A Twist on the Bob Martinez Controversy

On Friday the state Democrats criticized Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez for using state Fraternal Order of Police president Bob Martinez in a campaign ad attacking Dem candidate Diane Denish.

Bob Martinez is a former executive director of the State Adult Parole Board who was fired in 2004 as by current Gov. Bill Richardson for failing to notify victims of a parole hearing for pedophile priest. (Again, with the child molesters!)

But state Republicans point out that back in 2006, the Bill Richardson campaign accepted the endorsement of the state FOP, and that the president of the state organization of the time was none other than Bob Martinez, this was a couple of years after Richardson had fired him. They didn't use his face in an ad, but as the GOP points out, nobody in the Democratic camp was calling Martinez soft on sex offenders when that endorsement came out.

In his letter to Richardson, Martinez said the FOP took that position because the governor had supported collective bargaining for police officers.

That's not why the FOP is supporting Martinez, however. She's on tbe record as wanting to repeal collective bargaining. She told me a couple of months ago:

I support New Mexico being a right to work state so as to improve our economy and become competitive with surrounding states that are right to work states. This allows employees to decide for themselves if they want to participate in a union.

Here's the letter. It's much easier to read in full-screen mode.

FOP 2006 Richardson Endorsement

Martinez Spokesman Arrested on DWI Charge

Raj Shaw, who just this month had been hired as spokesman for Susana Martinez's gubernatorial campaign, was arrested in Albuquerque yesterday on charges of aggravated drunken driving and careless driving.

Shaw, who reportedly has been fired from the campaign following the arrest, is still in jail, if Bernalillo County's Metropolitan Detention Center records, checked around 9:20 a.m., can be trusted. Shah, 25, just moved here from Connecticut.

According to the jail records, he was arrested at 12:23 a.m. Sunday near the Intersection of San Mateo and Osuna in northeast Albuquerque. The records indicate this is his first offense. His bond is $5,000.

New Governor's Race Ads

Both Susana Martinez, the Republican gubernatorial candidate and her Democratic opponent Diane Denish released new campaign ads today.

If you thought the campaign might be drifting away from the law' 'n' order realm, think again. Martinez's spot features her surrounded by several cops.

The state Democratic party was quick to point out that one of them, Bob Martinez, the guy with the bushy mustache (who I originally thought was former Albuquerque D.A. Bob Schwartz), is a former executive director of the State Adult Parole Board who was fired in 2004 as by current Gov. Bill Richardson for failing to notify victims of a parole hearing for sex-offender priest.

I'll update this with the Martinez campaign's response as soon as I get it.

Meanwhile, here's the ads:




Here's Denish's latest ad. I did have to chuckle when a Denish e-mail sniffed that Martinez's latest ad "continued to focus on the same wedge issues that divide New Mexicans ..." when it was Denish's attack ad that started with the wedge issues the day after the primary. Gosh darn those nasty wedge issues!

This one's light and positive though.

State Adds New Medical Marijuana Growers

The Health Department today announced six more licensed growers for the state medical marijuana program.

The new nonprofits are located in Harding, Doña Ana, Lea, Catron, Cibola and Bernalillo counties.

Catron County, for those not versed in New Mexico political demographics, probably is the most conservative county in the state.

The previously approved growers are in Santa Fe, Cibola and Bernalillo counties.

From the news release:

The Department of Health will provide patients with contact information for the newly licensed nonprofit producers in approximately six weeks. This will give the nonprofits time to set up their production facilities and get ready to respond to patient inquiries.

The Department approved the first nonprofit producer in March 2009 and four more in November 2009. Nonprofit producers are allowed to have 95 mature plants and seedlings and have an inventory of usable medical cannabis for patients. Patients can also apply to produce their own supply of medical cannabis and are allowed to have four mature plants and 12 seedlings.

There are 1,952 active medical cannabis patients, and 865 are licensed to produce their own supply of medical cannabis.

