ART

I haven't said much on Mayor Berry's plan for a rapid transit bus system down Albuquerque's Central Avenue.  It has been painful to watch his administration's lack of work in getting support  for this project.  It is like his efforts at putting a trail in the Bosque along the Rio Grande.  The attitude is full steam ahead and damn the opposition.  I disagree with him on his Bosque project.  I don't disagree with him on his ART project.

The demeanor of the mob who came to a recent meeting to crucify the effort probably hurt their cause more than helped.  I am not privy to the true costs of the ambitious attempt at making Albuquerque a modern city ready for the next generation.  I suspect it will balloon with other related infrastructure costs.  It almost always does in such projects.

But, the system is worth doing.  My advice to the Mayor is to get a steering committee together made up of a diverse group.  Put them into subcommittees that deal with specific issues and get them to hammer out some compromises.  Meet often as a large group to get reports from the smaller committees.  This system can work.  This is how we got the downtown theaters and downtown rehabilitation started, as we did too with the new Isotopes Stadium, and as we helped steer the city through the construction of the new Big I interchange.  All of this happened during my administration in the late 90's.  It can work if the Mayor gets some organizing efforts underway.

It has been amazing to see our weak City Council sit on the sidelines.  What a bunch of sissies.  And the same goes for much of the business community.  

Insanity

We are sitting here in PV listening to CNN's so called debate amongst the biggest pack of xenophobes in recent AMERICAN history as they talk about Mexican people as if they were Jews in 1930's Germany.  It is hard to hear and would even be harder to explain to Mexicans you meet on the street.  I think there is a social breakdown in our democracy, brought on by 8 years of pure republican led hatred of a black American President.  It is not gong to end well.

Sunset

Our Last night in PV.

The Gang

Busaria

Sunset at El Brujo seafood

Mr. Trump

Bobbi and I have been hanging out for a few days with a lot of Mexicans.  They are just all over Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco. And the funny thing is we have not met any rapists, drug dealers or thieves.  Every one we have seen is working at a job.  Making it on their own unlike you, who inherited dad's fortune and has seen it grow less than a good savings account.

We have apologized for America concerning your statements and declaration of war on brown people who live on the other side of a political line on the map.  When we do so there is a rolling of eyes and a chuckle and then they get back to work.  Really, the brown people you need to worry about Mr. Trump live north of that line on a map.  

Puerto Vallarta

We got knocked over by one wave, so far.

Misc.

Greg Fouratt has been appointed a Federal Magistrate in the southern Federal Judicial District.  He had the support of a majority of Judges in that area.  I would assume all GOP appointed Judges voted for him.   Fouratt was the Public Safety Chief for our right wing Governor.  He pretty much followed her line on most things he did while working for the state.  Now we have him in this important position where he will need to be a mediator and facilitator.  Can he do it?  Time will tell.  One thing is certain, our Congressional delegation didn't know about this until they read a news release from, The Governor's Office!  Or so I am told.  Not even a courtesy call.

Some in the media say the concluded legislative session got some work done.  They did.  A new plan for deck chairs on the Titanic.  The really big issues were totally ignored.  Economic development being one glaring example.

Credit should go to KRQE News.  They did a pretty good job of covering important issues in the session.  Alex Goldsmith did a great story on the silly and corrupt way we dole out Bond money.  It was as good a story I have ever seen on a complex issue.  Of course, after this a silly story on a stolen lawn ornament got just as much time.  Bipolar News Direction?

We are headed for a Mexican Beach for a few days.  Given El Nino's forecast for a harsh winter we thought February was good timing.  Now we have shirt sleeve golfing weather here.  We got a notice from our whale watching tour operator in Mexico that our tour was cancelled due to a lack of whales in the warm water from El Nino.  So, just one more Pacifica Cerveza please.

Zombies in Santa Fe

They just keep coming back.  They bump into walls and stagger around looking for brains.....brains......and then they go home because there is no one in charge to tell them what to do.  For example the legislature has failed to act on securing tax credits for the Solar industry.  But, at last check there are still plenty of subsidies for the oil and gas boys.  How does that make sense?  Only Zombies could do such a mindless thing, right?

And where is the head Zombie on the 4th floor of the Capitol Building?  Is she in rehab, or preparing for rehab from holiday pizza parties, because she has been invisible during this wasted and sad 30 days in Santa Fe.  We are in an emergency life support existence and she is no where to be found.

I have watched the workings in Santa Fe for over four decades.  Honestly, I have never seen  any Governor or Legislative body fail the citizens as much as this current group.  Sure, individually there are some good decent lawmakers, but there is no compelling leader trying to muster up some bipartisan effort at giving some CPR to our economy in the Land of Enchantment.  What happens next? 

