The City of Albuquerque employs approximately 4,800 to 5,000 full time city hall employees with 26 separate departments.

The 26 Departments at Albuquerque City Hall are:

Animal Welfare
Aviation
City Clerk’s Office
City Council
Civilian Police Oversight
Cultural Services
Economic Development
Emergency Management
Environmental Health
Family and Community Services Department
Finance and Administration
Fire and Rescue
Human Resources Department
Inspector General
Internal Audit
Legal Department
Management and Budget Office
Mayor’s Office
Municipal Development Department
Parks’ and Recreation Department
Planning Department
Police Department
Senior Affairs Department
Solid Waste Department
Technology and Innovation Department
Transit Department

The City of Albuquerque pays an average of $17.61 an hour to City Hall employees or $36,628.80 a year depending on the positions held and required education level and training levels.

(40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $17.61 paid hourly = $36,628.80)

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=City_of_Albuquerque/Hourly_Rate

CLASSIFIED VERSUS UNCLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES

Roughly 4,500 City Hall employees are considered “classified employees” who are covered by the city’s personnel rules and regulations.

Classified employees have vested rights including retirement benefits, sick leave and annual leave benefits and can only be terminated for cause.

Disciplinary actions such as suspensions, demotions and terminations can be appealed by classified employees to the City Personnel Board.

There are 223 full time “ungraded” positions at City Hall, who are in unclassified positions and “at-will” employees who can be terminated “without cause” and who work at the pleasure of the Mayor or the City Council.

“Ungraded employees” or exempt employees do not have the same vested rights classified employees have and have no appeal rights to the City Personnel Board for disciplinary action so when they are fired, they are in fact gone with little or no recourse.

All City Hall Department Directors are all “unclassified employees” and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and can be terminated without cause.

Albuquerque Police Department Commanders up to the Deputy Chiefs and the Chief Police are at will employees who serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.

APD Lieutenants, Sergeants and Patrol officers on the other hand are all classified employees and are part of the police union and can be terminated only for cause.

Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Deputy Chiefs and the Fire Chief are at will employees.

TOP 250 PAID CITY HALL EMPLOYEES

At the end of each calendar year, City Hall releases the top 250 wage earners at city hall.

The list of 250 top city hall wages earners is what is paid for the full calendar year of January 1, to December 31 of any given year.

The City of Albuquerque has updated the list of the 250 top wage earners at City Hall for 2018.

You can review the full 2018 listing at the below link:

http://cognospublic.cabq.gov/ibmcognos/bi/?perspective=classicviewer&pathRef=.public_folders%2FTransparency%2FTop+Earners+of+the+City+of+Albuquerque+List&id=i5C8E3011CDD346029B51E17CB7132529&objRef=i5C8E3011CDD346029B51E17CB7132529&type=report&format=HTML&Download=false&prompt=true&cmProperties%5Bid%5D=i5C8E3011CDD346029B51E17CB7132529&cmProperties%5BdefaultName%5D=Top+Earners+of+the+City+of+Albuquerque+List&cmProperties%5Btype%5D=report&cmProperties%5Bpermissions%5D%5B%5D=execute&cmProperties%5Bpermissions%5D%5B%5D=traverse

BREAKDOWN ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT

The Breakdown of the 250 top paid city hall employees for 2018 reveals that all are paid between $100,000 to $192,937.23 with all 250 employees combined making in excess of a total of $25 million in pay.

There is a lopsided number of those employed by the Albuquerque Police Department and the Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Department compared to all the other department with the breakdown as follows:

Police 140
Fire and Rescue 55
Municipal Development 7
City Support 7
Technology and Innovation 7
Finance Admin Svc 6
Aviation 4
City Council Services 3
Planning Department 3
Chief Administrative Office 3
Cultural Services 3
City Attorney Office 2
Human Resources 2
Animal Welfare 2
Mayor’s Office Department 1
PR-Parks and Recreation 1
Environmental Health 1
Transit 1
SW-Solid Waste 1
Civilian Police OS Dept 1

TOTAL 250

The lopsided numbers in APD and Fire & Rescue can be attributed to overtime pay to “classified” employees.

The earnings figures do not include take home vehicles, reimbursements, such as mileage and tuition, and vacation and sick leave accumulated amounts.

With the election of new Mayor Tim Keller, there has been a major shift of priorities and top wage earners at City Hall that merits comparison to the previous Berry Administration.

FORMER MAYOR RICHARD BERRY’S TOP WAGE EARNERS

In 2017 Mayor Richard Berry’s 250 top paid wage earners in order of their pay included the following 27 “at will” employees:

Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry: $189,936 (#1 highest paid employee)
APD Chief Gordon Eden: $166,699 (#2 highest paid employee)
Chief Administrative Officer Michael Riordan: $152,319 (#4 highest paid employee)
City Attorney Jessica Hernandez: $150,217 (#5 highest paid employee)
Fire Chief David W. Downey: $138,993 (#11 highest paid employee)
Deputy Fire Chief Eric Garcia: $133,872 (#13 highest paid employee)
APD Assistant Chief Robert Huntsman: $132,435 (#14 highest paid employee)
Deputy Director of Municipal Development Gregory Smith: $126,623 (#17 highest paid employee)
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Silvera: $125,603 (#19 highest paid employee)
Deputy Fire Chief II/Commander Joshua McDonald: $124,374 (#21 highest paid employee)
Mayor’s Chief of Staff Gilbert Montano: $124,345 (#22 highest paid employee)
John Soladay, Director, Solid Waste Department: $115,227
Barbara Taylor, Director, Parks and Recreation Department: $114,136
Mary Leonard, Director, Environmental Health Department: $112,230
Dana Feldman, Director, Cultural Services: $110,020
Susan Lubar, Director, Planning Department: $110,020
Mary L. Scott, Director, Human Resources Department: $110,020
Jorja Armijo-Brasher, Senior Affairs Department: $106,441
APD Deputy Chief Jessica Tyler (APD Academy Director): $105,514
Gary Oppendahl, Economic Development Director: $105,510
Bruce Rizieri, Transit Director: $105,202
James Hindi, Director of Aviation (airport): $104,340
Doug Chapman, Director of Family Community Services: $102,260
Natali Y. Howard, City Clerk: $101,942
Lou Hoffman, Director of Finance Department: $99,732
Cilia Aglialoro, City Treasurer: $98,579
Paul Caster, Director of Animal Welfare Department: $98,019

CITY HALL TOP WAGE EARNERS

Under the Keller Administration, there has been a dramatic change in salaries paid to APD with more classified positions as opposed to unclassified positions.

What the Keller Administration pays its top 250 city hall employee is revealing especially when compared to the previous Berry Administration.

The earnings displayed in the below list is the pay in the calendar year 2018.‬

WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS PAID

The Mayor’s salary and City Council salaries are determined by the Citizens’ Independent Salary Commission.

https://www.cabq.gov/audit/citizens-independent-salary-commission

Beginning January 1, 2019, the Mayor’s salary went from $103,854 a year to $125,00 a year.

Being Mayor is arguably a 24/7 job.

As was the case with Berry, Mayor Keller is provided with a car, expense account as well as an APD protection detail.

Eight Albuquerque City Councilors are paid $30,000 annually and the City Council President is paid $32,000 annually.

DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND OTHERS

City Hall Department Directors are at will employees and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, meaning they are not classified employees and can be terminated without cause.

Following is a listing of Department Directors and upper city hall management that appear on the list of 250 top wage earners at city hall:

Chief Administrative Office (CAO) SARITA NAIR: $169,556.80.
(Former Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry was paid $189,936.)

Chief Administrative Office Chief Operations Officer LAWRENCE RAEl: $165,524.80.
(Former Chief Administrative Officer Michael Riordan was paid $152,319)

Albuquerque Police Department Chief MICHAEL GEIER: $159,513.60.
(Former APD Chief Gordon Eden was paid $166,699.)

Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Chief PAUL DOW: $132,691.20.
(Former Fire Chief David W. Downey was paid $138,993.)

Chief Administrative Office Deputy CAO/Chief of Staff SUNALEI STEWART: $141,300.80
(NOTE: Mr. Stewart has resigned and was appointed Deputy State Land Commissioner).
(Former Mayor Chief of Staff Gilbert Montano was paid $124,345.)
Santiago Chavez was appointed Deputy Chief Administrative Officer/Chief of Staff on January 31, 2019.

Finance Admin Svc CFO/Director SUNALEI BHAKTA: $131,200.01.
(Former Director of Finance Department Lou Hoffman was paid $99,732.)

Animal Welfare Director DANNY NEVAREZ: $130,516.00.
(Former Director of Animal Welfare Department Paul Caster was paid $98,019)

Municipal Development Deputy Director GREGORY SMITH: $124,462.80. (Retired)

ATI-Technology and Innovation Director BRIAN OSTERLOH: $123,643.11.

Chief Investment Officer DANIEL CHRISTOPHER, Finance Admin.: $122,252.80.

Environmental Health Deputy Director MARK DIMENNA: $122,252.80.

Assistant City Attorney STEPHANIE GRIFFIN, Legal Department: 121,073.32.

Finance Admin Services Controller PAMELA FANELLI: $116,443.21.

Cultural Services, BioPark Administrator BAIRD FLEMING: $115,395.22.

MTI-Technology and Innovation IT Project Manager VINCENT QUIJANO: $114,136.00.

