The Albuquerque Police Department under Chief Ray Schultz and soon-to-be former Mayor Martin Chavez has decided change the department issued weapon from the Glock 9mm to a Smith and Wesson 9mm. The move has upset a number of officers who view the Smith and Wesson as an inferior weapon.
In fact, a number of line officers complained about the move citing the Glock's reliability and historic performance. Anyone who complained was summarily shut down and cadets will begin training on the Smith and Wesson next week.
It's not unusual for Chief Schultz his 5th Floor to ignore officers, but this time Smith and Wesson gave the Chief, Deputy Chief Castro, and The Once Almighty Alcalde a little extra incentive. According to our Eyes, Schultz, Castro, and Mayor Chavez all received complimentary weapons a couple of months ago courtesy of Smith and Wesson. 30 days after the "gifts" were given, APD decided to drop the favored Glock.
Officers have been carrying the Glock for years. The double action pin-fire weapon has a track record of firing under almost any circumstance and when your life is on the line you want your weapon to go boom when you pull the trigger.
Look, we're not against APD evaluating their side arms from time to time. And we're not against the department making a change. But this time, it looks as if the decision was at least partially based on the freebie firearm given to the decision makers.
We've got serious reservations about Marty packin' heat - that's just all kinds of scary. But more importantly, elected officials and their cronies shouldn't be accepting gifts from contractors. If Smith and Wesson popped for a few pistols, what else did they do to sweeten the deal?
It really doesn't matter what the value of the "gift" was - though most 9mm handguns cost over $1,000 - accepting a gift from a vendor prior to awarding a contract looks dirty and is dirty. It may be petty corruption, but it's corruption none the less.
This is just one more example of why all of the current occupants of APD's 5th Floor need to be shown the elevator. First and foremost, effective policing requires the trust of the public. Taking a goody gun from a vendor and handing them a contract undermines that trust and puts both officers and the public in danger.
Showing posts with label Mayor Chavez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayor Chavez. Show all posts
Oct 22, 2009
Oct 21, 2009
Entrapment
It's a favorite trick of outgoing politicians - give one last payoff to those who have supported your administration. The Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday that the Chavez payoffs have begun as the Once Almighty Alcalde takes a stab at paying off his people and a shot at the man who will replace him.
Scott Forrester, an assistant to Mayor Martin Chávez, whose term ends Nov. 30, saw an increase in his annual salary from roughly $48,000 a year to a little under $80,000, officials said.
Greg Smith, an attorney, received an 8 percent increase in pay — to about $111,000 a year — and was transferred into a different job. He used to work as an attorney for the city and is now a contract manager in the Department of Municipal Development.
Danny Nevarez, an information technology official in the Environmental Health Department, saw his pay boosted about 48 percent, to around $102,900.
Frankly, no matter what excuse is given these raises are appalling. Our Eyes tell us that since the Once Almighty Alcalde lost the election earlier in the month, Hizz Honor has been busy squirreling away his minions and busily trying to reclassify his unclassified friends. One such reclassification was Director of Parks and Recreation, Jay Evans who was recently moved from his unclassified directors position in Parks and Rec to an over $80,000 a year classified position running Open Space.
The intent of the Chavez administration is to protect their minions while leaving them behind as land mines ready to explode on an unsuspecting Berry administration.
Moving Marty's Minions doesn't exactly protect them from termination. Moving someone from an unclassified position to a classified position doesn't remove the probationary period where the city can let the "newly acquired" classified employee go for pretty much any reason in the first 90 days. Marty's moves only make it more difficult, not impossible.
In light of the current economic situation, the Berry transition team needs to take a hard look not only at Marty's many minions but at the positions that were created to reward them. Now's the time for many of these positions to disappear along with their occupants - which would save all of us a boat load of money.
More importantly, Mayor-elect Berry would be setting a good example for the rest of the city by trimming his at-will staff before he even takes office despite Marty's attempt to trap him into keeping Marty's Minions.
