Uncategorized
Gov. Bill Richardson tries to give the media the slip — says he’ll take questions but doesn’t say much
Gov. Bill Richardson tried to give the press the slip Wednesday when it became apparent some potentially uncomfortable questions were headed his way.
The story is a little convoluted, so I’ll hit the highlights: the governor makes promises at the day’s first stop to take questions at the day’s second stop, which takes place in an [...]
Pay-to-play in the Land of Enchantment?
Whatever the consequences for Gov. Bill Richardson personally, his withdrawal from the commerce secretary post raises serious questions about how business is done in New Mexico. It’s not the first time that the shadow of corruption has hung over the state, but this story has the potential to be the most damaging because it could involve not just him, but people who worked for Richardson as well.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES: All Richardson, all the time
For those of you who didn’t turn on the computer, television, or radio, or who didn’t have friends texting you left and right, yesterday–the big news is that Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his name as Commerce Secretary designate. He will no longer be going to Washington.
You can read about it here on NMI, where Trip [...]
LULAC says Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez should be a contender for commerce secretary
National Latino leaders say Obama should appoint another Latino as Commerce Secretary in order to keep three Latinos in the Cabinet. And Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez is on their shortlist of potential contenders.
Richardson fallout begins to take shape
Gov. Bill Richardson’s withdrawal as U.S. commerce secretary-designate is more than a one-day story. It’s a game changer for New Mexico politics. To better flesh out the immediate impact, NMI talked with both a prominent local pollster and a University of New Mexico political scientist.
Richardson hoped to be cleared quickly
The Obama transition team knew about the federal investigation that ended up derailing Gov. Bill Richardson’s nomination Sunday as U.S. Commerce Secretary. But Richardson was hoping for a faster-paced inquiry that would clear his name in time for confirmation hearings, his spokesman told the Independent on Sunday.
Economic giants Boyle and Jones had big impact on New Mexico
In a recent story about the concept of a tax expenditure budget, I quoted a local economist who made a point of saying that New Mexico’s tax code was written by Franklin Jones and Gerry Boyle. Both men had a very significant impact on economists and finance experts in the state.
ABQ, Las Cruces get state’s first-ever ‘infill’ tax districts
Two new development districts have been created to subsidize developments at Albuquerque’s Winrock mall location and in downtown Las Cruces — the first such districts created in city centers. But how much the move will cost the state remains unclear.
TODAY’S BLOG ROUNDUP: Dirty pork… and dirty old men
Over at Only in New Mexico, former Albuquerque mayor Jim Baca comments today about the environmental review process that all of the Obama-funded stimulus projects will need to go through. Responding to the possibility that the environmental review may take up to two years, Ed Adams, the city’s chief administrative officer told the Journal this [...]
CDR Financial on New Mexico contracts and ties to the guv: ‘This isn’t Nigeria’
Just in case you missed it, the New York Times reported last week on Gov. Bill Richardson’s potential problem getting confirmed as commerce secretary, given the federal investigation of CDR Financial Products Inc.’s ability to gain lucrative contracts with the state at the same time it was giving extremely large donations to political action committees [...]