VOL I, Issue 17, December 3, 2014 Still FREE After All These Months Lee Ann Womack: Back to Full Throttle PAGE 15 The Story Behind Bernalillo County’s $17 million Mistake PAGE 5 Robert Reich: The Rich Are Buying Our Democracy PAGE 4 Door-busting with APD Page 12 www.freeabq.com www.abqarts.com Editor: [email protected] Associate Editor, News: [email protected] Associate Editor, Arts: [email protected] VOL I, Issue 17, December 3, 2014 Still FREE After All These Months On Twitter: @FreeABQ Editor IN THIS ISSUE Dan Vukelich (505) 345-4080. Ext. 800 Associate Editor, News NEWS Dennis Domrzalski Treasurer’s office: Costing taxpayers money, again .........................................................................Page 5 (505) 306-3260 ABQ Free Press Pulp News ......................................................................................................... Page 12 Associate Editor, Arts APD watch: “Knock and announce” vs. “no-knock” search warrants ............................................Page 12 Stephanie Hainsfurther (505) 301-0905 Design OPINION Terry Kocon, Hannah Reiter, Cathleen Tiefa One view of immigration: Obama’s order is not comprehensive reform ...........................................Page 8 Photography Another view of immigration: Obama’s order is out of bounds .........................................................Page 8 Mark Bralley, Mark Holm, Juan Antonio Getting money out of N.M. politics....................................................................................................Page 9 Labreche, Liz Lopez, Adria Malcolm Jerry Ortiz y Pino: Look out for larceny during the 60-day session ...............................................Page 11 Contributors this issue Sabrina Autry, Joan Friedland, Barry Gaines, Jeffry Gardner, Viki Harrison, Betsy Model, Joe Monahan, James H. Moore, Jerry Ortiz y Pino, COLUMNS Richard Oyama, Robert Reich, Peter St. Cyr, Riley Stevens, Rene Thompson, Saffron Tomato, Robert Reich: How the super rich are buying American politicians ..................................................Page 4 Efrain Villa Joe Monahan: What N.M. politicos want for Christmas ....................................................................Page 7 Copy Editors The Answer Guy: Understanding the ABCs of Hepatitis C ............................................................Page 10 Jim Wagner The Wandering Vagabond: Munching on “Bob” in Vietnam ...........................................................Page 10 Wendy Fox Dial Advertising Sales Manager Greta Weiner, (505) 345-4080, Ext, 803 [email protected] ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & MORE Advertising Sales Deep Dish: Vernon’s wins award, M’tucci’s has a new place ........................................................Page 13 Abby Feldman (505) 345-4080, Ext. 802 Scenario: Shira Greenberg, a classic woman, classy town ...........................................................Page 14 [email protected] COVER STORY: Lee Ann Womack and the way she’s livin’ .........................................................Page 15 Donavan Mosley, (505) 345-4080, Ext. 806 [email protected] Music: New Singles, CDs and EPs................................................................................................Page 16 Jazmine Collins, (505) 345-4080, Ext. 805 Music: Local band Suspended is back in school ...........................................................................Page 17 [email protected] Books: Revisiting Pynchon revisiting 9/11 .....................................................................................Page Carolyn Fischman, (505) 345-4080, Ext. 807 17 [email protected] Theater: “Forbidden Broadway” is a loving spoof… ......................................................................Page 18 Published every other week by: Theater: Masonic Temple houses “Twelfth Night”; “Gypsy” closes soon .......................................Page 18 Great Noggins LLC Film: Not sweet but savory films of the season .............................................................................Page 19 P.O. Box 6070 Film: Our picks of what’s streaming in December .........................................................................Page Albuquerque, NM 87197-6070 19 Holiday events for all .....................................................................................................................Page 20 Publishers Will Ferguson and Dan Vukelich Calendar of arts and entertainment events ......................................................................... Pages 20-23 Crossword Puzzle (Answers on Page 23) .....................................................................................Page 24 Corrections policy: It is the policy of ABQ Free Press to correct errors in a timely fashion. Contact the editors 5 17 18 19 at the