Judge agrees to discipline over role in housing scandal

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A judge who lived rent-free in a home owned by the Albuquerque-based Region III Housing Authority has agreed to a reprimand and to pay $17,000 in back rent, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. The New Mexico Supreme Court has asked attorneys for Metropolitan Court Judge Theresa Gomez and the Judicial Standards Commission to explain why her punishment shouldn’t be harsher than a reprimand. The court could take action as severe as removing her from the bench. The news comes eight months after the Journal reported that the judge was living rent-free for 20 months in the $172,000 home, that she had dismissed traffic tickets issued to former Region III Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos, and that she didn’t likely qualify for low-income housing even if she had been paying rent. The newspaper also reported at the time that a top aide to the speaker of the House had been similarly living in a home owned by Region III without paying rent. Continue Reading

Sierra, Otero spaceport tax hikes will be tough sells

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A vote on Tuesday by the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners to delay action on the creation of a spaceport tax district reveals a political reality of the process of securing funding for Spaceport America: There’s no certainty tax increases will be approved in Otero and Sierra counties. What the failure to approve such tax increases would mean for the spaceport project is unclear, and something state officials have been hesitant to discuss. On the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting was a proposal to give county Manager Brian Haines the authority “to take certain preliminary steps” toward formation of a spaceport tax district. Such an entity, in state law, is the organization that would collect tax dollars from counties, sell bonds and issue money to the Spaceport Authority for construction of the facility. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, some commissioners objected. Continue Reading

New polls confirm Richardson campaign’s stagnation

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New polls of three early primary states further confirm what has become apparent in recent weeks: Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign has stagnated. He hasn’t had any significant movement in polls in New Hampshire since June and Iowa since July. Richardson is betting on those two states and Nevada to propel him to victory. Now the Los Angeles Times is reporting the results of three new polls conducted for the newspaper and the news service Bloomberg. Richardson is at 10 percent in Iowa, 8 percent in New Hampshire and 1 percent in South Carolina, according to the new polls. Continue Reading

Back from Iraq, Pearce says troop surge has helped

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U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. and a strong supporter of the president’s strategy in Iraq, returned Monday from his fourth trip to the war-torn nation saying “there is reason for cautious optimism,” according to a news release. “No one is over there saying ‘OK, this is easy now,’ but they are saying there has been improvement in security, the ability to engage in commerce and cooperation between our coalition forces and Iraqi citizens,” Pearce said. “I left Iraq believing the troop surge of the last few months has made a real difference and given ordinary Iraqis hope where there was just despair and mistrust before.” During the four-day trip, Pearce met with a number of military commanders and also met with two solders from Doña Ana County – Jeffery Williams of Las Cruces and Garciela Loera of Chaparral. He said the most obvious difference from a trip he made earlier this year is “freedom of movement.” “We toured the market area and walked right down Haifa Street, a major Baghdad thoroughfare, which would have been unthinkable just a few months ago,” Pearce said. “Previously, we would have to travel between Baghdad and Kuwait each day. Continue Reading

Compromise gives huge boost to wilderness proposal

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A proposal to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Doña Ana County, including the Organ Mountains, got a huge boost today when the Las Cruces Homebuilders Association announced its support for a slightly reworked plan. The homebuilders association has agreed to support the creation of national conservation area along the Organ Mountains of more than 90,000 acres – about 8,000 acres smaller than that originally proposed by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. In addition, the association is expected to endorse the wilderness alliance proposal to designate about 300,000 other acres of land in the county as wilderness areas. A formal, joint announcement by the homebuilders association and wilderness alliance will be made at a news conference on Wednesday. “The Las Cruces Homebuilders Association is proud to play a leadership role in protecting Doña Ana County’s incredible open space and public lands – the reason so many folks come to settle here,” Judd Singer, past president of the group and its representative for wilderness issues, said in a news release. Continue Reading

Legislator sets great example with land donation

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Here’s an example of a state lawmaker going out of his way to avoid the appearance of impropriety, and doing something pretty darn generous in the process. House Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, has donated 1.5 acres of land to San Juan County to create a methamphetamine treatment center, the Farmington Daily Times is reporting. Taylor and his sisters have owned five acres of land next to the county’s DWI Treatment Center for years. They decided against selling the land for $240,000 some 15 years ago, hoping to someday do something with it. The day has arrived. Continue Reading

In midst of re-election fight, Mattiace opens his home

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Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace, who is facing a tough fight to keep his job, plans to open his home for the first time this weekend to anyone who wants to meet with him. The open house will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You don’t need an appointment to meet with the mayor. “I’m opening my home to the residents of Las Cruces,” Mattiace said. “It will be a perfect opportunity for anyone in the community to stop by and talk to me one-on-one about anything on their mind.” The mayor’s home is located at 2812 Buena Vida Court. Mattiace is seeking re-election on Nov. Continue Reading

N.M. Dems want ethics reform; will legislators listen?

