Thanks for posting about this, Marjorie. I almost choked on my breakfast when I read that story in the Journal this morning. I still feel miffed when I think of how much money Chavez raised for his mayoral race last time. A million-plus bucks in a state as poor as this one? And all that money coming from engineers, construction companies and real estate developers? c'mon!
The irony of Marty calling for an Ethical Public Service Act is pretty astounding. As so many of us know, Marty is at the center of countless unethical deals that are literally shaping the ground in Albuquerque as we read this, largely for the worse. The Schiff issue is classic Marty insider dirty politics. The notion that to get anything done you have to have Marty's approval - and not just that, go directly to him or through his pet office, the Department of Municipal Development - is so pervasive that getting our heads around the good work that cannot be done for the City under a Marty administration is mind-blowing. Luckily the City Council has offered another alternative - at least with some planning measures - but the scope of work that can be done that way is so small in comparison. It's worth something that we've started to see a tide turning against the man and his methods. I think streetcar was an example of a worthy project that was tainted because Marty was pushing for it and using his tried-and-true methods to try and make it happen. While I hate that ABQ still lags behind other comparable cities - and will continue to - bc it lacks transit is a real shame. The fact that much of the reason for that rests with displeasure at "Feudal Prince Marty Chavez," as Scot Key always hilariously puts it, at least gives me hope for what can come next.
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