Big Races in Politics, Balloons, Cheeseburgers

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Unlike most of the rest of the state, Albuquerque will hold its city elections on Oct. 6. Also unlike much of the state, Albuquerque elections have become very partisan.
That began in 1997, when John Dendahl was state GOP chairman. Dendahl reasoned that since Republicans were able to consistently reelect a member of Congress from the Albuquerque area, they should be able to do the same with the mayor's office if they put their minds to it.
It hasn't worked out that way, but Republicans still are trying. Current Mayor Marty Chavez is a moderate Democrat seeking a fourth term. Also in the contest is liberal Democrat Richard Romero. With two Hispanic Democrats in the race, Republicans saw their chance. They are backing Republican state Rep. Richard Berry.
Recent polling shows Berry with a slight lead and all three tightly bunched. Albuquerque has an election rule that if no candidate gets 40 percent of the vote, the top two go into a runoff in late November. That could happen. Meanwhile the race is down and dirty.
* * *
The gloves also are off in the 2nd Congressional District contest between incumbent freshman Rep. Harry Teague and former Rep. Steve Pearce.
Teague has been hit hard for the past three months over his vote for the House version of the climate bill, popularly referred to as "cap and trade." Pearce says it was the reason he got into the race.
The oil industry, in which both candidates made millions, is opposed to the legislation. Teague's vote will hurt him in the oil patch of southeast New Mexico. But it isn't expected to hurt on the west end of the district where the battle may be decided.
Both national parties will dump considerable resources into this close race. The White House already is sending cabinet secretaries into Las Cruces, the biggest city in the district. We may see President Obama before it is over.
* * *
The biggest of the statewide down-ballot races next year will be the contest for land commissioner. It is the only one of those races without an incumbent. Republican Pat Lyons has served his two-term limit.
The office of land commissioner may not sound very glamorous but it administers some 13 million acres of state land that is home to many, many oil wells, pump jacks, cows and land valuable to developers.
Former land commissioner Ray Powell, Jr. would like the job again. Another Democrat, Sandy Jones, current chairman of the state Public Regulation Commission, wants it too.
On the Republican side, GOP activist Bob Cornelius, of Lea County, and retired DEA agent Errol Chavez, of Dona Ana County, also want the seat.
* * *
Where are those balloons? The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta kicks off tomorrow without eight special shape balloons held hostage for five weeks after a show in China's Inner Mongolia.
Intervention by Gov. Bill Richardson and Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall and a $36,000 ransom payment by a New Jersey promoter supposedly have the balloons on their way. That promoter may not want any more Chinese business.
Under normal circumstances, it would take more than 10 days for the balloons to get here from China, but U.S. Customs promises to speed up the snail's pace at which it processes balloons arriving from a foreign country since 9/11.
* * *
The inaugural Governor's Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge has been won by Badlands Burgers of Grants. The Owl Café and more recently, the Buckhorn Tavern, both in San Antonio, NM, have long been the place to eat New Mexico's signature dish.
New Mexicans traveling north or south in the state often try to schedule their trip so they are in San Antonio at lunch time. Maybe Grants can become the east-west lunchtime stop.
But then, every town in the state has its great burger joint.
FRI, 10-02-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-30 Another Take on T.B. Catron

WED, 9-30-09

No New Mexican has had a greater effect on this state than Thomas Benton Catron. No discussion of Spanish or Mexican land grants is complete without his mention. Almost everything written about Billy the Kid casts T.B. Catron as the evil manipulator behind the group Billy was fighting.
Catron was at one time the biggest landowner in the United States. He was a force behind our quest for statehood and one of our first two U.S. senators. He also was credited with forming the Santa Fe Ring and being its leader for decades.
But little has been written about Catron or the Santa Fe Ring. I have been told it is because people are afraid of the subject. I have been privileged to know two generations of Catrons. They are as nice as people get so I'm not sure whom there is to fear.
Historian Victor Westphall made the effort in 1973. He carefully researched records from Catron's time and produced a book so different from the oral history people hear that many suspect Westphall wrote it to please the Catron family and friends.
Westphall brings up the charge himself in the preface to his book "Thomas Benton Catron and His Era" and emphatically denies it. He contends that factual research contradicts the oral history.
Catron was born in Missouri in 1840. After graduating from the University of Missouri, he fought for the South in the Civil War. Following the war, he studied law for a year, then followed friends to New Mexico.
His father provided him with two wagons of flour, which Catron sold, along with the wagons and mules, when he arrived in Santa Fe. With the $10,000 from that sale, Catron began a lifetime of buying land and lending money.
Many New Mexico natives had land but no money. Catron found that when he took land as collateral, he often ended up with the property. His big mistake came when he accepted undivided land interests from community land grants. That collateral was worthless unless he owned the entire land grant.
So he began the tedious process of trying to buy up entire land grants. The land title process was tricky. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, at the end of the Mexican-American War, recognized Spanish and Mexican land grants upon submission of evidence of title. Not all granting authorities were equal so most titles were held up.
Catron became the leading expert on the strength of titles but it also made him the focus of problems the natives had in keeping their land. He also was accused of illegal maneuvers and misrepresentations, especially in consolidating land grants.
Westphall writes off Catron's involvement in the Lincoln County War as minimal because he wouldn't have had time for it. But he writes of Catron loaning money to Murphy, Dolan and Riley and eventually taking over their enterprise and sending his brother-in-law to take it over.
During his political life in New Mexico, Catron served as a district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. attorney, member of the territorial legislature, delegate to Congress, mayor of Santa Fe and U.S. senator.
Catron was an avid Republican. He is credited with organizing the Republican Party in New Mexico. Republicans were being elected here before Catron arrived in 1866 but he was willing to do the work to develop a strong organization that controlled most elements of New Mexico politics.
Westphall suggests that the organization referred to as the Santa Fe Ring never existed. It actually was the Republican Party of New Mexico. And since Catron did most of the work of keeping the Party together, he was credited with heading the Ring.
Westphall also suggests that Catron may have been blamed for a half century of political turmoil in New Mexico because he wasn't a likable guy. He was blunt, blustery and overly ambitious.
In his final two years of a long life, Catron's more genial nature shone through and that seems to be the legacy he passed down to future generations.

