{"id":115453,"date":"2016-01-12T13:02:15","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T20:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=115453"},"modified":"2016-01-13T12:36:47","modified_gmt":"2016-01-13T19:36:47","slug":"las-cruces-proves-money-cant-always-buy-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/01\/las-cruces-proves-money-cant-always-buy-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Las Cruces proves money can\u2019t always buy elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_54908\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pictures-of-money\/17123251389\/in\/photolist-s6895e-chEwR9-bH1iX8-bt4mNt-42PQoC-a2YSa6-62QVKf-bta55K-dB7F8e-dK2oa7-aFDjPB-aYWk56-aFATbM-aFAaK6-aFAQEv-snzAJp-QxcaH-s4fksR-cMnty-bZvUDS-bta3kH-brd1K2-62LFqP-dTUAhR-5p8w8o-7jm7SP-8F5t1j-dSZe91-dUSc9a-a5SwX-dSK3tm-biaRHp-68vjKV-68zxeQ-9C9vCS-aFAPtx-9ZA9J6-cXNz15-9kJxyv-b6MUJK-68zxij-aFDkRt-aFDet2-bDwJ11-5DfGXv-bmm93i-55FLSR-aFDcrg-bf3Nge-nQZguc\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-54908 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-771x495.jpg\" alt=\"Money\" width=\"771\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-771x495.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-336x216.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-1170x752.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money-780x500.jpg 780w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Money.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Pictures of Money \/ Creative Commons<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Finance reports reveal that spending by independent, conservative groups on the Nov. 3 Las Cruces election was even greater than previously known \u2013 more than $155,000 from four different political action committees. The candidates they backed all lost. (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">photo cc info<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>COMMENTARY:<\/strong> If money could always buy elections, Las Cruces would have a new mayor and a more conservative City Council.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_55852\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 336px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-55852\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1-336x222.jpg\" alt=\"Heath Haussamen\" width=\"336\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1-336x222.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1-771x510.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1-1170x773.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Haussamen-Heath1.jpg 1262w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heath Haussamen<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But it didn\u2019t happen in November despite a flood of conservative, largely out-of-town money aimed at grabbing power in New Mexico\u2019s second-largest city. That should encourage New Mexicans who are concerned about efforts by the wealthiest among us to own our political system.<\/p>\n<p>Finance reports filed in late December reveal that spending by independent, conservative groups on the Nov. 3 Las Cruces election was even greater than previously known \u2013 more than $155,000 from four different political action committees:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>GOAL WestPAC, which was formed in 2013 with the help of U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., <a href=\"http:\/\/www.las-cruces.org\/~\/media\/lcpublicwebdev2\/site%20documents\/article%20documents\/city%20clerk\/goal%20west(3).ashx?la=en\" target=\"_blank\">spent $86,061.18<\/a>, most of it on negative attacks against incumbent Mayor Ken Miyagishima and City Council candidates Kasandra Gandara and Jack Eakman. Voters rejected the PACs <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/super-pac-continues-barrage-of-negative-attacks-in-las-cruces\/\" target=\"_blank\">disingenuous assault<\/a> on Miyagishima, who <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/thank-you-las-crucens-for-your-faith-trust-and-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">easily won re-election<\/a>. Eakman and Gandara \u2013 whose campaign had impressive grassroots support \u2013 narrowly won their races.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>A PAC called Advance Las Cruces <a href=\"http:\/\/www.las-cruces.org\/~\/media\/lcpublicwebdev2\/site%20documents\/article%20documents\/city%20clerk\/alc%20report(2).ashx?la=en\" target=\"_blank\">spent $48,239.53<\/a> on its unsuccessful efforts to help Miguel Silva defeat Miyagishima. Most of that money went to a company owned by Gov. Susana Martinez\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/02\/meet-gov-martinezs-top-adviser\/\" target=\"_blank\">top political adviser<\/a>, Jay McCleskey, who has been <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/martinez-says-shes-confident-mccleskey-has-done-nothing-wrong\/\" target=\"_blank\">under FBI scrutiny<\/a>. It funded mailers, radio ads and robocalls. Advance Las Cruces got its money from a new state-level PAC called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfis.state.nm.us\/media\/PACReport.aspx?se=0&amp;p=7276\" target=\"_blank\">Prosperity and Action New Mexico<\/a>, which hasn\u2019t yet had to file a report telling us who funded the effort.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The National Association of REALTORS Fund <a href=\"http:\/\/www.las-cruces.org\/~\/media\/lcpublicwebdev2\/site%20documents\/article%20documents\/city%20clerk\/_realtors%20-%20complete%20file%203rd.ashx?la=en\" target=\"_blank\">spent $14,383.91<\/a> trying to help Silva defeat Miyagishima.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Create Jobs Do\u00f1a Ana, a PAC tied to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lascruces.org\/create_jobs_doa_ana.php\" target=\"_blank\">Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.las-cruces.org\/~\/media\/lcpublicwebdev2\/site%20documents\/article%20documents\/city%20clerk\/create%20jobs.ashx?la=en\" target=\"_blank\">spent $6,839.16<\/a> trying to help elect Silva and three city council candidates. All the candidates <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lascruces.org\/candidate_endorsements.php\" target=\"_blank\">they endorsed<\/a> lost.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The spending was even greater than we are allowed to know. GOAL Advocacy, a nonprofit tied to GOAL WestPAC, conducted an extensive get-out-the-vote effort. It posted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GOALAdvocacy\/posts\/792254444219027\" target=\"_blank\">on Facebook<\/a> on Oct. 30 that it was looking for 120 volunteers to complete 1,000 hours of phone calls urging people to vote in the Las Cruces election.<\/p>\n<p>Because it\u2019s a nonprofit, GOAL Advocacy doesn\u2019t have to tell us how it\u2019s funded or how much money it spent. That\u2019s what we call \u201cdark money.\u201d<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>To be fair, there was PAC and nonprofit activity on the left related to the election. But ProgressNow New Mexico\u2019s PAC spent <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/progressive-group-spent-about-3100-on-las-cruces-election\/\" target=\"_blank\">a whopping $3,100<\/a> to influence the election, and any support ProgressNow\u2019s dark-money nonprofit provided the PAC appears to be minimal. There wasn\u2019t any other spending by left-leaning PACs.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t an endorsement of left-leaning candidates. I liked some of the conservative-backed candidates on the ballot. And to be fair, Miyagishima didn\u2019t do much to engage voters in funding his campaign, which he largely <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/10\/las-cruces-mayor-self-finances-re-election-bid-pac-aids-challenger\/\" target=\"_blank\">self-financed<\/a>. That\u2019s not ideal either.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m concerned about efforts by the wealthy to buy elections with massive amounts of money \u2013 sometimes dark, sometimes from out-of-town. I\u2019m concerned about their willingness to divide communities and discourage voters with heavily negative attack ads.<\/p>\n<p>The left in America has embraced dark money <a href=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/liberal-dark-money-group-rails-against-dark-money\/\" target=\"_blank\">too<\/a>. Though it didn\u2019t happen in this instance, left-leaning groups often outspend the right in New Mexico. I\u2019m not cool with such activity regardless of the ideology.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, voters in Las Cruces rejected efforts by out-of-town interests to buy our local election. I can\u2019t say I\u2019m disappointed by that. Because I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spending by independent, conservative groups on the Nov. 3 Las Cruces election was even greater than previously known \u2013 more than $155,000 from four different political action committees. The candidates they backed all lost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192,10],"tags":[145,214,705],"class_list":["post-115453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-haussamen-columns","tag-las-cruces","tag-las-cruces-election","tag-money-in-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}