Misc.

I read this morning that the Governor jumped out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute while we were in Martha's Vineyard.  It is ironic that a right wing republican Governor had a good parachute when most of the elected officials in her party want to deny parachutes to most of our citizens.  You know, like social security and healthcare.  The only parachutes the Governor probably believes in are 'golden parachutes' for the one per centers.

We had an interesting discussion with some republicans on the Vineyard Fast Ferry yesterday on the way to Providence, Rhode Island.  They were moderate republicans it seems, because they admitted that the Citizens United Supreme Court Case that made corporations into citizens was way over the top and extremely damaging.  They sure hate taxes though and pay very high ones in their local governments, except for their sales tax.  It seems their taxes are more progressive.

I will reluctantly go vote against the Zoo tax today.  Using the gross receipts tax is putting the burden on the poorest in our community.  I hope this regressive tax hike fails.

Chilling on Martha's Vineyard

Bobbi and Lobster on the Beach

Clambake

On the Island

We made it to Martha's Vineyard. The weather is perfect. And tonight we start a three day birthday party with a good friend. Woo hoo!

New

New plane over Chicago. Notice new wing tips.

Off East

We will be off for a few days while many politicos marvel at the Secretary of State's decision to plead not guilty.  Maybe she is, but I am not holding my breath.

We went to see "Book of Mormon" last night at Popejoy.  A great show.  Sold out.

We will post from the road.

Fun

Early golf at twin Warriors

Bad Government

I am usually 100% supportive of our US Senators.  But Heinrich and Udall did nothing but support the status quo in trying to keep any reorganization of the Bureau of Land Management offices in New Mexico and Arizona from happening.  There was an idea that the two states should be combined administratively.  It would not be a perfect thing, but better than what exists now.

Most federal agencies are organized into regions and that makes a lot of sense.  The National Park Service, the Forest Service, the EPA and others take a regional approach to things.  But the BLM has offices with State Directors in every western state which makes the BLM extremely political.  When  you have decent Senators and Congressmen who are not beholding to the natural resource extractors on BLM Lands, then it doesn't matter.  But when the oil and gas and fossil fuel boys get their hands on folks like Pete Domenici, Heather Wilson, and Steve Pearce, then the BLM is being run not by the Interior Department buy by those who give the most money to these politicos.

When I was Director of the BLM, I was constantly fighting State Directors who were in bed with their state's Senators.  One time I ordered removal of sheep from a Wyoming grazing lease because of destructive practices.  Within two hours I had calls from the state's entire delegation saying I shouldn't do it.  They were notified by the state director.

BLM should be managed regionally along sensible natural ecosystem borders, such as a regional office for the Colorado Plateau which would include parts of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona.  They shouldn't be managed along political power lines drawn on a map to favor extractive industries.

On another issue, thanks to Senator Heinrich for sponsoring a bill to protect the American Bison. 

Perfect Onion Humor

Mo Problems

The media is following up on republican Diana Duran's problems of violating campaign finance laws even as she serves as Secretary of State.  The followups consist of finding a democrat who has done the same thing.  The front page story on Representative Mo Maestas's careless campaign reporting is an eye opener.  I had always viewed him as Mr. Clean, but he is either suspect or really incompetent in managing his campaign money.  I am totally surprised and disappointed.  Anyone who has run campaigns must know that when 10% of the money you raise doesn't show up on the books, there is something really wrong. But, he stood  up and took the heat with an apology and attempted to fix things.

Diana Duran continues to hide in her bunker.  My bet is that  she is in negotiations with the AG to lessen charges against her to misdemeanors in order to keep her state pension.  We will see.

Someone posted a funny thing on Facebook today.   In order to fight crime legalize drugs.  And then put Comcast Customer Service in charge of distributing narcotics.

Bullies

The City Council was bullied last night by the Albuquerque Police Command staff at a Council Meeting.  Councillors Lewis and Gibson, a bipartisan duo, called them out for it.  City Councillor  Ken Sanchez wimped out as usual instead of being a leader.  He tried to be on both sides of the difficult intimidation by the APD Brass.  He actually said he was scared in his own city.  And the City Chief Adminstrative Officer Rob Perry supported the bullies.

The Command Staff has been getting retention bonuses, even after the money ran out for such bonuses for the field officers.  Giving bonuses to the Command staff in the first place is questionable, but when that staff shows up to try to intimidate our elected officials then you know it is time for another round of Justice Department investigations.

