E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com)
Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.
Thursday, August 07, 2025News Coverage Of APD DWI Scandal Still Stymied; Watchdog Speaks Out, Plus: Reader React To Housing Crisis APD cops continue to admit to taking bribes in the sweeping DWI scandal that has engulfed the department and is being traced back 30 years. And former APD sergeant and watchdog Dan Klein and others continue to criticize federal court plea bargain hearings where officers admit guilt but are conducted with no news reporters present. No quotes from the judges, attorneys or defendants and no courtroom sketches. Also, those "perp walks" so familiar to TV viewers where defendants are shown walking into the courthouse for their hearings are nowhere to be seen, unlike in other criminal cases. Klein says: The federal courts are supposed to step in when the system fails and violates the Constitution by not making public (in a timely manner) the docketed plea deals. This means that citizens victimized by the DWI scandal don’t get the chance to see the officers and attorneys who harmed them standing before a federal magistrate and pleading guilty. When justice happens in private there is no justice, this is what our constitution wanted to protect us from. Federal judges, the US Attorney, defense attorneys, the federal court administration seem to be working very hard to keep the public and victims in the dark when it comes to plea deals with the DWI scandal. You don’t see this in any other criminal cases. It drives the belief home that in New Mexico defendants who were part of the criminal justice system get better treatment than those who were not. We would add that the NM media has been alarmingly shy in pursuing their right to attend the hearings and protecting the public's right to know. KRQE has tried, unsuccessfully, but what happened to the NM Foundation for Open Government (FOG)? What other dominoes will be allowed to fall? As for the future APD, mayoral candidates Mayling Armijo and Louie Sanchez are two of the seven contenders on the November ballot who say, if elected, they will seek new APD leadership. HOUSING CRISIS  Joe, I will cut to the chase. The median home price in Albuquerque is $395.000. Income requirement to buy the median priced home is $115,234. Median home income in Albuquerque is $63,971. We've seen inflation in the price of land and price of building materials but when it comes to income, stagflation. If we don't do something to address the wages side of the affordability equation then I fear those alphabet generations will never be "homeowners" in the traditional sense. Another longtime reader, conservative Jim McClure, commented: Thanks for calling attention to the housing crisis. One reason it exists is because politicians believe that high-priced government apartment buildings are the only alternative to homelessness. Another way is to encourage private developers to build starter homes by rolling back government regulations that drive up costs. Wider use of manufactured housing can reduce construction costs. Not just mobile homes: Modular homes (even luxury models) can be quickly assembled on-site from factory-built components. This will require changing zoning laws, streamlining permitting and rolling back environmental rules that add to the costs of every new home. The Navajo Nation recently inked a deal to build manufactured homes and Mayor Keller is using creative zoning to encourage casitas. Instead of just putting people under a roof, encouraging low-cost starter homes will move people into the middle class by making them homeowners. Good stuff, guys. We welcome your comments, criticisms, observations and existential angst. Reporting from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. Wednesday, August 06, 2025Question For The Day: Why Does Housing Crisis Persist In The Face Of Hundreds Of Millions In Government Spending? Two Projects Offer Answers, Plus: More Crime Beat And NM Redistricting Pondered
The short answer is that building "affordable" housing is anything but. Looking at two developments coming on line in Las Cruces drives the point home. In January, officials broke ground for Amador Crossing, a 50-unit permanent supportive housing complex on the campus of the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, where residents can access case management, food and health services. $14.2 million of the projected $15.6 million cost has been secured. What is not mentioned is the cost per unit for this development. That comes in at a hair-raisng $315,000 each for those 50 units. That's how fast the crisis burns through nearly $16 million in state, local and federal housing money. Another Cruces development amplifies the point and the math: In May, Las Cruces officials and property developers formally opened a $22 million complex offering 70 apartments for low-income renters built on vacant city land. This one also comes in at $315,000 per unit. We did find one Las Cruces development that averaged $215,000 per unit--still no bargain. Cruces puts it housing gap at 5,600 units. Assume public funding is used to build 2,500. At $300,000 each to construct, the total would be a staggering $750 million. Even at a cost of $215,000 per unit the outlay would be an enormous $537 million. ABQ estimates its housing gap at around 5,000 units for the homeless so the shocking math applies here as well. So why are housing experts maintaining that spending these massive amounts of public dollars on housing is the most effective solution to the shortage? Because facilities like shelters or jails often cost $31,000 to $44,700 per person a year without addressing root causes like housing scarcity. Building housing, even at $315,000 per unit, remains cheaper in the long term than the recurring costs of institutionalization or