District 6
The Alibi Endorses: Rey Garduño
District 6 is lucky. It has a track record of excellent councilors. Hess Yntema, one of Albuquerque’s all-time favorites, filled the seat for more than a decade. When he left four years ago, the position was filled by “movie star Martin” Heinrich, who has come to be another city favorite. Heinrich has garnered such a large fan base in his district and in Albuquerque that he’s decided to pull a “Heinrich maneuver” (you have no idea how long we’ve been waiting to use that term) and run for Congressional District One against incumbent Heather Wilson. That little move leaves his Council seat wide open, and now several outstanding candidates have entered the ring to take his place.
Like we said, District 6 is lucky. District 9 doesn’t even get a choice as to who its next councilor is because only one person is running. The other districts at least have races, but they still don’t compare to District 6, which has four savvy, knowledgeable and articulate candidates willing to work full-time for a relatively thankless job at less than $10,000 a year. All four would make good councilors. Three would be excellent—but, forced to choose, we did come out with a favorite, who we think would be best of all.
Rey Garduño has been living in District 6 in the same house for 33 years. During that time, he’s owned two local businesses and worked with a host of organizations (Common Cause New Mexico, CNM, the Spina Bifada Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, the SouthWest Organizing Project, All Faiths Receiving Homes, more than 20 years working with APS and UNM Hospitals, etc.), exemplifying a long history of social activism. In fact, when we were going through archived issues for our anniversary a couple weeks ago, we found a picture of Garduño getting his eyes washed out after being sprayed with mace at the infamous 2003 peace march.
Garduño has a string of progressive ideas he’d like to see implemented in his district and in the city. He wants to revitalize some of the area’s more blighted neighborhoods, such as East Trumbull and La Mesa. But he wants to do so in a way that takes residents’ desires into account instead of pushing some cookie-cutter solution on the problem. He wants to explore practical ways of expanding our transportation service, such as with an excellent idea to use small, fuel-efficient, van-like buses (“collectivos”) that can go through neighborhoods where normal buses can’t. That, in addition to expanding arterial bus routes, could gradually increase ridership numbers until the city is ready for light rail and trolleys. Other cities like Portland have followed a similar model.
Garduño was also the only candidate who recognized that certain developments shouldn’t be allowed to build if we don’t have the water to support them. As he said, “We can’t promise water to anyone who wants it.” Garduño is focused on using what we have as wisely and efficiently as possible without relying on outside and unreliable sources of water to save us. Yet Garduño is by no means anti-development and believes in investing in smart projects, such as infill and redevelopment.
He has made a couple of mistakes in his past. He’s been criticized for using his UNM e-mail address to send out a campaign-related letter. He admits that, in hindsight, he shouldn’t have used it. But in his defense, he’s allowed personal use of the address for life as a retired UNM employee. Ultimately, the whole ordeal was a misunderstanding. He’s also gotten a lot of flack for not stating on his Albuquerque Journal questionnaire that he had been charged with shoplifting nearly 20 years ago. After hearing his explanation, the incident sounds innocent enough. He was at a department store picking up a few things before closing and, on his way out the door, stopped to look at a cell phone. He says he walked out the door without realizing he was still holding it. For the mistake he had to take three courses in petty larceny, which he thought would expunge the citation from his record. This is why he didn’t claim the event on his questionnaire. Still, Garduño takes full responsibility for his actions. We can’t really ask anything more of him.
Like we said, District 6 is lucky. District 9 doesn’t even get a choice as to who its next councilor is because only one person is running. The other districts at least have races, but they still don’t compare to District 6, which has four savvy, knowledgeable and articulate candidates willing to work full-time for a relatively thankless job at less than $10,000 a year. All four would make good councilors. Three would be excellent—but, forced to choose, we did come out with a favorite, who we think would be best of all.Rey Garduño has been living in District 6 in the same house for 33 years. During that time, he’s owned two local businesses and worked with a host of organizations (Common Cause New Mexico, CNM, the Spina Bifada Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, the SouthWest Organizing Project, All Faiths Receiving Homes, more than 20 years working with APS and UNM Hospitals, etc.), exemplifying a long history of social activism. In fact, when we were going through archived issues for our anniversary a couple weeks ago, we found a picture of Garduño getting his eyes washed out after being sprayed with mace at the infamous 2003 peace march.
Garduño has a string of progressive ideas he’d like to see implemented in his district and in the city. He wants to revitalize some of the area’s more blighted neighborhoods, such as East Trumbull and La Mesa. But he wants to do so in a way that takes residents’ desires into account instead of pushing some cookie-cutter solution on the problem. He wants to explore practical ways of expanding our transportation service, such as with an excellent idea to use small, fuel-efficient, van-like buses (“collectivos”) that can go through neighborhoods where normal buses can’t. That, in addition to expanding arterial bus routes, could gradually increase ridership numbers until the city is ready for light rail and trolleys. Other cities like Portland have followed a similar model.