 

9-28 Women, Politics and Cheeseburgers

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- It's time to pick up some more clippings from the newsroom floor. It always makes me feel good to get the gems into print that wouldn't quite fit in previous columns. Kinda like getting in the last word.
With the entry of Albuquerque GOP activist Bea Sheridan into the lieutenant governor primary, both parties have at least one woman in the governor and lieutenant governor races. Sheridan is a nurse who runs the Pain Clinic at Lovelace Rehabilitation Hospital.
For some reason, maybe the presumptive gubernatorial candidacy of Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in the 2010 general election, women have decided the glass ceiling on the state's two top jobs has been broken.
It is possible, though not likely, we could see Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Sen. Linda Lopez on the Democratic ticket and either Susana Martinez or Janice Arnold-Jones and Bea Sheridan representing the GOP at this time next year.
It's time. Both our Texas and Arizona neighbors have had multiple female governors. Back when Janet Napolitano was attorney general of Arizona, the top five state elected officials over there were women. And the state didn't fall apart.
Two of Arizona's women governors have been due to the state not having an office of lieutenant governor. The secretary of state moves into a gubernatorial vacancy. And since Arizona has a tendency of impeaching or indicting its recent governors, that office is sometimes vacant.
New Mexico hasn't had a governor leave office early since Republican Gov. Ed Mechem in 1962, when he resigned with one month left in his term and was replaced by Lt. Gov. Tom Bolack, who then appointed Mechem to a U.S. Senate vacancy created by the death of Sen. Dennis Chavez.
If secretaries of state were first in line for governor in New Mexico, Betty Fiorina would have been our first female governor.
Arizona is looking at revamping some of its state government structure, abolishing some elective state offices and creating others. One new elective office would be that of lieutenant governor.
One Arizona columnist is railing against the proposal, saying that most candidates running for lieutenant governor in other states do not consider themselves capable of running for governor. But if they could get elected lieutenant governor, there's always a chance they could get the top job that way.
The chairman of that Arizona governmental restructuring task force is former Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
* * *
From all I've seen, the 3rd Congressional District's Adam Kokesh is running the most spirited campaign in the state right now. A Libertarian by philosophy, Kokesh chose not to run under that party's banner or as an independent.
Hey, if you stand a chance of capturing a major party's nomination for Congress, why undergo the crushing requirements for petition signatures placed on minor parties and independents. GOP candidates only have to get something like 77 signatures in that Democrat-dominated district.
Kokesh is turning on many Republicans with his energy, speaking skills and organizing ability. That district does contain some Republican areas. It includes all but Lea County along the eastern border, San Juan, Los Alamos and the Rio Rancho area. That's not enough but Kokesh is giving them something to get excited about.
* * *
This is the last day to vote on the state Tourism Department's Web site for your favorite green chile cheeseburger. As of Sept. 18, 40,000 votes had been cast for 150 eateries around the state. In person voting continues at the State Fair through its final day.
The top 20, or so, finishers will join Bobby Olguin's Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio on the Tourism Department's Culinary Trail.
Blogger Joe Monahan tells us Olguin is the brother of former House Democratic leader Michael Olguin, who represented Socorro County in the Legislature for many years.
MON, 9-28-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

I'll be out of the office next week. cell phone 505-699-9982. I don't expect to miss any columns

