***image2***Santa Feans have strong political views-and they aren't afraid to share them.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for…
Hold up. You know that song and dance. You still have that "Preamble" ramble wedged somewhere between the "Fourscore" portion of the Gettysburg Address and the chorus to "Jessie's Girl" in your mental filing cabinet. But do those three little words ("We the people") on that raggedy piece of paper (The Constitution) mean anything anymore, other than that our political ancestors really dug calligraphy?
Hard to say.
Don't get us wrong. We're all for life, liberty and the pursuit of…blah, blah, blah. But if the most powerful public servant in the land refuses to answer to the Geneva Convention, what chance does some poor schlub at the Genoveva Chavez Center have of his or her voice being heard?
Here in New Mexico, the tone of public discourse has been placed on mute while political junkies feast
on the corruption and controversy, scandal and intrigue of
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state politics.
In the last year alone, there have been sordid tales of money changing hands in bathroom stalls, FBI tapes played in packed courtrooms, and state political parties adding and subtracting candidates like playing cards. All we're missing is a Deep Throat.
Robert Vigil. Eric Serna. Jeff Armijo. The list of politicians tied to controversy stretches from Las Vegas to Las Cruces.
We know what the state Republican Party thinks about it all.
They've chortled. They've criticized. They even started a blog devoted to the alleged malfeasance of state Democrats called "New Mexico for Sale" (
).
We also know what the Democrats think.
They've quietly sent colleagues tainted by scandal out to pasture. They've apologized profusely and looked sheepishly down at their patent-leather shoes.
What we don't really know is what the Average Joe (or Josephina) thinks about the big, bloody mess that is New Mexico politics. The various political controversies, scandals and hot-button issues have almost exclusively played out in the media. Is there no public outrage or does it just not make the 10 o'clock news?
We aimed to find out. So we did what any red-blooded patriot in George W Bush's America would do.
We ambushed them.
SFR hit the streets of Santa Fe and asked dozens of people what they thought about state and local politics and the issues and concerns nearest and dearest to their hearts. In short, we gave the power back to the people. And here's what the people had to say about it:
"Something that really bothers me is the Patricia Madrid and
Heather Wilson smear campaign [in the First Congressional District race]. That is so unseemly, disgusting and embarrassing, really. It's like two children throwing mud balls at each other. It's such a bitch fight. We all know, especially in New Mexico, that politics is a crapshoot, so they don't need to resort to attacks."
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CJ MacLeod
, 60, is a Santa Fe artist and furniture saleswoman. She's lived in New Mexico since 1998 and identifies herself as "liberal politically" and "conservative personally." She admits to loving
Family Guy
and thinks Gov. Bill Richardson is "the cat's pajamas."
"To be honest, I don't really know a lot
about what's going on in local politics. I went to high school with the mayor's son and I heard the mayor rides his bike to work, which I'm stoked about. That's about it."
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Matt Smith
, 21, has lived in Santa Fe for 12 years and is a waiter at The Shed. Smith is concerned about the future of Warehouse 21, wishes there was less police harassment of youth and has a bicycle tattoo on his left calf.
"I think politics in New Mexico stink. If a little guy like me did
some of the things these politicians are accused of, I'd probably be put in prison for a long time. But they get away with a slap on the wrist…I see a lot of things going wrong, but there's nothing I can really do about it. We need politicians who will help the people of Santa Fe and the State of New Mexico, not just themselves, their friends or the people with the big bucks."
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Joe Mascareñas
, 71, is a New Mexico native and a security guard at Century Bank. He supports Gov. Richardson raising teachers' salaries and bringing the Rail Runner to Santa Fe. He also, half-jokingly, speculates that the $400,000 or so US Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM, has accepted from the oil industry might be the reason for New Mexico's high gas prices.
"I think the education system needs help,
not just in Santa Fe but throughout the entire state. It's really bad. The teachers and the schools need more money. They've cut a lot of teachers in the last couple of years to save money, and that's horrible. We need more teachers, not less."
