Rattner reports worth as at least $188 million

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Steven Rattner, the head of President Barack Obama’s auto-bailout program and a man who has been linked to a New York pension scandal that has spread to New Mexico and beyond, was worth at least $188 million when he took the government job in February, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. That’s according to Rattner’s financial disclosure form. His worth includes, according to the Journal, “a sizable holding in an investment fund operated by the owner of Chrysler LLC.” Rattner, as I’ve previously written, gave $5,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign and $15,000 to Richardson’s 2006 re-election bid, according to the money-in-politics Web site followthemoney.org. Richardson heads the State Investment Council (SIC), which manages the state’s investments. In October 2005, the SIC voted to invest $20 million with Quadrangle Group LLC. Continue Reading

Looking ‘through the fog,’ Zanetti wants to change NM

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The only declared 2010 GOP gubernatorial candidate stakes his hopes on his ideas to change the state’s economy by ending pay to play and shrinking government, taxes and some regulation As he looks “through the fog” of the economic downturn and scandals plaguing state government, Greg Zanetti envisions a New Mexico in which the Rio Grande Valley’s high-tech corridor and the state’s rural industries are empowered to work together to make the Land of Enchantment the leader in energy and other issues. Zanetti, the only declared 2010 Republican candidate for governor, wants to do that through shrinking government, lowering taxes and decreasing the regulation of those more tangible industries in the rural areas, such as oil, gas, dairy and copper. But that doesn’t mean he favors blanket deregulation. The Albuquerque financial adviser has been warning for years as a local radio and television commentator about the problems with investment trends. He said the state has been morphing into “a giant casino” with its move into riskier and less tangible investments, and he favors more regulation of the financial industry. Continue Reading

AFSCME endorses Chávez in ABQ mayoral race

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The political action committee for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents some 3,500 city workers in Albuquerque, has endorsed Mayor Martin Chávez in his bid for re-election. It’s the first time AFSCME has endorsed Chávez in a mayoral race, though the union did endorse the Democrat in his unsuccessful bid for governor in 1998 over Republican Gary Johnson. The union and mayor have often been at odds in the past. Last year, Andrew Padilla, president of AFSCME Council 18, hammered Chávez for threatening to veto a binding arbitration bill that had been approved by the city council. A year earlier, when he was running for U.S. Senate, Chávez voiced support for such a proposal. Continue Reading

Lawsuit seeks to ease ballot access in New Mexico

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A man who says he’s running for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District seat next year is suing the secretary of state in an attempt to void laws that make it more difficult for minor-party candidates to get on the ballot. That candidate, Alan Woodruff, is joined in the lawsuit by the state Green and Libertarian parties. Woodruff said in a news release that the court action “isn’t just about getting on the ballot. It’s about the more fundamental principle that the voters are entitled to choices. Those choices should not be limited to candidates chosen by the two parties that have maintained a stranglehold on American politics for 100 years.” Woodruff said the lawsuit would simplify access to the general election ballot for minor-party candidates. Continue Reading

Why won’t Richardson answer question about Correra?

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As I wrote on Tuesday, Gov. Bill Richardson and his administration have taken strong action in response to the investment scandal that started in New York and has spread to New Mexico and other states. But those steps to address the situation came only after it became a national scandal that threatens to further bog down a governor who has watched his career sink in recent months because of a federal grand jury probe into allegations of pay to play in his administration. What was Richardson doing before all the eyebrow-raising dealing became known publicly? State officials say Richardson was, until the scandal broke, unaware of payments made to third-party marketers — those hired by investment firms to help them win state contracts — that are at the center of the controversy. So why does Richardson keep refusing to answer a related question being asked by Trip Jennings, a colleague of mine at the New Mexico Independent? Continue Reading

Teague seeks mandatory screenings to combat PTSD

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Congressman to propose mandatory mental health screenings for military personnel when signing up, before and after deployment and before discharge By Vicki Nisbett To deal with the problem of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the military, U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., unveiled a bill today that would require mandatory mental health assessments for service members upon induction, before and after deployment and before discharge. Teague announced the legislation, which is named for Las Crucen Kyle Barthel, at a news conference at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Las Cruces. After serving in Iraq, Barthel took his own life upon return to civilian life, a victim of PTSD. The legislation is titled The Kyle Barthel Veterans and Service Member Mental Health Screening Act. “Kyle reached out and sought treatment but was never able to get the mental health help that he needed and deserved. Continue Reading

GOP’s Barela may challenge Heinrich next year

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A Republican Party activist is preparing to form an exploratory committee as he considers challenging U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., for the 1st Congressional District seat next year. The potential challenger is Jon Barela, a former vice chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico and past president of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. A fundraiser will be held Saturday to help raise money for the exploratory committee, according to an e-mail invitation sent on Tuesday by the host of the event, GOP activist Kevin Reid. In the e-mail to his “close friends,” Reid wrote that he’s supporting Barela because of his conservative and commonsense values. Reid is asking people to commit $2,300 for the primary to allow Barela to form the exploratory committee. Continue Reading

