Misc.

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which exists to provide subsidies to farmers at the expense of city dwellers, will begin early voting for their board elections.  Voter turn out amounts to around 3% in their stealth elections.

I am hoping that incumbent John Kelley and Michael Sandoval are elected.  They will bring reality to this organization which has great impacts on property tax payments in a four county area along the Rio Grande.  I was manager of that notorious outfit for a year back in 1989.  It was traditionally corrupt and I got nowhere in trying to fix it.

We have some irrigated farm land in Pena Blanca on which we pay irrigation fees.  I also pay taxes on my home for so called flood control, but at this time it is nothing more than subsidy money for farmers growing alfalfa.  Over 90% of the cost of the district is paid for by city dwellers who get little benefit.  And so we need people on the board who will look after everyone's interest.  Kelley and Sandoval will do that.  There is value in having open and irrigated spaces, but one can argue that using water for agriculture in the desert is not all that wise.

Mayor Berry is proposing spending a million dollars promoting Albuquerque to be viewed as a "city worth investing in."  This is a soundbite effort at making it look like something is happening in the way of economic development.  It is also kind of a wimpy statement.  Who writes his speeches?  At the same time the City Council has grudgingly approved $4.5 million to have some outside consultant guide the police department to being a more non violent organization.  Add to that the increased self insurance rates and lawsuit payouts for wrongful police actions and you can see why there isn't much going on in the economic development arena.  There is no money to do it.