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>> A BIT OF A WRINKLE IN MAYOR RICHARD BERRY'S
ALBUQUERQUE AGENDA, KNOWN AS "THE PLAN."
CHECK THIS OUT. TWO REPUBLICAN CITY
COUNCILORS, DON HARRIS AND DAN LEWIS, MOVED MONEY FOR
BOSQUE BEAUTIFICATION AND RIVER TRAILS FROM THE CITY
BOND ISSUE, AND THAT FREES UP MONEY FOR OTHER PROJECTS
AND FORCES THE MAYOR TO FIND FUNDING ELSEWHERE, WHICH HE
HAS DONE. BUT THE MAYOR IS SUPPOSED TO
HAVE A FRIENDLY COUNCIL, TOM.
WHAT IS YOUR READ HERE? BECAUSE LET'S GET RIGHT
HERE, THE PROJECTS ARE GOING TO GET DONE, IT'S THE
MECHANISMS THAT ARE IN QUESTION HERE.
BUT SOMETHING -- THESE TWO GUYS HAD SOMETHING IN MIND
HERE, IT SEEMS TO ME. >> YES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT COUNCILOR LEWIS AND COUNCILOR HARRIS,
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IDEA OF HOW "ALBUQUERQUE, THE PLAN"
SHOULD UNFOLD, AND THE MAYOR HAS HIS PLAN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN A RARE INSTANCE HERE WE HAVE
REPUBLICANS GOING UP AGAINST REPUBLICANS, AND I THINK
DEMOCRATS ARE JUST KIND OF GOING BACK AND SCRATCHING
THEIR HEADS AND GOING, UH? WAIT, THAT'S USUALLY US IN
THAT PARTICULAR POSITION. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IT'S
ALL GOING TO GET DONE. HOPEFULLY IT DOES, BECAUSE
REALLY, IMPROVING THE CITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS SO KEY TO
ATTRACTING BUSINESS, AND JUST REALLY IMPROVING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL NEW MEXICANS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. LONNA, WHAT'S INTERESTING
ABOUT THIS, WHEN THAT CITY COUNCIL HEARING CAME UP, THE
BUDGET WENT FROM $110 TO $115, BUT THERE WAS
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN OTHER AREAS, LIKE ANIMAL
SHELTERS WENT FROM 600 GRAND TO ALMOST DOUBLE, WHICH IS
WHAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT.
>> FOR YEARS. >> I'M TELLING YOU, YOU'VE
GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE ANIMALS, THEY TAKE CARE OF
US. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN
WE'RE IN THE CLEAR FINANCIALLY HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT JOB GROWTH HERE.
IT SEEMS TO ME WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CREEP INTO
SOMETHING AND DO SOMETHING FOR THE CITIZENS, BUT NOT
SPEND A WHOLE TON OF MONEY. IS EVERYONE ON SAFE GROUND
HERE, COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE OKAY, MAYOR IS GOING TO BE
OKAY? WHAT'S YOUR SENSE? >> YEAH, I DON'T SEE THAT
ANYONE IS AT RISK. THERE'S NO RISK TO WHAT'S
GOING ON HERE. I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL
UNFOLDING THE SAME PLAN, MAYBE IT'S GOING IN A
DIFFERENT DIRECTION, IT'S BEING FUNDED DIFFERENTLY.
BUT THERE'S NO RISK. >> WELL, THERE IS A RISK IF
YOU FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS OUT OF OPERATING FUNDS, IN
TERMS OF YOU CAN LET DOWN YOUR CORE SERVICES, YOUR
MUSEUMS. THOSE ARE QUALITY OF LIFE.
>> FIRE DEPARTMENTS. >> AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,
FIRE AND POLICE, AND THOSE MONIES ARE THEN DIVERTED TO
BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS. >> AND I THINK YOU'D AGREE,
SENATOR, WHAT HAPPENED, I THINK -- YOU KNOW, YOU KIND
OF WERE SAYING WHAT HAPPENED.
ON THE OPERATING FUNDS, THE ADMINISTRATION RUNS THOSE.
