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Richardson surges to 10 percent in New Hampshire

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s support in New Hampshire has surged to 10 percent in the newest poll, up from 2 percent six weeks ago. “Of greatest significance (in the poll) is the move of Bill Richardson into double-digits from merely a blip on the screen,” said pollster John Zogby, whose company released the newest poll today. “He is now a player in all this.” The Zogby International poll follows weeks of slow climbs by Richardson in surveys in several other states. Recent polls have placed Richardson at 6 percent in Nevada and 5 percent in Iowa. Richardson was the first Democratic presidential candidate to run television ads. Continue Reading

Jeff Armijo indicted on charges stemming from allegations that ended his 2006 run for state auditor

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Jeff Armijo, who was the Democratic Party’s nominee for state auditor until he was pressured to quit the race last year because of allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward a campaign volunteer, has been indicted on charges stemming from the Aug. 3 incident. Armijo was indicted by a grand jury on March 15 on three counts of battery and one count of false imprisonment, according to the New Mexico courts Web site. The false imprisonment charge is a fourth-degree felony that carries a maximum of 18 months in prison. The battery charges are petty misdemeanors that each carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison. Continue Reading

18 months out, Hannan runs ads attacking Domenici

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Jim Hannan, one of two lesser-known Democrats attempting to unseat U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici next year, has begun running newspaper advertisements. It’s a little unusual to be running ads 18 months before the November 2008 election, especially since Hannan didn’t file a report with the Federal Election Commission for the first quarter of 2007 because he hadn’t yet reached the $5,000 fundraising threshold. “I think it’s a good time to start telling the Pete Domenici story, particularly covering his votes this year,” Hannan said. The current ad is running in the Santa Fe Reporter and the Alibi in Albuquerque, two weeklies that are cheaper than larger dailies. Hannan said he’s also talking with the Las Cruces Sun-News. Continue Reading

Sun-News wraps up series on development

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The Las Cruces Sun-News wrapped up its five-day series on growth and development today with an overview of what’s been happening in the last few years and a look at how rapid growth only spurs more rapid growth. The retail growth was the most staggering point in the Sun-News’ main article in today’s package: Since 2000, Las Cruces has gone from having one Wal-Mart Supercenter to having two and a Sam’s Club, and it’s gone from having no Starbucks to having four (the Sun-New erroneously said three) with another two already under construction. In addition, here’s what the Sun-News didn’t report: Wal-Mart is looking land for a third Las Cruces store on U.S. Highway 70, and Target is currently working a deal to build its second Las Cruces store on Highway 70. Kohl’s is already building on the city’s north side, and Circuit City is also looking for land. The growth really is staggering. Continue Reading

Cervantes meets with Democratic officials in D.C.

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State Rep. Joseph Cervantes, who is considering running for Congress next year, met Wednesday with officials from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C. The Las Cruces Democrat has considered for several years a possible run against U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. He has said recently that he’s considering running next year but hasn’t made a decision. The DCCC is the official campaign organization of House Democrats. Pearce has already drawn two Democratic challengers – Al Kissling, who ran unsuccessfully against him last year, and Bill McCamley, a Doña Ana County commissioner. I was unable to reach Cervantes for comment. Update, 10:25 a.m. Though he met with the DCCC, I’m told Cervantes didn’t meet with anyone from the office of Rep. Tom Udall, the state’s only Democrat in the House. Continue Reading

Richardson to make 2008 run official on Monday

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Gov. Bill Richardson plans to make his presidential run official with an announcement in Los Angeles on Monday, the Associated Press is reporting. Richardson announced on Jan. 21 that he was forming an exploratory committee as he began a run for president, but he has said repeatedly that there’s no question he is running. So Monday’s announcement is simply a formality as he officially ends the exploratory committee and creates the presidential committee. Richardson will make the announcement at the Los Angeles Press Club. Continue Reading

Clerical error led to Texas donation snafu

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign is taking credit for a snafu that resulted in a donation being erroneously reported as coming from a Republican judge in Texas, but isn’t explaining how it happened. The $2,300 contribution was reported as coming from a Matt Johnston with an address and occupation that matched the former address and occupation of District Judge Matt Johnson (without the “t”). Johnson, however, didn’t give the contribution. The sheriff in Waco, Texas is investigating, but Richardson’s spokesman told the Albuquerque Tribune that the mixup was the result of a clerical error by a campaign staffer. He didn’t elaborate. Continue Reading

Millionaire Richardson has stock in oil company

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Gov. Bill Richardson, who proposes an “Apollo plan” to make the United States energy independent, is a millionaire who has stock in a refining company and received capital gains on the sale of stock in an offshore drilling company, the Associated Press is reporting. In a report filed this week with the Federal Election Commission, Richardson reported overall assets of between $3.5 million and $10 million. That includes stock in Valero Energy Corp. worth between $100,001 and $250,000, the news service reported. He also has stock options from the company valued between $250,001 and $500,000. Continue Reading

