APD Officer who Killed Mary Hawkes was highest paid officer in 2013 (and 3 other crazy facts about the APD)

November 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

tyranny-montesquieu

Ladies and Gentleman, something is truly screwed up in Albuquerque (and the rest of this country). After reviewing the City of Albuquerque’s top 250 salaries in 2013, I have come to the conclusion that crime really does pay off (if you can hide behind a badge while doing it).

I was stunned to discover that the police officer that murdered 19-year-old Mary Hawkes was the highest paid police officer in the city in 2013. Here are 4 crazy facts about the Albuquerque Police Department that may blow your mind:

 JEREMY DEAR

  1. Officer Jeremy Dear is the highest paid police officer on the force. He earned (stole) $118,641.17 in 2013. (UPDATE, Officer Jeremy Dear was fired from APD on 12/01/14)

This is THE Officer Dear who was on the scene when Officer Sean Wallace shot and killed an    unarmed, 22 year old Alan Gomez. He was caught giving conflicting details of the incident.

Oh yeah… Officer Dear is also the one who shot and killed 19-year-old Mary Hawkes. She was shot 3 times in a downward trajectory and had multiple blunt force injuries. (no lapel video available)

Officer Dear has also had several excessive force complaints in which no video is available because his lapel camera malfunctioned

RUSSELL PEREA

  1. Officer Russell S. Perea was the highest paid employee in the entire City of Albuquerque (I did not include him as the highest paid officer because he was not on the force in 2013). He pulled down a total of $154,169.16 in 2013. (Back pay for time missed)

Officer Perea was fired in 2011 because he was deemed to be “untruthful” about his activities and   conversations with Officer Levi Chavez on the night Officer Chavez’s wife was murdered. (A court recently ruled that Officer Perea should be reinstated)

 

  1. Sergeant Daniel Carr made $106,900.59 in 2013.

Sergeant Carr was involved in a case where he followed a stripper’s boyfriend and arrested him for DWI. (According to reports, Sergeant Carr was infatuated with the stripper and wanted to get rid of the boyfriend)

Sergeant Carr has also been reprimanded officially several times, missed court, and been involved in 3 accidents. He has been flagged by APD’s Early Warning System.

MONEY WASTED

  1. 17 members of the APD made more than $100,000 in 2013 (12 of them made more than Mayor Berry’s $103,854.40)

 

These are just a few of the strange facts about the $100,000 Club. One Officer on the list has a current civil rights case against him; 2 Officer’s have been involved in shootings; one Officer was in an accident that cost the City $75,000; and another Officer refused to consider creating stricter policies against officer’s who give false statements (after the Boyd shooting).

It is simply amazing that taxpayer money is wasted like this. How can these people earn 6 figures? Something needs to change!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Psychosis* of Black Friday: Why Pay More?

November 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment

*8 minute history of Black Friday*

Is history bound to repeat itself? Should we continue to fight against the powers-that-be? Is society really progressing? Who the hell knows? This Black Friday, millions of people stormed the doors of faceless corporations in hopes that they will save a few dollars on material items that the market convinced them are a “must-have” this holiday season.

They pack the aisles of Walmart, America’s largest corporation, fighting each other to save $10 on a video game or some other pointless item that will not make the world a better place. At the same time, the same corporation exploits their employees and pays them a wage that they cannot live off of.

The workers risked their jobs and walked out of Walmarts all across the country in a mass strike. They asked people to boycott the heartless corporation and refuse to spend money there. They were ignored by the masses. Ultimately, Walmart will make billions on Black Friday, Wall Street will skyrocket, the Wal-Mart worker’s plight will be ignored and low-income individuals will go further into debt.

p02

Why do we continue to do this to ourselves? This morning I was reading Clarence Darrow, Attorney for the Damned, by John A. Farrell. It was stunning how the people of the late 1890’s and early 1900’s fought against the same type of injustices as we do today. The Populist platform during that time (1894) stated (this is just a restatement of their platform and is not an endorsement of all of their ideals):

“We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot-box, the legislatures, the Congress and touches every ermine of the bench.