At this point the best thing to be done is for Chief Eden to resign as a failed leader and for Mayor Berry to find a new CAO.  Our city is in the national spotlight for having a bad cop shop, and this latest incident isn't going to help.

The Albuquerque Journal buried this story for some odd reason.  Even their rightwing editor should see the dangers here. And Berry is no where to be seen.

Whistleblower Alleges APD Records Coverups | Free ABQ

Check this at: http://www.freeabq.com/?p=3425/#comment-1396

Read This

Everything I could say, but said better.

Making Enemies

This is a picture of a sign urging participation in the October City election that would add a 1/8 cent to our gross receipts tax to support the ABQ Bio Park.  It is at the entry way of the zoo.  I am pretty sure it is illegal.

But the real crime here is that this tax will have poor people paying for a bigger share of Bio Park expenses than the rich.  And that is because the gross receipts tax is such a regressive tax.  This needed money for the Zoo should be funded with bonds supported by the property tax, which is less regressive.

I adore our Bio Park.  But, I will vote against this tax on poor people. Most of them can't afford to go to the Bio Park except on an occasional free day.  This is no way to fund daily narrow government operations of this kind, and it is all thanks to weak City Councilors and Mayors who don't want to upset small constituencies.

Does Mayor Berry support this tax?  I think so, since he has said nothing about it.

A Public Servant

A decent man named Belarmino Giron died late last week in Pojoaque, NM.  He is one of the best and brightest public servants I ever knew.  His honesty was legend and his advice to the people he worked with was unrivaled.  He always had the back of the citizen taxpayer.  He had a knack for convincing the elected officials who he worked for to do the right thing.  I know he certainly did a lot rescues for me as I worked at reforming New Mexico's Liquor Laws back in the early 1980s.  After I was elected Land Commissioner he was my one of my first appointments.  With his wise counsel we raised oil and gas royalties, grazing fees, and pursued planned development on state trust lands.

All too often we just hear about public servants who get in trouble.  Rarely do we hear of honest and hard working men like Belarmino, whose only interest was a better life for New Mexicans.

Birthday Boys

This is a picture of my identical twin brother Tom and I on our 4th birthday with our new tricycles in about 1948 at our home on Quincy St. N.E. in Albuquerque.  We will be celebrating our 70th birthdays on Saturday.  I think I am the one on the right.  I was always a few pounds more identical than him.

Misc.

I think there was some good comments made by the APS Board on their decision yesterday.  They are under certain constraints that are mandated when handling personnel cases.  But then two of the Board members started talking about their responsibility to god.  Lost me there for sure.

We will really see how flawed an individual Secretary of State Diana Duran is when we see how long it will take her to resign.  Shall we start a pool?  I figure she will be out by November 1st.

Having four grand kids in the house for the first time is a test for our beloved cats Ajax and Casper.  Mostly they are hanging a round the back yard.  They come in at night to say hello at 2am.

Voting

Someone needs to check to see if the people who want a recall vote for the APS Board Members actually voted in the last school board election.  There was like a 3% turn out probably.  So it won't take many signatures to call an election.

That election would be one more way of ignoring students.  It would be a stupid thing to do.

And so, I am on vacation for a few days while all of our grandchildren visit and meet each other for the first time!  Woo Hoo.

Inoculation

Leave it to the editor of the Albuquerque Journal to do his best to inoculate the Governor and Mayor from any fall out for republicans on the Secretary of State scandal.  Today pictures of both Susana and Berry in the Journal helping people they usually wouldn't associate with much.  Susana with a school child, and Berry with homeless activists.  How can we trust the corporate Journal any more?  In fact, that is how we should refer to this newspaper from now on.

Meanwhile, I just can't wait to find out  where all the money came from that Diana Duran burned up at the casinos.  The campaign funds alone will never add up the stupendous amount lost. This story has very deep roots.

And then the Governor is inoculating herself by attacking the APS school board for firing the 90 day tenured Luis Valentino and giving him a settlement package.  The governor's right wing advisers, who are a hell of a lot smarter than the democratic operatives, figured out she should go on the attack to distance herself from the charges she and her Education Secretary were allegedly involved in with the attempted firing a a trusted APS employee.  Yeah, it is confusing.