Mayor Tim Keller, All 9 City Councilors And Government Employees Block Constituent Emails; “Black Balling” Reflects Lengths City Hall Goes To Stifle Critics And Violate Rights Of Free Speech And Press; Unanswered Questions  

This blog article reveals the lengths Mayor Tim Keller, all 9 Albuquerque City Councilors and city hall employees have gone to stifle critics or simply ignore what is said about their actions, votes and policies. Blocking of emails is occurring at city hall when citizens express their feelings on hot-button issues or disagree politically or personally with an elected official. It’s an affront to democracy by suppressing free speech and the press.  As elected officials, they want to pick or exclude who they want to hear from on issues and policies and who they want to get email from.

PETE DINELLI NEWS AND COMMENTARY POLITICAL BLOG

www.PeteDinelli.com is a News and Commentary political blog that began publishing on October 27, 2016.  Over the last 6 years 1,662 blog articles  written by Pete Dinelli have been published.  According to the blog’s tabulator maintained by a paid administrator, the blog articles average between 75,000 to 80,000  total views and reads a year.  The blog itself is a hobby in retirement.  There is no advertising, it does not generate income and is written as a community service.  Dinelli Blog articles are first published separately at www.PeteDinelli.com and then posted separately on FACEBOOK. Blog article titles and links to them are emailed to others.

The goal is to make blog articles informative and insightful based on research and to propose solutions to problems identified.  Past blog articles have been on topics such as the Department Of Justice Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA), federal court hearings on the CASA, the criminal justice system, the minimum wage, mandatory sick leave, public finance campaigns, economic development, abortion rights, gun control, the unhoused, economic development, municipal and state elections, the New Mexico State legislature and city, state and national news and politics.  The articles contain links to research materials and news articles followed by “Commentary and Analysis” where solutions are proposed.  Every effort is made to avoid politcal gossip.

Dinelli blog articles reporting on the Department Of Justice Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA), the federal court status conference hearings and the Federal Monitor’s reports have been emailed to the Federal Court and the parties to the lawsuit.  The court has docketed the blog articles in the court record as public comment  and as such  they  are part of the case public record . The articles have been emailed with the titles of the article and links to them  to the APD Command Staff,  City Attorney, the  Mayor and City Councilors and were never returned as undelivered.  A link to a blog article listing blog articles is here:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2021/12/23/dinelli-blog-articles-on-the-doj-reforms-federal-monitors-reports-apd-and-the-police-union/

Ever since publication began, the blog article titles and links have been emailed to elected city, county and state officials and appointed officials with the hope that they would read the articles. The News and Commentary section is offered to state a position, stimulate discussion and debate and offer solutions.  I submit guest opinion columns to the Albuquerque Journal and the online news agency “The New Mexico Sun” on a regular basis which have been published by those news outlets.

TWO RECENT PUBLISHED BLOG ARTICLES RESULTING IN BLOCKING

On Wednesday, March 22, the following blog article with its link was published:

“City Pays Obscene Millions Of Overtime To Select Few First Responders Despite Repeated Scandals Of Paying 2 and 3 Times Base Pay;  $34,380 Bonus And Longevity Pay To  19  Year Cop Veterans; An In Depth Review Of The 4 Year History Of Overtime Abuse Allowed By Hapless Mayor Tim Keller And City Council”

https://www.petedinelli.com/2023/03/22/city-pays-obscene-millions-of-overtime-to-select-few-first-responders-despite-repeated-scandals-of-paying-2-and-3-times-base-pay-34380-bonus-and-longevity-pay-to-18-year-veterans/

The March 22 blog article title and link was emailed to Mayor Tim Keller, the City Councilors,  Department Directors, including APD and the Fire Department and support staff and all 9 Albuquerque City Councilors and their support staff. None of the emails were returned as undeliverable nor blocked. The blog article likely  hit a major nerve because individual salaries and names were given of Department heads and city employees, all of which is public record and found on a city web page listing the top 250 wage earners at city hall.

