NMPolitics.net (https://nmpolitics.net/index/author/heath-haussamen/page/318/)
The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, should not run for governor in 2010. Of 246 voters, 143, or 58 percent, said Sanchez should not run while 97, or 39 percent, said he should, and six, or 2 percent, said they don’t know. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading
Deans at New Mexico State University appear to be dropping like flies lately. Pamela Jansma, the arts and sciences dean, is leaving in July, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting. The departures of two others had already been announced. From the Sun-News: “The university announced June 2 that interim provost Bob Moulton would become director of two colleges of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates city of Ras Al-Khaimah. Moulton was to return to his position as dean of the College of Education, a position he had held since 2000. Continue Reading
Doyle Pruitt, a former candidate for seats on the Public Regulation Commission and Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners, has announced that he’s running for a seat in the state House of Representatives next year. Pruitt, a Republican, will be seeking the District 37 seat held by Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces. A news release from Pruitt states that he wants to “give better representation and to level the playing field for the constituents.” “Someone is needed to take care of the issues of the people in District 37, which have been overlooked in the past. I have no one to answer to but the people in my district and carry no baggage into the office of representative,” Pruitt said. He cited finding a way to bring more potable water into the Mesilla Valley through desalinization or other means and looking for ways to cut government spending as issues on which he intends to focus. Continue Reading
A retired law-enforcement agent who lives in Las Cruces is the second Republican to confirm that he’s running for land commissioner next year. Errol Chavez, 60, said in a phone interview that he is running because he has been disappointed with “poor strategy” and “infighting” that has hampered the GOP in recent elections. He considered running for Congress, but ultimately decided that his executive experience in law enforcement made land commissioner a better fit. “To run the office you need an executive with the experience to control budgets, deal with regulations,” he said. The other Republican hopeful is former congressional candidate and Bernalillo County GOP executive director Bob Cornelius. Continue Reading
At least one indictment has been returned by a grand jury investigating the housing authority scandal, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting, but that action remains under seal because one of two grand juries convened in the case is still hearing testimony. The first of two grand juries met Friday but didn’t finish its work, the Journal is reporting. That grand jury “apparently will continue to hear testimony in the coming weeks.” The second grand jury, which met Monday, “returned an indictment that was sealed to prevent publicity that could affect the work of the other grand jury,” the Journal article states. The article doesn’t name the person who has been indicted. The newspaper reported that the grand jury that has returned an indictment “has been investigating a $300,000 loan the (Region III Housing Authority) made to its then-executive director, Vincent ‘Smiley’ Gallegos. Continue Reading
By Marita K. Noon June 5, 2009 was the culmination of a 17-month battle for Mount Taylor where the decision to make the temporary Traditional Cultural Property designation (TCP) permanent was announced — New Mexico’s 1 million acre land grab. An opponent to the decision said, “I could hear the jobs, stability and growth in our community suck right out of our town as the vote was cast. Corporate dollars will be spent in other communities where progress is encouraged and growth is a way of life.” The television news cameras were all there to record the contentious decision. While I gave my comments to ABC news, locals stood behind the cameras and mouthed “thank you.” A documentary news crew that sought out my thoughts following the meeting asked if I’d been out to the reservation to talk to the people. “No, I have not because this is not about reservation land. Continue Reading
Bill Richardson’s office now says the governor did not meet with investment marketer Marc Correra, the son of a friend and fundraiser, “regarding any state business” before the state decided to invest $90 million in a fund Correra was pushing, the New Mexico Independent is reporting. The investing of that money with Vanderbilt Financial is the subject of the pay-to-play lawsuit brought by Frank Foy on behalf of the state. “The governor did not meet with Anthony (Marc’s father) or Marc Correra regarding any state business during the time period you are asking about,” Gilbert Gallegos, Richardson’s deputy chief of staff, said, according to the Independent. “Further, the governor was not familiar with Vanderbilt during that time period.” As I wrote earlier today, the Independent’s Trip Jennings has been on a quest to get an answer to the question about Marc Correra. Until today, Richardson and his staffers have refused to answer the question, and his office has cited executive privilege in denying Jennings’ request for documents that would have indicated who Richardson met with in the months prior to the decisions by two state boards to invest with Vanderbilt. Earlier today, the Independent published an article authored by Jennings about the untested area of state law the governor’s office is wading into by citing executive privilege in denying Jennings’ records request. Continue Reading
