Chávez Says ABQ Crime Rate "Unacceptably" High

On a hot summer day in Albuquerque the 2009 City Election is beginning to heat up. Mayor Martin J. Chávez announced at the Taylor Ranch Community Center today that he's joining a three-way race for the city's top elected office. He wants voters to give him an unprecedented fourth term and third straight.

Chávez told 770KKOB he's been an "activist mayor" and that his record demonstrates his vision of the future for the city. But, that record is under attack by two challengers, former New Mexico Senate President Pro-Tem Richard Romero, and current State Representative and local business owner Richard "RJ" Berry.

On Friday, the mayor said he believes crime is "unacceptably high," but public safety will continue to be his number one priority if he's re-elected October 6th.

Last week, Chávez announced that he's directed Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz to add another 100 police officers to the force, but Romero says that while he supports getting more cops on the street it smells like election year politics. Romero says only 42% of the city's current police officers work on the street.



Both Romero and Berry have said they're frustrated with the nearly 9% increase in property crimes year over year. Romero told reporters on Thursday that if he's elected he will replace Schultz.

According to FBI statistics released recently, property crime in Albuquerque has increased from 29,293 reports in 2007, to 31,907 in 2008, a nine percent increase in one year.

Mayoral Candidate Richard RJ Berry's Burned Out Truck
Was Recovered in the East Mountains

Berry proposed his own crime fighting plan after Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies recovered his stolen truck. On May 23rd he said:

We are in need of new solutions and new commitments if we are going to reduce property crime in Albuquerque. This is a quality of life issue. We need a Mayor who will take this head on and get results.

El Paso, whose population exceeds Albuquerque's by approximately 90,000 people, reported only 19,702 property crimes in 2008, or nearly 12,000 less crimes. And in Denver, a city with a population that exceeds Albuquerque's by approximately 70,000, the city saw a decreasing rate of property crime and reported only 19,316 crimes in 2008, once again far less than Albuquerque.

While the mayor prepares to announce in Taylor Ranch on Sunday afternoon, Romero is organizing around 100 volunteers to knock on doors.

While campaign election signs can't be planted in front yards, street corners, or on billboards until August 7th the election campaign has been underway for months and months. The mayor has already received several union endorsements including one from the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Council 18. But as Marjorie Childress reported Local 624, the bluecollar workers, are not happy with the selection. They say AFSCME's endorsement doesn't represent their views.

All three candidates received public financing on April 1st. The first financial disclosure statements will be filed on Thursday, July 17th. The City Clerk, Randy Autio will draw the candidate's ballot position on Thursday, August 13th at 5:01pm.

Residents who want to vote in the city election have to register with the Bernalillo County Clerk's office by September 8th. The City of Albuquerque has posted all election deadline dates here.

Incumbent Mayor Gets AFSCME Endorsement

Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chavez, who has qualified for the ballot and public financing, but has not officially announced that he's running for a 4th term this fall, has picked up an important and powerful endorsement from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which represents 3500 city workers.

Read the endorsement here.

Chavez, who declined to participate in the union's mayoral forum last month, has said he plans to announce his re-election plans within "weeks."

New Mexico Independent's Heath Haussaman and Joe Monahan broke the story here and here that AFSCME's decision was made by union members on Wednesday night.

Council President and PEOPLE Committee chair Andrew Padilla said:

Mayor Chavez is in a very strong position to be re-elected and we look forward to a good working relationship over the next four years with the Mayor and his administration.

Richard Romero and RJ Berry are also on the ballot. Yesterday, Romero went on the offense at a news conference calling Chavez "fiscally irresponsible." Marjorie Childress reports here that a Chavez spokesperson is defending his record and the city's bond rating. We have audio from Romero's news conference, with former City Treasurer Lou Hoffman, and a response from Deborah James (Chavez spokesperson). Both audio interviews will be posted this weekend.

Governor Opens Schott Solar - A Green Economy Initiative.

Updated 6:11pm (5/11/2009)

On Monday, a little more than a year after breaking ground at Mesa Del Sol, Schott Solar Manufacturing celebrated the company's grand opening. The state-of-the-art facility represents an initial investment of over $100 million in the Albuquerque area and the creation of 300 new jobs, growing to 350 by year’s end and to eventually as many as 1,500.