homelessness, The problem is daunting and exacerbated by an era of vast income inequality and rising housing costs that persist. That's why what seems like enormous public housing expenditures may actually be only putting a finger in the dike. CRIME BEAT Tuesday we reported on APD's stats showing a decline in crime in the city in the first half of 2025. Here is some follow-up with this news: Crime nationally decreased in every category in 2024, including murder, violent crime and motor vehicle thefts, according to data released by the FBI on Tuesday. It reflects a trend experts have been tracking as reported numbers of violent crimes continue to drop from a spike immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the report included good news, a violent crime still occurred on average every 25.9 seconds in the United States last year, according to the FBI's annual Unified Crime Report. . .This year's report used data submitted by 16,675 different agencies, which the FBI said covers. . .about 95.6% of U.S. residents. REDISTRICT HERE?  Joe, given the presidentially-inspired redistricting hijinks playing out in our neighboring state, perhaps majority NM Dems should consider using the special session to make the 2nd congressional district even more Rep. Gabe Vasquez-friendly than many think it currently is. Game on, n’est pas? "Is not?" is the question posed by frenchmanAndre. But, no, the game is probably not on. Vasquez won his southern-based congressional district by 10,000 votes in 2024 with strong showings in Bernalillo and Dona Ana counties. The 2nd Congressional District has already been gerrymandered plenty so there's no need for legislators to order Brian Sanderoff and company to start penciling in new boundaries. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Tuesday, August 05, 2025ABQ Crime Down? Yes, According To Latest APD Stats For The First Half Of Year; Numbers Set Stage For Debate In Mayoral Contest, Plus: First Half Santa Fe Crime Stats Paint Mixed Picture
That assertion always draws sneers as the headlines never cease informing us of the latest spree of violence. Nevertheless fresh stats for the first half of this year from APD show an overall decline in the city's crime rate over last year, a report sure to be touted by Mayor Tim Keller as he seeks re-election and perhaps one to be challenged by his six opponents. From the Downtown ABQ News: With citywide data now available through the first half of the year, all major categories of crime are down compared to the same period in 2024. Auto theft has dropped 40 percent, residential burglary is down 14 percent, and commercial burglary has fallen 24 percent. Taken together with shoplifting, those major nonviolent crimes are down 25 percent. Meanwhile, the three main categories of violent crime tracked by APD - aggravated assault, sex crimes, and robbery - are down 12 percent. Homicides, which make up their own category, have declined 28 percent. The closely watched murder rate went from 47 slayings in the first half of 2024 to 34 this year, says, APD, putting ABQ on track to finish the year below 80 homicides. In 2024, the city recorded 89 homicides, a rate of about 15.8 per 100,000 residents, higher than the national average of 6.5. 2023 saw 94 homicides. It's important to note that crime continues to creep down from historic levels so whether the electorate is "feeling it" remains crucial to the political impact of the apparent decline. The city credits APD finally hitting its stride for the drop. Some Republicans give Trump credit, citing his immigration enforcement and drug interdiction efforts as well as fostering a get tough environment toward criminals. Others say the stats are down because people are simply not reporting many crimes but that doesn't explain the decline in the highly reported violent crime category. One sticking point is the increase in gun violence by juveniles, a point made by MLG as she ponders a special legislative session dealing with crime and other matters. Dem gubernatorial candidate and Bernalillo County District Attory Sam Bregman has made youth violence a key plan of his tenure. DATELINE SANTA FE  Reports of some types of property crimes in Santa Fe have dropped in the first half of 2025, compared with the same period last year, while violent crimes have surged. City crime statistics at the year’s midpoint show a significant rise in alleged assaults — 33% — and sex crimes — 28% — while the numbers of reported burglaries, vehicle thefts and larcenies have decreased. The number of reported robberies, meanwhile, has remained steady. Overall, city police have seen a more than 6% increase in the total number of reports for the eight offenses tracked in the agency’s monthly report. . .The drop in reports of property crimes continues a trend of decreases seen in 2024. Reports of vehicle thefts have decreased more than 17% this year compared with the first half of 2024, after a 5% decrease in the overall numbers for 2024 compared with 2023. Vehicle thefts spiked in 2023, when the city saw 675 reports — the highest number recorded in a year, according to the department’s recent annual reports. Overall, residents of ABQ and Santa Fe can take heart that the peak rate of crime appears to be behind them as juvenile crime still casts a dark shadow. The battle for how the public perceives all his will be played out on the mayoral campaign trails over the next three months. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Monday, August 04, 2025A Special Session Of The Legislature? MLG Leans Into One But The Necessity Called Into Question --During the last special session of the legislature last July, it took only hours for MLG's crime-fighting proposals to be ignored and for the 112 lawmakers to adjourn and go home. All other bills also died. She risks the same outcome if she insists on another special. --That's because there is no preordained deal with the legislative leadership. It's been a head-scratcher, that the Governor goes into these sessions with no agreement, an essential element to get what she feels is needed. She appears on on track to see that happen again. It may be that she knows crime is such a top-of-mind concern that doing something, doing anything, strengthens her public position. --MLG says a chief reason for the special would be to approve legislation to shut down the three ICE detention centers in the state in reaction to Trump's immigration enforcement. That proposal failed to pass at this year's regular session and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Cervantes waved a red flag over the plan at a committee hearing last week. --Also, let the state's congressional delegation do their job. ICE is a federal issue. US Reps Gabe Vasquez and Melanie Stansbury as well as Sen Heinrich have been active on that front. There is no need for the Governor to confront DC over this now unless it is for political purposes. --The Guv's concern about federal cuts to Medicaid and food stamps is shared by many but the fact is that most of the big cuts don't even take effect until after the November 2026 midterm elections.The legislature's regular January '26 session will provide plenty of time to prepare and even then uncertainty will still prevail over whether the cuts will stay in place. --The cuts to the social safety net have been addressed in part by the establishment of a $50 billion Rural Healthcare Fund which should prevent drastic measures from occurring at the state's rural hospitals, although Democrats express skepticism over the fund's effectiveness. --New Mexico's giant surpluses from the oil boom can cover the Medicaid and food stamp cuts in the intermediate term--if they happen--and it would take a simple measure during a regular session to transfer funds to them. Exactly what the Fourth Floor expects to walk away with from a special is foggy. Until the reasoning becomes less opaque and pre-session deals are announced, Republicans will score points accusing MLG of grandstanding. Bringing attention to her deep disagreement with the White House on immigration, her support of the social safety net and her longtime advocacy for sterner gun control measures are widely supported by the majority party. It's just that a regular session--not an expensive and nonproductive special session--is the appropriate venue. THE MLG VIEW  You said at the end of the legislative session you wanted a special session to address crime, juvenile crime in particular. Is that still a possibility? It is still a possibility. We’ve been meeting with leadership staff. There’s more movement to be in a more productive place for a special session. But we’re not where we need to be and there’s no reason to call them and not have any effort. Plus, I don’t want to do three or four or five or six special sessions, as we see what rolls out from the feds, particularly in the next couple of days [this interview took place on May 21, prior to the U.S. House May 22 passage of the GOP budget bill]. And I think there’s widespread agreement by the Democratic leadership that we should adjust our priorities and our budgets to reflect whatever we need to do and can do in the short term to protect New Mexicans. Do you have an ideal scenario of how the state would make up Medicaid funding shortfalls? I think that the fact that we’ve got money in reserves…there are things that we can do. My pitch to the Legislature today—and of course, I haven’t seen what’s coming, although I have a pretty good idea—is we should try to sustain to the degree that we can for a year. And it’s really two [years] between now and when [the 2026 midterm elections] would take hold in Congress, but see if you can stem the closures of rural hospitals and healthcare clinics, and that we don’t lose any movement to hold onto OBGYNs, which is precarious. That’s my perspective today. It’s still a lot of money and we’d have to game it out. It could be as little as $1 billion that we’d have to come up with in healthcare. It could be as much as $3 billion and that’s before you get to education and the [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Thursday, July 31, 2025Dem Competition Gets Republican Hearts Beating; John Sanchez To Resurface In Wake Of Sandia Pueblo Endorsement Of Bregman; Sets Farmington Appearance; Hull Launches Announcement Video; Murphy Watches From Sidelines, Plus: Getting Meek Over Mimi The recent excitement in the Dem Guv chase between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman is also causing Republican hearts to skip a beat. They see a better chance that the Dems may divide themselves and improve GOP prospects in next year's election. But first the GOP needs a first-tier contender. Former Lt. Governor John Sanchez would meet that standard and is now resurfacing just as Bregman's endorsement from Sandia Pueblo over Native American Haaland has rocked that race. Sanchez will appear August 5 in Farmington as part of a statewide tour sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a conservative pro-business group founded by the billionaire Koch brothers. Sanchez will be accompanied by Four Corners state Rep. Rod Montoya who has been touting Sanchez for the Republican nomination and who once served as his chief of staff for Sanchez The Sanchez appearance may or may not foreshadow his entry but the Haaland-Bregman competition has to be encouraging. (The Sanchez appearance was announced prior to Sandia's endorsement of Bregman). At this point Sanchez is the only possible GOP contender who has statewide name ID. He also has the ability to raise money and has the most standing with Hispanic voters. However, his past campaigns have been faulted for being uninspiring and his service as lieutenant governor under Gov. Martinez was marred by her unpopularity. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is wealthy Roswell oilman Mark Murphy, a longtime and important behind-the-scenes GOP player who says he is considering a run. He may be deferring to the better known Sanchez before diving in. He has the money to take his time. HULL'S STATUS  Despite unfounded rumors, I am reaching out to you to confirm my commitment. But the rumors were anything but unfounded. Hull, not ready to get in, erred by going public with a planned announcement date and then bailing out. It was his action that caused the "rumors" and cast a shadow over his steadiness and decision-making process. His video focuses exclusively on his long tenure as mayor, highlighting the city's status as the fastest growing in the state and as "the safest city in New Mexico." He polishes it off by dubbing himself "New Mexico's Mayor." The one minute video features distracting, amped up rock music as background. Hall does no narration. The video also says Hull has presided over "record job creation." However, the video comes on the heels of the announcement by Intel, the city's largest employer, that it is laying off more than 200 employees. Hull now says he is in the race but his fund-raising totals to be reported later this year will be closely watched to see if he will be truly viable. Not to take away from Hull's success as mayor but he is now on the statewide stage. In other words, Gregg, you're not in Rio Rancho anymore. But welcome to La Politica. MEEK OVER MIMI
Barring an unexpected twist, State Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, a Democrat, will not face sanctions for shouting at a legislative staffer in a heated moment during this year's 60-day legislative session. On a party-line vote, a legislative ethics hearing subcommittee recommended Wednesday that a complaint filed against Stewart for violating the Legislature's anti-harassment policy be dismissed. While the recommendation must still be accepted by a standing Senate committee, the finding appears likely to resolve the internal investigation into Stewart's actions. GOP Sen. Bill Sharer reacted: The precedent has now been set– Democrat Senators are free to abuse staff. Similar to how they govern, the Democrats sadly appear to care more about protecting themselves and their interests rather than doing what’s right for the everyday New Mexican. We hear you, Bill. You don't have to shout (but it's okay if you do). This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Wednesday, July 30, 2025Dissing Deb: Sandia Pueblo Shocks With Bregman Endorsement For Dem Guv Nod; Native American Split Adds To Front-Runner Haaland's Early Woes But Also Highlights A Bregman Weakness
Deb Haaland continues to walk on a floor strewn with jagged glass in her long campaign for the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial nomination and her chief rival, Sam Bregman, is cashing in.
Cashing in comes to mind because the state's wealthiest gambling tribe, Sandia Pueblo, delivered a summer shock by endorsing Bregman for the nomination over Haaland who would, if elected, become the first Native American governor in state and national history. The diss of Deb comes soon after she jettisoned her campaign manager after other staffers attacked a lucrative digital ad deal he had signed with her. Then there is the continued hand wringing by her supporters over her messaging not projecting enough strength to ward off challenges such as Sandia's. The long odds of moderate Dem Bregman winning a primary dominated by progressives continues to improve, if only slightly, making his glee over the Sandia coup justified: It was a huge honor. I think that they appreciate the work that I've done with them, really trying to address crime on all the surrounding pueblos in Albuquerque. From my early days on the Albuquerque City Council, where I established the Hate Crimes Task Force to protect minority communities, to my work as Bernalillo County District Attorney, where my office launched the first of its kind Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Unit, I’ve always stood shoulder to shoulder with our Native communities. Sandia's slighting of Haaland came with extra zing by Pueblo of Sandia Governor Felix Chaves. But it seemed an over reach as he questioned the credentials of the former Secretary of Interior in pursuing justice for her fellow Native Americans: Sam Bregman is a proven fighter. At a time when Native Americans across the country are demanding justice and representation, Sam is the only candidate who has consistently shown up and delivered. The Pueblo of Sandia Tribal Council is proud to stand with him. However, Haaland's concern and results with Native justice issues was omnipresent during her tenure under President Biden. HAALAND PUSHBACK  The endorsement of Bregman came from the all-male 17 member Sandia Tribal Council. Women are prohibited from serving on the panel. That exposes a major problem he faces--garnering more female backing in a Democratic Party very much dominated by women. Haaland's campaign was predictably silent on the jolt they felt when Sandia went against them but one of her progressive supporters came with this: Sandia's break is not the first we've seen in Haaland's Native support. As Axios reported business was at the heart of an earlier split: As Interior Secretary, Haaland clashed with the Navajo Nation, the largest tribe in New Mexico, over the Biden administration's ban on oil and gas leasing on lands near Chaco Canyon. PSYCHOLOGY AND MONEY While Sandia boasts ample wealth its membership is a mere 500 but their Bregman endorsement is a big psychological boost. In the unlikely event that it foreshadows other tribes abandoning Haaland, it would signal major league trouble. What it does do for Bregman is bolster his fund-raising