Richardson’s opposition to Spanish anthem may be political, just like Domenici’s tax rebate

Posted 4/30/2006 11:25:00 PM

Gov. Bill Richardson shocked many Hispanics this weekend by agreeing with President George W. Bush that the national anthem should only be sung in English.

Many Northern New Mexico Hispanics were already upset with the governor because they believe he is ignoring their needs. They protested his action and inaction several weeks ago at the state Democratic pre-primary convention.

One source said the latest move is a bad one for Richardson.

“His national anthem position showed Gov. Richardson’s formerly well-tuned political ear has increasingly gone tone deaf,” the source said. “The governor has failed to lead on immigration and border issues, where he should be a natural. Growing up in Mexico, likely the only Hispanic running for president, why join the Bush position?”

Richardson has pleased the left with some immigration stances and the right with others. Weeks ago he admitted the complexities of the issue to a group of grade-school students in Española.

It isn’t easy to figure out what to do about more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and the future influx of others. But my source had some interesting points.

“The national anthem has been interpreted from Hendrix to Rosanne Barr. Why not in Spanish?” the source asked. “I just got back from my weekly Catholic mass, where Hispanics and Anglos alike are accustomed to hymns and prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer, in both English and Spanish.”

Point: If God hears prayers in all languages, why can’t Lady Liberty? If someone is waving an American flag, does it matter that he’s saying “Viva America” instead of “Long live America?”

That’s essentially what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday in breaking with Bush on the issue.

The governor’s statement might be motivated by his presidential ambitions. He’s looking at the first primaries in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, where people probably won’t appreciate a Spanish national anthem.

“After those three states, the governor will be either the nominee or likely a footnote,” the source said.

But he is also up for re-election this year, and the Wednesday Morning Quarterback reported last week that Richardson’s opponent, Republican J.R. Damron, may be shaking up his staff. That would please many Richardson opponents who have been frustrated that Damron hasn’t attacked the governor thus far.

“Expect this to inflame the governor’s growing problems with state Hispanic leaders and voters,” the source said. “He is making a mistake thinking he is going to do well based upon his mother’s bloodline, rather than by his actions.”

The source pointed out that the governor’s top campaign staffers are Anglos, as is “the governor’s hand-picked state party chair.”

Republicans are gaining among young Hispanics while Democratic conventions, the source said, are attended largely by “liberal retirees from Santa Fe and Los Alamos, the progressives moving here from out of state dominating the local party structure.”
In Doña Ana County, the past several party chairs have been Anglos.

“The Democratic Party has lost its Hispanic base in New Mexico,” the source, who is a longtime Democrat, said.

What happens today, and Richardson’s response to it, will have an effect on his future political opportunities. Many Hispanics plan to boycott American businesses and goods and skip work to show their impact on the economy. Is this traditionally politically quiet group finding its voice? The last few weeks of protests might point to that, but today will be a major indicator.

And is Richardson, who should be the candidate of Hispanics, poised to ride their awakening into the White House?

Only time will tell.

***

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is leading the way on a proposal that would give millions of taxpayers a $100 rebate check designed to provide relief from high gas costs. But the rebate comes with a condition: The measure would also allow controversial drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

I spoke with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., about that last week. He called tying the rebate to Alaska drilling “somewhat perverse.” When asked if it was an election year ploy, Bingaman said, “You can make your own conclusions on that.”

I’ll give you the same freedom, but consider this: If Democrats vote against the measure in order to protect the wildlife refuge in Alaska, they’ll be accused of opposing giving Americans back their money.

The real question is whether Americans are willing to sell a pristine, albeit seldom-used wildlife refuge to oil companies for a one-time gift that will be gone after 2-3 tanks of gas. How would we pay for the rebates, anyway? We have a huge deficit. It’s not like there’s money just floating around out there that can easily be returned to us.

***

Since I’m blogging about topics that extend so far beyond New Mexico’s borders today, I also wanted to tell you about more than 60 people who camped out behind the Court Youth Center in Las Cruces Saturday night to raise awareness about what’s happening in Northern Uganda. Each night, some 40,000 children walk miles from their remote villages to towns and sleep in the streets, which are safer than their homes. For 20 years, a rebel group has been abducting children, killing some and forcing the rest to be soldiers and sex slaves.

About 60,000 people in 130 cities around the world joined together Saturday night to walk, like the children, and sleep on the streets. I joined the group in Las Cruces. We wrote letters to our nation’s leaders calling on them to help, created artwork that will be included in a magazine about the event, and slept in temperatures that dipped into the lower 40s. Some walked to the Court Youth Center from City Hall; others walked from the business complex at New Mexico State University.

Another group in Albuquerque held a similar event.

The Las Cruces event was led by high school and college students, who did a great job. You can learn more about the cause by clicking here.

***

Who knows what today will bring? Will immigrants shut down major U.S. cities by staying home, as some hope? Stay tuned. Come back tomorrow for more on New Mexico politics.

Want to know which candidates get donations from your neighbors?

Posted 4/27/2006 11:04:00 PM

Anyone who wants to know more about the people who have the attention of our elected officials in Washington, D.C. should check out opensecrets.org.

There are searchable databases that contain candidate and donor information. Whether you are curious about a big-time developer or your next-door neighbor, you can find out who’s giving money to who.

For example, I learned that Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino owner Stan Fulton gave $25,000 to the Republican National Committee in the 2004 election cycle and $3,000 to George W. Bush. Gerald Peters, who wants to build a competing casino in Anthony, also gave $25,000 to the RNC, and gave $2,000 each to the campaigns of Bush and John Kerry.

I also found that New Mexico State University Professor Nancy Baker, an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration and author of a new book on John Ashcroft, gave $225 to moveon.org in the 2004 election cycle and David Steinborn, the owner of Steinborn Realty and a former Las Cruces mayor, regularly gives to Democrats.

The top donors to Congressman Steve Pearce, R-N.M., thus far in the current election cycle include the National Rifle Association, Exxon Mobile and the National Beer Wholesaler’s Association. His opponent, Democrat Albert Kissling, has raised almost nothing in comparison.

In researching area demographics, I learned that people living in the 88005 zip code are a fairly balanced political group. They gave $9,400 each to Bush and Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. People in the 88001 zip code, on the other hand, gave $2,700 to Kerry and $850 to Bush.

