Oversight or Disrespect?

APD held a graduation ceremony today for its latest recruitment class. The good news is that we just added 31 new officers to our police department. When these latest rookies learn what it's like to actually be in the field, we'll all be just a little bit safer.

The ceremony included almost 1,000 people and dignitaries with one conspicuous absence - Mayor Martin Chavez. One would think that if adding officers to the Albuquerque Police Department were one of the Almighty's priorities, that he would have damn well been there himself. Instead the mayor sent Chief Administrative Officer and ABQPAC alum Bruce Perlman (read it here) to the event.

Our Eyes at the event noticed a very interesting omission. During the pledge of allegiance while everyone stood either saluting the flag or covering their heart with their right hand, the Almighty Alcalde's representative did neither. Was it an oversight or a sign of disrespect? We don't really know. But we do know that a public official tapped to represent an elected official at an official function ought to know better. Mister Perlman would do well to remember that at any future events where he is representing the city, the mayor, and the people of Albuquerque.

Tortillagate Heating Up or Cooling Off?

Mayor Marty moved quickly to try and move yesterday's Michael Padilla Tortillagate story from the front page to as deep into the Metro Section as possible. You see Marty brought in the big guns to quell the natives, assigning both Bruce Pearlman and Pete Dinelli to fix the problems over at the 911 call center. (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required).

The Chavez administration has a history of working the media in order to shift public perception and kill a story. They worked this way with the APD Evidence Room scandal and the ABQ PAC fiasco. It typically works because the public perception is that the administration is moving to fix the problem and the public has a notoriously short attention span.

The bad news for the 5th floor is that according to our Eyes, two of the women who filed EEO complaints have in the police vernacular, lawyered up. The Eyes have it that prominent Albuquerque attorney Mary Hahn has been retained by the pair. The news is particularly bad for the administration because it may mean that Tortillagate could end up on the front page... again.