The intent of the Chavez administration is to protect their minions while leaving them behind as land mines ready to explode on an unsuspecting Berry administration.
Moving Marty's Minions doesn't exactly protect them from termination. Moving someone from an unclassified position to a classified position doesn't remove the probationary period where the city can let the "newly acquired" classified employee go for pretty much any reason in the first 90 days. Marty's moves only make it more difficult, not impossible.
In light of the current economic situation, the Berry transition team needs to take a hard look not only at Marty's many minions but at the positions that were created to reward them. Now's the time for many of these positions to disappear along with their occupants - which would save all of us a boat load of money.
More importantly, Mayor-elect Berry would be setting a good example for the rest of the city by trimming his at-will staff before he even takes office despite Marty's attempt to trap him into keeping Marty's Minions.
Jan 21, 2008
Eye Poll: Limit Him!
Folks this special two week Eye Poll was never even close. In our unscientific poll 76% of Eye readers voted for term limits on current Mayor Martin Chavez; only 21% voted to let our current mayor continue after his second consecutive term (view it here).
We're generally in favor of term limits particularly in the case of administrative offices. By necessity and design, mayoral, gubernatorial, and presidential offices concentrate large amounts of power in the hands of one individual. An entrenched executive is not only difficult to remove, but difficult to catch should they decide to stick their hands in the public cookie jar; which brings us to our current Eye Poll.
Trust is an absolute necessity for government to operate effectively. Once the public trust has been violated it's almost impossible for it to be regained. Recently, the Chavez administration has been caught repeatedly fudging numbers in an apparent effort to make the mayor look good. Whether it's the number of cops on the streets, the number of accidents at scam-era intersections, the number of animals available for adoption, or even city greenhouse gas, the 11th floor has been caught giving out favorable statistics only to have them proven wrong.
We're curious what effect these repeated revelations have had on the public and the trust the public has in the current administration. Let us know what you think, don't forget to vote!
We're generally in favor of term limits particularly in the case of administrative offices. By necessity and design, mayoral, gubernatorial, and presidential offices concentrate large amounts of power in the hands of one individual. An entrenched executive is not only difficult to remove, but difficult to catch should they decide to stick their hands in the public cookie jar; which brings us to our current Eye Poll.
Trust is an absolute necessity for government to operate effectively. Once the public trust has been violated it's almost impossible for it to be regained. Recently, the Chavez administration has been caught repeatedly fudging numbers in an apparent effort to make the mayor look good. Whether it's the number of cops on the streets, the number of accidents at scam-era intersections, the number of animals available for adoption, or even city greenhouse gas, the 11th floor has been caught giving out favorable statistics only to have them proven wrong.
We're curious what effect these repeated revelations have had on the public and the trust the public has in the current administration. Let us know what you think, don't forget to vote!
Jan 16, 2008
More Fuzzy Math for our Furry Friends
Apparently, we're not the only ones being treated to suspicious numbers from Albuquerque's Animal Control, Care, Welfare - whatever. According to the Albuquerque Journal the Alliance for Albuquerque Animals has been receiving statistics from Animal Control that don't jive with the numbers being fed the media.
It appears that Director, Patterson's "nothing to hide" assertion isn't strictly true as we've received more evidence that the Journal story from Christmas Eve sounded better than it really was. The story by Journal reporter Jack King claimed that the Home 4 the Holidays adopt-a-thon left "Albuquerque's east- and west-side shelters [with] no animals available for adoption— all found homes at a weekend event."
We really don't understand the administration's need to overstate the success of an event that had by all accounts been a tremendous success without having to inflate the figures. Kudos to the Watermelon Mountain Ranch folks and everyone who worked their tails off to place animals in good homes; they deserve better than fuzzy math for our furry friends.
A nonprofit advocacy group apparently received bad information from Albuquerque's animal shelters in response to public-information requests.We wouldn't expect the city to cop to playing with numbers so as expected Chief Operating Officer, Ed Adams turned on the spin cycle.
