EL Picador and the Picaresque send out mad props and kudos to our neighbors to the east at Vista del Norte, and all of the others who are fighting the proposed Walmart Pooperstore on Osuna. Through perseverance and some very clever politicking (gotta love adding the balloon landing zone angle) they appear to have put the heavyweight on the ropes. Even Marty's gotten into the act, smelling political blood on the water, with a proposal to have the city of Albuquerque buy the land out from under Walmart!
At last, an apparent success for the little guy. So take heart, all of you Starbuck-buckers, fire-station malcontents and those of you tilting Quixote-style at sell towers. The behemoth can be landed with a single well-aimed harpoon. Keep up the good fight.
And that fight enters a very important round at Los Ranchos village hall the second Wednesday in April, when Larry and the gang gather to gut--er, amend--the VC zone. Be there to make your voice heard!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
EL Picador corrects the Journal
Leave it to your trusted source EL Picador to do the real investigative journalism. Recall yesterday's post, where El Picador questioned the WSJ's claim that a village Starbucks would turn over $56,000 in GRT revenue to the village per year. Turns out El Picador's skepticism was well founded, and the discrepancy between the WSJ/village administration claim and the truth is even larger than even the cynical EL Picador had imagined!
A quick internet search revealed average Starbucks per store gross revenue of $970,000 (Source: Seattle Times, Oct 2006). A visit to the tax.state.nm site reported Los Rancho's total GRT take is currently 6.6875%, of which 5% goes to the state. That would leave 1.69% of 970,000 as the REAL LR GRT take from a Starbucks. Plug it into your calculator, and you get a little south of $17,000 of tax revenue per year. That's a long, long way from the $56,000 that the WSJ reports would be coming in. But that is what happens when you rely on a single source (one probably wearing a bad rug) for your information, instead of doing real research.
So save yourself the two bits, and read the Picaresque instead of the WSJ---if you really want to know what is going on!
A quick internet search revealed average Starbucks per store gross revenue of $970,000 (Source: Seattle Times, Oct 2006). A visit to the tax.state.nm site reported Los Rancho's total GRT take is currently 6.6875%, of which 5% goes to the state. That would leave 1.69% of 970,000 as the REAL LR GRT take from a Starbucks. Plug it into your calculator, and you get a little south of $17,000 of tax revenue per year. That's a long, long way from the $56,000 that the WSJ reports would be coming in. But that is what happens when you rely on a single source (one probably wearing a bad rug) for your information, instead of doing real research.
So save yourself the two bits, and read the Picaresque instead of the WSJ---if you really want to know what is going on!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Alb Journal goes pro-java
It seems that the WSJ has seen fit to endorse the Starbucks on 4th street (See yesterday's WSJ)
El Picador cannot remember the Journal ever taking a stand on any proposed village action before. WSJ had no position on such past controversial proposals as the plan to narrow fourth street (and the subsequent bogus lawsuit that cost the village millions in federal funding), the location of a "head shop" near a middle school, a complete overhaul of the zoning codes, the formation of the planing and zoning commission, the fight to get the fireworks store to install sprinklers, and many others. Similarly, the WSJ has stayed mum on many more recent issues, like the RGB setbacks, the Unser museum, the re-location of the fire station, the trashing of the VC zone to allow for gas stations and the accompanying threat to use eminent domain to seize private property for commercial development---to name but a very few. All of these did not merit the Journals attention----but keeping out a Starbucks? That's downright un-American!
Lang must really need his java fix bad!
Especially amusing to El Picador was the editor's lecture about how we villagers just have to accept "progress" like Starbucks. The editorial writer goes on to claim that any decent commercial development these days needs a Starbucks. Oh, really?
But can a Starbucks really turn over $56,000 in GRT per year, as the WSJ claims?
Lets do a little math. The total GRT is around 6.5%, and the state takes a third of that. Say LR keeps 4%. That would project gross sales at this single Starbucks of almost $1.5 MILLION per year! Thats a lotta tall mochas!!! Suffice it to say EL Picador is a bit skeptical about those numbers. Those numbers sound like they came to the WSJ via village hall, courtesy of hizzonher himself, who came out squarely in favor of the jitter-joint in a recent Village Vision. (Even more interesting is the statement in the editorial that the village administration is supporting the Starbucks---despite the fact that the variances were REJECTED by the planning and zoning commission? So just what --or who--is this "village administration" referred to in the WSJ? You got it---the fourth stooge himself! )
Well, at least the west-siders will have a place to loose that drowsy feeling that one gets after gassing up the hummer at the mega-station and gorging on Golden Starches fare at the new "village center".
El Picador cannot remember the Journal ever taking a stand on any proposed village action before. WSJ had no position on such past controversial proposals as the plan to narrow fourth street (and the subsequent bogus lawsuit that cost the village millions in federal funding), the location of a "head shop" near a middle school, a complete overhaul of the zoning codes, the formation of the planing and zoning commission, the fight to get the fireworks store to install sprinklers, and many others. Similarly, the WSJ has stayed mum on many more recent issues, like the RGB setbacks, the Unser museum, the re-location of the fire station, the trashing of the VC zone to allow for gas stations and the accompanying threat to use eminent domain to seize private property for commercial development---to name but a very few. All of these did not merit the Journals attention----but keeping out a Starbucks? That's downright un-American!
Lang must really need his java fix bad!
Especially amusing to El Picador was the editor's lecture about how we villagers just have to accept "progress" like Starbucks. The editorial writer goes on to claim that any decent commercial development these days needs a Starbucks. Oh, really?
But can a Starbucks really turn over $56,000 in GRT per year, as the WSJ claims?
Lets do a little math. The total GRT is around 6.5%, and the state takes a third of that. Say LR keeps 4%. That would project gross sales at this single Starbucks of almost $1.5 MILLION per year! Thats a lotta tall mochas!!! Suffice it to say EL Picador is a bit skeptical about those numbers. Those numbers sound like they came to the WSJ via village hall, courtesy of hizzonher himself, who came out squarely in favor of the jitter-joint in a recent Village Vision. (Even more interesting is the statement in the editorial that the village administration is supporting the Starbucks---despite the fact that the variances were REJECTED by the planning and zoning commission? So just what --or who--is this "village administration" referred to in the WSJ? You got it---the fourth stooge himself! )
Well, at least the west-siders will have a place to loose that drowsy feeling that one gets after gassing up the hummer at the mega-station and gorging on Golden Starches fare at the new "village center".
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Why pay taxes to Bernalillo?
