By MORRIE PONGRATZ
Former County Councilor
The new year, 2020, has brought forth an oil price war that wrecked the State of New Mexico budget, the COVID-19 virus that threatens our lives, instances of racism that are an affront to our values, and a stock market crash that challenges our financial security.
On the local front we find that radioactive waste put a hold on plans to build housing on DP Road, we’re surprised to learn that the Mari Mac shopping center will be razed and that we’ve once again asked for land from the feds, we see the future of the Family Strengths Network in jeopardy, two mainstays of our retail community CB FOX and the Reel Deal close their doors, our not-for-profit community scrambles to raise money, there’ll be no 4th of July fireworks, and there’ s no toilet paper at Smith’s! Indeed, as Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls”.
These challenges lower the pain threshold and we look for whom to blame. In an op ed column on June 11 in the Daily Post my former LANL co-worker Ed Santiago commented, “The vitriol being spewed here at the County Council is shameful.” Ed also asked if the “decent candidates elected barely 18 months ago have since turned into sinister and/or incompetent demons”?
I was fortunate to serve with eight different county councils over the past four decades and I’d like to respond to Ed’s question. Based on my experience, “No, those decent candidates have not turned into sinister and/or incompetent demons.” They’re doing their best. Service in the public eye has always drawn criticism, especially so in these days of social media. Note, that two current councilors, Antonio Maggiore and Katrina Schmidt, chose not to run for re-election. Indeed, as Shakespeare wrote in “Henry IV Part 2”, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
The Mari Mac situation presents a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” example. Should the county exercise more control over future development of the razed property or less control over UnQuarked? Doing procurements “by the book” minimizes political interference but leaves councilors in the dark about the evaluation process and competing bids. I felt uneasy when we had to approve the Starbucks bid for the parcel at the corner of 20th and Trinity. Could we have an option where on a rotating basis one or two councilors (without a conflict of interest) could sit in on the RFP evaluation process?
In the end, I think that we are blessed to have these seven folks representing us. We are also fortunate for the able leadership of County Manager Harry Burgess and his deputy, Steve Lynne. I have also worked with the very competent leaders of the major departments – Philo Shelton in the Utilities Department, Dino Sgambellone in the Police Department, and Troy Hughes in the Fire Department.
By the way, the legislature will soon meet to adapt the state budget, COVID-19 is lying low in Los Alamos, our young folks are marching against racism, the stock market is rebounding, and toilet paper is back on the shelves at Smith’s!