This is a site that’s worth exploring.

***

Thanks for being a part of this blog. Come back next week for more!

Many call for Richardson to follow his own advice, and Evans could hold two public offices

Posted 4/26/2006 11:09:00 PM

The criticism of Gov. Bill Richardson’s ethics task force continues.

Political analyst Joe Monahan challenged Richardson this week to put his money where his mouth is – literally – in calling on the governor and his Republican opponent in November, J.R. Damron, to voluntarily agree to limit the size of campaign donations and their overall spending, to disclose campaign contributions on the Internet within 48 hours, and to disclose all travel paid for by outside interests.

Most of those are suggestions Richardson made in Las Cruces a week ago in announcing the formation of the task force, which he says will propose sweeping legislation to clean up state government.

One inside politico balked at the governor’s proposals, which won’t even be debated by legislators until next year, after Richardson’s last election in New Mexico has come and gone.

“How do you keep a straight face, when here’s the guy getting all the free rides, and sports tickets, and other gifts, and saying we need to eliminate gifts?” the source asked. “If you believe we shouldn’t be doing this, then why are you still doing it?”

The politico is right. Richardson has accepted all sorts of gifts that sometimes teeter on the edge of ethical lines, and now he says the ability of New Mexico’s politicians to accept gifts should be limited.

Another source, a longtime politico in New Mexico, reminded me that former Gov. Jerry Apodaca set up an ethics task force in the late 1970s. Its members met periodically for two years and ultimately did nothing but hold a few press conferences and make Apodaca look good.

“They didn’t want to do anything,” the source said. “It was a game.”

Now, the source said, we have a similar situation. The source predicted that ethics legislation will be proposed in January, will pass the House, and will die in a Senate committee.

“It will have served its purpose for the governor,” the source said.

Richardson told me last week he reads my blog, so how about a personal note to him: You should take Monahan’s advice, Governor Richardson. If these politicos are wrong about you, prove it.

All this talk could add up to some major campaign issues for the governor, should Damron choose to go on the offensive. But he has not.

“What’s amazing is how quiet the whole election is turning out to be,” one source told me. “It’s really disappointing.”

***

Doña Ana County Commissioner D. Kent Evans, a Republican, is one of three seeking the Public Regulation Commission seat currently held by Democrat E. Shirley Baca.

He’s also set to serve another two years on the county commission.

I asked him whether he planned to resign from the county commission if he wins the PRC seat, and he said he doesn’t know. County Attorney John Caldwell has apparently advised him that nothing in state law says he can’t serve on both boards.

Evans said he could do both. The PRC job would require him to have a home in Santa Fe, but he would need to return to Las Cruces frequently, and the commission only meets twice each month. He is already talking with some constituents about the issue, and said their input would play a major part in his decision, should making one become a reality.

For now, he has a tough primary race in June and, should he win, an even tougher race in November, and he said he is focused on winning.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he said about the decision on whether to remain a member of the county commission if he is elected to the PRC.

***

Another week passes, and we have less than six weeks until the primary election. I’ll post an interesting political link tomorrow.

Thanks for reading this week. I hope you come back next week!

Is giving free election passes to House Democrats part of GOP plan to take over county commission?

Posted 4/25/2006 11:51:00 PM

Today I’m going to do something a little different.

Rather than telling you what’s happening in New Mexico politics, I’m going to entertain a conspiracy theory a longtime politico shared with me. I don’t know whether it’s true, but I find it so intriguing that I have to pass it on.

Let’s say you’re the Republican Party chair in a growing county that has been controlled by Democrats since the dawn of time - like, perhaps, Doña Ana County. Let’s say you’re fed up with the same old game. You run candidates in all the races but never gain ground.

You look at the numbers and realize you aren’t going to win those south-valley House races. There’s just no way in the current climate.

But the real problem is that darned county elections bureau and county government that has been corrupt for a long time, you believe. You want to get rid of that manager and those good-ol’-boy commissioners. And that old clerk – someone needs to tell her it’s time to retire.

So you start examining the county commission races that are up for grabs. Democrat Oscar Vasquez Butler is beatable. He barely won the seat last time and, though he has made a lot of friends, he’s also made many enemies. Republican Paul Curry isn’t running again, which is fine with you. His votes have often upset the county Republican Party. His district is one another Republican can win.

Especially if you concede the corresponding House races.

Here’s how it works: Butler’s district includes the liberal Mesilla area, but also the conservative Picacho Hills area. You give Democrat Joni Gutierrez of Mesilla a free pass in her House race. You’re not going to beat her anyway. By doing that, you give the liberals in the overlapping commission district one less reason to show up to vote.

You can do a better job of getting out the vote. Your party has spent years creating a well-oiled grassroots effort across the nation and knows how to do it better than Democrats.

Regardless, lower voter turnout traditionally helps Republicans because a higher percentage of them are well-educated and registered to vote, so they’re more likely to do so even when there are few exciting, contested state or national races.

Then you find a good Republican – John Zimmerman – to run against Butler.

You find another good Republican to run for Curry’s seat. In the end, two sign up - Ruben Gonzalez and Mack W. Haley. Giving Gutierrez a free pass also helps whichever of them wins the primary. That commission district includes the conservative East Mesa of Las Cruces, but also wraps around New Mexico State University into part of Gutierrez’s district - the liberal Mesilla Park area. Without Gutierrez giving those liberal voters a reason to show up, the Republican in that commission race has the advantage.

You also decide to not run anyone against Democrat Joseph Cervantes, whose House district overlaps the Curry commission district. This will mean lower voter turnout, which will help the Republican candidate. Cervantes can’t be beaten anyway. You (Goddard) tried to do it yourself two years ago, and failed. Cervantes has since become chair of the House Judiciary Committee and capable of fundraising that would far exceed that of any opponent.

And as fate would have it, the release of the special audit of county government that exposes corruption was delayed until the election year.

Ammunition.

Imagine. If you could win both seats, you’d have a 3-2 majority on the commission, in addition to a Republican treasurer who is quite involved in party politics and a sheriff who, though he’s not all that political, is at least a Republican.

That’s the majority of elected county officials.

That would give you quite a base from which to plan your next moves and expand your power in Doña Ana County and Southern New Mexico.

