There’s no proof of widespread voter fraud, but the system does allow for potential misdeeds

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With all the uproar about alleged voter fraud, I thought it might be interesting to look back at the 2004 election, which is often the springboard for such allegations. Kate Nelson of the Albuquerque Tribune summed up the political climate at the time of the 2004 election well in a Jan. 29, 2005 article: “(It was alleged that) apolitical slackers in search of the $7-a-voter bounty some groups were paying simply opened phone books to borrow the fill-in-the-blanks necessities,” she wrote. “County clerks were deluged with good forms and bad. The election was looming. Continue Reading

Richardson’s criticism of Dendahl backfires

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On Wednesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate John Dendahl filed his first campaign finance report, a month late, and the campaign of Gov. Bill Richardson criticized the fact that almost half of Dendahl’s contributions came from the oil and gas industry. Richardson’s campaign asked for it, and Dendahl gave the appropriate response –Richardson has taken almost 10 times as much oil and gas money. Dendahl reported raising $59,700 as of July 3. At that point, he had spent only $1,373. More than half – $25,000 – came from the oil and gas industry. Continue Reading

Democrat Kissling shakes up campaign staff

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Democrat Al Kissling has shaken up his campaign staff as he attempts to jumpstart an operation that has failed to raise one-tenth of the money secured by his opponent, Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. In an e-mail sent Thursday to supporters, Kissling announced that he has “made several changes in personnel,” including the departure of his former campaign manager, Roger Flemming. Flemming has been replaced by Loveless Johnson III of Santa Fe, a former director in the Clinton U.S. Department of Energy. According to Kissling’s e-mail, Johnson “has successfully managed four winning congressional campaigns of current and past members of Congress.” In addition, Kissling has hired a “full-time travel assistant, David Anderson from the Democratic Party of New Mexico.” “Stay tuned as Loveless rounds out the staff with a field coordinator and other personnel,” Kissling wrote. Kissling also wrote that a “new and improved” Web site will be unveiled within the next week at www.kisslingforcongress.com. Will it help? Continue Reading

U.N. secretary-general coming to Santa Fe to dine with old friend Richardson

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United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan of Ghana will attend a dinner at the Governor’s Mansion in Santa Fe later this month. Annan and other guests will attend a dinner on Aug. 21 hosted by Gov. Bill Richardson and his wife, according to Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley. Shipley said Annan is on vacation and visiting his friend Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Though the two will likely discuss some hot topics that might include North Korea, the Middle East and Iran, that’s not the purpose of the trip, Shipley said. Continue Reading

In congressional race, AG Madrid having a hard time defending herself against attacks

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It’s been a rough week for Patricia Madrid. The New Mexico attorney general is working hard in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M. this year. It’s one of the most hotly contested races in the nation, so it’s inevitably a nasty contest. Madrid, a Democrat, has been plagued during the campaign by allegations that she failed to investigate the state treasurer’s office and stop the corruption there several years ago. Wilson unveiled the inevitable television commercial last week accusing Madrid of doing nothing to stop the problems in the treasurer’s office that eventually led to the federal indictments of the past two state treasurers and others. Continue Reading

State toughens regulations for serving alcohol to minors and intoxicated people

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Gov. Bill Richardson announced tougher regulations Thursday for serving minors and intoxicated people. The new regulations allow the state to revoke a liquor license following three convictions for sales to minors, intoxicated people or a combination of both during a 12-month period. The old standard was five offenses. The regulations take effect Oct. 15. Continue Reading

Garza vows to fight for job, but says he is partly responsible for trouble that led to suspension

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Suspended Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza is vowing to fight to keep his job, but also admitting that he is responsible for some of the trouble in which he finds himself. Garza appeared tired during an interview broadcast Wednesday evening on ABC-7. He learned earlier in the day that the New Mexico Supreme Court suspended him, with pay, for 90 days while the Judicial Standards Commission investigates serious allegations against him. The court has sealed the file, so the allegations aren’t known publicly and Garza can’t reveal details. He did, however, tell the station that “they’re not criminal matters, but they’re serious enough that I need to answer to them.” Garza, a Democrat, surprised me by saying politics isn’t to blame for the allegations against him. Continue Reading

Court: City doesn’t have to reimburse municipal judges for defense of ethical complaint

