Seemingly Cursed 2nd Term Continues: Now Medicaid Blows Up As Eyebrows Get Raised Over Fourth Floor Contract Interference, Plus: ABQ Crime Crisis Swallows Up A Major Retailer, And: Padilla Power

Our trustworthy Alligators first alerted New Mexico Jan. 16 to possible problems with one of the state's Medicaid contractors--the program that receives $1.2 billion in state funds and another $7 billion in matching federal funds for the health needs of nearly half the state's 2.1 million residents. Now, there's the ugly specter of pay to play being surfaced. One of the contractors--Centene--was denied a new contract by state officials who were then contacted by MLG and her top staffers expressing concern "about possible disruption of services." The problem? 

Centene gave $20,800 to MLG's reelection camapign last year. The company has also been fined heavily--$13.7 million in NM and over $66 million in Indiana--for "abusive" billing practices, one of the apparent reasons the Human Services Department wanted to drop them. But since the gubernatorial interference the bidding process has been reopened and Centene is getting a second chance at the lucrative contract. 

Before any conclusions are drawn, it's important to point out that other companies bidding for a Medicaid contract also made campaign contributions. But Cenete is getting that rare gift of another chance and that's raising the hackles of lawmakers who happen to be in session during the controversy.

“Anytime there are multiple responses to a (request for proposals) and then the RFP ends up getting canceled, the public should start asking questions,” House Minority Leader Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, said.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, an ABQ Democrat and chairman of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, said he didn’t know why the Lujan Grisham administration decided against going ahead with the contracts. “It’s unfortunate,” Ortiz y Pino said. “It leaves everything up in the air. I think a lot of us had great confidence in Dr. Scrase, and so when they canceled it just as he leaves, it just raises doubts, unnecessarily.” 

As we wrote on that Jan. 16 blog:

What happens at the legislative session will have impact, but it's hard to top selection of the firms who will be trusted with the critical task of providing medical care for nearly half the state's citizens. 

WHAT A START

What a start of the new year for the chief executive. 

Stink bombs are going off everywhere over her controversial personnel appointments, she is in a pitched battle over CYFD reform, her favorite gun bills are stalling out at the Roundhouse and now the Medicaid blow-up. Did we mention that the much coveted but often politically deadly second term began January 1? 

Big Bill tried and ultimately failed to get Obama to rescue him from the seemingly cursed years of term 2. Scandal prevented him from moving on and ditto for GOP Guv. Susan Martinez. 

With all that's going on the Gators now wonder if MLG will be looking for a life preserver thrown her way from the current White House. Meanwhile, she has some deep cleaning to do with the Medicaid mess. 

THE CRIME CRISIS (CONT.)

Councilor Davis

There is the obvious human toll from the ABQ metro crime wave and then there's this:

Residents of ABQ's International District reacted with concern to the announcement that their neighborhood Walmart (near San Mateo and Central NE) was closing permanently on March 10. With limited options I'm the area, many use the store as their primary source for healthy food, fresh produce, medications, and other goods. . . Their plan is to work with community members to repurpose the site to serve local residents. State Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and state Rep. Janelle Anyanonu have led funding efforts, with each securing $1 million in capital outlay from their respective chambers for a total of $2 million. 

City Councilor Pat Davis, who represents the neighborhood, describes the Wal-Mart closure as "infuriating." But the area is so crime-infested operating the store was apparently becoming not only a money loser but dangerous. Wal-Mart was nice enough to avoid those matters instead using the euphemism "underperforming" as the reason for the shutdown. 

APD continues to suffer from a smallish police force, a record number of police shootings of suspects despite being under a federal consent decree, a demoralizing and long-standing abuse of overtime pay, a city overrun with guns and with drugs from the Mexican cartels, inadequate behavioral health options for the addicted, a jail that is so troubled it can only use half its capacity and a judiciary that can't seem to find the sweet spot in dealing with the criminal element. 

Resolve those problems and maybe you get you're Wal-Mart back. If not, perhaps Councilor Pat can fill it with those cannabis businesses he is so fond of. 

POWERING PADILLA

Sen. Padilla

When he was elected Senate Majority Whip in December by the Dem caucus some Senior Alligators complained that precedent should not allow ABQ Sen. Michael Padilla to keep his membership on the powerful Senate Finance Committee. But he did keep it and look what happened when Sen. Majority Leader Peter Wirth was out last week with Covid. Padilla commented on his social media: 

I served as acting majority leader of the New Mexico State Senate last week (and) also performed my regular duties as majority whip. Grateful to all of my colleagues for their help and learned a lot.

And on the seventh day he rested. 

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023