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Apryl Martinez
, 17, is a senior at Santa Fe High and works at Loungé in the DeVargas Mall. As an aspiring model, Martinez is excited about the prospect of Santa Fe becoming a "mini-Hollywood."
"I think that the [New Mexico Alcohol and Gaming] sting
operation against servers is pretty ridiculous. It's good to check up on that but not to the extent where they're arresting people. I think the penalty should be more with the people who are actually drinking than the people who are trying to check IDs and work 10 tables at the same time."
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Daniel Brewer
, 29, is a lifelong Santa Fean who works in the service industry as a cook and cashier. Brewer last voted in the 2004 presidential election but plans to vote in November. He's a fervent supporter of the city's Living Wage Ordinance and is currently reading
The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
.
"I would like the homeless shelters in
Santa Fe to open earlier. They don't let you in until 10 [pm] even when it's cold outside. And there's no place for us to eat here on the weekends and so we have to panhandle or eat garbage. When you do get to St. Elizabeth's [Shelter] during the week, you
might
get something to eat. Don't get me wrong, it's a good shelter, but the shelters here fill up so full and so fast. If you don't get in early, you're up a creek."
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Little Cochise
, age unknown (though she thinks she's in her 60s), is a homeless Santa Fe native who earns money selling handmade door hangers on the Plaza. Little Cochise says she's named after her great-grandfather, a famous Apache chief named Cochise.
"I think it would be good for New Mexico [if Bill Richardson runs
for president], but he won't make it. He's not an old, white male, and that's the only people they'll take for the job."
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Joey Galassini
, 19, is a Santa Fe native studying to become an athletic trainer. He advocates more activities for teens in Santa Fe and supports Richardson's efforts to bring a major professional sports team to New Mexico.
"With the DUI problem in New Mexico, I
want to know why they continue to sell alcohol at gas stations. [Richardson] says, 'You drink. You drive. You lose.' But then people can just go to the gas station, fill up their car and drive off with a six-pack. You can't stop people from drinking, but you can limit their access. There's plenty of liquor stores around here, so selling alcohol at gas stations just doesn't make any sense to me. It's crazy."
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Sky Kaly
, (age not given), has lived in Santa Fe for nine years, works in the retail industry and is a graduate student at New Mexico Highlands University. She's concerned with the lack of job stability in New Mexico perpetuated by the state's allowance of at-will employment.
"I'm a little worried about the construction of the new
convention center. I think there was a feeling of euphoria when the bulldozers tore down the old Sweeney Center-it almost disappeared overnight-but now the malaise has sunk in worrying about whether the city can really pull it off. Those of us who care about downtown don't want to see that still be a pile of dirt for another umpteen years."
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Larry Keller
, 58, has lived in Santa Fe for 34 years and is president of the Design Warehouse. Among the items currently sold at Keller's store are "Axis of Evil III" finger puppets depicting Donald Rumsfeld, George W Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice. Keller considers his most recent
cause célèbre
to be championing the city's Living Wage Ordinance.
"I think politics are overrated. I think all
[politicians] are corrupt. The only difference is some of them get caught and others don't…I just don't really pay attention to politics too much. I have enough stuff going on in my life to worry about and so do a lot of other people. But I guess that's probably why things get messed up so much is [politicians] figure nobody is really paying attention to what they're doing."
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Christi Luevano
, 24, is a Santa Fe native, works for a temp agency and is studying at Santa Fe Community College to become an emergency room nurse. Luevano despises the city's smoking ordinance and doubts she'll vote in November.
"I think there has been some corruption in the state Democratic
Party that needs to be addressed-and I think it is being addressed to some extent-but I think either party is vulnerable to criticism."
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Bob Mang
, 69, is a "semi-retired" developer who has lived in Santa Fe for 16 years. Mang would like to see the City Council draft a resolution proclaiming its disapproval of the Iraq war.
"It's really hard to trust who's in office
now or any of the candidates, really. It almost seems like [in the November election] I'll be choosing the lesser of two evils rather than voting for somebody I feel really positive about."
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Justin Gonzales
, 23, is a Taos native, currently living in Santa Fe and working in the retail industry. Gonzales likes Santa Fe's economic stability but thinks the crime rate would drop if there were more things for teenagers to do in the city.
"I think [the film industry] has been a great thing. I think it's
brought in a lot of money, jobs and attention to New Mexico. I know when the Coen Brothers movie was here, a lot of my friends were able to work on that project. I think it's been a huge thing for the state and it's been great for the [College of Santa Fe] in particular."
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Ann Gaziano
, 23, is an artist, graphic designer and College of Santa Fe graduate. She is a member of the AD Collective artist group and was named one of the "Six [Artists] to Watch" in the June issue of the
Santa Fean
.
"I think it's pitiful what's going on right
now in politics. Especially the mud-slinging going on from both sides. My thinking is that both Democrats and Republicans have to come together and decide what's best for America. I'm a Republican but I'll vote for Democrats too. I just don't like to see all this division, especially in a time of war."
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Michael Linder
, 70, has lived in Santa Fe for 15 years and is co-owner of the Jewel Mark jewelry store. Linder says he voted for Gov. Bill Richardson in the last gubernatorial election and will likely do the same in November. He also refers to CNN as the "Communist News Network."
"I think the Spaceport is a horrible waste of money, time and
energy. I can't even put into words how much I disagree with that. What is the point? We already don't have enough resources and now our tax dollars are literally going up into space. If you're going to deal with transportation issues, let's be realistic and deal with the problems on this planet first."
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Ruth Trujillo
, 57, is a Santa Fe native and works as a housekeeper. Trujillo is a self-described "political junkie" who thinks the Rail Runner is a great idea, says Mayor David Coss is a "fine man" and would love to see Heather Wilson out of office.
"It feels good to be in a place where my
vote will count in the upcoming election. I think I was one of 17 people in my district in Lubbock [Texas] that voted for Kerry in the last presidential election…I love the political climate here. It doesn't matter who you are-straight, gay, black, white, whatever-everyone's allowed to be themselves."
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Beau Bennett
, 38, is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico and a part-time construction worker. He moved to New Mexico from Texas two months ago and plans to vote for Patricia Madrid and Bill Richardson in November but is hopeful that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wins the 2008 presidency.
"The [Bush] administration's push towards militarization has
taken resources away from state and local governments. Things like education, health care, roads…you name it. I truly believe that local politics are the strength of America. We have some really good local people, and local politics has to be our vision if we ever hope to change the status quo."
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Beverly Busching
, 69, is a retired Santa Fe resident and a member of the Declaration of Peace movement, a nationwide coalition of peace-related organizations.
"[State and local government] is all the
same. It's called control. Why should I pay attention when I can listen to it at the coffee shop? I once tried to vote [in Alabama] and they told me that I couldn't. Why should I vote? Vote for what? Vote for decisions that have already been made? There's nothing to vote on; what there needs to be is action…Everybody is a liar at one time or another, even me. Animals and flowers are the only ones that never let you down."
-Desmond
, 39, is a Santa Fe musician who is originally from Alabama. He's currently trying to earn enough money to leave New Mexico. Desmond travels with two pet goats (Piñon the Goat and Honey) and a dog (Liberty Dog).
"I read about the scandals and all the things that are going on,
but I don't pay much attention to it. That's their problem, not mine…I don't know what Manny [Aragon] did wrong, all I know is they kicked him out. [New Mexico Highlands University] had some problems before and a lot of students stayed away, but it seemed like things were getting better when Manny was there."
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Larry Montaño
, 49, is a New Mexico native, currently lives in Las Vegas (NM) and is a grounds crew supervisor for the state. His daughter graduated from NMHU and his son currently attends the school. Montaño occasionally does maintenance work at the governor's mansion and reports that Bill and Barbara Richardson are "good people."
"I don't keep up with the politics too much
but there are candidates calling me up all the time. There are probably eight messages on my answering machine right now. You know, 'This is Patricia Madrid…' blah, blah, blah. I'll probably vote for Madrid just because I don't really like Heather Wilson, but the calls are more of an irritation than anything else. I think people make up their minds in advance or after reading their voter cards. I don't think a bunch of phone calls are going to change their minds."
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Craig Edwards
, 38, has lived in New Mexico for 27 years and is a truck driver for National Distributing in Albuquerque. Edwards says he delivers mostly wine to Santa Fe bars and stores and that Gallup is his heaviest "booze run." He voted for Richardson in 2002 and plans to vote for him again in November.
"The state education system has gotten way worse, I think. My
recommendation to most parents is to have them put their kids in a private school…Is this not a priority to our politicians? Do they not care or do they just not see the problem? This is our future we're talking about. If we fail to educate our kids properly, we're going to pay a heavy price down the road."
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Bernadette Montoya
, 55, is a Santa Fe native who works as a survey interviewer for the Department of Health. She has four children and six grandchildren. Her grandchildren convinced her to work as a carousel operator at Santa Fe Place on her day off.
"There's always something dirty going on
in politics, especially when there are no regulations on the amount of money spent on campaigns…I'm going to vote in the state election, but I'm probably more interested to see what happens in other states. It looks like a lot of incumbents might lose and that'll shake things up."
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Jerome Lovato
, 21, is a Santa Fe native and a salesman at GNC. Lovato is a former Capital High student and a graduate of the Career Academy. He says Richardson is "disgracing his Southwestern heritage" by accepting money from the oil industry.
"I'm for Richardson all the way. I think he's done a lot for all of
us, not just the white-collar people."
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Kenneth Shearer
, 46, is a silversmith and construction worker. Shearer has lived in New Mexico for four years, sells his handmade jewelry on the Plaza and says he was babysat by current Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius when both were growing up in rural Kansas.
"I like that Bill Richardson understands
that he has to put a lot of money into education in this state. I have a friend who's a teacher who had to take a $12,000 pay cut to come here from California…I like Richardson as a personality and I appreciate the job he's doing, but I'm always suspicious of the things that we don't hear about. I always wonder what is really going on with the back-door old-boy politics that this state is famous for."
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Conner Emrys
, 56, has lived in Santa Fe for nearly 20 years and is a songwriter and author of children's books. He plans to vote in November and thinks that Patricia Madrid has been balanced as attorney general and that David Coss has the potential to be an excellent mayor.
"I think [the impending nuclear plant in southern New Mexico] is
an absolutely odious idea. It should absolutely not be done anywhere under any circumstances, especially in such a clean and beautiful state like New Mexico. I thought we were over the whole [nuclear] thing years ago."
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Landa Priddy
, 57, has lived in Santa Fe for nine years and is self-employed. Priddy supports the Spaceport project (as long as it doesn't harm the environment).
"In Montana, we have one of the most
corrupt politicians around with Sen. Conrad Burns-he took a ton of [disgraced lobbyist] Jack Abramoff's money-and people still love him for some reason. It just seems that politics is full of corruption no matter where you are and it'll stay like that as long as there's money and lobbyists influencing elections. It's hard to even watch the campaigns anymore because you never know what the truth is because everyone is spinning the information."
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Rochelle D'Attilio
, 24, is a Montana native, has lived in Santa Fe for more than a year, is studying video production at SFCC and works at the La Montañita Co-op natural food store.
"What happened with the State Treasurer's Office is a disgrace.
As a small business owner, I work really hard-I work long hours and I know that I have to pay the bills first, even if that means not paying myself. It's just not right what happened. I think if [Robert Vigil] loses, he should be forced to pay the state back the money that he [allegedly] took."
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Monica Gomez
, 47, is a Santa Fe native and co-owner of Quintana Optical. She used to work for the state Legislature and subsequently changed her political affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
"Politicians-Democrat or
Republican-always do stupid things. But the [state scandals] aren't enough for me to vote Republican. I'll vote, but I'll still push the Democrat button."
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Lizzie Whitman
, 24, has lived in Santa Fe for six years, is a graduate of St. John's College and works as a salesperson/paper technician at Paper Gami. Whitman thinks the Rail Runner is a great idea but won't be around to ride it as she's relocating soon to be an English teacher in the Czech Republic.
