BREAKING NEWS: High court suspends Garza for 90 days with pay

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The New Mexico Supreme Court has suspended Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza, with pay, for 90 days. The petition from the Judicial Standards Commission seeking his immediate, temporary suspension has been sealed by the court, so the allegations against Garza aren’t known. Reached by cell phone shortly after the court issued its order today, Garza said he was at work and had not yet heard that he had been suspended. Garza returned to work today after taking about a week off from work. He was suffering health problems related to the stress of the current uncertainty over his job situation. Continue Reading

In a shift, Torres says she plans to hire new elections supervisor before November

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Uncertainty about who will oversee the rapidly approaching November general election continues. Shortly after the June primary, Doña Ana County fired its elections supervisor, Mari Langford. Clerk Rita Torres placed her chief deputy, Cecilia Madrid, in charge of the elections bureau. Torres said at the time she would not hire an elections supervisor before November, and said she and Madrid would handle the election. But at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Torres said she will hire a new supervisor before the November election, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Continue Reading

Connecticut Sen. Lieberman’s defeat shows growing influence of bloggers on politics

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The primary loss Tuesday of Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was proof of the growing influence of those working to take control of the Democratic Party through the Internet. In recent years, liberal blogs have formed across the nation, using the Internet in much the same way conservatives use AM talk radio. Lieberman was a three-term senator and the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee in 2000. Long after 9/11, he continued to back President Bush’s actions in Iraq and the larger war on terrorism as most Democrats jumped ship. Anger over that prompted many liberal bloggers to label Lieberman as Public Enemy No. Continue Reading

Democratic Party chair: County elections task force ‘is not apolitical but it is bipartisan’

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(Note: On Tuesday I criticized Melinda Whitley, chair of the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County, and others for politicizing the county’s elections task force. You can read that posting by clicking here. I invited Whitley to respond. This is her unedited reply.) Dear Heath: Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to respond to your blog which discussed my e-mail to certain members of the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County. First of all, my basic reason for writing the e-mail was a feeling that, having attended the first public meeting which was dominated by Republican speakers, with only one Democrat addressing the panel, unless we heard some comments from people representing different points of view, our report to the County Commission would necessarily reflect an incomplete picture. Continue Reading

Despite news report, Richardson spokesman says governor isn’t returning to North Korea

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The South Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson may be headed back to North Korea, but Richardson’s spokesman says there’s no current plan to do that. Richardson went to the rogue state last October, taking with him New Mexico State University President Michael Martin. The South Korean report said Richardson’s new trip would be as an information conduit for the Bush administration. But Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told ABQjournal.com that “the governor has no plans to go to North Korea at this time.” Of course, that could always change. Richardson also met with North Korean officials in 2003 in Santa Fe. Continue Reading

Tummy ache keeps Garza from work while he awaits word on request for suspension

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A tummy ache is apparently the reason Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza isn’t at work. Garza is waiting to hear from the New Mexico Supreme Court after the Judicial Standards Commission filed a petition just over a week ago seeking his immediate, temporary suspension. Details of the case aren’t known because the high court sealed it. Garza was last at work on Aug. 1 – the day after he learned of the commission’s request. Continue Reading

Democratic Party chair, others need to stop politicizing county elections task force’s work

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Some Democrats and Republicans in Doña Ana County are trying to politicize the elections task force, but Democratic Party Chair Melinda Whitley, a member of the task force, takes the cake thus far. The county commission created the task force to examine past problems with our elections, with the goal of recommending changes that would help improve the system. Before the first public meeting of the task force in July, the county Republican Party sent an e-mail to its members stating that “We need those who have experienced irregularities and or fraud. … We need the room filled with those interested in cleaning up Doña Ana County’s election process mess.” It urged that people who have experienced problems prepare brief statements to give to the task force. That’s reasonable enough. Continue Reading

Pundit likes Clinton/Richardson in 2008

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Democratic pundit and CNN commentator Paul Begala likes Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party’s 2008 presidential nominee, and Bill Richardson as the vice presidential nominee, according to the Harvard Political Review. Begala, a Bill Clinton apologist, said during an interview with the review that the former president “made us more the party of middle-class values and aspirations, very much made us the party of the poor and lifting people up into the middle class.” He spoke of Bill Clinton as a smart man who “never talked down to me.” Many say similar things about Richardson. “I think too many Democrats today have learned none of those lessons,” Begala said. “They seem more concerned with elites, they seem to look down on working-class people, and particularly seem to be either disengaged or outright contemptuous of the broadly shared religious and social values in this country.” Regardless of whether you’re a fan of our governor, it’s just another sign that he may be headed for higher office. Continue Reading