Debbra Colman, founder of the Alliance for Albuquerque Animals, said she believes the misinformation was deliberate.
"I'm profoundly disturbed that for three years the Alliance has been given false information," she said. "It just doesn't make any sense that the reports could have inadvertently been wrong rather than deliberately falsified."
Ed Adams, the city's chief operating officer, said a question about the accuracy of reports is part of the reason the mayor shook up the animal program last year. Mayor Martin Chávez last fall brought in new leadership for the shelters and made the program a stand-alone department in city government, meaning it reports directly to his office.Yeaaaah... that's it! That's the reason the "mayor shook up the animal program last year"... bad formulas... that's the ticket! Now with Marty's new regime in place everything is above board and they've "got nothing to hide."
The bad formulas were developed before Patterson took over, Adams said.
It appears that Director, Patterson's "nothing to hide" assertion isn't strictly true as we've received more evidence that the Journal story from Christmas Eve sounded better than it really was. The story by Journal reporter Jack King claimed that the Home 4 the Holidays adopt-a-thon left "Albuquerque's east- and west-side shelters [with] no animals available for adoption— all found homes at a weekend event."
Our Eyes tell us that the adopt-a-thon was held December 21st through the 23rd and that a few days after the event 67 dogs and 55 cats were still available before December 24th.Today we received numbers from the Alliance for Albuquerque's Animals that shows that as of December 26th three days after the event, there were 41 cats and 87 dogs still available for adoption. The review date included suggests that all of these animals were available at the time of the Home 4 the Holidays event.
(Sidebar)We've posted our latest information here. As you can see this report shows the impound number, review date, sex, spade or neuter status, animal evaluation, breed; and is broken out in to cats and dogs available in either the East or West side shelters on 12/26/07. While it's true that these numbers don't exactly match the ones we previously reported, they are close enough and they bear out that indeed there were animals available for adoption after the adopt-a-thon.
We're not suggesting that the Watermelon Mountain Ranch knew anything about the numbers being touted by the city. In fact, we don't want to do anything to discourage volunteerism at our city-owned shelters. However, we do believe that the city has both a legal and ethical obligation to tell us the truth about their successes and their failures.
(End Sidebar)
We really don't understand the administration's need to overstate the success of an event that had by all accounts been a tremendous success without having to inflate the figures. Kudos to the Watermelon Mountain Ranch folks and everyone who worked their tails off to place animals in good homes; they deserve better than fuzzy math for our furry friends.
Jan 6, 2008
Eye Poll: Not Safe in Albuquerque
Back in October we ran this same poll (see the results here). We're not happy to announce that there has been little change in the past couple of months. Those of us who reside here in Albuquerque by and large do not feel safe.
In our unscientific poll 43% of Eye readers felt unsafe, 19% felt somewhat unsafe, 27% felt somewhat safe, and only 11% felt safe (see the results here). The results are almost identical to those of our October poll. No matter how you slice it we don't feel safe and thus far APD and Chief of Police Mayor Martin Chavez don't seem to be making any progress in that regard.
This week we look into how you feel about the possibility of a third consecutive term for Mayor Chavez. Don't forget to vote!
In our unscientific poll 43% of Eye readers felt unsafe, 19% felt somewhat unsafe, 27% felt somewhat safe, and only 11% felt safe (see the results here). The results are almost identical to those of our October poll. No matter how you slice it we don't feel safe and thus far APD and Chief of Police Mayor Martin Chavez don't seem to be making any progress in that regard.
This week we look into how you feel about the possibility of a third consecutive term for Mayor Chavez. Don't forget to vote!
Nov 17, 2007
Deficits and Deception
Since Marty announced his red light scam-era marketing, uh... "task force," the city's photo money makers have been almost constantly in the news. First we find out that of the $10.6 MILLION in total revenue, $5.8 MILLION was dumped straight into the city's general fund. The Almighty One characterized the bounty as "excess money," we'd call it a tidy profit for the city.