efforts even as tribes from around the nation are donating to Haaland. Haaland at last report had raised nearly $3.7 million. After spending $1.2 million, mostly on digital advertising, her campaign had $1.7 million in cash as of April. Bregman raised over $1 million in the five weeks after launching his campaign in April and had about $850,000 cash. Haaland does not want to see a contagion spread where Dems sitting on the sidelines fearful of endorsing Bregman start to feel their oats and come out publicly for him and with checkbooks in hand. Haaland will have a chance to show that the Sandia break is an outlier if and when the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG) representing the state's 19 pueblos, including Sandia, come with their '26 primary endorsement. She would seem to need it now that Bregman has exposed a fissure in the group. Haaland s a member of the Laguna Pueblo and worked at one time for San Felipe Pueblo, both gaming tribes. There is a third candidate in the Dem gubernatorial chase--former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima. Like Bregman, he is a moderate Dem. On days such as Tuesday when Bregman ran away with a nice trophy, Haaland has to be glad he is there. THE SANDIA FILE
In the 2024 cycle the pueblo donated $48,336, including $6,776 to Kamala Harris; $18,400 to a national Democratic committee; $6,600 to Sen. Heinrich; $6,600 to Rep. Leger Fernandez and $6,600 to Rep. Stansbury. The most recent Indian gaming compacts with the state were signed in 2015 and don't expire until 2037. Sandia Resort and Casino is the most profitable of the state's gambling tribes but it is an industry that has flat-lined in recent years. The state Gaming Control Board reports that in the first quarter of 2025 the pueblo's "net adjusted win" was $49 million. In the first quarter of 2019 it was $46 million. For Isleta Pueblo their adjusted net win in the first quarter of this year was $47 million, the same as the first quarter of 2019. The Gaming Board reports the state took in $21 million in revenue sharing from all Indian gaming in the state in the first quarter. That amounts to roughly $80 million a year, a tidy sum but not grand in the context of an $11 billion state General Fund budget. Finally, the state explains that the "net win" is not a gaming tribe's profit: Adjusted net win for New Mexico Indian casinos refers to the total revenue generated from gaming activities after deducting certain expenses, such as payouts to players and promotional costs. This figure is important for determining the financial performance of the casinos and for regulatory purposes. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Tuesday, July 29, 2025Reader Vox Populi: They Opine On School Vouchers, Declining Film Shoots, Nukes In ABQ, The Guv Candidates And Obscene Texting At APS Board Of Ed Joe, I think you missed a big part of the education equation: Parents. If the parents are involved, in their children’s education, the children will learn better. You might argue that vouchers help this but I maintain that vouchers generally go to households who do not need assistance. The legislative process is the same. Add a fig leaf for the face of the program (poverty, disability etc) and then find another way for the top 10% to receive a societal preference (see Poverty By America—Matthew Desmond (2023). And we will not get into the fiscal aspects of “pilot” voucher programs costing the state huge sums of money (see Ohio, Texas). They morph into massive transfers of income. Thanks, Karl. That's a bit cynical for our blood. Designing a bipartisan, limited voucher program with firm income guidelines etc. seems doable as we absorb the lessons from state's that have gone overboard. SCARY FILM OUTLOOK A reader following our coverage of the state's declining film industry comes with this: Joe, One major detail the state Film Commission seems to continually overlook is the growing perception in Hollywood that New Mexico's film crews are unprofessional, disorganized and full of “wannabes.” There's even a growing superstition that “filming in New Mexico is bad luck” — a sentiment fueled by the tragic Rust shooting. The reality is both the Film Office and the union leadership are well aware of this stigma. Yet instead of addressing it head-on, they continue to deflect blame, citing COVID-19 delays. It’s been nearly six years. That excuse no longer holds. The Rust shooting has cast a long shadow over New Mexico's film industry and rightfully so. A young, inexperienced armorer should never have been placed in such a critical position on only her second job. That falls squarely on the shoulders of the union. Earning a job like that should take years of proven skill and discipline. The silence from within the union is deafening. Rank-and-file members should be demanding accountability, yet leadership seems to have everything on such lockdown that no one dares speak out. NUKE SAFEGUARDS?  Joe, I guess everyone has forgotten how DOGE fired hundreds of people who were in charge of safeguarding our nuclear arsenals. Thankfully, they were hired back but let me tell you, the stupidity of firing those who safeguard these weapons has to be the worst fiasco by any known leader of the free world. I have not forgotten how vulnerable we were. My two cents. BACK TO VOUCHERS Reader Kerrie Cox writes: Joe, In my opinion--as the wife of a public school teacher and three public school children--the actual reason "so many public school students are failing" has nothing to do with education. It's the same reason that we will never be able to overcome our homeless problem by building houses. The underlying problem is drugs and alcohol. Vouchers are not going to alleviate this problem. The only parents who will utilize vouchers are parents who care about their child's education. These other kids will never attend ABQ Academy on a voucher. What public schools need is actually the opposite of school choice. Instead of constantly demonizing the public schools we need to show good parents that our public schools are amazing and that they should invest in their existing community rather than constantly searching for greener, yet still free, pastures. Sincerely, A Public School advocate who is also a Republican. GRILL THE GUV CANDIDATES
