New Mexico State Senator Dede Feldman's Blog

The APS Telenovela Continues... Aug. 28, 2015

Attention APS Students, Parents, Teachers and Taxpayers:

 In our latest episode of "As the District Turns," on which I was asked to weigh in for KNME’s In Focus, Ex-Deputy Superintendent Jason Martinez, was telling a Denver Judge that he was really telecommuting to Albuquerque from his Denver home, and thus not violating the conditions of his bail agreement.  Unbeknownst to APS staffers and board members, Martinez was awaiting trial on a number of felony counts—one for alleged sexual abuse of children and the another for a domestic violence assault on a boyfriend.  He was not supposed to leave the state.

APS staffers, including Superintendant Luis Valentino, the man who hired him without checking his references or heeding repeated warnings that he had not undergone a required background check, saw him often, however, and said so.  The judge has now held Martinez and upped his bail to $200,000.

 It’s only by luck—or incompetence—that the public found out about any of this when the new superintendant Valentino (on the job for 2 ½ months) sent a text to Education Secretary Hanna Skandera boasting that he was going to fire the district’s Chief Financial Officer(CFO), who was acting without authority in trying to put the kibosh on a contract for IT services that Jason Martinez was trying to give to an old friend, Bud Bullard.  Bullard had earlier been dismissed from the Denver School District for taking kickbacks.  Foolishly, the CFO, Don Moya, was worried about the waste of taxpayer dollars.  One problem: the Superintendant mistakenly sent the text with his boast to the CFO himself instead of Skandera.

Moya then apparently sent the text back to Valentino and it somehow became public.  The cat was then out of the bag.  Shortly thereafter, Moya was put on administrative leave.  To date, no reason has been given for that.

 Meanwhile The NM Political Report’s Joey Peters uncovered the questionable background of Jason Martinez—without much more than a Google search, I’m told. The public outcry began. And rumors started spreading.

How could the new Super have hired a pedophile without a background check or even a simple reference check? Aren’t even parent volunteers required to get a background check? Is this Superintendant competent to run one of the country’s largest school districts?

Why was the Super communicating with the controversial PED Secretary about his intention to fire staff?  Was he protecting Jason Martinez? Does he routinely ask permission from the Secretary on major moves? Did the two have a prior relationship before Valentino came to APS? Is he a shill for the administration?

Some of these questions were fueled by a whistleblower lawsuit filed a few days thereafter by Don Moya.  It was filed not just against the APS Superintendant and the Board but also vs. the Public Education Secretary and Governor.  Moya alleges he was put on leave because he blew the whistle on Jason Martinez whom he says got the dept. superintendant job, which had earlier been promised to him.   His lawyer comes from a Santa Fe firm who also employs a Democratic House member, prompting calls from the Governor that Moya’s complaint is purely partisan.

Honest, you can’t make this stuff up.

Luis Valentino is not resigning.  Instead he made an apology tour to Albuquerque media, pleading for understanding.  But Valentino is standing on shaky ground. With only a few months under his belt, he has no offsetting accomplishments to point to, no reservoir of good will he can draw upon. 

Yet incredibly, the APS Board delays action on whether his should be fired or retained.  At their last meeting on Thursday Aug. 27 they decided—to decide at the next meeting.  Sound familiar?  It’s exactly what they did at their last closed session on Sunday Aug. 23.

 Here’s my opinion: Valentino should do more than apologize.  He should resign.  I feel bad for him.  Maybe it was just a mistake.  But students and teachers suffer consequences for their mistakes. The top dogs should too. I don’t see how Valentino can inspire any credibility. Someone who hires a friend in spite of repeated red flags cannot rebuild public trust in the district. And if the Board enables his behavior it will do even more to dash public confidence than it has by its inaction.

Yes, it may cost money to get rid of Valentino.  But how much is public trust in our schools worth, anyway?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Is New Mexico a Basket Case?

Blogger's Note:  I don't like to be pessimistic, but this article, written by Chris Cervini, with whom I worked in the legislature, rings very true.  He-- and others -- are leaving the state for better opportunities elsewhere. For those he leaves behind, he raises some serious questions.  What do you think? 

Oh, sad New Mexico, we love, we love you so

The Collapse of the promise of New Mexico and a possible path forward

This is a story about a place that seems to be hollowing out. A great promise dashed on the rocks of low expectations.

This is a story of New Mexico over the past 6 years.

There was a period of about 20 years when it seemed like something big was going to pop here. There was growth, hope and an influx of new people and new ideas. Innovators, job makers, thinkers, creators – they all came to this quirky place from the mid 80s on.

The high-water mark was somewhere around 2004 when Richard Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class listed Albuquerque — of all places – as a top destination and incubator of the creative class.

It bears noting that this period of advancement and growth occurred under both Democratic and Republican leadership and that the fault for its demise does not lay with one political party or another.

In fact, apart from the staggering global economic meltdown, some of the causes for our decline lay in fundamental long-held beliefs by both parties. But I’ll get to that later.

Right now I want to tell a story.

The Exodus

My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I came back to New Mexico in 2002-2003. We had both grown up here, but our parents were getting older and we felt it fitting to come back and spend some quality time with them while we still had it. Besides, I’m a Democratic political operative and communications pro and 2002 was a pretty good time for those types of people to come back to New Mexico.

Upon our return we were in the midst of a New Mexico on the move. Our friends included law students, accomplished grant writers, artists, Web-design people, medical residents, physical therapists, actors and innovators. These were people who wanted to start businesses and generally build out this promising place. It was electric.

But it wouldn’t last.

One by one, people started to move away. The promise did not match the reality. People began bumping up into the age-old New Mexican syndrome of endless handwringing and naysaying about how things can’t be done, rather than what might be possible.

“But we’re New Mexico, we cannot possibly attract company X or industry Y.”

I saw friends beating their heads against walls trying to make something happen but being grinded down by obstacles such as a lack of a real private economy. New Mexico was a place of hope and promise, but there was no real substance to it.

Over time, nearly all our friends left seeking greener pastures and better opportunities.

This is not the “New Mexico losing its bright kids” narrative (though that’s a major problem). It’s New Mexico losing talented people who were attracted by the promise of the place only to find the promise empty.

Here’s a quick rundown of friends who left:

PR executive and entrepreneur; talented photographer and professor; pediatrician; Web-design guru and her engineer husband; nationally recognized business-process and organizational consultant; successful grant writer for national organizations; journalist; attorney; IT person; neurological rehabilitation therapist; retired attorney and arts supporter.

A fairly accomplished group – all gone from New Mexico because they couldn’t make a go of it. To a person, they are all happier in their new places.

Diagnosing the Problem

We can’t lay all the blame at the feet of the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis. That crisis hit everyone, yet New Mexico remains bleeding on the floor while our neighbors are moving forward to what is setting up to be a promising economic 2014.

And therein is the problem. While our neighbors may shoot forward and grow like weeds in 2014, we may see only modest growth. And that will give our politicians and business leaders the excuse they need to proclaim from the highest mountains how we stared down the apocalypse and are now on the rebound.

Nevermind that the basic underpinnings of our state’s economy remain unchanged, leaving us weaker and more vulnerable to the whims of oil and gas prices or government shutdowns.

We can prattle on about combined reporting and tax rates when the basic fact is this: We could likely take away the state’s income tax IN TOTAL and not pry one single company from our neighbors.

Sadly, our state’s economy is almost completely propped up by extractive industries and government jobs. Make no mistake – they have both served us well, but they are not enough.

The “sadly” is this: The permanence and historical success of those two sectors allow our policymakers and business leaders to be lazy.

There’s no need to build a 21st century workforce as long as our state is propped up by 19th century industries (oil and bureaucracy).

