If you ask us, this is the issue in the mayor's race. Do we really want a 4th helping of the Almighty Alcalde or any mayor for that matter? Chavez is gathering power to himself on a scale reminiscent of that other Chavez named Hugo.
----- Correction -----
When we wrote this post we forgot to go back and add a link to our original post on The Almighty Alcalde's term limits victory. Thanks to an astute Eye reader it has been corrected above or you can just click here.
----- Another Thought -----
In the above KOB story, Stewart Dyson indicates that Marty took his term limit challenge to the New Mexico Supremes. There's no indication that The Alcalde's challenge ever went beyond District Court. In fact, the council term limits challenge never went beyond the Appellate level.
Term limits for city councilors were struck down following a 1995 challenge by former councilors Vince Griego, Alan Armijo, Steve Gallegos and Marion Cottrell. That case was decided by the New Mexico Court of Appeals. The state Supreme Court declined to review the ruling.It looks to us as if a new mayor (we know the current mayor can't seem to get another job) would be able to appeal Judge Vanzi's ruling in order to reinstate term limits for the city's executive branch. It's a torch that one of the challengers can and should pick up.
10 comments:
Does anybody know where Martin Chavez went to Law School? Does it matter? Did he go to Geortown University or UNM? Sometimes, the Central American Dictators would send their children to the United States for college. The United States welcomed the opportunity to hoping to instill that Democracy is the best form of government. I just hope that Chavez didn't have any college buddies from Central America that may have rubbed the wrong way on Chavez. Though the Central American Dictators get overthrown with coups etc... and Democracy is slowly making ground in Central America.... I guess to go full circle there is the cost to the United States of having leaders going into court to get favorable rulings just to get on the ballot again. Chavez calls what he did in going back to court not unethical because the court ruled in his favor. The problem with the court system is that the necessary check on balance of power doesn't seem to be there when it comes to Chavez probably because Chavez thows parties, events everybody, gets people drunk and makes good, old friends including Judges. A democracy is a system with checks and balances in place. Once Chavez controls the courts (which hopefully not with exposure to his corruption) which is the executive and the judicial branch of government, then the only check on Chavez is the legislative branch. Can Albuquerque handle another four years of Chavez? More importantly, who was or are the Central American Dictators' children that Chavez must have or probably went to law school with?
On Chavez's city website, there is a bio on Chavez where he states he got his law degree from Georgetown.
Also, on Chavez's website is the following: ... "1989 to 1993 served in the New Mexico State Senate, where he championed legislative initiatives including early voting, ethics reform, urban forestry and workers compensation."
What Chavez's website doesn't tell you is that Chavez lobbied for term limits for politicians. Chavez supported term limits for politicians as part of NMPIRG debate on campus on ethics reform.
Now, it seems that Chavez unlike so many other leaders who also went to school or might have gone to school with Central America leaders' children, that Chavez is more like a Dictator, a ruler, than
a Democrat.
Notice that the time line when Chavez was State Legislature was for one term because Chavez gave a promise then to support term limits. Chavez failed to honor his promise of term limits of Mayor and defeated the City Charter that was voted on to have better ethics and term limits for Mayor position. Chavez backed out of term limits for politicians.
Future dialogue between Chavez and
Central American college student (from a family in Central America that is close to ruler or in rulers family).
Chavez: "Welcome to the U.S. Are you here to value and learn about our U.S. Constitution and all about democracy?"
Central American Student: "Yes, I am. I just have one question. Didn't you go into court in 2008 and ask the court to overturn legislation just so you could put your name on the ballot?"
Chavez: "The voters decide."
Central American student: "Well, isn't that what term limits was trying to establish was the popular leaders from keep getting elected? Doesn't longer terms mean
more influence in other areas?"
Central American student: "Our country had the problem of a very popular leader such as yourself that was very popular and kept getting reelected. He went back into court to strike down the portion that would keep him from rerunning again. The people looked back at the projects that he began and now realize that because of him, that popular leader that there was a horrible economy, high unemployment, high crime rates. Maybe you are popular and maybe you can get re-elected, but is that for the good of the people and for the good of democracy?"
Chavez: The Mayor doesn't do much, so the position really isn't that important.
If a politician is doing a good job, and continues to be voted into office, why should his/her service be limited? The NM high court agrees. The comparison to Hugo Chavez is ridiculous, so I'll assume that you were being sarcastic. Furthermore, why do you dislike Martin Chavez? It seems to me that he has been the most successful mayor in ABQ's history. For the officers on here, Chavez has given you the largest raise in your department's history; is it something personal? Or do you have a legitimate disagreement with his policies/practices? I'd like to an hear an intelligent reasoning from the author and/or the officers who post here.
Yeah the other city workers would gladly take the raises. The city workers just do all the work and get no credit after all Martin Chavez does it all..
"is it something personal?" Yes, he's ethically challenged and is morally corrupt.
