Ethics task force to take on familiar issues, also look at conference committees and election commission

By |

Gov. Bill Richardson’s reconvened ethics task force met for the first time on Tuesday and came up with familiar topics and new issues to discuss in the coming months. The group’s members decided to examine several issues as they consider what reform proposals to suggest to the governor: campaign finance reform, public financing of campaigns, opening conference committees, creating ethics and election commissions and paying legislators. Last year’s task force tackled campaign finance reform, public financing, the ethics commission and paying lawmakers, but didn’t take up conference committees or an election commission, so those add a new dimension to the debate. The proposal to open conference committees is an annual battle that came within one Senate vote of approval this year. Conference committees are the secret meetings at which members of the House and Senate reconcile differing versions of bills and, sometimes, appropriate money or make other decisions that haven’t been vetted publicly. Continue Reading

Bingaman proposal tackles guest-worker plan

By |

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., is proposing an amendment that could shake up the fragile alliance pushing an immigration reform plan in the Senate. Last week, a bipartisan group of senators and the White House announced a compromise proposal on the problem that has angered those on the left and right. You can read the details by clicking here. The Senate began debating the bill on Monday, and is taking on the first of several sticky points today – the creation of a guest-worker program that would bring in at least 400,000 temporary workers to the United States each year. Critics of that proposal, including union groups, say it’s a pro-industry provision that keeps immigrants working for low wages and also keeps down wages for American workers. Continue Reading

New publication covers politics in Santa Fe

By |

There’s a new publication in New Mexico covering the Legislature and what’s happening in Santa Fe. Capitol Report will be published three times each year, and you can also find it on the Internet at www.capitolreportnm.com. The first issue just came out and is up on the site. It’s published by longtime political watchers and media professionals Jack Swickard and Harold Morgan. I put a link to the site under the “Political blogs and other sites” section in the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Richardson plans to take it easy this week

By |

After campaigning at a breakneck pace for several weeks, Gov. Bill Richardson will hold a few fundraisers and appear on one television show but will generally slow down this week. A day after formally announcing that he’s running for president, Richardson has no public campaign events scheduled for today, according to a news release from his campaign. On Wednesday, he plans only to hold a fundraiser in the evening in Santa Fe. On Thursday, Richardson will travel to Seattle, Wash., where he’ll raise money in the afternoon and attend private campaign events in the evening. On Friday, his only planned event is an evening fundraiser in Albuquerque, and on Saturday, Richardson plans no public events. Continue Reading

Washington Post profiles Richardson, Iglesias

By |

The Washington Post has prominent profiles today of New Mexicans Bill Richardson and David Iglesias on its Web site’s home page. The profile of Richardson includes an article about Monday’s formal announcement that he’s running for president, a photo essay of his career and video of the announcement. Check it out by clicking here. The profile of Iglesias, the former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, is a lengthy, personal look at his career and the current controversy surrounding his firing. Check it out by clicking here. Continue Reading

Pearce wants to keep DCCC out of 2008 race

By |

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., is trying to raise enough money in the second quarter of 2007 to keep the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee away from his 2008 re-election bid. He sent a letter to potential donors earlier this month asking for contributions before the June 30 deadline for second-quarter fundraising. His goal is to prove that he has strong support and keep the DCCC, the official fundraising arm of House Democrats, from taking an interest in his seat. “They have the funds and power to make a real impact in any race they choose and we need to keep them out of the Second District,” Pearce wrote in the May 9 letter. “They are guaranteed to target us unless we make the hurdle too tall to climb.” You can read Page 1 of the letter by clicking here and Page 2 here. Continue Reading

City council’s development approval was expected

By |

There was no surprise when the Las Cruces City Council voted early this morning to approve the 6,000-acre Vistas at Presidio. There was a sense of inevitability during the eight-hour meeting that began Monday evening and concluded just after 1 a.m. today as city staffers and a number of councilors spoke at length about the benefits of the project. Ultimately, all but Councilor Ken Miyagishima voted to approve the development, which has the potential to double Las Cruces’ population in the next 20 years. “Whether we approve this annexation or not, the people will move here anyway,” Councilor Dolores Archuleta said before the vote. Though there was some division revealed during the marathon meeting, presenters and members of the public were generally in favor of the development or at least resigned to its approval. Continue Reading

City Council approves The Vistas at Presidio

By |

The Las Cruces City Council has just approved annexation, master planning and initial zoning for The Vistas at Presidio. There were five different votes on various aspects of the plan, but each was a 6-1 vote with Councilor Ken Miyagishima being the lone opponent of the 6,000-acre development. There were several minor amendments proposed and a couple passed. I’ll have an in-depth article later this morning. Continue Reading