Governor Bill Richardson was there with a shovel to break ground and returned this morning for the opening of the company's flagship manufacturing site in the United States.

When I became Governor, I pledged that my administration would focus on developing new economic opportunities and aggressively recruiting high-tech, high-wage jobs to New Mexico.

Green collar jobs was just a buzz-word last year during the ground breaking ceremony, but has become a priority for the governor and the state's all blue congressional delegation.

Freshman congressman Martin Heinrich (D-NM1) also attended Schott's opening.

Today is symbolic of New Mexico’s growing appetite for innovative economic development. I welcome SCHOTT Solar to the First Congressional District. Its presence illustrates the potential we have to create clean energy jobs right here in Albuquerque and to lead the way nationally in alternative energy.

Watch Heinrich in his YouTube Channel video here.




The Schott opening follows a weekend environmental town hall meeting at UNM where about 100 conservationists, government officials and concerned citizens gathered at Central New Mexico Community College’s Smith-Brasher to discuss clean energy and the economy. Matt Reichbach at NMI has the details on the clean energy town hall meeting here.

At the opening this morning Governor Richardson added:

This SCHOTT Solar facility is one of our biggest successes. It is one of the most significant economic development projects in recent state history and is a tremendous boost to our fast-growing clean energy industry.

The governor has been talking about investing in companies that create green collar jobs for a couple of years. In March, Marjorie Childress with NMI reported that solar energy and green collar jobs were the big winners in the 2009 legislature. Read her report here.

More from a Schott company news release:

The new 200,000 square foot manufacturing plant will be one of SCHOTT Solar’s largest operations in the United States and will be the world’s first facility to produce both utility-scale solar photovoltaic modules and receiver tubes for concentrated solar plants.

SCHOTT is one of the largest solar equipment manufacturers in the world and operates in 41 countries with 16,800 employees worldwide. The company has been in operation for more than 120 years.

“Today is an extremely proud day for SCHOTT,” Dr. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of SCHOTT’s Board of Management, said. “With the inauguration of this facility, SCHOTT Solar is further demonstrating the company’s position as a global player in solar technology and our ongoing commitment to developing the North American market through strategic investment.”

Anticipating the need to increase production of its solar power technologies as the market for renewable energy in the United States grows; SCHOTT’s new site is designed to support expansion of both its photovoltaic module and solar receiver lines. Long term plans call for the building to expand to 800,000 square feet with employment reaching 1,500 at full production, representing a total investment of $500 million.

"This inauguration represents the cornerstone of the Governor's green economy initiative,” said Fred Mondragon, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “The fact that Schott Solar, a world leader in solar photovoltaics, has chosen to locate in New Mexico speaks volumes about our commitment to renewable energy and the future."

Governor Flip Flops on Double Dipping!

On Friday, Gov. Bill Richardson changed his mind and vetoed a bill aimed to place more stringent restrictions on "double dippers." The issue has been in the spotlight ever since a local TV reporter chronicled several state workers who had "faked" their retirement and still collecting both a salary and pension.

The governor is allowed to change his mind, but on a windy afternoon in late February, Richardson told me personally he was going to sign legislation that would have curtailed the practice.

He said the double dipping was being abused and it needed to be restricted.

Richardson agreed it hurts the morale of many state employees "we're trying to move up" the ladder in state government.

Listen to our short one-minute conversation where the Governor promised to "sign it."



New Mexico Independent reporter Marjorie Childress wrote here that Richardson believes the system is generally “fair and efficient,” but that he does share concerns that it’s being abused.


Richardson said:

While in general this system is both fair and efficient — and provides for an experienced talent pool from which public agencies can hire skilled management and technical employees — in a few high profile, high salary cases there has been a perception in some quarters that this system has been abused. Frankly, I share that concern.

HB 616 was State Representative Lucky Varela. It would have required state workers to wait at least 365 days before being rehired. Their new salaries would have been capped at $35,000.

Earlier this week the Governor received a letter from NM Attorney General Gary King saying parts of the bill sent to the 4th floor for the Governor's signature could be unconstitutional.

Earlier this week, the Governor told me that he was measuring the public sentient and had polled state workers on their view of the proposed law. He also wanted to determine the fiscal impact of the contentious bill before making today's decision.