El Picador wants to know---why do residents and businesses in Los Ranchos (or Albuquerque for that matter) pay taxes to the county? We pay the same any property owner in the unincorporated areas (and now even a mill more, but I digress), but unlike the county residents, we get absolutely NOTHING from the county in return. We have to pay for our own fire department---that incidentally spends do much of its time responding to emergencies OUTSIDE of the village, in the county, that LR is having to pony up millions to move its fire station to 4th street--our own police protection, our own planning department, animal control, etc.
We pay extra for building inspection, animal shelters, etc. Worse, we pay BCS for three officers and a Sargent, their cars, clothing, equipment and vacation/benefits---and they are sent throughout the North Valley command, and even into the east mountains!
Los Ranchos is a huge cash cow for the county---they rake in millions, and it costs them nothing in services. And no one knows this better tan our very own double-dipper, Juan Vigil, who had a whole previous career in county government, most recently retiring as the chief administrator with a healthy pension, now supplemented handsomely by his extravagant LR salary (his counterpart in Albuquerque, who supervises a government with many fold more employees and a budget many orders of magnitude larger and more complex makes about the same scratch)
So how about it Juan----why is it again that we pay county taxes at all? Especially when THEY should be paying US for the work our BCS officers and our fire department do in the county!
We pay extra for building inspection, animal shelters, etc. Worse, we pay BCS for three officers and a Sargent, their cars, clothing, equipment and vacation/benefits---and they are sent throughout the North Valley command, and even into the east mountains!
Los Ranchos is a huge cash cow for the county---they rake in millions, and it costs them nothing in services. And no one knows this better tan our very own double-dipper, Juan Vigil, who had a whole previous career in county government, most recently retiring as the chief administrator with a healthy pension, now supplemented handsomely by his extravagant LR salary (his counterpart in Albuquerque, who supervises a government with many fold more employees and a budget many orders of magnitude larger and more complex makes about the same scratch)
So how about it Juan----why is it again that we pay county taxes at all? Especially when THEY should be paying US for the work our BCS officers and our fire department do in the county!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Speed is killing me
Maybe I missed something when I moved into this suburb of Albuquerque, New Mexico, known as Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, but aren't the residents of the village really trying to preserve "their rural lifestyle" - slow down and enjoy the beautiful farmland and pastures - as they build new mansionettes? I read that Mayor Abraham moved here a few months before I did. Welcome to Los Ranchos de Albuquerque!
History is that former Mayor O'Conner took a lot of heat back in the early 90s for lowering the speed limit on Rio Grande Boulevard to 25 MPH to preserve that lifestyle. Mayor Stowers apparently tried to raise the speed limit back to 35 MPH but backed down after some criticism. I'm told he's is a retired New Mexico State Supreme Court Justice, so I guess he understands political pressure, just like Inglesias does now.
Apparently Mayor Hooker left well enough alone in the early 00s on Rio Grande Boulevard, but did a traffic survey of actual speeds and found where drivers were abusing the local limits the most. He then went over the deep end and proposed real speed limiting controls, like "modern roundabouts" and "chicanes" and more. Now we're talking real engineering here, like rocket science (like I knew in Ohio before I left corn country to move here).
So the libertarian and well-to-do gentry in the Albuquerque suburbs north of Los Ranchos and inside Los Ranchos used their self-proclaimed Los Ranchos Neighborhood Association (I've never received an invitation to join their country club, thank you very much) to fight this project and voted him out of office. They didn't want anyone forcing them to obey speed limits for their Jaguars and Hummers. Live and let live, no? I love my old Huffy, anyway. May yet be the death of me on Rio Grande Boulevard if I try to ride to the Los Ranchos Growers Market ever again.
So now, we've got the Republican technopolitic solition - speed boards - that don't work. Who said that engineering matters in solving our common problems? Trustee Lopez? - a friend at the growers market said he is the engineer of the Trustees.
The City of Albuquerque grudgingly agreed to post the same radar speed signs on their Montanyo crossing to appease the Village, but publicly admitted that they don't work. But, hey, what the heck, the Court made them do it. (PS how do you spell that street that sounds like "Montanyo"?)
So, Mayor Abraham's blinkin' speed signs continue their vigilance on Rio Grande and El Pueblo to tell speeding citizens and commuters that they are, well, driving. Mayor Chavez (am I spelling his name right?) begrudgingly put his signs on Montanyo at the Rio Grande overpass, but swears they don't work, and apparently they don't slow the traffic below 45 mph. So I guess he was right. (Notice how the signs read about 5 mph less than your speedometer anyway? Makes for better reports. I guess I better check my tire inflation. This is rocket science, BTW.)
So how are Mayor Abraham's signs doing? Long pause for reply ... Did I miss the Albuquerque Journal's "Road Warrior's" report in the West Side Journal? Oh, yeah, like traffic on El Pueblo matters to Tom Lange and his merry editors - who live on the West Side OF THE RIVER, not just west of the RailRunner tracks. Maybe I made a real mistake moving into the Valley instead of the West Side.
How about the deputies who ticket speeders? Nice guys, but another long pause for reply ... Are we getting any of their County support from their traffic enforcement budget that we pay for through County property taxes and fees to our County Sheriff (who's running for Governator of New Mexico in '10)? I've got to quit reading my bills. Perhaps I should register to vote, too.
So, how about speeding on North 4th Street? I clocked my fellow drivers last week. They were all doing 44 MPH from Alameda to Montanyo. How is the Village and the Sheriff enforcing the 35 mph speed limit there? You know the drill now ... How many school zones do we have in Los Ranchos? Oh, that's right, no one walks to school anymore here. (Just like Ohio, if I had children, I wouldn't let them walk to school here. Sorry.) So don't worry about the way you drive. Oh, and Mayor Abraham posted 4th and Osuna at 30 MPH last week, good luck. My fellow travellers didn't slow down at all. They had a green light.
Okay, so the signs aren't working, the deputies aren't working, parents have given up, and children don't walk anymore, drivers are speeding at will, and Mayor Abraham and his Escalade buddies speed when they want to, where they want to. We don't need no stinkin' traffic calming.
Mayor Abraham hasn't done a single blinkin' thing to make the roads of Los Ranchos safer for families, children and dogs since I moved here, but put up a handful of blinkin' signs. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your help in preserving our "rural" life here in your adopted village. Welcome to Los Ranchos.
Maybe I missed something when I moved into this suburb of Albuquerque, New Mexico, known as Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, but aren't the residents of the village really trying to preserve "their rural lifestyle" - slow down and enjoy the beautiful farmland and pastures - as they build new mansionettes? I read that Mayor Abraham moved here a few months before I did. Welcome to Los Ranchos de Albuquerque!
