Keller and MLG

It sounds as though MLG should have voted for Republican Darren White for mayor. Just snap your fingers and the city's notorious War Zone in ABQ's SE Heights turns into an idyllic slice of paradise. 

That doesn't work, of course, and neither does the Governor dumping on freshly re-elected Mayor Tim Keller over the perceived failure of her deployment of 125 National Guard personnel (and $7 million) to clean up the stricken neighborhood. But here we go. . . 

(The Governor) is disappointed that the mission did not achieve a sustained decrease in crime. This is partially due to lax engagement by local partners and also because New Mexico’s criminal justice system too often allows serious offenders back on the streets within days or even hours of an arrest. The mission could have been more successful if the Keller Administration had engaged in strategy development and shown more initiative in maximizing the governor’s deployment of National Guard resources in the community.

The city says MLG is wrong about crime in the Zone not decreasing and offered stats showing homicides have been cut in half in the area and other crime categories also down but when no one trusts anyone. . .well, you get the picture. 

BUSINESS AS USUAL? 

That statement from the Guv's office was only the prelude to a much harsher appraisal by Sarita Nair, MLG's Secretary for Workforce Solutions who was brought in to supervise the National Guard deployment:   

Sarita Nair

There is not a single street in the focus area that does not have an encampment or hub of illicit activity. . .We have witnessed police cars drive past women who were passed out in the street. We have seen no increased outreach or an additional presence of proactive policing. Adding our personnel to ‘business as usual’ was never the idea of the National Guard deployment. But without City leadership, nothing more has happened. . .The City has simply been unable to articulate a vision for the resources it requested or to implement its side of the operation.

Come on now. Isn't this the same War Zone where the Governor deployed NM State Police in her first term only to have them meekly retreat when they got nowhere? 

And isn't Sarita Nair ABQ's former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) appointed by Mayor Keller to the powerful position that supervises APD and all other city agencies? And didn't she resign after Keller's first term amid record high crime rates and the mess in the SE still standing? Like she doesn't have an axe to grind?

We know the Guv's axe is sharpened as she continues to shift blame for high crime as she heads into her final year sporting lousy approval ratings. 

FIRING BACK 

Keller laid low while the Governor and her hired gun fired away, but a source not unfamiliar with City Hall came with this rebuttal: 

This attack by Sarita Nair shows how much MLG’s final year of governing is being left to a power-hungry bureaucrat who is supposed to be addressing the state’s employment woes but is instead going after her former employer. Why is the head of Workforce Solutions running the National Guard ? You would think the person in charge of keeping people employed in the state could find other people to take the job. It’s hard to see this as anything other than payback for Albuquerque’s former CAO who left the town after tanking it. . .

Certainly the Governor and Mayor will find time to celebrate the season of peace this week--just not with each other. 

A NYC/NM XMAS

New Mexico has its luminarias and New York has the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. This year we're taking in both. 

Here's the Center's 75 foot Norway Spurce from East Greenbush, NY, exquisitely lit with 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and drawing the usual packed crowds of pre-holiday celebrants from around the world.

And since the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular was playing across the street at Radio City Music Hall, why not?  

This year is the high-kicking Rockettes 100th year celebration, making for a very special, and yes, spectacular Christmas show. 

Next up is the New Mexico spectacular of thousands of flickering luminarias and faroilitos. For that ritual 100 years is a blink of the eye.

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