LCPS board not fazed by superintendent search outcry, and governor praises embattled judge

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Even the political big dogs could not convince the Las Cruces school board to add Charles White to its list of superintendent finalists Tuesday evening.Among the 10 people who asked the board to include White were State Rep. Joni Gutierrez, New Mexico State University College of Education Dean Robert Moulton, former Las Cruces school board member Patsy Duran and former State Board of Education member Francis Stevens, who was also the deputy superintendent in Las Cruces in the early 1990s.After listening to their pleas, the board adjourned without comment.White, the district’s former deputy superintendent for operations, was the only local named a semifinalist for the top job. The board eliminated him last week from consideration.But with news that finalist Tony Amato was taking a job in Kansas City, and that two other finalists were up for the top schools job in Aurora, Colo., the board met again Tuesday.The situation in Las Cruces ended up not being further complicated by the Aurora search. That district named its superintendent Tuesday night, and the choice was not one of the finalists in Las Cruces.The new list of finalists for the Las Cruces job, approved at Tuesday’s meeting, includes David Barbosa, superintendent for the Grand Prarie (Texas) Independent School District; Sonia Diaz, former superintendent of the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Public Schools; William Harner, principal of Gainesville Middle School in Gainseville, Ga., and Joan Kowal, Florida’s Nova Southeastern University Superintendent in Residence.At the meeting, Duran told board members they had “lost enormous credibility” by not including White.“We don’t have time to try out a leader to see if he or she fits,” she said. “We need a leader who can go to work tomorrow.”Board member Gene Gant was absent from the meeting and did not vote on the new finalist list. Only Chuck Davis voted against the list, and he said he did so because “I do not believe that the set of candidates reflects what the community and our employees would like to see.”“I think we ought to have a local candidate be part of the process,” Davis said. Continue Reading

News update: LCPS superintendent finalist likely taking Kansas job, and search uproar continues

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The Las Cruces school board’s list of superintendent finalists will likely drop from four to three because one candidate is in negotiations to become the superintendent of the Kansas City school district.Former New Orleans schools superintendent Tony Amato is working out a deal with the Kansas City board to become superintendent there, the Kansas City Star is reporting.The Las Cruces board meets tonight to discuss its search. In addition to Amato’s likely withdrawal from consideration, two other finalists are also finalists for the top job in Aurora, Colo., and many of the candidates have controversial pasts.Those pasts are being dug up and spread around by community members upset that the board eliminated Charles White, a former deputy superintendent for operations for the Las Cruces district, from consideration for the top job. Many principals and union members are also upset, believing White is the candidate who can restore calm to the district after the turmoil surrounding two of the past three administrations.Two Las Cruces superintendents have left under clouds of scandal in recent years.Amato was a controversial candidate. He was forced out of New Orleans in April 2005 after two years on the job because critics felt he wasn’t making progress in improving budgetary issues.The other finalists for the Las Cruces job are David Barbosa, superintendent for the Grand Prarie (Texas) Independent School District; Sonia Diaz, former superintendent of the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Public Schools; and William Harner, principal of Gainesville Middle School in Gainseville, Ga.The board also named alternates: Joan Kowal, Florida’s Nova Southeastern University Superintendent in Residence; and Chip Zullinger, former Manassas (Va.) City Schools Superintendent.Barbosa’s contract is not being renewed after eight years on the job because the school board felt the district was not making progress. In addition, according to a 1999 article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he was involved in a controversy in which, while he was superintendent, a 17-year-old female high school cheerleader was paddled by a male administrator behind closed doors, with another male administrator present, after she was caught smoking.Kowal was forced out of her job as superintendent of a school district in Florida in 1999 after three years, according to a 2003 article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Continue Reading

House Republicans set to pick new leaders, and sources think Lujan will remain speaker, for now

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Republican leadership positions in the House are up for grabs.Sources tell me to expect that Brian Moore of Clayton will be the new minority floor leader and Dan Foley of Roswell will be the minority whip when the legislature convenes in January.Those positions are up for grabs because current minority leader Ted Hobbs is retiring. The current minority whip, Terry Marquardt of Alamogordo, wants to replace Hobbs.Two sources tell me that won’t happen.House Republicans have been ineffective for years because there are several factions, one source said. Many Republicans view Marquardt as an unsuccessful whip and don’t want him as leader.He was elected whip the last time over Foley by a one-vote margin after a few tie votes. Since then, many Republicans have been trying to replace Marquardt with Foley.Moore is a choice upon which most House Republicans can agree, two sources said. And though Foley is a controversial legislator with a hot temper, enough Republicans are fed up with Marquardt that they’ll vote for him, they said.The main criticism of Marquardt is that he has made deals with the governor to save his own capital outlay requests, often at the expense of the Republican agenda, infuriating many.Marquardt apparently sent out an e-mail immediately after Hobbs announced he was retiring seeking support for his bid to replace the leader.“It’s almost like he is oblivious to all this,” one source told me.Another source said most Republican House members are uniting behind Moore and Foley in an attempt to make a stand. Continue Reading

When we assume the worst about each other, the system breaks down and nothing is accomplished

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Scandal seems to permeate politics these days.As the nation becomes more polarized, allegations monopolize the headlines. Many are deserved. Former state Treasurer Robert Vigil needed to be ousted. So did Eric Serna, the outgoing state insurance superintendent.There are a lot of problems with our political system. Corporate money has too much influence. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: High court asked to permanently ban Galvan from becoming a judge again

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The New Mexico Supreme Court has been asked to ban former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan from holding judicial office again.This week’s filing by the Judicial Standards Commission is the result of an April trial before the board and states that Galvan “is unfit to hold judicial office.”The high court has not set a date for oral arguments.Galvan resigned last year amid allegations that he raped and solicited a bribe from a Las Cruces woman in August 2004. After two hung juries, prosecutors dropped the criminal charges.Galvan admitted in a statement to police to actions that may violate the judicial code of conduct. While drinking and flirting in a bar, he discussed with the woman a pending battery case against her husband, though she was the alleged victim in that case. He had sex with the woman, though she and her husband had been married two months earlier by Galvan.He also took the woman for a ride in his Porsche, though he told police he had too much to drink before driving.Before the rape allegation surfaced, Galvan was barred from hearing criminal cases for a time because he had a sexual relationship with an assistant district attorney while hearing cases she was prosecuting. He also has two prior drunken driving convictions.The fact that the commission is asking the court to permanently keep Galvan off the bench means the two sides could not reach a settlement on their own, most likely because Galvan refused to agree to never again run for judicial office.Galvan has said he may attend law school and become an attorney. Continue Reading

He does exist! In scathing attack, Damron calls Richardson administration most corrupt ever

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Republican gubernatorial candidate J.R. Damron has been silent thus far in the election season, baffling those who believe Gov. Bill Richardson is vulnerable on many issues.No more.In a speech he gave across the street from the federal courthouse Thursday in Albuquerque, Damron called Richardson’s “the most corrupt administration in our state’s history.”“Pay to play, abuse of power and cronyism have become just the way we do things in New Mexico,” Damron said. “Multiple Richardson administration officials have had to resign in disgrace.”“Whether by fear and intimidation, or rampant nepotism, this governor and his cronies are conducting the state’s business – the people’s business – in an irresponsible and dishonest manner,” he said.Damron was announcing his proposal for ethics reform, which is included below along with a transcript of Damron’s speech.More interesting than the proposal was Damron’s message to voters.“Ethics laws mean nothing when those who violate them are not held accountable for their actions. And if the people do not demand that their top elected officials, such as the governor and the attorney general, be held accountable, no one else will,” Damron said. “The best and most important way to ensure our government operates in the highest ethical manner is to elect honest officials.”Democracy requires debate and choice. Until Thursday, Damron was doing little to challenge Richardson’s re-election campaign. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: Governor releases details of National Guard’s role on border

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Gov. Bill Richardson released today details of the National Guard deployment to the New Mexico border ordered by President Bush.Richardson spoke with Lieutenant General Steven Blum, head of the National Guard, according to a news release. Here are the details the governor released:On June 1, 50 members of the New Mexico National Guard will be deployed to the border to handle planning and logistics for the overall Guard operation in the state. In mid-June, those troops will be joined by an additional 100 Guard troops that Richardson previously directed perform a regular training mission along the border in a similar support effort.This will be followed by an additional 50 troops per month through September.When this mission is fully operational, the total number of Guard troops stationed along the border in New Mexico will be approximately 200. This is in addition to the 68 troops already on the border who are performing various missions in support of border security.Additional Guard troops from other states will be available to augment local troops if necessary.These troops will remain under the command and control of the governor of each state.The federal government will cover all of the costs of this mission up-front.The deployment is expected to be phased out within two years as the Border Patrol brings new agents on line, according to the news release. Continue Reading

Land commish hopefuls both qualified, Macias tries again, and critics attack cock-fighting candidate

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The candidates for land commissioner in the Democratic primary are very different people.Jim Baca is confrontational and pushes hard to accomplish his agenda. Ray Powell seeks to meet his goals by building bridges and forming alliances.I’m not going to profile both men. Mainstream media has done a good job of profiling both, who are former land commissioners, and detailing their records.What I am going to tell you is that either is a viable choice for the Democratic Party.Baca has no problem being blunt about what he sees as the shortcomings of Powell and Patrick Lyons, the Republican who currently holds the office. He has made many enemies in his years in politics. Democrats overwhelmingly voted for Powell during this year’s preprimary nominating convention.Long ago, Baca led a much-needed reform of the state’s liquor-license laws. Continue Reading

Principals’ protest reveals deep wounds in the Las Cruces school district; plus, where is J.R. Damron?

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As a group, Las Cruces Public Schools principals watched quietly as three union-backed candidates were elected to the school board more than five years ago, and as the anti-union and controversial Superintendent Jesse Gonzales quit in frustration.They watched as allegations of secret board payments to Gonzales surfaced, and as board members were recalled and convicted of violating the New Mexico Open Meetings Act in 2002.A few spoke as individuals against the recall but, as a group, principals remained silent.They watched again when the board hired Louis Martinez to take the helm in 2003. They watched as allegations surfaced against him and he was eventually chased out, but not before he ousted longtime Mayfield Principal Robert Ogas.Again, a few spoke, but as a group, they remained silent.The principals finally left the bleachers and stormed the field last night.When the school board announced finalists for the district’s top job at last night’s meeting, four principals, including Las Cruces High School’s Nyeta Haines, told the board they were disappointed that they hadn’t been included in the process. When board members tried to explain that principals and others would be included from this point forward, about 25 principals – the vast majority in the district – walked out of the meeting, leaving in mid-sentence a board member who was addressing them.The action revealed deep wounds that have never healed from the scandals of the past few years, and a group of administrators fed up because they believe they haven’t been heard.Here’s the result: The principals think the board has already failed, before it’s picked the new superintendent.The unspoken issue Tuesday night was the board’s decision to eliminate Charles White from the list of contenders. White, the district’s former deputy superintendent for operations, quit in frustration last year over the leadership of Martinez.He had the backing of the Mayfield faction of the district, making his candidacy controversial since at least some board members supported the ousting of the notorious Ogas. Sources said some board members didn’t take White’s application seriously because they thought he had little support outside Mayfield.They were very, very wrong, as the principals showed.Many felt White was the man to stabilize the district, to provide solid leadership for a few years while allowing the district to heal from the wounds of the past. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: LCPS principals walk out in protest as board names superintendent finalists

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The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education named four finalists and two alternative finalists at a meeting tonight. The finalists are Tony Amato, former New Orleans Public Schools superintendent; David Barbosa, superintendent for the Grand Prarie (Texas) Independent School District; Sonia Diaz, former superintendent of the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Public Schools; and William Harner, principal of Gainesville Middle School in Gainseville, Ga.The alternate finalists, should any of the finalists drop out, are Joan Kowal, Florida’s Nova Southeastern University Superintendent in Residence; and Chip Zullinger, former Manassas (Va.) City Schools Superintendent.That cut the list from eight to six, essentially.Principals were unhappy. Four spoke to the board to share their belief that they have been left out of the process. When board members tried to explain how they would be involved from this point forward, some 25 principals walked out as a group in protest.There’s much more to this story. Come back tomorrow for more. Continue Reading

Fallout from Vigil mistrial, border crisis hits home, and Big Bill wants to have a cigar with you