9-25 Much Interest in Dem Lt Gov Race

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- While Republicans have a lively match for governor in progress, Democrats are turning to the lieutenant governor race for some excitement.
Current lieutenant governor, Diane Denish, has played a very cagey political game to scare off opposition from within the Democratic party.
She announced her gubernatorial intent as soon as she won reelection for lieutenant governor in 2006 and she immediately began raising money. By the time anyone else thought about running, she had almost $2 million in the bank. Game over.
At this point, she also looks strong in the general election. Little wonder so many Democrats are anxious to jump on her bandwagon. Conventional wisdom says she needs a male Hispanic to balance her ticket. Five of them have said they're ready.
But Denish hasn't yet said that's what she wants. So one female, Sen. Linda Lopez, and one male non-Hispanic, Tim Eichenberg, also have jumped in. They are smart to do so. In a sea of Hispanic males, they stand out.
Although Gov. Bill Richardson now says he wants to serve out his term and retire in New Mexico, the chance remains that a really nice offer might coax him out of his hole in the next several months.
That would make Denish governor and allow her to choose her lieutenant governor for the rest of the term. That would bring out a dozen more hopefuls who were expressing interest in an appointment last December.
If that were to happen now, however, the situation would be different. Denish likely would want to look at who is now running the strongest lieutenant governor campaign. That person would add the most to her ticket.
So let's take a look at the lieutenant governor possibilities.
In a previous column, I mentioned the advantages former GOP state chairman Allen Weh has in the Republican gubernatorial primary as a result of his chairmanship.
Those same advantages accrue to former state Democratic chairman Brian Colon who is now in the lieutenant governor race. He has contacts with Democratic leaders in every single county. He knows where the money is and is on a first name basis with the party's big donors.
Colon has seen good and bad campaigns. He knows what works and what doesn't. He also can point to highly successful 2008 general election results.
Also recently into the race is Lawrence Rael, current executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments. His current major project is the Rail Runner, which he got built and operating much more quickly than anticipated.
He has a ton of top-level governmental administrative experience, including having served over a decade as the chief administrative officer for the city of Albuquerque. He and Colon are sure to finish at or near the top of the lieutenant governor heap.
Also actively campaigning for lieutenant governor on the Democratic side of the ballot are Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, Sens. Linda Lopez, Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Tim Eichenberg and Rep. Jose Campos.
Greg Solano gave himself the same head start in the lieutenant governor race that Diane Denish did in the governor race but his fundraising hasn't been as robust.
Linda Lopez is campaigning hard but is encountering criticism of her reluctance about ethics reform. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, 67, is the only candidate promising not to use the lieutenant governor office as a stepping stone to higher office.
Tim Eichenberg, although late to get in the race, is said to have the time and money to invest in a spirited run. He could end up at least close to the top.
Rep. Jose Campos also is mayor of Santa Rosa. He is the only candidate from a rural area. His cousin, Sen. Pete Campos, also is a former Santa Rosa mayor who keeps himself in the news and makes the name Campos even more familiar in New Mexico politics. It can't hurt Jose.
FRI, 9-25-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-23 Special Session Difficulties Arise

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The special budget session of the New Mexico Legislature appears headed for late October, according to Gov. Bill Richardson, who gets to make that decision.
Lawmakers had hoped for an earlier session but they and the governor are not as close to agreement as had been anticipated. Richardson wants a three percent across-the-board cut of all agencies, excluding education. Lawmakers want a four percent cut everywhere.
Both parties had generally agreed to no furloughs, no layoffs, no tax increases and use of some more surplus funds. But legislative leaders want to take a more cautious approach than the governor. They want to look more than a year down the road. Richardson only has a year left in office.
It isn't pleasant cutting close to nine percent out of a $5.5 billion budget but some states have had to trim more like a quarter of their budgets.
Big states and big cities have been hit hardest, along with states that were developing rapidly. That includes some of our neighbors. California, Arizona, Nevada, Las Vegas and Phoenix have suffered greatly.
California has had to lay off 28,000 public employees so far. Almost half of those are teachers. Arizona has had to lay off 4,300 public employees. In Nevada, layoffs total 2,200. Layoffs nationally total over 111,000 employees, including 40,000 teachers and 4,000 police and firefighters.
New Mexico, Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Oklahoma and West Virginia have reported layoffs in the single digits. Gov. Richardson and lawmakers both seem determined to avoid layoffs and they hope to avoid furloughs if at all possible.
In several states public employee unions have agreed to furloughs in return for a guarantee of no layoffs. But many aren't so lucky. Hawaii, on top of 1,339 layoffs, has mandated that state workers take three days of unpaid leave per month for the next two years.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities indicates that 48 of the 50 states face budget shortfalls and the total shortfall for the nation is expected to get worse before it gets better.
At this point, federal stimulus money is helping many states avoid additional layoffs but that isn't likely to be continuing. If that stops before state economies turn around, layoffs will increase.
Nineteen states currently are furloughing employees. On top of California's 28,000 layoffs, all employees must take unpaid leave every other Friday.
In New Mexico, Gov. Richardson has appointed five members of the executive branch to sit down with legislative leaders to work out a suitable plan to present to the special session of the Legislature.
The five members are Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Katherine Miller and Deputy Secretary Dannette Burch, Taxation and Revenue Secretary Rick Homans, and the governor's deputy chiefs of staff Eric Witt and Paul Ritzma.
Gov. Richardson has provided them with a five-point plan to get discussions started. In addition to three percent cuts and use of $91 million stimulus money to prevent cuts in public school funding, the plan includes diverting $135 million in short-term bonding proceeds from future capital projects to operations and de-authorizing $60 to $75 million in previously approved building projects.
Lawmakers are likely to bow their backs at using one-time building money to fund ongoing operational expenses. If the economy doesn't turn around big time next year, the problem becomes that much worse the following year.
With disagreements such as these ahead of the joint committee, it is possible there will be no agreement before the special session. In that case, a quick weekend session now envisioned by the governor could last as long as 30 days.
Decisions need to be made soon. The judicial branch of government has already indicated it already is on the edge with the two percent cuts already imposed by last winter's session. Last week the state temporarily bailed out a district court but that can't continue.
WED, 9-23-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-21 Prioritizing Education Hasn't Helped

