El Prado Power Brokers

How the Tail Wags the Dog.

Caveat:

Storage levels of the sacred substance in the famous Lake Mead reservoir, behind Hoover Dam near Las Vegas, have dropped dangerously low. Consequently, cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles as well as urbs in Arizona are likely to send out a “call” for more water to be delivered by the Colorado River. Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah may be forced to pony up due to “the compact.”

When the above occurs, San Juan –Chama water diverted from the Colorado for the Rio Grande may slow to a trickle. Then municipalities along the Rio Grande—including El Paso, Texas will be looking at the water sheds in Taos County—the New Mexico headwaters of the long and winding river. The current gubernatorial campaign in New Mexico focuses on the future of water as life giving sustenance and spiritual access to the holy land of the beyond.

From Las Vegas, Nev. comes Pat Mulroy, the agua bruja and general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District. She wants more H2O from our northern neighbors. From El Paso, we have the prosecutor, La Tejana Susana, who represents the Lone Star State’s cotton industry.  Here in Taos County we have La Bruja Trudy, who sticks up for local parciantes.

Soon veterans of the civil water wars will be meeting to discuss Taos County’s Public Welfare Statement of the county water plan: Our defense. One of the committee members, local Attorney Simeon Herskovits, has become a legend in the Silver State—Nevada—by beating back the Vegas Water witch, Pat Mulroy of the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Thanks to Herskovits, who travels back and forth like a modern-day Kit Carson–the water grab for the water rights belonging to farmers and creatures in the central Nevada and Utah border region has been temporarily stalled in a David v. Goliath victory.

But the City that never sleeps, guided by an atavistic graduate of “Chinatown” i.e. Mulroy is coming at us from the north just as La Tejana Susana is coming from the south. They want to take your shovels and will permanently open up your acequia head gates if they have their way.

Among us in Taos are dissidents named Martinez, Pacheco, Cordova, and others who support La Tejana. We are engaged in a version of the Blue-Gray battle fought in Glorieta as primo v. primo fights for the fate of El Norte. Pray for us St. Jude.

El Prado Water and Sewer District

Few, except former Horse Fly readers and current students of el friction understand how members of a small water and sanitation district in Taos County i.e. El Prado Water and Sewer, have parlayed local relationships into county, state, and national effect—becoming major players in water policy. The characters mentioned below have convoluted relationships affecting the $150 million Taos Pueblo-Abeyta Water Settlement, higher property taxes (due to TMS) in the county, increased Coop electricity rates, control of town government and the Taos County Democratic Party—not to mention stimulating the rise in the birth rate, calculated to create decades of descendants to the manor born and bred—a power base based on controlling water resources from Taos Pueblo to the Town of Taos, north to Questa and South to Penasco.

The Beginning

Our story begins with P&G of El Prado W&S before Eeee-Fernando joined the board. Then, Painter and Gonzales (Mr. P & G) oversaw the expansion the water and sewer district, much to the chagrin of Taos Pueblo (TP), who agreed to be sued in the Abeyta lawsuit by parciantes and muni water users in an effort to retain the sacred Blue Lake. Recently, Mr. P&G and their cohorts allegedly got even with TP by poisoning the sacred fish in Rio Lucero, according to news reports.

By successfully lobbying for dough from La Trudy’s Water Trust Board and other legislative helpers, El Prado managed to buy water rights up north near Sunshine Valley and expand but without expanding service to piss and shit customers—unlike El Valle de los Ranchos. While scooping up water rights and going deeply into debt—estimated at more than $22 million–the W&S District has operated efficiently and quietly without much oversight—until recently.

The Rise of Eeee-Fernando

The aspiring Eeee-Fernando (“We’ve got to cheat to win”) Miera, who installed Thomas “Chuby” Tafoya as the new Demo boss–thanks in part to Arsenio Cordova’s school-board race that ignited a controversial ethnic battle between incumbent demo chief Billy Knight and the Tafoya-Duran clan. The latter supported Cordova, then focused attention on James Duran’s grandson and the Mayor’s grand nephew, Young Tafoya. Then, Chuby, representing La Gente, ran and won the Demo party boss job, thanks to Miera’s machinations.

Buoyed by success and ambition, Miera turned his attention to the Town Council–got his light ‘o love elected council woman and his son, Daniel appointed as Town Manager. (She subsequently dumped the cad we’re told but mission accomplished.)

Eeee-Fernando Miera’s father is none other than ageless Jose Lauriano Silva, known affectionately as “the father of us all” and patriarch of El Prado. Silva, the reputed poker buddy of retired politicos like Mayor Bobby Duran and Senator C.B. Trujillo–despite having lived nearly ten decades, is youthful and spry. He’s a man among men, according to his energetic output.

(We don’t know if Jose Larry drinks El Prado water or whiskey and branch but everyone wants a taste.)

A true sign of Eeee-Fernando’s success can be seen in his elevation to the board of the powerful El Prado Water and Sanitation District, thus becoming the E in PG&E. Where John Painter serves as a boutique buffalo herder and Tele Gonzales administers medicinal liquids to a cross section of Taosenos at the liquor store, Fernando is paving the way for kith and kin as real estate and shopping mall baron–at the El Prado—Taos Pueblo—Town of Taos crossroads.

Los Hermanos

El Prado nativo Republican Arsenio Cordova, a retiree from the state’s Human Services Dept.–food stamps for hippies–teaches Southwestern History, and serves notoriously on the Taos Municipal Schools board. His brother Francis, a Democrat, retired National Guard Sergeant of 35 years, is a member of the KCEC board of trustees. While the brothers rarely talk to each othere, both recently voted to raise the price of life in Taos. Arsenio participated in the TMS “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rise in property taxes. Francis voted among the majority 9–2 of KCEC trustees to raise electricity rates–after giving the CEO a hefty raise.

Apparently Los Hermanos communicate via ESP or according to the cultural prerogatives of the El Prado power and water policy wonks. The W&S district has raised GRT, water rates, and now its debt, we assume, by purchasing the historic Cardenas family property i.e. El Torreon in El Prado adjacent to Indian Land. We members of the W&S District don’t know why they bought the place because PG&E hasn’t told us. Perhaps Taos Pueblo wants to build a casino next door.

Disclaimer

Jose Larry (mentioned above) has sold me used pick-ups, all guaranteed, all still working. You might question his unconventional relationships but not his professional dealings. Brother Francis and I have known each other since we used to practice riot control drill at the old old Armory on Civic Plaza Drive in the 60s. Brother Arsenio and I occasionally smoke a cigarette outside the El Prado Barber Shop while discussing NM history and the lack of education provided by TMS.

But as the Disappeared Barber says, “I may be in the federal protection program but nobody protects me from Los Primos in El Prado. The cost of doing business increases even as the sound of laughter rises from the chair.” He paused. “I wish Arsenio and Francis would flog each other instead of the community. At least Gene dropped the GRT increase. Jeff should picket El Prado. The Town is a sideshow. According to Flavio  Primo Paul says Primo Erminio y La Tejana are coming. Notice my Denish-Colon sign.” Clip clip. Clip clip. “This ain’t a clip joint like the Coop.”