To be approved for the medical cannabis program, patients must have a physician certify that they have one of the 16 qualifying conditions that is debilitating and cannot be helped by standard treatments. Certain conditions require additional medical certifications or medical records detailing the condition.

Republican guberatorial candidate Susana Martinez has said he would get rid of the medical marijuana program. Denish supports the law.

Breaking Bad Breaks Good

I don't blog about all of Gov. Richardson's press releases on movie productions, but I have to admit I was happy that Breaking Bad, which is filmed in and around Albuquerque, just got six Emmy Award nominations.

Breaking Bad, starring Bryan Cranston, is an AMC series that depicts Albuquerque's dark methamphetamine underbelly. It's one of my favorite shows. The television movie Georgia O'Keefe, which was shot in the state, received more nominations. But I'm more of a Breaking Bad fan.

I remember a few years ago when Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez ordered his police department not to cooperate anymore with the TV show Cops, because it showed Albuquerque in a bad light. I'm glad that Richardson recognizes excellent television and doesn't get hung up on whether it shows the state from an angle that the tourism industry doesn't stress.

Here's the press release:

Gov. Bill Richardson today offered his congratulations to those responsible for two made-in-New Mexico television productions that received a combined 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, which were announced this morning. “Breaking Bad”, the AMC series shot in Albuquerque, received 6 nominations while the made-for-television movie “Georgia O’Keeffe” garnered 7 nominations. The Governor also praised actors Neil Patrick Harris and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, both from Albuquerque, for receiving nominations.

“I am proud that productions created with New Mexico’s outstanding talent, experienced crew, and unparalleled locations continue to be recognized as among the industry’s best,” said Richardson. “And as important as the quality of work is the fact that the industry means jobs for New Mexicans and revenue for the state.”

Bryan Cranston, the star of “Breaking Bad,” received his third consecutive nomination for best Actor in a Drama Series. Cranston has won the Emmy the past two years. The series has been renewed for a fourth season.

Here are the nominations for New Mexico productions and actors:

“Breaking Bad”

Best Drama Series
Best Actor-Drama: Bryan Cranston
Best Supporting Actor-Drama: Aaron Paul
Best Cinematography for a one-hour series
Best Directing for a drama series
Best Single-Camera Picture Editing


“Georgia O’Keeffe”

Best TV Movie
Best Lead Actress in a miniseries or movie: Joan Allen
Best Art Direction
Best Casting
Best Costumes for a miniseries, movie, or special
Best Directing for a miniseries, movie, or special
Best Hairstyling for a miniseries or movie


Neil Patrick Harris

Best Supporting Actor in a comedy: “How I Met Your Mother”
Best Guest Actor in a comedy series: “Glee”

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: “Modern Family”

Roundhouse Roundup: Gov. Candidates Talk Issues

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
July 8, 2010

I hope I don’t jinx this by writing about it, but it’s been more than three weeks since either gubernatorial candidate launched any new attack ads on television.

But as the talk about child molesters, crime statistics and bad jokes in e-mails has subsided, both Republican Susana Martinez and Democrat Diane Denish actually are talking about meat-and-potatoes issues.

Earlier this week, Martinez released her economic plan. In response, the Denish campaign quickly reminded reporters that Denish had previously released a couple of sets of economic proposals, one called a “small business and rural job creation” plan, the other a “competitive workplace” plan.

Here’s some highlights of both candidates’ plans.

Martinez’s plan: The Republican’s plan is built upon traditional GOP ideas. In a nutshell: lower taxes, fewer regulations on business and less government spending. Martinez calls for eliminating many “exempt” or political positions in state government — an idea popular among many legislators, who voted this year for such cuts. But she also wants to reform the capital-outlay system — which is something Gov. Bill Richardson called for but lawmakers opposed.
Martinez would “reform education,” but she hasn’t yet spelled out how.

To help revive the energy industry, Martinez wants to reverse the “pit rule” — i.e. environmental standards for oil and gas production — and to encourage energy producers to invest in new technology. She also said the state should oppose cap-and-trade legislation (economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emission of pollutants.)