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist

SANTA FE -- Every governor candidate and most legislative candidates next year will be placing a high priority on education. In fact every governor in New Mexico's past has made education a top priority.
And yet not much has happened. We still rank near the bottom in many categories. It was recently revealed that only 54 percent of New Mexico students entering high school continue on to graduate.
So what's wrong. Why hasn't all this prioritization of education produced some results? What is the magic formula that we are missing? Actually it's a nationwide problem. Every state is trying the same things and they're not working.
Raising the academic qualifications of teachers was one of the first solutions. Then consolidation of school districts was mandated. We got rid of those little one-room, country schools so we could have a broader curriculum. Science labs were deemed critical as we fretted about Sputnik.
Then we worried about class size. My elementary school class pictures have 40 students in them. Twenty years later, the fifth-grade classes I taught had 30 students. Now the averages are around 20.
Smaller makes sense. Teachers can give more individual attention. But it requires twice as many teachers for 20 students per class instead of 40. And test scores are still falling in comparison with schools in other nations.
Then we heard the argument that we get what we pay for. Low salaries in the teaching profession don't attract top talent. Efforts in recent years have begun to remedy that but there still are major shortages in specialized areas.
Then we said if we pay teachers more we have to hold them accountable for better teaching. Early attempts at having principals decide which teachers deserve more pay led to major problems.
The federal "No Child Left Behind" act uses student testing to determine which schools are adequate, in need of improvement or deserving of meritorious increases in funding.
Now the emphasis at the federal level is turning to tying student test performance to teacher evaluations and pay. It hasn't been popular with teachers but the Obama administration has begun tying it to receipt of stimulus money for schools.
It sounds good but there are problems. The only accurate measure of how students have progressed during a year is to test them at the beginning of the year as well as at the end. That is costly and time consuming.
Pre-school education also has been implemented. Half-time kindergartens were added 30 years ago. In recent years, they have become full-day kindergartens. Now the emphasis is on pre-school education to give students even more of a head start.
Think New Mexico, a Santa Fe-based think tank with a high rate of legislative success, is proposing a plan to make schools smaller by setting limits on the size of new schools.
The group has put together a wealth of material demonstrating better academic performance and significantly improved dropout rates in the state's smaller schools. This is a complete shift from earlier efforts to consolidate schools but bigger ceases to be better at a certain point.
The most important role of all, however, is played by parents. Those who nurture their children from the cradle and closely monitor their progress throughout school stand an excellent chance of having children who succeed academically. Elected officials know this but have not succeeded in making some parents care.
There are other answers but they require a more authoritarian approach than Americans are willing to accept. China and India are making tremendous strides in student performance.
And even they are looking at the example of Singapore which has risen from hopeless illiteracy 40 years ago to the seventh richest nation on earth per capita by educating a workforce that is second to none.
The country was desperate and took desperate measures that were wildly successful. We could take a moderate dose of that in the United States. We'll talk more on the subject later.
MON, 9-21-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-18 A Laid Back Bill Richardson?

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Count me as the most inept political prognosticator in New Mexico.
Earlier this month, after it was announced that Gov. Bill Richardson would have no grand jury charges filed against him, I made some predictions about what comes next for our governor.
In that and other columns during the past few months, I have predicted Gov. Richardson will want to get involved in tasks that are exciting, that offer maximum publicity, a chance to make some money, to live on the East Coast again and as soon as possible.
So what happens? Gov. Richardson grants an interview to the New York Times late last week and says he's looking forward to finishing his term and remaining in New Mexico after that.
What's more, Richardson said he's not planning his next move to Washington. "That used to be an agenda of mine, but no longer." Furthermore, our governor says the private sector holds no appeal. He has no interest in lobbying and no interest in making money.
That makes my predictions about 0 for 6. I couldn't have been farther off base. I probably should turn in my reporter's notebook and accompany Richardson on his road tour to every major league baseball stadium in the nation. He says he wants to do all the driving. That's fine with me.
I'm a big baseball fan myself. Back in the late '40s and early '50s, my father and I went to every major league stadium in the country. All but one are new now.
The trip would allow me to get in touch with the new Bill Richardson. I used to know him quite well. A few months after I started writing this column back in 1987, Richardson asked me one day where the leak was in his office. He said I had his every thought pegged so well that I must be getting inside information.
But Bill has changed. It's probably living in New Mexico that did it. The ambition and enthusiasm is gone. He wants to kick back and enjoy life.
I can remember his excitement about moving to New York City when he became United Nations ambassador. He could go to Yankee baseball games and major prize fights. And he could get to know the local politicians and personalities. First lady Barbara was excited too about art galleries, antique stores and museums.
I remember when Richardson left his cabinet position at the end of the Bill Clinton administration. He was anxious to get into the private sector and make some money for a change. He used to note that he was the poorest of the cabinet members.
Richardson did well for himself during the two years between has cabinet position and being elected governor. And he could do equally as well after his terms as governor.
But now we're looking at mellow Bill. That is so difficult to imagine that I may hold off on turning in my notebook just yet. He hasn't specifically ruled out accepting a really exciting offer if it happened to be presented.
* * *
I understand my journalistic career may have recently passed a significant milestone. I received an e-mail a few days ago from John Ackerman, chairman emeritus of Public Service Company of New Mexico and currently president of the New Mexico Ethics Alliance.
Ackerman said his calculations indicate I have now been writing Inside the Capitol longer than the founder of this column, Will Harrison.
My checking indicates Harrison began the column in 1944 and ended sometime around 1965. I have written the column since June 1987 so it appears Ackerman is correct.
Those writing the column in between were Charlie Cullin, Fred Buckles, Fred McCaffrey, Bob Huber and Carroll Cagle. What is unique about this column is that the legal rights to it have been purchased by the new owners each time it changed hands, giving it a continuity that has lasted 65 years.
FRI, 9-18-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-16 Do You Know About Constitution Day?

