Berry Administration Gambles on Federal Grant Being Approved

The injunctions are denied but the two federal lawsuits and the appeal still continue. https://www.abqjournal.com/874701/u-s-appeals-court-refuses-to-halt-construction-of-abq-rapid-transit.html The Berry Administration is gambling with taxpayer’s money to cram ART down taxpayer’s throats.  Note the fact that the City bears the risk of starting work before the Court of Appeals and the District Court make a final decision in the cases. Also remember the Federal money has yet to be approved.   What this means is, taxpayers just may wind up footing the bill on two major fronts for Berry’s Boondoggle:  the Plaintiff business owners and opponents of ART in the lawsuits could prevail against the City for millions of dollars in damages which will have to be paid by the City. Also, if the Feds wind up denying the $69 million grant, the City will have to find the money elsewhere in the budget.

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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.