"Politics in this state are completely out of whack. I say throw
the bums out. All of them. I think there's more corruption [in New Mexico] than there used to be. It's just not as honest, from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom. For years I've seen them take care of the rich and not the poor. The poor man doesn't have a chance."
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Lovell Horton
, 74, is a retired New Mexico native and longtime Santa Fe resident. Before retirement, Horton worked at various jobs, including a stint as a semiprofessional basketball player.
"I think there have been a lot of positive
changes done with education. Teachers are getting more money and it seems like the test scores have been getting better. A few years back it wasn't so hot, but I think it's headed in the right direction."
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Gail Martinez
, 41, is a New Mexico native who has been working at Starbucks for less than a week. A former computer programmer for the state, Martinez says she doesn't like politics, partly from the fallout over the infamous 1980 state penitentiary riot, during which her father was the prison warden.
"I got my voter [identification card] for extra credit in my English
class last year, so I might as well vote. I don't know who I'd vote for-I'd have to do some research-but I wouldn't re-elect Richardson. I don't believe in re-election. I think politicians do enough damage with the four years they have."
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Brian Nowlen
, 20, is a New Mexico native and a full-time student at Santa Fe Community College. Nowlen is skeptical about Richardson's national ambitions and says television news is too depressing to watch regularly.
"I don't really pay attention to the political
stuff going on around here. I pay more attention to national things like the president and the war in Iraq…One thing I would like to see is the Living Wage raised. The minimum wage is fine, I guess, but it's still way too expensive to live in Santa Fe."
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Jennifer Vigil
, 22, is a New Mexico native and is studying to become an EMT. Vigil plans to move to Hawaii soon in search of "something new, something better than New Mexico." When she votes, she votes "non-Bush."
"I don't think Bill Richardson is a bad governor or anything, but I
think he should pay more attention to education. We need more teachers who care at Santa Fe High. Some of them do, but a lot of them don't. A lot of the students don't seem to care about education-they can skip class whenever they want and still pass with an A-so I'm guessing some of the teachers just give up."
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Paige Stone
, 17, is a senior at Santa Fe High School. Stone moved to Santa Fe from California about three years ago. She plans on voting after she turns 18 in April.
"What I'm really proud about in this city is
how everyone really puts an effort toward conserving water. It's not the same in Phoenix, where nobody conserves water. It's awful and it's embarrassing. Still, I see the [City of Santa Fe] street sweeper every morning spraying the streets with water, which is kind of funny, but I guess you have to keep downtown looking good for the tourists."
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Mary Kassels
, 38, relocated to Santa Fe from Phoenix six months ago and works at the Go-Cart coffee cart on Marcy Street. Kassels has two young children and is concerned about the public education system in New Mexico. She also loves the bumper stickers in Santa Fe.
"There needs to be more help for the poor and the homeless. If
we could get churches, private organizations or even the city to help out more, it would make a big difference. People look at the homeless like we're the scum of the earth and we're not. We're just people having a hard time. And it's just going to get worse until the economy gets better."
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Anthony McEwen
, 32, is a homeless New Mexico native currently living at St. Elizabeth's Shelter and working as a newspaper street vendor. McEwen says he's paid 8 cents for every paper (32 cents for every Sunday edition) he sells. He supports the Rail Runner project and is worried about the lack of funding for local methadone clinics.
"I'm a little disenchanted with politics
right now. A few years ago, I decided to completely detach myself from any involvement when I came to the conclusion that my vote really wasn't making a difference. In the grand scheme of things, my objectives in life are the same but I couldn't care less about politics anymore."
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Dale Stewart
, 38, is a Santa Fe artist originally from Bethesda, Md. Despite his aversion to politics, Stewart acknowledges that he would be interested in Bill Richardson running for president.
"To me, [the political scandals] are not really surprising. It's just
part of the way things have been done in the past in New Mexico. It is disappointing, but hopefully all this scandal will teach the candidates and the [voters] that they need to pay more attention to what's going on."
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Francine Diaz
, 23, is a Las Vegas (NM) native who's lived in Santa Fe for more than two years. She works at the Santa Fe Community College library and the Inn of the Anasazi while studying computer science at SFCC. Diaz recently registered to vote for the first time but is undecided whether or not she'll vote in November.