On Thursday, March 23,  the following blog article was published:

“APD Chief Harold Medina Embellishes City’s “Slight”  Decline In Crime Rates Claiming APD Fighting “Perception Of Crime”;  Reality Is ABQ Has Become Violent City; “Figures Don’t Lie, But Liars Figure” And Programs Fail”

https://www.petedinelli.com/2023/03/23/apd-chief-harold-medina-embellishes-citys-slight-decline-in-crime-rates-claiming-apd-fighting-perception-of-crime-reality-is-abq-has-bec/

Within 15 minutes of sending the March 23 email with the blog article title and link, 108 emails ostensibly sent by the City of Albuquerque Information Technology (IT) Department were received by Pete Dinelli on his private AOL email account.  Each email received stated:

“Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.<ADDRESS OF RECIPIENT [containing name of city employee]>: …  < ADDRESS OF RECIPIENT>: Recipient address rejected: BLOCK-SENDER”

 The postscript to this blog article lists the individual email addresses from which returns were sent stating “Recipient address rejected: BLOCK-SENDER”

SYSTEMIC CITY-WIDE BLOCKS

Other emails were sent to determine the extent to which Dinelli emails have been blocked by city employees.  It has been determined that at least 251  city employees have had their email addresses block Dinelli emails and each again contained the following:

“Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address. <ADDRESS OF RECIPIENT [containing name of city employee]>: …  < ADDRESS OF RECIPIENT>: Recipient address rejected: BLOCK-SENDER”

The 251 emails are  from the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, the Internal Audit Department, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Family and Community Services Department and  the Planning Department.  APD staff that have blocked include the APD Chief, the Deputy Chiefs, Area Commanders and Captains. The Chief and Deputy Chiefs of the Fire and Rescue Department have also blocked.  The Internal Audit Department has also blocked.

Telephone contact has been made with various city hall employees listed below in the postscript.  Those contacted have advised that they were unaware that their emails are blocking Dinelli emails.

 COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Dinelli emails were sent with the intent to comment upon and to make part of the record opinions on the activities of the mayor, all the city councilors, department and the official business of the city.  It is protected free speech.

Because of the swift rejection and notification  from 251  city hall employees, one immediately received right after another, it is clear the emails sent were rejected all at once by the City’s Information Technology (IT) Department.  What is also abundantly clear is that there has been a city-wide blocking that is systemic. Telephone contact was  made with city hall  sources  and they confirmed  that they  were unaware, not told and had not asked  that Dinelli emails be blocked.

It is painfully obvious that a direct order was given by someone within the Keller Administration to block all Pete Dinelli emails sent to the mayor, all 9 city councilors and their appointees,  support staff and departments.  An order to block was likely given because of recent blog articles that have been critical of Mayor Tim Keller, his administration and the City Council, none of whom want to hear from any critic.

BLOCKING VIOLATES FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

The Dinelli blog is clearly marked “NEWS AND COMMENTARY” and as such it is no different than any other on-line news outlet. City Councilor Pat Davis owns 3 such news outlets, yet he has blocked Dinelli emails distributing the Dinelli news and commentary articles. The Albuquerque Journal and all 3 local TV news agencies would under no circumstances tolerate such blockage of their reporters and would consider it an affront of first amendment rights and the right of “free speech” and “freedom of the press”.

It’s likely the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a position on government blocking of emails seeing that it has already opined that elected officials cannot block on social media posts of critics, something Mayor Keller is known to have done on his FACEBOOK page.  The ACLU has said that public officials can block on social media comments NOT protected by the First Amendment, such as remarks that make a true and immediate threat to another person, incite others to imminently violate the law, or contain obscene language as outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, comments that  criticize the elected official or government agency on a particular subject are allowed and cannot be deleted or blocked.  It is more likely than not that Federal  Courts would rule that government officials cannot block emails from  private citizens or the press that are protected free speech and sent in the regular course of business.

Court Rules Public Officials Can’t Block Critics on Facebook

https://www.aclunebraska.org/en/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-social-media-censorship-public-officials#:~:text=Public%20officials%20can%20block%20comments,by%20the%20U.S.%20Supreme%20Court.

LIKELY REASONS FOR BLOCKING

Recent Dinelli blog articles over the last few months have included articles that have opposed Mayor Tim Keller’s initiatives, individual City Councilors sponsored legislation, actions and votes, APD Chief Harold Medina and APD Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos, Mayor Tim Keller’s “Housing Forward ABQ Plan” and city hall salaries and overtime pay abuses.   Articles have been published opposing Safe Outdoor Spaces for the unhoused and proposed zoning changes to allow casitas and two-family home additions in all areas of the City.

I assisted privately pro bono with the writing of the Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood Association appeal of the Dawn Legacy application for a Safe Outdoor Space on Menaul with the appeal successful and granted by the hearing officer. It was referred to the City Council who will have the final say.

