Has anyone else noticed the change in our governor’s rhetoric lately? I mean she’s always been a bit inflexible, but since her visit and dinner with the “Don” at Mar-a-Lago, her speech has taken on quite a different tone; actually belligerent. Her comments and refusal to compromise in the least with the State Legislature sound more and more “Trump-like.” She couldn’t care less about the people of New Mexico. Now it’s her way or the highway, and her way sounds more and more like Trump’s way.What could cause such a shift in her governing? Perhaps she’s simply looking ahead. She will soon be out of a job. Her position as a female governor who sucks up to the “Don” would, no doubt, appeal to Trump. I’m betting she’s already been offered a position within the Trump administration. I’ll be surprised if she even finishes out her term. Sound far-fetched? Maybe you should take a head count of all the people that were running against Trump for the presidential nomination. The majority of those that “dropped out” inexplicably had jobs waiting for them when Trump won the election. So, who promised who, what?
Letters: On The Governor’s Vetoes On The Governor’s Vetoes
Governor Martinez’s outdated “no new taxes” political pledge has resulted in the worst economy in our state in decades. Because of her political ideology, New Mexico has the worst unemployment rate in the country; young New Mexicans are fleeing the state in search of jobs; and schools are dangerously underfunded.The Legislature passed a forward-thinking budget with revenue to fund critical services. We applaud them for their hard work and express extreme disappointment in several of the governor’s vetoes. SB 175 would have brought additional federal funds into the state to expand an effective child abuse prevention program. HB 202 would have leveled the playing field for our home-grown businesses and raised much needed funds to support critical services like education, health care and public safety. The governor also vetoed bills that would have helped working families such as the minimum wage increase and leave for caregivers.The budget “options” she refers to in her message include lowering the take-home pay of teachers and other state employees, most of whom have not had a raise in years. The Legislature passed numerous bills that would have moved New Mexico’s economy forward, but the governor’s vetoes indicate that she is content to continue holding the state back.”
Letters: No Clear Winner No Clear Winner
I look forward to reading the Best of Burque list every year—even from a million miles away—and it was so disappointing to see multiple categories where “no clear winner” was selected. Nowhere was this more upsetting for me than in the category of Best Local Comedian. In the copy, it was mentioned that “hundreds” of votes had “trickled in” and I wished that the staff at the Alibi could’ve done the right thing and given credit to the comic with the most votes. Or acknowledgment to the small batch that tied. Or even to the top five in no particular order. The ability to say you were among the “Best of” the city can be a credit that goes a long way for the comedians in town. It can make or break a booker’s decision to give these comedians road work which often pays and also raises the profile of not only the comic, but of Albuquerque as a whole. The comics in the 505 work so hard to help raise awareness that comedy even exists and they also fight daily to get Burqueños out of their houses to see live events and support local businesses. Refusing to give someone the title and then telling them that they should work harder to get one next year is a super letdown and something that I hope improves next year. In the meantime, I also remain impressed by the quality of jokes in the fair city I love and miss so much.
Letters: Bob Comedians Bob Comedians
I personally feel as though the blurb for Best Comedian was absolutely atrocious. Sure, no clear winner is fine; at least send some shout-outs to some comedians or venues that host comedy frequently. Like The Guild, Turtle Mountain, Open Source Comedy, etc., etc. Also the line about a challenge to set ourselves apart is bullshit. I’d like to know exactly what happened to make this result. Was there truly no clear top 3-5? I’d love to see an apology in your next issue.
Letters: Letter From The Editor Letter From The Editor
The results of Best of Burque are determined by a democratic vote. It’s not that we “refused to give someone the title” or enacted a malicious scheme to "make this result." Simply put, no one earned it. It’s unfortunate that no local comedian rose to win top honors, but if you really want to know why there wasn’t a fountain of votes for any one person, you’ll have to look to your fellow Burqueños. Did you vote? Did you ask your fans, coworkers, family, friends, random strangers, Uber driver, garbage man, etc. to vote? We encourage you all to wage a major election campaign next year to ensure that a winner is chosen by the people, of the people, for the people.
Letters: Correction Correction
We apologize for the misspelling of the Best Mechanic Shop winner’s name in Best of Burque (vol.26, i.14, April 6-12). The winner was Reincarnation Inc (The Subaru Guys).
Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number via email to letters@alibi.com. They can also be faxed to (505) 256-9651. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium; we regret that owing to the volume of correspondence we cannot reply to every letter. Word count limit for letters is 300 words.