Fighting corruption is a big part of Martinez’s economic plan. She calls for revamping ethics laws, though she doesn’t specify how. She says she’d make the procurement process more transparent and outlaw finder’s fees for state contractors. The State Investment Council adopted such a rule last year, in response to the scandals erupting around at least one politically connected third-party marketer who made millions in finder’s fees.

Martinez’s plan also calls for “real time” reporting of campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure data. And here’s one I hadn’t heard before that sounds interesting: Random audits of political campaigns. It’s not clear how this would be accomplished, but the idea deserves exploring.

Denish’s plan: Like Martinez, Denish says she’ll make it easier for small businesses to get loans. Denish said she’d expand the micro-lending program through the Small Business Investment Corp. She’d also create an online “clearing house” to connect lenders and businesses. The site also would contain information about tax credits.

Speaking of tax credits, Denish’s plan calls for a state tax credit of $2,500 for each job created in New Mexico during the 2011 calendar year. (This would be for businesses with 100 employees or fewer.) She’d create a position of ombudsman to advocate for small businesses and would provide a one-stop shop for new business owners to get all the paperwork, licenses and permits they need from the state in one place.

To help farmers, she’d require state schools, prisons and hospitals to buy more produce from New Mexico growers. Denish says the state should do more to support local farmers markets.

As for creating a more competitive workforce, Denish said she’d strengthen community colleges and that the state should provide scholarships for any high-school graduate who wants to attend a state community college to work toward a degree in a “high demand” career. (The plan doesn’t explain how to pay for these scholarships.) Community colleges, she says, “must have short-term, clear-cut programs that lead a student directly to job opportunities, or prepare them for a four-year degree."

I’ve left a lot out from both candidates. You can find the original documents on all these posted in a convenient package on this blog. CLICK HERE

If You Could Teleport Yourself Anywhere Would You Choose The Roundhouse?

Just when I thought things were getting a little boring around the Capitol, this story breaks.

Seems like a guy named Andrew Basiago has revealed that as a child in the late '60s and early '70s he was a part of a strange government program called Project Pegusus.

According to Basiago, the US government already had a fully operational teleportation capability in 1967-68, and by 1969-70, was actively training a cadre of gifted and talented American schoolchildren, including himself, to become America’s first generation of “chrononauts” or time-space explorers.

He confirms that the United States has been teleporting individuals to Mars for decades and recounts the awe-inspiring and terrifying trips that he took to Mars in 1981. He describes how he and his father (an engineer working on time/space research projects for the U.S. defense department) would teleport from Woodridge, NJ to Santa Fe, NM and return via a teleportation device at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque.

This has to be true. It's on the Internet!

I think another breakthrough will come in the form of accounts from residents of Santa Fe [New Mexico] about children suddenly appearing at the state capitol complex there in the early 1970's. Our arrivals were sometimes witnessed. Several of my own arrivals were witnessed. I have spoken with area residents who knew that individuals were teleporting into Santa Fe in the early 1970's. Some of that knowledge resulted from the arrival of teleportees, including myself, being seen by others; other knowledge resulted from the fact that employees of LANL [Los Alamos National Laboratory] were bringing stories about the teleportation that was going on home from work and sharing them with their children around the dinner table in Los Alamos and White Rock.” ~Andrew Basiago

Among the puzzling evidence presented on the Information Farm blog is a Photoshopped picture of Gov. Bill Richardson and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Rummy, according to the blog, used to speak to project members at the Cerrillos Cultural Center. But Richardson's role is not discussed. Too hot for even these guys to handle?

Economics Anyone?

Earlier this week, Republican Susana Martinez presented her economic plan for the state.

You can read it here. Below are proposals from Democrat Diane Denish, released earlier. (Do yourself a favor and choose to read in "Full Screen" mode.)