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A district judge has denied a request to force the City of Las Cruces to reimburse its municipal judges for the cost of defending themselves against an ethical complaint filed by the city attorney’s office. District Judge Jerald A. Valentine ruled Wednesday that the judges, Melissa Miller-Byrnes and James T. Locatelli, “have not pointed to any duty that requires (the city) to pay” their legal fees, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Those fees topped more than $100,000. You can read Valentine’s decision by clicking here. The judges claimed the city’s failure to pay violated the separation of powers doctrine. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: High court suspends Garza for 90 days with pay

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The New Mexico Supreme Court has suspended Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza, with pay, for 90 days. The petition from the Judicial Standards Commission seeking his immediate, temporary suspension has been sealed by the court, so the allegations against Garza aren’t known. Reached by cell phone shortly after the court issued its order today, Garza said he was at work and had not yet heard that he had been suspended. Garza returned to work today after taking about a week off from work. He was suffering health problems related to the stress of the current uncertainty over his job situation. Continue Reading

In a shift, Torres says she plans to hire new elections supervisor before November

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Uncertainty about who will oversee the rapidly approaching November general election continues. Shortly after the June primary, Doña Ana County fired its elections supervisor, Mari Langford. Clerk Rita Torres placed her chief deputy, Cecilia Madrid, in charge of the elections bureau. Torres said at the time she would not hire an elections supervisor before November, and said she and Madrid would handle the election. But at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Torres said she will hire a new supervisor before the November election, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Continue Reading

Connecticut Sen. Lieberman’s defeat shows growing influence of bloggers on politics

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The primary loss Tuesday of Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was proof of the growing influence of those working to take control of the Democratic Party through the Internet. In recent years, liberal blogs have formed across the nation, using the Internet in much the same way conservatives use AM talk radio. Lieberman was a three-term senator and the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee in 2000. Long after 9/11, he continued to back President Bush’s actions in Iraq and the larger war on terrorism as most Democrats jumped ship. Anger over that prompted many liberal bloggers to label Lieberman as Public Enemy No. Continue Reading

Democratic Party chair: County elections task force ‘is not apolitical but it is bipartisan’

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(Note: On Tuesday I criticized Melinda Whitley, chair of the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County, and others for politicizing the county’s elections task force. You can read that posting by clicking here. I invited Whitley to respond. This is her unedited reply.) Dear Heath: Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to respond to your blog which discussed my e-mail to certain members of the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County. First of all, my basic reason for writing the e-mail was a feeling that, having attended the first public meeting which was dominated by Republican speakers, with only one Democrat addressing the panel, unless we heard some comments from people representing different points of view, our report to the County Commission would necessarily reflect an incomplete picture. Continue Reading

Despite news report, Richardson spokesman says governor isn’t returning to North Korea

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The South Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson may be headed back to North Korea, but Richardson’s spokesman says there’s no current plan to do that. Richardson went to the rogue state last October, taking with him New Mexico State University President Michael Martin. The South Korean report said Richardson’s new trip would be as an information conduit for the Bush administration. But Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told ABQjournal.com that “the governor has no plans to go to North Korea at this time.” Of course, that could always change. Richardson also met with North Korean officials in 2003 in Santa Fe. Continue Reading

Tummy ache keeps Garza from work while he awaits word on request for suspension

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A tummy ache is apparently the reason Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza isn’t at work. Garza is waiting to hear from the New Mexico Supreme Court after the Judicial Standards Commission filed a petition just over a week ago seeking his immediate, temporary suspension. Details of the case aren’t known because the high court sealed it. Garza was last at work on Aug. 1 – the day after he learned of the commission’s request. Continue Reading

Democratic Party chair, others need to stop politicizing county elections task force’s work

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Some Democrats and Republicans in Doña Ana County are trying to politicize the elections task force, but Democratic Party Chair Melinda Whitley, a member of the task force, takes the cake thus far. The county commission created the task force to examine past problems with our elections, with the goal of recommending changes that would help improve the system. Before the first public meeting of the task force in July, the county Republican Party sent an e-mail to its members stating that “We need those who have experienced irregularities and or fraud. … We need the room filled with those interested in cleaning up Doña Ana County’s election process mess.” It urged that people who have experienced problems prepare brief statements to give to the task force. That’s reasonable enough. Continue Reading