Joe: You might consider asking the folks running for Governor what specific changes to the Children’s Code they think are necessary to put a dent in juvenile crime. For example, does the current law give prosecutors and judges enough tools to hold parents accountable for their child's actions? If the answer is no, what changes are needed? In addition to amending current laws, what other concrete steps will they pursue if elected (e.g., curfews: yes or no)? If you want a second topic for Governor-wannabees to opine about, ask for their ideas regarding people with cardboard signs asking for money, ingesting illegal substances in public places, and relieving themselves in public. Don’t let them avoid the issue with feel-good meaningless slogans. What are the specific items they will push for if elected? Good luck avoiding the platitudes. Thanks, Jeff. Those are good questions that we will move to the front and center as the campaigns progress. Dems Deb Haaland, Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagishima are running for their party's nomination. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is running for the GOP nod. APS NAME CALLING  Joe, so a woman calls another woman stupid (the Stewart story) and it's front page news in the newspapers and your blog. But a man calls a woman a cunt and it's nowhere to be found. That wreaks of a patriarchal double standard. What gives? With social media (including text messages) so often off the rails it is hard to decide when coverage is merited. But here we are, and pleading not guilty to the charge of a "patriarchal double standard." By the way, the only media outlet we have seen cover the incident is KRQE-TV. Their full report is here. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Monday, July 28, 2025Tempest Over Senate Leader Stewart's Temper Tantrum Raises Questions Over Her Remaining Time In Power; Plus: Her Outburst Reveals Major Flaw In State Capital Outlay Program
The tempest over state Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart's verbal abuse of a legislative staffer raised questions at the capitol about Stewart's future atop the legislative heap. At 78, Sen. Stewart's time may be dwindling but Senate Democrats appear unlikely to give her the boot from leadership over the incident. Reacting to the Friday hearing of a legislative ethics subcommittee over the complaint filed by the abused staffer, one senator told us: There’s really s no alternative right now. Those who have run for Pro Tem before the caucus reviously are not positioned. The real power in this place is now with Senators (George) Munoz and (Joe) Cervantes. They represent an odd mix of pragmatic and liberal politics that has sidestepped Mimi's progressive impulses which are now considerably more tame. Munoz is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee and Cervantes holds sway over the important Judiciary Committee. It is those panels presided over by moderate Dems where power has solidified--even after progressive Democrats in the 2020 Democratic primary ousted five conservative Democrats. Those conservative Dems had formed a coalition with Senate Republicans to keep the chamber under conservative rule. The progressives inched forward by taking them out but did not leap. The Pro Tem's ultimate power is the ability to fashion the membership of senate committees. Stewart has not moved to upset the Munoz-Cervantes applecart. Her temper tantrum, for which she has now apologized, will probably result in little more than a letter of reprimand. WHAT IT REVEALS  Capital outlay, commonly referred to as "pork," is crucial to the political identity of legislators who run for election on the approved construction projects as evidence of their effectiveness. Stewart's loss of temper reveals the major flaw in the current system. It lets the governor and the 112 politicians in the legislature determine what projects are funded with billions of dollars in capital outlay dollars currently coming from booming oil fields in SE NM. That system sets up a “three-way split” where the governor and legislators divide the capital outlay, often resulting in political decisions and minimal vetting of projects. Other states take the politics out of the process by going the data-driven route and providing a higher degree of transparency. Stewart now awaits any sanctions she will be subjected to by the ethics subcommittee. To avoid future raging, the leader may want to direct her anger at the serious inefficiency in the system and team with Senator Pete Campos and other longtime reform advocates to take politics out of capital outlay decision making. THE STEWART FILE  Her long prominence in education legislation is her chief accomplishment but as the state continues to rank last in the nation in public education, that leadership has been called into question. Her well-known temper exhibits her passion for her beliefs but also has made her a target. Former ABQ GOP state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, reacting to the incident that drew the ethics complaint against the Pro Tem, said on the socials: Leadership elections for the Senate Democratic Caucus are conducted before or at the start of the legislative session following an election. That would put the next Pro Tem following the 2028 election when senators next stand for election. If Stewart seeks re-election to her senate seat in 2028 she would be 81 years old.
