The Taos Culture Gap
Top Down or Bottom Up?
You Decide!
At the Taos County Commission meeting, Tuesday, June 24, the culture gap between governing styles of the Town and County, call it a concern for fairness, was never more evident. As readers know, Taos County stepped up and basically took responsibility for the E911-Dispatch service when the Town of Taos and Kit Carson Electric Coop failed to deliver on promises for the alleged Command Center. The argument is borne out by the evidence: poor equipment, misguided systems, and irresponsible use of grants and mismanaged operations in the development. So the County is spending a ton of dough on behalf of the health, safety, and welfare of the whole community.
Commissioners also stepped in to take-over the federally funded but poorly managed state and local program for seniors. Due to poor management by a nonprofit board and hands-off approach by the state department of aging, the Commissioners, out of concern for their elders, have assumed management and financial responsibility for the most knowledgeable members of the community. Taos’s own living treasures can breathe a sign of relief.
Apparently, this commission’s work is never done. In response to gadfly Neil Thielke’s caveat at the beginning of the meeting to watch out for the “infestation” of “lobbying” by those with “good intentions,” who would change history, Commissioner Joe Mike Duran mumbled in Spanish something about being sold down the river a la the Land Use Regs, which he voted against at the last meeting. Joe Mike has become himself more and more and reminds me of Virgil Martinez, the once and future Commissioner from Cerro. The dozer operator and truck driver tells it like it is.
In what can be described as a horror story, a HCH union rep, fatigued from working all night, wearing the remnants of green garb, one Walter Brennan (can this be his name?) read a letter, pointing to a tale of fear and loathing at the THS/Quorum (Taos Health Systems) managed local care facility. Apparently, HCH is in the process of issuing private contracts to out-of-state companies, pushing out local docs, nurses, technicians, and employees.
In other words, THS is perverting the management of what should be a local operation, which was paid for with taxes on local citizens. Robert Silver’s clever columns in The Taos News allude to the problem but haven’t related “the horror.” Former HCH CEO Peter Hofstetter has abandoned the sinking ship for sweeter climes.
According to yesterday’s testimony, about 40% of HCH’s patient beds remain vacant. The Union rep and another young woman and employee testified that the Board, CEO, CFO, Head Nurse, and distant executives make decisions but leave docs, nurses, techs, and employees, the one’s who care for patients, outside the process, sucking on empty water bottles in the boiling sun.
On Wednesday, July 2, THS will hold a board meeting at HCH at 6 pm. Most of the commissioners say they intend to be there. Once again, Commissioners Romero and Duran questioned County Attorney Malone about the “180-day termination notice” of THS’s lease of the County-owned building. Chairman Gabe spoke softly of this issue months ago but apparently the THS board was not listening to the woosh of the big stick he carried.
Like the board of Ancianos, THS appears to be failing in its duties to its clients.. The latest round of news stories only confirms more than a decade of failed management practices at HCH. Beware the straight talker from Penasco. And, now, Gabriel the Good turned Grand Inquisitor, is asking questions.
After commissioners were thoroughly debriefed by representatives of Chevron Mining, re: the closing of the Moly Mine, the effects, jobs and training available for employees, etc. the County got down to business, concerning the Town’s request for a lease of the old County Courthouse. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for all the proceedings due to a prior commitment. But I stayed long enough to hear the Commissioners reject Town Manager Rick Bellis’s request to rent the old Courthouse four to zip. Commissioner/Mayor Barrone abstained.
In an unusual display of aggressive leadership, the normally tactful and diplomatic Gabe the Good quizzed Bellis closely on plans, operations, potential privatization, sources of funds and investment, a potential bistro to be located at the facility. His passion on display, Gabe did not let up.
As Gabe mentioned and many know, a certain local businessman and banker rented the old County Courthouse for the better part of two decades for a dollar a year, subleased shops during the go-go years, and reinvested no money, allegedly, in the aging facility. Memories at the County, unlike the Town, are long and more all-encompassing i.e. La Gente is acknowledged, the people, including the loyal opposition, are allowed to speak prior to the fact of decision. In a moment of delicious irony, El Prado mayordomo Arsenio Cordova warned Bellis, due to cultural blindness, lest he be thought of as the new Kit Carson.
Due to Bellis’s un-reassuring and vague responses, neither Gabe nor Joe Mike nor Larry nor Tom were having any of it. County Manager Steve Archuleta mentioned certain documents regarding the “Arts and Culture District” that were not forthcoming though they had repeatedly been sought. As Commissioner Blankenhorn cracked, “when you’ve got the two million dollars come back and see us” or something to that effect.
The County has put money and time into the facility during the last few years, especially the last year. To his credit, Bellis and his side kick Cyndie Spray have chased down events and promoted the use of the so-called “Mural Room” (the murals are technically “Frescoes”). The good will of tenants, not to mention county staff, has turned the old county courthouse into a “work in progress” for tourists, locals, and kids. All seem to enjoy visiting the jail and the Bisttram, Lockwood, Phillips, Higgins WPA Frescoes. The Coop Gallery under the guidance of Effie Romero, offers any local Taos artist a chance to exhibit work. Architect David Henry has developed a design for renovation in cooperation with SHPO guidelines.
Plumbing and ADA access remain bugaboos and the Courthouse needs work and money but the County ain’t going to give her away the way the Town surrendered history to the Red Willow people at Kit Carson Park. I spoke with a well-educated former student and Tiwa speaker from Taos Pueblo. He said that the word “Taos” refers to “village” in Tiwa. Red Willow in Tiwa, which he pronounced for me, sounds nothing like the purported words “Taos” or “Tuatah.” Once again, somebody’s been running a con.
Town Councilors Judi Cantu and Fritz Hahn were in attendance at the County Commission. We hope they learned something about “direct democracy” and “public feedback.”
P.S. Here’s a side note about the purported and potential use of the old Plaza Theatre, which I have mentioned as a personal bete noir. At Monday night’s Town business meeting I saw Bobby Sahd, the Hotel La Fonda proprietor and owner of the R.C. Gorman estate. Bobby said he had just let a three-month option on the Plaza Theatre Building property expire. His conclusion: “I wouldn’t take it if you gave it to me.” There is so much concrete and steel in the building and the architecture and construction so byzantine and screwed up, it’s not even worth demolishing. We need another billionaire, who can afford the upgrades, to fall in love with Taos.
Maybe the Red Willow people will bring us some good karma.