State auditor probing AG’s animal cruelty task force

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State Auditor Hector Balderas is looking into whether Attorney General Gary King is properly handling money appropriated for a task force that has largely focused on rooting out cockfighting since the state outlawed the bloody sport in 2007. Balderas’ probe was initiated by a complaint from animal-rights activist Marcy Britton, who alleges a number of illegal acts by King and others involved in the Animal Cruelty Task Force, including the misspending of more than $77,000 appropriated by the Legislature. At the core of her allegations is a claim that the task force has no jurisdiction to lead investigations into illegal cockfighting and dog fighting, which she says the task force has done. Balderas said in an interview that his office has directed the independent auditor conducting the AG’s annual audit to look into “whether those appropriations were properly accounted for and spent properly.” He said his special audit division “is maintaining contact with and coordinating with the independent auditors.” King spokesman Phil Sisneros, while refuting the allegations made by Britton, said the state auditor hasn’t contacted the AG’s office about the matter, but the AG is prepared to cooperate fully. The auditor’s probe of the task force, which had not been previously disclosed publicly, is the latest in the back-and-forth between the offices of the two state watchdogs that has been in the news recently. Continue Reading

State Investment Council bans third party marketers

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“The strongest in the nation and appropriately so” is how Gov. Bill Richardson described today’s ban by the State Investment Council (SIC) of future investments with companies that employ third-party marketers to help them win government contracts. The SIC also voted unanimously today to require what a news release from Richardson’s office called “sweeping disclosure” of all payments made in relation to permanent fund investments, and to ban certain campaign contributions. “With this ban, and the more stringent transparency and disclosure policies in place, I want the public to be confident that we are acting as responsible managers of the state’s permanent funds,” Richardson said. From the news release: “The State Investment Council policy will preclude any investments being made with money managers who use outside placement agents to market their fund or services. This is a complete ban of third-party marketers, not just ‘targeted’ placement agents, whose practices have come under increasing scrutiny both in New Mexico and nationally in recent weeks. Continue Reading

Will Richardson step in to deal with North Korea?

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Largely absent from all the media coverage about the growing threat from North Korea in the last few days is one longtime player in the situation: Gov. Bill Richardson. He’s been the most successful American at negotiating with the North Korean government for a long time. But his stature has taken a big hit because of the ongoing probe into allegations of pay to play in his administration, which cost him the commerce secretary nomination earlier this year. So, with the North Koreans testing a nuclear weapon, firing off short-range missiles and holding two American journalists, where’s the governor? Richardson’s office hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment, but the short answer is that, at the very least, he’s playing a much-reduced role compared to his involvement in past incidents with North Korea. Continue Reading

Obama nominates first Hispanic for Supreme Court

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This article has been updated.U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman was the first politician from New Mexico to comment today on President Barack Obama’s nomination of the first Hispanic for the Supreme Court, federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor. “I have never met Judge Sotomayor, but everything I’m aware of would indicate that she is a very well qualified appointee,” Bingaman said in a statement released by his office. Senate Republicans took a wait-and-see approach to the nomination, with one Republican leader saying it was important to not “pre-judge” Sotomayor. Obama, in announcing the nomination this morning, said Sotomayor “would bring more experience on the bench and more varied experience on the bench than anyone currently serving on the United States Supreme Court had when they were appointed.” Sotomayor, in accepting the nomination, called it “the most humbling honor of my life.” “My heart today is bursting with gratitude,” she said. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor would be the third woman and first Hispanic on the nation’s high court. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll may vote GOP because of scandal

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said scandals plaguing state government involving mostly Democrats make them more likely to vote for Republicans in 2010. Of 334 voters, 177, or 53 percent, said scandals do make them more likely to vote GOP, while 145, or 43 percent, said the scandals do not. Twelve, or 4 percent, said they don’t know. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

ValueOptions didn’t file complaint with the feds

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Company protesting the awarding of state’s behavioral health services contract to OptumHealth says it also hasn’t been subpoenaed in the case ValueOptions New Mexico, which has been loudly protesting the recent awarding of the state’s behavioral health services contract to another company, says it didn’t initiate the federal investigation into the procurement process. In addition, ValueOptions says it hasn’t been subpoenaed in the case. “We did not file a complaint with federal investigators, nor have we received a subpoena,” said the company’s director of public affairs and communications, Patrick Killen. “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on investigations in process.” In April, a federal grand jury subpoenaed documents related to the state’s pending shift from ValueOptions to OptumHealth New Mexico, a subsidiary of United HealthCare. The state awarded the massive contract in January to OptumHealth over ValueOptions, which has held the contract for four years. Continue Reading

Bush tells Artesia students to ‘give it your all’

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Former President George W. Bush told high school seniors in Artesia on Thursday that being out of office is “a liberating feeling,” according to the Roswell Daily Record. He told them a story about walking his dog Barney in his new neighborhood in Texas. The dog stopped to do his business in a neighbor’s yard. “And there I was, former president of the United States of America, with a plastic bag on my hand,” Bush said. “Life is returning back to normal.” Bush was speaking at a reception for high school seniors who are winners of the 2009 Chase Foundation Scholarship. Continue Reading

Richardson does national TV interview

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Gov. Bill Richardson has been holding a lot of town halls and other public events around the state lately, but his direct interaction with the media through news conferences and other means has been limited. That’s why last night’s television appearance on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show is noteworthy. He was on the show to talk about two American journalists being held in North Korea. Here’s the interview: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Continue Reading