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist

SANTA FE -- Tomorrow, September 17, is Constitution Day. How many of you knew that? Two years ago, a survey of 5,500 high school students revealed that 51 percent had ever heard of Constitution Day.
The vice-president of the foundation that commissioned the survey announced his worry that an entire generation may lack a solid understanding of the document that governs America's democracy.
Again I'll ask, "Did you know that tomorrow is Constitution Day?" My guess is you didn't. But don't feel too badly about that.
Constitution Day was created only five years ago when Sen. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, tacked on an amendment to the Omnibus spending bill late in 2004.
What did a spending bill have to do with Constitution Day? Byrd's amendment required any educational institution receiving any kind of federal money to teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17.
So in 2005 and 2006, those students in the survey might have had some instruction about the Constitution. But maybe they didn't. Schools are given leeway in how they observe Constitution Day. They have to do something but it might not reach all students every year.
Elementary schools normally teach American history in the fifth grade. Or at least they've been doing it ever since I was in fifth grade over 60 years ago. American history textbooks are written for a fifth grade reading level so there's not much choice.
High school students are required to take American history. Other teachers are not required to teach about the constitution. Some schools have assemblies and invite an elected official to talk about the Constitution.
Before Sept. 17 was Constitution Day, it was Citizenship Day, as designated by President Harry Truman. I didn't know that. Now we can call it either or both names.
The only reason I knew about Sept. 17, 1787, being the day the U.S. Constitution was signed is that the Lions Clubs of several Western states began an effort in the late 1990s to help schools teach about the Constitution.
The problem was that publishers had discontinued printing the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in the back of American history textbooks. How could students be taught about those documents without ever seeing the words?
So private donations were collected for the printing of pocket-sized booklets with those documents in them. They were distributed free of charge to many school districts throughout the state. Usually they were given to fifth graders each year.
After noticing that some booklets were being discarded, Lions decided to begin asking public officials to go to the schools to speak on the day the booklets were distributed.
Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley, a member of the Clovis Lions Club, led that effort in New Mexico. Students had an additional reason to respect their booklets. I think Walter even autographed some copies.
This year, Attorney General Gary King is leading the effort on Constitution Day. He has put out news releases and will speak to fifth grade classes in Albuquerque.
The Sept. 17 date has proved to be somewhat of a problem in many schools. It falls too soon after school has started, so is subject to too many distractions.
For that reason, Lions decided to change their date to March 16, birthday of James Madison, often called the father of the Constitution. March seems to be a time of fewer distractions and the point when textbooks get around to the American Revolution.
By 2000, Liberty Day grew to a nationwide effort and March 16 was recognized by Congress as Liberty day.
It never occurred to the Lions to ask Congress to mandate the study of the Constitution on March 16 but with Sen. Byrd doing it, the Liberty Day organization is providing materials to school districts requesting them for Sept. 17.
I have observed fifth graders at the Post Office and the Legislature questioning adults about the Constitution. They would argue it is not their generation that lacks a solid understanding of the of the U.S. Constitution.
WED, 9-16-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

Is 2010 the Year of the Woman?

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Finally, a male has entered the New Mexico gubernatorial race. What if we had ended up with only women candidates in both parties?
It would have been completely out of character and contrary to New Mexico tradition. New Mexico never has had a female governor candidate, much less three of them.
And more good news for men. Col. Allen Weh is the most manly of men. He's a retired Marine with two tours of duty in Vietnam, one in Malaysia, one in Somalia, and one in Iraq. He has more medals for valor in combat than Rambo could fantasize.
And during this time, Weh founded a highly successful international air charter and leasing company which makes him a very comfortable living.
Weh also is past chairman of the state Republican Party. He guided it through two of the GOP's most disastrous elections, something Democrats will have fun with, although Republicans nationally weren't doing much better.
Although Weh's GOP leadership was the beginning of his political involvement, it gave him an opportunity to pay his dues to the party while toiling with political recruiting, fundraising and strategizing while dealing with local party officials and candidates in every county of the state.
Weh is a fighter but he is up against two of the best in his GOP gubernatorial bid. Susana Martinez is a hard-charging district attorney in Las Cruces who has fought corruption at home and says she's the one who knows how to carry the battle to Santa Fe.
And then there is Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones from Albuquerque. That name may be unfamiliar to you. But when I say she's the gutsy lawmaker who defied orders of legislative leaders not to webcast a committee meeting, you'll likely recall her.
Arnold-Jones continued putting together her equipment and turning it on while being lectured by the committee chairman and the speaker of the House that she was breaking legislative rules.
By the end of the 2009 Legislative session, several news services were transmitting live video and/or audio and the Senate had installed a TV camera to televise its floor sessions.
A number of lawmakers had been trying for years to make the legislative process more transparent by televising it to those who couldn't drive to Santa Fe, find a parking place and then a seat in a crowded committee room or the House or Senate gallery.
Those efforts were always foiled by the leadership until Arnold-Jones just went ahead and did it. Expect to see further advances in opening legislative sessions in 2010.
For awhile it appeared that former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson might make it three females in the GOP primary. But with Gov. Bill Richardson still indictment-free at this point and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish still unsoiled by the governor's problems, Wilson may stay in the private sector.
And with Denish still having clean hands, a gubernatorial bid by Senate majority floor leader Michael Sanchez appears less likely. Prevailing opinion is that He was sticking around to be first in line in case Denish took a hit.
Those of us who bring you political news had been worrying about a boring 2010 gubernatorial election campaign. But as blogger Joe Monahan puts it "Now we have Christmas in September."
Adding to the excitement is the resurfacing of former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, who still has bones to pick with Weh and Wilson. If either of them were to win the GOP nomination, Iglesias might have much to say during the general election.
And then there's the wreck of the "Bloody Mary" or "Bloody Merry." Many questions remain about this houseboat accident at an Elephant Butte marina.
Gov. Richardson, chief of staff Brian Condit and state Finance and Administration Secretary Katherine Miller were aboard and quickly disappeared with two security officers.
Could this become part of the 2010 campaign discussion also?
MON, 9-14-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-11 City Different Celebrates 400th Differently

