Rumors, News, Complaints

Rumor Mill

Black SUVS with opaque windows pulled up to the County Complex a couple of days ago. According to the rumor mill, a longtime employee at the Taos County Housing Authority has been busted for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars, whether arrested, fired, or put on administrative leave, nobody is saying for sure. Family members of said employee and employees at the county are being questioned. Three arrests have been made, according to friends of family members. Everybody’s mum but the shadow knows because relatives talk.

(We hear the auditor called in the feds. And the feds may “clawback” the money. The Feds might investigate the town, schools, Coop, and Pueblo for financial malfeasance while they are in town–“clawback” some of the public money spent at the Casino, where all good embezzlers go to spend their ill-gotten gains. )

Over at Taos Municipal School, the board is still anxiously awaiting for the conclusion of last year’s audit. PED is checking the figures twice.

Meanwhile, we hear KCEC trustees are stonewalling union demands for a fair contract, according to employees. There’s an apparent passive–aggressive slowdown in effect–employees ignoring call outs– which means more private contractor-cuates will be taking employee jobs. How can you blame employees who have been coerced into supporting trustees, who don’t support them.

Hey, all that Broadband money is going to friends of the trustees for leases and subcontracts (or money for solar development on trustee property), excavating and tree-trimming deals for other friends of the trustees. Are some trustees selling the leftover wood—not for the first time in Penasco? Or just trading fire wood for votes? Everybody but the employees gets a bonus for supporting King Louie and the Traveling Trustees.

(News Updates)

Thursday night, Dec. 8, a standing room only crowd gathered at the Taos Community Auditorium to watch Robert Mirabal of Taos Pueblo perform a one-man show and interpretation of the legendary Po’Pay, the Okay Owingeh leader of the 1680 rebellion by the Pueblo Indians against the Spanish Occupation. Po’Pay pondered and planned the successful rebellion, while he lived at Taos Pueblo. Robert’s performance was a welcome diversion but then I realized Taos Pueblo’s WarChief, Edwin Concha is imitating Po’Pay today and counting coup at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

This morning, Dec. 9, the New Mexico Department of Transportation in league with Taos Pueblo Cops ran off tourists and a few vendors, while they installed more concrete barriers on the south side of the highway approach to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The jackboots already blocked off the picnic area on the north side with concrete barriers.

“Hey Mr. Governor: Tear Down this Wall.”

The hostile, malicious, and unlawful act by Taos Pueblo and NMDOT is extraordinary and calls for an extraordinary response. Vendors and their supporters are meeting to organize a possible boycott of the casino. And the Vendors may call for an “Occupy Taos Pueblo” event on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Supporters among the tribe might well shoot off rifles and light bonfires in protest against the thuggery by tribal government. Thousands of white people are expected to join the protest on Christmas Eve.

(Tribal members might get up to $3000 each this year in their Christmas stocking this year, some say or maybe just Ed and Nelson.)

Gov. Nelson Cordova of Taos Pueblo has been traveling and hobnobbing with fellow tribal leaders from across the nation at the Obama White House, according to news reports. Apparently, he signed a new treaty with the President. Kiva Elders in Taos are getting ready to choose a new Governor and new WarChief. We hope they do background checks.

Cordova and Concha remind me of the Scaby Fox who pilfered from the poor people.

Town Planner Can’t Read

Apparently, today’s letter from sign man and community gadfly notes the ineptitude of Cowboy Willie Morris, the Mayor’s Marshal of the Sign Code. Jeff says the town planners couldn’t find the regulation under which he was illegally cited on Thursday, Dec. 8. He might press criminal charges against the town for petty theft, robbery, and mugging.

BTW: The Town has a two jobs available: Lifeguard and Librarian. Bring your resume and family history. No Irish need apply.