So there’s the conspiracy theory. Don’t think it’s plausible? My initial inclination was doubt, but as I toyed with the idea in my head, I began to think it’s either crazy or genius. Goddard told me he didn’t run against Cervantes this time because he wanted to focus on organizing the party and dealing with problems in county government - especially the elections bureau. He said that while he was explaining that many qualified Republicans won’t run for office because they believe those who run the elections bureau are incompetent or dirty, hurting Republicans’ chances of being elected.

That, of course, was part of Goddard’s explanation for why so many Democrats are running unopposed this year.

And Goddard has been pushing for further action to be taken regarding the special audit, even taking some nasty shots in public at commissioners. Goddard is suspicious of the state auditor saying that most of the identified problems (and there were many) appear to have been fixed.

Goddard made a public records request to the county Tuesday that focuses on three issues: the $1,200 overpayment by the county to the Doña Ana Mutual Domestic Water Association (whose president is Butler, target number one), County Manager Brian Haines’ role in the auditing findings (target number two), and the purchase of the land where the new county administrative complex is being built (a politically hot potato).

These are all issues the state auditor reviewed in depth. His office found cause to cite them as audit findings, but not to refer them to prosecutors for further investigation.

So that’s the conspiracy theory. Is this all the misguided brainchild of a longtime politico who has too much time on his hands, or is it a potentially brilliant plan?

I don’t know, but it sure is interesting to think about.

***

By the way, Goddard made the records request during Tuesday’s commission meeting. There weren’t fireworks, but emotions were high and allegations flew over the county attorney’s assertion that Treasurer Jim Schoonover committed a felony in purchasing, with taxpayer money, pencils that are similar to his campaign materials.

The attorney says he has a duty to report Schoonover to law enforcement. You can read the Sun-News’ article by clicking here.

***

I’ll be on the Michael Swickard show tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. to talk politics. Those of you in Southern New Mexico can listen in on KSNM-AM 570.

Of course, I’ll be back with another blog posting tomorrow as well. Come back then, and thanks for reading today!

County government on verge of political meltdown, and Leno mocks Richardson’s indecision

Posted 4/24/2006 11:32:00 PM

There might be fireworks at today’s meeting of the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners.

Republican Treasurer Jim Schoonover will ask the commission to approve several fee increases – some quite substantial - and at least one new fee, all tacked on to various transactions the office has with the public. The increased revenue will go to a discretionary fund “for employee training and equipment purchases,” according to a copy of the proposed resolution the commission will vote on today. Schoonover also wants the revenue from a couple of existing fees that currently goes to the county’s general fund moved under his control.

The embattled Schoonover was accused last week of committing the felony crime of misusing public money by County Attorney John Caldwell. Last year, Schoonover purchased 1,700 pencils with almost $500 in taxpayer money. They look similar to Schoonover’s campaign materials and contain no information beyond his name and title.

Caldwell says that means they serve no public purpose, but do serve the purpose of making Schoonover’s name known. Had the pencils included an office phone number or other useful information, they probably would have been appropriate, he said.

Schoonover said he hands out the pencils to kids at the end of educational events and did nothing wrong. He repaid the money last week but said he is hiring an attorney and hopes to get it back.

He also said this is a political attack.

Commissioners are certain to ask tough questions today about Schoonover’s actions, since he’s before them to ask not only that they increase fees for the public, but that they give him more control over the money.

Schoonover has also requested more than $1 million in additional money for his office next fiscal year, most of it to purchase a new software system.

The meeting has the potential to degrade into a childish, political cat fight that used to be the norm. As recently as 16 months ago, commissioners often publicly accused each other of illegal activity, yelled and pulled various inappropriate stunts.

And let’s not forget the punch. During a closed session several years ago, then-Commissioner Art Terrazas was accused of punching then-Commissioner Gilbert Apodaca in front of their colleagues. Terrazas was charged with and later acquitted of battery.

Those days are fresh in the minds of many. When county Republican Party chair Sid Goddard showed up at the last commission meeting to berate Chairwoman Dolores Saldaña-Caviness for saying a special audit of the county was in the past, emotions commissioners have worked hard to keep out of public business resurfaced.

Many of the audit findings, some of which have been referred to prosecutors, were related to activity that took place during those often embarrassing commission days. Schoonover has joined Goddard in pushing for more action to be taken in relation to the audit.

Goddard has called for prosecutions, firings or discipline for those responsible.

Realistically, commissioners will want to question Schoonover about the pencil purchase before they vote to raise fees and give him more control. And he’s been accused of a felony crime, so it’s also realistic to assume that he is upset.

All involved need to be careful to not further inflame this situation. Members of the commission, which has a 3-2 Democrat majority, have spent more than a year working well together. Even on the issue of prayer at meetings, over which there was significant disagreement, they worked hard to discuss their differences publicly and reach a compromise.

They worked with Republican Sheriff Todd Garrison to raise taxes for law enforcement pay increases. They told Schoonover they would work with him to purchase the new software system he needs.

A baseless or purely emotional attack by anyone could undo that. Schoonover might say Caldwell has already crossed that line. Some might say Schoonover and Goddard have crossed it.

Regardless of whether some have crossed the line, others don’t need to rush to join them. Let’s be adults.

The meeting is in the commission chambers at the Doña Ana County Courthouse at 9 a.m.

***

In case you missed it, Jay Leno took a shot last night at Gov. Bill Richardson’s recent comments on cockfighting. The governor said during a visit to Las Cruces last week that he has not made up his mind on whether cockfighting should be legal, saying there are strong arguments on both sides.

New Mexico is one of two states where the bloody pastime is still legal.

“This is unbelievable to me,” Leno said. “What is the good argument for cockfighting? … Does it keep roosters off the street? Is that it? Give roosters a chance to make it in the world?”

A man who wants to be president might want to take his cue from the overwhelming majority of states that want nothing to do with cockfighting.

***

Some of you have said you have trouble remembering my Web address. You can always bookmark this site by clicking on the link in the banner at the top of the homepage.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow I’ll tell you how the county meeting went, and have more on politics in the Land of Enchantment.

Minor parties stand to gain from corruption scandals, and Bibb’s answer on death penalty

Posted 4/23/2006 11:12:00 PM

With the number of scandals currently plaguing local, state and national politicians, it’s a wonder citizens don’t rise up and overthrow the government.

