Taos: The Dog Days of Politics

Whether it’s due to global warming or a change in the astro cycles, the “Dog Days of Summer” have arrived early. Forest fires and floods affect different parts of the nation. The world at large seems crazy as Arab freedom fighters and American drones exploit ancient tribal divisions in the name of religion or was it oil? At home the Obama administration spies on the citizens and investigates whistle blowers as excuse to slam the door on transparency.

Local pols tend to emulate the example of the Washingtonians: The elites want all the money and power but do little in the way of governing. Twas always thus.

Los Nortenos rallied at the House of Healy on Thursday to raise money for Hector Balderas, senatorial candidate from Wagon Mound and current state auditor. His opponent, Martin Heinrich is blowing smoke for Corporate America, advocating reduced tax rates. We’re all for reducing expenditures during a time of reduced income streams but you can’t balance the budget if you don’t raise taxes on the rich who benefited from a decade of plutocratic breaks.

The primary is next June but vacation time is over. Hector’s running hard.

Here in Taos County, the ink ain’t even dry on Gov. Susana Martinez’s proclamation appointing Sara Backus and Andria Cooper to vacant judgeships in the eighth judicial district. Sara will be sworn in Monday and goes to work, according to a district court spokesperson. He also said some sort of doings were scheduled for Andria on Friday. Backus has worked at the Town, DA’s office, as a district court hearing officer, and for El Valle de los Ranchos. Cooper has been in the public defender’s office and has worked with the Maestas law firm. Andria is smart and even-tempered, as fresh as Corn from Kansas. She’s from Fort Hayes, not Dodge City: She’s like Dorothy, not Dennis.

Both appointees will run for election in the June primary. Cooper from Kansas will face the all but officially announced candidate in her division for the judgeship, one Helen Laura Lopez, longtime attorney and one of the founders of the Hispanic Bar (not the one serving drinks) as well as a former two-time chair of the democratic party in Taos (when the party was still an organized force). While local attorneys were preparing for commission hearings on the Martinez appointments, Lopez has been scurrying around, securing support among local influentials and so-called opinion leaders, raising money, and…”politicking.”…asking for help from the grass roots leaders and voters. And they’ve been saying, “yes.” (Will Sam Herrera run against Sara? Maybe yes, maybe no.)  Anyway, La gente tends to vote for la gente en El Norteno. T’was always thus.

No doubt the unemployed and ambitious have got their eyes on a variety of electoral opportunities next year. We hear the Corporatized Obama has marginalized the seven or eight dwarfs of Republican persuasion, who appear, mainly, to support continued tax breaks for their wealthy contributors. On a national level the parties have  merged for all intents and purposes just to fight over the leavings from Corporate America.

Next year, here in Taos County, Nick’s ten-year run as a county commissioner will end. The open seat should create a free-for-all for the folks living in Valdez, Hondo, Desmontes, and Upper Las Colonias. Andrew Chavez seems like a shoe-in for his district in Llano and Ranchos. The treasurer’s office and clerk’s office will be up for grabs. And the DA’s office is up but we’ve heard nary a word from any challengers who might take on the powerful incumbent.

In April or May, the Coop has something like 7 positions up for grabs. Friction speculates that both Nick Jaramillo and Andrew Chavez might run for the Coop board—KCEC’s trustees are hopelessly damaged. We need some semi-honest trustees who can add and subtract. The culture of corruption at the Coop is so bad the boys have forgotten if they ever knew the difference between right and wrong.

Town of Taos muni elections are on tap for next March. Mayor Cordova may be seeking a councilor or third vote to support his distaste for Manager Daniel Miera. Sanchez isn’t running but Quintana is. We hear TMS President Chuby Tafoya, who, BTW, reportedly no longer lives in his school board district, may run for council. Or will he wait and run for mayor? (Since when did residency really matter?)

Much can change between now and next year but for sure Helen Lopez is running against Andria Cooper from Kansas.

Here in Upstate New Mexico, we’re good at campaign politics but when it comes to governing…not so much. The town runs smoothly enough and the county limps as usual—the public still gets its bone and sometimes a little steak. Not that the future bodes well, given the drop in GRT.

But the schools and the Coop—Call them the “Pirates of the Rio Grande”–exemplify the failure of democracy at its most basic level. The public mission at both the Coop and TMS has been hijacked by private interests. The rest of us are left, like the students and rate payers, outside in the cold. Folks are voting quietly with their feet against the schools and seeking alternatives like the GED. When Coop members  see their montly bill from Kit Carson, they hold their noses due to the stink of this giant generator  of carbon gas.