According to the Journal (Subscription), Harris is accused of spending $5,600 in campaign money for personal use. In an autodialer the group claims Councilor Harris spent "$1,100 on his car, $500 for a new bicycle and some $4,000 in personal credit card finance charges" (ABQ Journal - Subscription). This time the accusations are not being made in front of the ethics committee but directly to the councilor's constituents by phone; and while the expenditures may not be a violation of ethics regulations, they are sure to look bad to voters.
What's more indicative of the councilor's demise is the very professional and meticulous way that Harris' adversaries have executed their campaign plan. Since June the group has kept Harris in the news with a continuous stream of ethics complaints, one of which was dismissed a couple of weeks ago (ABQ Journal - Subscription). Unfortunately for Harris, voters won't remember the dismissal but rather the accusations that seem to just keep coming.
Our Eyes tell us that in an effort to clear up all of his reporting "mistakes" the councilor retained CPA and fellow councilor Ken Sanchez. Our most recent information has Councilor Sanchez jumping out of the Harris debacle effectively washing his hands of the whole thing.
Frankly, we were surprised that Sanchez would stick his nose into this mess in the first place. We know he's a professional who's probably looked into some dark and dubious spaces from an accounting stand point, but taking sides in a recall for a fellow councilor has no upside for him. In fact, there's a little thing called guilt by association which could come back to haunt him if he decides to run for reelection.
Our assessment of the political situation is fairly bleak for Harris. In yet another example of planning and execution, New Mexicans for Democracy have managed to have Harris' ethics hearing scheduled for September 24th, the week just before the recall election. An August 29th press release about the September hearing from New Mexicans for Democracy reads in part:
"The full inquiry will probe all aspects of his alleged expenditures as to their compliance with the Election Code; as to their validity as determined by receipts and invoices; and also as to the required issuance of IRS “1099” forms to campaign consultants and contractors."The item that should concern the councilor is the issuance of 1099 forms. If his campaign reporting has been fraught with error, we'd bet that the more stringent IRS requirements were bungled too. At this point we'd be surprised if Harris survived the ethics hearing much less the recall election October 2nd.-New Mexicans for Democracy
20 comments:
support Smarty Marty and looks what happens Don.
Harris needs to go. He is bad for District 9 and the City.
bye bye Donnie
Don Harris' Ethics Trial will be on September 29, at 5:30 p.m. on GOTV Channel 16. It will also have live streaming video on the www.abq.gov website, just search for ethics board and you will find the link to the video.
To keep updated on the latest, breaking news on our Recall Harris Efforts please go to
www.recallharris.org
We will be updating the website as needed. There is more to be told, so stay tuned.
Thank you for your support and remember to VOTE to RECALL don HARRIS!!!
The only sad part is that Marty will pick Harris' replacement.
That's actually the best part of this whole mess. I know he will pick someone good!
Oops, Harris' Ethics Hearing is actually on September 24, at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised on GOVTV Channel 16.
RECALL don HARRIS!!!
Its not a trial, buttheads. The admiral is this self proclaimed 'democracy advocate' yet you cannot seem to get him to name names (people Don Harris did not reply to, telephone calls not made, etc).
Ken Sanchez VOLUNTEERED to help Harris, because he can, not for any other reason. Your friends would help you out, if you were in the same light. Problem is, the admiral and his blue haired friends have nothing much to do, but while Harris is trying to figure out how to be a councilor, he is having to swat away the gnats of Four Hills. I was at the hearing for Harris and his money issues. Looks as if he is just sloppy with his accounts, but the ethics money lady, Helen Elliott, told Harris that his books were messy, not out of order. You will see that this mess is of Harris' own making, but the admiral is making up stuff about Harris. Better be careful what you lie about Admiral. Harris will survive the recall. The admiral bungled so badly in front of the ethics committee I thought they were going to spit out laughing. This guy has a grudge and nothing more. So he has to make up lies and create this havoc in some poor schleps life. So sad. Hopefully, the admiral will live through the EMS coming to get him over those speed bumps so he can be sure to be happy about his lost time to the ER (which will be filled with people who use the ER for regular health care, or drunks detoxing and no room for those who pay for insurance, but eh, thats another topic). Have any of you met this admiral? he's ready for the old folks home and worse...any way, GOOD LUCK HARRIS. If Marty chooses a replacement, you can be sure that taxes for the streetcar will appear, the streetcar will appear, and there will be a reflecting pool at the Balloon Museum, but no water in your yard or anywhere but running down Academy...Really people, we are better off with the devil we know (Harris) then the devil that is associated with The Commandant Marty Chavez.
www.KEEPDONHARRIS.com
YOU ROCK HARRIS, Kick their butts and keep working towards your THIRD WIN at the POLLS.
Two comments up, YES you have hit the nail on the head, when you wrote..."You will see that this mess is of Harris' own making,". Harris did make this mess and no one is lying about his financial records. These records are all public information and repairing own's car with campaign contributions, and posting over $4000.00 in interest payments to credit card accounts is unheard of and quite possibly illegal. It is all in his records, look them up. Perhaps Mr. Harris has mislead you about his inappropriate and questionable accounting of his campaign reports. Harris knew what he was doing when he did it, he knew it was wrong, but Harris thinks he is above the law. Also, your juvenile comments about Admiral Lowe are certainly not very helpful to Mr. Harris' case. If you are any indication of the quality of support he is going to get in District 9, then Mr. Harris is going to go down in flames.
