Mayor Berry and City Councilors Ken Sanchez and Isaac Benton did a press conference to announce that the City is offering free bus passes down Central Avenue as a means to lure shoppers during the Christmas Holiday to the businesses affected by the ART bus project.

This is what you call taxpayers being taken for a ride.

There is no free ride when it comes to government services.

Berry, Sanchez and Benson all supported to proceed to build the ART bus project ignoring pleas to put it to a public vote, over the objections of many constituents, even when the federal funding has not been fully approved and is now in jeopardy.

Instead of putting construction off until after the holidays, they pushed it forward.

ART construction resulted in sales during the annual Nob Hill Christmas Shop and Stroll to drop by at least 60%.

Now all three take great pride in announcing they are giving free bus rides to people who will probably never use ART hoping it will bring back business to the area.

Good luck with that.

The truth is operating the buses still costs money and that money comes out of the general fund and is taxpayer dollars.

But then again, no one is using the busses anyway so there may not be much lost revenue.

Following is my guest editorial column published December 12, 2016 in the Albuquerque Journal entitled “City needs to look inward.”

The guest column is an extremely abbreviated version of my December 4, 2016 blog column entitled “A Community Inspired Economic Development Plan” on PeteDinelli.com.

I wrote both of the columns after reading so many depressing stories on just how bad Albuquerque’s economy is doing.

We are losing our brightest and best young adults because Albuquerque has no jobs with a future and no economic development plan.

As a community we can and must do better.

December 9, 2016 Albuquerque Journal Guest Editorial Comment, page A-11:

“City needs to look inward”
“Community needs to reverse economic death spiral”
By PETE DINELLI
ALBUQUERQUE RESIDENT

It is time for Albuquerque to engage in a form of economic development “soul searching”.

As a community, we need to figure out what can be done to turn our city economy around, diversify our economy and reduce our reliance on federal funding.

It is an effort that should be lead by the Mayor, Albuquerque City Council and the Albuquerque business community. It can be done by doing something actually done in the past.

We need to decide as a community what kind of City we want to become and identify our real needs; otherwise we are destined to continue our economic death spiral.

In 1987, when I was a City Councilor, the Albuquerque City Council engaged in a process of public hearings to determine the type of facilities we needed for a growing city that would enhance our quality of life and make Albuquerque an attractive City to raise a family and to do business.

By a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the Albuquerque City Council enacted the “Quality of Life” tax that resulted in the construction of the Albuquerque Aquarium, the Albuquerque Children’s Science Museum, the Botanical Gardens and the Balloon Museum.

Originally, funding for a performing arts center was included but was struck down by a voter initiative.

The Quality of Life legislation funded the acquisition of critical open space with open land acquisitions completing the final phase of what forms the backbone of our “urban parks”.

Money was also approved by the 1987 City Council to fund major improvements to our zoo, a major remodeling and expansion of our Convention Center, and the expansion and remodeling of the Albuquerque Sunport.

The same approach used in 1987 for the Quality of Life legislation can be done today to develop a successful economic development program, with or without an “economic development” tax voted upon by taxpayers.

There have been major cities where voters have agreed to tax and invest in themselves to rebuild their communities.

Albuquerque can turn itself and our economy around with an aggressive and massive investment to reinvent itself like has been done by great American cities such as Denver, El Paso, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Columbus, and other cities that have invested billions in their communities.

Albuquerque’s taxpayers must be convinced by its political and business leaders of the importance of investing in major construction projects and infra structure.

Albuquerque must redefine its identity, take bold and aggressive, calculated risks to attract and create high-paying jobs to keep our youth and talent from leaving.

Improving our schools and vocational systems, reducing dropout rates, are critical to diversifying Albuquerque’s economy.

Albuquerque must expand and find better ways to use financial incentives for economic development such as tax increment districts (TIDS), industrial revenue bonds, and even fund economic development investment programs such as initial start up funding with claw back provisions.

Albuquerque needs to pursue with a vengeance real growth industries like heath care, transportation and manufacturing, to diversify our economy.
Public-private partnerships in growth industries where ever possible should be developed. Special emphasis and support should be given to Albuquerque’s film industry which is a new emerging Albuquerque industry.

The City of Albuquerque needs to partner with the State of New Mexico wherever possible.

A good first start is to find a new vision for the State Fair grounds and how that very valuable gem in the center of Albuquerque can be better utilized.

An example would be for the City and State to jointly fund a tear down of Tingly Coliseum and construct a multipurpose, state of the art facility that could be used for entertainment and sports events and operated year round with a joint powers agreement.

Our political and business leaders need to show far more leadership to improving and diversify Albuquerque’s economy.