Richardson gains in Ohio, still below margin of error

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It seems like I’ve been writing a lot lately about Gov. Bill Richardson climbing, albeit slowly, in a number of Democratic presidential nominee polls across the nation. There’s another. The newest Quinnipiac University poll has Richardson at two percent in Ohio, which puts him tied for fifth place in the poll that includes Al Gore, who isn’t running for president. That’s a climb in the eight weeks since the school’s last poll put Richardson at 1 percent in March. Interestingly, the newest poll found support for Richardson at 4 percent among men and less than 1 percent among women. Continue Reading

Newspaper looks at growth’s impact on schools

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As part of its continuing series on growth, the Las Cruces Sun-News today examined the impact on schools and the difficulties the Las Cruces Public Schools is having keeping up. A couple of interesting points: In a second article, the newspaper reported that New Mexico State University is prepared for growth and, with its current infrastructure, can handle 15 percent growth. That’s quite a contrast to LCPS, which is struggling to keep up. Also interesting is the fact that the school district has been largely kept out of the loop on development. Its officials didn’t know about the current and controversial East Mesa development under consideration by the Las Cruces City Council, The Vistas at Presidio, until recently. Continue Reading

On trip to Las Cruces, Lyons defends land lease

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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons is in Las Cruces today to defend his decision to lease land on the East Mesa to a developer who has been very friendly with him in the past. Lyons explained the deal and chastised those who have criticized him this morning on The Morning Show with Michael Swickard. “They’re trying to connect some dots here that just doesn’t make sense to me,” Lyons said. Lyons and developer Philip Philippou have come under fire in recent weeks because Philippou gave $20,500 last year to a political action committee that gave most of it to Lyons’ re-election campaign. Then Lyons bypassed his own process for seeking bids to lease 3,200 acres of land on Las Cruces’ East Mesa by giving the contract to Philippou in December, before the announced time to submit proposals had ended. Continue Reading

Publication examines Domenici’s re-election bid

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Congressional Quarterly has a new article examining the fact that, despite the problems dogging U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Democrats have been, thus far, unable to find a top-tier opponent to take him on next year. In an article published Tuesday, the publication examined the fact that Domenici is the topic of an ethics investigation and has seen his poll numbers drop, but Republicans don’t seem concerned. Domenici is easily raising a great deal of money and Democrats have, thus far, been unable to find a known candidate to run against him. Domenici has drawn challenges from lesser-known Democrats Jim Hannan and Leland Lehrman. The article quoted Matt Farrauto, executive director of the state Democratic Party, as saying that, at last month’s party meeting in Las Cruces, the talk was about taking on Domenici. Continue Reading

Lyons flew on developer’s plane to Aggie NCAA game

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New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons flew in March on a plane either owned or chartered by Las Cruces developer Philip Philippou to a college basketball game in Spokane, Wash. The New Mexico State University Aggies were playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in several years, and Lyons was one of a number of people who flew to the game on Philippou’s plane and on a second plane owned by the university. Philippou currently has an agreement to develop 3,200 acres of land controlled by Lyons on Las Cruces’ East Mesa. Both men have come under fire in recent weeks because Philippou gave more than $20,000 last year to a political action committee that gave most of it to Lyons’ re-election campaign. Then Lyons bypassed his own process for seeking bids to lease the land by giving the contract to Philippou in December, before the announced time to submit proposals had ended. Continue Reading

Auditor says NMSU should have notified him of probe

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State Auditor Hector Balderas says New Mexico State University violated a state statute by failing to inform his office of alleged misuse of funds and equipment by employees of the facilities department. In a letter sent Friday to NMSU President Michael Martin, Balderas wrote that he learned of the probe through the media even though the state’s administrative code and a statute require that state agencies immediately notify the auditor’s office of “any possible criminal statute violation in connection with its financial affairs.” According to Balderas, notification to his office must include the estimated dollar amount involved and a description of the violation that includes the names of those involved and the action taken or planned. That’s so the auditor can determine whether a special audit is warranted, the letter states. “NMSU’s failure to notify me regarding these alleged improprieties is noncompliance with both the regulation and statute cited above,” Balderas wrote in the letter. “The NMSU audit report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007 must include an audit finding regarding this noncompliance.” Balderas instructed Martin to provide him with information about the probe as soon as it is available, and wrote that, in the future, “NMSU should inform me in writing immediately upon discovery of any possible criminal violation at the university.” Investigators from the university police, sheriff’s department and FBI have worked with auditors to scrutinize hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenditures and have narrowed their investigation to focus on allegations that a few employees used university equipment, funds and resources for a number of construction projects at their homes. Continue Reading

Ethics task force to make plan, take input next week

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The governor’s Task Force on Ethics Reform plans an all-day meeting on May 22 that includes the opportunity for public input. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in room 307 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Much of the morning will be spent reviewing the recommendations made by last year’s task force and the developments in this year’s regular and special legislative sessions. The task force will then form a plan for its time that will include a meeting schedule and goals. The governor has asked the task force to consider why there is resistance to ethics reform in the Legislature, come up with new recommendations and also advise him on whether he should call a special session for ethics reform later this year. Continue Reading