The newspapers are largely subsidized or muzzled, public opinion silenced, business prostrated, homes cover with mortgages, labor impoverished and the land concentrating in the hands of the capitalists. The urban workmen are denied the right to organize for self-protection; imported pauperized labor beats down their wages, a hireling standing army, unrecognized by our laws, is established to shoot them down.

The fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up the colossal fortunes of the few… and the possessors of these, in turn, despise the Republic and endanger liberty.”

Although some of the references may be a little outdated, don’t they sound familiar? Police brutality, the mortgage crisis, wage stagnation, debt, and the wealth gap still exist.

The mindless mob is spoon-fed capitalist ideals and blindly supports the system. The rich sit back and laugh, as they get richer. They do not need to participate in Black Friday. They are sheltered from police brutality and an unjust court system. They love the debt that destroys families across the country and bang the drum of “Right to Work” policies. They own the government and know that they will dictate whatever change occurs in the future.

The Populists of 1894 believed:

“The President and his Wall Street allies are a small band of schemers… who have not a drop of Democratic blood in their veins, whose sympathy are entirely with the great corporations which treat the American republic as a foraging ground.”

walmart

 The players may have changed and certain issues have evolved, but the premise remains the same; Capitalism exploits and subjugates people. Can we ever change that? When will the People finally think for themselves and fight back? Will the revolution ever succeed? Who the hell knows! All that I know is that we cannot believe that it is pointless to fight back or they will definitely win! We Must Keep up the fight!  #WalmartStrikers #Ferguson

Visit www.blackfridayprotests.org to support striking Walmart Workers!

*The definition of psychosis is:”a serious mental disorder characterized by thinking and emotions that are so impaired, that they indicate that the person experiencing them has lost contact with reality.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Injustice is Inevitable

November 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment

fergusonprotest1

                          *New Mexico State Police wait in riot gear on Central & Girard

It is time for me to admit it; some things in life are just inevitable. This morning I woke and was mesmerized by the golden rays of the sun penetrating the New Mexico horizon. The colors of the New Mexico sky can be one of the most beautiful experiences in the world. It made me think about the natives and how they saw the same colors in the sky since time immemorial. The sun rising and setting has happened since the beginning of the earth and will continue to its end. It is inevitable.

fergusonprotest2

The fact that Officer Wilson will not be indicted was also inevitable. Really…how many people really believed that he would stand before his peers in a court of law? A grand jury is not a trial; it is a process that determines if there should be a trial. There is no way that the state (who is the prosecution and is the only side that gets to present a case in a grand jury proceeding) will give a 100% effort when presenting its case against a cop. The system is flawed.

I was even more disturbed when I read comments about the marches that occurred around the country in response to the announcement. I read comments like:

 

“Those who think that an injustice was done do not know the facts or evidence of the case”

 

“The liberals had their feel good moment, now they can go back home and sleep safely in their beds knowing that they are protected”

 

There were hundreds of comments similar to these. I could not believe the hatred and anger that these commenters directed at their fellow citizens who were exercising their 1st Amendment rights. I could not understand how they could be so blind as to believe that the system is not broken.

fergusonprotest3

The protests were not about the Ferguson case alone. They were a response to uncontrolled police brutality across the country, racist sentencing guidelines in our one-sided court system, the militarization of the police force, prison systems that are overcrowded with people of color, and a court system that sends innocent people to jail.

I will agree with the commenter who states that people do not know the facts or evidence in the Mike Brown case. That is why this should have gone to trial. That is where both sides will present the facts and evidence to a jury of Officer Wilson’s peers. Let them decide his guilt or innocence, not the commenters on Facebook who think that they know everything somehow.

No matter what an individual thinks about the Ferguson case, they have to admit that our system is broken and needs to be fixed. The decision not to indict a cop should not be the inevitable outcome every time.

****I would also like to apologize to my readers for the long delay between posts. It will not happen again****

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We MUST Fight: 4 More Reasons NOT To Vote For Susana Martinez

August 22, 2014 by 7 Comments

MartinezBigOil

If we do not do something quick…Be afraid…very afraid. Recent polls show that Governor Martinez has a comfortable lead over Gary King. WHY??? How can any person in their right mind vote for her? I have decided to continue the attack in hopes that the People will rise up and defeat Susana this year. Here are 4 more reasons NOT to vote for Susana Martinez:

1.  She and her “Friends” are rich and believe that “the rich should get richer”

Susana Martinez vetoed a minimum wage increase in 2013 because she believes that $8.50 per hour is just way too much money to pay poor people. She blamed the Democrats for the veto because she was willing to compromise with $8.00 per hour and they wouldn’t budge fifty cents.