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Democratic lawmakers who have stood in the way of ethics reform, beware: A new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of New Mexico Democrats want tougher ethics laws. The poll, released today by the Albuquerque Journal, finds that 88 percent of New Mexico Democrats want tougher ethics laws when asked this question: “Do you support or oppose tougher New Mexico ethics laws for state officials, such as campaign contribution limits, additional restrictions on lobbyists and creation of an ethics commission that could investigate complaints against public officials?” There’s a good chance the Legislature will approve campaign contribution limits in January, as even the reform-adverse Senate majority leader, Michael Sanchez, has said he believes such a bill will pass. A task force convened by the governor is recommending the other proposals related to lobbyists and an ethics commission – proposals a number of powerful lawmakers from both parties oppose. The Legislature’s interim Ethics Subcommittee, whose membership includes a number of reform opponents, is holding its first meeting to discuss ethics reform on Friday. But legislative opposition to reform, coupled with the governor’s push for domestic partner benefits and the lieutenant governor’s push for universal health care during the 30-day session, has many believing most ethics reform proposals don’t stand a chance. Continue Reading

Remembering 9/11

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Six years ago, I awoke on this day when another reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News, where I worked at the time, called to tell me terrorists had struck the World Trade Center and I needed to get to the office immediately. I had been up late the night before and planned to sleep in that day. Instead, I ran downstairs and turned on the television in time to watch the second tower collapse. I stood in shock for a couple of moments, then put a cassette in the VCR, began recording and headed to work. I remember visiting Corbett Center at New Mexico State University that day to talk with college students. Continue Reading

Domenici encouraged, guv saddened by Iraq report

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Though it isn’t the timeline he’s called for, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said today he was encouraged by plans revealed by the top U.S. general in Iraq to bring home 30,000 troops by next summer. Gen. David Petraeus outlined the plan today before a House committee, and is scheduled to do the same Tuesday in the Senate. He said the cut of 30,000 soldiers would begin with a 2,000-member Marine unit returning home this month without replacement, the Associated Press is reporting. Petraeus also recommended further reductions of combat forces in Iraq, but suggested waiting until March 2008 to decide on a timetable. Domenici announced in July that he was cosponsoring legislation calling for a goal of moving combat troops out of Iraq by March 2008. Continue Reading

N.M. Dems like guv, don’t think he’ll win nomination

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A new poll finds that more New Mexico Democrats want Bill Richardson to be their party’s nominee for president in 2008 than any other candidate, but they don’t think it will happen. A majority do, however, think he’ll be the party’s vice-presidential nominee. The Albuquerque Journal poll, released Sunday, found that 44 percent support Richardson in the primary, compared to 17 percent for Hillary Clinton and 8 percent each for Barack Obama and John Edwards. On the flip side, 52 percent of New Mexico Democrats think Clinton will win the nomination. Only 11 percent think Richardson will win it. Continue Reading

Legislative committee meets this week in Las Cruces

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The New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee will meet in Las Cruces on Wednesday and Thursday. The legislative committee, whose vice chair is Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, plans a day and a half of meetings at New Mexico State University’s Pan American Center. According to the meeting agenda, the group will hear updates on local-government capital outlay projects in Doña Ana County and an update on progress of Spaceport America. The group will also hear updates on some statewide issues, including the use of tax increment financing districts for economic development, the activities of the New Mexico Border Authority and the planned expansion of the Rail Runner. The meetings begin at 9 a.m. both days. Continue Reading

Poll gives Denish a 20-point lead over Chávez

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Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has a huge lead in the race to be the Democratic Party’s 2010 gubernatorial nominee, according to a poll released today by the Albuquerque Journal. Yes, the primary election is almost three years away, and a lot could and will likely change before then, but the poll is still bad news for Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, as is places him 20 points behind Denish. Fifty percent of Democrats surveyed picked Denish to be the nominee, while 30 percent picked Chávez and 20 percent were undecided. Chávez told the Journal the numbers are “remarkable” because “she’s been campaigning full time for almost a year and I’m not even a candidate.” Denish has already declared her candidacy. She said in Las Cruces recently that she has raised $1.5 million. Continue Reading

Lawsuit against Adair may be resolved in Las Cruces

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A judge has scheduled a settlement conference in Las Cruces in the case of a state senator who is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union for allegedly barring a man from a committee meeting in violation of his First Amendment rights. Virgil Beagles, a Roswell Democrat who has been a vocal critic of Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, alleges he was barred from the meeting on Feb. 16 by the senator. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of Beagles in May. The case is assigned to Federal Magistrate Carmen Garza. Continue Reading

Univision debate results in lots of press for guv

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Sunday evening’s Univision debate provided Gov. Bill Richardson with more mainstream press coverage than any other candidate forum to date. Perhaps that was because Richardson was the only Hispanic candidate and this was the first-ever presidential candidate forum on Spanish-language television. Perhaps it was because he criticized the network for requiring him and Chris Dodd, who are fluent in Spanish, to speak in English like the other candidates and allow a translator to relay their answers to the in-person and television audiences. Regardless, Richardson was featured prominently in articles published by the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times and others. There wasn’t a lot of new ground covered at the forum, but Richardson did set himself apart on Iraq and the proposal to build a border wall. Continue Reading