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Birthday commemorations for the nation's oldest state capital got off to a damp start last weekend. Officials of Santa Fe's 400th termed it "beyond all expectations" but, actually, at least two previous New Mexico events have been even grander.
Expectations for the 16-month observance were scaled back considerably as officials gradually realized that planning for the commemoration began five to ten years too late and the money they were raising was about $40 million short of what Jamestown raised for its event two years ago.
So Santa Fe has set out to do the best it can on a budget of a little over $1 million. Some of that has come from the city, some from the state and some from local businesses.
The effort to attract money from big, national corporations, including those that use Santa Fe in their branding, did not go well in the face of an economic downturn.
Had Santa Fe's commemoration began in 2006, as some had suggested, and had planning begun in 2000, the picture might have been very different.
But for many, mostly valid, reasons that didn't happen. Santa Fe is different from Jamestown in many ways. It doesn't have the population or economic base of Virginia.
Jamestown represents the beginning of the English influence in America. And that is the culture that prevailed over the Spanish, French and others that tried to gain a permanent foothold in what is now the United States.
And most importantly, celebrating Santa Fe's founding and its cultures is something that is done continually. The Fiestas de Santa Fe are an annual occurrence that make a 400th anniversary party much less significant.
Santa Fe lives its multicultural experience every day. So why shouldn't the City Different celebrate its 400th birthday in a different manner?
Future events in this commemoration through the end of 1610 will be made up as they go. That's very Santa Fe also. With the City Different's many multicultural resources, it shouldn't be difficult.
The grandest celebration Santa Fe has ever seen occurred 126 years ago in 1883, with the Tertio-Millennial Anniversary and Exposition. The event very loosely commemorated the first settlement of Santa Fe by Europeans 333 years earlier.
It commemorated the Coronado Expedition, which didn't settle anywhere and which passed through the general area 343 years earlier.
City fathers didn't have time to argue the fine points of history. They were only 33 years into being a territory and they wanted their new nation to know about them.
Luckily railroads recently had reached the area. Discount deals were worked out with them to help advertise the extravaganza and haul visitors from throughout the nation.
Sticking with the theme of "three," the event was advertised to last 33 days and end on Aug. 3, 1883. A seven-panel brochure was distributed nationally listing events for each of the 33 days.
The Indian, Spanish and Anglo cultures were each featured, along with the mining and industrial advances that had been introduced in the previous 33 years. It was a smashing success.
In 1940 a statewide celebration of similar proportions was held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Coronado Expedition. The idea was hatched at the University of New Mexico to publicize Coronado's wanderings about the state.
In 1935 UNM convinced the state Legislature to create a commission to handle planning and fundraising. Soon Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas set up their own commissions. Coronado passed through those states too. Even Congress and the president got into the act.
A pageant with a cast of hundreds opened at the Coronado Monument, north of Bernalillo, which was believed to be the site the expedition spent the winter of 1540-41. It toured the state performing for tens of thousands during the next two years. Schools, churches, museums and businesses joined the celebration with their own events.
We'll tell you more during the next 16 months.
FRI, 99-11-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-9 column revision

$200,000 changed to $300,000 in third graph.