How stupid can she be?? She wasn’t willing to give the most vulnerable group of people in her state fifty cents more per hour. That amounts to $20 more per 40 hours of work. That’s it. The fifty cent difference wouldn’t even pay for a full tank of gas in most cars, but good ol’ Susana thinks that she was being fair by compromising at $8 per hour.

She whined that $8.50 per hour was more than our neighboring states were paying poor people. She was basically making an argument that an elementary school student would make: “It’s not fair! Why should I have to do it if they don’t?”

The reality is that in real dollars, the federal minimum wage was actually $10.56 per hour in 1968. How can she complain that $8.50 per hour is too much money now just because some other republicans think the same way as her? She is just a lemming following the GOP narrative.

minimumwage1938_2013

 

A vote for Susana will make the poor even poorer. How could anyone vote for a politician who would do that?

Martinezwicked

2. Susana could care less about the education of New Mexico’s children

Susana has been running around bragging about the improvements in graduation rates. Although that is good, the reality is that even though more students are graduating, they are still unprepared for college.

A report by the NM Legislative Finance Committee indicates that 51% of NM high school graduates are not prepared for higher education. If I do the math correctly, that is 1 out of 2 kids that have received a poor educational foundation in grades K-12.

Yeah…that is something to brag about. Way to go Susana. You can spray Febreze on a pile of crap to make it smell better…but it’s still a pile of crap. Our kids deserve better and Susana will not provide it.

3. Susana is declaring war on unions like a good Koch Brothers soldier 

Staying on the education subject, we need to address Susana’s war on teachers and the union that supports them.

Susana believes that union dues should not automatically be deducted from public employee pay. Why? The unions were created to give the working class a collective voice when dealing with the elite class. The union dues are used to help maintain a functioning union and to give the union a voice in the political process.

So why does Susana hate union dues so much? Because the Koch Brothers hate union dues. The Koch Brothers have declared a war on unions in Wisconsin, Michigan and and other states.

The Koch’s have contributed almost $10,000 to Susana and her PAC this year because they want their puppet to dance. They even pulled her strings as the guest speaker at a secret Koch Brothers function held in Albuquerque.

classroom_21

4. Susana believes in saving money at the expense of educating New Mexico’s children

To make matters worse, the little fireball Susana believes that overworked, dedicated, and amazing teachers make “too much money”. In a secret recording, Susana can be heard saying:

“During the campaign, we can’t say it, I guess, because it’s education, but I really keep going back to that . . . keeping the teachers from feeling the pain when they already don’t work, you know, two and a half months out of the year or three months out of the year but earn salaries at the same rate of people who do work 12 months a year.”

How can she belittle the people who are responsible for the future of New Mexico? Has she ever had to deal with an over-crowded classroom full of noisy kids all day? Has she had to deal with their equally loud parents? Has she had to grade papers all night?

Teachers work extremely hard for very little compensation. In reality, they should be highly paid professionals responsible for improving the future of this wonderful state. They deal with our most precious investments in the future on a daily basis.

Maybe we should evaluate the soaring salaries of administrators and shift the money to the teachers. Susana is out of touch with reality and is more worried about oil than children.

Fight, Fight, Fight

The recent poll scares the hell out of me and the expected low voter turnout is just as demoralizing. BUT we can do something about it. We may not have $5 million dollars of Koch Brothers and Big Oil money to spend brainwashing the general public.

BUT…

What we do have is the power of social media. It is free and easy to use. Continue to fight her by developing an online war that she cannot defeat with money. If we spread the truth and energize voters, WE WILL WIN!!

UPDATE:The Washington Free Beacon wrote a story about “We MUST Fight: 4 More Reasons NOT To Vote for Susana Martinez”! The ONLY negative comment that they could come up with is the poorly made picture of Susana as the Wicked Witch. I guess the actual facts of the story are just to dead on to argue with. http://freebeacon.com/uncategorized/gary-king-posts-story-attacking-martinez-as-the-wicked-witch-of-the-west/

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

WTF? Is UNM President Frank Really Considering These 2 Stupid Ideas?

