The New Mexico Independent - Latest Comments in Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

tripjennings — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:14:53 -0000

Thanks Babyfatt for your vote of confidence. Always good to read your comments.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

incognito33 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:36:21 -0000

I think that's a very good news for the Albuquerque !! Finally, a new change came. It looks like Martin Chavez wanted to rule this city forever, to the point that he even changed the local law for his own political career, it didn't look good and many people didn't like that. This city needs more business-oriented people, not only political-career oriented speakers. I'm sure it will only help the city and hopefully bring more business to the area.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

babyfatt — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:54:43 -0000

Trip has it wrong once again: the big story is the victory of public financing for campaigns. This campaign showed that with public financing even an entrenched local political machine like the Chavez coalition of developers and cronies can be driven from office. Although I'm far from a Party of No (i.e., 'Republican') kind of person, one can only hope that Berry allows not a single one of Chavez' political hangers-on to remain at city hall. Berry's going to need an awfully big shovel to muck out city hall after lo these many years of Chavez arrogance-corruption.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

benito — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:19:36 -0000

Wrong... thousands of people that voted for Marty in the last election voted for Berry this time around. If Marty's record would not have been so questionable, and if he had not burned so many bridges and regularly smirked while flipping the bird to the tax-payers and city contractors, he would have been able to force a runoff.

You can spin it anyway you want, the truth is that the way Marty conducted himself for years is the sole reason he couldn't even force a runoff.

As if we don't have enough of a watered down, corporate, willing to settle philosophy at the top of the Democratic party, you have people trying to inject that attitude at a local level.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

benito — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:06:40 -0000

PhoenixWoman, not enough issues going on in Minnesota to keep you guys busy?

"even though Romero knew that he, Romero, had no chance of defeating Berry and that this would mean a conservative Republican minority would take over the most lefty city in the country:"

What exactly are you talking about? At the commencement of this race most people were speculating that Berry had no chance... insiders were pretty blown away a week before the election that showed Berry polling at 31% with Chavez and Romero pretty much tied. Not one person suspected at the beginning of the race that Berry would be a front-runner nor was anyone labeling Romero a "spoiler" from the outset. A huge segment of former Chavez supporters voted for Berry... blame Chavez and his record for the outcome.

And you labeling Albuquerque as, "the most lefty city in the country" kind of screams that you don't live here and you know little about the ABQ political environment.

Since you're quoting a personal endorsement on a blog as if it were an objective factual source, why don't you scroll down to the comments section for an excellent rebuttal as to why Romero held a press conference with Berry:

They were protesting Chavez’s blatant skirting of the new public financing law when he ran two months of taxpayer funded “PSAs” featuring Marty himself as, you guessed it, "Mayor Tough on Crime." It should be noted that the fact that progressive Romero was an early and active proponent of the Clean and Ethical Elections law, one can understand that he felt particularly aggrieved, not merely as a candidate, but as an advocate passionately committed to the issue of clean campaigns public financing reform.

Your interest in the ABQ race is notable, but your research is lacking.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Leonidas56 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:34:21 -0000

Never mind them Thomas. They're just wetting their pants over the November 2010 elections.

We'll have the last laugh on them and you know about he who laughs last.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Leonidas56 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:31:08 -0000

Nice spin! How do you explain the Reps capturing the City Council?

Doesn't quite fit in to well with your narration.

2010 will be such a blast!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I'm laughing in your face.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Leonidas56 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:30:06 -0000

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

You guys are such toast in 2010 it's going to be a laugh!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

SCHADENFRUEDE AT IT'S BEST!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Thomas_James — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:19:03 -0000

Well thats just stupid. Nothing can be run like government....it would go bankrupt if you did because nobody but the government can forcibly take from another to make their business work....come on get real!

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

eugenito — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:50:49 -0000

It is horrifying to think of our great city in the hands of conservative republicans. Just as ABQ is trying to make its move forward. I grow wary of hearing the claim that government should be "run like a business". The crucial difference between governemnt and business is that one is run strictly for profit & the other for the public benefit. If anything, business should be run more like a government, with democratic controls.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

soy_de_atrisco — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:35:20 -0000

RJ Berry is mayor because Romero ran a terrible campaign!!! His messaging was non-existent at best--I think he talked about Marty more than his own platform. Possibly his biggest mistake was failing to drop even 1 TV or radio spot when the momentum was going his way. What did he spend his campaign funds on? He spent way too much time at events and not on the phones or going door to door---that was where Berry made a difference--while Richard and Marty were out schmoozing Barelas Coffee House and preaching to their respective choirs, Berry was going door to door.

After losing so many races in a row, one has to wonder why Richard is such a terrible candidate. In the long view, I think Debbie O'Malley would have done a better job in the race. Ike Benton 2013!!!!

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

DJAurand — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:16:53 -0000

I think Marty Chavez has done a lot of good for Albuquerque, but he wouldn't respect the voter's rejection of the trolley/light rail on Central. That hurt him. The Downtown Arena only got support when it wasn't going to be built with any tax money. After that possibility faded, the voters kept asking where would people park? Nobody had an answer.
Marty and Romero came off as too much professional politians and Berry didn't.
This is a state that likes renegades which is why Gary Johnson whipped seasoned politicos...twice getting elected and repeatedly in the legislature
And the Bode Aviation revelations couldn't have been timed better. It made the Chavez administration look like crooks

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

qofdisks — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:42:01 -0000

"The great majority of Republicans wins in New Mexico can be attributed to splits the Democratic vote."
So true.
Then the Democrats set on each other in cannibalistic frenzy so that the losers can never recover to run another day. So stupid. Then the Democrats wonder why they can't find good candidates.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

JoMa — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:16:53 -0000

Frankly, I'm glad Berry won. One party has ruled this state for so long that they have become complacent; certain that they will be continually re-elected, no matter how bad the corruption, and patronage is.

The Dems can blame Romero, but it really didn't matter at the end of the day. Maybe a few more wins like this and those arrogant blowhards in Santa Fe will finally get serious about ethics, DWI, capping rampant spending just to win votes among certain special interest groups and a host of other practices that have kept us near the bottom as a State for so long.

I hope Berry does well as Mayor.

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

PhoenixWoman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:02:09 -0000

And remember, Romero was working with Berry to take out Chavez, even though Romero knew that he, Romero, had no chance of defeating Berry and that this would mean a conservative Republican minority would take over the most lefty city in the country:

"In fact, Romero has even gone so far as to join forces with Berry at press conferences and candidate forums to bash Chavez in tandem. That always helps the Dem cause. It's also a well known fact that many Romero supporters simply can't stand Marty Chavez, and vice versa. Will they vote for the other Dem if he's the runoff candidate? Or will they let a Republican take the reins in New Mexico's biggest city? Can we really afford to have RJ Berry as mayor at a time when it would clearly be a disaster to have the failed policies of the right dominating our local government?"

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

James Ramirez — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:52:02 -0000

Alright Berry! Henirich and Teague are next!

Re: Albuquerque: You Have a New Mayor

Fulan O'detal — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:32:04 -0000

The Romero legacy is he, not Albuquerque voters gave Albuquerque RJ Berry. Romero will be known as is Roberto Mondragon. Romero gave Albuquerque RJ Berry as Mondragon gave New Mexicans Gary Johnson.

The great majority of Republicans wins in New Mexico can be attributed to splits the Democratic vote.