BREAKING NEWS: High court to hear GOP lawsuit

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The New Mexico Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this afternoon regarding the Republican Party’s lawsuit against the secretary of state and attorney general. The hearing is a 4 p.m. today in Santa Fe. The lawsuit alleges that two Republican candidates were unfairly denied spots on the Nov. 7 general election ballot and that the Democrats illegally placed a candidate on the ballot. At issue is the secretary of state allowing Democrats to place Hector Balderas on the ballot for state auditor and denying Republican attempts to place Roger Gonzales of Mora on the ballot for Balderas’ House seat and Barbara V. Johnson of Albuquerque on the ballot for a district judgeship in Albuquerque. Continue Reading

Paper slams Pearce proposal on road disputes

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A Salt Lake City newspaper has slammed U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., for his proposal to clarify road rights-of-way in the West. Pearce introduced legislation last week that would require a state or county wanting to claim ownership of a route across federal land to present an official map, from any era, or an aerial photograph showing the road existed prior to 1986, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. That includes roads that run through national parks, wilderness study areas and defense installations. Such a map or photo would give the state or county control over the road, regardless of the federal government’s desire for its use. “There have been many proposals for clarifying road rights of way in the West,” the Tribune editorial states. Continue Reading

The international scene: Support peace in Uganda

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If I may discuss international politics for a moment… Today there are hundreds of activists in Washington, D.C. learning about the tentative peace talks now taking place in Uganda. Rebels with the Lord’s Resistance Army, who have fought and oppressive, brutal, 20-year war in the northern part of that country, have agreed to talks with the Ugandan government that might end the war. Tens of thousands of civilians have been maimed or killed by the rebels, and more than 25,000 children have been abducted from towns and camps and forced to be soldiers or sex slaves. The government has massed people into what it calls “protected villages” that has almost 2 million people displaced and an estimated 1,000 dying each week. I wrote in April about an event in Las Cruces that was part of a larger effort to bring attention to the situation. Continue Reading

More profiles of election contests

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Check out the Las Cruces Sun-News profile of the Doña Ana County assessor race between Democratic incumbent Gary Pérez and Republican challenger H.F. “Junior” Adams by clicking here. Check out the Associated Press profile of the state treasurer race between Democrat James Lewis and Republican Demesia Padilla by clicking here. The article was published in the Santa Fe New Mexican. Continue Reading

Running for re-election, campaigning in Florida, and talking about nukes – all in a day’s work

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Gov. Bill Richardson was in Florida on Monday campaigning for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis (instead of educating New Mexico voters by debating his own opponent here), and talking with the national media about North Korea’s apparent nuclear weapons test. The Albuquerque Journal’s ABQNews Seeker blog has the most humorous account, detailing Richardson’s interview Monday with Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Richardson apparently called Blitzer “Chris” twice during the interview, obviously referring to MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, who Richardson also spoke with Monday. That left Blitzer to scratch his head and ask, “I wonder who he’s talking about,” according to ABQNews Seeker. “It’s hard to keep track when you’re in West Palm Beach running hard for re-election as governor of New Mexico,” notes the blog’s Bruce Daniels in his posting. Continue Reading

Garza’s trial before commission starts today

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The Judicial Standards Commission trial of suspended Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza begins today. The trial is expected to last three days. It will cover at least six different investigations into allegations of wrongdoing by Garza. If the commission finds any misconduct by Garza, it will ask the New Mexico Supreme Court to discipline him or even remove him from the bench. Only if the case is sent to the high court will the results of the commission trial become public. Continue Reading

Sun-News says Richardson should debate

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The Las Cruces Sun-News on Monday joined the choir of news organizations calling on Gov. Bill Richardson to debate Republican challenger John Dendahl. You can read the newspaper’s editorial by clicking here. Since Richardson has not agreed to a debate, here’s another column written by Dendahl. The article about former New Mexico State University Student Regent Felicia Ybarra’s battle with Richardson was published in the Albuquerque Journal on Aug. 21, 2003, and was taken directly from Dendahl’s Web site. Continue Reading

