House members seek affordable housing overhaul

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A group of House members introduced today a bill similar to one being considered in the Senate that would overhaul the state’s affordable housing system. House Bill 997 (it’s not yet up on the Web for a link) has a number of sponsors, including Democrats Joseph Cervantes, Mary Helen Garcia and Antonio Lujan of Las Cruces and Andy Nuñez of Hatch. Also among the sponsors is House Majority Leader Ken Martinez of Grants. It is the same as Senate Bill 519, sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, which would, over a period of several months, shut down the state’s scandal-plagued regional housing authorities and replace them with an affordable housing system overseen by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. The bill would also provide for audits of each of the seven housing authority regions to determine the extent of the mismanagement first revealed last year when Frances Williams, a member of the Las Cruces-based Region VII board, complained about problems. Several weeks after she went public, the Region III authority, based in Albuquerque, defaulted on $5 million in bonds it owed to the state. Continue Reading

Cockfighting being debated on Senate floor

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The state Senate is currently debating a proposed ban on cockfighting. Kate Nash of the Albuquerque Tribune is blogging live from the hearing, giving us a way to keep up with the action despite the fact that funding that was approved last year to Webcast legislative action hasn’t led to such debates actually being broadcast on the Internet. Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, has been subject over the course of several hours today to a multitude of attempts to kill or neuter it. The only proposed amendment that has been approved is one that makes cockfighting a petty misdemeanor on a first offense. The bill previously made it a misdemeanor, with a maximum prison sentence of 364 days. Continue Reading

The current campaign finance system forces candidates to cross ethical lines to compete

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An article in today’s Albuquerque Journal reveals the ethical gray area Gov. Bill Richardson has entered by raising money while the state Legislature is in session. On Friday, major Democratic donors Beth and Don Dozoretz hosted a campaign event for Richardson in Washington, D.C. A Washington Post article headlined “Clinton camp hasn’t written off fundraising couple who helped competitor” points out that the two are close friends with the Clintons. Thus began an argument about whether the couple has opted to support Richardson’s presidential run or is trying to play two sides. Though the Dozoretz event was billed as “an opportunity for individuals to meet Governor Bill Richardson” in the invitation, which noted that “a contribution is not required to attend,” it also gave instructions for donating. Those are the stakes: The Dozoretzes, rich and influential Democrats, are critical to Richardson’s cash-strapped campaign, and they’ll be courted heavily by Hillary. Continue Reading

First grassroots Richardson meet-up day sees some success, but organizers have a lot of work to do

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s first national grassroots meet-up day, organized via the Internet by volunteers not affiliated with his presidential campaign, saw success in some states and revealed in others that there’s a lot of work to do. In Boston, more than 100 people turned out at an event organized by Jeff Gulko, a former Richardson staffer in the U.S. Department of Energy. In Minneapolis, Minn., a group also had high turnout. But in Olympia Washington, despite an article in the local newspaper promoting the event, only four people showed, said organizer Ken Camp. Camp and Emmett O’Connell, the two Olympia organizers who have been doing a lot of national organizing for the grassroots group, will focus primarily on their state in the future, Camp said, and let others focus on the national organizing. Continue Reading

Final results from area school board races

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Here are the final results from Tuesday’s school board election, minus provision ballots. The only race that could change as a result of provisional ballots is the Gadsden District 2 contest. The canvass, which will include the counting of provisional ballots, is set to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday. Las Cruces Public Schools District 4 * Bonnie Votaw: 764 votes, 82.8 percent Larry Garcia: 159 votes, 17.2 percent District 5 * Connie Phillips: 714 votes, 82.5 percent David Morgan: 115 votes, 13.3 percent Sharon Wooden (i): 36 votes, 4.2 percent Gadsden Independent School District District 1 * Manuela Huerta (i): 290 votes, 56 percent Luz Vargas-Troncoso: 228 votes, 44 percent District 2 Jennifer Viramontes (i): 167 votes, 50.5 percent Rodolfo Franco: 164 votes, 49.5 percent (There are 21 outstanding provisional ballots in this race.) District 3 * Maria Saenz (i): 50 votes, 100 percent District 4 * Daniel Castillo (i): 119 votes, 61.7 percent Elva Flores: 74 votes, 38.3 percent District 5: * Craig Ford: 78 votes, 43.1 percent Charles Gonnell (i): 71 votes, 39.2 percent Robert Zinsmaster: 32 votes, 17.7 percent Hatch Valley Public Schools District 2 * Douglas Scott Adams (i): 11 votes, 100 percent District 3 * David Franzoy (i): 43 votes, 65.2 percent Dencil Duane Gillis: 23 votes, 34.8 percent District 5 * Donald Hackey (i): Six votes, 100 percent Continue Reading

With provisional ballots out, one Gadsden race still too close to call, but all other races are over