August 14, 2014 by 6 Comments

 

Yosemite Frank

 

How many stupid ideas can the UNM administration come up with this year? Here are 2 absolutely moronic ideas that top the list for 2014. I know that President Frank may not be responsible for all of them…but our story needs a villain and he is it. (PLUS, #WhatTheFrank sounds really cool)

STUPID IDEA #1: Hurting underrepresented & low income students

Recently, NMSU decided that raising admission standards to a 2.75 GPA is a good idea. For some stupid reason, UNM is considering making the exact same change to its admission standards.

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that there must be some type of admission standards in place at major universities. But, by utilizing both a higher GPA and standardized test scores, many minorities/ lower-income students will not be able to attend UNM.

In 2009, UNM admitted that GPA’s alone are sufficient in determining academic ability. In a report to the LESC, UNM testified:

“The high school GPA increase is the preferred choice for improving preparation as opposed to utilizing a minimum score on a standardized college entrance exam such as ACT or SAT. Not only is the high school GPA considered more predictive of college success but the de-emphasis of test scores in favor of curriculum and GPA assists the University in maintaining a strong commitment to access and diversity since this approach has less of an impact on underrepresented populations.“

So…if they want to increase GPA requirements, they MUST get rid of ACT or SAT score requirements. In the same report, they brag:

“The University of New Mexico has admirably resisted implementing a minimum test score requirement to be admitted.”

It’s funny how bureaucrats change their tune so quickly. How was a bad idea a few years ago now considered a good idea? I know…Money talks.

King Frank

STUPID IDEA #2: Making it difficult for the AVERAGE New Mexico child to be admitted

In the report, UNM testified that:

“No New Mexico beginning freshman will be denied admission to UNM”

To begin with…that is absolutely hilarious! According to the PED and a complaint filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) the average ACT score in New Mexico is 17 as opposed to the national average of 25.

On top of that, the test adversely impacts minorities: 78% of New Mexican Caucasians met the college readiness benchmarks in English while only 49% of Latino, 28% of Native Americans, and 53% of African American students did.

Currently, UNM “requires” students that are accepted who score below 17 to enroll in the Early Start Program. The students are required to take 6 credit hours the summer before Freshman semester starts. If they do not complete the 6 hours, they will not officially be admitted into UNM.

The program is not covered by the Lottery scholarship and is not fully funded. Many of the students go into debt to take the classes.

UNM plans to require students who score a 19 or lower on the ACT to enroll in Early Start beginning in 2015.

Therefore, the “AVERAGE” New Mexico student will only be conditionally admitted to UNM if they get a slot in Early Start (which has limited slots available).

So…it seems that almost ALL “average” New Mexico students will be denied admission to UNM!

Dumb,Dumber & Dumbest

These 2 ideas are stupid and we need to speak up. How can the “average” students in New Mexico be held responsible for a failing educational system?

As UNM admitted, the ACT/SAT tests adversely impact minorities and low-income students. Yet they have gone back on their word and decided that they are important for some reason. Do they care about New Mexico students or are they more concerned about their US News College ranking?

They need to focus on what is important to our children…not their paycheck size. If you have any other stupid ideas that you know about concerning any of New Mexico’s Institutions of Higher Education, Tweet them to @DailyLoco or use #WhatTheFrank

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Mexicans Ask: Does it really matter if I vote?

August 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Voting

Does it really matter who I vote for? Will there be any difference if Gary King wins? In response to my last post, a reader has commented that they will not vote in the upcoming election out of protest. The reader states that voting for Gary King is not a better alternative to Governor Susana Martinez.

confusion

I will admit, I am not thrilled with the Democratic candidate. He does not represent the majority of New Mexicans. What does he know about struggling to survive, poor education, and police brutality?

But… that does not mean that I will refuse to vote for him. I cannot sit by and watch Governor Martinez get re-elected. Absolutely no good can come from another term of right-wing politics. By refusing to vote, you are essentially casting your vote for Susana Martinez. Gary King needs every voter to show up and cast their vote.

Also, there is a difference between the two candidates. Maybe he is not the ideal candidate, but he does believe in some policies that will be a MAJOR help to those who are struggling. He wants to raise the minimum wage to help people survive. That may not be the only answer to fixing our struggling state, but if it is the only thing he ever gets through, it will be worth it.

move forward

We MUST vote. If we make our voice heard, we can make a difference. We can fix New Mexico, but it will take time. Small steps in the right direction are what matters.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

4 Reasons NOT to Vote for Susana Martinez

August 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Gov Martinez

It is time to wake up New Mexico! Why does one of the most corrupt governors in the entire country have a chance in hell to be re-elected? This is a politician who switched her party affiliation in the mid 1990’s because a few millionaires convinced her to be the poster-child of the “new” Hispanic-friendly republican party. She is a puppet for the GOP and must be stopped before she completely destroys the Land of Enchantment. Here are 4 reasons to fear her re-election:

1. She believes that anybody who has an accent is a “retard”

Secret recordings of a conversation between Governor Martinez and one of her aides referred to former Speaker Ben Lujan as “a retard” when he speaks English.

Now, she argues that she did not make the “retard” comment, but she did not say anything about it. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty of the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

A true leader would have said something and defended those who speak with an accent and forbid the use of the word “retard” in her administration. Her grandparents were immigrants from Mexico who had an accent. She didn’t even stand up for them.

2. Her war against behavioral health providers is dangerous and corrupt

Governor Martinez’s administration hired a firm to perform a medicaid audit on 15 non-profit behavioral health providers. Based on a faulty report and statistical extrapolation, her administration permanently shut down the 15 providers and hired a company from Arizona to take over.

Now… During the July 2014 LHHS Behavioral Sub-Committee meeting, State Auditor Hector Balderas said that the actions of the Administration would be similar to taking over a University based on alleged fraud, firing everybody before they could respond, and hiring an out-of-state university to take over.

The behavioral health scenario could be an entire series of articles. But the reality is that the Arizona companies that took over are not prepared to work with the community. A rash of mentally ill homeless individuals have had encounters with the APD since the take-over happened. Governor Martinez is to blame for this because the patients are not getting adequate care.

hunger

3. Governor Martinez has declared war on the poor

Staying true to her “new” party beliefs, Governor Martinez has shown contempt for anybody below the middle-class. Her administration has recently declared that individuals on food stamps between the ages of 16-59 will be required to work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for food stamps.

That is ridiculous. New Mexico is 48th in job growth in the country and has the highest food insecurity rate in the country. People will starve while they are looking for a job that does not exist.

4. Governor Martinez could care less if Veterans suffer

Although her Administration has made a few small steps towards recognizing some of the benefits of medical marijuana, she vowed in 2010 to repeal New Mexico’s medical marijuana law.

Medical marijuana is used to help patients deal with severe pain and trauma. The benefits are well documented and cannot be denied. The administration recently attempted to tighten the rules without public comment, but the people fought back.

If she gets re-elected, she will continue to make medical marijuana a part of her war on the less fortunate. Full legalization will not happen under her watch.

Fight Back!

These are just a few of the reasons why she cannot win re-election. Gary King must win! She hates undocumented immigrants, opposes same-sex marriage, carries a gun, and is a Koch Brother puppet. She bathes in Big Oil and is showered in money from out-of-state interests.

Governor Martinez switched parties because she was promised piles of money and support from the conservative right. She answers to the almighty dollar and will stop at nothing to accumulate it. She loves being in power and could care less about the people of New Mexico. She must be stopped!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

URGENT: Stop the APD/NRA Shooting Competition September 13-18

August 8, 2014 by 2 Comments

lawbanner

What do you get when you mix the Albuquerque Police Department, the NRA, and a city with the highest per capita police shooting rate in the country? You get the 2014 National Police Shooting Championship held in Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 13-18,2014). That’s right folks…New Mexico will host police officers from around the country and allow them to show off their shooting skills.

What a great idea! Let’s highlight police shooting in Albuquerque. On top of that, how about letting some of our famous shooters compete in the event. There is a rumor that APD Officer Sean Wallace will be representing our great city in this national competition.