For the person who would like to know specifics on why Chavez who is ethically challenged and morally corrupt needs to be voted out of office in October, then let me start with the following:
(1) Chavez "appoints" people along with City Council to Commissions. The people on those Commissions had to go through City Council and the Mayor's Office. The Mayor has been behind the scenes working to put in his people on Commissions. A Mayor that has "his people" in place makes for dishonesty and actions that are lower than the average politician. With a third term, that is going on 12 years, Albuquerque doesn't get a break from Chavez's "people" on Commissions and a chance for a fresh beginning. Is there any more problems for Chavez after Chavez's appointments to the Ethics Commission are people like Cliff Richardson? The FBI doesn' t get involved in City Politics such as if the City Ethics Commission has been influenced by basically (in my opinion) people that go out of their way to sue in order to get more positions. Who could blame Cliff when his own significant other, "Sandra" had to sue APD after she failed the APD training academy and was considered to be a "risk" and danger to other officers because of the disabilty? Yet, beacuse Chavez gave appointments to Sandra and Cliff well those to (in my opinion) are so grateful to Chavez
that one wonders how far is too far for those two as far as any (additional) voluteer work that the two may or may not want to disclose to the public. Pretty soon, the Commissions (after 3 terms) are filled up with Chavez appointments. The check on democracy gets lost in the mail, so to speak might be perilous for some.
(2) Here is how Marty works: If you walk into his office and disagree politely and leave, then you will only be subjected to: "background check with possible consequence to your employment." If you walk into Marty's circle and laugh, joke maybe be funny and maybe have a drink, then you will be a "possible candidate for a position on a Commission."
If your distraught, yelling, miserable (with good reason) and yell at Marty, then you will probably have no trouble finding your next paycheck at the unemployment line.
Marty picks people like Sandra and Cliff to sorta help him along the way in maybe ways that the public if knew about would frown upon.
We need people that can be critical of government, so if anything just to keep the party system in place. Marty has a habit of trying to buy the people that provide negative news coverage.
It would make for a better democracy to vote Marty out to offer the Civil Servants and to the public in general a fresh beginning.
The Sunday paper today reported that Martin use to skate board when he was a kid. So, to accomodate the little kids who like to skate board like he and Joe Maloof did, he has used City tax dollars to build Skate Parks. Well, the Skate Parks are for the most part dedicated to for the majority little kids who are also male that like to skateboard. Not very many females take on the sport of skateboarding, maybe snow boarding, but not skateboarding. It is kinda like getting a female to ride a bull professionally. Not really what a typical female would have in mind for a fun day.
So, Martin spent tax dollars that are basically going to provide something to do for all teenagers both male and female, but in reality it is for the male teenager that truly enjoys skate boarding.
The cycling community has been for over 20 years trying to get Martin to build a bike Velodrome that is a wholesome place to go for the entire family. A bike Velodrome would give the opportunity for the female cyclist to have a nice (without dirt BMX) place to cycle away from traffic and to even professionally race. The Bike Velodrome would be for male and female with no age cap.
When I saw Marty snow boarding in the Sandia mountains with his former Wife sitting in the lobbying waiting, it occurred to me that Marty's entire logic on female activities to be funded by the City wasn't there. Marty is selfish in not funding a bike Velodrome instead finding ways to fund Skate Parks. In my opinion, maybe Marty's marriage would have been salvaged had Marty spent more time on trying to please the female
needs. I bet Marty's former wife would cycle in a Bike Velodrome. By the way, I chatted with his former wife, who if she ran for Mayor, I would vote for. Marty is nothing without her and I didn't like how he treated her in public. A woman needs excitment, to feel like she can exercise and enjoy the exercise at any age. Marty basically didn't show her anything
but his stupid idiotic Skate Parks and snow boarding. A bike Velodrome is a shared experienced that you can take a date, a spouse to and/or even take your children to.
Its pretty simple folks. When you can't do anything else (Remember how successful he was between terms) you stay in politics. He couldn't run a business if his life depended on it, but he can hand out jobs and spend tax money as long as there is no bottom line. The command at APD is looked down upon by the rest of us in city government because of the way they kiss up to him. He really dose not have any friends, what a pitiful sad person he is. When he leaves office the people that kiss is a#@ will never call again. That's the APD way. Good luck Smarty!
"The command at APD is looked down upon by the rest of us in city government"
...until you dial 911 you spineless little worm!!!!
An audit should be done on city government, so that the public realizes that it is over staffed, over paid, and un productive. If it was a private business it would have folded years ago. There are to many people doing to little to justify the size of city government.
When a citizen is in fear of their life they don't call city government. Your job is expendable you pompus prima dona. A reality check is needed for city hall.
And people wonder why things don't get done by city employees.....you just answered it with your post.
Next time you need a cop don't call 911, call one of your co-workers in city government to solve the problem.
Post a Comment