Report confirms impropriety in housing authorities

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The State Investment Council has released its final, damning report on the operations of the state’s regional housing authorities. The report reveals widespread misuse of $5 million in bonds sold to the state, including almost $900,000 that went to former Region III Housing Authority Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos as salary, benefits and a loan. You can read the entire report by clicking here. The state’s housing authorities have been plagued by scandal in recent months that has ultimately resulted in the closing of housing authorities in Las Cruces and elsewhere and a probable restructuring of the entire system. You can read more about it by clicking here. Continue Reading

Fund set up to aid Paige McKenzie

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A fund has been set up to help offset medical costs incurred by Paige McKenzie, the spokeswoman for Republican gubernatorial candidate John Dendahl who was brutally attacked last week. Meanwhile, police revealed this weekend that McKenzie did not recognize her attacker, but could provide a description. McKenzie had surgery over the weekend and remains in the hospital. First Community Bank of New Mexico established the fund with its own $500 donation. Additional donations can be made to: First Community Bank Attn: Paige McKenzie Fund Post Office Box 3686 Albuquerque, NM 87190 Checks should be made payable to the Paige McKenzie Fund. Continue Reading

Check out profiles of three races on ballot

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Profiles of three races that will be on the ballot in Doña Ana County ran in area newspapers this weekend. Click here to read the Las Cruces Sun-News’ profile of the Doña Ana County Commission District 1 race between Democrat incumbent Oscar Vasquez Butler and Republican challenger John Zimmerman. Click here to read the Associated Press’ profile of the secretary of state race between Democrat Mary Herrera and Republican Vickie Perea, which was published in the Santa Fe New Mexican. Click here to read the Associated Press’ profile of the U.S. Senate race between Democrat incumbent Jeff Bingaman and Republican challenger Allen McCulloch, which was published in the Albuquerque Journal. Continue Reading

Richardson’s new position is that he will take a position on cockfighting, but not yet

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It would seem that Gov. Bill Richardson is almost ready to show the world he isn’t afraid to take a stand on the issue of cockfighting. But we’ll have to wait until just before the legislative session to learn what position he’ll take. According to a column in the Las Cruces Sun-News, Richardson told the newspaper’s editorial board last week that he will have a position by the start of the session. “My position is that I will have a position, very clear, and I’ll announce it right before the legislature,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. Richardson drew national ridicule from Jay Leno and others in April, when he said during a visit to Las Cruces that he hadn’t made up his mind on cockfighting and said there were good arguments on both sides of the issue. Continue Reading

Goddard finally responds to Whitley e-mail attack

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Less than five weeks before the election, Doña Ana County Republican Party Chair Sid Goddard has finally responded to the Democratic Party chair’s attempt to politicize the county election task force. In a guest column published Sunday in the Las Cruces Sun-News, Goddard attacks what he calls “eight decades of failed Democratic leadership” in New Mexico and writes that the Democratic Party lacks vision and keeps power by spreading fear. The column is in response to an e-mail Doña Ana County Democratic Party Chair Melinda Whitley sent to her party’s supporters at the beginning of August urging them to attend meetings of the county election task force. “We need to have a big Democratic presence,” Whitley wrote in the email. “… The Republicans are working very hard to totally discredit our clerk through attacking the bureau of elections. Continue Reading

Dendahl on spaceport and commuter rail

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Since Gov. Bill Richardson has still not agreed to debate Republican challenger John Dendahl, I’m continuing this week to publish articles written by Dendahl on various issues. Here’s a column published Dec. 16, 2005 in the Albuquerque Journal about the spaceport and commuter rail, taken directly from Dendahl’s Web site: Spaceport Is Richardson’s Latest Boondoggle By John Dendahl “Another day, another road-to-higher-office boondoggle at New Mexicans’ expense. Now Gov. Bill Richardson is proposing to dump $100 million or so into a ‘commercial spaceport.’ “No wonder this man has a perpetual grin on his face. Despite the intensity with which he seems to despise it, the oil and gas industry is pumping money a politician could only dream of into pockets Richardson controls as if they were his own! Continue Reading

Poll: Schultz has lead in district judge race

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The district judge race between Democrat Lisa Schultz and Republican Janetta Hicks will be close, if a non-scientific poll on this site is any indication, but Schultz has the lead. Of 310 votes cast in last week’s poll, 166, or 54 percent, went to Schultz, while 144, or 46 percent, went to Hicks. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located near the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading