With Hurricane Katrina, Rita and now Wilma, how many chances does G.W. Bush get to finally get it right? He still showed up three days late, there is still a lot of power out and he's walking around like everything's fine. How many do-overs is he going to get? This is a disaster, not a Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination.

Flexible man kisses own ass!

Wait a sec, you mean he’s a politician? No wonder he can kiss his own ass so easily, he probably thinks that he’s God’s gift to politics (but don’t ask people living on the West Side what they think about him). Feh, there’s not a story here after all. Move along people…

What kind of a person, or three of them as the story indicates, would steal a dog from a two-year-old boy recovering from a brain tumor?? For Christ’s sake, the dog was helping this little boy to recover, and some jackasses go and steal him and probably sell him to some fucking dog-fighting-asshole in Socorro or Juarez.

I hope the three of you jackasses are happy wherever you are. You stole a dog from a two-year-old boy. Must feel real good.

Scumbags, I hope you rot in hell.

Just another example that there is a God, and he lives on the West Side. ;-)

As many of you who read this blog… OK, as the person who reads this blog knows, I am a big supporter of Albuquerque’s West Side.  As a result of this support, I have been more or less thrown in a pitched battle with people from other parts of the city who I might agree with on other issues (living wage, more money towards education, Wireless City, etc).  Now as a result of their “all or nothing” stance (see my post below about eco-weenies and their similar stances on things) I find myself facing off with them about the extension of a road, called Paseo del Norte, through a part of the former Petroglyph National Monument (now no longer a part of the monument).

Well, a Federal District judge allowed plans for the extension of Paseo today, hitting activists with a serious blow.  And (newly re-elected, w00t w00t) Mayor Chavez is stating that there are plans to start construction in December.

He might want to speed up the start plans to, like, tomorrow, given the opponents.

These same activists have claimed everything, from the moon blotting out the sun and starting Armageddon to me being a racist for wanting a road through a Native American “Sacred Site”.

Let me start with the latter point first.

How does my wanting the Paseo extension make me a racist?  And why are the Petroglyphs considered a sacred site?  Native American activists call it a sacred site, but what makes it so?  Is it just because they said so?  And if it is a Sacred Site, then why is it not protected by being under the jurisdiction of one of the reservations?  Or being the center of a reservation?  

Is it really about sacred sites, or is it the one issue the anti-growth people in Albuquerque can hang on to and try to push their agenda across?

“But the people of this city voted down road bonds intended to help the extension of Paseo!”  They claim.

But the people voted for it the next year.

So let me get this right, they voted against it, before they voted for it?  Where did I hear that before…

“We should separate the Paseo Extension from the rest of the road bonds.”

What a great idea!  And while we’re at it, we can separate Barelas issues, and Nob Hill issues, and the South Valley and Downtown issues… you getting the idea?  If we did this, then those sections of the city might be surprised at the results. Why should the city hold a separate election for one part of town?  

“Well what about a revote?”

What kind of revote?  On an off-major election year, where progressives tend to pick up strength because they are willing to go out and vote and the majority of people are not?  Or how about we turn back time and have the third vote in 2000, when there were a *lot* of people voting?

Or how about we count the vote totals of the two votes (03 and 04) and winner takes all?

(I think the activists will be surprised by how much they lose)

For me it comes down to the people who are out on the West Side, the only part of Albuquerque to expand to.  And it’s the one part of the city that “progressives” truly hate.  Just listen to the venom some of them spew…

“I don’t need an excuse to hate West Side Developers”
“We should erect a Gaza-style wall on the west bank of the Rio Grande” (undoubtedly the only time this crew would agree with a statement that has “Gaza” “Wall” and “West Bank” in it.) ;-)

Why do they dislike the West Side so much?  I wish some of them would tell me rationally, instead of bandying about with accusations of racism (does this sound familiar Mssr. Griego and Gomez?)

Also, what do they propose to do for West Side traffic problems?  Again, long on accusations, short on actual results.

Ah, looking at the results now, it's the revenge of the "Westside Whiners". (f'in Alibi..) Bring me the head of Tim McGivern! I wish to drink warm mead from his eye sockets in true viking fashion. :-D

Now the other big question. Will Mayor Chavez actually be able to break 50% with 6 precincts left to be tallied?

And what the hell happened to the min. wage ordinance!?? I thought that was a slam dunk!

Ahhh, Mayor Chavez beating Eric Griego, Ken Sanchez over Miguel Gomez... what's the word I'm looking for?

scha·den·freu·de: (noun) Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

Oh yeah, that's the one. :-)

Because I thought I actually heard Eric Griego say he could win the election?!? Either it's my painkillers kicking in, or Eric's on crack if he actually thinks that.

Been reading another local blogger and his take on the election. Not bad, except for all of the vitriolic hatred he has for the West Side, but eh, no one's perfect (except possibly me).

But what I take issue with one of his predictions. He picks Ken Sanchez to lose to Miguel Gomez? Are you serious? Ken was up by 7% in the last poll I heard, plus he's a lifelong resident who has been asked by people throughout the district to run. He's represented the West Side for 8 years in the city council before the city switched up on him. He has a history of representing the West Side, something Miguel does not. And, he has a history of not abusing people, unlike Miguel Gomez (er... allegedly).

And we know Miguel is in trouble because he went to the last resort of all politicians, a slimy negative, lying ad.

Ken's gonna win, thank you for playing.

Well, the Tribune proved me wrong. They went and endorsed Mayor Marty even though they resented every letter they typed in their endorsement. (Could it be that Phill Casaus enforced some sanity in the newsroom after all this time??)

But with the election coming up fast, I have an uneasy feeling. I've been reading a lot of sites lately, from Duke City Fix to Joe Monahan and I think this is not going to be as easy an election for Mayor Chavez as my friends think. While I disagree with the people over at Democracy for New Mexico who are already planning on being at the Eric Griego Victory Party (Can Eric win without the growing West Side? I mean, I understand the rage that people who tend to read Democracy for New Mexico have for people who live on the West Side, but that's another post), I think it'll be fairly close.

I'd call it something like
Chavez 41.5%
Griego 25.5%
Winter 20%
Steele 3%

However there is a chance that it could go into a runoff, between the Mayor and either Griego or Winter. Neither Griego or Winter have much of a shot if the vote's not split as far as it is now. (Keep in mind the "great, fighting liberal" Jim Baca couldn't hit 40% in his victory either) If that happens, then it'll be a second round knockout for the Mayor (it's nice to have enough money in the bank to be ready for a second round if necessary. Suddenly his fundraising doesn't seem so nuts does it?).

I go and rip up my knee. It's as big as a Miguel Gomez lie by now. Dang, and I was going to have such a good time salsa dancing in Miami later this month.

I guess it's related to my passion about politics. My doctor could track my heart rate and blood pressure rising when he uttered the words "Eric Griego" and "Marty Chavez". ;-)

Snoochies.