Last night KOAT Target 7 broke the story that despite promises that the PROFIT would be used for public safety, the PROFIT was instead used to balance the city budget. This morning the Journal carried the same story (Subscription). It seems that Councilors Mayer and Winter aren't too happy that the red light green has been used by the city to make ends meet.
As far as we know this money was always set to be dumped into the general fund. Frankly, it doesn't make a bit of difference which fund the money is headed for. All of the money is sent to the city and its use is ultimately their responsibility. That means the Almighty Mayor and the council.
The councilors go on to complain that they were deceived stating that administration has been "misleading from the beginning." We couldn't agree more. Chavez and his minions claimed that the program was about public safety - it wasn't. They claimed that accidents went down - they didn't. They said the money would be used for the program and public safety - it hasn't been. They say that they'll create a fund for the PROFIT - it won't matter.
We're also wondering just how it is that the city found itself needing to play games with scam-era money in order to balance the budget. We know that spending has gone through the roof since Marty took over, but how did we end up running a deficit that needed to be covered by scam-era revenue?
Last week APD spokesman John Walsh told KRQE News 13 that Marty's scam-eras had caught APS bus drivers running red lights at intersections. The implication was that without the program we wouldn't know that APS bus drivers were endangering our children by running red lights.
We'd like you to think about this a bit... As you know, no one on a school bus (except for the bus driver) is wearing a seat belt. We're pretty sure that a school bus weighs substantially more than your average Prius making it more than a little difficult to stop one on a dime. Do you really want bus drivers stopping short? We can just picture APS students learning to fly - over the seats, their classmates, past the bus driver, and through the front windshield - just so APS and a bus driver avoid a scam-era citation.
We've talked about this before, but we still believe that there are times when it's safer for everyone if a vehicle "runs" a red; particularly when stopping short would endanger lives. These are times when a driver must use their judgment and when it's absolutely imperative that a police officer is present to use their judgment in determining whether or not the driver was correct. Scam-eras will never be able to judge a situation and Marty's Kangaroo Courts are designed to make money not hear cases.
Our Eyes tell us that the 11th floor is putting pressure on Chief Schultz and APD to make the case that the cameras are necessary and blames them for the current situation. We'd think that if Marty and crew were really serious about a "task force" he wouldn't be pressuring Ray, and Ray wouldn't be using John Walsh to bash APS bus driver in the name of our children's safety.
The Mayer (Councilor Mayer) claims that she supports the system but would like lower fines. When thieves break into your house and steal everything but your brand new TV - you're happy they missed the TV but still pissed that they got the rest of your stuff. Mayer's typical idiocy fails to recognize that the whole system is based on deceit and has been an utter failure.
Meanwhile, Councilor Winter has held his town hall and heard the vehement complaints of constituents and the general public, but has failed to act. We generally like the councilor, but this is a time for action not compromise.
The Mayor and his CEO Bruce Perlman have created a corrupt system designed to bring in revenue. Remember, these are the guys that brought us ABQ PAC, a political action committee created to fill Marty's political coffers and his pockets too. If there was ever any doubt that this whole thing is about money (which there shouldn't have been considering Marty's track record), even the most naive, deaf, dumb, and blind supporter of the Almighty Mayor should be having second thoughts.
Last night KOAT Target 7 broke the story that despite promises that the PROFIT would be used for public safety, the PROFIT was instead used to balance the city budget. This morning the Journal carried the same story (Subscription). It seems that Councilors Mayer and Winter aren't too happy that the red light green has been used by the city to make ends meet.
As far as we know this money was always set to be dumped into the general fund. Frankly, it doesn't make a bit of difference which fund the money is headed for. All of the money is sent to the city and its use is ultimately their responsibility. That means the Almighty Mayor and the council.