Public getting chance to speak on development

By |

The meeting of the Las Cruces City Council has moved into public input. Once that’s done, the council will discuss the issue and then vote. The meeting, even through most of the public input, has continued to be cordial. When members of the Quality Growth Alliance, which has opposed quick approval of the project, spoke, they sounded almost resigned to its approval, focusing instead of improving the process for future developments. Public input has been mixed, with a number speaking for and against The Vistas at Presidio. Continue Reading

Frietze accuses Miyagishima of filibustering

By |

Las Cruces City Councilor Jose Frietze just accused Councilor Ken Miyagishima of trying to filibuster a vote on The Vistas at Presidio. Miyagishima has been asking tough questions of city staffers all night. Frietze interrupted when Miyagishima was asking about roads in the development, saying he felt he needed to “take a stand here.” “I feel that there’s some kind of attempt here to keep it from a vote,” he said, urging Mayor Bill Mattiace to move the meeting along. There was a testy exchange between Miyagishima and Frietze before Mattiace said he agreed. “I think you’re trying to filibuster this,” Frietze told Miyagishima before Mattiace asked a city staffer to continue with his presentation. Continue Reading

City staffers are giving informative presentations

By |

As I’m watching the meeting of the Las Cruces City Council tonight, I’m impressed by the thoroughness of the presentations by city staffers on various aspects of The Vistas at Presidio proposal. They have been well-prepared and are spending a great deal of time addressing the concerns shared by residents and others about the proposal in recent weeks. In addition, counselors are asking a number of thoughtful questions and are cordial with each other. No one is trying to rush the meeting. All this is happening before public input in an attempt to answer many questions and cut down on the time needed for such input. Continue Reading

Council decision won’t be impacted by AG probe

By |

Officials from the City of Las Cruces said tonight that an ongoing probe by the attorney general’s office of the relationship and agreement between Land Commissioner Pat Lyons and the developer of The Vistas at Presidio has no bearing on whether they approve the development plans. At the request of state Rep. Nate Cote and Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, the attorney general’s office is looking into questions surrounding Lyons’ agreement to lease the 6,000 acres on the East Mesa to Philip Philippou. Some questions surround the legality of the agreement; others are about the relationship between Lyons and Philippou, who has contributed a significant amount of money to Lyons. Mayor Bill Mattiace said he spoke today with Attorney General Gary King, who said “he really believes (the investigation) is not germane to the issues at hand.” That’s because, Assistant City Manager Robert Garza said, if the city annexes and master plans the land, those actions are in effect regardless of who owns the land. Were King’s investigation to result in any action that changed or voided the agreement between Lyons and Philippou, the master plan and annexation would remain in place and any future developer who takes control of the land would also be bound by such decisions. Continue Reading

Jones will be allowed to vote on development tonight

By |

Las Cruces City Councilor Gil Jones will be allowed to vote tonight on annexation and master plan approval of The Vistas at Presidio. Jones has disclosed in the past that his brother and the developer of the 6,000-acre project, Philip Philippou, are married to sisters, but said he doesn’t believe such a link should require him to abstain from voting. Councilor Ken Miyagishima asked near the start of tonight’s meeting that Mayor Bill Mattiace hold a vote of the council to determine whether Jones would be allowed to vote on the development later tonight. City Attorney Fermin Rubio said councilors can only stop one of their peers from voting, according to the city charter, if they have a direct or indirect financial interest in an item on the agenda. When Jones said he has no personal financial interest, Mattiace said he wouldn’t call for a vote of the council, and would leave it up to Jones to decide whether to vote or abstain. Continue Reading

Did commission violate the Open Meetings Act?

By |

Doña Ana County’s lead attorney says the commission didn’t violate the New Mexico Open Meetings Act last week by holding a closed session with only five hours of notice. Though I’m admittedly not a trained attorney, I don’t think I agree. The county commission gave notice at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday that it was going to meet at 2:30 p.m. the same day in closed session to discuss a pending lawsuit alleging that staffers at the county detention center were illegally strip-searching inmates. The county’s ordinance on compliance with the Open Meetings Act requires 3-hour notice for emergency meetings and 48-hour notice for special meetings. An emergency meeting can be called “only under unforeseen circumstances which demand immediate action to protect the health, safety, and property of citizens or to protect the public body from substantial financial loss.” County Attorney John Caldwell says closed sessions aren’t regular, special or emergency meetings – they’re simply closed sessions – and he referred to a provision in the act that states that closed sessions “shall not be held until public notice, appropriate under the circumstances,” is given to the public. Continue Reading

Richardson formally announces presidential bid

By |

Gov. Bill Richardson formally announced today in Los Angeles that he’s running for president. His wife Barbara made what has been, since he announced on Jan. 21 that he was preparing a run for president, a rare appearance at his side. You can read about it from the Associated Press by clicking here. If video of it shows up on the Internet later today, I’ll provide a link. Continue Reading