History is that former Mayor O'Conner took a lot of heat back in the early 90s for lowering the speed limit on Rio Grande Boulevard to 25 MPH to preserve that lifestyle. Mayor Stowers apparently tried to raise the speed limit back to 35 MPH but backed down after some criticism. I'm told he's is a retired New Mexico State Supreme Court Justice, so I guess he understands political pressure, just like Inglesias does now.
Apparently Mayor Hooker left well enough alone in the early 00s on Rio Grande Boulevard, but did a traffic survey of actual speeds and found where drivers were abusing the local limits the most. He then went over the deep end and proposed real speed limiting controls, like "modern roundabouts" and "chicanes" and more. Now we're talking real engineering here, like rocket science (like I knew in Ohio before I left corn country to move here).
So the libertarian and well-to-do gentry in the Albuquerque suburbs north of Los Ranchos and inside Los Ranchos used their self-proclaimed Los Ranchos Neighborhood Association (I've never received an invitation to join their country club, thank you very much) to fight this project and voted him out of office. They didn't want anyone forcing them to obey speed limits for their Jaguars and Hummers. Live and let live, no? I love my old Huffy, anyway. May yet be the death of me on Rio Grande Boulevard if I try to ride to the Los Ranchos Growers Market ever again.
So now, we've got the Republican technopolitic solition - speed boards - that don't work. Who said that engineering matters in solving our common problems? Trustee Lopez? - a friend at the growers market said he is the engineer of the Trustees.
The City of Albuquerque grudgingly agreed to post the same radar speed signs on their Montanyo crossing to appease the Village, but publicly admitted that they don't work. But, hey, what the heck, the Court made them do it. (PS how do you spell that street that sounds like "Montanyo"?)
So, Mayor Abraham's blinkin' speed signs continue their vigilance on Rio Grande and El Pueblo to tell speeding citizens and commuters that they are, well, driving. Mayor Chavez (am I spelling his name right?) begrudgingly put his signs on Montanyo at the Rio Grande overpass, but swears they don't work, and apparently they don't slow the traffic below 45 mph. So I guess he was right. (Notice how the signs read about 5 mph less than your speedometer anyway? Makes for better reports. I guess I better check my tire inflation. This is rocket science, BTW.)
So how are Mayor Abraham's signs doing? Long pause for reply ... Did I miss the Albuquerque Journal's "Road Warrior's" report in the West Side Journal? Oh, yeah, like traffic on El Pueblo matters to Tom Lange and his merry editors - who live on the West Side OF THE RIVER, not just west of the RailRunner tracks. Maybe I made a real mistake moving into the Valley instead of the West Side.
How about the deputies who ticket speeders? Nice guys, but another long pause for reply ... Are we getting any of their County support from their traffic enforcement budget that we pay for through County property taxes and fees to our County Sheriff (who's running for Governator of New Mexico in '10)? I've got to quit reading my bills. Perhaps I should register to vote, too.
So, how about speeding on North 4th Street? I clocked my fellow drivers last week. They were all doing 44 MPH from Alameda to Montanyo. How is the Village and the Sheriff enforcing the 35 mph speed limit there? You know the drill now ... How many school zones do we have in Los Ranchos? Oh, that's right, no one walks to school anymore here. (Just like Ohio, if I had children, I wouldn't let them walk to school here. Sorry.) So don't worry about the way you drive. Oh, and Mayor Abraham posted 4th and Osuna at 30 MPH last week, good luck. My fellow travellers didn't slow down at all. They had a green light.
Okay, so the signs aren't working, the deputies aren't working, parents have given up, and children don't walk anymore, drivers are speeding at will, and Mayor Abraham and his Escalade buddies speed when they want to, where they want to. We don't need no stinkin' traffic calming.
Mayor Abraham hasn't done a single blinkin' thing to make the roads of Los Ranchos safer for families, children and dogs since I moved here, but put up a handful of blinkin' signs. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your help in preserving our "rural" life here in your adopted village. Welcome to Los Ranchos.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Only His Hairdresser Knows For Sure......
"Native son" wants to know: Does the thug wear a rug?
El Picador has actually wondered the same thing from time to time. True, the 'do never seems to change---always the same length and never out of place. Also, Hizzoner is pushing the half-century mark, and not even a touch of grey?
But this is only speculation. What we need is proof---and that may take someone running up and giving it a good yank. Who is game?
El Picador has actually wondered the same thing from time to time. True, the 'do never seems to change---always the same length and never out of place. Also, Hizzoner is pushing the half-century mark, and not even a touch of grey?
But this is only speculation. What we need is proof---and that may take someone running up and giving it a good yank. Who is game?
With the Bond Passed, its Back to Business as Usual
Apparently emboldened by the passage of the open space bond, Larry and his posse got right back to work the very next day on their grand vision for Fourth and Osuna.
But first they had to deal with a few malcontents who had the audacity to argue that the prohibition against drive throughs in the VC zone should be enforced. They spoke at length against the Starbucks, undeterred by rude comments by hizzoner (who sometimes acts as if he's ODed on grande double expresso no-fat lattes, and may be looking for a convenient place to get his fix), and in the end achieved the Pyrrhic victory of that time-honored BOT cop-out, the "deferral for further study". Roughly translated as "We didn't anticipate so much opposition and haven't the nads to actually do the right thing and vote "no", so we will put this off and bury it at the end of a long agenda in the future, hoping that these crazies will somehow forget to show up the next time".
Then it was on the the VC revision. The last step in that grand scheme of Larry's to place a development of his choosing at 4th and Osuna---removing all of the design guidelines, pedestrian amenities, controls on the floor space of businesses, and ironically the requirement for FREE dedicated open space from the zone, calling it, in classic double-speak, "protection for the neighborhoods". But now the administration wants to gut the thing even more, by making drive throughs a conditional use and to make gas-stations a PERMISSIVE use!! What could be more pedestrian friendly than a big old gas station, with maybe a McDonalds drive through attached! What says, "welcome to Rural Los Ranchos, note our unique village center" better than that?
It sure doesn't take a 'rocket scientist" to see where this is going. Wake up, people! Now that Larry and his friends on RGB have secured their scenic vistas with our tax money, its time to make 4th into another San Mateo to pump GRT into the now nearly empty village coffers.
El Picador says---Say No to the VC revision before it is too late!
And as for that area being "blighted"---EL Picador knows of no greater blight than a mega-gas station and McDonalds. I'll take weeds and land-locked property anytime.