The councilors go on to complain that they were deceived stating that administration has been "misleading from the beginning." We couldn't agree more. Chavez and his minions claimed that the program was about public safety - it wasn't. They claimed that accidents went down - they didn't. They said the money would be used for the program and public safety - it hasn't been. They say that they'll create a fund for the PROFIT - it won't matter.
We're also wondering just how it is that the city found itself needing to play games with scam-era money in order to balance the budget. We know that spending has gone through the roof since Marty took over, but how did we end up running a deficit that needed to be covered by scam-era revenue?
Last week APD spokesman John Walsh told KRQE News 13 that Marty's scam-eras had caught APS bus drivers running red lights at intersections. The implication was that without the program we wouldn't know that APS bus drivers were endangering our children by running red lights.
We'd like you to think about this a bit... As you know, no one on a school bus (except for the bus driver) is wearing a seat belt. We're pretty sure that a school bus weighs substantially more than your average Prius making it more than a little difficult to stop one on a dime. Do you really want bus drivers stopping short? We can just picture APS students learning to fly - over the seats, their classmates, past the bus driver, and through the front windshield - just so APS and a bus driver avoid a scam-era citation.
We've talked about this before, but we still believe that there are times when it's safer for everyone if a vehicle "runs" a red; particularly when stopping short would endanger lives. These are times when a driver must use their judgment and when it's absolutely imperative that a police officer is present to use their judgment in determining whether or not the driver was correct. Scam-eras will never be able to judge a situation and Marty's Kangaroo Courts are designed to make money not hear cases.
Our Eyes tell us that the 11th floor is putting pressure on Chief Schultz and APD to make the case that the cameras are necessary and blames them for the current situation. We'd think that if Marty and crew were really serious about a "task force" he wouldn't be pressuring Ray, and Ray wouldn't be using John Walsh to bash APS bus driver in the name of our children's safety.
(Sidebar)Look... if the esteemed councilors want to fix the problem with the scam-era system they have the power to do so. All they have to do is convince four other councilor's that Marty's scam has gone on long enough. To date all they've done is hold town halls and make minor reductions in fines. We've compared it to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and so it is.
Our B.S. meter always goes off when politicians start using children to prove a tangential point. It's usually a distraction and a deception.
(End Sidebar)
The Mayer (Councilor Mayer) claims that she supports the system but would like lower fines. When thieves break into your house and steal everything but your brand new TV - you're happy they missed the TV but still pissed that they got the rest of your stuff. Mayer's typical idiocy fails to recognize that the whole system is based on deceit and has been an utter failure.
Meanwhile, Councilor Winter has held his town hall and heard the vehement complaints of constituents and the general public, but has failed to act. We generally like the councilor, but this is a time for action not compromise.
The Mayor and his CEO Bruce Perlman have created a corrupt system designed to bring in revenue. Remember, these are the guys that brought us ABQ PAC, a political action committee created to fill Marty's political coffers and his pockets too. If there was ever any doubt that this whole thing is about money (which there shouldn't have been considering Marty's track record), even the most naive, deaf, dumb, and blind supporter of the Almighty Mayor should be having second thoughts.
Jun 5, 2007
Eye Told You So
The Mayor lost and won. Monday night the city council overrode Marty's veto (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required). The taxpayers of Albuquerque will have to wait until July 1, 2008 to get their tax cut and Marty will be busy posturing as a man of the people for the next year.
Curiously, Mayor Chavez has now decided to impose some sort of accountability from Bernalillo County with regard to how the $9 MILLION appropriation is spent. We're the first to want accountability in government and from government, but exactly how is the mayor going to get more accountability from the county with less money and no operational control? It was after all, the mayor who decided terminate the joint operations agreement with the county (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required).
Meanwhile, the council won and lost. By overriding Mayor Marty's veto the council sent money to the county and imposed their will upon the 11th floor. That money is our money and it's bound to come back to haunt the councilors (O'Malley and Winter) in their upcoming re-election bids. In truth, it will hurt Councilor Winter the most since he presents himself as a fiscal conservative. However, it's unlikely that Pauline de' Pascal will be able to build a campaign on a single partial misstep, particularly against a two term incumbent.