This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Thursday, July 24, 2025Nukes On The Move From ABQ's KAFB To England; A Grim Reminder That City Is At Center Of International Uncertainity The U.S. military has moved nuclear weapons to British soil for the first time in close to two decades, new analysis indicates. Open-source analysts identified an aircraft taking off from Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque bound for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Lakenheath, in the east of England. Kirtland is the headquarters of the US Airforce Nuclear Weapons Center, a main storage site for nuclear weapons. . . Flight tracking data shows that a C-17 cargo plane departed from Albuquerque for a flight of just over 10 hours to Lakenheath on July 16 and left the U.K. two days later. "It looks like it went to England, dropped off those weapons and then it went back to regular operations in the U.S.," William Alberque, a former head of NATO's nuclear non-proliferation center, told Britain's The Times. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow with the British think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, told The Times that the C-17 flight "could be the transport of B61s for potential use on RAF F-35As. "It represents a move towards the use of tactical nuclear weapons. It reintroduces a bit of flexibility in terms of how nuclear weapons are used." Public discussion of any form of nuclear war has traditionally been understated but that has changed in this new era of international uncertainty. The KAFB mission puts ABQ at the center of that uncertainty. Still. . .have a nice day. We're off to visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in the far ABQ NE Heights--while it's still there. THE BOTTOM LINES Senate Republicans come with a correction made by Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer regarding school voucher bill SB286. Sharer said the bill did not receive a hearing. The R's now say the bill did get a committee hearing but received "minimal consideration" and was tabled. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Wednesday, July 23, 2025Report On School Vouchers Draws Sharp Reactions; We Hear From Leading Republicans, A Veteran Teacher, A High School Executive Director And More On the supportive side, predictably, were Republicans who have long sought the program that would provide funding for public school parents--(disadvantaged ones in our view)--to send their kids to private schools. State Senate Minority leader Bill Sharer of Farmington came with this reaction: Joe, I wanted to comment on Tuesday’s blog: You’re right, we have to do something about improving educational outcomes for New Mexico students. I think you’re on the right track when proposing a limited school voucher program. Senate Republicans introduced the "Education Freedom Account Act" (SB286) during this year’s session which would have provided educational opportunities for low-income students in the form of school vouchers. Despite being endorsed by every member of our caucus, this bill was tabled with minimal consideration.Until lawmakers from the other side of the aisle have the courage to do something in the true interests of NM students, we will continue to be dead last in the nation and as you put: “lose another generation of young New Mexicans.” Sharer worked collaboratively with Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth last legislative session in crafting legislation to advance critical behavioral health reform. Is it out of the question that the pair could brainstorm the voucher issue as the state's public education decline continues? GOP Rep. Rebecca Dow wrote on social media: I don’t often cheer what Joe Monahan said, but school choice is right—let’s move it ahead! Red or blue, let’s do what’s right— Our kids need hope, and futures bright. The cheers died down quickly. Trey Smith, executive director of the East Mountain High School, wrote: Joe, you are absolutely correct that education outcomes have stalled in New Mexico and that some radical solutions are needed. However, the argument that a school voucher system, which assumes a school like Albuquerque Academy is somehow going to better serve students with disabilities than our public schools, is fallacious. New Mexico could learn from states that have experienced impressive turnaround. Mississippi adopted the science of reading and drastically turned around their reading scores. New Mexico could financially reward the schools that are demonstrating positive results with those Yazzie subgroups, like many charter schools are. Stop passing laws that make it harder for good charter schools to operate. New Mexico should also double down on its school accountability system, and expand/replicate the schools that are working. There are plenty of evidence-based solutions to turn this ship around before dismantling the entire public school system through vouchers. We just need an executive and a legislature with the political courage to get it done. Thanks, Trey. As you know the example of Mississippi has frequently been debated in Santa Fe with no action. Another reason why we were moved to change positions. TEACHER VIEW  Joe, Vouchers are death to public education. Period. In no way should public monies ever be used to fund private institutions. This state is plagued by generations of broken people. Poverty is the beast that plays a huge hand in situations that inflict childhood trauma. Poverty also serves as the breeding ground for depression which many think can be numbed by drugs and alcohol. Guess how many of these folks are parents of school-aged children? How exactly does public education address the problems that plague our students? How can we force families who are in survival mode to ensure their children are read to and/or read every night? How does the state ensure that children are receiving educational