home home


Mayor Jim Baca Wants Pork, Albuquerque Kids Pay -- Dearly!
Scott Goold, Director
Friday, January 19, 2001
InfoImagination © 2001


KOB TV announced this morning the City of Albuquerque was facing another budget crisis -- about $10 million this time. City officials claim they must make immediate cuts to the budget [more].

At the same time, reports I have examined show city representatives are in Florida shopping for a triple-A baseball team [more]. The mayor wants to build a new stadium, price tag of about $30 million to help renovate the downtown area. The councillors generally support renovating the current stadium, where the Dukes played, which will keep the cost to about $20 million [more]. Albuquerque civic activist, Danny Hernandez, called for another solution three months ago [more].

How does this work -- how can the city consider luxury and recreational programs while asking to cut major services? We are told that the baseball money comes from a "different fund."

What about the proposed cuts -- Albuquerque public schools top the list. The KOB TV report notes cuts in teen and after school programs. Here we go again. We have some of the worst schools in the nation; teachers pay levels are in the bottom 10% [more]; and our young people struggle to stay afloat while facing some of the greatest challenges kids today confront [more].

Yet, the mayor -- in his wisdom -- wants to build a $30 million hot dog stand that will be used about 3-4 months a year to house semi-professional guys who run around hitting, catching and chasing a little white ball.

We, of course, the taxpayers will foot the mayor's bill, but it is our children who will pay the real price!


Albuquerque Must Cut $10 Million from City Budget
Source: KOBTV.com
Last updated: Jan 19 00:31:34 2001 MST
ALBUQUERQUE, NM


Albuquerque city leaders face a $10 million gap in the city budget, and they're trying to find a way to trim the fat. The shortfalls are a combination of a new Bernalillo County Jail, an understaffed police force and lower revenues to the city. "We definitely have to rethink priorities, which can be good, but we have to look at a lot of programs out there," said city councilor Mike McEntee.

Albuquerque lost revenue in the past year, in part because a lot of people are building and buying outside the city limits. When you add to that a new county jail and a police department that went over their budgets, and you have a $10 million hole to fill. "What makes this year different is we've cut and cut the last few years," said city chief administrator Lawrence Rael.

So, what gets cut this year? The city says public safety and basic services won't be touched. The city is already set on a list of projects including a new firestation, library, parks and museums. So, that leaves social services as the most vulnerable area. "You'll see us look intently at social services," said Rael. "Contracts with other agencies like APS [made need] adjustments."

What about a proposed baseball stadium? That project will come out of a different budget. Still, there remains division in city council as whether discussing a stadium should be a priority when a number of programs could be facing the chopping block. [TOP]


Albuquerque Must Resolve Baseball Stadium Question by April 30th
Source: KOBTV.com
Last updated: Jan 11 00:01:23 2001 MST
ALBUQUERQUE, NM


Albuquerque voters may be making a quick decision on a new baseball stadium for the city. New owners of the Triple-A team planning to move to Albuquerque are giving the city until April 30th to decide whether to build a new stadium or renovate the current Sports Stadium. The city must also determine where the money is going to come from. That could mean a public vote in a special election very soon.

The deadline is included in the contract between the current owners of the Calgary Cannons and a new team of owners planning to bring the franchise to Albuquerque for the 2002 season.

Some city leaders say it's not much time to consider spending at least $30 million to build a new stadium, or at least $22 million to renovate the old one. Then there's the debate over whether it should be public money or some kind of public-private combo deal.

City councilor Greg Payne wants to renovate. "I think there's plenty of time between April 30th and now to get this thing done, to hash it out, to come up with a proposal and to have a vote and a debate on it," said Payne.

Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca is a strong supporter of a new stadium downtown. "We have some businessmen, one of them who lives in New Mexico most of the year, willing to invest millions of dollars to bring a Triple-A baseball team to Albuquerque. Now, it's up to us to decide whether or not we want it, and I think we do," Baca said.

Either way, a new stadium or a rebuilt one, it will have to meet strict standards set by the Pacific Coast League. The old ballpark currently won't cut it. Meanwhile up in Calgary, newspapers report there isn't much hope that Albuquerque voters will say no, which would effectively keep the Cannons in Calgary.

The Calgary Herald quotes one city alderman as saying "At some point, we're going to have to admit we can't do it. We can't keep up with the Americans." [TOP]


Albuquerque Leaders Visit Florida
Source: KOBTV.com
Last updated: Jan 19 05:17:59 2001 MST
TAMPA, FL


As Florida gets ready to usher in spring training, a high-powered meeting is being held there with the future of Albuquerque baseball at stake. Representatives from the mayor's office and city council flew to Tampa, Florida Thursday to deliver drastically different views about a possible new baseball stadium to the new owners of the Calgary Cannons.

The Triple-A baseball team has all but promised to move to Albuquerque for the 2002 season. The hanging issue remains the current, outdated Sports Stadium which was a major factor in the Albuquerque Dukes moving to Portland, Oregon after last season. Calgary Cannons new owners Ken Young and Mike Koldyke gave the city until April 30th to decide whether to build a new stadium or renovate the current stadium.

Albuquerque city councilors say Mayor Jim Baca promised the Cannons a brand new stadium if they move to the Duke City. The councilors say a new stadium would cost taxpayers too much. So, city council representatives flew to Tampa on Thursday to let the perspective team know they'll get a renovated Sports Stadium or nothing.

Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Lawrence Rael says he just wants to talk with the new Calgary Cannons owners. "It's a very preliminary discussion," said Rael. "Going down to get a sense of what issue they have before them."

City councilors who oppose a new stadium will have representative Mark Sanchez in Tampa too with a message they claim the Cannons' owners haven't heard. "We are in favor of renovating the stadium instead of building a new one," said city councilor Alan Armijo, "and Mark Sanchez is representing us with that message." "It is our understanding there's a provision that requires the city to begin a process to provide a facility that meets Pacific Coast League standards," said Rael.

Armijo claims that's spin control by the mayor's office and that there's no league agreement that prevents a new team from coming into a renovated Sports Stadium. He also says at least seven city councilors support renovation. "Since negotiations have begun, we want them to know up front that this is what the council favors," said Armijo.

The mayor maintains building a new stadium is necessary to get a new team. Armijo says building a new stadium would cost more than $30 million just for construction and not including the cost of purchasing the land. Instead, councilors estimate renovations to the current stadium to cost $20 million. [TOP]