This article has been updated.The federal probe into allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration is complete and has been forwarded to the office of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for consideration, a public official whose agency has been at the center of the probe said today. “It’s my understanding is that the grand jury investigation has been completed. It has been forwarded to the U.S. Attorney General’s office,” Stephen Flance, chairman of the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA), said today at a legislative hearing, according to the New Mexico Independent. When the AG’s office will make a decision on whether to take action in the case is not known publicly. Though a previous media report has suggested that the grand jury had wrapped up its work and the case was in the hands of officials in Washington, today’s was the first confirmation of that by any public official involved in the probe. Continue Reading
Southwest Citizens Coalition says it’s time to stop ‘left-wing’ groups from ‘working to destroy the cause of freedom in the Land of Enchantment’ The debate over the political and policy work of nonprofits is taking a new turn with the formation of a nonprofit that aims to stop progressives from “building a permanent ultra-liberal majority in New Mexico.” Southwest Citizens Coalition (SCC) Chairman Allen McCulloch urged those who support “free-market values and constitutional freedoms” to unite behind the group in a recent mass e-mail. “In the state of Colorado, left-wing non-profit organizations — like the progressive groups operating right here in New Mexico — have singlehandedly changed the face of that state’s government from free-market to ultra-liberal in just a few short years,” McCulloch’s e-mail states. “Now, these progressive groups see New Mexico as the next state to fall prey. They’re working to destroy the cause of freedom in the Land of Enchantment.” “… The time is short. It’s time to fight fire with fire,” the e-mail states. Continue Reading
A new article describes U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., as an attentive listener, straight shooter and gentleman who also has “a bit of a stubborn streak.” Sounds about right to me. The article is published in The National Journal Magazine, and takes a look at energy reform legislation being developed in the Senate by profiling the leaders of two committees working on the effort. They are Bingaman, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee. The link to the magazine’s June cover story is here, but you can only read it if you have a subscription. An accompanying interview with Bingaman is here, but also requires a subscription. Continue Reading
I first encountered the Richardson administration’s use of executive privilege several years ago when the Office of the State Engineer cited that as the reason for denying my records request related to dealings with the Verde Group on a controversial development project in southern Doña Ana County. At the time, I was a reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News, and the newspaper was unwilling to challenge that justification for denying my request. End of story. Now the New Mexico Independent (for which I write) has experienced the use of executive privilege by the governor’s office as the justification for denying a request filed under the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act. The Independent’s Trip Jennings has been trying to find out whether Gov. Bill Richardson met with investment marketer Marc Correra, the son of a friend and fundraiser, before the state decided to invest $90 million in a fund Correra was pushing. Continue Reading
Voters overwhelmingly approved the selling of beer and wine in unincorporated areas of Doña Ana County in an election held today. With all results in except 33 provisional ballots that have yet to be considered, the serving of beer and wine at restaurants outside the Las Cruces, Hatch, Mesilla and Sunland Park city limits was approved by 84 percent of voters, County Clerk Lynn Ellins said. Turnout was a little more than 3 percent, Ellins said. Some 1,128 people voted in favor of allowing the sale of alcohol, while 208, or 16 percent, voted against it. The canvass will be held on Friday, Ellins said. Continue Reading
“Very, very light” is how Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins is describing turnout for today’s election on whether to allow the selling of beer and wine in unincorporated areas of the county. That’s according to a Las Cruces Sun-News article. Only registered voters who live in the county but outside the Las Cruces, Hatch, Mesilla and Sunland Park city limits can vote on whether to allow the serving of beer and wine with meals, which is not currently allowed. Polls are open until 7 p.m. Click here to find your polling place. Continue Reading
We’ve known for months that Republican Steve Pearce is looking at running for governor or his old congressional seat next year. The Washington publication CQ Politics takes a look, in a new article, at whether, now that Pearce is no longer the incumbent, he could topple U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M. Read the article and you’ll find out what I think about the possibilities. The bottom line is that I don’t see Pearce running for governor after his last shellacking in a statewide race. So a Teague-Pearce matchup is a real possibility. Which raises a number of questions: Can a former incumbent beat a current incumbent? Continue Reading
William Flores is leaving his job as deputy secretary of higher education to be president of the University of Houston-Downtown. “We are very fortunate to have found a leader of Dr. Flores’ caliber who is an excellent fit with the vision and mission of UH-Downtown. He has a depth of experience in every category of specific interest for us,” University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator said in a news release. Flores is the former provost at New Mexico State University and also served as interim president for a time. He had Gov. Bill Richardson’s backing in 2004 to become NMSU president, but the regents instead picked Michael Martin, who has since also moved on. Continue Reading