Finance Admin Svc Director Gerald Romero (Early Ret E series): $113,155.62

Finance City Budget Officer Olivia Padilla-Jackson: $113,102.04

Human Resources Director Mary Scott: $112,224.04.
(Mary L. Scott was paid $110,020 under Berry.)

Planning Department Director David Campbell: $111,645.60.
(Former Planning Director Susan Lubar was paid $110,020.)

Cultural Services Associate Director Library Dean Smith: $110,987.20.

Municipal Development Assoc Director, Engineering Melissa Lozoya, $110,945.61.

Municipal Development Engineering Project Manager Keith Reed: $110,945.60.

City Attorney ESTEBAN AGUILAR JR.: $110,296.80.
(Former City Attorney Jessica Hernandez was paid $150,217.)

Human Resources Deputy Director LOC TRUONG, $107,576.66.

Cultural Services BioPark Senior Veterinarian CAROL BRADFORD: $105,901.02.

Municipal Development CIP Official JAMES HAMEL: $105,656.00.

Planning Department Deputy Director, BRENNON WILLIAMS, $105,656.00.

Municipal Development Engineering Division Manager BRYAN WOLFE: $105,656.00.

Municipal Development Engineering Division Manager PAULA DODGE-KWAN: $105,656.01.

Municipal Development Engineering Division Manager DAVID HARRISON: $105,656.01.

Wilson, Erika L.PD – Police Emergency Communications Manager: $105,760.00

Planning Department City Engineer SHAHAB BIAZAR: $105,656.00.

ATI-Technology and Innovation Application Architect III JASON FLETCHER: $104,918.40.

Animal Welfare Senior Veterinarian NICOLE VIGIL: $104,326.40.

Aviation Deputy Director Aviation JAMES HINDE: $103,938.00.
(Under Berry, James Hindi was Aviation Director and paid $104,340.)

Transit Deputy Director ANNETTE PAETZ: $103,644.81.
(Former Transit Director Bruce Rizieri was paid $105,202)

Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Kenneth Mitchell: $102,978.00.
(Former Parks and Recreation Department Director Barbara Taylor was paid $114,136.)

City Treasurer, Finance Administration CILIA AGLIALORO: $102,763.60.

Parks and Recreation Deputy Director KENNETH MITCHELL: $102,978.00.

Director of Solid Waste Director MATTHEW WHELAN: $102,440.80.
(Former Solid Waste Director JOHN SOLADAY was paid $115,227.)

KELLER “AT WILL APPOINTMENTS” NOT LISTED

Mayor Keller made a few appointments during the last calendar year but their names do not appear on the list of 250 top paid employees because they yet to have worked a full calendar year.

Notwithstanding, Mayor Keller has been hiring Department Directors at starting pay of between $108,000 to $112,00 a year.

There are 6 Department Directors that are not on the list of 250 top paid city hall employees and they are:

Aviation Director Nyika Allen
City Clerk Katy Duhigg
Cultural Services Director Shelle Sanchez.
Senior Affairs Director Ana Sanchez.
New Jersey State Trooper Leonard Nerbetski as the “Real Time Crime Center Director”.

Newly created job positions created and appointed hires not listed in the 250 list are:

APD Deputy Chief of Staff Elizabeth Armijo in charge of public and media relations.
Former United States Attorney Damon Martinez as an APD Policy writer at $118,000 a year.
Senior Public Safety Advisor James Lewis (Reportedly hired on $75,000 contract.)
Assistant Mayor Gary Lee who reportedly was hired at $75,000.
311 Assistant and Keller longtime political consultant Alan Packman reportedly hired at $75,000.

APD CHIEF UPPER COMMAND STAFF

All 5 of the APD top command staff are “unclassified positions” and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, can be terminated without cause and arguably the positions are 24/7 jobs.

The salaries Mayor Keller is paying his top APD command staff are significantly less than many Police Officers 1st Class, Sergeants and Lieutenants and are as follows:

Geier, Michael PD-Police Chief of Police, $159,513.60
(Former APD Chief Gordon Eden was paid $166,699)
Garcia, Eric JPD-Police PDP Deputy Chief, $134,249.53
Gonzalez, Arturo EPD-Police PDP Deputy Chief, $126,199.92
Banez, Rogelio NPD-Police PDP Deputy Chief, $123,856.00
Medina, Harold PD-Police PDP Deputy Chief, $123,856.00

(Former APD Assistant Chief Robert Huntsman was paid $132,435)

ABQ’S FIRE AND RESCUE UPPER COMMAND STAFF

The AFR Fire Chief and Deputy Chiefs are unclassified positions and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and can be terminated without cause and arguably the positions are 24/7 jobs

40 of the top 250 wage earners are employed by Albuquerque Fire and Rescue and they include the following 24 individuals:

Dow, Paul, Fire & Rescue Chief – $132,691.20
(Former Fire Chief David W. Downey was paid $138,993)
Eakes, Adam CFD-Fire FP2, Deputy Fire Chief – $133,245.50
Gallegos, Gene LFD-Fire FP2, Deputy Fire Chief – $149,659.60
Mowery, David EFD-FireFP2, Deputy Fire Chief – $142,378.40
Eakes, Adam CFD-FireFP2, Deputy Fire Chief – $133,245.50
Frazier, Sean RFD- Deputy Fire Chief – $125,193.89

(Former Deputy Fire Chief Michael Silvera was paid $125,603.)
(Former Deputy Fire Chief/Commander Joshua McDonald was paid $124,374)

Nieto, Edward JFD-Fire Para Lieutenant – $141,920.62
Justiniano , Anthony LFD, FireFC2Captain – $140,291.73
Anderson, Clinton LFD, Fire Para Captain – $134,018.66
Rosato, Mario PFD-Fire, FL1 Lieutenant – $136,603.80
Garcia, Santos, CFD-Fire FM, Battalion Chief – $131,794.12
Tapia, Jacob AFD-Fire, Para Lieutenant – $130,426.11
Elks, Sean TFD-Fire Deputy Fire Chief, $129,113.45
Kim, Chad SFD-Fire Battalion Chief – $128,490.77
Hansen, Jeremiah JFD-Fire Battalion Chief – $126,961.42
Gallucci, Pasquale AFD Battalion Chief – $123,586.48
Garcia, Jason AFD Battalion Chief – $123,277.01
Longdon, Jonathan DFD-Fire Para Lieutenant – $122,363.85
Staley, Justin, LFD-Fire Battalion Chief – $121,120.90
Montero, Alex OFD-Fire FM1 Battalion Chief – $120,955.19
Lujan, Robert WFD-FireFM2 Battalion Chief – $120,660.24
Puariea, Karla -Fire RL1 Para Lieutenant – $120,450.67
Cordova, Paul LFD-Fire Lieutenant – $119,467.36
Sanchez, Frank PFD-Fire Battalion Chief – $118,345.43

APD HOURLY WAGES PAID

Starting pay for an APD Police Officer immediately out of the APD academy is $29 an hour or $60,320 yearly. (40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $29 paid hourly = $60,320.)

Police officers with 4 to 14 years of experience are paid $30 an hour or $62,400 yearly. (40-hour work weeks in a year X 52 weeks in a year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $30 paid hourly = $62,400.)

Senior Police Officers with 15 years or more experience are paid $31.50 an hour or $65,520 yearly. (40 hours work in a week X 52 weeks in year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $31.50 = $65,520.)

The rate for APD Sergeants is $35 an hour, or $72,800. (40-hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2080 hours worked in a year X $35.0 paid hourly = $72,800.)

The rate for APD Lieutenants pay is $40.00 an hour or $83,200. (40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2080 hours worked in a year X $40.00 = $83,200.)

THE 124 TOP PAID APD SWORN POLICE OFFICERS

The listing of the city’s 250 top wage earners includes 140 rank and file police officers who are patrol officers first class.

The 140 top wage city hall wage earners employed by the Albuquerque Police Department include patrol officers first class, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders the deputy chiefs, and the chief with annual pay ranging from $101,000 a year up to $192,937 a year.

Far more Police Officers 1st Class are earning six figures under the Keller Administration than under the last year of the Berry Administration.

The six figure salaries being paid to sworn police can be directly attributed to “overtime” worked by those sworn police officers.

124 sworn police officers were paid between $101,633.11 to $192,037 for 2018 calendar year under the Keller Administration and they are:

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $151,313 TO $192,000

Drobik, Simon – Master Police Officer 1st Class $192,937.23.
Johnson, Brian APD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class: $166,692.01.
Garza, Ramiro JPD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class: $163,223.63.
Hollier, Jeremy BPD-Police, PE1, Senior Police Officer 1st Class: $160,692.06.
Canales, LadioPD-Police, Senior Police Officer 1st Class: $152,876.94.
Redhouse, Leighton – Senior Police Officer 1st Class: $151,313.71.

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $126,162.80 TO $144,510.44.