Curiously, Mayor Chavez has now decided to impose some sort of accountability from Bernalillo County with regard to how the $9 MILLION appropriation is spent. We're the first to want accountability in government and from government, but exactly how is the mayor going to get more accountability from the county with less money and no operational control? It was after all, the mayor who decided terminate the joint operations agreement with the county (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required).
Meanwhile, the council won and lost. By overriding Mayor Marty's veto the council sent money to the county and imposed their will upon the 11th floor. That money is our money and it's bound to come back to haunt the councilors (O'Malley and Winter) in their upcoming re-election bids. In truth, it will hurt Councilor Winter the most since he presents himself as a fiscal conservative. However, it's unlikely that Pauline de' Pascal will be able to build a campaign on a single partial misstep, particularly against a two term incumbent.
Apr 9, 2007
Red Light Cameras: Give Us a Break!
For the past year we've been hearing from Marty and company that the Red Light Camera profit centers are all about public safety. We've been treated to "statistics" that claim level one trauma cases are down at intersections where photo enforcement is in place. We've even been given a website run by the city, complete with a peep show, to convince us that the system is infallible.
Let's wander into the realm of Marty's reality for just a moment and assume that father Marty's only goal in life is to keep us safe, and that all of the statistics that have been thrown our way are 100% accurate. After pumping over $6 MILLION into the city coffers in the way of "fines," shouldn't we be getting a break on our car insurance?
After all according to the Mayor, the city is safer, driving habits have changed, and accidents are down, therefore we should be paying less to insure our vehicles. That's the question that Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Brasher is asking state Superintendent of Insurance Morris J. Chavez, in his letter dated April 3, 2007. (The text of the letter is reprinted below.)
Let's wander into the realm of Marty's reality for just a moment and assume that father Marty's only goal in life is to keep us safe, and that all of the statistics that have been thrown our way are 100% accurate. After pumping over $6 MILLION into the city coffers in the way of "fines," shouldn't we be getting a break on our car insurance?
After all according to the Mayor, the city is safer, driving habits have changed, and accidents are down, therefore we should be paying less to insure our vehicles. That's the question that Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Brasher is asking state Superintendent of Insurance Morris J. Chavez, in his letter dated April 3, 2007. (The text of the letter is reprinted below.)
Dear Superintendent Chavez:The Commissioner is right on here. If we are now safer drivers because of the Red Light Districts, then it follows that our insurance rates should reflect that improvement. If however, Marty's Money Makers are more about money and really don't make us any safer, then the program is really the Cash Cow that we've said it is.
As you may know, the Governor recently vetoed Senate Bill 365 which addressed the issue of penalties and fess related to the City of Albuquerque's Phototicket Program, which is designed to issue civil citation for speeding and running red lights. Based on statements issued by the Mayor of the City of Albuquerque on of the intended consequences of the Phototicket Program is a reduction in the frequency and severity of traffic accidents in Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque.
Assuming that the statements from the City are accurate, in addition to improving the safety of our community, we expect that the Phototicket Program will also lead to reductions in automobile insurance premiums. I am writing to respectfully request whether your office intends to track reductions in vehicle collisions at traffic light intersections in Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque and/or whether insurance carriers submit such data to your office in determining the establishment of premiums for automobile insurance. Finally, I would like to suggest that your office make an inquiry of the City of Albuquerque for information related to vehicle collisions at traffic light intersections in order to maximize all available reductions in automobile insurance premiums for the taxpayers of Bernalillo County.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Michael Brasher, Bernalillo County Commissioner
Apr 6, 2007
The Osuna Purchase
In 1803 Thomas Jefferson successfully negotiated a deal with Napoleon Bonaparte to purchase 530,000,000 acres from the French for about $15 million. The unconstitutional acquisition by President Jefferson became known as the Louisiana Purchase.