9-9 Gov. Richardson's September Song

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- "Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December. But the days grow short when you reach September."
Gov. Bill Richardson is in the September of his gubernatorial reign and time is running out on fulfilling the bold initiatives he promised almost seven years ago.
Richardson began with a state income tax cut for the top bracket of wage earners. The idea was to attract companies big enough to pay their top executives over $200,000 a year.
The cut had little trouble gaining acceptance. Republican lawmakers liked it. So did national conservative commentators. Rush Limbaugh loved it and gave Richardson extra credit for being a Democrat tax cutter.
In these budget-cutting times, some groups are calling for a repeal of those cuts. Richardson says we can't because the cuts have worked. I haven't seen any figures to back that up but for now, his word is being accepted.
The Rail Runner was an early Richardson project to provide train transportation from Belen to Santa Fe in order to decrease traffic congestion, improve the environment and aid spur economic development.
The project was completed at breakneck speed despite having to negotiate right-of-ways through sovereign nations and train stops with reluctant communities.
Ridership has been better than expected. But transportation projects will always be money losers and require government subsidies. The project may be helped by federal stimulus money for rapid rail systems.
The spaceport was another early Richardson initiative. The state made a huge commitment. Virgin Galactic signed on as the future anchor tenant. Other companies said if we built it, they would come. So far, UP Aerospace is about the only company to show up.
Dona Ana and Sierra counties chipped in on the financing. Otero County opted out. In comparison with the Rail Runner, it hasn't exactly blasted off. But it is a cutting-edge concept which at some point may bring big economic benefits to the surrounding counties.
Virgin Galactic has generated worldwide publicity with its $200,000 trips to the edge of space, which it planned to start in 2010. That date now appears to be overly optimistic.
Ground was broken in June, with international news coverage. Visits to the Spaceport America website during the groundbreaking week were close to 60,000, ninety percent of which were new visitors and many from foreign countries.
Virgin Galactic has attracted an Abu Dhabi investor to help finance the space it has leased at Spaceport America. In return, Virgin Galactic eventually will launch from the United Arab Emirates capital. The UAE originally had been seen as a competitor but this eases that worry.
Gov. Richardson went after the film industry in a big way and New Mexico now has several Academy Award winners to its credit. To a large extent the production companies have been well received despite complaints from neighbors in a few communities. Some lawmakers feel we are spending too much to attract the industry and have proposed eliminating the 25 percent rebates from state funds for money spent in New Mexico on production costs in New Mexico.
Eclipse Aviation has been a black spot on state economic development. The state invested $19 million plus incentives in the maker of small efficient corporate jets, which now is bankrupt to the tune of about a billion dollars.
A new owner, Eclipse Aerospace, is reopening the operation for maintenance purposes. Plans call for eventually going back into production but that appears to be years away and very uncertain.
"Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few. September, November."
If Gov. Richardson is offered a top position in President Barack Obama's administration, he may be in the November of his gubernatorial career. Santa Fe rumors say about five more weeks.
"And these few precious days I'll spend with you."
Don't count on it. Bill has New Mexico in his rear view mirror.
WED, 9-09-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-7 A Trip to the Other Las Vegas

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist

SANTA FE -- My wife and I just finished celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas, Nevada. We honeymooned there in 1961 and decided not to wait until our 50th to return since that is a time for family celebration.
Despite its efforts to the contrary, Las Vegas is not a place for the grandkids. But to our surprise, it has become a place for kids who have barely become adults and still act like kids.
In '61, I wore a coat and tie every night and sometimes a suit if we were going somewhere special. On this trip, I threw on a sport coat, with no tie, one night when we went to an especially nice restaurant. Two of the staff remarked about how nice we looked.
Attire was the biggest change we noticed. People dressed all day long as though they were at a beach resort. I understand that after hours, the loud, noisy clubs frequented by the twenty-somethings have a dress code of some sort. We never managed to stay up late enough to notice.
Staying up until almost dawn was something we did do 48 years ago. After the midnight shows, the lounges had pleasant jazz combos and very reasonable prices.
We soon learned where the big showroom stars would go to hang out and join in the after-hours entertainment. For one fifty-cent drink apiece, we were treated to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louie Prima and Keely Smith and Ray Anthony and the Bookends.
That was back in the days when the mob had total control and kept prices low so it could launder its money. It demanded class in everything and everyone -- or else.
By the mid-'60s, Howard Hughes started a takeover by big corporations. Their insistence on making as large a profit as possible from every function changed the face of the town.
They don't care how people act or dress as long as they are spending money. The competition is to see which hotel can be the most lavish. It is still enjoyable but best in small doses and not in New Mexico.
Yes, New Mexico almost became the gambling capital of the world. In the late 1940s, The New York Mafia became disenchanted with Bugsy Siegel's unsuccessful efforts to make a profit on the Flamingo Hotel in Vegas. He was having trouble getting people from Las Angeles to drive 300 miles through the desert to gamble.
So they looked for another town in the southwest that already was popular with tourists. They honed in on Phoenix and Santa Fe. The other necessity was finding a state where politicians were amenable to changing gambling laws.
New Mexico turned out to be the best bet. Politicos already were turning their heads on illegal gambling operations along our state borders. A nest of them were located along the Texas border south of Las Cruces. The area became very popular with the mob and crooked politicians.
Then, on Easter Sunday in 1949, the body of Cricket Coogler, a waitress popular with mobsters, politicos, locals, college students and anyone else looking for a good time, was found by rabbit hunters.
Clues led in many directions. The investigation was thoroughly botched by authorities who were friendly with both the mob and Santa Fe politicians.
But a Las Cruces grand jury, two brave out-of-town judges and the student body of New Mexico A&M College became incensed at the many cover-ups they witnessed.
Their efforts led to a statewide outrage about dishonest politicians. Very little evidence led to the mob. But much evidence led to the politicians the mob needed to make gambling legal in New Mexico.
So the mob quietly pulled up stakes and moved back to Vegas to try again. In 1950, the Flamingo finally made a profit and a string of luxury hotels soon began springing up along the now-famous Strip.
Santa Fe was spared from being Las Vegas.
MON, 9-7-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

 

