Secretaries of state trade barbs over budget

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The outgoing and incoming secretaries of state, both Democratic women, are caught in a war of words over the office’s budget and which one of them is stupider. Secretary of State-elect Mary Herrera says her predecessor is leaving the office with a $225,000 operating deficit, according to the Albuquerque Tribune. Outgoing Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron says she is leaving a surplus and, if Herrera “had any brains in her head,” she would know that, according to the newspaper. The state Department of Finance and Administration will look into the situation, but won’t likely get to the secretary of state’s budget until next week. The office’s budget is almost $4.5 million. Continue Reading

Cervantes looking for right opportunity to move up

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About a year ago, I profiled State Rep. Joseph Cervantes for the Las Cruces Sun-News as one of the rising stars in state politics. Since then, the Las Cruces Democrat has considered but decided against running for Congress and attorney general. He has also jumped into, then back out of, the race for House majority leader before the vote. Those decisions over the last year reveal what is perhaps the biggest criticism of Cervantes – that he’s afraid to take a risk and may miss his chance to become one of the state’s top leaders. This week marked the second time he has jumped in and out of the majority leader race. Continue Reading

Should there be more Las Crucens in Santa Fe?

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The Las Cruces Sun-News ran an editorial today lamenting the dearth of Las Crucens in high places in Santa Fe. First, the newspaper grieves over the fact that State Rep. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces was unsuccessful in his bid to become House majority leader. Cervantes withdrew from the race at the last moment after Ken Martinez of Grants accepted a nomination to the position following his own loss in the speaker race. “It is incredible that the second-largest city in New Mexico has never had a majority leader, and hasn’t had a speaker of the House since W.H.H. Llewellyn held the post in 1917,” the editorial states. That lack of representation among House leadership might “be easier to take if not for the fact that it is coupled with a lack of representation at the executive level,” the editorial states. Continue Reading

Richardson backs eminent domain restrictions

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Gov. Bill Richardson will support legislation in the 2007 session that takes away the ability of local governments to exercise eminent domain to make way for commercial development. Richardson vetoed similar legislation earlier this year, but told the Las Cruces Sun-News he did that because the Republican bill lacked some protections for local governments that the new proposal will contain. The new proposal is the result of a task force study that has taken most of the year. “The bill that I vetoed last session would have created more problems than it resolved,” the newspaper quoted Richardson as saying. “The task force produced a solution that is more realistic, and will not prevent municipalities from cleaning up nuisance properties that place communities at risk. Continue Reading

Candidates file to run for school board seats

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Here are the names of candidates who filed today to run for positions on the Las Cruces, Gadsden and Hatch school boards in the Feb. 6 election: Las Cruces Public Schools District 4: Larry Garcia, Bonnie Votaw District 5: David Morgan, Connie Phillips, Sharon Wooden Gadsden Independent School District District 1: Manuela Huerta, Luz Vargas-Troncoso District 2: Rodolfo Franco, Jennifer Viramontes District 3: Maria Saenz District 4: Daniel Castillo, Elva Flores District 5: Craig Ford, Charles Gonnell, Robert Zinsmaster Hatch Valley Public Schools District 2: Douglas Adams District 3: David Franzoy, Dencil Duane Gills District 5: Donald Hackey Continue Reading

Conservative publication places Richardson in the top tier of 2008 Democratic presidential hopefuls

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A political columnist for the conservative National Review says Gov. Bill Richardson might be the best candidate for president in 2008, and compares him in a favorable way to President Bush. We all know how much Richardson likes it when conservatives tout him as a great guy. I’m guessing he doesn’t like being compared to Bush. In an article published online today, Jonathan Martin touts Richardson’s wide range of experience. “If there were a presidential candidate available who had deep experience in both state and federal government, the executive and legislative branch, and foreign and domestic affairs, would he be rated among the top of the field?” he wrote. Continue Reading