Wednesday night the Albuquerque City Council authorized a little less than half that amount to purchase a 22 acre site on Osuna Rd. just west of I-25. (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required) For the past couple of years the site has been mired in controversy, primarily because a little known company has plans to build a store there.
Ok... Wal-Mart isn't a little known company and the original Super Center was to be upwards of 180,000 square feet. Like a number of Wal-Marts across the country and indeed within Albuquerque, the Osuna Wal-Mart has been opposed from the very beginning by the adjacent neighborhoods, in this case the neighborhood associations of Vista del Norte.
According to the directive of the council, the mayor has been given permission to spend up to $6.1 MILLION in an effort to acquire the property from the developer. And if necessary, use the power of eminent domain to force owner Vista del Norte Development, LLC to sell the property to the city.
Why? It wasn't the complaints of the neighborhood. It was the sudden discovery by Balloon Fiesta officials that they needed the property to land on during the yearly fiesta. What?! After all this time, after all this publicity, the Balloon Fiesta discovers that it needs the property?! What's even worse, the council bites, hook, line, sinker, and fishing pole!
The city and the council regularly do some pretty stupid things, but this one is a doosy! If you believe the council, they are willing to purchase the Osuna Wal-Mart site for the simple reason that as many as half of the balloons that take off at Balloon Fiesta Park may land on the 22 acre site, during an event that lasts for 11 days out of each year. Of course that assumes that the wind carries them directly south every day and they decide to land on the site rather than float on by.
Best case, the council is willing to put the city in a fight for a piece of property that is properly zoned for the Wal-Mart use, that is under contract to Wal-Mart, and against an opponent who has already spent thousands of dollars in development costs, in order to use it for the Balloon Fiesta 11 days a year. We can't even begin to figure out how much this is going to cost per landing, particularly after you figure in the court costs that are sure to accompany any attempt to condemn the site.
We can and we do. The Osuna purchase is at best, a waste of tax payer dollars. At the worst, it will end up being yet another money pit and an abuse of governmental power.
Wednesday night the Albuquerque City Council authorized a little less than half that amount to purchase a 22 acre site on Osuna Rd. just west of I-25. (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required) For the past couple of years the site has been mired in controversy, primarily because a little known company has plans to build a store there.
Ok... Wal-Mart isn't a little known company and the original Super Center was to be upwards of 180,000 square feet. Like a number of Wal-Marts across the country and indeed within Albuquerque, the Osuna Wal-Mart has been opposed from the very beginning by the adjacent neighborhoods, in this case the neighborhood associations of Vista del Norte.
According to the directive of the council, the mayor has been given permission to spend up to $6.1 MILLION in an effort to acquire the property from the developer. And if necessary, use the power of eminent domain to force owner Vista del Norte Development, LLC to sell the property to the city.
"The resolution gives the mayor the authority to negotiate with the property owner or to condemn the land." (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required)The move by the council is being hailed by representatives of Vista del Norte as they see this as the solution to their problems. In reality, this is just the beginning of all of our problems.
"...the property, which is owned by Vista del Norte Development LLC., a subsidiary of Sundt Corp., an Arizona-based development company. Sundt officials have said they have a contract with Wal-Mart which Sundt intends to honor."So according to the Journal the developer has already executed a contract with Wal-Mart to sell the property. Wal-Mart has been working on the development for a year and a half or so, and has spent a whole lot of money on everything from multiple sets of plans to public relations. Now here comes Marty and the council ready to make the Osuna purchase.
Why? It wasn't the complaints of the neighborhood. It was the sudden discovery by Balloon Fiesta officials that they needed the property to land on during the yearly fiesta. What?! After all this time, after all this publicity, the Balloon Fiesta discovers that it needs the property?! What's even worse, the council bites, hook, line, sinker, and fishing pole!