A Sunday article that I wrote for the Las Cruces Sun-News details the Doña Ana County attorney’s allegation that Republican Treasurer Jim Schoonover committed the felony crime of misusing public money by purchasing with taxpayer dollars pencils that look like his campaign materials.

And the Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday that Century bank bought $16,500 worth of pens from the wife of embattled state Insurance Superintendent Eric Serna, a Democrat, about the same time the state put out a request for proposals for a banking contract Century later won.

That further compounds the scandal that has resulted in Serna being suspended while the attorney general’s office investigates the relationship he had with the bank, which gave more than $124,000 to Serna’s non-profit health care foundation.

The former state treasurer’s trial continues today. There might soon be indictments in an FBI investigation into construction contracts for government buildings in Bernalillo County. The special audit of Doña Ana County is still being reviewed by the New Mexico State Police.

The list goes on and on.

Now there’s an ethics task force, formed by the governor, that will examine and propose sweeping changes to state ethics and campaign finance laws, but the public has every right to view even that with skepticism.

After all, it’s formed by a Democrat with ties to many of those currently plagued by scandal. And as I reported last week, one of the co-chairs of the task force, former Gov. Garrey Carruthers, compounded his own scandal when he was governor with an ethically challenged decision to have people who worked for him investigate the allegations against him. Of course, they found he did nothing wrong.

Who is clean in politics? Many I talk with wonder whether there is even one.

Not all are dirty. But it’s a fair question to be asking.

Nationally, it’s the Republican Party that’s under fire for scandal after scandal after scandal. In New Mexico, it’s the Democratic Party.

In 2004, a huge and unexpected number of New Mexicans opted to register to vote as independents. As both major parties continue to come under fire, expect that trend to continue. Now may be a great time for the wilting Green Party to reemerge. The Libertarians are also looking to gain. The party was recently recertified, and formed a Doña Ana County chapter in November.

Why shouldn’t the minor parties grow? Who wrote the rules that say we have to have a two-party system?

Gov. Bill Richardson said last week he favors capping political contributions from individuals, corporations and other groups. When pressed to explain why, he said doing so would take away some of the advantage held by incumbents.

That sounds fantastic to me. It creates a more level playing field, making elections more about issues and less about who is friendly to corporations and the rich.

You all need to be involved in pushing this task force, the governor and the legislature to make real changes in state ethics and campaign finance law. E-mail your ideas to University of New Mexico Law School Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia, co-chair of the task force, at scarnecc@unm.edu, or Carruthers at garreyc@nmsu.edu.

One suggestion: Let’s get rid of the law that makes it tougher for minor party candidates and independents to get on the ballot than Democrats and Republicans. Why should the Democrats and Republicans have an easier time just because they have more members? Our government is supposed to protect minorities, not shut them out.

And wouldn’t having more options in the voting booth push politicians to clean up their acts?

***

Jim Bibb, the Republican running for attorney general, has responded to my request for information on his death penalty stance.

“As a former assistant district attorney, FBI special agent, and assistant United States attorney, I swore to uphold the law, even in death penalty cases. As attorney general I will do the same,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I believe that the death penalty option needs to remain available in New Mexico for those cases involving premeditated murder that are so heinous as to not warrant life imprisonment. A defendant facing the death penalty should have the time and resources to mount the very best defense. However, once a judgment in favor of execution is rendered, I believe the appellate process should be swift and if upheld, it should be carried out promptly.”

So, no big surprises. The three democrats would all enforce the current law that allows the death penalty in some cases, and at least two of them like it that way (Lem Martinez’s campaign manager didn’t directly answer that question).

I wrote last week about Geno Zamora making an embarrassing mistake in calling Las Cruces the state’s third-largest city, when it’s the second-largest. One insider called that “a more serious problem than a mere slip of the tongue,” saying Zamora and his campaign are clearly not spending enough time studying numbers.

If my source is right, Zamora’s campaign is in trouble.

***

Speaking of attorney general candidates, you can share your opinion on which Democrat is most likely to win the primary by voting in the poll on the right side of this page.

Thanks for reading today. Come back tomorrow for more on New Mexico politics.

Shady Carruthers decision revealed, governor defends spaceport and Cervantes in the hot seat

Posted 4/20/2006 11:25:00 PM

So the governor wants an ethics task force to recommend to him and the legislature sweeping changes that will clean up state government. And he appointed New Mexico State University Business Dean Garrey Carruthers and University of New Mexico Law School Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia to head the effort.

One source with a long memory snickered at the appointment of Carruthers to head a committee that will suggest how to properly deal with our ethically challenged state law book. That’s because Carruthers had a shady way of dealing with allegations against him when he was governor.

Here’s the scoop from a Feb. 18, 1991 Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News article:

“…a secret probe ordered by former Gov. Garry Carruthers revealed no wrongdoing regarding Carruthers’ alleged involvement in a proposed port of entry in Southern New Mexico.”

In a nutshell: The creation of the Santa Teresa port of entry was finally gaining the support that would later make it a reality, but was delayed significantly when Carruthers got on a helicopter with then-Chihuahua Gov. Fernando Baeza to tour the border in 1989. When they landed, Carruthers said he would support a port at Santa Teresa or nearby Anapra, which was being pushed heavily by Mexican developers.

That came to the dismay of those on the American side, including Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who had been working tirelessly for the Santa Teresa port until Carruthers threw a wrench in things.

Rumors swirled about secret deals in choppers. So Carruthers ordered an equally secret probe by the Department of Public Safety – people who work for him – to be done “outside normal law enforcement channels. No reports were filed,” according to the Associated Press and Sun-News article. Way to be transparent.

Not surprisingly, the probe found no wrongdoing on the part of the boss of the investigators.

Go figure.

These are the type of ethical quandaries that need to be cleaned up. Such an investigation should have been handed over to the attorney general or FBI. State law needs to require that.

***

Richardson found himself defending his spaceport plans at the Thursday luncheon in Las Cruces, where he spoke to Common Cause about ethics law reform.

Someone in the audience asked whether more practical uses could be added so that the Southwest Regional Spaceport isn’t just a launch pad for “joyrides for the rich.”

“This is an investment in the future,” Richardson said. “Several states wanted it, so I became suspicious this was a good thing.”

Then he listed what he said will be other benefits: “trans-Atlantic travel,” “space research,” “space commercialization,” and the Rocket Racing League. As for the joyrides, he said ticket prices will drop from the current $200,000 apiece.

The exchange indicated there are still some roadblocks. There were several snickers and chuckles from the mostly-Democrat group of about 100 people when the man made his “joyrides” comment. Richardson is counting on those very people to support a local tax increase to help pay for the spaceport.

***

Richardson also put Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in a tough spot Thursday. The governor is currently blaming legislative leaders for several of his agenda items failing in the session this year, and especially pointed the finger Thursday because most of his anti-corruption package wasn’t approved.

But for Cervantes there was only praise. The governor thanked him for sponsoring legislation that would have opened conference committees to the public, if not for those rogue legislators who weren’t willing to do their business in public and killed the bill. He then called on Cervantes to elaborate.

“I’ll probably need an office on the fourth floor,” Cervantes said before blaming the leaders in the legislature for opposing the bill because they want “to exclude members of the legislature” from the final decisions.

“We’re in the dark, just like you are, and I think the budget is done in the dark at the last minute to exclude the legislature and the public,” Cervantes said.

I think Cervantes was right: He might need a new office on the fourth floor. But it should be noted that he has upset the governor in the past, perhaps most notably for voting against GRIP.

***

Thanks for reading my special Friday posting. You can read the article I wrote on the governor’s ethics task force announcement by clicking here.

It’s already shaping up to be an interesting time next week, with lots of activity by Democrats and Republicans that will warrant comment. And, I’ll wrap up the week Thursday morning on the Michael Swickard show.

Have a great weekend.

AG candidates respond to death penalty questions, and Zamora makes an embarrassing mistake

Posted 4/19/2006 11:45:00 PM

I’ve been writing for awhile about the death penalty being an issue in this year’s attorney general race. Geno Zamora’s campaign had already responded to an e-mail from me by saying he supports the death penalty “in limited cases.” I was still waiting to hear from the other candidates.

Earlier this week, I received this e-mail from Philip Muller, campaign manager for Democrat Lemuel Martinez’s campaign:

“As the district attorney for the 13th Judicial District, Lemuel Martinez is the only Democratic candidate for attorney general who has taken an oath to uphold the law. The death penalty is the law in New Mexico. As the chief law enforcement officer in his district, he is the only Democratic candidate for attorney general who has prosecuted death penalty cases. Until the legislature decides to repeal this law, he will continue to enforce the death penalty.”

Which doesn’t entirely answer the question about where he stands on the death penalty, so I e-mailed his campaign back and have not yet received a response.

Gary King called me Wednesday. The conservative Democrat told me he is opposed to repealing the death penalty. He said he knows there are some problems with enforcing it fairly that must be addressed, but called the death penalty “a necessary deterrent.”

Republican Jim Bibb has not responded to my e-mails. I should note that I had the wrong address for Gary King and that’s why he didn’t respond sooner. I just sent an e-mail to the address listed on Bibb’s campaign Web site. That address is different than the address to which I had sent previous requests, which was provided by the Republican Party.

Bibb is the son-in-law of former Gov. Toney Anaya who, as one source put it, “achieved fame for his opposition to the death penalty and for commuting all of death row on his way out of the mansion.”

***

While we’re on the subject of attorney general candidates, Zamora put out a news release on March 2 announcing that he was opening an office in Las Cruces. He made a crucial mistake. Here’s the quote:

“At the opening ceremonies, Geno stated, ‘Las Cruces is New Mexico’s third largest city and its growing importance cannot be ignored by any candidate.’”

In fact, Las Cruces is the second largest city, with an estimated 79,524 people in 2004. Santa Fe was at 68,041 and Rio Rancho was at 61,953 that year, the Census estimated.

I guess you can’t win them all.

***

Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans, who is running in the Republican primary for the Public Regulation Commission seat held by Democrat E. Shirley Baca, called me this week to say he believes embattled state Insurance Superintendent Eric Serna should step down.

At the request of the PRC, Attorney General Patricia Madrid’s office is investigating Serna’s decision to award a lucrative state contract to a bank that has since given lots of money to a non-profit started by Serna. Serna has been placed on leave while the investigation takes place.

“I want the world to know I will take a stand,” Evans said.

I guess he just did.

***

And I wrote yesterday that Guy Riordan, who Gov. Bill Richardson removed from the state Game Commission after he was named in the treasurer’s office scandal, was also a member of the board that oversees the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. That is what the Game Commission’s Web site states.

But Steve Fitzer, finance director in the office of Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, wrote Wednesday to tell me that, on the MFA Web site, Riordan is not listed as a board member. He is a former board member, but no longer serves there.

Thanks for setting me straight. Accuracy is a top priority on this site, and I’ll be quick to correct errors when they are brought to my attention.

***

The governor’s big trip to Las Cruces is today. He’ll be talking about ethics in government to Common Cause. I’ll be there, and if he says anything spectacular, I just might post a special Friday blog entry.

Thanks for reading.

Riordan first to fall during Vigil trial, but who’s next? Plus, $800 mistake raises GOP eyebrows

Posted 4/18/2006 11:06:00 PM

Gov. Bill Richardson is coming to Las Cruces Thursday to speak to Southern New Mexico Common Cause about ethics in government. If the first day of testimony in the trial of former state Treasurer Robert Vigil is any indication, the talk might be more personal than the governor intended.

Democrats Vigil and his predecessor Michael Montoya were charged last year with using the treasurer’s office to secure millions of dollars in kickbacks. Montoya and several others charged in the case have already pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Vigil.

Montoya took the stand Tuesday and, under oath, named Guy Riordan, a longtime political ally of Richardson, as someone who paid him at least $75,000 in kickbacks in exchange for state business.

Riordan of Albuquerque is the managing director of Wachovia Securities, a large brokerage firm that has done a lot of business with the state. It should be noted that, if the feds had the evidence to charge Riordan with a crime, they probably would have done it.

Riordan’s attorney told the Associated Press that Montoya is an “absolute liar.”

Riordan, a registered lobbyist, was a member of the state Game Commission and, according to the commission’s Web site, a member of the board that oversees the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. He’s also a friend of Richardson who has attended many sporting events with the governor and given more than $24,000 to his gubernatorial campaigns.

So Richardson wasted no time Tuesday in removing Riordan from the Game Commission. He said nothing about the finance authority board.