email addresses on this page. Where to find our paper? List of more than 400 locations at freeabq.com ON THE COVER: Country music star Lee Ann Womack is making a comeback with her “The Way I’m Livin’” Tour, which included a scheduled Dec. 6 appearance at the Isleta Casino Showroom. (Photo by John Scarpati) PAGE 4 • December 3, 2014 • ABQ FREE PRESS COLUMNS NEWS ABQ FREE PRESS • December 3, 2014 • PAGE 5 Buying American: The Uber Rich Who Invest in U.S. Politicians Lack of Oversight Led to County Treasurer’s Losses BY ROBERT REICH REPRINTED BY PERMISSION BY DENNIS DOMRZALSKI he richest Ameri- .01 percent by an average of 7.8 percent ometimes history does repeat county officials knew that Tcans hold more of a year since the mid-1980s. Sitself. Padilla’s investment strategy the nation’s wealth But the bottom 90 percent don’t In May 1992, a special wasn’t in the county’s best inter- Treasurer’s Problems than they have in own many shares of stock. They rely audit ordered by Bernalillo ests in the long term, they went Span Decades almost a century. on wages, which have been trending County found that then-County along because in the short term What do they spend downward. And for some reason, politi- Treasurer Patrick Padilla had he was making money. That left November 1988: Patrick Padilla is elected to his it on? As you might cians don’t seem particularly intent on mishandled taxpayer funds by Padilla and his successor, Manny first term as Bernalillo County treasurer. expect, personal reversing this trend. making illegal investments. As a Ortiz, free to do as they pleased. jets, giant yachts, If you want to know what’s happened May 1992: A special audit performed for Bernalillo result, the county suffered losses In 1992 and in the current case, works of art, and luxury penthouses. to the American economy, follow the County says Padilla and his investment officer, Joe And also on politics. In fact, their politi- money. That will lead you to the richest on its investment portfolio. Padilla is alleged to have turned Greer, mishandled county investments, made illegal cal spending has been growing faster .01 percent. Padilla lost his re-election the county’s investment strategy investments and lost county money. than their spending on anything else. And if you want to know what’s bid later that year – apparently on its head. It’s been growing even faster than their happened to our democracy, follow the voters were paying attention – Nearly all government entities 1992: Cheryl Tucker, Padilla’s future wife, is hired wealth. richest .01 percent. They’ll lead you to and the following year he was have the same, three-pronged as Sandoval County’s investment officer. According to new research by Em- the politicians who have been selling our indicted on charges of misusing investment strategy. Safety is 1992: Padilla loses his re-election bid. manuel Saez of the University of Cali- democracy. public money. In 1994, Padilla first, meaning protection of fornia at Berkeley and Gabriel Zucman and then-county investment principal is the foremost goal. 1993: Padilla and Greer are indicted on charges Robert B. Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of of the London School of Economics, the officer Joe Greer were acquitted Second is liquidity and ensuring of misusing public funds but are acquitted of all richest one-hundredth of one percent of Public Policy at the University of California at trial of all charges. the entity has enough money charges by a jury a year later. Americans now hold over 11 percent of at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Twenty years after that first au- on hand to pay its bills on time. the nation’s total wealth. That’s a higher Alswart Blum Center for Developing Economies, dit, Padilla was county treasurer Bernalillo County Third and last is return. In other 1995: Padilla sues the accountants, Gary Gaylord was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton share than the top .01 percent held in again, and rumblings began When he was term-limited after serving two consecu- words, making money is the and Scott Floersheim, who did the 1992 special administration. Time Magazine named tive terms, Bernalillo County Treasurer Patrick Padilla 1929, before the Great Crash. 90 percent are losing, too bad. That’s Their political investments have about potential mishandling of lowest priority. audit for Bernalillo County, alleging they made him one of the ten most effective cabinet became the investment officer for his successor. “false and malicious” statements in the audit. The We’re talking about 16,000 people, the way the game is played. paid off in the form of lower taxes on county investments. Last month, In buying long-term invest- each worth at least $110 million. secretaries of the 20th Century. He has Bernalillo