Otherwise, we are destined to become just another dying, dusty southwest town without any real potential for growth and better economic times.

http://nmindepth.com/2016/12/08/feds-confirm-investigation-of-apd-body-cam-allegations/

This should run up someone’s laundry bill.

The story says “a rare public confirmation of a federal criminal investigation”.

At last, an independent investigation by a federal law enforcement agency and an investigation not conducted by someone selected and bought and paid for by city hall.

Some of the most disturbing portions of this report are:

“[R]records obtained and reviewed … suggest that officers have broad powers to change and delete video — and have done so. In a sworn, videotaped deposition, APD Detective Frank Pezzano testified in October that he altered video from officers’ body cameras and other sources such as surveillance cameras, including in the Hawkes shooting case.
Pezzano also revealed that he and others have used several software programs apart from the department’s cloud-based video storage system to manipulate video.

Also, documents obtained by NMID from a source show that dozens of APD employees, including Pezzano, handled videos inside the cloud from the April 2014 morning when then-officer Jeremy Dear shot Hawkes. The employees watched the videos, made copies of them and, in some cases, edited portions of the footage.” (Reporter Jeff Proctor, New Mexico Political In Depth article “Feds Confirm Investigation of APD Body Cam Allegations)

Now let’s see if the federal investigation goes all the way to include investigating the allegations that top APD command staff and the City Attorney’s Office ordered the altering, tampering or withholding of video camera evidence in civil cases.

Mayor Berry and Chief Gordon Eden are taking some serious heat over APD’s response time responding to the 911 priority one call out on the shooting of a mother and killing of her 3 children by her ex-boyfriend.

Eden and Berry claim that police officers were on the scene within 5 minutes, while neighbors said they timed it and it took APD 12 minutes to get to the scene.

Frankly, I believe the neighbors.

The neighbors are being honest and have no reason to lie.

Berry and Eden on the other hand do not want to admit the truth to something they know and have been told a year ago and that is APD’s response times are at unacceptable levels because of reduced staffing and endangering public safety.

The neighbors claim is supported by APD’s own statistics and the Alexander Weis APD Staffing Report prepared pursuant to the Department of Justice settlement agreement and given to the Federal Judge and Court Monitor.

A priority 1 call is one identified involving aggravating circumstances that may result in serious bodily injury or death, and such calls include rape, murder, armed robbery, assault with deadly weapons and domestic violence.

In 2010, APD’s average response time was 8 minutes, 56 seconds with 53,865 priority 1 calls for service handled
In 2011, APD’s average response time was 9 minutes, 25 seconds with 57,524 priority 1 calls for service handled
In 2012, APD’s average response time was 9 minutes, 54 seconds with 59,789 priority 1 calls for service handled
In 2013, APD’s average response time was 10 minutes, 2 seconds with 65,429 priority 1 calls for service handled
In 2014, APD’s average response time was 10 minutes, 34 seconds with 67,179 priority 1 calls for service handled
In 2015, APD’s average response time was 10 minutes, 43 seconds with 69,000 priority 1 calls for service handled

Weis criticized APD for taking 15 minutes on average for an APD officer to be dispatched to all 911 calls.

After reviewing all data given to him by APD, Weis found that it took more than two hours to complete tens of thousands of 911 priority calls for service.

February 2014 through January 2015, Albuquerque police handled more than 383,000 calls for service.

The Weise study found nearly 80,000 calls were completed in less than 10 minutes but almost 30,000 took more than two hours.

The staffing study found the average time to complete a 911 call was 48 minutes.

Seven years ago, APD had 1,100 sworn police officers.

Today APD had 836 sworn police officers with only 436 police officers patrolling our streets, over 3 shifts, taking 69,000 priority one calls for service.

Domestic violence cases are the most difficult and most dangerous calls for service that are handled by any police officer.

Response times in domestic violence cases can make the difference between life and death of the victim.

When I was interim Director of 911, I was tasked with implementing a 911 staffing, pay and performance program costing close to $2 million a year.

At the time, 911 was severely understaffed and pay was low.

APD response times to 911 call were approaching 15 minutes.

After almost a year, we were able to implement the performance program, hire more operators and get APD response times down to 8 minutes and 56 seconds, below the national average.

Today, APD rank and file are doing the best they can with the support and resources they have.

I have no doubt that had response times become this bad during my watch as 911 Interim Director or for that matter as Chief Public Safety Officer, I would have been fired and that is what you call being held accountable for your job performance.

Berry and Eden need to be held accountable and take responsibility for failing to address for at least a year the crisis we have in APD response times.

After watching the newscasts of the shooting of a woman and the murder of her three children ages 5, 6, and 9 by her ex-boyfriend who then committed suicide, I had a real hard time sleeping, wondering what our city is becoming.