"I honestly don't know much about
what's going on with local politics. It's tough to pay attention when you're working a million jobs, going to school and just trying to pay rent. I think affordable housing is a really big deal. That's the only reason why I'd leave Santa Fe. Even with the Living Wage, it's hard just to pay the bills."
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Lauren Peterson
, 23, is a graduate of the College of Santa Fe and works as an office assistant, house/dog/babysitter, photographer and guide at SITE Santa Fe (among other things). Her most exciting Santa Fe celebrity moment was running into Lisa Bonet at Maya.
"If you were Superman or Spider-Man and you got into a
[financial] hole, you'd probably use your special powers to get some money. Power does that to people. Some politicians can be good, but greed almost always wins out over their duties and responsibilities. As far as I've noticed, there's not a lot of corruption in the United States, at least compared to East Africa. Politicians here can be corrupt, but they can literally get away with murder in Africa."
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Faheem Walji
, 23, is a Tanzania native who has lived in New Mexico for more than a year. Walji works at Intel in Rio Rancho and is an international student at SFCC. He's a huge Manchester United soccer fan and thinks the Madrid/Wilson television ads are "good entertainment."
"I wish there was an option on the ballot
to vote 'no confidence' for either candidate. The congressional race [between Madrid and Wilson] is a circus right now. I'd rather vote for neither of them. That's the kind of situation that keeps people from voting because you don't really want to vote for either of them. I don't want to vote just for the sake of voting, I want to know who I'm voting for and feel good about it."
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Edward Mier
, 46, is a lifetime Santa Fean and the owner of Traditions furniture store. He says the most popular item purchased at his store is dining room sets. Mier is undecided whether or not he'll vote in the November election.
• Important dates for the general election are Oct. 10 (voter registration closes and absentee voting begins), Oct. 21 (early in-person voting begins at alternate sites), Nov. 4 (absentee voting ends and early in-person voting begins at regular polling sites) and Nov. 7 (general election day). The polls are open on election day from 7 am until 7 pm.
• Early in-person voting begins on Oct. 10 at the Santa Fe County Clerk's office, Oct. 21 at five alternate polling places (the Santa Fe County Fair Building, the Pojoaque Fire Station, Edgewood Fire Station #1, the Cimarron Office Complex and in Santa Cruz at 153 Camino de Quintana) before early in-person voting starts at regular polling places on Nov. 4.
• The Santa Fe County Clerk's office is offering poll workers up to $130 per person. Duties include opening and closing the polls, monitoring the election and offering assistance to voters. Poll workers must be at least 18, be a registered voter in Santa Fe County and be able to work the entirety of election day (Nov. 7).
• According to the Santa Fe County Clerk, there are 13 positions specific to Santa Fe County up for election. Of those 13, only one race (Democrat David Segura versus Republican Margaret Garduño for Magistrate Judge, Division 1) is contested. Incumbents running for re-election hold 10 of the 12 uncontested seats.
• The Nov. 7 general election ballot will also include four constitutional amendments proposed by the state Legislature. The four deal with property rights, state building lease agreements, affordable housing and establishing a state Water Trust Fund.
• According to the New Mexico Secretary of State's office, 90,337 voters were registered in Santa Fe County as of Sept. 20. The majority of those voters were Democrats (62 percent) followed by Republicans (18 percent). The remaining 20 percent either declined to state their party affiliation or listed it as "other."
• Santa Fe County has the third highest total number (90,337) of registered voters in New Mexico. The highest is Bernalillo County (345,557) and the second highest is Doña Ana County (95,093). The county with the highest percentage of registered Democrats is Guadalupe (85 percent) and the county with the highest percentage of Republicans is Lincoln (58 percent).
NOVEMBER REIGN
For more information on upcoming elections:
New Mexico Secretary of State
, 827-3600
Santa Fe County Clerk
, 986-6239
New Mexico Democratic Party
, 505-830-3650
New Mexico Republican Party
, 505-298-3662
