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Letter America: Dear Author
Letter America May 4, 2013 Jonathan Franzen ... More
May 06, 2013 By Robert Wilder Comments 0
News
08.10.2011
4 Comments
Block's resignation: wishful thinking?
His former opponent thinks so
By Joey Peters
It's unlikely Jerome Block's will step down from his role with the Public Regulation Commission amid two high-profile scandals, his former opponent says.
Rick Lass, who ran for the District 3 PRC seat on the Green Party ticket, says Block will likely wait it out.
"I think he's going to fight it out to the end and wait for the legislature to impeach him," Lass tells SFR.
While Block is currently under investigation for allegedly spending $8,000 of state money in gas receipts and stealing and abandoning a Honda Accord, he's shown that he can make it through rough stretches like this.
In 2008, Block marked $2,500 worth of public campaign money to a band for playing at one of his rallies on a campaign finance reports. It turned out that band never played at the rally, even though Block repeatedly said so. He eventually admitted he lied.
Around the same time, Block made a donation to then-Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign with his own public campaign money, something he's barred from doing.
Still, Block won the general election easily that year after winning a six-way Democratic primary with about 20 percent of the vote. Lass blames this on a broken electoral system in a blog post today for Voting Matters, an election-reform oriented nonprofit which he runs.
Block has often been MIA at his PRC job since winning it. As of May, he had missed 11 of the commission's 31 meetings in 2011. This doesn't include the proceedings he missed yesterday when the PRC's four other members signed a statement recommending his resignation.
Block's family has political legacy in New Mexico.
"He's someone who felt entitled to his position," Lass says. "His grandfather and father did it before him."
Long before serving the PRC, he had a minor criminal history. Today, he makes about $90,000 a year for his PRC role.
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"Still, Block won the general election easily that year..." He'd be a fool to resign. His constituency, largely products of the Santa Fe public school system, voted him into office KNOWING IN ADVANCE that he was a crook and a liar. Recent event have shown he is... a crook and a liar. Since that obviously was no barrier to him last time around, why should it suddenly become one now? Northern New Mexicans simply love to vote for the stupid and corrupt offsprings of the people who have been ripping them off from political office for years. (See Lujan, Ben Ray) If your father is corrupt, and you are a Democrat, run for office in Northern New Mexico. You'll have a long and easy political career. Beats working for a living!
Zebra's comment above sounds elitist. "producst of the public school system". Geez, I am sorry that you have to share the same air with the dregs of society. By the way, Block and Lujan Junior went to private school, St. Mikes. Where did you go, Elite Apartheid High?
sounds like Osmodo is pretty close to this chimichanga eating bull dyke. I am sure they snort lines of oxycotton together
Elitist? Let's see: Is there ANYONE out there, regardless of financial status who thinks SF public schools are functioning properly? Is there ANYONE out there regardless of financial status who still thinks Block isn't a liar and crook? Normally, comments like that would be as controversial as saying the sky is blue. Unless of course, YOU are a "producst" of the Santa Fe public schools, and/or a relative/beneficiary of Block's criminal activities. If you need a further affirmation that your admiration of this sleazebag is justified, read the editorial in today's issue of the New Mexican. If you aren't already the editor of that rag, you ought to be, Osmodo.