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Sen. Garcia to face primary challenge from Butler

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Doña Ana County Commissioner Oscar Vásquez Butler has decided to challenge Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia in the June 2008 Democratic primary. Butler confirmed today his decision to take on the Democratic senator who has represented District 36 for 20 years. Both live in Doña Ana, a rural community a few miles north of Las Cruces. “I am running for Senate District 36,” Butler said. “I think we’re in need of a change and I think I can make a difference.” Butler’s decision is sure to rattle the county’s Democratic Party. Continue Reading

NMSU athletics organization’s debt nears $2 million

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New Mexico State University officials are trying to figure out how to restructure an athletics organization that was allowed to operate last fiscal year without an approved budget and ended the year with a $1.6 million deficit. They’re also trying to decide how to handle the debt, which has continued to grow this fiscal year. The debt incurred by the Aggie Athletic Fund (AAF), a charitable non-profit that is similar to the NMSU Foundation, continued to grow until at least Sept. 5, when it reached more than $1.75 million. Most of the debt comes from operations of the Aggie Sports Network (ASN), an organization under AAF charged with promoting the university’s athletics programs through television, radio and sponsorships. Continue Reading

In defense of the American Civil Liberties Union

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In a column published Wednesday on this site, Whitney Cheshire lauded the American Civil Liberties Union for our position on civic plaza surveillance cameras, but dismissed our free-speech lawsuit against state Sen. Rod Adair as just so much “politicking.” It comes down to this… Mr. Adair thinks his authority as a state senator trumps Mr. Beagle’s First Amendment right to take part in legislative committee hearings. He’s wrong. We would sue any state legislator, Democrat or Republican, to prove that, especially if he or she called upon state police to oust a citizen from the Roundhouse, as Senator Adair did. It’s the combination of arrogance and power that incites us, Whitney, not party stripe. You above many others should know that. Continue Reading

Former county auditor wants Schoonover’s job

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As the county’s internal auditor, Jill Johnson conducted the investigation that led the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners to formally censure Treasurer Jim Schoonover earlier this year. Johnson left the position this summer. That’s because she wants Schoonover’s job, which is up for grabs in November 2008. “Because of the things that went on, I did learn a lot about the treasurer’s office,” Johnson said in a recent interview. “… I think I can do a better job.” Schoonover and his deputy, Jerry Wheeler, were censured on Feb. Continue Reading

Third candidate enters Las Cruces mayoral race

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Jon J. Mercurio has announced his candidacy for mayor of Las Cruces. Mercurio, 64, is a retired federal scientist who runs a small business in Las Cruces and has lived in the city since 1984. He said in a news release that he’s running on a platform of “fiscal responsibility that stretches across the spectrum from smart growth, participation of the average citizen in their government, open government, infrastructure improvement for the existing community, job creation and quality of life.” “We need a more diverse economic base. One cannot expect the current strategy of continual housing construction, as the only prop for the local economy, to have long-term success,” Mercurio said. Mayor Bill Mattiace is seeking re-election on Nov. Continue Reading

Denish endorses Montaño in city council race

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Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has decided to put the weight of her endorsement – and some cash – behind the campaign of Steven Montaño, who is running for an open seat on the Las Cruces City Council. “He understands economic development and he understands the city of Las Cruces,” Denish said. “He’ll work with the other councilors to make sure good things happen for the city.” Montaño is one of three candidates running on Nov. 6 for the seat being vacated by Steve Trowbridge, who decided against seeking re-election. Denish Campaign Manager Steve Fitzer said the lieutenant governor has “had the chance to work very closely with Steve (Montaño).” That’s at least in part because Montaño runs the Las Cruces office of the state’s Economic Development Department. Continue Reading

Mattiace formally announces re-election bid

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Las Cruces Mayor William “Bill” Mattiace announced today, at a news conference on the steps of City Hall, his re-election bid. He said several months ago that he would seek one more term, but today marked Mattiace’s official campaign announcement. “I have been honored and humbled to serve this city for eight years, more than four of them as mayor,” he said. “I have enjoyed facing the challenges of leading this council and the people of this city. This job requires more than just encouragement from friends or a simple lifelong dream to be mayor. Continue Reading