So we ride out the bad times, claim victory when things get a little better and ultimately change nothing in New Mexico.

My friends came to New Mexico in a period of historic high energy prices and government expansion – it made the state look rosier than it is. Once there is uncertainty or a hiccup in either of those sectors, the rosy picture evaporates and the ugly truth is revealed. New Mexico is a beautiful place to visit and, if you’re rich, buy a summer home. Otherwise, you’re in for a hard slog to try and get a bite out of a pie that never grows.

The Blame Game

We are all to blame.

While New Mexico is the worst place to raise kids; while people in the Colonias can’t even get running water or electricity; while brutal, senseless violence invades even our safest communities – we all just go along to get along.

Politicians nibble at the edges. Republicans cut some taxes and say they’ve saved the economy; Democrats throw a bone to the film industry and say they’ve helped diversify the economy. Neither side gets it.

The media is obsessed with stabbings, shootings, gore and, of course, pooh-poohing any unconventional idea that might shake things up.

The business community – so weak – panders to whoever is in charge. I was in the prior administration – they pandered to Richardson and now they pander to Martinez. This is partly because we don’t have a strong private sector that can stand on its own, and partly a failing of leadership in the business community.

Average New Mexicans? Well, we sit around and wait for something to happen. We’re resigned to a mindset of “what can’t be done” – because it’s all we’ve ever known.

A way forward – some recommendations

Children go to bed hungry and attend dilapidated schools in a state that has tens of billions of dollars in permanent funds and huge reserves.
To make change, we all have to get sick and tired of being at the bottom and work to do something about it.

Some leaders call the permanent funds a rainy day fund and warn that we should never, ever touch them.

Those people are borderline criminals in a state that is at the bottom of every good list and near the top of every bad list.

If New Mexico is ever to be that place of hope and promise, it needs to shake things up fundamentally. That means doing the following:

1. Create a long-term human-development fund to pay for adult basic education and workforce training. Leverage federal dollars.

Why? Because our current workforce is lacking. Companies cannot find qualified individuals, which makes attracting companies tough for economic developers. Plus, kids will do better if their parents have skills to get better jobs, live in better houses and provide more stability.

2. Diversify the economy.

Renewable energy is where the world is headed and New Mexico has a wealth of homegrown renewable resources that can help develop and diversify the economy. This is a 20-year play, but it’s a critical strategy to give us at least one competitive advantage against the states that have been eating our lunch since 1912.

Also, let’s shut up about pitting renewables against oil and gas. Both can co-exist. This is a falsehood created by the right. Don’t buy into it; it’s not a zero-sum-game.

3. Invest in early childhood – across the spectrum.

From health-care diagnosis to education, we need to do a better job of investing in our kids from birth through high-school.

Some will say: “You can’t just throw money at the problem.”

I say: our most important resource is the future generation of kids who will build us out of our current morass. Every dollar NOT put into programs to ensure we are raising the best and brightest is a dollar wasted.

4. Broadband.

It’s more important in a 21st century economy than roads or ports – so prioritize making New Mexico a statewide high-speed hotspot and haven for data centers and cloud computing.

5. Make Native Americans and traditional Hispanic communities part of the solution.

One thing our competition can never take away from us: New Mexico is blessed with a unique and rich cultural tradition unlike any other in the WORLD. Artisans, craftsman and people keeping community traditions alive make our state special. New Mexico should be a global destination for seekers who want to experience our culture, our cuisine and our rugged beauty.

Not working with traditional communities on how we can respectfully highlight these contributions to global culture is missing a huge opportunity.

6. Finally, don’t pooh-pooh the new.

We live our lives running down what’s new and what we don’t understand. And we’ve suffered because of it.

As a New Mexican, the next time you find yourself saying anything close to: “But that’s not how we did it before” – slap yourself. How we did it before doesn’t work.

Let’s welcome some new ideas and create some of our own.