Martinez Economic Recovery Plan

Denish Small Business and Rural Job Creation Plan

Denish's Competitive Workforce Plan

Lawmaker to Susana: "Go to Hell!"

If the race for governor gets any crazier the state is going to require the candidates to get one of those professional wrestler licenses I wrote about in my column this week.

It got a little wilder this morning when state Rep. Eleanor Chavez, D-Albuquerque, joined the long list of Democrats blasting GOP gubernatorial candidate for that unseemly joke sent in an email by one of Martinez's senior prosecutors in Las Cruces.

Chavez, who is not known for making flamboyant statements, in an email to reporters :

I would suggest that Susana Martinez focus on the real issues that New Mexicans are facing and stop trying to pit us against our own families. I would also suggest that Susana Martinez and her entire office take a quick trip to Albuquerque and learn about racism at the Anti-Racism Training Institute. When Susana's done she should pack her bags and leave New Mexico. We don't need her or her hate filled rhetoric and immigrant bashing! Where should she go? How's hell for starters.

Oh boy ...

Roundhouse Roundup: License to Rassle

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
July 1, 2010

The state of New Mexico regulates a lot of professions — nurses, barbers, private investigators, massage therapists. But earlier this week, while searching the state Regulation and Licensing website for an unrelated story, I stumbled across some folks who I had no idea have to be licensed by the state.

Professional wrestlers. More than 500 of them.

Yes, the grunt 'n' groan business. If you're going smash an opponent with a metal chair before a paying audience in the state of New Mexico, you've got to pay your $35 license fee and fill out a one-page form.

"Wrestlers must pass with a clean bill of health pre-fight," said Regulation and Licensing spokeswoman Teala Kail in an e-mail Wednesday. This means they can't have any blood-borne illnesses, she said.

Applicants for a state professional wrestler license must, in addition to routine personal information, answer three questions — and explain if the answer is yes to any of them.

Have you ever had a license revoked or suspended by a state athletic commission? Do you now or did you ever hold any license issued by the New Mexico State Athletic Commission? Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

You also have to give the name of your manager, seconds or trainers who will be working in your corner. In pro wrestling, of course, the manager is the sneaky guy who distracts the referee and throws blinding powder into the opponent's eyes.

Cavalcade of stars: Looking through the list of those who have held New Mexico professional wrestling licenses, you'll see some of the biggest names in wrestling in the past couple of decades. Ted DiBiase — The Million Dollar Man — is there. So is Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock. He's held licenses three times, the last one expiring in 2008. There's Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart, Kurt Angle, John Cena and Brett "The Hitman" Hart. Both Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero were holding New Mexico pro wrestling licenses at the time of their respective deaths.

And you'll find the name of the man who probably is the most famous wrestler of all time — Terry Bollea, best is known as Hulk Hogan.

However, the former multi-time world champion never was licensed in this state. According to R&L's website, his application has been pending since Dec. 16, 2002.

Kail said she couldn't immediately say why the application is still pending. "I'll do my best to find out about the Hulkster," she said. "He was my favorite wrestler."

Randy "The Macho Man" Savage couldn't stop Hulk Hogan, but it looks like New Mexico red tape did.

Speaking of athletics: Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who looks more and more like a 2012 Republican presidential candidate every day, has been to New Hampshire, the first primary state, several times. But what about the first caucus state, Iowa? "I'll be there next month," Johnson told me in an interview this week.

But no, he's not speaking at some Republican women's picnic in Davenport or eating rubber chicken at a GOP banquet in Cedar Rapids. "I'm going to ride the Ragbrai," the fitness-fanatic ex gov said.

He was referring to a seven-day, 472-mile bicycle ride across the state.

More state webcasting: Earlier this week the Legislative Council voted to allow the webcasting of interim legislative committees. In past years the meetings were held in locations around the state. But this year, in an effort to save money, the meetings will take place in the Roundhouse.

The first interim committee to webcast will be the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee, which meets today at 10 a.m., Room 322. Check the state Legislature website.