Bingaman encouraged by wilderness compromise

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U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman says he’s “encouraged” by the compromise between the Las Cruces Homebuilders Association and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance on a proposal to protect almost 400,000 acres of land in Doña Ana County. Ultimately, only Congress can designate land as wilderness or a national conservation area. The wilderness alliance had been working for months to build additional consensus in its push for federal legislation. Its attempt got a huge boost Tuesday when a slightly reworked plan earned the endorsement of the homebuilders. “If we’re going to get a bill passed this Congress, it’s going to need widespread support in the community. Continue Reading

Judge agrees to discipline over role in housing scandal

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A judge who lived rent-free in a home owned by the Albuquerque-based Region III Housing Authority has agreed to a reprimand and to pay $17,000 in back rent, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. The New Mexico Supreme Court has asked attorneys for Metropolitan Court Judge Theresa Gomez and the Judicial Standards Commission to explain why her punishment shouldn’t be harsher than a reprimand. The court could take action as severe as removing her from the bench. The news comes eight months after the Journal reported that the judge was living rent-free for 20 months in the $172,000 home, that she had dismissed traffic tickets issued to former Region III Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos, and that she didn’t likely qualify for low-income housing even if she had been paying rent. The newspaper also reported at the time that a top aide to the speaker of the House had been similarly living in a home owned by Region III without paying rent. Continue Reading

ACLU’s worthy battles are tainted by its leftist slant

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By Whitney Cheshire It’s hard to tell which is worse in New Mexico – the American Civil Liberties Union’s politics, or the ACLU’s politicking. Look – don’t tune me out here. I know it is common knowledge that the ACLU pushes a leftist political agenda and is, rightfully so, criticized for it because of its tax-exempt mantra of “non-partisan” activism. There’s nothing new there. But today, I want to talk about surveillance cameras on Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza and Republican state Sen. Rod Adair. Continue Reading

‘One mistake a week’ is hampering guv’s campaign

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At the end of June, Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign was on fire. He had been climbing rapidly in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and was statistically tied with John Edwards for third place in the Granite State. He raised a respectable $7 million in the second quarter of the year. Some said he had joined the top tier of Democratic candidates. Richardson continued climbing in July, gaining ground in Iowa on the third-place Barack Obama. Continue Reading

Sierra, Otero spaceport tax hikes will be tough sells

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A vote on Tuesday by the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners to delay action on the creation of a spaceport tax district reveals a political reality of the process of securing funding for Spaceport America: There’s no certainty tax increases will be approved in Otero and Sierra counties. What the failure to approve such tax increases would mean for the spaceport project is unclear, and something state officials have been hesitant to discuss. On the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting was a proposal to give county Manager Brian Haines the authority “to take certain preliminary steps” toward formation of a spaceport tax district. Such an entity, in state law, is the organization that would collect tax dollars from counties, sell bonds and issue money to the Spaceport Authority for construction of the facility. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, some commissioners objected. Continue Reading

Lowe’s lows

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By Carter Bundy Jim Lowe, who is leading the recall effort of Albuquerque City Councilor Don Harris, had the chance to lay all of his cards on the table this past weekend during the television program Eye on New Mexico. Unfortunately, Lowe set new, low standards for what should constitute recall. I’ll repeat my disclaimer: I personally, and my union, supported Harris’ Democratic opponent in the 2005 city council race, although our members did prefer Harris in the all-GOP runoff. I personally am a strong Dem and certainly would not rank Councilor Harris at the top of a list of liberal councilors. So in one sense, I really don’t have a dog in this fight. Continue Reading

New polls confirm Richardson campaign’s stagnation

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New polls of three early primary states further confirm what has become apparent in recent weeks: Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign has stagnated. He hasn’t had any significant movement in polls in New Hampshire since June and Iowa since July. Richardson is betting on those two states and Nevada to propel him to victory. Now the Los Angeles Times is reporting the results of three new polls conducted for the newspaper and the news service Bloomberg. Richardson is at 10 percent in Iowa, 8 percent in New Hampshire and 1 percent in South Carolina, according to the new polls. Continue Reading