Polling

The GOP must be doing some polling on their attempts to stonewall Obama on the replacement for the Supreme Court.  There are cracks appearing in the solidarity of trying to deny a sitting President's Constitutional responsibility to make such an appointment.

While one could decry the GOP Senators for blinking, I have to say they are being pragmatic about the damage it could do their brand in November.  And that is probably what the polls are showing.

So why can't our New Mexico Legislature be as pragmatic?  The GOP legislators crime all the time approach to the current session isn't leaving a good impression amongst the voters.  Neither is the Democratic leadership in the Senate stopping all GOP bills, such as Ethics Reform, in the labyrinth of their committees.  Both sides should commission a poll or two to see just how the public in general is perceiving their performance.  I am sure Brian Sanderoff could squeeze such a  question into any upcoming state wide surveys he is conducting.  And a question or  two on Governor Susana's performance in the wake of the pizza party would be in order too.

Misc

Solar Tax Credits on the state level are in danger of once again being scrapped.  This is one growth industry that  needs increased  velocity.  Given the horrible condition of the state's budget it will be a real fight to get these credits in place.  But if they are not enacted, then at the same time every dime in subsidies to the fossil fuel boys has to be eradicated.  If not, you can get a really good picture of who runs our legislature and Governor's office.

Our son and his family had wanted to visit us over Easter weekend.  Our corporate airline system wanted to charge them more for tickets to Albuquerque than they would have charged for tickets to Hawaii or Europe.  They live near Syracuse, New York.  Maybe our US Senators and Congressional delegations could hold some hearings on why this bizarre fare system exists and why the screws are being put to Albuquerque.

The fact that the catholic church is still forbidding contraception in South America in the face of the Zika virus shows just how out of touch that crumbling institution has become.  All of the good that this current Pope is doing is just negated by this silly and imbecilic policy.

Shame

The Democrats who voted down a bill that would create a planning group on how our huge capital funding bills are spent should bow their heads in shame.  They are acting like two bit little pols in taking care of  their pet projects instead of looking out for the well being of their entire district and the State as a whole.   It is like their own little slush fund.  This is corruption, Shame on you.

At the same time the GOP in Santa Fe is a gutless group in not recognizing the need for raising revenues in this horrible economic environment brought on by our Governor.  Taxes must be raised. A gas tax and increase in property tax would do.  Put a sunset on the increases some three to five  years in the future, and then revisit  the issue.

Our legislature has turned into a sophomoric drinking party.  No real work is being done and we sink ever lower in rankings of the other 49 states.

Gravity

I can see it now.  Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma will deny there are gravity waves as he falls on his ass while making a snowball to prove there is no climate change on planet earth.  You will remember he brought a snowball to his Senate desk to disprove climate change.

The announcement that gravity waves have been detected will mean little to most folks, I'm thinking Trump and Cruz supporters.  But, it is pure science and exciting to see that Einstein's theories have been proven once again.

Another issue of gravity is the continued meltdown of New Mexico's economy.  I happily filled up my Infiniti QX-60 Hybrid yesterday for $1.39 a gallon.  At the same time I fully realized that the state budget was in big trouble since our legislature has always depended on fossil fuel revenues to run state government.  The anti government GOP spends a lot of time bitching about the good solid well paying federal jobs at our national labs, military bases and such.  They think it is too big a part of our economy.  but it doesn't disappear over night causing whole regions of the state to turn into our own version of Appalachia. 

Nasty

All of those Behavioral Health Firms that were run out of business or otherwise extorted by Governor Susana have now been cleared of any misdeeds by the Attorney General Hector Balderas.  It makes the governor look like the nasty prosecutorial person she is.  In this case a lot of people lost services who really needed them, all so the Governor could  try and make Bill Richardson look bad for funding these groups.  We probably haven't heard the last of this yet.  Courtrooms will be filled with lawsuits for some time to come.

The Hillary people are getting very nasty on Bernie Sanders, because he isn't a woman?  Former Secretary of State Madeliene Albright and Feminist Gloria Steinem are berating women voters for not supporting Hillary.  If you follow their logic many New Mexicans would be put down for not supporting Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio because they are Latino.  This is pathetic.

Awakening

As we sat around the Super Bowl last night wondering why they abandoned Roman Numerals for numbering the event, and went with the regular 50 numeral instead of L for 50, we kind of decided that most people wouldn't know what L meant.  Do they even teach Roman numerals anymore?  I learned them, but mostly forgot them, but I know what L stands for in the system.  It came slowly.

Just like what is now happening in New Mexico.  People, ever so slowly, are beginning to realize just what a incompetent Governor we have.  Every day another little factoid spits itself out to the media, and to its credit even the Journal has started, reluctantly I'm sure, to see the obvious.  The Queen on the 4th floor has no clothes.