The city and the council regularly do some pretty stupid things, but this one is a doosy! If you believe the council, they are willing to purchase the Osuna Wal-Mart site for the simple reason that as many as half of the balloons that take off at Balloon Fiesta Park may land on the 22 acre site, during an event that lasts for 11 days out of each year. Of course that assumes that the wind carries them directly south every day and they decide to land on the site rather than float on by.
Best case, the council is willing to put the city in a fight for a piece of property that is properly zoned for the Wal-Mart use, that is under contract to Wal-Mart, and against an opponent who has already spent thousands of dollars in development costs, in order to use it for the Balloon Fiesta 11 days a year. We can't even begin to figure out how much this is going to cost per landing, particularly after you figure in the court costs that are sure to accompany any attempt to condemn the site.
(Sidebar)The council was simply looking for an excuse to stop the Wal-Mart development. Something that would give them cover with developers and the public. When the folks over at the Balloon Fiesta floated the idea that they needed a landing site they just couldn't help themselves. No one could argue against the Balloon Fiesta... could they?
The Balloon Fiesta has been good for the city of Albuquerque. But we've now reached the point where anything that is good for the Fiesta is assumed to be good for Albuquerque. That's dangerous and flat out wrong. Look no further than the idiotic and hypocritical reflecting pool if you need an example of the blank check and lack of critical thinking surrounding the Balloon Fiesta.
(End Sidebar)
We can and we do. The Osuna purchase is at best, a waste of tax payer dollars. At the worst, it will end up being yet another money pit and an abuse of governmental power.
Mar 22, 2007
Keeping the Hamsters Running On Time
You've gotta love this city... when your streets need clearing due to record snows it could take a week or more. When they promise to repeal the extension of the transportation tax it could take 4 months. But when the Petco Rodent Races (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required) are canceled due to the idiocy of the HEART ordinance... the city acts with blinding speed (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required).
Seems that if we have an issue of real urgency on the table (or on the track as the case may be) the Mayor can act with astonishing speed. Thus the Petco hamster race is a go... and we can all rest easier knowing that city will be keeping the hamsters running on time.
By the way... we're concerned about Dukes, the Mayor's constant companion during the 2005 election. We haven't seen nor heard from the 1st dog in quite a while.
Seems that if we have an issue of real urgency on the table (or on the track as the case may be) the Mayor can act with astonishing speed. Thus the Petco hamster race is a go... and we can all rest easier knowing that city will be keeping the hamsters running on time.
By the way... we're concerned about Dukes, the Mayor's constant companion during the 2005 election. We haven't seen nor heard from the 1st dog in quite a while.
Feb 27, 2007
Of Trolleys, Arenas, and Pandas
It seems that everyday there's another headline in the Journal about how the Mayor's going to spend our money. One day it's a trolley, another a 16,000 seat downtown arena, and today a cute and cuddly rented panda. (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required)
We understand that these are all capital projects but it's still our hard earned money. Plus, each one of these projects will require money to operate, because they cannot be self-sufficient. The panda alone will cost at least $890,000 a year to maintain (possibly more like $1.3 Million a year), not to mention a $1.2 Million habitat that may be empty after just 2 years. This is yet another example of "How NOT to Plan for a Budget Shortfall." Blogger Mario Burgos shows you another one here. (Thanks for the Hat Tip)
In today's article BioPark Director Ray Darnell said, "The mayor is realistic. He doesn't want to pursue this forever..." Why are we pursuing this at all?
We understand that these are all capital projects but it's still our hard earned money. Plus, each one of these projects will require money to operate, because they cannot be self-sufficient. The panda alone will cost at least $890,000 a year to maintain (possibly more like $1.3 Million a year), not to mention a $1.2 Million habitat that may be empty after just 2 years. This is yet another example of "How NOT to Plan for a Budget Shortfall." Blogger Mario Burgos shows you another one here. (Thanks for the Hat Tip)
In today's article BioPark Director Ray Darnell said, "The mayor is realistic. He doesn't want to pursue this forever..." Why are we pursuing this at all?
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