But first they had to deal with a few malcontents who had the audacity to argue that the prohibition against drive throughs in the VC zone should be enforced. They spoke at length against the Starbucks, undeterred by rude comments by hizzoner (who sometimes acts as if he's ODed on grande double expresso no-fat lattes, and may be looking for a convenient place to get his fix), and in the end achieved the Pyrrhic victory of that time-honored BOT cop-out, the "deferral for further study". Roughly translated as "We didn't anticipate so much opposition and haven't the nads to actually do the right thing and vote "no", so we will put this off and bury it at the end of a long agenda in the future, hoping that these crazies will somehow forget to show up the next time".
Then it was on the the VC revision. The last step in that grand scheme of Larry's to place a development of his choosing at 4th and Osuna---removing all of the design guidelines, pedestrian amenities, controls on the floor space of businesses, and ironically the requirement for FREE dedicated open space from the zone, calling it, in classic double-speak, "protection for the neighborhoods". But now the administration wants to gut the thing even more, by making drive throughs a conditional use and to make gas-stations a PERMISSIVE use!! What could be more pedestrian friendly than a big old gas station, with maybe a McDonalds drive through attached! What says, "welcome to Rural Los Ranchos, note our unique village center" better than that?
It sure doesn't take a 'rocket scientist" to see where this is going. Wake up, people! Now that Larry and his friends on RGB have secured their scenic vistas with our tax money, its time to make 4th into another San Mateo to pump GRT into the now nearly empty village coffers.
El Picador says---Say No to the VC revision before it is too late!
And as for that area being "blighted"---EL Picador knows of no greater blight than a mega-gas station and McDonalds. I'll take weeds and land-locked property anytime.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
To buy or not to buy? that is the question
Vote! Vote! Open Space Bond Election Tuesday! Vote! Vote!
Wow! This must be the biggest election since Mayor Larry and his gang ran in '04 just after I moved here. I've received 4 glossy mailings now from the self-proclaimed "Friends of the Village of Los Ranchos" who can be reached at 4613 Los Poblanos Cir. NW. This stuff costs serious money, though it may be a lot cheaper than buying an ad in the Mayor's glossy "Village Vision" mouthpiece. But none of my neighbors seem to know anything about what's going on. I really need to get involved and get up to speed on these issues.
In the current fusillade of mail, it's good to see folks with contracts with the Village chipping in for the Mayor's campaign, corporations like Star Paving and Larkin Group (both being paid by the Mayor for the 4th & Osuna project - I saw their names on the signs). I appreciate their loyalty to their client. Don't know what work Albuquerque Asphalt, Sites Southwest and TLC Plumbing & Utilities are doing for the Village. Need to find that out. I don't think they headquarter in Los Ranchos. Perhaps the owners live here?
I'm glad all the Trustees and the Mayor have signed on. Don't know the other folks, however.
That aside, the authors claim that the "open space" to be purchased will
- preserve wildlife habitat
- preserve farmland
- provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, [and]
- preserve scenic landscapes and mountain views
I haven't lived in the Village that long, but I wonder about the logic here. Can you preserve "wildlife habitat" and "farmland" at the same time? Farmers I know back home fight the wildlife that eat their crops and kill their animals all the time. Can you keep sheep and goats in Los Ranchos? I know people keep horses. I've seen a couple of peacocks. Cows seem too big for our little ranchos here. A neighbor told me that there used to be buffalo here. Amazing what you can do in the suburbs!
Then what kind of "outdoor recreation" and "farmland" (along with that mythical "wildlife habitat") can be bought in Los Ranchos today for $3,600,000? The glossy fliers didn't say. I would like a baseball field, please. Who decided what to buy? Is there a wish list out there? I think we need more parks for kids.
On another side of the question, there is one plain paper flyer from folks who call themselves "Concerned Village Residents" who can be reached at Village_visionary@yahoo.com. They don't say that they are for or against the bond and debt, but they describe their understanding of Village open space and their concerns.
"Concerned Residents" say that residents have access to open land today:
- 138 acres of Los Poblanos Fields (is that in Los Ranchos? Someone said it belongs to Albuquerque)
- 40 miles of ditches (with signs that forbid me to walk my dog on them)
- 300 miles of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County bike trails (yeah, like I tried that a few months ago, and almost got run over on my way to the trail. Rocket science is safer than bike riding here, believe me.)
- Rio Grande Valley State Park (but I almost go run over trying to get to the trail to get to the Park)
- Alameda Rio Grande open space (the parking lot is always full, so I've got to get back on the trail)
- 176 acres of Candelaria Farm, (I don't know where this is. Candelaria Road?)
- Rio Grande Nature Center (This was neat to visit. Seems like it's been here a long time.)
The tax will run for 20 years. The glossy fliers didn't state that fact. Does Los Ranchos need to borrow money? The village looks pretty rich to me, with all the new big houses going up, Tuscan and all that. Why not just pledge the current tax revenues to the sellers? Do we have to buy the land?
So are the Concerned Residents right in saying that the $3.6m will be just a "down payment" on 14 acres of the Anderson property? (that's the winery on Rio Grande, isn't it?) I don't know what farmland sells for today, but 14 acres at $3.6m comes out to around $260,000 per acre. Seems like a lot to me for alfalfa, but maybe that's what 1-acre lots for McRanchos on Rio Grande Boulevard are selling for today. If they are $350,000, then we're in trouble, and Mayor Larry will only be able to buy about 10 acres. Seems like a drop in the bucket to preserve "open land" in Los Ranchos.
The Concerned Residents ask a couple of disturbing questions. "Were the residents of the village asked what lands should be targeted for acquisition for open space?" and "... should the village have conducted forums to get residents input?" I wasn't asked to vote on land to be bought, and if there was a village forum, I missed it. Seems like the folks on Rio Grande get all the benefits. What about the folks who live and work on 4th Street?
Perhaps it is time to vote "no" and start over again, give the resident of the village some time to talk and think about the choice. Given our sprawl, it may be a really good idea to buy open land.
Wow! This must be the biggest election since Mayor Larry and his gang ran in '04 just after I moved here. I've received 4 glossy mailings now from the self-proclaimed "Friends of the Village of Los Ranchos" who can be reached at 4613 Los Poblanos Cir. NW. This stuff costs serious money, though it may be a lot cheaper than buying an ad in the Mayor's glossy "Village Vision" mouthpiece. But none of my neighbors seem to know anything about what's going on. I really need to get involved and get up to speed on these issues.
In the current fusillade of mail, it's good to see folks with contracts with the Village chipping in for the Mayor's campaign, corporations like Star Paving and Larkin Group (both being paid by the Mayor for the 4th & Osuna project - I saw their names on the signs). I appreciate their loyalty to their client. Don't know what work Albuquerque Asphalt, Sites Southwest and TLC Plumbing & Utilities are doing for the Village. Need to find that out. I don't think they headquarter in Los Ranchos. Perhaps the owners live here?
