Lawyers Red-Tag Airport: Sister red tags Bro

Having read the lawsuit by the Sizzling Six (See: http://www.taos-friction.com/?p=8873 on the right) seeking an injunction against the Town and County to stop airport expansion (for now), one can only wonder about the blunder: a lack of due diligence affecting due process i.e. neglecting the land use regulations. It seems so simple in retrospect. “Do it right,” as Virgil might say. Surely there must be a few red faces among elected and appointed officials both past and present today as they wake up red-tagged for “non-disclosure.”

Years ago in the late sixties when the Town of Taos engaged in the practice of “eminent domain” and grabbed the land for the airport, the Councilors, who voted for the project, were dismissed in the next election. Ironically, the property owners who lost their land to the cause of “boosterism” were basically landlocked by the deal and were compensated with a pittance. Still, some “disclosure information” was listed on deed abstracts, according to my sources. Wake up, wake up.

These issues have come up in front of County Commissioners, especially during the hearings for a subdivision proposed out somewhere near the crosswind runway, which was accessed by “Rabbit Road.” The controversial subdivision was turned down at the time due to poor access. Landlocked property owners spoke on the record about airport woes at the time.

So the sins of the fathers are visited on the heads of their sons.

Elected officials, their factotums, and fly-boy supporters will blame the NIMBYites and unprogressive Taosenos. But in deed and in fact, the elected ones, both present and past, should be looking in the mirror and asking: Am I arrogant or just incompetent? While I was staring up into the sky I stumbled over my hubris i.e. the LUR. Or maybe the elected ones can appeal to the Department of Homeland Security for a waiver of local land use laws and regs.

Anything can happen when you shut down the Sign Man and the community loses its early warning detector of BS. For while the airport foes were seeking judicial relief at the “Complex” in the court clerk’s office on Tuesday, a few friends of the “Sign Man” convened to see how Judge McElroy would handle allegations about a request for a TRO aimed at a Taos “Living Treasure” (I’m slated to make a brief speech about the Gadfly at an event in October where Jeff Northrup will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes).

Jeff’s well-known sister Pat Allen has done what no mayor or Tow Truck Operator could, she has shut the Sign man down by buying out his business in a complex deal, allegedly drawn up and negotiated by another sister in the family for the purchase of “Jack Rabbit,” a local shipper, and “Southside Copies,” a print and copy joint. The deal, allegedly, included allowing continued access during and after hours so that Taos’s best-known “notario” could continue witnessing signatures and making copies of important docs.

But Sis doesn’t want her Bro to enter the premises anymore. Without going into the deal or disagreement too deeply, there appears to be a complex bit of controversy over who bought what and for how much i.e. issues of good faith, bait and switch, and shenanigans in general. So Sister Pat was seeking a TRO against Brother Jeff in court. The wiser judge suggested the parties mediate a “stay away” agreement in lieu of a TRO until they go to court to resolve the complex business and legal matters, involving allegations of noncompliance. They did negotiate a kind of truce, and gag order. But, mark my words, Allen’s attorney Dennis Manzanares will have his hands full with the legendary advocate, attorney Lee Boothby.

And Patricia should know there’s a public price to pay when you take on a Living Treasure. Ask Mayor Cordova. So Taos featured the adventures of John T. Nichols (airport lawsuit) and Jeff Northrup all in district court on the same day. Who said Joe Mondragon’s spirit was not alive and well in Taos. It ain’t about water this time but about the oxygen you breathe.