County Republicans finally build a real Web site

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The Doña Ana County Republican Party has finally replaced its horrendous excuse for a Web site with a well-designed, user-friendly site. You can check out the new site by clicking here. You’ll find information about local Republican candidates, a calendar of upcoming events and links to contribute to or volunteer with the party. In addition, there’s a link to the special audit of Doña Ana County government that was released earlier this year, which has been a hot topic for the Republican Party. The previous site was so cumbersome it wasn’t worth visiting. Continue Reading

Get involved in work of ethics task force

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The Governor’s Task Force on Ethics Reform has a Web site that contains minutes of most meetings that have been held. They are thorough and adequately summarize the work that has been done by the task force. You can review the minutes by clicking here. I strongly recommend you take the time to review them, then share your thoughts with the task force co-chairs, University of New Mexico Law School Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia and New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics Dean Garrey Carruthers. You can e-mail Scarnecchia at scarnecc@unm.edu, and Carruthers at garreyc@nmsu.edu. Continue Reading

Tombaugh’s widow, others protest Pluto demotion

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Supporters of Pluto’s now defunct planetary status are banding together to protest its recent demotion. They’re fighting with a passion that rivals that of the group of Democrats who believe Bush stole the presidency and lied about the Iraq war. A group of worldwide astronomers last week demoted Pluto to the rank of “dwarf planet.” Patricia Tombaugh, widow of Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto, was quoted in newspapers across the world as saying she was “shook up” but also said her husband saw this coming before his death several years ago. Now a group of New Mexico State University Aggies plan to protest the demotion this morning on campus. Tombaugh’s widow, who lives in Las Cruces, will join them. Continue Reading

Garza claims he passed urine test, but has not released results to commission or taken hair test

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Carlos Garza claims he has passed the drug test he took 10 days ago. The suspended Doña Ana County magistrate judge said he received the results today of a urine test he took Aug. 21. “The results were negative,” Garza said. “I do not have drugs in my system.” The commission filed last week a petition asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests, which were sought because of allegations that Garza is using drugs. Continue Reading

Richardson re-election mailers sound like he’s running for national office

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Bill Richardson is talking about national politics to people all across America under the guise of being re-elected New Mexico governor. His re-election campaign has mailed thousands of fundraising letters that, according to the Albuquerque Journal, “at times read like they came from a national office seeker.” He blasts the Bush administration and promotes his own work on national and international issues. Three times in the letter, according to the Journal, he tells potential donors, “I promise you I can show America a better way.” “My name is Bill Richardson and I’m a Democrat who’s not afraid to talk about what we Democrats stand for and what we have to do to turn our country around,” the letter states. Richardson’s re-election campaign chair, Dave Contarino, told the Journal that, “If you’re running in New Mexico, but you’re talking to a national audience, you have to address national issues.” How convenient. “I’m writing to you because George Bush and the GOP smear machine have targeted me for defeat and I urgently need your help to fight off their attacks,” Richardson states in the letter, according to the Journal. Continue Reading

Auditor’s independence is critical to government

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Of all government officials, it’s most important that the state’s auditor be independent. He or she is charged with holding the rest of government in the state accountable. Wrongdoing by government officials is often first revealed by the auditor’s office. Domingo Martinez has demonstrated the highest ethical standards in his eight years as state auditor. Though he’s a registered Democrat, it hasn’t shown. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: President declares county a federal disaster area

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President George Bush has officially declared a federal disaster in Doña Ana County due to recent flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency officially notified Gov. Bill Richardson of the decision this afternoon, Richardson’s office said in a news release. Richardson is on his way to Washington, D.C. this evening to plead to a similar declaration for Otero County. “This means relief is on the way for residents who are struggling to take care of their families and businesses and get back on their feet,” Richardson said. “I am grateful the president and FEMA recognize the extensive damage caused by heavy rain and flooding in Hatch and other communities in Southern New Mexico. Continue Reading

Magistrate Garza apparently planned to resign until allegations of drug use became public

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Embattled Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza was apparently prepared to resign until the Judicial Standards Commission made public last week allegations that he may be using drugs. The commission filed a week ago a petition asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests, which were sought because of allegations that Garza is using drugs. The court has not yet responded. Garza had already been placed on suspension with pay until Nov. 3 while the commission conducts five separate investigations into other serious allegations. Continue Reading

Task force recommends compensating legislators

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Compensating legislators is one of three proposals that will be recommended to Gov. Bill Richardson by the state ethics task force. The group opted Tuesday to proceed with three recommendations. In addition to compensation for lawmakers, they include the creation of an independent ethics commission and an appointed state treasurer and auditor, according to an article from the Associated Press that you can read via the Albuquerque Journal. Details of all three proposals, some of them controversial, will be worked out later. The task force’s members agreed that the New Mexico Constitution should be changed to give lawmakers some sort of compensation, whether it be a salary or reimbursement of expenses or some combination, but only if the law is also changed to ban the use of campaign funds for anything other than campaigning, the Associated Press reported. Continue Reading

County goes to arbitration with jail, other workers

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After agreeing to three extensions to continue negotiations, Doña Ana County has ended talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the parties now go to arbitration. The decision came after the union rejected the county’s final offer late Tuesday, minutes before the deadline. The sides have been negotiating for six months. The union represents the county’s detention center workers, custodians and some roads department employees. This is their first attempt at unionizing, and they’ll now have to start from scratch. Continue Reading

Former Magistrate Galvan sued over rape allegation

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Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan is being sued by the woman whose accusations of rape and bribery ended his career. The woman filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 16 alleging civil rights violations based on claims of battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She’s seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and whatever other relief the court deems “just and proper,” according to the complaint. Galvan has not yet responded. Continue Reading

Region VII Housing Authority shuts down

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The members of the scandal-plagued Region VII Housing Authority board voted today to cease operations. The housing authority’s records will be sent to Albuquerque and kept by the Region III authority, which, for the time being, is continuing operations. Region VII’s last day of operation will be Thursday. “What’s taking place today is very devastating, in my opinion,” Board member Bennie Barreras of Socorro said at today’s meeting, before the board voted to shut down the operation. The state’s housing authorities have been plagued by scandal in recent months that has included the resignations of the directors in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, the defaulting on $5 million in bonds owed to the state and other mishandling of funds. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: Auditor candidate quits race

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Democrat Jeff Armijo has withdrawn from the race for state auditor. The move comes after a meeting earlier today with Gov. Bill Richardson. “Governor Richardson has convinced me that I must leave the race for state auditor,” Armijo said in a statement to the Associated Press. “A debate on the issues could not take place if I remain in the race. I started this campaign with the notion to contribute to all the Democratic candidates. Continue Reading

Poll: King maintaining sizable lead in AG race

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A new poll has Democrat Gary King ahead of his opponent, Republican Jim Bibb, by a 2-1 margin in the attorney general race, but more than a quarter of voters are undecided. The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners, has King ahead with 49 percent of the vote to Bibb’s 25 percent. 26 percent of voters are undecided. The poll was released Tuesday by King’s campaign. The poll isn’t much different than one released by the King campaign at the beginning of July, which had King ahead with 49 percent of the vote to Bibb’s 28 percent, with 23 percent undecided. Continue Reading