I'm glad all the Trustees and the Mayor have signed on. Don't know the other folks, however.
That aside, the authors claim that the "open space" to be purchased will
- preserve wildlife habitat
- preserve farmland
- provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, [and]
- preserve scenic landscapes and mountain views
I haven't lived in the Village that long, but I wonder about the logic here. Can you preserve "wildlife habitat" and "farmland" at the same time? Farmers I know back home fight the wildlife that eat their crops and kill their animals all the time. Can you keep sheep and goats in Los Ranchos? I know people keep horses. I've seen a couple of peacocks. Cows seem too big for our little ranchos here. A neighbor told me that there used to be buffalo here. Amazing what you can do in the suburbs!
Then what kind of "outdoor recreation" and "farmland" (along with that mythical "wildlife habitat") can be bought in Los Ranchos today for $3,600,000? The glossy fliers didn't say. I would like a baseball field, please. Who decided what to buy? Is there a wish list out there? I think we need more parks for kids.
On another side of the question, there is one plain paper flyer from folks who call themselves "Concerned Village Residents" who can be reached at Village_visionary@yahoo.com. They don't say that they are for or against the bond and debt, but they describe their understanding of Village open space and their concerns.
"Concerned Residents" say that residents have access to open land today:
- 138 acres of Los Poblanos Fields (is that in Los Ranchos? Someone said it belongs to Albuquerque)
- 40 miles of ditches (with signs that forbid me to walk my dog on them)
- 300 miles of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County bike trails (yeah, like I tried that a few months ago, and almost got run over on my way to the trail. Rocket science is safer than bike riding here, believe me.)
- Rio Grande Valley State Park (but I almost go run over trying to get to the trail to get to the Park)
- Alameda Rio Grande open space (the parking lot is always full, so I've got to get back on the trail)
- 176 acres of Candelaria Farm, (I don't know where this is. Candelaria Road?)
- Rio Grande Nature Center (This was neat to visit. Seems like it's been here a long time.)
The tax will run for 20 years. The glossy fliers didn't state that fact. Does Los Ranchos need to borrow money? The village looks pretty rich to me, with all the new big houses going up, Tuscan and all that. Why not just pledge the current tax revenues to the sellers? Do we have to buy the land?
So are the Concerned Residents right in saying that the $3.6m will be just a "down payment" on 14 acres of the Anderson property? (that's the winery on Rio Grande, isn't it?) I don't know what farmland sells for today, but 14 acres at $3.6m comes out to around $260,000 per acre. Seems like a lot to me for alfalfa, but maybe that's what 1-acre lots for McRanchos on Rio Grande Boulevard are selling for today. If they are $350,000, then we're in trouble, and Mayor Larry will only be able to buy about 10 acres. Seems like a drop in the bucket to preserve "open land" in Los Ranchos.
The Concerned Residents ask a couple of disturbing questions. "Were the residents of the village asked what lands should be targeted for acquisition for open space?" and "... should the village have conducted forums to get residents input?" I wasn't asked to vote on land to be bought, and if there was a village forum, I missed it. Seems like the folks on Rio Grande get all the benefits. What about the folks who live and work on 4th Street?
Perhaps it is time to vote "no" and start over again, give the resident of the village some time to talk and think about the choice. Given our sprawl, it may be a really good idea to buy open land.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Breath of fresh air
It's a breath of fresh air to have a blog about our little village. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Friday, March 9, 2007
Enchanted Valley in the Mayor's Sights?
Although El Picador's sources are generally reliable, occasional errors sometime slip through. When this occurs, El Picador makes it a policy to publish a correction ASAP. Veracity is everything here at the Picaresque. The last post had a couple of mistakes:
1. Most importantly, the P and Z meeting at which the medical laundry will be discussed is on MONDAY (not Tuesday), 3/12/2007 at 7PM at Village Hall. The P and Z usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month, but because there is an election that day, the date was moved up. So if you care about having filthy, disgusting soiled hospital linens piled high on 4th, mark your calendars with the corrected date.
2. El Picador has also been informed of another error in yesterday's post---the proposed location of the laundry. It is NOT proposed for the tortilla FLATS property south of Osuna, but rather for the tortilla FACTORY location on 4th and Enchanted Valley road.
Now, anyone who has followed village happenings of late knows that a number of active and vociferous opponents of the Mayor reside on Enchanted Valley Rd, just behind the factory. One of these individuals swears that the Mayor actually told him that the laundry was payback for the difficulties that he and others in the neighborhood had caused the administration by helping to organize opposition to the open space bond tax increase!
The residents of Enchanted Valley have long borne the brunt of the malfeasance and negligence of the village administration. A decade or more ago, then Mayor Harry Stowers rammed though a zone change to allow a huge (by village standards, where there is no manufacturing zone) tortilla factory to be built on a previously vacant lot. A big, ugly sheet metal building with minimal landscaping built right to the residential property line was erected almost overnight. All sorts of promises were made about buffering the impact to the neighbors, and the village pledged to enforce these. None were of course kept, and the noisy compressors from the factory ran night and day while huge semis used the little Enchanted Valley cul-de-sac to park and turn around---all assurances of the village and the factory owner to the contrary. Employees parked illegally and threw trash into adjacent yards. It was a mess.
The complaints of the neighbors fell on deaf ears during the Stowers years. The neighbors were persistent, however, and finally made life so miserable for the factory owner (dragging him into hearings at village hall and the like) that he finally gave up and moved the manufacturing away. The building has been used as a warehouse, with a little drive-through restaurant (incidentally prohibited by village zoning) since then.
Then Larry decided to purchase the land across the street for his Taj-Majal, multi-million dollar new fire station. The deal was consummated with essentially no public notice, and it pissed the Enchanted Valley folks off plenty. But Larry, like his corrupt and arrogant predecessor Stowers many years before, made the foolish decision to ignore the neighborhood and do whatever the hell he wanted. The neighbors have tried to fight back, but the rubber-stamp board of trustees, who NEVER cast a dissenting vote, have backed Larry all the way on this boondoggle and have turned a deaf ear to the pleas of their constituents.
And now this medical waste dump pops up-----at the old tortilla factory, smack dab in the front yards of Enchanted valley. Co-incidence? Or a heavy-handed attempt by someone to intimidate current and potential future opponents of the administration? You be the judge.
But El Picador puts his money on the perseverance of the Enchanted Valley neighborhood. And now they and many others have a chance to really hurt Larry at the ballot box this Tuesday.
