Friday, March 27, 2015

Misc.

City Councillor Dan Lewis got on my case on the peculiar story about an APD officer who succumbed to a heart attack on Thursday.  I had made a comment that it was a sad thing, but that it was evidence of a PR machine at APD that it got so much attention.  I said that many other city workers with just as dangerous jobs would never get that attention.  If they died on the job you would never hear about it.  Lewis then criticized the fact that as Mayor I never set up a PR machine for those other workers.  How utterly weird!   Lewis is one of the councillors that sat on their butts for years before finally paying attention to APD's problems.  I had actually thought Lewis did the right thing when he finally signed a letter asking for a Justice Department investigation, but it was a long time coming.

So, I hear that Lobo athletes will now get payments.  I am all for college students getting aid in their endeavors.  But how about all the kids who are struggling with loans and costs that don't happen to be jocks?  Things are turning upside down at UNM.  Thank the NCAA.

It is good to see the Bernalillo County Commission blinking on the ill advised Santolina land development 10 miles west of the city.  I hope Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins will keep asking really hard questions.  This whole situation really points out the need for a consolidated City and County government political leadership.  It will probably never happen as little politicos protect their turf.  Maybe in a more enlightened age?




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dan Lewis is as opportunistic as they come. It is no secret that he has been laying the foundation to run for Mayor as Berry's Republican successor. His demand for police oversight was weak at best and he declines to issue any real criticism of APD in some warped belief that APD rank and file will support him. APD rank and file complain a lot but probably do not even vote. Lewis no doubt has also heard the rumblings that Darren White is now running for City Council to replace Trudy Jones, who is not running for re-election, with Darren White looking to run for Mayor in two years. Darren White will be Dan Lewis's biggest threat in the Mayors race.

Anonymous said...

Yes indeed, Jim, why didn't you establish a committee for the promotion of rational thinking?

Try and be the voice of reason and you're almost overwhelmed. It's chilling to read comments sections like that where people demonstrate the ability to have in their minds different categories for different kinds of human beings.

That ability is what allows otherwise rational people to be racist. It's what facilitates nationalism, that dirty little classification system we in the US like to call patriotism.

It's why there's no public outcry over the economic disparities that follow racial lines, or for the millions of brown bodies strewn across the Middle East in the wake of the mighty US war machine. It's why Palestinian children are shivering tonight under plastic tarps in their bombed out homes in Gaza while our representatives stand and cheer war criminals like Bibi Netanyahu.

Anonymous said...

You need to watch this clip by John Oliver on the NCAA and why some of the college athletes are wanting a union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX8BXH3SJn0