RECIPE FOR DESPICABLE

 While the soon to be departed Mayor of Albuquerque, RJ Berry, is going around collecting money for his campaign from out of city voters, a recent article caught our Eye.

 

We know the list is almost endless as to what's gone wrong since Berry became mayor, but it's worth repeating: we've lost more jobs (3,900) proportionally than any other city in the country, we have fewer people employed now than when Berry took office in December 2009, APD is under DOJ investigation, the person responsible for APD's demise is being allowed to walk away with a fat 90% of gross income pension, real estate prices have yet to recover to their pre-2009 prices, crime rate is higher than ever before, more people are leaving Albuquerque than moving in, cover up after cover up plagues the city in gross disparity compared to other cities, APD's issues continue to bewilder even the most honest fan--low staffing, increased expenses, bottomless morale, and expensive hi-price toys being run by people with little or no law enforcement experience, and the list goes on.

 

With the city in such a disastrous state, why would anybody want to invest money here? Obviously they wouldn't. And in fact that little bit of information was buried in yesterday's Albuquerque Journal. You see venture capital is at an all-time low and has continued it's slide into non-existence since, you guessed it, Berry's election. (READ IT HERE)  Folks, you can't make this stuff up.  These are facts and all have verifiable sources to prove these facts.

What is venture capital? In basic terms it's simply money private people or investment groups invest in private companies to get them off the ground. It's a reflection of the optimism in a given economy. People invest their money with the expectation of a return and here in Albuquerque, it seems there is NO HOPE for a return thanks to the policies of RJ Berry. No seed money, no growth. It's that simple.

 

And while we have Berry to thank for implementing his failed policies, we have the cast of official and unofficial advisers surrounding him. It is much as their advise as Berry's implementation that have brought this city to it's knees. So a vote for Berry is a vote for the despicable. 

RECIPE FOR DESPICABLE

 

RJ Berry, Rob Perry, Kathy Levy, Paul Kennedy, Tito Madrid, David Tourek, Jay McCleskey, Sherman McCorkle, Susana Martinez, Allen Weh, Darren White, TJ Wilham, Allen Banks, Heather Wilson, and of course Ray Schultz.

Here is the big question: is this a recipe for cooks or crooks?  We all know the real answer...

Berry Shows Contempt and Disrespect to the Deceased, Victims and Families

Albuquerque's Mayor Berry via his chummy buddy, Sheman McCorkle, are holding a $1,000.00 (one thousand dollar) a plate benefit for Berry's re-election campaign.  This is disgusting enough as it is when most citizen's of Albuquerque do not clear that much in a month.  7,000 people show up at Target for 200 jobs dressed in their Sunday best and Berry holds a $1,000.00 a plate benefit for himself?  As bad as this is here is the real problem; Berry is holding a selfish benefit at the scene of one of Albuquerque's worst and most terrifying crime scene locations in Albuquerque's recent history.  Also, what about other victims and victims' families in other shootings?

Emcore was the scene of a deranged mans rage on his estranged partner and all who got in his way of committing his violent acts.  Why would Albuquerque's Mayor Berry hold a selfish benefit at the scene of such a tragic and horrific scene?  This shows disrespect and contempt for the deceased, the victims and their families.  This also is a slap in the face to the employees who work at Emcore.

For those of you asking who is Sherman McCorkle, this is the man who wrote into the Albuquerque Journal claiming he did not know Berry but praised Berry as Mayor.  The Eye broke this story and the truth  (Read it HERE).

Everyone knows there are the "haves and the have nots," why does Berry feel it is necessary to rub it in everyone face?  What is with this elitist, arrogant and fascism attitude?  There is politics and then there is dirty politics...You all know which one this is...

_____________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

March 25, 2013

TO:                         All Media Organizations

RE:                          Mayor RJ Berry’s $1,000/plate fundraiser at Emcore violent mass crime scene

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

On the morning of Monday July 12^th, 2010, the depraved actions of Robert Reza made national news when he perpetrated a shooting spree here in Albuquerque at Emcore, Inc. Leaving two people dead, injuring four others, and firing over 25 rounds, Reza targeted people inside and outside the company’s building located near the city’s busy airport. Dozens of current and former Emcore employees continue to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder issues because of the terror and horror they witnessed that morning. Because of the valiant efforts by city, county and state police officers and Emcore employees, many other people were kept from further harm.

Now, Albuquerque’s current Mayor R.J. Berry seeks to raise money for his campaign off of the Emcore tragedy. Even more disturbing, Berry finds it acceptable to hold his $1,000/plate fundraiser at the very location of one of Albuquerque’s worst and most horrific crime scene.

“I understand that all is fair in war and politics; but this really is disgusting. This is a new low,” comments Paul Heh, Berry’s fellow Republican challenger. “What’s next? Is he going to have another fundraiser at the offices of DOJ? Or how about having a fundraiser with all those citizens looking for work and line up by the hundreds for two jobs? Imagine if a candidate held a fundraiser for themselves at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut?”

