Taos Town Issues for Council Candidates

From what this observer can determine, only two of the several elections in the environs of Taos County have generated any heat this year: The Town of Taos Council election and the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative election of trustees. Both entities are top-down hierarchies wherein the executive teams impose their will on citizens or members, regardless of financial responsibility or regulations.

Oddly enough, the two controversial elections are connected.

The town’s Mayor, in a desperate attempt to please his cronies at the Coop and give them cover for excessive financial adventurism, has signed on to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Command Center, pleading public safety. The Coop, in a desperate maneuver to maintain the status quo of the trustees, who were subject to a recall by members, allegedly ordered an employee to notarize the presence of an absent executive, in order to file documents in court, protesting said recall.

Subsequently, the district court intervened in a matter that should have been settled between the Coop members and its trustees. The court erred in referring to the petitioners’ reasons for recalling trustees—issues of financial mismanagement, as vague. But the bylaws of the Coop themselves are purposely written in a vague manner and petitioners conformed to the by-laws.

According to the bylaws, the trustees themselves had the power to reject the petition for recall prior to the annual meeting. But the trustees had neither the will nor the courage to stand up to the petitioners and hid behind the skirts of the court. Basically, the Coop’s financial excesses, confirmed by the prior PRC hearings, detailed the radical changes in management—entrepreneurial adventurism–taking place at the once prudent organization.

Members will have an opportunity to replace current trustees with more progressive representatives of the community in late spring.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, between 1:30 pm and 2 pm, according to the town’s agenda, Councilor Gene Sanchez will speak about the town’s proposed relocation of the Town e911 (PSAP) operation to KCEC’s Command Center—a proposal opposed as an unnecessary expense, unnecessary for public safety, and unwanted by employees. Apparently, the town executive team has refused to put the item on the agenda proper.

Other issues, likely to come up during the town council election, include issues of enforcing ordinances, requiring citizens to hook up to the town water system, lax enforcement of open-space requirements for developers, special deals for special friends ad infinitum, and a proposed relocation of the police department.

The culture of the current town administration, mayor, and council, seems more vested in the petty politics of who’s on first in town hall or along the south-side commercial strip o than on the growing economic crisis. Certainly, the community needs leadership, which can envision or at least discuss issues of historic change during this current recession.

Derelict and vacant buildings dot the landscape. Landlords in the historic district suffer along with their tenant-merchants from a change in visitor demographics. Retail sales of curios require the kind of visitors in terms of number, who no longer visit Taos. The Mayor and Council have done a good job of spending money to promote the community and taken the lead in construction the new FIFA—approved soccer facility. But the money for completing a competitive soccer facility, a win-win for local kids and regional or international draw for tourism development, has been diverted to the parasitic KCEC Command Center. And the community in general, except for the natural landscape, looks bedraggled and boring to the eye.

The town owns property on Civic Plaza Drive, currently leased by UNM-Taos that may be subject to termination by UNM; due to a change in the way the state formula funds the university. Instead of funding the statewide system based on square footage, the legislature and governor have proposed funding higher-education institutions based on graduation rates, not on the square footage occupied. In general, the town owns an enormous amount of underdeveloped and underused square footage in the historic district. Yet, the current policy makers are suggesting that they must decentralize operations of E911 and the police department, while relocating said operations to vacant buildings on the south side of town, creating more vacancies.

Due to a lack of executive leadership, the morale at the understaffed police department is suffering. A number of officers, including the chief, like the once highly praised town manager, have resigned. The understaffed police department cannot both investigate crimes and adhere to patrol duties—although the cops do have the time to video tape the confiscation of protest signs from the sign man.

According to the letter writer below, the Mayor continues to enforce a policy, time and again, based on his own private animosity toward the protester, Mr. Northrup. According to the town’s municipal judge, Mr. Northrup has not disobeyed any town regulations. Yet town employees, including cops, who stand by as virtual enforcers, confiscate signs, belonging to a one-man protest effort.

By defying the First Amendment, the Mayor has shamed himself, his executive staff, and the town police. The police, the Mayor, and the Council have sworn to uphold the constitution. Yet they conspire to allow the local government to take away a citizen’s rights without due process under the color of law. Similarly, shills in the local media, who owe their jobs to the First Amendment, have ignored the egregious law breaking of local government. The Mayor’s behavior and the media’s silence are a testament to the petty motives and the conspiracy of silence by community leaders in thrall to the conformist culture: Hear no evil, see no evil.

When the state, town, or Taos Pueblo get out of control, local residents frequently turn to Taos County. The County stepped up on behalf of bridge vendors and filed a lawsuit to force the town to adhere to annexation ordinances. Perhaps the Commissioners could provide Mr. Northrup with a safe haven in the new parking lot as protection against the thugs who work for the town.

Mr. Northrup’s letter

Dear Mayor Cordova:

Your spy network is improving. I’d been set-up less than 15 minutes when Herr Morris of your Code Enforcement/Speech Suppression (SS) Dept. showed up, warning me that I had 25 minutes to pick up my signs. I was picketing along the stretch of highway in front of the new county complex. As expected, your SS soldier returned on time, and proceeded to seize 14 signs.

I pointed out to him that there were two commercial signs situated similar to the way mine were placed. He said that commercial signs enjoyed a higher level of protection than non-commercial signs, which is exactly the opposite of the words in the Taos sign code. He also stated that some toady lawyer that you’ve hired to do your illegal bidding had explained the sign code to me…never happened.

Oddly, one of the two signs I brought to his attention was sitting on the pavement in front of your new restaurant, Casa de Cordovas, or whatever you call it; this sign was almost directly across the highway from one of my signs. The sign was advertising beer specials in your beer hall, something Taosenos are desperately in need of. So this sign, that, unlike any of mine, was standing in the right-of-way, was not a problem. Herr Morris quickly wheeled into your parking lot after grabbing my last sign…did you give him a pat on the head and the butt?

Is this your “butt head” tradition?

As has recently been the town’s habit, I was not given a ticket or a receipt for my confiscated signs. Except for two town cops standing idly by, and my videotaping the spectacle, it’s like it never happened. You’re filling up storage space with my signs, and I seemingly have no recourse.

I’ve already been found not guilty of illegal picketing, at this very spot, in Taos Municipal Court, on Oct. 18,2011. As there is nothing for you to charge me with, your only recourse is to just steal my property.

Next week is your “State of the Town” annual address. I’ve taken the time to write your entire speech for you. Clear your throat and say “Pathetic.” Accept congratulations from your doting and overwhelmed family, friends, and town hall sycophants, and head over to the free food trough.

Achtung.

Jeff Northrup