Get out and vote 3/13 at Village hall, or lose your right to complain!!
1. Most importantly, the P and Z meeting at which the medical laundry will be discussed is on MONDAY (not Tuesday), 3/12/2007 at 7PM at Village Hall. The P and Z usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month, but because there is an election that day, the date was moved up. So if you care about having filthy, disgusting soiled hospital linens piled high on 4th, mark your calendars with the corrected date.
2. El Picador has also been informed of another error in yesterday's post---the proposed location of the laundry. It is NOT proposed for the tortilla FLATS property south of Osuna, but rather for the tortilla FACTORY location on 4th and Enchanted Valley road.
Now, anyone who has followed village happenings of late knows that a number of active and vociferous opponents of the Mayor reside on Enchanted Valley Rd, just behind the factory. One of these individuals swears that the Mayor actually told him that the laundry was payback for the difficulties that he and others in the neighborhood had caused the administration by helping to organize opposition to the open space bond tax increase!
The residents of Enchanted Valley have long borne the brunt of the malfeasance and negligence of the village administration. A decade or more ago, then Mayor Harry Stowers rammed though a zone change to allow a huge (by village standards, where there is no manufacturing zone) tortilla factory to be built on a previously vacant lot. A big, ugly sheet metal building with minimal landscaping built right to the residential property line was erected almost overnight. All sorts of promises were made about buffering the impact to the neighbors, and the village pledged to enforce these. None were of course kept, and the noisy compressors from the factory ran night and day while huge semis used the little Enchanted Valley cul-de-sac to park and turn around---all assurances of the village and the factory owner to the contrary. Employees parked illegally and threw trash into adjacent yards. It was a mess.
The complaints of the neighbors fell on deaf ears during the Stowers years. The neighbors were persistent, however, and finally made life so miserable for the factory owner (dragging him into hearings at village hall and the like) that he finally gave up and moved the manufacturing away. The building has been used as a warehouse, with a little drive-through restaurant (incidentally prohibited by village zoning) since then.
Then Larry decided to purchase the land across the street for his Taj-Majal, multi-million dollar new fire station. The deal was consummated with essentially no public notice, and it pissed the Enchanted Valley folks off plenty. But Larry, like his corrupt and arrogant predecessor Stowers many years before, made the foolish decision to ignore the neighborhood and do whatever the hell he wanted. The neighbors have tried to fight back, but the rubber-stamp board of trustees, who NEVER cast a dissenting vote, have backed Larry all the way on this boondoggle and have turned a deaf ear to the pleas of their constituents.
And now this medical waste dump pops up-----at the old tortilla factory, smack dab in the front yards of Enchanted valley. Co-incidence? Or a heavy-handed attempt by someone to intimidate current and potential future opponents of the administration? You be the judge.
But El Picador puts his money on the perseverance of the Enchanted Valley neighborhood. And now they and many others have a chance to really hurt Larry at the ballot box this Tuesday.
Get out and vote 3/13 at Village hall, or lose your right to complain!!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Larry's answer for Blight---a medical waste dump?
El Picador has learned that there is a proposal to place a commercial laundry facility on 4th street, just south of Osuna, that would wash ALL of the dirty medical laundry for the whole Lovelace system. Imagine how truckloads of laundry, soiled by all manner of bio-hazardous bodily fluids, streaming into the village day and night would enhance our 'blighted' commercial corridor! Vomit-soaked bedsheets, bloody OR scrubs and worse, churned out each and every day from four different hospitals, coming to Los Ranchos for disinfection---now, that's just what the master plan ordered! I guess this is the sort of quality commercial development we can look forward to from the village administration after the VC gets trashed next week.
This is just another example of how the Rio Grande Elite views the east side of town----a place to contain the riff-raf, concentrate the high impact (and GRT cash producing) uses, and a source of property tax revenue. And they have the gaul to ask us to vote to tax ourselves so that they can continue to enjoy unspoiled scenic vistas, while we suck up diesel fumes from trucks shlepping toxic waste and deliveries to the probable 4th-Osuna wal-mart (is there a difference between the two?) That settles it. El Picador had been considering a "yes" on the bond. But he now sees the utter contempt that the RGB gentry has for us. They are playing us for suckers--taking our cash while they ram fire stations, medical waste treatment plants, drive-through Starbucks and wal-marts down our throat. EL Picador says "Send Larry a message. Vote NO."
This waste treatment facility is on the planning and zoning commission agenda for 3/13/07----the same day as the bond vote---at 7 PM. If you don't want to see this sort of business in the village, be there to make your feelings known. The P and Z sometimes listens, and does the right thing, unlike the board of trustees.
On a similar note, EL Picador has noticed that the newly -placed (and fully landscaped) median on Osuna just west of 4th was suddenly removed, and replaced with a continuous left-hand turn lane. That could only mean that Larry has already got something lined up for the SE corner---something that needs a lot of traffic access. Get to the 3/14 BOT meeting, and make your feelings known abut preserving the VC zone. Because if Larry gets his way and its changed, El Picador will with confidence predict that a big shopping center will be approved in short order, with property seized, re-platted, and construction begun, before the fall.
Wake up, before it is too late!
This is just another example of how the Rio Grande Elite views the east side of town----a place to contain the riff-raf, concentrate the high impact (and GRT cash producing) uses, and a source of property tax revenue. And they have the gaul to ask us to vote to tax ourselves so that they can continue to enjoy unspoiled scenic vistas, while we suck up diesel fumes from trucks shlepping toxic waste and deliveries to the probable 4th-Osuna wal-mart (is there a difference between the two?) That settles it. El Picador had been considering a "yes" on the bond. But he now sees the utter contempt that the RGB gentry has for us. They are playing us for suckers--taking our cash while they ram fire stations, medical waste treatment plants, drive-through Starbucks and wal-marts down our throat. EL Picador says "Send Larry a message. Vote NO."
This waste treatment facility is on the planning and zoning commission agenda for 3/13/07----the same day as the bond vote---at 7 PM. If you don't want to see this sort of business in the village, be there to make your feelings known. The P and Z sometimes listens, and does the right thing, unlike the board of trustees.
On a similar note, EL Picador has noticed that the newly -placed (and fully landscaped) median on Osuna just west of 4th was suddenly removed, and replaced with a continuous left-hand turn lane. That could only mean that Larry has already got something lined up for the SE corner---something that needs a lot of traffic access. Get to the 3/14 BOT meeting, and make your feelings known abut preserving the VC zone. Because if Larry gets his way and its changed, El Picador will with confidence predict that a big shopping center will be approved in short order, with property seized, re-platted, and construction begun, before the fall.
