The Legend and The Fable of “Immature” County Critics

By golly the County Commissioners, and Critics, the County residents who remit their annual fee of $10 to the community’s free public library in town, the residents who shop in Taos and pay some of the highest Gross Receipts taxes in the state, the activists who favor debate about public policy are “immature,” according to Mayor Darren Cordova, a legendary entertainer.

Perhaps, the Commissioners did not see the billboard advertising Darren Cordova y Color for a New Year’s Eve gig at a Pojoaque casino; the billboard depicting the Mayor’s face said, “He’s a legend.” Yet, the County Commission questions and “insults the integrity of the artistic nature of this” (Mother’s Day event), Córdova said at the commission meeting Tuesday” (Aug. 20), according to The Taos News. Notice he said “artistic” not “cultural nature” of the event.

We are deep into the language of aesthetics and critical discourse here as well as trying to decide if music or horticulture should rule our lives and decisions. Can you believe it? The County subtracted $450 from some $5,000 plus in cash and more in kind aid for the Mother’s Day/DMC extravaganza and gave the offending dollars to Los Jardineros, the garden club? What gives when Roses and Hollyhocks receive more attention than “The Legend?” Who is Penasquero Joe Mike Duran, truck driver and dozer operator, to question DMC as the sacrosanct arbiter of culture and art? And call on the Attorney General to investigate the ins and outs of profit v. nonprofit recipients of county funds?

When the County offered to rebate GRT at the airport and share in the cost of operations in order to defray expenses and an agreement to forego annexation, The Legend and his factotums said, “NO” and repeated ad nauseam “the County has no standing.” The judge disagreed. The County has had standing since the birth of state government in 1912 while the acequia it represents has had standing since the early 19th Century at least. (The Johnny-come-lately Town of Taos was incorporated in 1934, a mere after-thought, due to conflagration and the organization of a volunteer fire department.)

When the County offered to take over as agent of the Joint Powers Agreement for E911-Dispatch and train employees, install state-of-the-art equipment and operate a first class public safety facility, The Legend and the Town said “No.” Rather The Legend had decided unilaterally to take up residence in Luis’s flood-plain built KCEC Command Center—you can see the watermarks on the outside walls.

When County Commissioner Dan Barrone offered The Legend a personal check of $450 to compensate DMC for the loss of county dough given to the Roses and Hollyhocks brigade, The Legend, once again, according to The Taos News, refused the generous offer–as he has refused county funds for the airport and a cooperative E911-Dispatch, while blaming the County for his own avaricious focus on personal power.

Three strikes and you’re out.

Now The Legend says he will take his band, sound equipment, drums and guitars to another community, a community that acknowledges The Legend’s artistic nature and believes in Mothers, apple pie, and The Legend himself. Verily, “a prophet (or a Legend) has no honor in his own country.” So Taosenos won’t have The Legend to kick around anymore though Joe Mike will keep on truckin’ gravel up and down U.S. hill to wherever it’s needed. Meanwhile, The Legend appears to be very confused about the guy who responds when he asks, “Mirror, mirror on the Wall, who’s the greatest legend of them all?”