I have attended 3 city sponsored events on Keller’s “Housing Forward ABQ Plan” and have questioned city staff voicing objections and concerns.  I also took Mayor Keller to task over violating the state anti-donation clause and spending $260,000 to buy artificial turf for a private football team and installing the turf in a Rio Rancho facility.

CENSORSHIP AND VIOLATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

The blocking of Dinelli emails is so very wrong on too many levels and those levels include the following:

  1. It is considered censorship and a flagrant attempt to stifle free speech and to suppress critics.
  2. It deprives constituents and the public the right to contact their duly elected city officials and public safety officials.
  3. The mass blocking of any  E-Mail that involves city business  constitutes abuse of City Information Technology (IT) System paid for by taxpayers.
  4. E-mail accounts are not the elected official’s property nor the individual employee’s property and they do not have the right of censorship by blocking a person’s emails because they do not want them or do not care to read them.
  5. There is no right of expectation of privacy when it comes to city email accounts. The email addresses are a matter of public record that the public are entitled to access and send communications.
  6. Any citizen who is blocked by APD and Albuquerque Fire and Rescue can be placed into jeopardy unable to make contact by email to report and document incidents.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

This is not the first time and attempt has been made to stifle free speech by the city officials and departments.

I have had sharp email exchanges with my own city Councilor and 2 others where we have  disagreed on an issue  and it resulted in all 3  demanding I stop emailing them and they attempted  to block me. I have also sent emails to the city attorney asking for information on pending litigation and never received a response and now have been block by the city attorney.

Every citizen has the right to contact their elected officials and government officials by email and freely complain and voice their opinions, no matter how negative or unfair the elected or government officials feels it is. To block any email sent with the intent that it be received as official business to find out information or express an opinion is politcal retaliation at its core and it needs to stop immediately.

In the not-too-distant past, the on-line news agency ABQ Raw was forced to publicly voice objections over being denied information they were entitled to and it did so at a City Council meeting.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

There are 4 major questions that need answering:

  1. How many other emails of private citizens or for that matter of the press or reporters have been blocked by Mayor Keller, the City Council, city employees and Departments?
  2. How many city employees actually requested Dinelli emails be blocked or know that emails are being block without their knowledge or consent?
  3. Did the city IT and at the direction of someone within the Keller Administration solicit or compile a list of city hall employees who received Dinelli emails with the intent to block them?
  4. Who ordered that Dinelli emails be blocked?

These 4 questions cannot be asked by Pete Dinelli if emails are blocked without explanation.  Perhaps someone else or the media who have not been blocked can ask these very questions.

___________________________

POSTSCRIPT

Telephone contact has been made with various city hall employees listed below in this  postscript and they have advised that they were unaware that their emails are blocking Dinelli emails.

EMAIL ADDRESES OF STAFF WITHIN THE MAYOR’S OFFICE WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS  HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

MayorKellerIQ@cabq.gov  (Mayor Tim Keller)

tkeller@cabq.gov  (Mayor Tim Keller)

lrael@cabq.gov  (Chief Administrative Officer Lawrence Rael)

sbhakta@cabq.gov (Sanjay Bhakta, City Chief Financial Officer)

aaronnieto@cabq.gov  (Aaron Nieto, Mayor’s Constituent Services Aide)

vvaldez@cabq.gov    (Victor Valdez, Superintendent of Police Reform)

robertwhite@cabq.gov  (Robert M. White, Associate Chief Administrative Officer)

lkeefe@cabq.gov    (Laura Keefe, Albuquerque City Attorney)

cpierce@cabq.gov    (Carol Pierce, Director of Family Community Services)

lisahuval@cabq.gov  (Lisa Huval, Deputy Director of Family Community Services)

avarela@cabq.gov (Alan Varela, Planning Department Director)

aarmijo@cabq.gov  (Alan Armijo, Mayors Office of Constituent Services)

dmartinez@cabq.gov  (Damon Martinez, APD Policy Analyst)

hmedina@cabq.gov  (Harold Medina, APD Police Chief)

gilbertgallegos@cabq.gov  (Gilbert Gallegos, APD Spokesman)

