as much political heat as Commissioner Vickie Marquardt. 

Hey, Vickie. You know what they say--if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen--or in this case the Otero County Commission. 

This is the home of New Mexico politics.