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Monday’s mistrial in the case of former State Treasurer Robert Vigil doesn’t mean the charges are going away, doesn’t mean criticism of Attorney General Patricia Madrid is going away, and is likely to increase calls for ethics reform in the state, sources told me.In case anyone didn’t hear, 11 of 12 jurors told the judge they did not believe they could reach a verdict on any of the 24 counts against Vigil in the massive public corruption case. Apparently, there was one juror who insisted that Vigil was innocent.It was Vigil’s attorney, Sam Bregman, who made the motion for a mistrial. One source who is a lawyer told me Bregman pulled a classic move by not presenting a defense, a move that was criticized by many during the trial. But Bregman probably had a sense from watching the jury and the prosecution’s case that a mistrial was likely.Now he has seen the cards held by federal prosecutors, and they’ve seen none of his.A gamble, but it paid off in a big wayOn to round two.What an expensive fight. Jurors from around the state spent weeks in Albuquerque. Continue Reading

Paper mistakes one Curry for another, PRC primary gets nasty, and Cruces community leader passes

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An embarrassing mistake in the local newspaper had politicos all over Doña Ana County talking this weekend.On Saturday, the Las Cruces Sun-News ran an article about an issue I wrote about last week: allegations that Environment Secretary Ron Curry sent inspectors to a local restaurant after he was refused service there. Instead of a photo of Democrat Ron Curry, the front-page article was accompanied by the photograph of Doña Ana County Commissioner Paul Curry, a Republican.The article mentions the environment secretary’s first name once, with a lot of references to a Curry after that, alongside the commissioner’s photograph.So do you think the one reference to Ron Curry or the photograph of Paul Curry left a more lasting impression?Those who actually read the article thoroughly certainly didn’t confuse the two. And anyone who doesn’t know what Paul Curry looks like probably didn’t notice the error.But studies have shown that the vast majority of people don’t read articles thoroughly. Most don’t get past the headline or the first sentence, but they do look at photographs. And Paul Curry’s face is well-known around town. Continue Reading

Curry was refused service, but says he didn’t order eatery inspection; plus, local candidate links

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There is evidence to show that the recent downgrading of a Las Cruces restaurant was the result of a normal, annual inspection, despite allegations that New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron Curry sent inspectors to the eatery after he was refused service there.Mix Pacific Rim Cuisine in Las Cruces had its status downgraded to “unsatisfactory” Monday after an inspection found that fish was being improperly thawed, there wasn’t hot water for hand washing at the sushi bar, gloves weren’t being used to handle sushi, and other violations. The restaurant’s next-door neighbor, Mix Pacific Rim Express, was also downgraded after inspectors found missing ceiling tiles and a dish washer that needed repairs.Curry and his significant other, State Sen. Cynthia Nava, D-Las Cruces, have apparently eaten at Mix on several occasions. Allegations surfaced that Curry sent inspectors there this week after the two were refused service because the restaurant was closing.I spoke Thursday with Curry about the situation. He said the allegations are false.In fact, environment department spokesman Adam Rankin told me, Mix was inspected on June 1, 2005 – last year’s annual inspection – and similar violations were found. It was inspected again on June 22, 2005 following an anonymous complaint. Continue Reading

Ron Curry in hot water over restaurant snafu, and controversial candidates apply for top job at LCPS

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The recent downgrading of the status of a Las Cruces restaurant has New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron Curry in hot water over allegations that he sent inspectors to the eatery after he was refused service there.The allegation is that, when Curry and the woman he was with showed up at the restaurant late one night and were told it was closing, Curry slapped a business card on the counter and demanded to be served, a source told me.The restaurant still refused service.Not long after, the inspectors came. They found violations and downgraded the restaurant’s status to “unsatisfactory.”I don’t know whether Curry tried to use his position to get service, and sent inspectors after that didn’t work. Let’s hope not. Public officials should never try to use their positions for personal gain, no matter how much their stomachs are growling.Stay tuned for more on this one.***The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education is in the process of selecting finalists for superintendent, and there’s a lot of nervous energy surrounding the process.Two of the last three superintendents have left under clouds of scandal.To ensure the search would be a success, the board took its time picking a replacement after the 2001 departure of Jesse Gonzales. But Louis Martinez left last year in disgrace.So the board started over, again.Two of eight semifinalists have interesting pasts.Semifinalist Charles White, the former LCPS deputy superintendent for operations, left the district in frustration over the leadership of Martinez. Continue Reading