In the ABQ Journal Business section this morning they listed the decline of home values in NM since 2007.  Sure, all home values declined just about everywhere.  But everywhere has seen a rise to higher levels while NM is still in the landfill of economic indicators.

Maybe the fact that this is happening would be our falling population and ranking as having the worse unemployment problem in the U.S.  And if one listens carefully, the business community is starting to realize that there isn't much leadership on getting things better.  And they should include themselves in that  equation.

Have you ever noticed how much  political leadership, bad or good, suffers in the last half of a second term?  Instead of having two four year terms, I think sometimes one six year term would be sufficient before the leaders suffer from voter fatigue.  Along with a constitutional amendment for a six year term would be a provision for recall of statewide elected officials.  Such a recall would need some effort to pull off, but if there was enough outrage it could be done.

MISC

A National rating group says 25% of New Mexico's highways are in bad shape and costing citizens almost $2 billion a  year in vehicle damage and lost time.  The solution to this would be a simple 12 cent gasoline tax during a time of plummeting gasoline prices. And don't forget a lot of this tax would be paid by tourists and interstate commerce.  But don't hold your breath while the current ideologues hang out in Santa Fe.  The lack of leadership is appalling.

The peculiar saga of Mayor Berry's developed trail plan for the Rio Grande Bosque continues.  He and his administration are still ignoring public outcry on his quest to unnecessarily screw up that special place.  It is a tribute to stubbornness  on something that doesn't deserve the angst.  I just don't get it.  Opposition is overwhelming to this plan, and yet he keeps on pushing it.

Millenials

So, what is a candidate to do?  Millennials are up for grabs, but only if someone with real solutions could inspire them.  This focus group study from Democracy Corp is a must read for anyone that even cares about our future.  Bernie Sanders could be proof because of his support by young folks.

I was thinking this morning about our Democratic Party in NM.  Where are they?  Admittedly, I stopped taking their emails because I just couldn't stand the sophomoric statements in those missives. They are certainly not composed by someone who has any idea at all of what young people are dealing with in their lives.  Student Loans, lack of jobs, and non existent leadership have resulted in them bailing out of politics. All we get is  same old mantra from the Democratic leadership.  Probably the best thing that could happen to the Party in NM is to get a Chair  that is under 35 years old.  That might change things from a party of old-timers to a party of futurists.  It can't come soon enough.

School 1, TEA PARTY 0.

I am eating crow.  I really thought those school board bond issues were in danger because of the obsessive negativity of the Albuquerque Journal.  But smart people went to the polls and voted for education and kids.  Woo Hoo!  I feel great about being wrong.

Misc.

Ted Cruz is one scary messenger for the Christian fundamentalist fringe.  The only good thing about him winning in Iowa I think, (it is only Iowa after all), might be that he made that world renowned comb over ass a loser.  But we should all fear Ted Cruz, think about that book "The Handmaiden's Tale."  That would be his kind of America.  And how about Clinton?  Bernie showed that young people in that midwestern state are looking for some support for a future.  I have sent money to Sanders, but I am not so sure he would be a great president on the world stage.  But, I sure like what he says.

Will some brave soul in the NM Legislature really become a champion of increasing the gas tax?  There are some halfway attempts to do so at 5 cents a gallon.  But I am thinking more like 12 cents.  With our new era of gasoline prices,  this would be a painless thing to do while providing good revenue to fix our crumbling transportation infrastructure.  Where are the leaders that can broker such legislation?

What are the odds on the passage of the school bonds in the APS elections today?  Iffy at best.  The Albuquerque Journal's Editor has set up that scenario with his relentless obsession with some of the problems there.  When will the publisher of the Journal, Bill Lang, understand that his editor is out of control?  Is he absentee, or is he really as right wing as his editor?  He needs some heat and sunshine on  him as well.

Stomp the Worker

City Councillor Pat Davis is calling for support to squash Mayor Richard Berry's support for a bill introduced by his GOP handlers in the Legislature that  would lower Albuquerque's Minimum Wage.

I have been mostly a critic of Berry for his inability to handle tricky issues like APD's shooting sprees and hiring weak leaders for the department.  I think he is somewhat lost on many issues that require a Mayor's touch.  But, I had never really suspected that he would do something that could harm those people who work hard for minimum wages.  How does he think this helps our city?  While most jurisdictions debate raising the minimum wage, our Mayor supports lowering it.

We pretty much know who pulls the Mayor's strings.  The business community, the right wing GOP, the editor of the Albuquerque Journal, and his own Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry.  One might think they have no consciences.

Quite frankly, if New Mexico doesn't start electing some smart and compassionate leaders it is doomed to the cellar in terms of decency and prosperity.