Letter from the Amazon

My sister Carlota from Santa Fe has been in Peru and the Amazon for the last couple of weeks.  We had not heard from her for a week and I sent her an email asking if she had been eaten by an Anaconda.  Here is the reply I received when she flew into Cuzco for a trip to Machu Picchu.  I thought it was timely after reading John Fleck's article on John Wesley Powell in the Journal this morning.

Well, I am alive, but I did see a giant anaconda! A guy had just caught it

in a village on the Amazon where we stopped to visit with the native

people. SCARY!!

Spent the whole past week on a barge on the Amazon and on

smaller boats in the tributaries.  The boat was great, but the trips up 

the smaller rivers and some hikes in the jungle were so (expletive deleted) difficult

that I almost gave up.  But I would do it all again!!  The Amazon portion

of my travel was the hardest trip of my life, but I now realize how

everything is connected.  Climate change will really screw up the ¨major

two Pacific Ocean currents, which will have an effect on the rainforest

(the lungs of the planet), which will be diminished, and that will affect

the whole world.  Brazil is tearing down its amazonian jungles like crazy,

but Peru has made the entire Amazon basin a protected region and it's

huge! I have learned so much!

The Amazon Rainforest, which was very difficult to live in, has so many

flora and fauna....just magnificent and the River itself is almost

unbelievable!  The volume of water and the heavy current towards the

Atlantic simply cannot be described!

I flew from Iquitos in the jungle to Lima yesterday and from Lima to Cuzco

this morning.  Cuzco is sublime. There was a big procession here as this

is la Semana Santa-- Holy Week.  Today it was the procession to honor

Nuestro Senor (Our Lord of the earthquakes). Tomorrow we go to some remarkable Inca ruins and then we are traveling to Machu Picchu where we will stay for a couple of days.

This week is my 70th birthday and it will be in Machu Picchu during the

full moon.  It is all so thrilling!!  I just can't believe I'm here.  One

of my best adventures ever.

Love,

Lota

Simon

Our grandson Simon arrived on Sunday and immediately went down the street to play in the sunshine.  They haven't had so much snow in upstate New York where he is from, but they do lack those Vitamin D inducing sun rays.  He is two and a half years old and is typical in converting every bit of intake into copious amounts of energy.

You Are Screwed

As a former Mayor I now have to say that I have no faith in Mayor Berry at all.  For him to sit and take such a screw job from the Governor and Legislature on the last  minute tax package shows he cares more about party line than the people in his city.

The legislature and Governor dropped taxes on corporations and the rich.  Don't you doubt it.  And to make up for it they are taking away dollars from the cities and counties in New Mexico by phasing out revenues that made up for the removal of gross receipts taxes on food some years ago.  (A victory there for Governor Richardson.)

Now the chicken democrats and right wing Governor and republican legislators have done something that raises taxes, (you guessed it!) on the poor and working people of New Mexico.  And our Mayor says he is hopeful that the lower taxes on business and the rich will translate into a revenue neutral situation.  What a load of crap!  What a huge load of crap!  The cities and counties will be forced to raise their gross receipts taxes to make up for the difference.  In Albuquerque it is already 7%!  It was just 5.5% when I was Mayor.  It is without a doubt the most regressive kind of tax.

And what does the Governor say?  She said it was something didn't want to do but it was done in a spirit of compromise.  That is her way of having her cake and eating it too. How much longer will people continue to let themselves be screwed?

Hanging

Ajax and Casper are waiting out of the commotion as we get the house ready for our son and daughter and families to get here for an Easter week visit.  We have cleaned their old rooms.  Got in a little cot for our grandson to sleep on.  Bought another humidifier so our daughter in law won't be uncomfortable.  This dry air and high altitude gets to those upstate New York Girls.  This will be the first time we are all together in 20 months.  It should be fun!  They are lucky too. They will miss today's  terrific winds.

A Monument

The pending designation of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is a wonderful addition to our Land of Enchantment's protected landscapes.  The 240,000 acre designation is the result of the hard work of many organizations and funders in New Mexico.  Thanks to former Senator Jeff Bingaman.  Martin Heinrich did some hard work on this too prior to being elected to the Senate.  Governor Bill Richardson heavily supported it from the beginning.  The Wilderness Society, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and many other groups worked diligently on this and in a very smart and political way.

This is a magnificent area north and west of Taos.  It includes the Rio Grande Gorge.  Its preservation is a gift to future generations.