Bassett, Jeremy, Police Lieutenant, $144,510.44.
Martinez, Yvonne, Master Police Officer 1st Class, $144,421.25.
McCumber, Wayne – Master Police Officer 1st Class $142,033.83.
Correia, Donald RPD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $140,755.81.
Maes, Kelly RPD- Senior Police Officer 1st C1ass, $138,318.85.
McElroy, Matthew PD-Police Sergeant, $138,158.09.
Lehocky, Andrew , Master Police Officer 1st Class $137,449.07.
Languit, Luke CPD-Police Lieutenant, $134,328.74.
Price, Bryan HPD-Police Sergeant, $133,880.63.
Mc Carson, Timothy, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $132,742.86.
Rico, Michael KPD-Police Senior Police Officer 1st Class $132,740.13.
Kenny, Sean PPD-Police Sergeant $132,604.80.
Parsons, Scott – Police Lieutenant, $131,519.64.
Frick, Sean, APD Lieutenant, $131,375.48.
Pearson, Nicholas, Master Police Officer 1st Class, $130,077.97.
Hernandez, Francisco Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $128,887.30.
Burchell, Edward – Master Police Officer 1st Class, $127,987.25.
Stockton, Robert MPD-Police Sergeant, $127,612.72.
Patterson, Christopher APD-Police Sergeant, $127,557.19.
Hernandez, Michael FPD-Police Sergeant $127,456.76.
Arnold, Jerry, Police Officer 1st Class $127,409.90.
Martinez, Vicente, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $126,798.71.
Breeden, Charles, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $126,300.45.
Wetterlund, Christopher, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $126,162.80.

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $113,498.98 TO $125,088.48

Economidy III, Byron, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $125,088.48.
Schmidt, Matthew -Police Sergeant $124,581.73.
Sandoval, Albert, PD-Police Sergeant $124,555.16.
Jones, Aaron M., PD-Police Sergeant $122,687.41.
Solis, Emmanuel, PD-Police Officer 1st Class $120,859.89.
Solis, Brenda, – Senior Police Officer 1st Class $120,202.55.
Haugh, Paul, – Police Sergeant $116,785.41
Frazier, Jared Senior Police Officer 1st Class $116,584.31
Pitzer, Brian -Police Sergeant $116,233.46
Mcpeek, Luke, Police Officer 1st Class, $116,079.13
Brown, Jason, Police Officer 1st Class, $116,019.57
Altman, Steve APD- Police Lieutenant, $115,945.46
Pholphiboun, Phetamphone – Senior Police Officer 1st Class 115,789.25
Garcia, Jennifer, Police Lieutenant $115,466.52
O’Neil, Craig -Police Master Police Officer 1st Class, $115,449.83
Walsh, Johnathan – Senior Police Officer 1st Class, 115,362.83
Vigil Jr, Thomas – Police Officer 1st Class, $114,873.36
English, Michelle – Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $114,843.40
Martinez, Dominic- Police Sergeant $114,744.44
Avila, Michael APD-Police Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $114,608.23
Acosta, Arthur – Master Police Officer 1st Class, $114,301.75
Velarde, Mark – APD-Police Commander, $113,775.47
Hernandez Jr, Jimmy – Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $113,711.03
Duda, Christopher – Police Officer 1st Class $113,686.70
Nelson, Eric -Police Sergeant, $113,676.40
Swessel, Robert APD-Police Master Police Officer 1st Class, $113,631.63
Trebitowski, Justin, Police Sergeant, $113,498.98

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $109,315.89 TO $112,516.27

Chavez, Matthew Police Sergeant, $112,516.27
Griffin, David Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $112,184.05
Shook, Michael. Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $112,127.41
Lujan, Jude -Police Sergeant, $112,105.32
George, Christopher -Police Commander, $112,051.14
Lowe, Cori MPD-Police Lieutenant $112,042.96
Jojola, Eric, -Aviation, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $112,012.36
Curtis, Kyle -Police Sergeant, $111,713.00
Rogillio, Justin Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $ 111,459.55
Hernandez, Armando F. Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $111,333.69
Geno Virgil -Police Master Police Officer 1st Class, $110,790.71
Tafoya, Dennis -Police Sergeant $110,515.94
Westbrook, Jason, Police Sergeant, $110,467.02
Martinez, Christopher Police Officer 1st Class 110,462.11
Deyapp, Lena, Lieutenant $110,409.49
Franklin, Daniel Senior Police Officer 1st Class 110,353.90
Barraza,ReneP -Police Lieutenant $110,322.89
Lewandowski, Kamil – Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $109,704.42
Espinosa, Timothy, -Police Lieutenant $109,431.88
Sanchez Jr, Arturo – Commander $109,377.75
Burke, Joseph MPD-Police Commander $109,324.78
Middleton, Robert LPD-Police Commander $109,315.89

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $105,076.20 TO $108,946.45

Montano, JoshuaPD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $108,946.45
Rivera, Donovan JPD-Police Lieutenant, $108,887.81
Richards,Joshua , Police Sergeant $108,769.94
Champine,Daniel, Master Police Officer 1st Class $108,688.47
Hotle, Timothy Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $108,637.13
Saladin, David Police Lieutenant, $108,530.11
Henckel, Louis, Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $108,025.43
Sanders, Nicholas, -Police Lieutenant $107,908.60
Wallace,Sean, -Police Lieutenant $107,162.20
Griego, Jon JPD-Police Commander $107,107.76
Anderson, Hollie , Police Sergeant $107,028.92
Hernandez, Kevin, Police Officer 1st Class $106,998.58
Abernathy, Jeffery, Police Sergeant, $ 106,746.23
Willsey, Cody, Police Officer 1st Class $106,555.32
Barnard, Jeffery R.PD-Police Sergeant $106,080.11
Miller, Michael -Police Commander $106,066.92
Sanchez, Jose -Police Lieutenant $106,009.53
Burton Whitney N., PD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $105,751.51
Duran, Paul -Police Commander $105,715.70
Ortiz, JamesPD-Police Sergeant, $105,650.05
Pelot, Jerrod, Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $105,625.48
Landavazo, Mark -Police Sergeant, $105,556.20
Collins, James WPD-Police Commander, $105,551.20
Reeder, Matthew -Police Sergeant $105,384.17
Campbell, Michelle MPD-Police Commander, $105,076.20

POLICE OFFICERS PAID $101,633.11 TO $104,987.69

Luna, Michael APD- Master Police Officer 1st Class, $104,987.69
Brodbeck, Michael, – Police Sergeant $104,444.00
Simmons, Ferris APD- Police Lieutenant $104,370.87
Hunt, Justin, Police Sergeant, $104,240.59
Edmonson, Larry RPD-Police Master Police Officer 1st Class $103,980.08
Porlas, Dwight -Police Master Police Officer 1st Class $103,913.13
Candelaria, Deirdre -Police Master Police Officer 1st Class $103,714.21
Sather, Jonathan CPD-Police Lieutenant, $103,570.91
Cottrell, Zakary FPD-Police Lieutenant, $103,508.14
Juarez, Terra – Master Police Officer 1st Class, $103,502.51
Wild, Amanda -Police Sergeant $103,327.14
Olvera, Donovan, -Police Commander, $103,164.40
Groff, Matthew SPD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $103,119.45
Oates, Michael, Senior Police Officer 1st Class, $103,023.11
Brown, Eric- Police Sergeant $102,843.60
Babcock, Tod, Master Police Officer 1st Class $102,420.66
Jones, Michael, Senior Police Officer 1st Class $102,357.23
DeAguero, Daren JPD- Senior Police Officer 1st Class $102,060.09
Meyer, Jesse, Master Police Officer 1st Class $102,001.77
Roach, Gerald, Master Police Officer 1st Class, $101,968.25
Moreno, Alan Police Officer 1st Class, $101,633.11

APD LONGEVITY BONUS PAY

APD police officers are also paid longevity bonus pay at the end of a year as follows:

For 5 years of experience: $100 are paid bi-weekly, or $2,600 yearly
For 6 years of experience: $125 are paid bi-weekly, or $3,250 yearly
For 7 to 9 years of experience: $225 are paid bi-weekly, or $5,800 yearly
For 10 to 12 years of experience: $300 are paid bi-weekly, or $7,800 yearly
For 13 to 15 years o experience: $350 are paid bi-weekly, or $9,100 yearly
For 16 to 17 years or more: $450 are paid bi-weekly, or $11,700 yearly
For 18 or more years of experience: $600 are paid bi-weekly, 15,600 yearly

COMPARING BERRY AND KELLER TOP APD WAGE EARNERS

During the Berry Administration last year in office, a total of 124 of the 250 top wage earners at city hall were employed by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and included patrol officers, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders and deputy chiefs, assistant chief and the chief with annual pay ranging from $95,000 a year up to $166,699 a year.

Under the Keller Administration first full calendar year in office, 140 of the 250 top city hall wage earners are employed by APD and include patrol officers first class, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders the deputy chiefs, and the chief with annual pay ranging from $101,000 a year up to $192,937 a year.

During the Berry Administration last year in office, 5 APD Patrol Officers First Class were listed in the top 250 city wage workers as being paid $146,971, $145,180, $140,243, $137,817 and $125,061 respectfully making them the 6th, the 7th, the 10th, the 12th and the 20th highest paid employees at city hall.

Under the Keller Administration first year in office, 5 APD Senior Patrol Officers First Class are listed in the top 250 city wage earners for 2018 as being paid $166,692, $163,223, $160,692, $152,876.94 and $151,313.71 making them the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 11th highest paid employees at city hall.

APD Sergeants and Lieutenants are supervisors and managers are part of the police union bargaining unit and under the union contract are allowed to bill for overtime worked.

Under the union contract APD Patrol Offers First Class are paid a minimum of two hours in overtime pay at time and a half when they appear in court on their days off for arraignments or trials.

During the last 9 years, the Albuquerque Police Department has consistently gone over its overtime budget by millions.

In fiscal year 2016, APD was funded for $9 million for over time but APD but actually spent $13 million.

A city internal audit report released in March, 2017 revealed that the Albuquerque Police Department spent over $3.9 million over its $9 million “overtime” budget.

APD EXPANSION PROGRAM

The Keller Administration intends to spend $88 million dollars over a 4 year period, with 32 million dollars of recurring expenditures, to hire 322 sworn officers and expand APD from 878 sworn police officers to 1,200 officers.

The 2018-2019 fiscal year budget provides for increasing funding from 1,000 sworn police to 1,040.

The massive investment is being done in order to full fill Mayor Tim Keller’s 2017 campaign promise to increase the size of APD and return to community-based policing as a means to reduce the city’s high crime rates.

APD is projecting that it will have 980 officers by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2019 summer by growing the ranks with both new cadets and lateral hires from other departments, including APD retirees.

ELECTED ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCILLORS

Albuquerque City Councilors’ salary are determined by the Citizen’s Independent Salary Commission.

Eight Albuquerque City Councilors are paid $30,000 annually and the City Council President is paid $32,000 annually.

There are 3 City Council staff that are in the top 250 paid city hall employees:

Director of City Council Services Stephanie Yara, $124,118.61
KCL-Council Services Director Jon Zaman, $121,174.16
Council Services Council Policy Analyst/Lg&Land Christopher Melendrez $119,462.40

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The number of six figure salaries or pay under Mayor Tim Keller has increased significantly during his first full calendar year in office.

There are significantly more “classified” positions that are being paid six figure salaries, especially within APD and requires you to assume they are doing a good, great or an exceptional job which is very problematic if and when it turns out that is not the case.

The six figure salaries being paid to sworn Patrol Officers 1st Class is directly attributed to “overtime” worked by those sworn police officers which is very problematic.

From a personnel management standpoint, when you have a select few that are taking home the lion’s share of overtime, it causes moral problems with the rest.

Consecutive shifts or excessive overtime for any police officer can lead to extreme fatigue, emotional burnout and reduce an officer’s alertness and response times and reflexes that can endanger lives and public safety.

Excessive overtime paid can be a red flag for abuse of the system, mismanagement of police resources or the lack of personnel.

APD has added approximately 100 police officers last year as a result of increases in pay and an aggressive recruitment program and bonus pay.

APD is projected to have upwards of 980 sworn police by July 1, 2019.

Last year, APD spent $11.5 million paying sworn police overtime.

The city budgeted $9 million in police overtime in the 2019 fiscal year, which ends in June 30, 2019.

Overtime used by APD should come down as more police officers are added to the ranks, but do not bet on it given the APD’s extensive history of spending more on overtime than they are given.

When APD exceeds its overtime budget, it is to the detriment of other city departments and other city employees in that the additional funding must be found somewhere else, either by taking it from other departments and programs, budget cuts or cost saving measurements.

For the first time in years, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is placing a “cap” on how much overtime police officers can work in a week.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/apd-places-limit-on-hours-of-overtime-officers-can-work-each-week/1724891754?fbclid=IwAR1UMy6HjOrG4YSVsz5ofIs4klWAu1BunYm6fD–417kuSgf9m4k2rN6G_0

It’s about time and long overdue that APD places a cap on all police overtime and it should be made permanent.

APD police sergeants and lieutenants are the ones on the frontline to enforce personnel rules and regulations, standard operating procedures, approve and review work performed and assist in implementing DOJ reforms and standard operating procedures policies.

All Police Officers 1st class, Sergeants and Lieutenants are “classified positions” and part of the police union, they cannot be terminated without cause and have appeal rights and remedies under the personnel rules and regulations and have protections under their collective bargaining agreement between police and the city.

Police Officers 1st class are not part of management and have every right to be represented by a union to negotiate wages and benefits.

APD Sergeants and APD Lieutenants need to be made “at will” and unclassified and removed from the union bargaining unit to reflect they are management and in order to get a real buy in to APD management’s goals, police reform and the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA).

CONCLUSION

The trend of having more classified employees earning such high pay does not bode well from an executive personnel management standpoint of not being able to remove personnel without cause nor make management and policy decisions that that may be strenuously resisted by classified upper management personnel who are more interested in being disruptive to getting anything done.

Placing a mandatory “cap” on overtime will be resisted.

Management must be able to make policy and personnel decisions and be able to immediately remove and even replace upper management employees who are not performing their jobs or who engage in unethical, questionable, disruptive and at times illegal conduct in violation of personnel rules and regulations.

For related blog articles see:

Highest Paid City Hall Employees Are Police; Cap On Police Overtime Pay Long Overdue

APD Deputy Chief Of Staff In Charge Of Media Relations Is “Political Damage Control” Position

Remove APD Police Union From CASA And Remove Sergeants And Lieutenants From APD Union

Police Union At Odds With DOJ Reforms

On Sunday, January 27th, 2019 the Albuquerque Journal published following “guest editorial” column authored by Democrat New Mexico House of Representative Daymon Ely of Corrales, Republican State Senator Sander Rue of Albuquerque and New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Edward L. Chavez.

The guest column deals with House Bill 267 dealing with the data sharing between law enforcement agencies.

Following is the guest column in full:

“In Albuquerque, the city and the county are making progress in improving public safety and preventing crime, but they cannot and should not have to do it alone. And because crime is not limited to Albuquerque, the state must do its part to help all of New Mexico reduce and control crime. Every New Mexican deserves to feel safe in their community, and emphasizing proactive solutions is critical to improving public safety.

The Legislature has already been working in a bipartisan manner to develop recommendations for broad and aggressive policies and procedures designed to improve our criminal justice system and promote public safety. In addition, last year the Legislature created a task force composed of stakeholders in the entire criminal justice system and charged it with the responsibility of

1) making recommendations designed to reduce crime, and

2) developing a plan to ensure taxpayer dollars are effectively and efficiently being spent in our criminal justice system. The task force recently filed its report with several recommendations. Here are a few key ones:

First, anyone who is arrested and required to be fingerprinted will be assigned a unique identifying number that must be used throughout the criminal justice system. This will ensure that the person is tracked throughout the system by law enforcement, jails, courts, prisons, probation and parole, etc. If the same person is arrested in the future, their identity will be easily verified even if they use a different name or are arrested for committing a crime elsewhere. In addition, all data about the person should be collected on the same “platform” so that the data can be shared system wide. For example, if a court schedules a hearing, under the unique identifier and shared platform everyone – the prosecutors, public defenders, courts, corrections, police officers, witnesses and victims – will know, automatically, when the hearing is scheduled to occur. If all participants know about hearings, they will show up, and there will be fewer delays due to failures to appear. Everyone will finally be on the same page.

Once data is collected and shared on a common platform, the data can be continually analyzed to evaluate whether our system is working as intended or needs improvements. Fortunately, we have access to experts in data analytics at New Mexico Tech in Socorro who analyze data for NATO, the Department of Defense and many other federal agencies and are eager to help develop the platform. Even better, the folks at Tech can train people around the state to analyze data efficiently and fairly.

Once data is analyzed, it can be used very effectively in addressing crime. We can identify the truly bad actors and keep our streets safe, while at the same time effectively utilizing resources to put non-violent offenders on the path to constructive rehabilitation. We can identify people in trouble and help them obtain effective treatment before they commit crimes. Courts can be better informed before making release or sentencing decisions. Law enforcement, courts, jails, prisons, probation and parole, etc., can ensure that their programs are following the best practices available to keep people from committing more crimes. We can also spot abuses in the system, such as racial and ethnic bias.

Of course, there is no substitute for rebuilding our mental health system and providing support for those already in prison. Focusing on behavioral health resources and substance abuse treatment is crucial for prevention efforts. As studies consistently show, locking everyone up and throwing away the key is not effective in reducing crime and has been a costly failure.

These solutions are not tied to any political party. Instead, they are solutions based on evidence and on the experience of other states that have successfully used data analytics in their approach to crime. These are but a few of the task force recommendations. To read all of the specific recommendations, go to www.nmlegis.gov. The Legislature is committed to working with all local governments to turn the corner on our state’s crime problem.

Crime hinders our efforts to grow our communities, create jobs and engage in worthwhile economic development programs, and we need effective solutions to keep our communities safe. HB 267, which proposes the system outlined by the commission and provides resources for the needs of the criminal justice system, has been filed. Please follow its progress during this legislative session.”

You can read the guest editorial column at the below link:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1273339/hb-267-will-help-state-get-a-handle-on-crime.html

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The fact that a progressive Democrat State Representative, a conservative Republican State Senator and a Democrat New Mexico Supreme Court Justice would submit such a column is worth noting.

House Bill 267 merits full passage by the 2019 New Mexico Legislature.

For the first time in years, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is placing a “cap” on how much overtime police officers can work in a week.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/apd-places-limit-on-hours-of-overtime-officers-can-work-each-week/1724891754?fbclid=IwAR1UMy6HjOrG4YSVsz5ofIs4klWAu1BunYm6fD–417kuSgf9m4k2rN6G_0

Last year, APD spent $11.5 million paying sworn police overtime. The city budgeted $9 million in police overtime in the 2019 fiscal year, which ends in June 30, 2019.

According to an APD spokesman, there are nearly a dozen different types of overtime programs within the department. The programs where APD Officers can earn overtime include holiday tac-plan initiatives, checkpoints, extended training, special events like the Balloon Fiesta and security detail for high profile dignitary visits such as the President or Vice President, all where the City pays the overtime worked.

Another overtime program is “chief’s overtime” where private businesses pay to have an officer on site but where the APD Chief selects the APD Officer to do the overtime. APD charges the business and then pays the officer. “Chief’s Overtime” has been controversial with arguments made by police oversight civilian advocates that the city is subsidizing private businesses over the best interest of areas of the city with high crime rates.

Last year, more than 100 businesses took part in chief’s overtime, and for the last 16 months APD officers were allowed to work as much chief’s overtime as they wanted. Not anymore according to an APD Public Information Officer.

According to an APD Spokesperson, through March of 2019, APD police officers will only be allowed to work 25 hours of chief’s overtime per week. APD will also be increasing what is being charge to private businesses for “Chief’s Overtime” to take into account recent APD pay raises. The hourly charge for Chief’s Overtime has to be comparable to an APD Officer’s hourly pay working for the department.

It is the first time in nearly a decade APD has increased its rates for its chief’s overtime program.

HIGHEST PAID CITY HALL EMPLOYEES ARE POLICE OFFICERS

APD Patrol Officers First Class earning excessive overtime is nothing new, has been going on for years and has been common knowledge.

There are approximately 5,000 full time city hall employees. A review of the city’s 250 top earners in 2018 reveals that 140 are sworn police officers working for APD, mostly patrol officers first class and 40 are employed by Albuquerque Fire and Rescue. The 140 top wage city hall wage earners employed by the Albuquerque Police Department include patrol officers first class, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders the deputy chiefs, and the chief with annual pay ranging from $101,000 a year up to $192,937 a year.

(See City of Albuquerque website for full list of 250 top city wage earners).

Five (5) APD Senior Patrol Officers First Class are listed in the top 250 city wage earners for 2018 as being paid $166,692, $163,223, $160,692, $152,876 and $151,313 respectfully making them the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 11th highest paid employees at city hall.

The amounts paid in excess of $100,000 a year to patrol officers first class can be attributed mostly to overtime pay and “time and a half” paid. The second highest paid individual at city hall in 2018 was Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Sarita Nair who was paid $169,556. Chief Operations Officer Lawrence Rael is the 4th highest paid city hall employee and was paid $165,524 in 2018.The 9th highest paid city hall employee was APD Chief Michael Geier who was paid $159,513.00 in 2018.

Mayor Tim Keller is paid $125,000 a year and is the 57th highest paid city hall employee, and he works 24/7 as an elected official.

MOST EGREGIOUS OVERTIME PAID

According to the listing of the 250 top paid city hall employees for 2018, APD Sergeant Simon Drobik, one of the many APD Public Information Officers, was paid $192,937 making him the number one top paid city hall employee for 2018. Drobik’s base pay is $31.50 per hour or $65,520 a year. (40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year X $31.50 = $65,520.)APD claims that APD Public Information Officer Simon Drobik works full-time as PIO during weekdays as his primary assignment, working 7 days a week, and he also works as a patrol officer entitling him to be paid for that position as well, holding down and being paid for two positions. Drobik regularly reports having worked more than 100 hours per week, according to his pay stubs.

The police union contract also entitles a police officer to be paid time and a half when overtime is worked on a given day.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1248553/ot-work-apd-spokesman-duties-lift-officers-pay-to-highest-in-city.html

COURT APPEARANCES SOURCE OF OVERTIME

Historically, APD Patrol Officers First Class and Sergeants who work or are assigned to DWI or issue traffic citations are the ones that get paid extensive amount of overtime. Under the union contract APD Patrol Offers First Class get paid a minimum of two hours in overtime pay at time and a half when they appear in court on their days off for arraignment or trials, which is usually the case for DWI prosecutions.

DWI’s arrests are usually made during a police officer’s shift at night, but the arraignments and trials occur during the day in Metro Court entitling the officer to bill the hours of overtime per arraignment, plea, or trial. Arraignments are scheduled in Metro Court in mass and usually take no more than 15 minutes per individual person arraigned on charges.However, Police officers are required to wait prolong periods of time for cases to be called, most notably DWI cases.

The Traffic Court Arraignment program was established over 16 years ago where Assistant City Attorneys and paralegals are assigned to handle arraignments and plea agreements in traffic citation cases, thereby eliminating APD officers appearing in court on traffic cases. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office also has a Metro Court Division with upwards of 22 full time Assistant District Attorneys.

CITY INTERNAL AUDIT FOUND APD OVERTIME ABUSES

A March, 2017 a city internal audit of APD’s overtime spending found police officers taking advantage of a system that allows them to accumulate excessive overtime at the expense of other city departments. During the last 9 years, the Albuquerque Police Department has consistently gone over its overtime budget by millions. In fiscal year 2016, APD was funded for $9 million for over time but APD but actually spent $13 million.

A city internal audit report released in March, 2017 revealed that the Albuquerque Police Department spent over $3.9 million over its $9 million “overtime” budget.

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/03/30/apd-overtime-pay-abuse-and-recruitment-tool/

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

It’s about time and long overdue that APD places a cap on all police overtime and it should be made permanent.

APD Public Information Officer Gilbert Gallegos in announcing APD placing a cap on overtime, had this to say:

“In the past it’s been taken for granted that in the end, we have as much money as we need for overtime, but you know that’s going to change”.

Gallego’s comment reflects the years of sure arrogance and the sense of entitlement to overtime APD has had that ultimately was at the expense of other city departments and city employees.

While APD starts putting caps on overtime for sworn officers, APD needs to do the same with APD Spokesman Sgt. Simon Dolbeck and release him from his duties as an APD Public Information Officer. Normally, Public Information Officers for APD do not carry any kind of caseload, make no arrests, do not wear an APD uniform and do not appear in court. APD Public Information Officers do not need to be sworn police officers and should not be paid an hourly wage of a sworn police with the duties assumed by citizen staff under the direction and supervision of the Mayor’s Office and the Mayor’s Public Information Officer.

All Public Information Officers for the City should be made at will employees and paid a set yearly salary with no overtime paid and work out of the office of the Mayor under the direction of the administration.

APD Sergeants and Lieutenants are supervisors and managers and should be removed from the police union bargaining unit and be prevented from being paid time and a half for overtime. When APD exceeds its overtime budget, it is to the detriment of other city departments and other city employees in that the funding must be found somewhere else, either by taking it from other departments and programs, budget cuts or cost saving measurements.

From a personnel management standpoint, when you have a select few that are taking the lion’s share of overtime, it causes moral problems with the rest. Excessive overtime paid is a red flag for abuse of the system, mismanagement of police resources and the lack of personnel.

APD has added approximately 100 police officers last year as a result of increases in pay and an aggressive recruitment program. APD is projected to have upwards of 980 sworn police by July 1, 2019 and overtime should be coming down. Consecutive shifts or excessive overtime for any police officer can lead to extreme fatigue, emotional burnout and reduce an officer’s alertness and response times and reflexes that can endanger lives and public safety.

A complete restructuring of APD hourly wages to base salaries should be implemented. The 25 hour a week “cap” on the amount overtime a sworn police officer can be paid needs to be made permanent.

APD needs to establish an overtime protocol that is fair and equitable for all sworn personnel to make available overtime to more sworn police officers in the department. APD should do away with hourly wage and time and a half for overtime for sworn police and implement a salary structure based on steps and years of service. A system of overtime bonuses to be paid at the end of the year for accumulated increments of overtime can and should be implemented. Shift time to work would remain the same, but if more time is needed to complete work load, the employee works it for the same salary with no overtime and a modification of shift times for court appearances.

APD Patrol Officers First Class who handle DWI during nighttime shifts should be required to change their shift times to daytime shifts when the arraignments and trials occur to prevent overtime pay. As an alternative to DWI arraignment, the City Attorney’s Office should explore the possibility of expanding or modifying the Metro Traffic Arraignment Program with the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office assisting to include not just traffic citations but DWI arraignments to eliminate the need for APD officers to appear at such arraignments.

Salaries and step increase take away inflating overtime and motivates employees to get more done within the allotted shift or modification of shift times. Until the APD salary structure is changed, APD will always have patrol officers first class making two to four times their base salary and emotional burnout will be the norm endangering public safety.

“It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea … “ Luke 17:2, New American Standard Bible.

ROGER STONE

Flamboyant Republican political operative Roger Stone is a political strategist known for opposition research.

Stone worked on the campaigns of Republican Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, Bob Dole and Donald Trump where he honed he nefarious talents of political espionage.

Stone is a 30+ year close personal friend and advisor to President Donald Trump and was one of the very first to advocate that Donald Trump run for President.

Roger Stone is a self-described “dirty trickster” and his campaign career began as a Richard Nixon campaign aide and he has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back.

Roger Stone has spent decades of engaging in political scandal-mongering to help influence American election campaigns.

Stone has long maintained that he had no connection to Russia’s attempts to disrupt the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump get elected, but his recent federal indictment says otherwise.

THE ROGER STONE INDICTMENT

On July 27, 2016, while running for President, Donald Trump encouraged Russian hackers to find emails that had been deleted from Hillary Clinton’s private server that she used while serving as secretary of state when he said:

“I will tell you this, Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing … I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” Trump said at a press conference in Florida.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-russia-clinton-hack_us_5b48d9d0e4b0e7c958faf810

On July 27, 2016, Vladimir Putin and Russia were listening and heeded Trump’s call for help to get him elected President.

According to the federal indictment of the 12 Russian intelligence officers for their involvement in hacking the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election, the Russian hacking occurred on July 27, 2016 hours after Trump gave his press conference and encouraged Russian hackers to find Clinton’s emails.

The indictment of the Russian intelligence officers’ states that on July 27, 2016, the same day as Trump’s press conference, Russian hackers, “for the first time,” attempted to break into email accounts, including those used by Clinton’s personal office.

Notably, the indictment is very specific that the hack happened in the evening, meaning the Russian officials could have done it after Trump’s press conference.

Roger Stone has now been charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller with a federal indictment charging obstruction of justice, making false statements to Congress and witness tampering.

You can read the entire federal grand jury indictment here:

https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-indictment-roger-stone

The Roger Stone indictment reveals and alleges the most direct link yet between the efforts by the Trump Presidential campaign and WikiLeaks to damage Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election using Democratic Party material stolen by the Russians.

The federal indictment does not allege that Roger Stone’s interactions with WikiLeaks were illegal nor does it allege that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy.

According to detailed allegations in the Roger Stone indictment, a top Trump campaign official dispatched Roger Stone to get information from WikiLeaks about the thousands of hacked Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence.

The effort to get the WikiLeaks information began within a few weeks after Democratic officials publicly accused Russian intelligence operatives being a part of Russia’s broad campaign to sabotage the 2016 presidential race.

The federal indictment makes no specific mention of whether President Trump played a role in the coordination.

According to the Federal indictment, a senior campaign official “was directed” by an unnamed person to contact Roger Stone about additional WikiLeaks releases obtained by Russia that might damage the Hillary Clinton campaign.

The federal indictment is filled with amazing details about clandestine meetings, text messages and references to “The Godfather: Part II”, about witness tampering, threats of retaliation and lying to congress.

Stone allegedly exchanged heated texts with New York radio host Randy Credico, who has his own contacts with WikiLeaks, pressuring Credico to lie to the Congressional Intelligence Committee so that his story would line up with his own testimony.

The indictment alleges Roger Stone told Randy Credico he should “do a ‘Frank Pentangeli’ before the House congressional committee, a reference to the classic movie “Godfather II” character who lies in congressional hearings about his interactions with the Mafia after his brother is brought from Italy to the hearing as a form of intimidation.

The indictment quotes emails and other forms of communications that clearly suggested that the Trump Presidential campaign knew about additional stolen emails before they were released.

According to the indictment, the Trump campaign asked Roger Stone to find out more about the other emails.

According to the indictment, between June and July 2016, Roger Stone told a “senior Trump campaign officials” about the stolen emails in WikiLeaks’ possession that could be damaging to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

On July 22, 2016, WikiLeaks released its first batch of Democratic emails.

After the July 22, 2016 WikiLeaks release of Democratic emails that, according to the indictment, the Trump campaign sought more.

It was on July 27, 2016 that Trump made his infamous request at a press conference “I will tell you this, Russia, If you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing … I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

The Roger Stone indictment states:

“A senior Trump campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton campaign “ referring to WikiLeaks. (Paragraph 12 of Indictment).

The indictment does not mention whether Roger Stone or any other Trump associate knew about the Russian operatives’ plans before they hacked the Democrat Party or the Hillary Clinton private emails.

According to the indictment, in October 2016, Mr. Stone exchanged emails with nefarious Steve Bannon, the right wing firebrand and strategist who became the chief executive of President Trump’s campaign.

In one exchange, Roger Stone wrote that more WikiLeaks disclosures were forthcoming, “a load every week going forward,” according to the indictment.

Steve Bannon appears to be the official described in the court document as “the high-ranking Trump Campaign official,” based on previous disclosures about the email exchange.

A day before Stone and Bannon emailed about WikiLeaks, Donald Trump Junior exchanged messages on Twitter with the WikiLeaks account and asked, “What’s behind this Wednesday leak I keep reading about.”

At the end of that week, on October 7, 2016 WikiLeaks released more than 6,000 emails related to John D. Podesta, the chairman of the Hillary Clinton campaign.

The release, 30 minutes after The Washington Post published a recording of Mr. Trump bragging about assaulting women, appeared aimed at redirecting negative attention from Donald Trump to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

The unsealed Stone Federal indictment details how Stone relied on several longtime associates to get information about the timing and content of WikiLeaks’ document releases in the months before the election.

According to a New York Times report, three senior Trump campaign officials told Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team that Roger Stone created the impression that he was a conduit for inside information from WikiLeaks and in turn Russia.

One senior Trump campaign told investigators that Roger Stone not only seemed to predict WikiLeaks’ actions, but also that he took credit afterward for the timing of its disclosures that damaged Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/us/politics/roger-stone-trump-mueller.html

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

Roger Stone is the 7th close advisor, confident or campaign official for Donald Trump charged or convicted of federal offenses in the Mueller probe of Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential election.

All the President’s men indicted include:

Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman convicted on five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failure to report foreign bank accounts with Manafort pleading guilty in another criminal case.

Michael Cohen, President’ Trump’s long-time private attorney and “fixer” and who has plead guilty to eight counts of tax evasion, making false statements to a bank and campaign finance violations in the criminal investigation in New York and implicated Trump in committing campaign finance felonies.

Cohen is supposedly going to testify before congress before he begins a 5 years federal sentence.

Rick Gates, one of Manafort’s business partners who plead guilty to one charge of lying to investigators and one charge of conspiracy in exchange for becoming a cooperating witness in the Mueller probe. He testified against Manafort as the prosecution’s star witness in its case in Virginia.

Michael Flynn, Trump’s former National Security Adviser who plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations last December with Russia’s ambassador to the US at the time, Sergey Kislyak. In delaying Michael Flynn’s sentencing, Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan told Flynn “Arguably, this undermines everything this [US] flag over here stands for! Arguably, you sold your country out!”

George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser who plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. Papadopoulos made at least six attempts to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian representatives throughout the course of the 2016 presidential campaign.

California businessman Richard Pinedo who plead guilty to one count of identity fraud. The plea deal’s release came immediately after Mueller’s office announced charges against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities accused of interfering in the 2016 US election by mounting an elaborate and multi-faceted social media influence operation meant to sow political discord during and after the race.

Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer tied to Manafort and Gates plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal investigators. Van der Zwaan represents the interests of numerous Russian oligarchs. He is also the son-in-law of German Khan, the Ukrainian-Russian billionaire who controls Russia’s Alfa Bank.

ALL OF PRESIDENT PUTIN’S MEN AND WOMAN

In addition to Trump associates being indicted, there have been indictments of Russian operatives including:

Thirteen Russian nationals and three Russian companies have also been indicted for allegedly involved in meddling in the US political system.

Twelve Russian intelligence officers indicted have been indicted for the hacking of the Democratic National Committee before the 2016 US presidential election.

The accusations against them include conspiring to interfere with the election by hacking computers, stealing documents, and releasing those documents with intent to interfere.

https://www.businessinsider.com/who-has-been-charged-in-russia-investigation-mueller-trump-2017-12#12-russian-intelligence-officers-8

On October 19, 2018, the Justice Department announced it had charged Elena Khusyaynova, 44, a Russian woman who federal prosecutors alleged conspired to interfere with the 2018 U.S. election, marking the first criminal case that accuses a foreign national of interfering in United States elections.

Khusyaynova, 44, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.

You can read the indictment here:

https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/justice-dept-charges-russian-woman-with-interference-in-midterm-elections/3247/

Prosecutors allege Khazanov managed the finances of “Project Lakhta,” a foreign influence operation designed “to sow discord in the U.S. political system” by pushing arguments and misinformation online about a host of divisive political issues, including immigration, the Confederate flag, gun control and National Football League protests during the national anthem.

According to federal prosecutors the sophisticated campaign Khusyaynova was a part of “did not exclusively adopt one ideological viewpoint” but instead tried to push incendiary positions on various political controversies on social media platforms.

The Russians involved, prosecutors said, created fake personas and spread their divisive messages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Russian group attempted to sow conflict along racial lines and sometimes advocated positions that directly opposed each other, apparently agnostic to whom they supported as long as it turned Americans against one another.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/director-of-national-intelligence-warns-of-ongoing-campaigns-to-interfere-with-elections/2018/10/19/64973a7a-d3b4-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html?utm_term=.66bd4fe58461

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

When Stone was indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on seven federal charges, the charges and irony of his arrest are what many called a well-deserved fate or KARMA for his past nefarious actions.

Roger Stone spent much of the 2016 presidential campaign engaging in political scandal mongering against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

His website and social media accounts reveal doctored images that portray Hillary Clinton as old, sick, or in prison.

Stone also frequently posted messages on Twitter calling for Clinton’s imprisonment and even started a petition advocating her prosecution that he shared with the hashtag #lockerherup.

There is a photograph of Roger Stone holding a “Hillary for Prison” T-shirt he was selling.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/roger-stone-hillary-prison-merch/

Government officials and others familiar with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference have told the media that Mueller is nearing the conclusion of his investigation and is expected to submit a confidential report to the attorney general as early as mid-February, 2019.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/mueller-may-submit-report-attorney-general-soon-mid-february-say-n949961

On January 29, 2019 Acting United States Attorney General Whitaker told news outlets that the Mueller Russian investigation is close to completion.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/28/politics/mueller-report-whitaker/index.html

It is more likely than not that the Russian probe has uncovered evidence of a President “giving aid and comfort” to Russia to influence his election to become President and to hide or stop the Russia investigation to disrupt the 2016 election by firing FBI James Comey or both.

Trump has spent a lifetime being loyal to only two things: himself and his money.

Given the millions and millions of dollars involved with Russian financing of Trump enterprises, Trump’s love of money probably outweighs his love for his country if he really ever had love for the country in the first place.

With the indictment of close personal friends and confidants like Roger Stone, Paul Manford, Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn more than a few very heavy mill stones are now around Donald Trump’s neck for him to be cast into the sea of impeachment and removal or forced resignation.

The testimony of Michael Cohen before congress should be when Trump will be thrown into the sea of impeachment.

If the Cohn testimony does not to the trick to start impeachment, the release of the Mueller Report on the Russian investigation will shove Trump into the deep waters.

However, it may be only wishful thinking that the Russia investigation is coming to and end.

On January 5, 2019, Special Counsel Mueller secured a 6 month extension for the grand jury that was set to expire after 18 months.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/04/politics/mueller-grand-jury/index.html

Federal prosecutors do not seek grand jury extension unless there is more work do be done and perhaps more indictments.

The only sure thing that no doubt would sink Trump to the very bottom would be the indictment of Donald Trump, Jr., and son in law Jared Kushner and the grand jury has time to do just that with the extension.

What appears is unfolding is the inevitable impeachment of a sitting President of the United States for treason against his own country for the first time in its history, and if not, for obstruction of justice.

There are two major political dynamics going on in New Mexico involving the New Mexico Legislature and the Albuquerque Public School System (APS).

The two converging dynamics that complement each other are:

1. The Albuquerque Public School APS property tax levy and bond initiative election for refurbishing, remodeling or replacing aging APS public schools.

2. The dramatic increase in public education funding under consideration by the 2019 New Mexico Legislature.

If both efforts are successful, combined they have the potential of changing the New Mexico public education system for generations and finally ensuring a quality education for New Mexico’s youth.

This article is an attempt to tie in 3 major areas of concern: 1. funding for education, 2. facilities for education and 3. a postscript on the need to get a better handle on APS administration.

THE APS PROPERTY TAX LEVY AND BOND INITIATIVE FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

The Albuquerque Public School (APS) System is conducting a bonding and property tax levy election for the renovation, refurbishment and construction of new schools to replace old schools.

The election is being conducted by “mail in ballot” and all ballots must be returned to the Bernalillo County Clerk before Tuesday, February 5, 2019, or they will not be counted.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1243802/aps-will-ask-voters-for-property-tax-increase.html

Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is New Mexico’s largest school district, serving more than a fourth of all New Mexico’s students and nearly 84,000 students.
The ethnicity and composition of the APS 84,000 students is worth noting:

65.8% are Hispanic
22.9% are Caucasian/White
5.5% are American Indian
3.2% are African American
2.3% are Asian American
0.2% are “other”

Of the 84,000 APS students 16.6% are classified as “English Learners”, 17.2% are classified as “Students with Disabilities”, and 5.9% are in gifted programs.
APS operates 142 schools consisting of 4 K-8 schools, 88 elementary schools (K through 8th grade), 27 middle schools (6-8 th grade), 21 high schools (9th to 12th grade) and 2 alternative schools.

The average age of an APS public school is 50 years or more.

APS is seeking a 2-mill levy property tax rate increase and a bond initiative.

There are 3 initiatives on the ballot seeking voter approval.

The first initiative seeks $190 million for continuing maintenance of the public schools and keeps the tax rate as it is.

The other two initiatives seek $510 million and $200 million for construction and instructional equipment, and would increase the APS mill tax rate.

APS is asking voters for funding for 34 projects over six years costing a total of $900 million that are deemed needed throughout the largest school district in New Mexico.

A total of 31 of the 34 projects consist of renovating, repairing and replacing aging schools, including 16 elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 3 high schools.

There are targeted capital dollars to provide funding to finish up major rebuilds and upgrades to 23 school campuses.

The capital monies will also provide start-up monies for 11 additional renovation projects targeting aging campuses in historic neighborhoods, like La Mesa Elementary School.

The remaining 3 projects are $20 million for school security upgrades, one project is $1.8 million for long overdue Information Technology (IT) upgrades, and one project is $1.5 million for infrastructure and American With Disabilities Act renovations.

The $20 million for much needed school security upgrades is in response to APS needing to upgrade safety measures in response to the rash of incidences of gun violence on school grounds across the country, including New Mexico.

The $20 million in security funding will provide for new locks for every classroom, security vestibule entrances, upgraded camera security with a district-wide central monitoring center, and build protective perimeter fencing for school campuses.

The IT upgrading technology is for both students and teachers and is necessary to stay competitive education wise in a fast evolving, high-tech world.

In dollars and cents, a 2-mill levy means someone with a home valued at $100,000 will see an annual increase of $67 in property taxes, a home valued at $150,000 will have an annual tax increase of $100, and for a home valued at $220,000, the median home value in the city, it will be a $147 annual increase in property taxes.

DRAMATIC INCREASE IN TEACHER PAY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING

Increasing teacher salaries, hiring more teachers and addressing the needs of our kids are the top priority of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s agenda and the New Mexico Legislature in the 2019 legislative session.

At least $500 million in new monies are being proposed for public education over the next fiscal year that begins July 1, 2019.

Governor Michelle Lujan has submitted a proposed total budget of $7.1 billion for consideration by the 2019 New Mexico legislature that started on January 15, 2019.

The $7.1 billion budget increases state spending by $806 million.

The Governor’s budget calls for $3.2 billion to be spent on Public Schools, an 18% increase, and $830.2 million, a 3.3% increase, on higher education.

More than 50% of the proposed $806 million Lujan-Grisham budget increase will go to the public education system.

Lujan Grisham’s budget plan calls for a sharp and dramatic increase in funding for pre-kindergarten programs.

$60 million in new appropriations is being proposed for pre-kindergarten programs serving 3- and 4-year-old children statewide.

The Governor is proposing that the state’s funding formula for public schools be adjusted so more money would flow to districts with large populations of Native American, disabled and low-income students, along with English-language learners.

The New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for its part released its own budget proposal plan that would increase year to year state spending by $670.8 million, or by 10.6%, as opposed to the Governor’s $806 million, or 12.7% increase or a 2.1% difference between the plans.

The LFC’s budget would earmark more than three-fifths of the additional spending toward public schools statewide.

Both the Governor’s and the LFC budgets call for an increase in the public-school funding formula for at-risk students, including Native Americans, English-language learners and those with disabilities.

Salaries for teachers would go up under both plans.

On January 23, 2019 a Legislative committee voted unanimously to approve a proposal that would incrementally increase minimum salaries for public school teachers and principals.

The proposal calls for the starting salary for Level 1 teachers to rise from $36,000 annually to $45,000 by 2022.

It calls for Level 2 teacher increases from $44,000 to $55,000 by 2022.

Level 3 teacher pay would go from $54,000 to $65,000 by 2022.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2019-01-23/bill-on-yearly-new-mexico-teacher-salary-jumps-gets-1st-test

For blog articles on the Governor’s proposed budget and the LFC’s proposed budget see:

https://www.petedinelli.com/…/gov-michelle-lujan…/

https://www.petedinelli.com/2019/01/15/governor-mlgs-budget-plan-vs-lfc-budget-plan/

IMPACT OF STATE DISTRICT COURT RULING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING

On Friday, July 20, 2018, Santa Fe District Court Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that the state of New Mexico is violating the constitutional rights of at-risk students by failing to provide them with a sufficient education.

The Judge found that it was clear that many New Mexico students are not receiving the basic education in reading, writing and math they should be receiving in our public-school system.

There is no doubt that the District Court ruling played a major role in making public education funding a top priority of both Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature.

As a matter of law, Judge Singleton wrote the “lack of funds is not a defense to providing constitutional rights” and found:

“[The evidence presented at trial] proves that the vast majority of New Mexico’s at-risk children finish each school year without the basic literacy and math skills needed to pursue post-secondary education or a career. … Indeed, overall New Mexico children rank at the very bottom in the country for educational achievement. … The at-risk students are still not attaining proficiency at the rate of non-at-risk students … and the programs being lauded by [the Public Education Department] are not changing this picture.”

According to the judge’s ruling, in New Mexico, 71.6% of the state’s public-school students come from low-income families, and 14.4% are English-language learners.

Further, 14.8 percent of students have disabilities, and 10.6 percent are Native American.

Judge Singleton addressing proficiency rates for Native American students said that in the past 3 years, those students’ reading proficiency was at 17.6% and their math proficiency was at 10.4%.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1200069/questions-surround-ruling-on-nm-education-funding.html

The Court found that New Mexico does not have enough teachers and that New Mexico teachers are among the lowest paid in the country and stated:

“The evidence shows that school districts do not have the funds to pay for all the teachers they need. … [An example is] Gadsden, one of the better performing school districts in the state, has had to eliminate over 53 classroom positions and 15 essential teachers since 2008.”