Have any of you wondered why Marty Chavez has not stepped in to help Don? If he wanted to he'd ambush this Gov 16 broadcast of Don's hearing. He'd do it for Mayer, Loy or any of the others who do exactly what he wants. He controls the local news and newspapers, so he could certainly control Gov 16. Don may not be the sharpest pencil in the cup, but don't wish too hard for what you want, you may just get it. And,don't bitch when the Marty appointment isn't of your liking.
Remember, Don didn't stick those speed bumps up your ass, Marty, Marty's mother and Tina did. Yes, take him to task and hold his feet to the fire for not using his head. Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, Sally Mayer has had several passes. Far too many than she deserves.
B***heads/ kick their b***s? I guess Harris and his minions want to engage in disparagement, not debate. Such puerile and personal attacks. What's next, egging and "tping" Jim Lowe's house? It proves the old adage, if the facts are not on your side, abuse your opponent.
As for a grudge, they have made it clear that Harris will hold one. But he has one now. He is already refusing to work with any District 9 homeowners association. The President of Four Hills, who was a closet anti speed humper, tried to work with him. So did pro speed humpers on other issues. But Harris refused to work on other issues like the bike path or the open space gate unless you bowed and scraped before him. Anyone would be better than Harris.
The few overzealous nuts rabid about this recall must be typing their little fingers off in an attempt to make this seem like a grassroots effort. It isn't. It's a few old fogies (and one young, certifiably crazy, wacko) from Four Hills who are mad as hell that they're not calling the shots any more, and humiliated that facts show they were WRONG about the speed humps. This entire recall campaign began right after a conclusive report showed that speed humps kill many times more people due to delayed emergency reponse than they save. But these elderly retirees have nothing better to do than to cause trouble to put themselves in the spotlight. They complain about Councilor Harris doing the very things they asked him to do! Don't pay attention to these old wind bags, their accusations are pathetic attempts to create something out of nothing, and to make themselves feel important. Let them go creep off into a dark corner where they belong. Check out KeepDonHarris.com for the facts!
Oh, so the President of 4H tried to work with Harris, did he? Was that before or after he allowed two pages of venomous anti-Harris spewings from BOD members to come out in the last 4H quarterly? This is all Mickelson and Lowe -- the undynamic duo -- in a desperate attempt to keep what little power they have. It's not about Harris' accounting goof-ups, it's about two power-hungry men that can't let go. Give it up, guys, go back to the retired officers club and try to re-live your glory days. You sure don't have any more ahead of you.
Why don't we ALL just meet at Central Tramway parking lot and 'Rumble' like in "West Side Story"?
I'll bring a 'Bobcat' to scrape out the speed humps.
Right on! Let's do it.
No knives or guns; just chains, brass knuckles and Cuban heals.
The Prez of FHVHA did try and work with Harris. In fact he appointed the head of the anti-hump movement, Rebecca Loring, to the BoD. He and other BOD members tried to work with Harris on numerous issues, open space, the rapes in the open space, the bike path, school rezoning, the "Pulte" park, and Juan Tabo Hills issues. In fact, at the first FH General Membership meeting, many BoD members including the "crazy" and I, took care of Harris' children. I know the Prez of FHVHA really made great efforts to bridge the speed hump issue and try and work with Harris. Harris did not attend one BoD meeting for the several years I went to them. He, unlike Richard Berry, did not attend one FH APS meeting. So yes, there was a real effort by the majority of the BoD to work with him on many issues, that Harris did not return. In the end it was Harris, who linked everything to speed humps. The bike path is the best example of that.
Love Harris' supporters. They are the type of people that used to be run out of town in the wild west. Now, these type of people are allowed to spew hate and lies about people and no one says or does a thing. When he is recalled, what will these losers do? I can't wait to see how this all plays out. Harris must be so proud to have gotten himself involved with these bottom feeders. I know for a fact that the other Councilors took him to task at the last LUPZ meeting. They told him, to keep his garbage out of the Council Meetings. His support within the Council has dried up. He is going to be fined heavily and one of his biggest supporters is the reason for some of his pending fines. Oh, it is going to be an interesting fall.
A well known Latin phrase comes to mind with respect to the 'real issues' on the Don Harris Recall - "Bovis stercus".
IMHO, the recall effort was first and foremost a hump issue. A deep dive to dig up anything that could add to that issue raised the financial reporting gaffs and became the cause celebre under which the hump issue could be masked (outside of FH, no one cares about our speed humps). You (‘the committee’) may 'win' this battle but at what a cost!
I firmly believe that this recall is an ego trip by bored retirees (who also sit on the BOD of the FHVHA) who are not used to not getting their way - their identity is tied up in the hump battle and the status quo. This has all of the appearance of a geriatric slay ride (spelling & double entendre intentional) and they care not that they are injuring an honorable and dedicated man while at the same time destroying an organization that they were instrumental in creating and maintaining. They are eating their own baby.
Don has unequivocally screwed up on his financial activities related to his campaign. I am sure that in your glorious histories (Admiral) you have never unintentionally messed up royally (a technical term). I have zero doubt that Don's errors were not intentional just an amateur starting out in a whirlwind event without a good 'backup bench'.
Committee, have a ball, celebrate, & enjoy your Pyrrhic victory - if you win. Taking everything into account, I know it was not worth it.
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