Happy Trails

We are leaving, for now. My wife has been successful and received a recent promotion, which means we will soon be moving to Austin. We are one of those families Joe Monahan talks about – the ones getting paid to leave New Mexico.

We have both been wildly successful in New Mexico and thank it and the people for our opportunities. Not the least of which is Diane Denish, who took a chance on me and is truly one of the good eggs.

In closing, New Mexico is not without its share of doers and thinkers and creators — all who want to take the state to the next level and turn New Mexico around.

Let’s hope these people don’t get buried in the sea of negativity and failure that has pervaded this place for far too long.

New Mexico will always be our home and we may someday return.
But now, like all our friends who left, we are going to check out those greener pastures for a while and wish all New Mexicans peace and prosperity.

 

Legislature Should Use Medicaid to Help Young Mothers be Better Parents

Blogger's Note: A version of this article appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Jan. 30, 2013 

 In the aftermath of Sunday’s front-page article in the Albuquerque Journal on how 70% of births in New Mexico are financed by Medicaid, we are beginning to hear the conservative refrain. The “takers” are at it again, they say. So many people on “welfare,” so many children hooked on government from birth.  Its like Captain Renault (Claude Reins) telling Humphrey Bogart in Casa Blanca, “Shocked, I’m shocked that gambling is going on in this establishment. “ Of course, as the Captain is speaking, he is   handed a note from a croupier that tallies his winnings.

In New Mexico the “winnings” are the payments for the births that go to the hospitals the delivery room nurses, the doctors, to small and large towns throughout the state who, would be struggling to collect from low-income parents, or paying for the deliveries themselves, were it not for the program.

The winnings are also in the health of New Mexico’s children, about 2/3 of whom are born into families who need a little help. For about two decades, the state has seen it as a good investment here in one of the poorest states of the country, especially when the federal government is paying the lion’s share. Even considering the cost of deliveries, the price tag for prenatal care, childbirth and health coverage for children is relatively modest, in comparison to other program expenses like nursing homes. Without this initial investment the costs to the state in premature births, poor outcomes, special education, even criminal justice, would be much more.  

This summer, the Legislative Interim Health and Human Services Committee heard about another program that, for young children, could increase the return on the investment even more. It’s called home visiting. It’s a voluntary program that is already yielding results for young families in Rio Arriba and Grant Counties as nurses and community health workers visit with first time mothers throughout their pregnancy and during those first crucial months after the birth of their babies.  The trained health care professionals teach parenting skills and assist mothers with routine care, making sure that the baby has all its shots, and that problems don’t turn into domestic crises.  But of the approximately 19,000 newborns on Medicaid each year only about 1100 get the service through a program in the Children Youth and Families Department, which for the most part is funded through private foundations.  At present, there is little state Medicaid funding—with its attendant federal match--and the state is missing a huge opportunity to get more women pre-natal care, increase the number of well child visits, and save money in the long run. 

  The staff of the Legislative Finance Committee estimates the return on investment for home visiting is five dollars for every one invested.  This year’s LFC budget recommends increasing Medicaid funding for home visiting so that 500 more families get this important service. Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino is carrying Senate Bill 68 to boost the CYFD programs.  These are modest proposals that deserve your support —particularly if you are shocked, shocked by the number of Medicaid births. This investment may bring them down in the long run, one family at a time, as new parents begin to understand the responsibility of parenthood, gain self-respect and think again about that second or third child. Combine that with a decent rate of economic growth and you’ve got a big payoff for New Mexico.  

