Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Weirder...

All you have to do is take a gander at today's Albuquerque Tribune to know how weird Albuquerque politics is becoming. Right there on the front page above the fold in front of God and everyone is the War of the Roses (or Chavez's) and the K-Mart Councilor.

Just yesterday we were busy beating-up Councilor Mayer for her actions and claims regarding the City Council Presidency. Today, we find out that she's taken a second job at K-Mart helping customers and straightening the deodorant (almost makes her a sniff test expert).

Since the week before Thanksgiving, the 57-year-old Mayer has been working five days a week at $7 an hour — 25 cents more than the city-mandated minimum wage she twice voted against.

- ABQ Tribune

We really don't know whether to laugh or cry. Apparently, the councilor needs some holiday cash in order to make ends meet. No one should be ashamed of making an honest wage at a retail store part-time or otherwise even if you are a sitting city councilor. Frankly, we're glad to see that despite her modest K-Mart income she's standing by her principles even if we disagree with a number of them.

Still, if she could go back in time she wouldn't change her previous votes against raising the wage locally.

Then and now she protests the use of the term living wage, a phrase she feels is disingenuous, believing that raising the wage a few dollars does little to make low pay livable.

"I object more to it now. It is a minimum wage," she said. "There are lots of people here who have two jobs."

- ABQ Tribune

If the K-Mart Councilor weren't enough, Mayor Marty and ex-wife Margaret look like they may be heading for a fight- this time at the ballot box. Margaret Aragon de Chavez announced yesterday that she plans to form an exploratory committee next spring to evaluate the idea of whether or not to run for her ex-husband's job (ABQ Tribune).

Of course Marty, would have to get past the under-card bout in court to overturn the city's mayoral term limits, but most people seem to see the effort as a mere formality as the council's term limits have already been overturned.

We can hear announcer now... "In the red light corner - the three term mayor fresh off his term-limit victory - Martin The Almighty Alcalde Chavez!! In the blue corner - the challenger and one time Albuquerque First Lady - the woman with the goods and a serious chip on her shoulder - Margaret Aragon de Chavez!! This is a fifteen month fight where hitting below the belt is mandatory sooooo... LET'S GET RRRREADY TO RRRRUMBLE!!!!!!!"

And we thought that next year's election brouhaha was going to be entertaining. Could it get any weirder than this?