Richardson names new labor secretary

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Gov. Bill Richardson today named Herb Crosby, president and CEO of Avtec, Inc. in Albuquerque, as the new secretary of the Department of Labor. Crosby replaces Conroy Chino, who quit several weeks ago to work in the private sector. Chino was the first of Richardson’s secretaries to quit following the governor’s re-election on Nov. 7. “Herb Crosby knows what New Mexico is facing, because he has been on the front lines of business recruitment and employee training efforts in Albuquerque,” Richardson said in a news release. Continue Reading

Governor to reappoint NMSU Regent Conniff

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Though he hasn’t made an official announcement, Gov. Bill Richardson has decided to appoint Laura Conniff of Las Cruces to a second, six-year term on the New Mexico State University Board of Regents. Richardson could make an announcement as early as this afternoon, sources tell me. Conniff, currently the board’s vice president, was first appointed by former Gov. Gary Johnson in 2000. Conniff, a registered Democrat, has been fairly independent, at times frustrating Richardson by not voting the way he wanted. Conniff is a co-owner of Mathers Realty, Leveldale Farms and Conniff F Cross Farm in Las Cruces. Continue Reading

U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to step down

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U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, who oversees the New Mexico offices, will resign sometime in the next few months. Iglesias, a Republican, has decided to step down after talking with officials in Washington, D.C., according to the Albuquerque Tribune. It’s normal for a U.S. attorney to finish out a president’s tenure, so Iglesias was expected to stay on until at least 2008. His resignation apparently has to do with high-profile public corruption investigations. His office worked out plea bargains with former state Treasurer Michael Montoya and others in the treasurer scandal, but former Treasurer Robert Vigil was acquitted recently on 23 of 24 felony counts he faced. Continue Reading

City approves civic center land lease

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Las Cruces city councilors approved Monday a lease agreement that will allow the city to build a civic center on the New Mexico State University campus. Under the agreement, approved 6-0 with Councilor Dolores Archuleta absent, the city will pay $3,500 each year to lease eight acres of land. The cost of the facility is estimated at around $25 million. The NMSU Board of Regents must still approve the proposal, and could do so at a January meeting in Santa Fe. The city will consider a hotel surcharge of $2.50 per night to fund the project, but Councilor Ken Miyagishima has said he wants the city to consider a surcharge that is higher for those hotels closer to the civic center and lower for hotels that are further away. Continue Reading

LCPS Board may finalize interim superintendent search process at tonight’s meeting

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The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education might finalize its process for finding an interim superintendent at tonight’s meeting. The board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the district’s administration building, 505 South Main Street. Board Member John Schwebke told the Las Cruces Sun-News the priorities will be involving the community and keeping the cost down. “We want to keep it as simple as possible and accomplish this with as little expense as we can,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. Some board members have said they hope to hire a former superintendent from New Mexico on an interim basis, and have identified several potential candidates. Continue Reading

Lujan has difficult task of balancing governor’s ambitions and demands of House Democrats

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Monday’s vote to continue the leadership of Ben Lujan wasn’t entirely a defeat for House Democrats who supported his ouster. His challenger, Majority Leader Ken Martinez, emerges from the loss having brought to light concerns about Lujan’s leadership. He also helped House Democrats confront their leader and, in doing so, Martinez lessened the fear that existed among caucus members. At least for now. A swift dose of retaliation could change that. Continue Reading

Vote totals from House speaker race kept secret

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The vote totals for speaker, majority leader and majority whip from today’s House Democratic caucus were kept secret by leadership and those who counted ballots. I can tell you a bit more about how the meeting played out. After Ben Lujan of Santa Fe and Ken Martinez of Grants were nominated for speaker, both gave speeches. Then Rep. Mary Helen Garcia of Las Cruces challenged the speaker with several questions about his leadership and actions, including one about the $75 million he slipped into this year’s capital outlay bill without the knowledge of most legislators and at the last minute. Several legislators told me Lujan didn’t really answer Garcia’s questions. Continue Reading

Martinez elected majority leader

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Ken Martinez will remain House majority leader. Joseph Cervantes withdrew from the majority leader race, and the members elected Martinez. I don’t yet know what happened with Mimi Stewart, who was also in the running, and I don’t know the vote count. House Democrats are now working on who will be whip. The race is between Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Jose Campos. Continue Reading