NEW MEXICO KIDS IN CRISIS

On Jun 26, 2018, it was reported by the 2018 Kids Count Data Book that for the first time in five years, New Mexico has fallen to last among states when it comes to the economic, educational and medical well-being of its children, according to a nonprofit that tracks the status of children in the United Sates.

The most troubling in the 2018 Kids Count Data Book is New Mexico’s steep drop in ranking for health care measures which previously a bright spot for the state.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/report-new-mexico-ranks-last-in-child-well-being/article_0f6865fc-d34a-5050-9f74-21680e98a2a5.html

According to the 2018 Kids Count Data Book, 30% of New Mexico’s children were living in poverty in 2016, compared to 19% nationwide that year, the earliest figures available.

In educational measures, the report says 75% of the state’s fourth-graders were not proficient in reading in 2017, compared to 65% nationally, and 80% of eighth-graders were not performing up to par in math in 2017, compared to 67% across the U.S.

Education Week’s annual Quality Counts report on United State Public Education systems throughout the nation put New Mexico next to last out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in January, 2018.

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

Governor Mitchell Lujan Grisham’s commitment and the New Mexico Legislature’s commitment to fund our education system to the levels needed to address our public education system is a major step in reversing New Mexico’s last place showing in education rankings.

State funding for public education for programs and teacher salaries can and must go hand in hand with providing a quality education in a safe teaching environment for students.

All the projects that will be funded by the APS property tax levy and bond initiatives are all capital improvement projects meaning they are an investment in tangible assets, brick and mortar projects, not management and personnel.

As is the case with any building, private and publicly owned, APS schools and facilities age and eventually have to be torn down and rebuilt, as was the case with Del Norte High School in the last few years.

Because of the extent of the number of schools that have depreciated and deteriorated, the APS school system and the citizens of Albuquerque are now confronted with a financial dilemma, refurbish or tear down and rebuild many of our public schools.

All too often, remodeling and renovations in the long run are far costlier to bring a building up to code and it is more practical and economically responsible to tear down and rebuild.

A number of the listed for attention, especially the elementary schools, are so old they are falling apart for lack of maintenance, upkeep and age.

Hope springs eternal that the dramatic increase of $500 million dollars or more in public education a year by the State of New Mexico coupled with $900 million expended in capital improvement projects by the Albuquerque Public School System over six years will have a dramatic impact on ensuring that New Mexico’s kids get a quality education in a safe and secure environment.

Let’s hope the New Mexico legislature comes through with the increase in funding for public education and that the voters of Albuquerque recognize that the education of our youth are investments that we have failed to make for too many years.

POSTSCRIPT

“Think New Mexico” is a nonpartisan think tank that does not subscribe to any particular ideology and conducts and publishes independent research focusing on workable solutions to the serious problems facing New Mexico.

www.thinknewmexico.org.

The mission of Think New Mexico is to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans, especially those who lack a strong voice in the political process.

Think New Mexico fulfills its mission by educating the public, the media, and policymakers about some the most serious challenges facing New Mexico and develops and advocates for effective, comprehensive, sustainable solutions.

On Sunday, January 27, 2019, the Albuquerque Journal published the following guest column written by “Think New Mexico” Director Fred Nathan entitled “HB 77 will help make sure all those new millions in funding go to classrooms, where learning happens” :

“As Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Legislature consider a package of bills to transform New Mexico’s public schools, Think New Mexico urges them to include House Bill 77, which will make sure that a greater proportion of New Mexico’s education funding reaches our students and teachers in the classroom.

The education reform bills being considered by lawmakers were developed in response to last year’s landmark Yazzie/Martinez court decision. In that decision, Judge Sarah Singleton directed New Mexico lawmakers to spend more on education for the state’s most vulnerable students. Judge Singleton also made clear that this additional money must be spent on evidence-based “classroom instruction programs such as quality pre-K, K-3 Plus, extended school year, and quality teachers” that have been proven to make a difference for at-risk children.

In order to accomplish this, New Mexico will need to change the way it spends its education dollars. When Think New Mexico analyzed New Mexico’s education spending, we discovered that in the decade between 2006-07 and 2016-17, more than two-thirds of school districts across New Mexico – 61 of 89 – grew their central office administrative spending faster than their classroom spending.

For example, in the Albuquerque Public Schools, classroom spending increased by an average of 0.8 percent per year over the past decade, while administrative spending grew by 1.7 percent per year. That difference adds up with compounding: between 2006-07 and 2016-17, classroom spending in APS increased by 7.4 percent, while administrative spending increased by 17.5 percent.

Think New Mexico’s research is consistent with the findings of the Legislature’s own finance staff, which recently presented research showing that, statewide, spending on school district general and central administration grew by 34 percent over the past decade – more than twice as fast as classroom spending, which increased by 16-17 percent.

As Gov. Lujan Grisham told the Albuquerque Journal last July, “The administrative overhead in our schools is outrageous.”

The disproportionate growth in administration at the expense of the classroom helps explain why New Mexico’s student performance has continued to lag behind the rest of the nation. Several years ago, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory conducted an extensive study of 1,500 school districts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. They concluded that high-performing school districts spend a larger percentage of their budgets on instruction and a lower percentage on general administration than lower-performing districts, and they also tend to employ smaller numbers of administrative staff.

To get more money to New Mexico’s classrooms, Think New Mexico drafted House Bill 77, which has been introduced by Democratic Rep. Bobby Gonzales, former Superintendent of Taos Municipal Schools and vice-chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

House Bill 77 would limit the growth of school district central administrative spending to no faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the overall growth in the state education budget, whichever is lower. Classroom spending would not be limited. So in years like 2019, when lawmakers are proposing to increase education spending by more than 12 percent and the CPI is about 2 percent, central administration would be limited to 2 percent growth. All the rest of the new money would go to the classroom, where the learning takes place.

Passing House Bill 77 is especially important this year, when lawmakers are proposing to add at least $400 million to the education budget in response to the Yazzie/Martinez ruling. House Bill 77 will greatly enhance the effectiveness of those appropriations by making sure that almost all of the new money will be directed to the classroom.

We encourage parents and families across New Mexico to urge their legislators and Gov. Lujan Grisham to include House Bill 77 in their education reform package. You can learn more about this effort, and email your legislators and the governor from Think New Mexico’s website at: www.thinknewmexico.org.”

Below is the link to the Albuquerque Journal “Think New Mexico” guest commentary:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1273337/hb-77-will-help-make-sure-all-those-new-millions-in-funding-go-to-classrooms-where-learning-happens.html

My jaw literally dropped when on January 27, 2019, when I heard longtime news reporter Tom Brokaw say on Meet the Press:

“And a lot of this, we don’t want to talk about … But the fact is, on the Republican side, a lot of people see the rise of an extraordinary, important, new constituent in American politics, Hispanics, who will come here and all be Democrats. Also, I hear, when I push people a little harder, ‘Well, I don’t know whether I want brown grandbabies.’ I mean, that’s also a part of it. … It’s the intermarriage that is going on and the cultures that are conflicting with each other. I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. That’s one of the things I’ve been saying for a long time. You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities. And that’s going to take outreach on both sides, frankly.”

You can see the entire interview here.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tom-brokaw-hispanics-should-work-harder-at-assimilation_us_5c4e2ed3e4b0287e5b8bd250

No one on the Meet the Press panel asked Brokaw to clarify who has told him they didn’t want “brown grandbabies.”

Tom Brokaw has apologized for the remarks, but please give me a break!

I doubt Tom Brokaw and his friends fully understand or appreciate just how much assimilation has gone on in New Mexico for decades, and some would say hundreds of years.

I am half Italian and half Hispanic.

My grandfather Lorenzo Dinelli immigrated from Lucca, Italy in the year 1900 to New Mexico at the age of 19, a full 12 years before New Mexico became a State.

My grandmother Rachaelle, also from Lucca, Italy followed my grandfather Lorenzo and settled in Albuquerque.

My father Paul Dinelli was born in Albuquerque and the first language he learned before English was Italian.

My mother Rose Fresques Dinelli, was born in Chacon, New Mexico in Mora County, New Mexico.

My mother Rose was 100% Hispanic, and the first language she learned before English was Spanish.

The Italian and Spanish languages have many similarities.

I recall growing up when my dad and my mom would speak to each other in both languages to keep us from knowing what they were saying, especially when we knew they were arguing.

I once asked my mother why they did not teach me and my brother and sisters Italian or Spanish and she told me it was important for us to learn English and fully master one language.

Another reason for not teaching us Italian or Spanish was that my grandparents and my mother and father had experienced discrimination because of their ethnicity.

I regret not being taught by my parents and being unable to master Italian and Spanish, but understand fully their rationale for it.

Someone needs to tell Tom Brokaw that at least in New Mexico we have more than a few very successful Hispanic Republican politicians such as former Governor Susana Martinez, former Lt. Governor John Sanchez who were once brown babies not to mention former Congressman Manuel Lujan, all three who can speak fluent Spanish.

Then New Mexico also had former United State Senator Pete Domenici who was first generation Italian, whose parents immigrated from Lucca, Italy and Domenici could speak fluent Italian.

Frankly, my wife Betty and I are extremely excited to have more than a few brown babies seeing as my oldest son is married to an Hispanic!