9-4 Non-Indictment Raises New Questions

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The news that no charges will be filed against Gov. Bill Richardson answers a big question and creates many more in its place.
It appears Richardson now can pursue a job with the Obama administration. That answers the big question, although a small cloud is still on the horizon.
A pay-to-play whistleblower lawsuit is still pending in state court. But if the FBI and two grand juries couldn't nail the governor after a year of trying, what are the chances of this suit succeeding?
The decision not to indict Richardson has produced a lively debate between New Mexico's two major political parties. Republicans contend it was a political decision by Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder.
Democrats counter that the decision was made by experienced, nonpolitical career prosecutors based on evidence the New Mexico U.S. attorney's office submitted without recommendation.
And there is always the possibility that the year-long investigation was part of the overzealous prosecution that top Republicans had demanded but not received from former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.
Whatever the situation might have been, it deprived Gov. Richardson of becoming U.S. Commerce Secretary. The question now is whether President Barack Obama will find another spot for Richardson in his administration.
There aren't any cabinet positions open but then Richardson already has been a cabinet member. A year ago, he was hoping for something bigger, like vice president or secretary of state. He'd already lost out on those when the news of a federal grand jury investigation surfaced.
From the beginning, this column contended that a diplomatic position directly under the president was the job for which Richardson is best suited.
President Obama may already have been thinking about that when he approved Richardson meetings with North Korean representatives and a trade mission to Cuba.
Actually a position dealing with rogue governments may be Richardson's best bet anyway. He has been successful in the field. It is exciting. And it will put him on the national and international stage much more than Commerce secretary. How often do you see the name of Carlos Gutierrez in the news?
The non-indictment of Gov. Richardson will be good for the state's image, especially when it comes to economic development. Companies tend not to consider locating in a state with an unstable political climate.
Most observers agree that Richardson will leave the state as soon as he can do so comfortably. A prestigious federal appointment would accomplish the purpose. A top job in private industry probably wouldn't.
Regardless of where Richardson goes, he won't be identified with New Mexico for long after his departure. Few expect to see him back in the state except for brief visits. His home address almost certainly will never be in New Mexico again.
The decision not to indict will be a blow to Republicans. They were gearing up for a campaign against corruption and this would have been their centerpiece. But even without it, Democrats have given them plenty of material.
If Richardson leaves before the end of the year, it will be a big help to Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. She has been untainted by the pay-to-play investigations. The 2010 Legislature will be an opportunity for her to demonstrate what she can do. Expect to see her hammer a major ethics package through the Legislature.
But don't expect ethics to be the major issue in 2010. It will be the economy and the state budget. And that priority will carry into the November elections.
If Denish takes over as governor anytime soon, she will get to name her lieutenant governor. That person will have a big leg up on the competition in next June's Democratic primary.
Don't be surprised if that person is Lawrence Rael, head of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, who competently led the Rail Runner project and who has been aggressively raising campaign funds.
FRI, 9-04-09

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com

Microsoft has arbitrarily switched everyone on Outlook Express to Windows Live Mail today so I'm still trying to figure it out. I'd appreciate some of you letting me know that you got this.

 

Thanks,  Jay

9-4 Non-Indictment Yields New Questions

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- The news that no charges will be filed against Gov. Bill Richardson answers a big question and creates many more in its place.
It appears Richardson now can pursue a job with the Obama administration. That answers the big question, although a small cloud is still on the horizon.
A pay-to-play whistleblower lawsuit is still pending in state court. But if the FBI and two grand juries couldn't nail the governor after a year of trying, what are the chances of this suit succeeding?
The decision not to indict Richardson has produced a lively debate between New Mexico's two major political parties. Republicans contend it was a political decision by Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder.
Democrats counter that the decision was made by experienced, nonpolitical career prosecutors based on evidence the New Mexico U.S. attorney's office submitted without recommendation.
And there is always the possibility that the year-long investigation was part of the overzealous prosecution that top Republicans had demanded but not received from former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.
Whatever the situation might have been, it deprived Gov. Richardson of becoming U.S. Commerce Secretary. The question now is whether President Barack Obama will find another spot for Richardson in his administration.
There aren't any cabinet positions open but then Richardson already has been a cabinet member. A year ago, he was hoping for something bigger, like vice president or secretary of state. He'd already lost out on those when the news of a federal grand jury investigation surfaced.
From the beginning, this column contended that a diplomatic position directly under the president was the job for which Richardson is best suited.
President Obama may already have been thinking about that when he approved Richardson meetings with North Korean representatives and a trade mission to Cuba.
Actually a position dealing with rogue governments may be Richardson's best bet anyway. He has been successful in the field. It is exciting. And it will put him on the national and international stage much more than Commerce secretary. How often do you see the name of Carlos Gutierrez in the news?
The non-indictment of Gov. Richardson will be good for the state's image, especially when it comes to economic development. Companies tend not to consider locating in a state with an unstable political climate.
Most observers agree that Richardson will leave the state as soon as he can do so comfortably. A prestigious federal appointment would accomplish the purpose. A top job in private industry probably wouldn't.
Regardless of where Richardson goes, he won't be identified with New Mexico for long after his departure. Few expect to see him back in the state except for brief visits. His home address almost certainly will never be in New Mexico again.
The decision not to indict will be a blow to Republicans. They were gearing up for a campaign against corruption and this would have been their centerpiece. But even without it, Democrats have given them plenty of material.
If Richardson leaves before the end of the year, it will be a big help to Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. She has been untainted by the pay-to-play investigations. The 2010 Legislature will be an opportunity for her to demonstrate what she can do. Expect to see her hammer a major ethics package through the Legislature.
But don't expect ethics to be the major issue in 2010. It will be the economy and the state budget. And that priority will carry into the November elections.
If Denish takes over as governor anytime soon, she will get to name her lieutenant governor. That person will have a big leg up on the competition in next June's Democratic primary.
Don't be surprised if that person is Lawrence Rael, head of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, who competently led the Rail Runner project and who has been aggressively raising campaign funds.
FRI, 9-04-07

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com