New Team in Taos: Dan, Judi, and Fritz Win Big! And so does Judge Dickie!
Collaboration Wins It!
So the new Mayor, Dan Barrone (1104) smashed the incumbent Darren Cordova (453) and former mayor Fred Peralta (210). New Town Councilors Fritz Hahn (893) and Judi Cantu (714) beat the pants off Rudi (583), Pavel (381), Amy (288), Cindy (159), and Darien Fernandez, write-in (62). Adios Los Vendidos: Darren, Rudy, Fred. You won’t be poaching gross receipts tax and property from the County anytime soon. BTW Dickie at (1155) out-maneuvered Cyndee Perez (492).
Cordova can get all the celebrity endorsements he wants down south, from Governors to Mayors, but Fritz turned north and got his benediction from one Virgil Martinez of Cerro and Mr. Suitors Martinez of Valdez, among others, including the Chicano Chamber of Commerce in El Prado. The barbershop quartet still sings, “Down by the old Acequia, running clear and deep, down by the old acequia, I see grandpa’s cows and sheep, down by the old acequia, I still dream of land grants in El Norte.” The Chicano barber is still with us.
(We hope Virgil will soon be running for County Commissioner in District 2. Caveat: District 3 includes Gene Sanchez’s precinct 16 in Taos and he likes Virgil. Pavel is picking up signs and getting ready to run against Andrew Gonzales in two years or maybe Fred’s open seat.)
Sure Pavel’s got the backing of The Taos News and DMC Broadcasting, those two giant media voices. However, neither the editor of The Taos News nor the owner of DMC seems in touch with the community if you catch my drift. But that’s just me. One might ask why the editorial staff doesn’t pay attention to the cartoonist? Eh?
Call this election, “The Perfect Storm.”
Call the key to winning this election cross-cultural “grass roots organization.” Due to hard work and work gloves the three upstarts poached voters from the incumbents. Course the incumbents were heartily disliked for their negative campaign ads, contracts for cuates program, and general pilfering of the public purse. Now we’ll get one Command Center and an airport district, where the community can share expenses and make decisions based on budget and reason and public safety—not political payoffs. (Wayne Sowell at NM DFA, E911-Dispatch maven, will be very happy!) And no more annexation. No more drying up and covering up the acequias—like the Spring Ditch.
Let’s hope the new executive staff can train the meter maids in the arts of hospitality. The downtown merchants and the people are not the enemy. A veteran political operative and winner of multiple local elections said, “I told Darren the key to politics is `don’t make enemies.’”
La Gente took back their town on March 4, 2014. The ultimate winners of this election are the taxpayers. The swearing in ceremony takes place at 5 pm at Town Hall. Clerk Renee Lucero will swear in Judge Dickie and Judge Dickie will swear in Dan, Judi, and Fritz. Viva Taos.
Sometimes the good guys win.
We hope the new team will consider hiring competent Taosenos and locals in key positions instead of paying Gus Cordova’s head hunters for highly misplaced out-of-town executives. We’ve got the talent right here to manage and promote the town. Let’s encourage Dan to stay on as Commissioner for his full term. We don’t want the Governor naming a pinche replacement. There will be dancing among employees at Town Hall, the County Complex, and quiet smiles among knowing employees at the KCEC Coop. The sound of “whooshing” is the sound of egos deflating.
P.S.
Maybe the new team will appoint the Sign Man as police commissioner or put him in charge of licensing tow truck drivers or administering the sign code? Eh? We’re only asking.