Gearing Up for autumn

New Mexico Business Journal, June, 2001 by Bob Cochnar

SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ARE GOING TO BE INTERESTING months in the state. The legislature plans to convene in Santa Fe in September to figure out a redistricting scheme based on the 2000 Census and voters in Albuquerque will elect a mayor in October. Oh, yes, there's Balloon Fiesta, too.

It's possible that the legislature will deal with some unfinished business left from the session that concluded in March, the result of the gubernatorial veto of the $259 million capital outlay bill. Of course, the legislators may well pass the bill again but unless it's coupled with the tax cut wanted by the governor, it may well end up back in the black hole. We'll see.

Every ten years, legislatures in each state are charged with the responsibility of devising new election districts for representatives (local, state and national) based on the results of the Census. Some districts could be mapped out of existence while others could be added. This mapping process sometimes results in outrageous gerrymandering, with district lines resembling, well, a salamander (hence the name; Gerry was a politician, of course). And it pays to be the party in power, since it will call the shots. Score one for New Mexico's Democrats, who control both houses. You can be sure that Democrats will do their level best to keep their districts hospitable to Democrats.

The other diversion (aside from those balloons) is the Albuquerque mayoral race, which is supposed to be nonpartisan, although that probably won't faze John Dendahl, the state Republican Party chairman, who introduced some pretty stiff partisanship in several city council races a couple of years ago. Will it happen again? Of course.

Meanwhile, potential candidates are coming out of the woodwork. It's more than likely that the incumbent mayor, Jim Baca, will run again although incumbents seem never to be reelected in Albuquerque. Baca isn't generally regarded as a beloved figure in any case. His predecessor, Martin Chavez, may well have entered the lists before you read this. Chavez, you'll recall, was the Democratic candidate for governor three years ago and was roundly trounced by Gary Johnson. After his years in the wilderness (tending a lucrative law practice),he is ready to return to elective office and ought to be a for-midable candidate.

Then there's the usual clutch of city councilors who figure they can run City Hall quite nicely. Maybe, put it's doubtful. Former District Attorney Bob Schwartz, who is nothing if not controversial, is running on a crime-fighting platform. The sole non-politician in the group is my colleague Rick Homans, who owns Starlight Media, the publisher of the NewMexico Business Weekly. There's nothing especially unusual for a business executive to want to be mayor (Richard Riorden in Los Angeles is a good example but it is sometimes helpful to have had some acquaintance with elective office before going after a big one. Homans, as far as I know, never has been elected to anything.

Even though mayoral (and gubernatorial) aspirants from the business community like to say that cities and states ought to be run like businesses, the plain fact is that cities and states are not businesses, although some aspects of them resemble businesses. In other words, it usually takes more than business smarts to be a successful elected official. Should be interesting.

I'm pleased to introduce two new monthly columns in this issue. One is by Patricia Boverie and Michael Kroth, Ph.Ds who operate a management consulting business in Albuquerque, Boverie, Kroth & Associates. Patricia is also a professor at UNM's Anderson Schools of Management; Mike recently retired after some 20 years as a trainer at Public Service Co. of New Mexico. Their column is called "Transforming Work" and I think you're going to find it fascinating -- and useful.

The other column is by an old friend, John Carey, who is no stranger to these pages. John is president of the Association of Commerce and Industry, the state chamber of commerce, who have overseen important growth in that organization. ACI is a strong voice for the business community and spends a good deal of time making sure those people in the Roundhouse treat business right. John's take on the issues affecting business in New Mexico is always insightful and interesting. We're happy to have him on our team.