It is headlines like “We lost three angels” that make me so very angry and wondering why more is not being done by our city’s elected officials to address our increasing crime rates.

People no longer feel safe in their own homes, in their own neighborhoods.

What are we doing to ourselves and why are we not demanding more from our leaders?

As an Assistant District Attorney, I was assigned to the violent crimes division and prosecuted murders and rape cases, and even reviewed child abuse cases.

Years later, as Chief Deputy District Attorney for Bernalillo County, I had supervisory authority over all the felony divisions, including the Violent Crimes Division and the Domestic Violence Division.

What I learned as Chief Deputy District Attorney is that Albuquerque’s dirty little secret is that domestic violence is the number-one reason why a woman is admitted to the emergency room of the University of New Mexico Hospital.

Statics in Albuquerque showed that after about the 10th or 11th time there is a call out of the Albuquerque Police Department to a home for domestic violence, it is usually to pick a woman up in a body bag.

Studies reveal that domestic violence involving children usually results in the child growing up and become an abuser of their own children and spouse.

Children exposed to domestic violence often come from broken homes and poverty.

The Domestic Violence Division had three of the most seasoned and most skilled trial attorneys in the office.

The Domestic Violence Division had some of the highest caseloads in the office between 150 and 200 active, pending cases and one of the highest conviction rates.

Currently, there is no Domestic Violence Division at the District Attorney office and domestic violence cases are spread out over the entire office.

Albuquerque and New Mexico must find solutions to what contributes to the most horrific crimes: domestic violence, substance abuse, children living in severe poverty, a poor education system, the breakdown of the family unit, the failures of our social services and child protective services, a failed mental health system, an ineffective criminal justice system, and a failing economy.

We need to confront our demons and find solutions to our problems otherwise we will continue to bury our most innocent angels.

“Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart
until, in our own despair, against our will,
comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
― Aeschylus

It’s interesting what political blogger Joe Monahan had to say in a FACEBOOK comment about City Councilor Dan Lewis running for mayor:

“… [Dan] Lewis definitely running. He told me he has already raised nearly $100,000…”

It has also been reported that announced mayoral candidate Deanna Archuleta has raised $40,000.

Such fundraising activity by both may be a violation of the City of Albuquerque’s Campaign Finance Reporting and Disclosure laws.

Candidates for mayor are required to fill out detailed finance reports listing contributors, dates and amounts which are in turn reviewed for compliance by the city clerk with the finance disclosure and reporting laws, contribution limitations and for conflicts and prohibitions against donations from people who do business with the City of Albuquerque.

The 2017 campaign finance report forms are not even available from the Albuquerque City Clerk.

I doubt if Deanna Archuleta knows any better because she has never run for a City of Albuquerque elected position.

City Councilor Dan Lewis, on the other hand, should know the city’s campaign finance and reporting laws seeing as he has run twice under the ordinance for Albuquerque City Councilor and must file reports as an elected Albuquerque official.

Then you have State Auditor Tim “I am Mr. Government Finance Watch Dog” Keller who is also running for mayor.

Keller has said privately for months that he is running for mayor and that he will run as a publicly financed candidate.

For the last two years, Tim Keller has sent out quarterly fundraising letters to solicit money to use for a reelection bid as New Mexico State Auditor, yet he is running for mayor of Albuquerque.

Tim Keller needs disclose what he has already raised for his reelection for state auditor, which is reported to be substantial, after sending out his quarterly fundraising letters.

Also, you have to wonder if Keller has spent money on his Albuquerque Mayor’s race for opinion polls and paid his political consultant and campaign manager for mayor.

Do not be surprised if Keller somehow uses his “stash” to run for mayor of Albuquerque by giving the money to a measured finance committee to promote his candidacy for Mayor of Albuquerque and take advantage of public financing at the same time.

It was made clear to me when I ran for mayor three years ago, the city campaign reporting and finance laws do not allow collecting donations until the year of the election.

It is an ethical issue of the appearance of impropriety and what promises are made by candidates to get the donations, how will the money be used, who is the candidate indebted to and who will have influence over the candidate once elected to office.

That’s curious conduct from candidates who are running to hold an office where they will be taking and oath office to uphold and enforce the ordinances of the City of Albuquerque.

The influence of big corporate money in elections allowed by the US Supreme Court decision Citizens United is destroying our democracy.

Political campaign fundraising and big money influence are warping our election process.

Money spent becomes equated with the final vote.

Money drives the message, affects voter turnout and ultimately the final outcome.

All too often, good, decent and qualified candidates do not run because they cannot raise the money.

Albuquerque municipal elections need campaign finance reform and enforcement.

On November 28, 2016 I posted on this blog my article “2017 Mayor’s Race Needs Public Finance Reform.”