support at home? Teaching students is a joint effort. Public education teachers are not a child's first teacher, parents are. Ideally, an incoming kindergartener should be able to identify the letters of the alphabet, know their colors, numbers to at least 10, know how to hold a pencil/crayon, and how to write their name. How many do you think come in knowing all of that? Do you really think that allowing this same kindergartener to attend St. Mary's, Manzano Day School etc. is going to make this child more successful? Public education serves everyone who walks through the door, rich or poor. Public school educators pour their heart and soul into their vocation every single day. They teach the students who may not have had clean socks to wear or a warm breakfast from home. They do their very best to make up for what they can't or didn't receive at home. I assure you that those who are in favor of vouchers know very little about public education (aside from a newspaper article on school ranking), or have children already enrolled at a private school. MISSISSIPPI AND FINLAND From Rio Rancho Mitchell Freedman had these thoughts: Joe, I can't believe you are throwing in the towel. School vouchers for private schools? That just takes money from public schools, and it is worse than a mixed record--it primarily helps wealthier communities. I would rather see NM officials study Mississippi's reforms and even better, Finland's. The latter went from the bottom to the top with the the type of reforms that promoted public investment and public support. That tends to work much better than letting people fend for basic services in an environment where privateers gouge and rip off people who can't navigate complexities. I have been deeply disappointed with our leadership and their weird focus on things like number of school days that are insulting to smaller communities. They really need to get much more focused on the type of reforms Finland did for starters. Mississippi, too. Trey, Mitchell and Carolyn make excellent points and we thank them. But we are weary from years of waiting while so many public school students are failing. The current bureaucracy as well as the education establishment, including the teachers' unions that do much good, have stagnated along with the legislature. It's time for something new. A limited, experimental voucher program to test results is hardly revolutionary but it is a desperately needed step away from the status quo. THE BOTTOM LINES
It is easy to confuse the words founder and flounder, not only because they sound similar but also because the contexts in which they are used overlap. Founder means, in its general and extended use, ‘fail or come to nothing, sink out of sight’ (‘the scheme foundered because of lack of organizational backing’). Flounder, on the other hand, means ‘struggle, move clumsily, be in a state of confusion’ (‘new recruits floundering about in their first week’) All right, class dismissed. If you read this far, you get an A. This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. Tuesday, July 22, 2025State Continues To Founder In Enforcing Court Ruling To Improve Public Ed Seven Years After The Fact; New Approach Offered, Plus: Reader React On NM Film Decline Seven years is the entire lifespan of the MLG administration. The state continues to rank 50th in the nation in public education. We've reported on Yazzie since the beginning and have not wavered in our belief that the state and PED can do a turnaround. But we're throwing in the towel now because we're losing another generation of young New Mexicans. The time has arrived to inject competition into the system. The Legislature should authorize a limited school voucher program that would allow parents to choose a private school to send their kids to. Voucher programs vary by state. For ours, targeting low-income families. students with disabilities and those in under performing schools seems to make the most sense. Not that vouchers are a a panacea. Reviews are mixed. But at this point in the state's history something must change. All the money pumped into the system during this long oil boom has not done the trick. Alternatives now demand legislators full attention. Republicans have been pushing vouchers for years. Their time has finally come. SHRINKING FILMS ABQ reader Cheryl Haaker has this on our Monday blog detailing the recent decline in film production in the state: I appreciated your discussion of the shrinking film presence here in New Mexico. A factor that I suspect contributed significantly to New Mexico falling out of favor is the prosecutorial circus in the Alec Baldwin "Rust" shooting case. Not only was Mr. Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter for what was an accident but it was over a year after the event before the person actually responsible for preparing (and providing security) for the guns was charged. Misjudgement? Incompetence? Publicity seeking? Any way you stack it, it doesn't look good for the judicial system in Santa Fe. So any movie involving the reckless and excessive use of firearms (that's nearly 100% of 'em) would think twice about filming in New Mexico, particularly in the Santa Fe area.
And along those same lines from reader Ron Nelson:
Maybe if New Mexico didn’t have such an over zealous prosecutor that went after the key players in the Rust production, things would be different. You don’t think Hollywood wasn’t watching? We can’t keep blaming COVID for systemic failures.
On a different note, reader David Buchholtz writes: Your story on the state of the film industry here resonated. You might want to check out Eddington, filmed primarily in T or C, which opened this weekend. It is a neo-noir, Western, political satire, among other things, getting a great deal of national publicity and has significant New Mexico overtones.
This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. |
  Links
Archives
|