ON THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, THE CITY COUNCIL GETS TO DO
THOSE. SO IF THEY WOULD HAVE SAID,
MAYOR, WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU DO ALL THAT YOU WANT
WITH THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AND THEN WE
EXPECT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF OUR NEEDS IN YOUR
OPERATING BUDGET, IT'S HARD TO CONTROL THE MAYOR WITH
THAT, BECAUSE THE MAYOR CAN SAY, WE'VE GOT OTHER ISSUES.
SO WHAT YOU DO HERE IS THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE
LEGISLATIVE AND THE EXECUTIVE.
YOU SAY, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE UP THE PLAN, AND YOU
GO FIND THE MONEY FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT OUTSIDE
THIS PLAN. TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR
OPERATING, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUFF IS TAKEN CARE
OF, STUFF ON THE WEST SIDE. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE STUFF THAT THOSE COUNCILORS WERE WORKING ON,
IT'S REALLY STUFF IN THEIR AREAS.
>> NOW YOU'RE GETTING TO WHERE I WAS GETTING AT.
>> I THINK IT'S FUNNY, YOU ASKED LONNA IF ANYBODY WAS
IN TROUBLE, AND I WAS LAUGHING, AND THE REASON I
WAS LAUGHING WAS NOT AT YOUR ANSWER, IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE
YET TO FIND WHEN ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY HAS BEEN
IN TROUBLE FOR SPENDING MORE MONEY.
THEY JUST SEEM TO SPEND IT. AND SO AS LONG AS THEY GET
IT DONE, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS GOING TO BE
ANGRY. BUT THE MINUTE THEY HOLD
SOMEBODY UP, YOU'LL HAVE SOMEBODY ANGRY.
>> THAT'S TRUE. BUT SENATOR, THERE ARE
ISSUES WITH BONDS. FOLKS ARE NATURALLY QUEAZY
ABOUT BONDS VERSUS JUST A STRAIGHT POOL OF MONEY FOR
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PAID
FOR, EVEN THOUGH AS ONE BOND EXPIRES THE NEXT ONE COMING
IN JUST REPLACES IT, THERE'S A THING ABOUT BONDS.
>> WELL, PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO RAISE THEIR
TAXES, WHICH IT DOESN'T, BUT IT'S A HARD MYTH TO DISPEL.
BUT I COULDN'T AGREE WITH DAN MORE ON THIS, THIS IS A
NATURAL, THIS IS A NATURAL TENSION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL
AND THE MAYOR; THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATIVE.
AND THE MAYOR IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR THE WHOLE
CITY AND CITY WIDE PROJECTS, AND THE GOVERNOR STATE WIDE
PROJECTS, AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCILOR GETS
THEIR LITTLE PIECE OF THE PIE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING, THOUGH, I THINK, IS THAT SOME OF THE
COUNCILORS ARE OVERREACHING IN SOME WAYS AND WANTING
MORE FOR THEIR DISTRICTS. I MEAN, WE JUST SAW A BIG
RE-DISTRICTING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHERE ONE DISTRICT
DISAPPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
IT HAPPENS TO BE WHERE I LIVE, AND IN THE CENTER OF
THE CITY, AND WHERE THE BOSQUE IS.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE MUCH LESS CAPITAL GOING TO THAT
AREA NOW BECAUSE IT'S ONLY ONE DISTRICT INSTEAD OF TWO
DISTRICTS. >> THE MAYOR HAS TO BE
SCRATCHING HIS HEAD, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, KIND OF
LIKE TOM WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU EXPECT TO HEAD UP
TO THE RING, GET IN THE RING AND START TO FIGHT, AND
THERE'S YOUR OPPONENT. AND THEN YOU COME BACK IN
BETWEEN ROUNDS AND THEY'RE DIGGING YOU IN THE RIBS AS
YOU'RE SITTING THERE, YOUR OWN GUYS, AND YOU'RE
GOING -- I MEAN, COME ON. I CAN'T BATTLE ALL THESE
FRONTS AT ONE TIME. BUT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOME
TENSION BETWEEN THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THESE TWO
COUNCILORS. >> DESPITE?