Heh adds, “This is just another example of how out of touch Mayor Berry is with the community. Not only does fail to see how inappropriate it is for a sitting mayor to bootstrap his campaign off of the tragedy of all those victims, but he flaunts his insensitivity and arrogance with a fundraiser for $1,000 bucks a plate.”

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Here is a final thought: A person who cannot respect themselves little alone the dead cannot respect you...
 

RIVER OF DENIAL

As states and cities in those neighboring states move forward with economic growth, here in Albuquerque we are stuck in a period of denial. We have a city administration in denial about its failures and a print media that seems to endorse the mayor's incompetence by it's silence. A silence and noticeable absence of criticism it makes one wonder if there isn't something else in play....

Well, we'll get to that story in a few days. But the city recently released it's 2012 financial statement. Since this document is presented to financial types and not general citizens it is full of actual facts and figures. Gone from it are the rosy wishful pictures that the Berry Administration presents in the Albuquerque Progress Report. In the financial statement we see the hard numbers from years past and the current year.

A few weeks ago, KOB-4 ran a story that reported not only is the city losing jobs, but people are moving away from the city in record numbers (READ IT HERE). People are actually moving to that mess known as Washington DC in lieu of Albuquerque! They're moving to Nevada as well!

Well now, despite that fact that other cities who were hit MUCH harder in the 2008 recession are now thriving, Albuquerque is still in the doldrums. As the image here presents, permits for new construction are still going down. In fact they are almost half of what they were in 2008 and not even double of what they were in 2009. Comparing these numbers to years earlier you can see that Albuquerque as a city has virtually ground to a halt in terms of growth during Berry's term.

What is so shocking is that despite the best weather in the Country, an amazing landscape rich in history and culture, and convenient access to anywhere, Albuquerque continues to stagnate. Even Santa Fe is doing well and has seen progress that out paces Albuquerque.

There is only one problem keeping Albuquerque from moving forward: RJ Berry. Between his inability to exemplify true leadership with his city, his employees, and his department directors and the endless fiasco that is APD and Ray Schultz people are weary and see little hope for progress.

Without hope for the future, why bother investing for it today? Maybe the Sherman McCorkles, Jay McCleskeys, and Darren Whites can answer that for their failed mayor. While they are busy worrying about fringe Republican agendas (here's a hint fellas, not only does it not work, but it's antiAmerican) they are missing the very things that matter most to people: the future.

Big Dollar Republican Attempts Charade

As one of Albuquerque’s most high profile and flamboyant venture capitalists, Sherman McCorkle has made himself a wealthy man off the government funded civilian operated enterprises. In Mr. McCorkle’s recent Op-Ed piece in the Albuquerque Journal, he revealed his and his version of the NM Republican Party’s true agenda: more wealth creation for few at the expense of others.

Why do we at the Eye say this? Let’s begin with the AJ’s obvious bias…  In the paper Mr. McCorkle’s column is listed as a letter to the editor and he is identified as a mere Albuquerque resident. Why would the paper want to conceal Mr. McCorkle’s involvement, positions, and leadership with such organizations as: Technology Ventures Corporation (http://techventures.org/), Sandia Science & Technology Park (http://www.sstp.org/), NM Angels (http://www.nmangels.com), and was a board member of Sunwest bank, and New Mexico Bank & Trust. But yet the AJ played down his standing in the community? Hmmmm………..
Despite Mr. McCorkle’s business success he is woefully uninformed at best, or lying at worst when it comes to his statements about Albuquerque Mayor RJ Berry and APD Chief of Police Ray Schultz:

1.       APD’s Organized Crime Unit did not receive “the most prestigious award” in law enforcement. A niche award was bestowed upon them by the IACP. And ironically, no detectives were brought to San Diego to accept the award by APD’s fearless leader, in fact it was Ray Schultz and a civilian named Karen who accepted it.

2.       The city’s crime rate has not dropped under Berry. In fact the Albuquerque Journal itself reported that the crime rate has increased as evidenced by FBI statistics.

3.       Mr. McCorkle highlights elements of the The Albuquerque Progress Report while omitting the huge concerns such as Albuquerque’s lowest standing in violent crimes per capita, job growth, disparity in income, and Forbes and other national periodicals have ranked Albuquerque as one of the WORST places to do business.

4.       That under RJ Berry, the police department is in total disarray: from the departure of Darren White, to criminal conduct by supervisors and department leaders, to ineptitude by its own chief of police.

5.       And last, but not least, the management of APD by RJ Berry, Ray Schultz, and Rob Perry is so poor, that a national investigation of the highest order is under way by the United States Department of Justice into APD’s patterns and practices.

Mr. McCorkle closes his editorial by saying “I, for one, appreciate the efforts of APD, Chief Schultz and Mayor Berry.” To which we at the Eye ask, Mr. McCorkle, is APD and the City of Albuquerque really the type of institution you would put your own money in? Would you counsel investors to invest in a corporation that has leaders like this? Would you risk your own children’s future with people like this? Our advise for you is to go back to driving your fancy cars and the things that you are informed about. Your positions as reflected, and endorsed in the paper are in conflict with reality.

 

BELOW IS AN UPDATE 12/20/2012