Garduño was also the only candidate who recognized that certain developments shouldn’t be allowed to build if we don’t have the water to support them. As he said, “We can’t promise water to anyone who wants it.” Garduño is focused on using what we have as wisely and efficiently as possible without relying on outside and unreliable sources of water to save us. Yet Garduño is by no means anti-development and believes in investing in smart projects, such as infill and redevelopment.
He has made a couple of mistakes in his past. He’s been criticized for using his UNM e-mail address to send out a campaign-related letter. He admits that, in hindsight, he shouldn’t have used it. But in his defense, he’s allowed personal use of the address for life as a retired UNM employee. Ultimately, the whole ordeal was a misunderstanding. He’s also gotten a lot of flack for not stating on his Albuquerque Journal questionnaire that he had been charged with shoplifting nearly 20 years ago. After hearing his explanation, the incident sounds innocent enough. He was at a department store picking up a few things before closing and, on his way out the door, stopped to look at a cell phone. He says he walked out the door without realizing he was still holding it. For the mistake he had to take three courses in petty larceny, which he thought would expunge the citation from his record. This is why he didn’t claim the event on his questionnaire. Still, Garduño takes full responsibility for his actions. We can’t really ask anything more of him.
Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is lending a hand to an Albuquerque City Council candidate who is openly critical of Mayor Martin Chávez. Denish and Chávez are prospective competitors for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010, and the upcoming Oct. 2 city elections could decide whether Chávez will face a generally friendly or unfriendly council during the rest of his third term. Denish said this week that her endorsement of Rey Garduño in District 6 along East Central has nothing to do with her expected gubernatorial run. "Rey best fits the district," she said. Chávez easily won a third term, but he didn't carry the liberal-leaning district during his successful 2005 re-election. Chávez said Wednesday that he couldn't speculate about the lieutenant governor's interest in the City Council race. But Joanie Griffin, one of three other candidates vying for the open District 6 seat, said Denish's endorsement of Garduño is a clear political swipe at the mayor. "There's no question there's a Marty-Diane race going on right now. I know the mayor hasn't officially announced anything, but clearly they are at odds," said Griffin, who owns a public relations firm and is a former Chávez spokeswoman. Denish said, to her recollection, she hasn't made a public endorsement in a council race before this year but has supported past council candidates in other ways. She also is endorsing a Las Cruces city council candidate this season. "No one else has approached me," Denish said this week when asked if she would be making more endorsements in the Albuquerque races. "I wouldn't say yes, I wouldn't say no." Denish has said she intends to run for governor in 2010, at the end of current Gov. Bill Richardson's second term. Chávez has said he's not sure whether he will seek the governor's job or another stint as mayor. While Chávez wouldn't comment on Denish's motivation for the endorsement, he said in reference to Garduño's conviction in a 1988 shoplifting case, that "given his background, it's unusual." Denish said she was aware of the shoplifting case— in which Garduño pleaded no contest and was found guilty— but said it didn't dissuade her. Garduño didn't reveal the incident on his initial response to the Journal's candidate questionnaire. Denish said she lived in District 6 during the 1970s and got her first glimpse of city politics there, adding that people for whom she has high regard know Garduño well. "I did think about it. I regretted the fact he made that mistake," Denish said of the shoplifting matter. But "his mistake was 20 years ago." Garduño said he was honored by Denish's endorsement, and a photo of the two together appears on one of his campaign Web sites. Garduño said he doesn't know why Griffin is linking the endorsement to the 2010 governor's race, adding, "Maybe the mayor's telling her something." In his Journal candidate questionnaire, Garduño praised Chávez for being an effective advocate on "quality-of-life initiatives" but accused him of creating a "combative atmosphere at City Hall." Garduño in the questionnaire also said the mayor has been "imbalanced" on the issue of city growth. He was again critical of the mayor in a recent Journal online chat session. Chávez hasn't endorsed anyone in the District 6 race but has endorsed Katherine Martinez, who is seeking to unseat City Council President Debbie O'Malley in District 2, where Chávez lives. "One thing I do find in the endorsement game (is): That and three bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks," Chávez said. "The public has a funny way of deciding on their own." The District 6 battle between Garduño, Griffin, Blair Kaufman and Kevin Wilson is one of four council races and has been contentious. Garduño, a University of New Mexico retiree, has been criticized for initially using a UNM e-mail address for his campaign. He has said that and his failure to disclose the shoplifting case were mistakes. Griffin, meanwhile, has been criticized by some in the district for her work for Chávez in 2005. She also has taken some flak for headlining her campaign Web site with a story about current District 6 Councilor Martin Heinrich encouraging her to run— a story that doesn't point out Heinrich has endorsed Garduño. Griffin said she has inaccurately been painted as "the mayor's girl" in the race. And despite working as a Chávez campaign spokeswoman for three months in 2005, she said she's not in the mayor's pocket. It was "three months in a 25-year career. I've been with (a local ditch-safety campaign) for 14 years— I'm much more the 'Ditch Witch' girl than the mayor's girl," said Griffin. "I wonder: If the mayor's press secretary in 2005 had been a man, would people be calling him 'the mayor's boy?' I doubt it," Griffin added. "I am so unbelievably offended by it, I can't even tell you."