>> DESPITE THE SAME PARTY, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOME
CONSTERNATION BETWEEN COUNCILORS HARRIS AND LEWIS
AND MAYOR BERRY. THE BAD NEWS, I THINK, FOR
COUNCILOR LEWIS AND COUNCILOR HARRIS IS THE GUY
THAT KEEPS COMING OUT ON TOP IS MAYOR BERRY, BECAUSE I
THINK HIS POPULARITY IS -- IT'S STILL AMAZING AT HOW
HIGH HIS POPULARITY IS AMONGST PEOPLE IN
ALBUQUERQUE, DEMOCRATS EVEN, I MEAN, HE IS OFF THE
CHARTS. BUT IF YOU KNOW HIM -- I
KNOW THE MAYOR VERY WELL. HE'S A VERY GOOD GUY.
I MEAN, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.
HE'S A LIKEABLE GUY. AND I DO THINK HE HAS THE
BEAUTY OF FOLLOWING A VERY TOUGH POLITICIAN IN MARTY
CHAVEZ, WHO WAS A VERY GOOD, BUT TOUGH POLITICIAN, AND HE
COMES OFF AS THE NONPOLITICIAN GUY, AND I
THINK HE'S STILL RIDING THAT.
I WOULDN'T PICK A FIGHT WITH HIM.
>> YOU ANTICIPATED A NAME, THOUGH, WITH MAYOR CHAVEZ.
INTERESTING, LONNA, THAT DAN JUST MENTIONED THAT, BECAUSE
THAT ADMINISTRATION HAD ITS SHARE OF CAPITAL PROJECT
PROBLEMS. >> OH, YES.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO PLAY GAMES WITH CAPITAL
PROJECTS AND CAPITAL MONEY. BUT TO GO TO DAN'S POINT,
THE SENSE IS, AND THE QUESTION IS, THE SENSE ABOUT
THIS MAYOR AND HOW HE HANDLES MONEY, ARE YOU
FEELING LIKE HE'S A STEADY HAND AT THE WHEEL THERE,
KEEPING WILD EXPENDITURES DOWN?
WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF HIS ANGLE OF ATTACK ON NOW MONEY
WORKS HERE? >> HE'S CERTAINLY TRYING TO
DO THAT, AND HE CERTAINLY WANTS THE VOTERS TO PERCEIVE
THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. OBVIOUSLY HE HAS TO WORK
WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. >> RIGHT.
IS THERE ANY POLITICAL DOWNSIDE TO THIS PLAN, BY
THE WAY? IS IT TOO ESOTERIC FOR SOME
VOTERS HERE TO CHOKE DOWN? IS THIS A DIFFICULTY FOR
SOME PEOPLE? DEDE, DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT
ON THIS? >> WELL, WHEN YOU DO
NOTHING BUT KEEP EVERYTHING EVEN, THEN WHERE ARE THE NEW
JOBS? WHAT HAPPENS WITH ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT? WE ONCE HAD A STEALTH MAYOR,
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ALMOST COMING CLOSE TO THAT.
BUT MEANWHILE, WE ARE STAGNATING ECONOMICALLY.
SO UNLESS HE COMES FORWARD WITH SOME KIND OF
INITIATIVE -- AND THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT FROM LEADERS.
>> BUT IN HIS DEFENSE, SENATOR, IN HIS DEFENSE --
FAR BE IT FOR ME TO DEFEND A REPUBLICAN -- BUT IN HIS
DEFENSE, I THINK THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CITY OF
ALBUQUERQUE ARE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM FOR NEW MEXICO, THE
REGION, AND THE COUNTRY, AND I THINK WHAT THE MAYOR HAS
DONE A GOOD JOB OF, HE HAS REALLY, REALLY, I THINK,
COME OFF AS A CENTER RIGHT PERSON.