Wake up, before it is too late!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Larry calls 4th and Osuna "Blighted", will take property
El Picador feels that everyone in Los Ranchos needs to take a time out from the open space tax debate to focus for a moment on what is really a much more pressing issue---the wholesale gutting of our meticulously crafted zoning ordinance by our Mayor and his faithful side-kick. It is a necessary prelude to bringing in a commerical development of Larry's choosing at the SE corner of 4th and Osuna. All to bring in more cash to the village treasury, where it can be squandered on outrageous salaries for double-dipping administrators, rehabilitation of junk "donated" to the village by his rich friends for tax breaks, opulent fire stations located on overpriced land purchased over the objections of many villagers, and to defend the many lawsuits that such ill-advised, winner-take-all acts of hubris generate.
On Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM at village hall, the board of trustees will vote on a "revision" of the Village Center (VC) zone portion of the Los Ranchos comprehensive zoning ordinance. The original VC zone was approved by the previous administration after several years of public comment, revision, tweaking and hard work by the village staff, all in keeping with the guidelines laid out in the village master plan for this commercial area. This hard work paid off--the zone won awards for innovation from national associations of civic planners and architects. It contained provisions limiting the size of businesses (keeping out "big boxes"), mandating pedestrian-friendly layouts, specifying architectural styling, and most importantly--REQUIRING the developer to designate a portion of the property as public open space!
Larry wants to get rid of all of this, and in its place allow anything with a site plan that is approved by him.., er, the board of trustees. No guidelines, controls, nada.
This comes on the heels of a decision at the last meeting that declared the Osuna-fourth area to be 'blighted"----opening the way to condemn, and therefore acquire, property in this area using the powers of eminent domain. This step was necessary because development at that corner has so far been hampered by a few recalcitrant property owners in the vicinity who, for some strange reason, still labor under the misperception that they can sell their property to whoever they choose, at what ever price (this has stalled development there so far).
If this passes, El Picador predicts a nice little development will go in soon. Maybe a wal-mart, a Starbucks, and sundry other big-box type tenants, peddling the same crap available on any major corner in the greater 'Craque area, complete with a massive asphalt parking lot with a couple of sad little ash trees and fake portillos for atmosphere. Oh, and a place to pick up sell-phones to take advantage of the great reception his 75 foot towers on Rio Grande will offer.
Then its on to the fire station.......
Everyone who gives a damn about open space, rural atmosphere and all of the other stuff that the open space proponents claim to love should be at this meeting to oppose this change. but alas, EL Picador sees the handwriting on the cottonwood stump (the tree dried out long ago)--this passes with no dissent or discussion. Soon 4th will be another Menaul while the landed gentry wade through the goose poop in Andersons courtesy of our gullible electorate.
This will sadden El Picador, who can only take solace from his uncanny prescience.
On Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM at village hall, the board of trustees will vote on a "revision" of the Village Center (VC) zone portion of the Los Ranchos comprehensive zoning ordinance. The original VC zone was approved by the previous administration after several years of public comment, revision, tweaking and hard work by the village staff, all in keeping with the guidelines laid out in the village master plan for this commercial area. This hard work paid off--the zone won awards for innovation from national associations of civic planners and architects. It contained provisions limiting the size of businesses (keeping out "big boxes"), mandating pedestrian-friendly layouts, specifying architectural styling, and most importantly--REQUIRING the developer to designate a portion of the property as public open space!
Larry wants to get rid of all of this, and in its place allow anything with a site plan that is approved by him.., er, the board of trustees. No guidelines, controls, nada.
This comes on the heels of a decision at the last meeting that declared the Osuna-fourth area to be 'blighted"----opening the way to condemn, and therefore acquire, property in this area using the powers of eminent domain. This step was necessary because development at that corner has so far been hampered by a few recalcitrant property owners in the vicinity who, for some strange reason, still labor under the misperception that they can sell their property to whoever they choose, at what ever price (this has stalled development there so far).
If this passes, El Picador predicts a nice little development will go in soon. Maybe a wal-mart, a Starbucks, and sundry other big-box type tenants, peddling the same crap available on any major corner in the greater 'Craque area, complete with a massive asphalt parking lot with a couple of sad little ash trees and fake portillos for atmosphere. Oh, and a place to pick up sell-phones to take advantage of the great reception his 75 foot towers on Rio Grande will offer.
Then its on to the fire station.......
Everyone who gives a damn about open space, rural atmosphere and all of the other stuff that the open space proponents claim to love should be at this meeting to oppose this change. but alas, EL Picador sees the handwriting on the cottonwood stump (the tree dried out long ago)--this passes with no dissent or discussion. Soon 4th will be another Menaul while the landed gentry wade through the goose poop in Andersons courtesy of our gullible electorate.
This will sadden El Picador, who can only take solace from his uncanny prescience.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Who is behind the signs?
Someone with the moniker 'Roaring Lion" wants to know who is paying for all of the signs in the village telling us how to vote on the open space bond. "RL" is also wondering how long we'd be paying for the bond, and why the journal (I assume the Albuquerque Journal) isn't covering this.
EL Picador has some answers:
First, El Picador has a pretty good idea of who is SUPPOSED to be paying for the "yes" signs. That would be the members of the open space bond committee, appointed by the mayor for the expressed purpose of promoting the bond. The names of these individuals should be available at village hall (344-6582, or on the web at villr.com).
As for the "vote no" signs, that's a tougher one. The signs do not say who paid for them (that was once a violation of the village campaign ordinance, but Larry gutted that a while back. Now its coming back to bite him on the keester). El Picador knows of many villagers who are opposed to the tax and are fighting it actively. One or more of them are probably paying for the signs.
The bond is for twenty years. So, in twenty years time someone else will be asking us all to vote on another bond, promising that it won't raise our taxes while conveniently forgetting to mention that our taxes would go DOWN if the new bond fails!
The Journal devotes scant coverage to the village, despite the fact that Tom Lange, the owner, supposedly lives here. The reporter detailed to the village beat has many other duties, and EL Picador suspects that political pressure is sometimes exerted by the editorial department to keep a lid on any sort of controversial stories. But to be fair, the Journal has taken an editorial position in favor of the bond, and has published another op-ed piece by a village resident on the topic. El Picador has also seen at least one story on it recently. And the Journal is good about publishing letters to the editor in the WSJ. But let's face it---the Washington Post they are not. They never seem to have any meat in their stories.
EL Picador has some answers:
First, El Picador has a pretty good idea of who is SUPPOSED to be paying for the "yes" signs. That would be the members of the open space bond committee, appointed by the mayor for the expressed purpose of promoting the bond. The names of these individuals should be available at village hall (344-6582, or on the web at villr.com).
