Failed Leadership to Diversify Economy

Blaming “mindset” and our reliance of federal funding for a failure to diversify our economy ignores the fact that there has been a complete failure of leadership by the business community and elected officials to do what needs to be done to diversify our economy. https://www.abqjournal.com/874273/nm-mindset-tied-to-death-spiral.html

Organizations such as the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Forum and the National Association of Commerce and Industry (NAIOP) must share some responsibility for having done little next to nothing over the last eight years to to attract new businesses to Albuquerque.  The City of Albuquerque under the Berry Administration has failed to attract one single corporation to re-locate to Albuquerque.

The City of Albuquerque could use all sorts of financial incentives for economic development such as tax increment districts (TIDS), industrial revenue bonds, even fund and economic development investment program for initial start up funding with claw back provisions. The City should be concentrating on growth industries like health care, manufacturing, transportation and shipping and especially the film industry which I think is Albuquerque’s future. Public-Private partnerships in the growth industries where ever possible should be developed.

Albuquerque can turn itself and our economy around with an aggressive and massive investment to reinvent itself like has been done by great American cities such as Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Columbus, Denver and others that have invested billions in their communities.

Albuquerque’s taxpayers must be convinced by its leaders of the importance of investing in major projects, and not just cram such projects down our throats like the ART bus project.

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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.