Dendahl unfairly attacks public school teachers

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Republican gubernatorial candidate John Dendahl made some ignorant comments about public school teachers this weekend. Dendahl, reacting to school rankings announced last week, said teachers aren’t teaching the basics because they spend too much time on the “three S’s – sexuality, self-esteem and socialism,” according to a weekend article in the Albuquerque Journal. “Instead of teaching the three R’s – reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, schools are too busy trying to teach the three S’s,” he said. The Republican Party distanced itself from his statements, and Dendahl later toned down his comments. “It is my impression – from conversations with parents, some personal experience in classrooms and a great deal of reading – that many teachers, perhaps a majority, neither understand nor support the capitalist system,” Dendahl wrote in an e-mail to the Journal. Continue Reading

Rural south-county communities realizing the importance of government and politics

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Following some important victories in the past year, a group of activists in Southern Doña Ana County, a place traditionally ignored by government, are working to organize area residents. Several met Saturday in Mesquite to brainstorm and begin forming a plan. Their goals are simple. Many spoke Saturday about the need for better infrastructure and less pollution in their communities. Almost all communities south of Las Cruces are federally designated as colonias that lack basic infrastructure such as roads, sewer systems and street lights. Continue Reading

Poll: Too early to predict Richardson’s future

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The jury is still out on Bill Richardson’s political future. In last week’s poll on this site, 56 voters, or 44 percent, said New Mexico’s governor won’t be the Democratic nominee for president in 2008. 22 voters, or 18 percent, said he will be the nominee, and 28 voters, or 22 percent, said he’ll be the vice presidential nominee. 20 voters, or 16 percent, said it’s too soon to tell. There were 126 voters in the poll. Continue Reading

Second elections task force hearing is Saturday

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The second of four public hearings of the elections task force set up by the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners will be held Saturday in Sunland Park. The hearing will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Gadsden Independent School District Administrative Complex, 4950 McNutt Road. Rains and flooding have not prevented access to the building or damaged the facility, officials say. The task force is examining problems with the operations of elections in Doña Ana County. Members of the public who want to give input or share experiences are asked to attend. Continue Reading

Rain leads to crisis for woman fighting housing authority over ‘misrepresented’ roof

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Thursday’s rains caused the ceiling to nearly collapse in the home of a Las Cruces woman who has been fighting the state’s housing authorities for more than a year over who is responsible for repairing damage caused by the condition of the roof. Sylvia Ramirez bought the home from Housing Enterprises, Inc., a part of the state’s housing authorities, which the attorney general says “misrepresented” the condition of the roof when selling the home. A large bubble began forming in the ceiling of the home Thursday during a rain storm. The ceiling is literally peeling off the roof, said Ramirez, who is raising her granddaughter alone on a $22,000-a-year salary. Carpet in the home is almost all soaked. Continue Reading

Richardson teases reporter about presidential run

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Gov. Bill Richardson all but admitted he’s running for president during a speech in New Hampshire on Thursday, according to an article in the Albuquerque Journal. At least, that’s how I’m interpreting his comments. “You’re probably wondering, ‘Why is the governor of New Mexico here?’” Richardson said during one of six public appearances Thursday. “Now, I’ve got to be careful because a reporter from the Albuquerque Journal is watching me.” Richardson then reminded the group of about 50 people that he’s running for re-election in New Mexico and must win that race before entering another. “If I decide to run (for president) – I’ve made no decision – where’s the Journal guy?” Richardson said to the group. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: ‘Smiley’ Gallegos resigns from housing authority

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Region III Housing Authority Executive Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos has resigned, Gov. Bill Richardson announced Thursday. He will be temporarily replaced by Mid-Region Council of Governments Executive Director Lawrence Rael while the authority’s board searches for a new director. Gallegos resigned on Tuesday, Richardson’s office said in a news release, though it was not announced until late Thursday. “We are taking action to stabilize the finances and practices of Region III and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mission of providing affordable housing for low-income New Mexicans,” Richardson said. “The regional authorities must operate transparently, and in the best interests of the people it serves.” For all practical purposes, Gallegos was running the Region III authority in Albuquerque, the Region VII authority in Las Cruces and a couple of other non-profits related to the housing authorities. Continue Reading