As for the "vote no" signs, that's a tougher one. The signs do not say who paid for them (that was once a violation of the village campaign ordinance, but Larry gutted that a while back. Now its coming back to bite him on the keester). El Picador knows of many villagers who are opposed to the tax and are fighting it actively. One or more of them are probably paying for the signs.
The bond is for twenty years. So, in twenty years time someone else will be asking us all to vote on another bond, promising that it won't raise our taxes while conveniently forgetting to mention that our taxes would go DOWN if the new bond fails!
The Journal devotes scant coverage to the village, despite the fact that Tom Lange, the owner, supposedly lives here. The reporter detailed to the village beat has many other duties, and EL Picador suspects that political pressure is sometimes exerted by the editorial department to keep a lid on any sort of controversial stories. But to be fair, the Journal has taken an editorial position in favor of the bond, and has published another op-ed piece by a village resident on the topic. El Picador has also seen at least one story on it recently. And the Journal is good about publishing letters to the editor in the WSJ. But let's face it---the Washington Post they are not. They never seem to have any meat in their stories.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Update on Los Ranchos civil liberties
El Picador has made the rounds of the village, and is happy to report that numerous political signs referring to the bond election were again in evidence, including many of the previously 'disappeared" anti-tax ones. Pro and con seem about evenly split, if the number of signs is any indication.
And that is good. It is great to hear some real, down to earth debate around here, instead of the usual sanitized apathy. There are good arguments to be made for both sides, and open debate is the sound of freedom.
El Picador still has not been able to substantiate the rumor that the cops were called to arrest an anti-tax advocate, or that the village was responsible for confiscating their signs. But if true, not only were important rights violated---- the mayor has committed a huge political blunder as well. He does not seem to realize that many people see this election as not only about taxes and open space, but also as a referendum on his administration. What better way to bring out more "no" votes than this heavy-handed stunt?
And that is good. It is great to hear some real, down to earth debate around here, instead of the usual sanitized apathy. There are good arguments to be made for both sides, and open debate is the sound of freedom.
El Picador still has not been able to substantiate the rumor that the cops were called to arrest an anti-tax advocate, or that the village was responsible for confiscating their signs. But if true, not only were important rights violated---- the mayor has committed a huge political blunder as well. He does not seem to realize that many people see this election as not only about taxes and open space, but also as a referendum on his administration. What better way to bring out more "no" votes than this heavy-handed stunt?
Free Speech Trampled in Los Ranchos!
Rumor has it that the 'vote no on the open space' signs that recently appeared on Rio Grande and elsewhere in the village have been removed by employees of the village, on orders of the village administration. Apparently, the proper 'permits' were not filed at village hall. At least that was the rationale.
Worse, when one of the anti-tax folks went in to complain, the village administrator, according to El Picador's sources, called the cops to have her arrested! But the cops did no such thing, due partially to the fact that the "vote yes" signs supported by the village government had no permits either! The confiscated signs were returned. El Picador plans to travel RGB to see if the signs are back in place or not.
If this incident did take place, it is certainly a very sad day in the village, regardless of what side you are on in the debate about taxes and open space. Democracy cannot survive without reasoned dissent, freely and fairly exercised. The sort of tactics allegedly employed by the village administration abridge our fundamental rights, and should be condemned by everyone.
Worse, when one of the anti-tax folks went in to complain, the village administrator, according to El Picador's sources, called the cops to have her arrested! But the cops did no such thing, due partially to the fact that the "vote yes" signs supported by the village government had no permits either! The confiscated signs were returned. El Picador plans to travel RGB to see if the signs are back in place or not.
If this incident did take place, it is certainly a very sad day in the village, regardless of what side you are on in the debate about taxes and open space. Democracy cannot survive without reasoned dissent, freely and fairly exercised. The sort of tactics allegedly employed by the village administration abridge our fundamental rights, and should be condemned by everyone.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Red Light Camera bags El Picador, but he will retailiate
El Picador received a most unpleasant surprise in the mail recently----a photo allegedly showing El Picador's vehicle executing a right turn on a red light at Menaul and San Mateo without stopping for the requisite time, and politely demanding that El Picador remit the outrageous sum of $100 in recompense for this outrage against the citizenry of Albuquerque.
Further, El Picador was advised that he is guilty until proven innocent, and that if he is foolish enough to waste his time by contesting the citation, he will be judged not by an independent member of the judicial branch of government, but by an employee of the very same entity that issued the citation and stands to gain financially from a guilty verdict! (And El Picador does recall that this administrator's predecessor left the post after being chided by his superiors for letting too many scofflaws off the hook).
An unconstitutional outrage! El Picador may try to fight this, and is considering the purchase of some of that "photostop" stuff to confound big brother the next time. But better yet, El Picador is planning a boycott of Albuquerque. Here's how it would work:
Whenever possible, buy only in Rio Rancho, Los Ranchos de Albuqerque, the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo county, or on line---all bastions of democracy--- so as to deprive Marty and his greedy friends of gross receipts revenue. And since El Picador is in the midst of some big ticket purchases, Marty will be smarting plenty! Further, El Picador will visit select merchants in Albuquerque to inform that they will no longer be getting his business because of the tyrannical actions of the city administration. The boycott would end when the city goes back to the old, honest method of having real live cops give out tickets and junks Huxley-esque big eye cameras.
Who will join El Picador?
Further, El Picador was advised that he is guilty until proven innocent, and that if he is foolish enough to waste his time by contesting the citation, he will be judged not by an independent member of the judicial branch of government, but by an employee of the very same entity that issued the citation and stands to gain financially from a guilty verdict! (And El Picador does recall that this administrator's predecessor left the post after being chided by his superiors for letting too many scofflaws off the hook).
An unconstitutional outrage! El Picador may try to fight this, and is considering the purchase of some of that "photostop" stuff to confound big brother the next time. But better yet, El Picador is planning a boycott of Albuquerque. Here's how it would work:
Whenever possible, buy only in Rio Rancho, Los Ranchos de Albuqerque, the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo county, or on line---all bastions of democracy--- so as to deprive Marty and his greedy friends of gross receipts revenue. And since El Picador is in the midst of some big ticket purchases, Marty will be smarting plenty! Further, El Picador will visit select merchants in Albuquerque to inform that they will no longer be getting his business because of the tyrannical actions of the city administration. The boycott would end when the city goes back to the old, honest method of having real live cops give out tickets and junks Huxley-esque big eye cameras.
Who will join El Picador?
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