Priorities

I am sort of speechless and more than normally stupefied by the news in the Journal this morning.  They didn't do anything wrong.  They just reported priorities these days.

The big headline story is the new 10 year contract that pays our UNM basketball coach over $100,000 a month with the possibility of a lot more if certain things happen.  I know most of this money comes from ticket sales and boosters and side deals.

Another story below the fold is about pending furloughs of thousands of military civilian employees at Kirtland Air Force Base just a few miles from the Pit.  Their pay checks will be getting smaller as they are forced to take time off every week without pay.  All due to the lack of job performance on the part of Congress to manage the budget.  That will hurt the already battered local economy and I can't imagine what those workers are thinking of the Coach's pay raise.

And then on the Metro page is an article about how funding cuts for higher education in New Mexico has exceeded the US average.  Spending per student has fallen 36% while tuition for those students has risen 22%.  That really stings!  Why are these kids not occupying the state capitol?

Roman Emperors used to use the games at the Colosseum as a way of distracting the public from a slowly failing empire.   Things haven't changed.

The Cop Out

An apt title for this entry.  The Chief cop is out(in a few months) and the new Chief cop is out too.  Until after the Albuquerque City Mayoral election.  And so, until at least the end of the year there will be no new leadership at APD.  Poor timing due to politics all the way around.  The Mayor and Council dithered on the severe problems at APD for at least 18 months.  And then a decision is made to replace the Chief in an election  year, but it doesn't make sense to do so because the new Chief might have such a short tenure if the Mayor is not reelected.  And of course this is all welcome by the Mayor because he wont have to make a tough decision before the October election and perhaps a December runoff election.

And the inertia of a disjointed police department will continue.  This is poor management all the way around.

Lunch

Yesterday I went with a friend on their "Meals on Wheels' route into the South Valley.  I give a monthly donation to the program which sends lunches out to the poor, elderly and shut ins.  It was a gratifying two hours as we delivered 11 meals to some of these folks.

One comes to the realization that for many of these folks the knock on the door by the meal delivery volunteer might be the only interaction for them during their day.  You can tell that this little communication means a lot to some of them.

One also comes to the realization that many of these recipients of a meal are poverty stricken in a permanent way.  Some of the better off ones do pay for their lunches, but others would not be able to eat a decent meal daily  if it weren't for donations coming in.  $15 bucks a month would feed one of these folks for a week or so.  You can donate here.

There is also a program that delivers dog food for these people's pets.  Pretty cool thing to do.

Yawn

The insiders at the Legislature may or may not be happy with the outcome of the session.  Mostly, I am just glad it is over.  I followed it more than most.  The average citizen doesn't follow it at all.  They may form some kind of overall impression of the yearly congregation as a result of news coverage.  This year it might be an impression that everyone compromised at the end.  These days that looks good for all part time observers but the legislators and Governor probably don't like it.

The biggest failure is to approve background checks for firearms purchases at gun shows.  The lines for buyers remain safe for paranoid schizophrenics to buy the assault rifle of their choice.

The corporate tax cut over a period of years is questionable.  But it is hardly a sell out by the Democrats who got their own tax cuts of sort in the film incentive program.  I am sure there are some other special interest laws that were passed that we don't know about, but that is the way it all works.

The overall winners here are the Governor, Speaker of the House Ken Martinez, and special interest lobbyists who got tax breaks for their clients.

Of course, all of this is eclipsed by the Lobo mania and the Governor being invited by Obama to represent the US at the Pope's inaugural.  One would have to say that was a bipartisan move.

GOP and Gays

A lot of people I know think it is a huge step in the right direction that Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman has come out in support of Gay marriage since his son came out last summer.  It is a good thing.  At the same time it really shows me that the GOP care about only themselves and their mostly archaic beliefs.  Until those beliefs affect them negatively on a personal level.

While it is admirable that the Senator is supporting his son it is also very telling that he hated the idea of Gay marriage until his own family was involved.  If his own son had not come out then he would still be objecting to anyone else's son or daughter being allowed to participate in a Gay marriage?  A selfish and backward view would have prevailed.

Slowly but surely the GOP is being forced to come into this century.  They are being forced to do so by their own kids and other relatives who no longer are willing to stay quiet.  At the end of the day this is the only important thing.

They Got Their Man

The Albuquerque Journal did it.  They got their man.  Their dogged pursuit of Police Chief Ray Schultz finally hit pay dirt.  Day in and day out for the last couple of years they have had the ink barrels pouring into the problems at the Police Department.  And finally there was too much for the Mayor to wash away.  The Journal did what they did best and forced the issue.  (And this time it wasn't even a Hispanic democrat.)

Well, they did the right thing in this case.  And that is a good thing.  Now will they have an even and non right wing editorial about the importance of finding a new chief from the outside so that no particular entrenched faction at APD steps in?  Stay tuned.

GOP and the Pope

My friend Dennis Jett wrote this for the McClatchy newspapers yesterday.  I was going to do the same thing today, but really, he is a much better writer than me.  Think of Susannah Martinez going to see the Pope as you read this.

Commentary: Six ways the Catholic Church is just like the Republican Party

One might think that a political party and a religious organization would not have that much in common. But the Republican Party, in the wake of its failure to retake the White House, and the Catholic Church, in the aftermath of a series of scandals, actually have a lot in common. Here are at least six similarities:

1. They both select the oldest white guy in the room as their standard bearer.

2. They have a fundamental policy of denying certain rights to gays and women. 

3. They are convinced they have a monopoly on morality. 

4. They believe putting a Latino face on their product will increase sales to that important demographic. 

5. They cater to their base and could care less about public opinion or interest writ large. 

6. They think to prevail in today’s world all they have to do is change the messaging without making any change in the meaning of their message.

Go National

Dear Mayor Berry,

Now that the inevitable has occurred and Albuquerque Police Chief Schultz has stepped down, you must not make the mistake of promoting a new Chief from within the department.  Start a national search for a highly qualified crime fighter and administrator to run this incestuous department.  Bring in a guy or gal who will make meaningful changes in training of officers.  Bring in a someone who can stick to a budget so the cop shop doesn't drain away resources from all other city departments.  Set up a search committee immediately to make a bipartisan effort to get this done efficiently and ask them to suggest at least three finalists.  Don't be afraid to spend a little extra money for a really qualified candidate.   It will pay off in the future.

I would also like to thank Chief Schultz for his service to out city.

Sincerely,

Jim Baca
Former Mayor

The Governor's Race

I opined a little on the Governor's race recently.  I am hoping for some real talent to step forward and take on Martinez.  I have decided that another Martinez might be the answer.  That would be Speaker of the House Ken Martinez.  Most people feel he is the smartest guy in the capitol building and that he  is capable of non partisan cooperation to advance policy agendas.

Republican Susannah Martinez, a child of the right wing wackos, got a lot of votes in the traditionally northern part of the state.  From Democrat Hispanics.  Could she hold those votes against a well respected and centric democrat like Ken Martinez?   I don't think so.

I know that the Speaker would have a lot to lose politically by running for Governor.  But sometimes a good politico has to sacrifice a bit and do what is right for working people and working poor.  They are more important than that Speaker job.

Everyone I know thinks Martinez is a brilliant and fair minded man.  Now they have to convince him to run for Governor.  Some say he isn't well enough known.   Well, who was Susannah Martinez before she became Governor.  No one had ever heard of her.  Just like Gary Johnson when he ran.

Wait a Minute

I have to admit I was kind of mesmerized as they waited to announce the new Pope.  As a person raised in the Catholic faith and schools you never really get away from the dogma.  Especially the guilt, but I digress.  Although no longer a church member I love to watch the drama involved in the operations of the 1 billion member religion.  The Pope thing has always interested me quite a bit because of the seeming democratic process for appointing a new one.  That is about all of a democratic process  you will see though in this organization.  It is pretty much top down management.

The new Pope is the first Jesuit, the first South American, and the first non European in the modern era to be elected.  But wait a minute, isn't Bergoglio an Italian name?

He looked to be a pretty down to earth guy with some vigor in him.  He looks like a Pope.  His job will be the toughest in centuries as the church tries to grapple with modern day life.  If he can't find a way of liberalizing then this church will be on its way out.  Since he is on top, then maybe this is one time when the church can change.  If he wishes it.

I bet it would be fun to be in Buenos Aires tonight.

Candidates

I am beginning to get worried about the number of Democrats that are willing to become candidates in the Mayoral and Governor's elections.  So far we have Pete Dinelli in the Mayor's race and Gary King in the Governor's race.  Probably, Dinelli will be the only one to consider in the local race.  Most of the people I speak with think he is a good guy with little chance of winning if he sticks to the public financing effort he is putting forth.  If he doesn't gather that 3500 donations of $5 each then he will be set adrift into a sea of special interest financing aimed at keeping Mayor Berry in office.  If he does make the threshold, then he limits himself to that amount of money and will be further inundated with opposition from special interest corporate Pacs, thanks to the Supreme Court.  He is in a very difficult spot.  Most other possible candidates probably have come to the conclusion that it is a no win situation.  So they opted out.

Gary King called me yesterday while I was kind of busy.  He is looking for early support and money. I like Gary and have known him for years.  I worked for his dad, Bruce King.  I think he may be the only person that will run against the Governor in the upcoming cycle.  If he does I will send him money and support him, but I am waiting out the entry into the Democratic Primary of other candidates who I think could stand a better chance of winning.  I am probably not alone in that predicament.  Most of my friends feel the same way.  They are torn between their like of Gary, but feel a stronger campaigner is needed.  One friend says that Gary feels he is entitled to run because of his dad.  I wonder if that is true.

I think the Democratic Party needs to come up with some new strong leadership and candidate recruiters.  Sam Bregman says he will be that person.  Right now, he looks pretty good to me.

Lawn

This morning I dropped by Lowe's to buy some spring fertilizer for the back yard.  My mission was to find fertilizer with out any pesticides or herbicides in it.  It took a while but I found a bag.  Fully 95 % of their stuff were full of chemicals that kill things.

When I got home I received a note about this Forum that will take place here in Albuquerque in April.  It is being sponsored by a group called "Beyond Pesticides." I hope the media will throw a little attention towards it.  I know this stuff can sometimes help farmers and I can deal with it.  But we don't need to throw it on our yards and own gardens.  In our little garden we regularly hunt down the squash bugs and tomato worms and assassinate them with a stick.  It works well.

The Winner

The real winner in the tally of the Albuquerque City Mail in Election will be future Mayors who will be able to claim, unlike me, that they won with a majority of votes now that winning 50% is required under the city charter.  Yes, that means a run off election most of the time.  But so what.

The real losers on this are the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board(The Editor and Publisher in other words.)  They are the surrogates of the GOP in this town.  The didn't want this to happen because working people would have to much say in the outcome.  Yes, people in unions.  Another loser is the Berry administration's ham fisted running of the election in which the mail in ballot was a piece of confusing junk.  This should be an embarrassment to him, the city clerk and city attorney.  Where is the professionalism?

Strangely though, I think it is quite possible for Berry to win with out a run off since there are so few people willing to run against him.  People perceive Berry to be a decent guy who has not done anything dishonest and treats people with respect.  That is true and I feel that way too.  But, he seems to be weak in some areas, especially his handling of his police department.  But the general voting public will give him a 'bye' on that one.  Mostly that is because the media has given him a break on this and not badgered him as a responsible party.  That has been heaped on Chief Schutlz who Berry should have put out to pasture a long time ago.   

Send Some Stories

I am hoping some of you will send your favorite political stories to another blog I set up called NM Political Lore.  So far I have only one submission.  I know you all have a story tucked away in your head.

Bobbi and I have started to watch "House of Cards" on Netflix.  It is engrossing and a little over the top.  But stories it tells about political maneuvering have some basis in fact.  I know any reader who reads political blogs will have stories of their own.  Send one along.

I gotta think some legislators who will be finished up in a couple of weeks would like to send along some stories from years past.  Just send the stories to nmpoliticallore@gmail.com

I will post them.

It is Coming

As the sequester on federal funding falls into place everyone in New Mexico should take a giant cleansing breath and prepare for some shocks.  Especially if one is employed by a military base in our state.  As the New York Times and others are reporting this situation will give the Obama administration some real leeway in reducing our military spending.  There might be little in the way of protecting ourselves from it.  And in the long range it may not be all bad, but in the short range it will hurt mightily.

So, what needs to happen is a concerted effort by the Martinez administration to start some real stimulus spending to take  up the slack.  An obvious place to start is our transportation network.  If we do indeed take big cuts from the Feds, then the Governor along with out DC delegation needs to get some sort of recognition that our relatively poor state will deserve some recognition from Obama that we will need a little extra help.  The state may have to be ready to do its share.

Lets wait and see if Martinez and  her minions can get a program together.  Or will she simply sit by the sidelines and let the largely democratic DC delegation take all the blame?  That is probably what her mascot McClesky will advise.  Let's hope she ignores him.