HE HASN'T COME OFF AS AN EXTREMIST, HE'S COME OFF AS
SOMEONE WHO IS LISTENING TO BOTH SIDES.
HE'S INCLUDING BEAUTIFICATION THINGS IN
THERE, ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS IN THERE THAT NORMALLY
REPUBLICANS ARE ATTACKED FOR NOT BEING FOR THE BOSQUE,
NOT BEING FOR BIKE PATHS. HE SEEMS TO BE LEADING THE
CHARGE ON A LOT OF THIS STUFF, WHICH IS WHY I THINK
HE'S RIDING SO HIGH IN POPULARITY.
AND AGAIN, NOT THAT COUNCILOR HARRIS OR
COUNCILOR LEWIS ARE GOING TO TAKE ANY ADVICE FROM ME, AND
I'M NOT IN THE POLITICAL CONSULTING GAME, BUT I WOULD
NOT BE PICKING A FIGHT WITH R.J. BERRY.
THE MAYOR, I THINK, IS THOUGHT OF VERY, VERY HIGHLY
IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT'S THE WRONG GUY TO
START GETTING ANGRY WITH. AND I THINK EVENTUALLY HE
MAY SWING, AND WHEN HE SWINGS, I WOULDN'T WANT TO
BE IN HIS WAY. >> AND IT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN. IN ANY POLITICAL RACE, IT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN. SOMEONE IS GOING TO SWING AT
HIM, AND HE'S GOING TO SWING BACK.
TOM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT WAS HIS IDEA
ABOUT AN INNOVATION CENTER. THIS MAY BE A LITTLE UNFAIR
TO YOU, BUT THIS CAME UP DURING -- UNM HAD A BIG
CON-FAB ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOME MONTHS BACK
WHEN DR. FRANK CAME IN AS PRESIDENT, AND THIS IS A
MODEL OFF OF SOMETHING OUT OF GAINSVILLE, FLORIDA.
THIS INNOVATION CENTER BASICALLY TIES TOGETHER A
HI-TECH HUB. BUT HE DIDN'T GET THE
FUNDING FOR IT OUT OF THE COUNCIL.
BUT IT DOES SAY SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE THIS MAYOR I
THINK SEES THE POTENTIAL IN THE CITY.
AM I WRONG ON THAT? BECAUSE IT'S AN INTERESTING
IDEA. >> HE DOES SEE THE
POTENTIAL, IN FACT. I DON'T THINK HE'S ANYWHERE
CLOSE TO SENATOR FELDMAN'S POINT OF BECOMING THE
STEALTH MAYOR OF MAYOR LOUIS SAAVEDRA'S PAST, BUT I THINK
YOU HIT ON PROBABLY HIS GREATEST WEAKNESS, WHICH IS
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. HE DOES SEE THE GREATER
VISION. BERNALILLO COUNTY ALSO HAS
THAT SAME KIND OF VISION OF CREATING TECH CENTERS.
THEY BOTH JUST HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF GOING
ABOUT IT. THE FACT THAT NOTHING HAS
MATERIALIZED I THINK COULD BECOME A THORN IN HIS SIDE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMEBODY WHO IS INVOLVED
IN THE COMMUNITY, REALLY LISTENING TO CONSTITUENTS,
REALLY MAYOR BERRY IS HEADS AND TAILS ABOVE ANY PREVIOUS
MAYOR. >> AND I CAN TELL YOU, THE
TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY HERE IS LOOKING FOR SOME LIGHT FROM
SOMEBODY, THEY REALLY ARE. >> AND GENE, I THINK THAT
HE HAS -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS
WELL IS HE HAS A VERY, VERY STRONG TIE WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, MAYOR BERRY DOES, AND I
THINK MAYOR BERRY IS REALLY WORKING HARD NOT TO GO
REPLICATE THINGS THAT THE UNIVERSITY CAN DO, BUT FIND
WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND EMPOWER THEM
TO DO MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
>> BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
>> I AGREE, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CRACK.
UP NEXT, THE RETURN OF OUR AMERICAN GRADUATE SERIES.