I now literally live on the border of Albuquerque in Rio Rancho, NM so I cannot vote in next Tuesday October 3 elections there. Tim Keller is running for Mayor of Albuquerque. He was the State Auditor before deciding to run for mayor of a city that represents nearly half the population of the State. Keller is a Berniecrat in some ways, and has the intelligence, passion and drive to be a successful mayor of a town that remains poised for true growth, but has missed many opportunities. Here is his platform for any ABQ'ers who have not yet voted and who may know people in ABQ.
The local newspaper, the Albuquerque Journal, is deathly afraid of Mr. Keller, who holds a lead at around 25-30% of voter support in an eight person race. The next person in the polling is about 8-10 points behind. The Journal did a horrible thing last Sunday and did a double endorsement, the Republican Dan Lewis and a truly corporate Democrat with an ethnic face. The intent was to unite the Republicans and divide the Democrats with a hope that the Republican Dan Lewis will finish second. It was truly disgusting in its calculated cynicism.
The Journal has also been leading the banshee, hysterical cries against the proposed sick pay ordinance, as if it portends the end of growing businesses as we know it in the area. I have long heard such cries in the past in the Greatest State in the Union, and funny, but California went from a status of the 8th largest economy in 2011 to tied for 5th or solely in 6th place among world economies since then. Growth and success depend far more on government involvement in developing and maintaining infrastructure and education than these relatively marginal rules--which nonetheless very importantly provide decent protections to the most economically vulnerable.
Overall, despite the fact that the Albuquerque Journal's politics are sorta rancid and cynical, it is, interestingly enough, a fine newspaper with regard to the level of local, state and national reporting, its arts section and its business section. It is far superior to, say, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the usually-justly-criticized-for-a-rancid-editorial-page Orange County Register. The Journal is not close to the Los Angeles Times in terms of degree of national coverage, but it is close enough for a favorable mention and comparison. I am therefore most impressed with the newspaper from those very important standpoints. I just have to learn to translate when reading its editorials. They did, however, publish an edited version of my letter to the editor last Tuesday on the subject of the sick pay ordinance, so I guess I have to give the editorial staff that, at least....:)
Right now, I can say that I support Tim Keller for Mayor of Albuquerque and Jeff Apodaca for Governor of New Mexico. Jeff's understanding of the need to use the State's ridiculously high "rainy day" fund to fund local businesses and solar/wind energy development, and to provide year round pre-school to every child in the State is remarkably visionary for a mainstream candidate. His bio (scroll down) shows his political pedigree (his Dad was governor of the State in the 1970s), briefly mentions his teen-years cancer and his business experience, which make an interesting personal story. His Dad is Latino and his Mom Anglo for those who care about such things. What I find compelling is Apodoca's detailed knowledge of the types of businesses in the State and where they stand in the global economy, and his earnest vision for the development of the State through investments in people as part of a support for business development. He speaks with a compassion born of personal pain, sorta like RFK was when he ran in 1968. The main Democratic Party candidate opposed to him, and who, by the way, is sweeping up national endorsements and state endorsements, is another corporate Democrat with a female ethnic face. It is not she is horrible. She has been a decent to good Congressperson. It is just that I watch this and I think of a recent national Democratic Party candidate who failed to excite the base. Listen to her rhetoric and the lack of specifics for the State, the accent on "I" and appeal to the "personal." Apodaca is about policy and commitment to the State as a governor. Watch this video of a stump speech Apodaca recently made and if you wish, go into about 5 or 6 minutes in as he begins to unveil the vision. His powerpoint showing the various businesses and where they are at, where they need to be, and how to use government to get to a higher level of success, is, again, remarkable. I can't find a similar stump speech from his main opponent because she is working back rooms more than anything else, which is her prerogative under the circumstances.
I think Keller will win but need a runoff against the Republican opponent and likely defeat that Republican opponent too. I think Jeff Apodaca has a steep hill to climb, but unlike Bernie, he has money and better name recognition as the race will heat up after the ABQ election is decided. Keller and Apodaca will make fine complements to the two great New Mexico U.S. Senators, Heinrich and Udall, and to the many Democratic Congresspeople starting with my own representative, Ben Ray Lujan. New Mexico is, again, a state poised for greatness and one hopes it will elect more people with vision to take the State to economic development and cultural development that reflects the best hopes of its diverse population, from Native Americans to Latinos to African-Americans and us Anglos.