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Absentee ballots have been counted, but one race in the Gadsden Independent School District could be decided by provisional ballots. In Gadsden District 2, incumbent Jennifer Viramontes has 167 votes, or 50.5 percent, to challenger Rodolfo Franco’s 164 votes, or 49.5 percent. Doña Ana County Elections Supervisor Lynn Ellins said there are 21 provisional ballots left to be counted in this race, so it is too close to call and will remain that way for a couple of days. Provisionals will be counted when the county begins the canvass of the election at 9 a.m. Thursday, Ellins said. There was another close one in the Gadsden district that has been resolved. Continue Reading

Absentee ballots could change Gadsden races

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With only absentee ballots left to be counted, there are still a few close races in the Gadsden Independent School District. Races in the Las Cruces and Hatch districts are over. In Gadsden District 1, incumbent Manuela Huerta has 166 votes, or 76 percent, to challenger Luz Vargas-Troncoso’s 53 votes, or 24 percent, but there are more than 300 outstanding absentee ballots in this district. In Gadsden District 2, incumbent Jennifer Viramontes has 164 votes, or 50.9 percent, to challenger Rodolfo Franco’s 158 votes, or 49.1 percent. In Gadsden District 4, incumbent Daniel Castillo has 105 votes, or 62 percent, to challenger Elva Flores’ 64 votes, or 38 percent. Continue Reading

Gadsden District 2 is a close race, after all

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Don’t count out Rodolfo Franco yet in the Gadsden District 2 race. New results just released by the county have incumbent Jennifer Viramontes with 164 votes, or 50.9 percent, to challenger Franco’s 158 votes, or 49.1 percent. Previous totals had Viramontes with 65 votes to Franco’s 12. Again, I’m unable to get information on how many ballots are outstanding. Continue Reading

Franzoy wins only contested Hatch race

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In the Hatch Valley Public Schools District 3 race, the only contested race, David Franzoy has defeated Dencil Duane Gillis. Franzoy has 43 votes, or 65 percent. Gillis has 23 votes, or 35 percent. In Hatch District 2, Douglas Scott Adams was running unopposed and has 11 votes. In Hatch District 3, Donald Hackey was running unopposed and has six votes. Continue Reading

Other Gadsden races aren’t that close

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In the Gadsden District 4 race, incumbent Daniel Castillo has a strong lead over challenger Elva Flores. Castillo has 105 votes, or 62 percent, to Flores’ 64 votes, or 38 percent. In the Gadsden District 2 race, incumbent Jennifer Viramontes has 65 votes, or 84 percent, to Rodolfo Franco’s 12 votes, or 16 percent. In the Gadsden District 3 race, Maria Saenz was running unopposed and has 49 votes. Continue Reading

Gadsden District 5 incumbent losing by a few votes

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The Gadsden District 5 race is a close one. The county’s Web site reports that incumbent Charles Gonnell has 71 votes, or 39 percent. He’s losing by six votes to challenger Craig Ford, who has 88 votes, or 43 percent. The other challenger, Robert Zinsmaster, has 32 votes, or 18 percent. I can’t get an answer about whether the numbers, which are posted on the county’s Web site, include absentee and early votes, so I don’t know whether these numbers are final. Continue Reading

Votaw declares victory in LCPS District 4 race

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Bonnie Votaw is now declaring victory in the Las Cruces Public Schools District 4 race. With all the numbers in, Votaw has 759 of 918 votes, or 83 percent. Larry Garcia has 159 votes, or 17 percent. That’s according to numbers provided by Votaw, who had runners checking receipts at each polling place. “If it weren’t so frightening, it would be exhilarating,” Votaw said. Continue Reading

Wooden suspected she was going to lose

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Sharon Wooden said she suspected that Connie Phillips might defeat her in today’s election. The current Las Cruces Public Schools District 5 board member and board president will be replaced by Phillips on March 1. “That’s what I suspected, because there were just too many people unhappy,” Wooden said when told she had been defeated. “That’s alright. She’ll do a good job.” Wooden attributed her defeat to the recent turmoil in the district. Continue Reading

Phillips beats incumbent in LCPS District 5 race

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Connie Phillips has won the Las Cruces Public Schools District 5 race. With all votes counted except those from one polling place – Sunrise Elementary School – Phillips has 663 of 792 votes, or 84 percent. She knocked out incumbent Sharon Wooden, who has just 33 votes, or 4 percent. Wooden’s other challenger, David Morgan, has 96 votes, or 12 percent. Phillips wouldn’t declare victory, but gave this statement: “I’m very excited, and I want to thank all the people who helped me get to this point,” she said. Continue Reading

Votaw likely winner in LCPS District 4

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Bonnie Votaw has a commanding lead in the Las Cruces Public Schools District 4 race. With three of five polling places and early voting accounted for, Votaw has 485 of 590 votes, or 82 percent. Larry Garcia, the other candidate for the open board seat, has 105 votes, or 18 percent. Votaw said, with a chuckle, that she’s not ready to declare victory, then gave a quote that sounds like it’s coming from a winner. “It was very humbling to work on this campaign, because so many people helped,” she said. Continue Reading