 

Lorenzo Garcia Shares Why He's Running for APS Board

Blogger's Note:  APS District 3 Board incumbent and candidate Lorenzo Garcia sent me this statement for my "consideration," and I am passing it on here.  Its sincere and progressive tone speaks to his character, which is why I am supporting him for APS School Board for the North Valley area in the Feb. 5 election.  Early voting is going on now at APS headquarters at 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE. Here's his picture and his statement, below:

 

    My time on the Board has given me an opportunity to learn a great deal. I continue to learn. From one point of view, it has been an incredible experience. To say the very least, this has been a steep learning curve, or as I like to say “for me, a learning cliff”. I am not a former educator, nor did I start out with knowledge about the kind of multi-layered and multi-dimension complex issues that I would encounter. Generally, I feel pleased with my initial term. Of course there are regrets. And now my time could end when I feel more committed, more resolved, and more determined to continue a number of the initiatives and relationships of this very quick four-year period. Public education has become one of the essential and critical crossroad battlegrounds for social justice issues in our nation; all directly impacting our children, families and communities. As such, it is critical that we work collectively when possible to "keep the public in public education so every student counts".  

 

In my opinion, it is particularly true in regards to our teachers, staff and administrators and public employees in general. Do we want a nation of students who are capable as critical thinkers who are active in their communities? Or, do we settle for a nation of “haves and have-nots” where the democratic process becomes a reflection of a process of sophisticated manipulation, of chronic compliance and successful standardized test takers?

 

In the recent period, teachers, unions and public employees in general are targeted on almost a daily basis in our national and local newspapers and media. This has created an unhealthy atmosphere in our communities. Combined with the economic downturn, and an unruly ideological posturing by politicians, this has made an atmosphere nothing short of volatile. Any attempt at a meaningful discussion of the issues is often shortchanged.

 

Public schools and public education are bombarded with an unrelenting onslaught of manipulated half-truths and outright lies reflecting the ideological war fare that is occuring. For the most part, largely reactive and opportunistic ideologues; political and community leaders, school board members appear to be driven by this sunammi of social and economic forces without the benefit of solid analysis.

 

No Child Left Behind through the last period of the ESEA, became a wedge and a sledge-hammer to malign teachers and our public education system as a kind of pretext for unleashing unbridled opportunism at the expense of dedicated teachers, and staff.

 

Often extreme examples in the media used to shame, blame, and demand for “accountability”, while at the same time the pseudo dialogue has been poisoning our climate and discouraging our community members. This ideological posturing gives a pseudo lip service about our nation’s risk, while holding healthy public dialogue hostage, and many legislators wont even consider adequately and sufficiently funding our public schools or recognizing that these issues are part of a larger set of challenges for us all, within our collapsing international economic and social order.

 

As such, it is due to this unhealthy atmosphere that I have decided to stay the course, and run again. My challenge is that for me, it would be unconsionable for us as community leaders to back away at a time like this.

 

I think I have and can continue to play a useful role. I can be a thoughtful member of the Board team. My hope and struggle has been to work to insure that communities, families, and those who are committed to working together find common ground and support a different model, where there's dialogue, and openness, and a willingness to create platforms for both discussion and action based upon sound reasoning, not propaganda. This of course is in my experience a very difficult thing. It only happens if we work at it. And, this means both using a rigorous disciplined effort modeling a mutual respect and commitment to building the kind of democratic process that so far has been less than satisfactory, to me. 

Lorenzo L. Garcia 
Incumbent Candidate, District 3 

  

2011 Session Opening, Feldman's Constituent Survey Results

    Emotions ran high on opening day of the 2011 legislature, with a new Governor delivering a state-of-the-state address that proposed continued cuts in state programs, rejection of any tax increases, a repeal of the death penalty ban, more DNA testing and a rollback of credits to the film industry.  It was hard not to see the address as a line drawn in the sand rather than a call for bipartisan cooperation with the Democratically controlled legislature.  But of course, elections do have consequences.    

     A record response to my constituent survey will help me make some hard choices at a time when the state’s revenue falls about $400 million short of what’s necessary to balance the state budget.  In the past few weeks, over 800 responses have come pouring in, over the Internet as well as through the mail. You can still respond, here.  