Who’s Officer Sean Wallace? He is the shooter responsible for 3 shootings since 2010. One of those shootings included the killing of 22 year old Alan Gomez. Mr. Gomez was sentenced to death by Officer Wallace because he held a spoon in his hand. The killing of an unarmed man cost the City of Albuquerque $500,000.

The event boasts (link to document):

“Well once again its time for the National Police Shooting Championships and we invite you to join us for days of shooting challenges, lots of fun and a chance to meet fantastic law enforcement professionals from all over the United States and international shooting team members.”

Is Officer Wallace one of these “fantastic” law enforcement professionals that they speak of? Is practicing shooting supposed to be fun for cops? Sure, I get it… shooting is a sport and these professionals want to show off their skills. But is that really appropriate? Why doesn’t the law enforcement field highlight professionals who end conflicts without having to shoot somebody? How about an award for that? Well, I doubt the NRA, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta (competition sponsors) would really want that. They want bullets to fly and people to die. That’s how they make BIG money.

NPSC Photo

Since my idea of honoring nonviolent police officers will probably never happen, what should we do? Well, let’s begin by boycotting the hotels that are hosting the event. The host hotel is:

Fairfield Inn University, 1760 Menaul Blvd N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 889-4000

The event will also hold classes at:

Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 884-2500

The actual competitions will be held at:

Shooting Range Park, 16001 Shooting Range Access NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, (505)836-8785, tpohl@cabq.gov

Oh yeah, please do not worry about the safety of hotel guests. Although they are around trigger happy cops who like to play with guns, the competition has strict rules to protect the innocent people in the hotels. The host hotel info sheet says:

“An accidental discharge at the hotel or parking area or anywhere at the NPSC Range Facilities MAY result in the disqualification of a competitor…”

I am glad that they “MAY” be disqualified for an accidental discharge in the hotel. That should make everybody feel safe that there “MAY” be some consequence for firing a gun near innocent people.

All joking aside, we must do something to show the APD, NRA, and elected officials that this type of event is unacceptable in Albuquerque, in New Mexico, and in the United States. The “shoot first” militarized mentality of our law enforcement professionals needs to change. They are here to serve and protect… not shoot and murder.

Call, write, email, protest, and make your voice heard around the world. This is a disgusting competition that highlights everything that is wrong in law enforcement.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Remember the 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary Riots

August 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I am a major believer in the quote, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I am posting a documentary about the 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary Riots. Take some time to watch it if you can.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Why Does UNM Love Drunk Drivers and Money?

August 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

c01_jd_26jul_saavedra-120x120

Does the screwed up moral compass of UNM bother anybody else? UNM President Bob Frank was “saddened” when the UNM lobbyist, Marc Saavedra, who has endangered the lives of multiple people by getting behind the wheel of a car drunk, was arrested and charged with his 3rd DWI. On flip side, he believes that a faculty member, Prof. David Correia, who stands up for the rights of people facing abuse by the Albuquerque Police Department, is not in line with the high standards expected of UNM faculty.

What is wrong with this world? President Frank was so upset by Prof. Correia’s actions that he said the university will “monitor” the situation. Maybe he should have monitored the high paid lobbyist ($156,000 per year) who promised to seek help and quit drinking after his 2nd arrest in 2006. Maybe he should have monitored that same lobbyist after he ran away after he refused to pay $28 for a taxi ride for him and a lady friend.

So why would President Frank speak so highly about Marc Saavedra and be “truly sorry” to see him resign? Probably because he was effective at bringing in big money from the state legislature. UNM Regent Jamie Koch said that Saavedra would be “hard to replace” because he knew more about state finance and how the legislature works than anybody. I guess “high standards” are not expected of UNM lobbyists if they know how to get money for the university.

This situation highlights the degraded mission of higher education. A professor who walks the walk is frowned upon for being “radical” and not worthy of praise. That is because he does not bring in the money that Saavedra does. Prof. Correia gets news coverage that corporations and state legislators are afraid to associate with. Although he was doing something honorable and respectable, it threatened the money supply of the beast. On the other hand, drunk driving and stiffing a taxi driver out of $28 is acceptable as long as Saavedra keeps the money flowing.

In the end, Marc Saavedra resigned from his position while Prof. Correia received tenure. The outcomes were both exactly the way they should have been, but the fact remains that UNM has some really screwed up morals and is guided by greed.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»