“The governor is profoundly concerned by these serious accusations,” spokesman Pahl Shipley said in a news release. “In light of these developments, the governor has removed Mr. Riordan from his position on the state Game Commission, and will donate all political contributions received from Mr. Riordan to New Mexico charities.”

That’s a big chunk of change. How about making sure some of it finds its way to Southern New Mexico? In fact, the very Common Cause group Richardson is speaking to Thursday probably needs some cash, and governmental ethics in New Mexico could clearly use a shot in the arm.

I wrote Monday that many state politicos will be anxiously watching the Vigil trial in the coming weeks because they are worried their own names could be mentioned in connection with the scandal. One source told me Riordan might be the first of several.

The FBI has said the investigation is ongoing and far-reaching.

The Albuquerque Web site Duke City Fix wrote months ago about Riordan’s tie to Montoya, and the names of some connected to Riordan. You can read the post by clicking here.

Riordan has been a player in the Democratic Party for many years, and a big donor. One notable donation I found on the Web site OpenSecrets.org was a $250 gift to the 1997 campaign of Eric Serna, who made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in congress. Serna, the state insurance superintendent, is currently on leave while the attorney general’s office investigates his decision to award a lucrative state contract to a bank that has since given lots of money to a non-profit he started.

The bank’s controlling shareholder is Santa Fe art dealer Gerald Peters, who wants to build a casino, along with the Jemez Pueblo, in Anthony. Peters is another friend of Richardson, having given more than $100,000 to his campaigns.

I wrote Tuesday that Richardson’s week was off to a great start, with a lot of favorable press and a vote by the Las Cruces City Council that brings his spaceport one step closer to reality. Maybe that has changed.

So what will be the tone of Richardson’s Thursday speech to Common Cause? The Vigil trial just might determine that.

***

The Republican Party announced Monday that the state has found $800 it was supposed to give the party, but misplaced for more than two years. The snafu stems from the February realization that online tax filers were not allowed to donate portions of their refunds to the Republican Party due to a computer glitch.

The state said the glitch was the result of a programming error made by a contract worker from India. The Republican Party and state then looked back to 2003, and found that all donations made that year had been misplaced.

The Republican Party is quite skeptical of that explanation. But the state gave the party its money.

I’ll let you decide what to believe. Who knows where the truth lies, but let’s keep in mind that we’re talking about $800. That’s pennies compared to the more than $2 million U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., has already raised for her re-election campaign.

If the money is such a big deal, why didn’t the Republicans notice when they didn’t receive a check?

***

Keep the news tips coming. You can e-mail me by clicking on the link in the bar on the right side of this page. Send me suggestions, too. I’m always looking for ways to improve the site.

Thanks for reading.

Friendly press and spaceport vote have Richardson pumped, and Pearce finally lists accomplishments

Posted 4/17/2006 11:10:00 PM

It’s shaping up to be quite a week for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

It began Sunday with a Denver Post article that said Richardson has what “may be the best résumé of any potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2008.”

“Richardson has spent a lifetime positioning himself for this moment: He’s a Latino at a time when the ethnic group’s influence is growing. He’s a Westerner as the region is becoming critical to the national strategies of both parties. And he’s a powerful governor with impeccable foreign-policy credentials,” the article states. “… With the exception of Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Richardson, 58, may be the West’s biggest political star.”

The profile of the governor was a bit shallow on some of the issues. For example, it called him a tax-cutting governor when, in fact, he has cut some taxes and fees and raised others, making it difficult to say whether the average New Mexican is paying less.

But the article was a mostly positive look at a man who, because of a lifetime of hard work and a bit of circumstance, has a realistic chance of becoming the Democrats’ nominee for president in 2008.

Following the Post article, Richardson appeared on “Face the Nation” Sunday morning to call for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Richardson, a master at political timing, pointed out on the nationally televised program that six military generals have publicly called for Rumseld’s resignation in recent days.

“We should listen to what these generals are saying,” Richardson said. “These are six distinguished military officers who were involved in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They basically are saying that Secretary Rumsfeld ... didn’t listen to them. This reaches a new level of not being willing to admit mistakes and change policy that is just not working.”

On Monday, Richardson announced that Finance and Administration Secretary James Jimenez will be his new chief of staff, replacing Dave Contarino, who left to work on Richardson’s re-election campaign.

Also Monday, the Las Cruces City Council gave Richardson’s proposed spaceport at Upham a major boost by donating land for the headquarters of the startup Rocket Racing League.

In exchange for the gift of 11 ½ acres, the agreement commits the racing league to building its headquarters at the city’s West Mesa Industrial Park. The league will build hangars at the adjacent Las Cruces International Airport that racing teams can lease.

The league plans an annual racing series involving manned rocket planes, with finals to be held each year at the Southwest Regional Spaceport.

This is the first major, written commitment by a company to help make Richardson’s space dreams a reality. Though London-based Virgin Galactic has agreed to build its corporate headquarters here and launch paying customers from the spaceport as soon as its facility is built, a written agreement has not been finalized.

And though Starchaser Industries was the first space company to move to Las Cruces, it has yet to secure land to build its rocket assembly plant and recently shook up its staff as part of a restructuring.

Making Monday’s council vote a big step for Richardson’s plan.

As I blogged Monday, there are spaceport doubters, and some of their concerns are valid. The reality, however, is that the legislature has already approved the money for the Virgin Galactic facility, and the Rocket Racing League plans to break ground on its headquarters in May or June and hold its first exhibition race in October at the X Prize Cup.

The spaceport is likely going to be built.

***

In a weekend article, the Associated Press summed up well what’s at stake in the Northern New Mexico congressional race between incumbent Republican Heather Wilson and her opponent, state Attorney General Patricia Madrid, a Democrat. Republicans have tirelessly and tenaciously attacked Madrid since the race began.

“Democrats have long thought New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District should be theirs but they’ve not been able to unseat Wilson, a moderate Republican seeking a fifth two-year term. The seat has been in GOP hands for almost four decades,” the article states. “But this year, Democrats recruited a popular state official at time that experts say could be one of the worst for Republicans. The race is considered one of the most competitive in the country and one of the best chances for Democrats to gain a House seat.”

Republicans have made endless calls for Madrid to investigate the scandal of the week, but when her office jumped on one, they also cried foul. At the request of the Public Regulation Commission, Madrid’s office is investigating suspended state Insurance Superintendent Eric Serna’s decision to award a lucrative state contract to a bank that has since given lots of money to a non-profit started by Serna. The problem is that Madrid helped start the non-profit health care foundation, too.