 EMAILS ADDRESES  OF CITY COUNCILORS AND STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS   HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

tfiebelkorn@cabq.gov (City Councilor Tammy Fiebelcorn)

ibenton@cabq.gov   (City Councilor Issac Benton)

danlewis@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Dan Lewis)

rgrout@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Renee Grout)

lesanchez@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Louis Sanchez)

patdavis@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Pat Davis)

trudyjones@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Trudy Jones)

kpena@cabq.gov (City Councilor Klarissa Pena)

bbassan@cabq.gov  (City Councilor Brook Basaan)

lrummler@cabq.gov (City Councilor Tammy Fiebelcorn’s Administrative Assistant)

EMAIL ADDRESSES OF CITY INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS  HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

marisavargas@cabq.gov
vmeza@cabq.gov
marisavargas@cabq.gov

cbarros-montoya@cabq.gov

stmartin@cabq.gov

lcrendon@cabq.gov

EMAIL ADDRESSES OF APD COMMAND STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

hmedina@cabq.gov

jbrown@cabq.gov

cbarker@cabq.gov

clowe@cabq.gov

msmathers@cabq.gov

jgriego@cabq.gov

gilbertgallegos@cabq.gov

ajaramillo@cabq.gov,

dsaladin@cabq.gov

llanguit@cabq.gov

tespinosa@cabq.gov

snorris@cabq.gov

pduran@cabq.gov

jgarcia@cabq.gov

jviers@cabq.gov

khartsock@cabq.gov

dsaladin@cabq.gov

jbrown@cabq.gov

jcollins@cabq.gov

snorris@cabq.gov

rbarraza@cabq.gov

llanguit@cabq.gov

mdietzel@cabq.gov

msmathers@cabq.gov

mmeisinger@cabq.gov

tbowie@cabq.gov

tapodaca@cabq.gov

jviers@cabq.gov

nwheeler@cabq.gov

mmeisinger@cabq.gov

jgriego@cabq.gov

larmijo@cabq.gov

cbarker@cabq.gov

nsanders@cabq.gov

khartsock@cabq.gov

jjanopoulos@cabq.gov

rnelson@cabq.gov

clowe@cabq.gov

ajaramillo@cabq.gov

jgriego@cabq.gov

rlegendre@cabq.gov

dfranklin@cabq.gov

jsanchez@cabq.gov

dmartinez@cabq.gov

jcollins@cabq.gov

gweber@cabq.gov

dsaladin@cabq.gov

mdietzel@cabq.gov

llanguit@cabq.gov

snorris@cabq.gov

tespinosa@cabq.gov

pduran@cabq.gov

jgarcia@cabq.gov

jyara@cabq.gov

tespinosa@cabq.gov

zwesley@cabq.gov

jviers@cabq.gov

EMAIL ADDRESSES OF FIRE AND RESCUE CHIEF COMMAND STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

evjaramillo@cabq.gov

kferando@cabq.gov

santosgarcia@cabq.gov

nmeisner@cabq.gov

kromero@cabq.gov

EMAIL ADDRESSES OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE DEPARTMENT STAFF  WHOSE  EMAIL ADDRESSES  HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

cpierce@cabq.gov

lisahuval@cabq.gov

fcsinfo@cabq.gov

mbriscoe@cabq.gov

ebenavidez@cabq.gov

jotero@cabq.gov

msena@cabq.gov

marmijo@cabq.gov

ebraden@cabq.gov

mtmontoya@cabq.gov

EMAIL ADDRESES OF PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS  HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

