YES, NO OR “IT’S COMPLICATED”

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I attended the 2017 Mayoral Forum sponsored by the NM Political Report and the Weekly Alibi.

Six of the nine candidates participated: Democrat Deanna Archuleta, Democrat Brian Colon, Democrat Timothy Keller, Republican Dan Lewis, Democrat Gus Pedrotty and Democrat Susan Wheeler-Deichel.

Absent from the forum were Independent Michelle Garcia Holmes, Republican Ricardo Chaves, and Republican Wayne Johnson.

All six candidates held their own with no major gaffs that would be a game changer.

The one major mistake of fact was made by State Auditor Tim Keller.

Keller said Albuquerque has a $900 million dollar “permanent fund” that could be better invested to produce more interest to be applied to city projects.

The City has no such “permanent fund” and Keller may be confused with the State of New Mexico’s permanent fund.

The city does have a “risk management” fund which can only be used for projected lawsuit liabilities an no other purpose and the fund must be maintained at a certain level or the city will lose its “self insured” status.

Keller’s mistake of fact reveals he needs to educate himself more on city finance and budget matters.

Frankly, I was surprised how much the candidates agreed on major issues but also delighted that issues are finally beginning to be talked about.

All six (6) candidates agreed that Chief Gordon Eden should be replaced and that the Albuquerque Police Department wasn’t doing enough to meet the Department of Justice consent decree reforms.

All six (6) candidates said they would support relocating Syrian refugees to Albuquerque.

Newcomer Gus Pedrotty, given his age, walked away the biggest winner of the evening showing great poise, passion for the city and downright knowledge of the issues with solutions.

Mr. Pedrotty made it clear he can go “toe to toe” with the more seasoned people who were on the stage.

Gus was a breath of fresh air.

I do want to make it very clear that I have not endorsed any one of the candidates and have not decided who to support for Mayor.

The forum was a good beginning of a healthy discussion of all the issues facing Albuquerque.

A “lightening round” was held where the candidates were asked eleven questions that required a YES, NO or a “IT’S COMPLICATED” answer.

Following are the candidates questions and answers to the lightening round questions that I took the liberty to condense so as not to make them complicated:

1. If elected Mayor, will you make yourself available to answer any and all questions, no matter how complicated, from any news media outlet?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: YES
Keller: YES
Lewis: YES
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

2. Do you favor City and County consolidation of law enforcement (APD and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office) under one governing authority?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: IT’S COMPLICATED
Keller: NO
Lewis: YES
Pedrotty: NO
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

3. Do you favor a “no settlement” policy in police misconduct civil cases seeking damages mandating trial on the merits and for a jury to decide damages?

Archuleta: IT’S COMPLICATED
Colon: NO
Keller: IT’S COMPLICATED
Lewis: NO
Pedrotty: NO
Wheeler-Deichel: NO

4. Do you feel the City of Albuquerque and APD should be involved with the enforcement of President Trump’s Executive Order on enforcing immigration laws?

Archuleta: NO
Colon: IT’S COMPLICATED
Keller: NO
Lewis: NO
Pedrotty: NO
Wheeler-Deichel: NO

5. Do you support a program relocating Syrian refugees to Albuquerque?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: YES
Keller: YES
Lewis: YES
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

6. Bi-linguel education programs have been eliminated by the Albuquerque school system. Do you support re-establishing such programs?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: YES
Keller: YES
Lewis: YES
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

7. Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: IT’S COMPLICATED
Keller: YES
Lewis: NO
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

8. Is the Albuquerque Police Department responding adequately to the Department of Justice mandated reforms?

Archuleta: NO
Colon: NO
Keller: NO
Lewis: NO
Pedrotty: NO
Wheeler-Deichel: NO

9. Should the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be required to secure a federal warrant before being given access to prison transport facilities to screen and take into custody anyone who may be in the United States illegally and for deportation?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: YES
Keller: YES
Lewis: NO
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

10 Will you replace Chief Gordon Eden?

Archuleta: YES
Colon: YES
Keller: YES
Lewis: YES
Pedrotty: YES
Wheeler-Deichel: YES

11. Has the TV series “Breaking Bad” been good for Albuquerque or its image?

Archuleta: IT’S COMPLICATED
Colon: IT’S COMPLICATED
Keller: IT’S COMPLICATED
Lewis: IT’S COMPLICATED
Pedrotty: IT’S COMPLICATED
Wheeler-Deichel: IT’S COMPLICATED

The candidates in a separate question gave their positions on Albuquerque’s minimum wage increase and the mandatory sick leave, or Healthy Work Force, ordinance.

All six (6) candidates support Albuquerque’s minimum wage ordinance which was enacted a few years ago by voters and which increased the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour.

All the candidates except Dan Lewis support the mandatory sick leave ordinance, with Lewis claiming it will be a “job killer” and will result in unnecessary government regulation.

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.