Here’s a link to the full Associated Press article via the Albuquerque Journal.

***

The June primary is rapidly approaching, and with the exception of Geno Zamora, none of the attorney general candidates are answering my question about where they stand on the death penalty. Where is Republican Jim Bibb? And Democrat Lem Martinez? One source told me a couple of different polls have Gary King far ahead of the other two Democrats in the race, so maybe he’s trying to stay under the radar until after the primary.

I’ll keep trying.

***

Last week I told you that Congressman Steve Pearce, R-N.M., had nothing listed in the accomplishments section on his campaign Web site. That has since changed. You can view the newly posted information by clicking here.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day.

Important spaceport vote today, and McCamley decries audit attack as possible political ploy

Posted 4/17/2006 12:26:00 AM

The Las Cruces City Council is set to vote today on whether to give 11 1/2 acres of land at the West Mesa Industrial Park to the startup Rocket Racing League for its worldwide headquarters. The league plans to develop an international racing series that involves manned rocket planes, with finals to be held annually beginning in 2008 at the yet-to-be-constructed Southwest Regional Spaceport at Upham.

One influential source is troubled by the proposal to donate land. The source questioned, when four other companies plan to purchase land at the park (their proposals are also up for approval today), why the racing league needs the land donated.

“Can a touted user of the spaceport survive only by ‘corporate welfare?’” the source asked me.

The city also plans to add infrastructure to service the property, making the donation sizable – in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In exchange, the assurance is 30 jobs, at salaries ranging from $32,000 to $150,000, and local gross receipts taxes of about $140,000 on the estimated $2 million cost of building a 50,000-square-foot headquarters.

The city estimates that the racing league will pump $34 million into the local economy in the next seven years.

The doubter isn’t so certain, pointing out that the racing league is a startup company with no certainty of success.

“If the city approves tomorrow, somebody is suddenly wealthier by whatever this land and the planned improvements are worth, but conservatively over a quarter million dollars: precisely what the Anti-Donation Clause prohibits,” the doubter said yesterday.

Another source pointed out that the state constitution’s anti-donation clause has an exemption for economic development under certain conditions, and said the city has worked hard to meet those conditions.

The spaceport has been quite the hot topic since Gov. Bill Richardson asked the legislature in December to approve more than $100 million to build a facility for Virgin Galactic there. The legislature gave the money, but many lawmakers from the northern part of the state have since come out against the project.

The massive project is called visionary by its supporters and a waste of money by its detractors. Only time will tell who is right.

***

Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley wasn’t happy with Sid Goddard’s assault on the commission last week.

McCamley called me Friday to talk about Goddard, the county Republican Party chair. Goddard berated Commission Chairwoman Dolores Saldaña-Caviness at Tuesday’s meeting for saying the special audit of the county was in the past and the county has changed. Many Republicans have been outraged because the audit found widespread problems as recently as 2004, but State Auditor Domingo Martinez said it appears most of the identified problems have been fixed.

(I should point out that I’m friends with McCamley. I believe I can objectively report what he said, but if you disagree, feel free to submit a comment at the end of this posting.)

The commission that existed at the time of the audit findings was plagued by partisan politics and other problems, Democrat McCamley noted. When Goddard “makes allegations without hard proof, that’s the kind of bickering that leads the commission back to where it was two years ago,” McCamley said.

Goddard told the commission that the audit “is one issue that will not disappear.” He went on to say those who have spoken with him won’t rest unless there are reprimands, terminations, or prosecutions of those responsible for the violations found by the auditor’s office.

If that doesn’t happen, Goddard said, the commission remains “as before, arrogant, unrepentant and insular.”

I blogged last week that some Republicans want to use the audit as ammunition against Democratic Commissioner Oscar Vasquez Butler, who is up for re-election this year, and Republican Commissioner Kent Evans, who is running for a seat on the Public Regulation Commission but has primary opposition.

McCamley said the attack by the partisan Goddard threatens to divide a commission that has worked hard to clean up county government and get past the partisan politics that plague Santa Fe and Washington. McCamley pointed out that the five-member commission has three Democrats but voted to appoint Republican Todd Garrison as sheriff last year, then worked with him to raise taxes and find other money in the budget for a law enforcement salary increase.

“We could have said, ‘we’re not going to work with him,’ and then he looks dumb and a Democrat gets elected,” McCamley said. “We didn’t do that.”

Instead, McCamley said of all five commissioners, “we have worked our tails off to be constructive, to get things done, to do business on a higher level. We have worked too damn hard to let that go if this is just a political ploy. If it’s not, then let’s get some evidence on the table.”

Goddard and many other Republicans have said widespread problems still exist in county government. McCamley challenged Goddard to attend another commission meeting and present his evidence to the board and the public. If he’s seeking prosecution, McCamley suggested that Goddard contact the New Mexico State Police, who are investigating three audit findings referred to them, including one procurement code violation the auditors said may have been intentional.

It should be noted that McCamley and Saldaña-Caviness joined the commission in January 2005, after the audit was already complete. The audit’s release was delayed until last month because criminal investigators are still reviewing it.

Those who were members of the commission at the time of the audit findings say there were no intentional violations of law.

***

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the racketeering, money laundering and extortion case against former state Treasurer Robert Vigil begins today.

In case anyone hasn’t been paying attention, Democrats Vigil and his predecessor Michael Montoya were charged last year with using the treasurer’s office to secure millions of dollars in kickbacks. Montoya and several others charged in the case have already pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Vigil.

Vigil has proclaimed his innocence throughout. He faces 28 charges and, if convicted, up to 20 years in prison on each count. He resigned in October.

The trial is expected to last six weeks. Some 60 potential jurors from around the state will be in Albuquerque Monday for jury selection. One source told me many politicos will be anxiously watching the trial because they are worried their own names could be mentioned in connection with Vigil and Montoya. The FBI has said the investigation is ongoing and far-reaching.

***

That’s enough for the Monday after Easter. I hope you all had a good one, and that you come back tomorrow.