avarela@cabq.gov

asalas@cabq.gov

jwolfley@cabq.gov

jaranda@cabq.gov

jkeiser@cabq.gov

rrose@cabq.gov

jwolfley@cabq.gov

twalsh@cabq.gov

rlucerocabq.gov

asalas@cabq.gov

codeenforcement@cabq.gov

clehner@cabq.gov

mmyers@cabq.gov

dking@cabq.gov

steven@stevenchavezlawfirm.com

EMAIL ADDRESES OF CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS  HAVE BLOCKED DINELLI EMAILS

dlara@cabq.gov

chrisjchavez@cabq.gov

ckay@cabq.gov

mmitchell@cabq.gov

sonjaromero@cabq.gov

swheeler@cabq.gov

cmccrossen@cabq.gov

rcavalier@cabq.gov

smgarcia@cabq.gov

gmarques@cabq.gov

msilva@cabqmbdacenter.com

mzientek@cabq.gov

trtaylor@cabq.gov

randy@nmtradealliance.org

cnunez@cabq.gov

mleech@cabq.gov

sgriffin@cabq.gov

mdimenna@cabq.gov

cpierce@cabq.gov

jmartinez@cabq.gov

mscott@cabq.gov

asanchez@cabq.gov

mwhelan@cabq.gov

shults@cabq.gov

kmitchell@cabq.gov

mlozoya@cabq.gov

kreed@cabq.gov

ksourisseau@cabq.gov

ltruong@cabq.gov

zamoraisabelle82@gmail.com

mcarter@cabq.gov

mmatishak@cabq.gov

naperry@cabq.gov

augustineromero@cabq.gov

OTHER EMAIL ADDRESSES OF CITY HALL EMPLOYEES WHOSE EMAIL ADDRESS BLOCK DINELLII EMAILS

Following are the email addresses of city employees who have blocked emails from Pete Dinelli  and include employees who work for APD, the Planning Department, the Family and Community Services Department, the City Council and Mayor Keller.  The email addresses of city employees who attended by ZOOM federal court hearings on the CASA and who provided their email addresses to the court are also listed.  The emails addresses were obtained by reviewing city department personnel listings or received in sperate emails: 

khartsock@cabq.gov

larmijo@cabq.gov

asalas@cabq.gov

dcawley@cabq.gov

clehner@cabq.gov

truiz@cabq.gov

nwheeler@cabq.gov

mbriscoe@cabq.gov

tbowie@cabq.gov

tespinosa@cabq.gov

dfranklin@cabq.gov

tapodaca@cabq.gov

msena@cabq.gov

nmeisner@cabq.gov

mmyers@cabq.gov

galvarez@cabq.gov

eholguin@cabq.gov

dawnmarie@cabq.gov

cortega@cabq.gov

namolina@cabq.gov

mrenz@cabq.gov

vstjohn.pob@cabq.gov

rrmiller@cabq.gov

kmensah@cabq.gov

seanforan@cabq.gov

emoore@cabq.gov

nsanders@cabq.gov

cortega@cabq.gov

mdimenna@cabq.gov

gbachicha@cabq.gov

rbarraza@cabq.gov

galvarez@cabq.gov

mmeisinger@cabq.gov

dsimon@cabq.gov

jhejny@cabq.gov

tbowie@cabq.gov

tcovington@cabq.gov

arromero@cabq.gov

jviers@cabq.gov

jgarcia@cabq.gov

mmanriquez@cabq.gov

khartsock@cabq.gov

rmhernandez@cabq.gov

jjanopoulos@cabq.gov

jyara@cabq.gov

jrodenbeck@cabq.gov

cmelendrez@cabq.gov

dparras@cabq.gov

agarcia@cabq.gov

rmcdermott@cabq.gov

rebner@cabq.gov

dsaladin@cabq.gov

gweber@cabq.gov

jareeves@cabq.gov

zwesley@cabq.gov

zcottrell@cabq.gov

bmaceachen@cabq.gov

kmorrow@cabq.gov

blong@cabq.gov

galvarez@cabq.gov

mrenz-whitmore@cabq.gov

julianmoya@cabq.gov

jmaranda@cabq.gov

jwolfley@cabq.gov

ASalas@cabq.gov

mrenz@cabq.gov

vstjohn.pob@cabq.gov

llanguit@cabq.gov

rlegendre@cabq.gov

tespinosa@cabq.gov

cbarker@cabq.gov

mtmontoya@cabq.gov

evjaramillo@cabq.gov

caortega@cabq.gov

patrick@cabq.gov

ebraden@cabq.gov

dmanzano@cabq.gov

kferando@cabq.gov

jdamazyn@cabq.gov

jgarcia@cabq.gov

rlucerocabq.gov@aol.com

twalsh@cabq.gov

cmelendrez@cabq.gov

jcoulloudon@cabq.gov

julianmoya@cabq.gov

jmaranda@cabq.gov,

kmorrow@cabq.gov,

nasanchez@cabq.gov

jwolfley@cabq.gov

smschultz@cabq.gov

pmorris@cabq.gov

COrtega@cabq.gov

jrodenbeck@cabq.gov

mhinojos@cabq.gov

avarela@cabq.gov

mrenz-whitmore@cabq.gov

dawnmarie@cabq.gov

eholguin@cabq.gov

rrmiller@cabq.gov

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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.