    Thanks again for your input.  It’s important to me! I’ll be chairing the Public Affairs Committee again where many of the health, pension and restructuring bills will be heard.  Contact me while I’m in Santa Fe at 1-505-986-4482, e-mail me at dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov or drop by my office in Room 300.  Information on bills, schedules and committees is available at www.nmlegis.gov. Senate floor sessions are now broadcast there as well.  I’ll be sending out periodic e-newsletters and encourage you to sign up if you're not on the list.

     Here's the news release that I sent out when a team of great volunteers finished compiling most of  the returns(no small task). 

     Constituents to Feldman: Don’t Cut Medicaid and Education Further; Close Tax Loopholes and Review Rates

             Sen. Dede Feldman (D-Bernalillo) today released the results of her annual constituent survey, which was sent in late December to 6,500 of her voting constituents.  Also, for the second time, the survey was sent via e-mail to an additional 1000 constituents.  Feldman represents District 13, which covers the North Valley of Albuquerque from Old Town to Los Ranchos, parts of the West Side and near-Heights.  

 

            As of Sunday Jan. 16^th,  462 constituents responded to the hard copy survey and 328 responded on line for a total of 790 responses.  Results are still coming in. 

            “This is not a scientific survey,” says Feldman, “ but it gives me a good idea of what people are thinking and it gives them a good picture of the hard choices that we are facing this session.”

            “This is the biggest response I’ve had in a long time.” she added

            Facing a budget shortfall for the third time in three years, constituents were asked whether to continue cutting programs or consider tax increases.  78% favored maintaining current benefits and eligibility for Medicaid and 56% did not want to cut education further.  However, 94% want to review tax incentives to see whether they are working to create jobs and economic activity, and 94% want to close tax  loopholes like the “combined reporting” provisions which allow out-of-state corporations to avoid full state taxes.

            Asked about specific cuts on the table at the upcoming session, 97% wanted to reduce the number of governor-appointed state employees, 73% wanted to eliminate funding for the spaceport and 74% wanted to close selected higher educational institutions and branch colleges.  On the other hand, constituents did not want to shorten the school year (82% said no), enlarge class sizes (72% said no) or raise tuition at colleges and universities (62% said no).  79.5% did not want to eliminate the Rail Runner.

                     On other tax matters, 88% said they wanted to increase taxes on smokeless tobacco products, 85% wanted to increase alcohol taxes, 77% wanted taxes on soda and soft drinks and 80% said they wanted to eliminate the 2003 income tax cuts for top earners. 53% favored a reduction in tax credits for the film industry. 

 

Among other results:

 •56.7% do not want the state to borrow against our permanent funds

 •52.4% favor repeal of drivers’ licenses for undocumented residents

•61% support a constitutional amendment that would abolish the PRC and replace

it with another entity that 43% say should be a combination of appointed and elected

•58% feel environmental regulations on oil, gas and mining are too lax

 

Regarding Education:

•77% believe that charter school offer a needed alternative to public school

•82% want them evaluated for effectiveness

•53% favor a moratorium on the construction of charters

•92% want to limit charter school principals’ salaries

•64% want to eliminate less popular academic programs at universities

•62% support continued increased contributions from teachers and staff for benefits

•49.9% want a temporary elimination of college athletics

•49% favor hiring freezes

 

Regarding Health Care

•90% favor taking advantage of grants through the federal health care bill

•84% a state-run health insurance exchange

•93% want a more stringent process for reviewing health insurance rate increases

•91% want strict enforcement of new federal insurance requirements on preexisting conditions and coverage limitations

•63% support a mandate that everyone carry health insurance

•52% support a Medicare-for-All approach

•83 % favor a program to allow donation of unused prescription drugs

 

       Let the Games Begin! Sen.Feldman signs in for the session, with Senate Chief Clerk (and Wonder Woman) Lenore Naranjo.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musicians from Reginald Chavez Elementary and Washington Middle School

These students from Reginald Chavez Elementary School and Washington Middle School really put on a show. Enjoy!