Friday bonus: Zamora supports death penalty ‘in limited cases,’ and those links I promised

Posted 4/13/2006 11:18:00 PM

I blogged a last week about how the recent cop killing in Bernalillo County makes the death penalty a hot issue in this election year. One source told me it would be a touchy subject for the Democratic candidates for attorney general, who could alienate the Catholic Church and Northern New Mexico liberals by supporting the death penalty or the rest of the state by opposing it. I called on those candidates, three Democrats and one Republican, to go on the record by sharing their stances on the death penalty.

I have sent out two e-mail requests for statements from the candidates in the past week. On Thursday, I heard back from Democrat Geno Zamora’s campaign.

“Geno believes that the death penalty is necessary in limited cases, such as those that exist in statute: murder for hire, murder of a child, murder during rape, murder of a law enforcement officer in the line of duty, murder of a corrections officer in prison, and murder of a witness to a crime,” wrote Zamora’s campaign manager, Allan Oliver. “At the same time, he strongly advocates for additional funding for DNA testing and a proper legal defense of the accused – both to assure that the case is not later overturned, and to guarantee that the guilty are punished and the innocent go free.”

The other candidates have not yet responded to my request.

***

Though I haven’t blogged on the national immigration debate, it’s an important topic to address. Here are some links to what others are saying that I found interesting:

The Christian Science Monitor

Ann Coulter

An interesting Albuquerque Journal article

So ends another week in the Land of Enchantment. Thanks for reading, and come back Monday!

Republicans go on attack with special audit, and cockfighting a hot topic in commission race

Posted 4/12/2006 11:23:00 PM

The special audit of Doña Ana County isn’t going away.

Two commissioners who have often been at odds are both targets in this election year.

The audit, released two weeks ago, found widespread problems in county government as recently as 2004, but State Auditor Domingo Martinez said it appears most of the identified problems have been fixed.

That infuriated many Republicans, who have been waiting more than a year for the audit results. The delayed release of the audit gave county officials time to fix many problems before it came out, since most audit findings had already been reported publicly by the Las Cruces Sun-News.

The audit, initiated in May 2004, was delayed because prosecutors have taken their time looking into three items referred to them by Martinez, including one procurement code violation auditors said may have been intentional.

County Republican Party Chair Sid Goddard stood before the county commission Tuesday and berated Chairwoman Dolores Saldaña-Caviness for saying the audit was in the past and the county has changed.

“If there is a single note that resonates with citizens who have taken the time to read the auditor’s report, it has been, this is one issue that will not disappear,” Goddard said. “People who have talked to me over the past week are beyond upset. They are furious. Believe me when I tell you this matter is not in the past, Ms. Chairwoman. It is not over and done with.”

He went on to say those who have spoken to him won’t rest unless there are reprimands, terminations, or prosecutions of those responsible for the violations found by the auditor’s office.

If that doesn’t happen, Goddard said, the commission remains “as before, arrogant, unrepentant and insular.”

But who is responsible, and whether those responsible are still part of county government, is nebulous, and whether there was criminal activity has yet to be determined by investigators.

The political targets appear to be County Commissioners Kent Evans and Oscar Vasquez Butler. Evans is running for the Public Regulation Commission this year, and Butler is seeking re-election to the county commission.

Evans, a Republican, was the commissioner who first voiced publicly the allegations that led to the special audit. He did so during a failed attempt to have the commission suspend County Manager Brian Haines and investigate more than two years ago. But Evans now joins Martinez in saying there have been many changes, and says he is now working well with Haines.

That has irked some Republicans. One of Evans’ opponents in this year’s Republican primary, Doyle Pruitt of Las Cruces, told me Evans was just as guilty as other commissioners in many of the audit findings.

Evans admitted that when he first called for an investigation. He said he was fooled into improper actions by then-Commissioner Gilbert Apodaca, who was a master at taking new commissioners under his wings and making them his allies. Almost all of them, including Evans, later became Apodaca’s adversaries.

Apodaca has denied any wrongdoing.

Butler remained an Apodaca defender until the end, when Apodaca was forced out by term limits in 2004. Butler and Evans were often at odds because of Evans’ finger pointing at Apodaca and his allies.

Democrat Butler is facing a tough road to re-election this year. He has a primary opponent who is a state lobbyist with connections, Chris Jaramillo. The Republican running in November for the commission seat is John Zimmerman, whose party is making a big push because its members believe this is one of the few seats they can take from the Democrats.

How will the audit allegations play out in this election year? Will prosecutors conclude their investigation before November? Goddard’s comments indicate that angry Republicans aren’t going away, regardless.

***

But don’t think all this necessarily means Butler is going to lose his seat. His district includes most of the county’s colonias, and he has spent four years fighting for money for communities that have gone without for decades. Many have told me they understand for the first time why government should matter to them, because of the involvement in their communities of Butler and county staffers.

Jaramillo has obstacles of his own to overcome. He just resigned from his job as an investigator at the district attorney’s office to avoid a federal Hatch Act violation, but the fact remains that he worked for District Attorney Susana Martinez, a Republican many Democrats have viewed as a traitor ever since she switched parties a decade ago and beat her former boss – a Democrat – for the office.

That automatically means many Democrats are suspicious of Jaramillo. He’ll have to overcome that if he wants support.

Jaramillo is also a lobbyist for the cockfighting industry in New Mexico, which has made him a target of Animal Protection Voters of New Mexico.

The commission district he seeks to represent overlaps the state senate district of Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, who has led for years the unsuccessful effort to outlaw cockfighting in the state. How would Jaramillo and Garcia work together if he was elected?

Butler opposes cockfighting. But many rural residents in the county’s colonias support what some call a sport and others call heartless slaughter.

Both Butler and Jaramillo are vulnerable in the eyes of Republicans, and that’s why they smell blood and are excited about Zimmerman’s candidacy. But can a Republican really win a seat that represents so many rural, Hispanic Democrats?

Butler was in a tight race four years ago, so I guess it’s possible.

Stay tuned.

***

Las Cruces City Councilor Ken Miyagishima wrote in after yesterday’s posting about the land commissioner race to tell me he is supporting candidate Ray Powell. You can read his comments by clicking on the comment link (the little envelope icon) at the end of that posting.

Which reminds me – you all should be commenting! This is a dialogue!

What’s stopping you from doing it now? Tell us what you think about the special audit, Butler, Jaramillo, Evans, whatever. As long as you comply with the comments policy, I’ll post your comments. You can read the policy by clicking here.

Come back tomorrow. I’ll have some interesting links for you to check out.