Gillson, deCruz voice political goals
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Magistrate Judge Karl Gillson announced his candidacy
for the McKinley County district attorney's position and Gloria Skeet
deCruz said she is considering a run for the District 4 state senate
seat.
The two made the announcements Thursday at the first meeting of Native
Americans for the Democratic Party.
Ben Shelly, McKinley County commissioner, who led the group through
the first meeting, said he would like to help Native Americans like
deCruz and Gillson achieve their goals.
"It's very lonesome when you're out there trying to help the
people, and you're by yourself," Shelly said. "The saddest
thing is to be by yourself."
For the nine Navajo citizens who gathered, strengthening the Native
American voice in the Democratic Party was their main concern.
"The biggest concern the Native American has is not being heard
in the Democratic Party," Shelly said.
Shelly advertised the meeting on KGAK, AM 1330, on Thursday
and called several people to bolster attendance.
"I talked to the main people that I think carry a lot of weight,"
Shelly said. "All the power players are going to be here, and
they can take it back to their people (in their local communities)."
Many influential Navajos attended, including Charles Long, McKinley
County treasurer; Irvin Harrison, McKinley County manager; and Milton
Martinez, co-chairman of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
However, Shelly said he had expected more people to come.
The discussions centered on the organization's purpose.
The group could help unify the Native American vote.
Often, when two Native Americans run for the same position, they split
the vote and a third candidate receives the nomination or position,
Shelly said.
The people also debated whether the group should support candidates
or issues.
Under certain circumstances, non-Native Americans may understand Native
American issues well if they were involved in the affected community,
while Native Americans inexperienced with the workings of this society
may not grasp how things works, Gillson said.
Promoting legislation that benefits Native Americans may be more important
than supporting Native American politicians, said Jim Harlim, a University
of New Mexico-Gallup student.
Shelly said he wants the organization's primary goal to be the support
of Native American candidates.
"I want to make sure that what happened to me won't happen to
others," Shelly said. "Non-Native Americans will pat you
on the back, then stab you. We have to look out for each other."
Shelly was referring to Mary Anne Armijo's questioning of Shelly's
involvement with problems at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center.
Armijo is the local party chairwoman.
"To have your own Democratic Party chairman accuse you of things
you know (are) not true ..," Shelly said.
Harlim said Armijo was acting as a concerned citizen
who lived near the facility when she voiced her concerns.
The group also discussed a number of Democratic Party issues in general.
Democratic legislators are sometimes the ones who defeat bills that
could have benefited Native Americans, Shelly said.
Many people said Democratic Native Americans are slowly
changing affiliation to the Republican Party because they feel neglected.
The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 in the McKinley County
Courthouse basement.
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Panel eyes prickly prison problems
Walter Howerton Jr.
Santa Fe Bureau
SANTA FE — The special advisory group set up to
look at New Mexico's prison problems began on Thursday to try to get
its arms around one of the prickliest issues facing this legislative
session.
A broader presentation of the issues facing the prison system was
delayed until next week to give the advisory group time to begin looking
at what can be done in the face of a highly critical consultants'
report that Sen. Ben Altamirano, D-Catron, Grant and Socorro counties,
said "has enough finger-pointing for all of us."
In addition, the lawmakers are trying to focus on what can be done
about prisons rather than on the hot rhetoric that has been flowing
between legislators and the administration on the subject. Some legislators
have maintained a lingering resentment over Gov. Gary Johnson's push
for privatization of prisons. And deadly problems at several facilities
last year, including the death of one prison guard at the hands of
inmates, still rankle.
Finger-pointing
"Hopefully," said Sen. Michael Sanchez, D-Valencia County,
"that meeting will not be used to beat up on the secretary of
corrections," a distinct possibility given the mood of some legislators
on the prison issue.
Some of that tension surfaced Thursday when Corrections Secretary
Rob Perry, an advisory group member, complained of a radio interview
with an unnamed lawmaker that he described as "finger-pointing
and mischaracterization" of prison problems. "At some point
we all better shut our mouths," Perry said.
Sanchez told Perry he heard the same broadcast and called it "rather
tame" compared to things said in the past. "I wouldn't get
too upset," he said.
The problem for lawmakers will be how to come up with legislative
remedies for everything from what the 500-page consultants' report
calls an outdated prisoner classification system to flawed contracts
with the state's private prison operator, Wackenhut Corrections.
The one thing that seems sure to come out of the prison review is
an oversight committee.
Actions needed
Beyond that, Rep. Dave Pederson, D-McKinley County, who is a member
of the advisory group, said at Thursday's meeting the legislature
must look at three levels of recommendations: first, things that require
immediate action that can be taken within the two weeks remaining
in the session; second, problems that need attention as quickly as
possible, but not necessarily this session; and third and most difficult,
according to Pederson "strategic, long-term recommendations."
Policy analyst Tony Ortiz told the panel the problems needing immediate
attention included adding staff at the Department of Corrections to
help resolve the prisoner classification problem, solving problems
with gangs and security threats within the prisons, ending the bottleneck
at the Los Lunas diagnostic facility and strengthening contracts with
Wackenhut. Longer term problems include contract and facility oversight
in the future.
Pederson and Perry agreed something must be done about prisoners being
sent to Los Lunas before their final sentences are handed down by
state judges. Prisoners are currently sent to the prison in Los Lunas
for diagnostic testing to figure out how best to incarcerate them.
"I think judges misuse that to give people a taste of prison"
before putting them on probation, Perry said.
Pederson agreed, adding that New Mexico is the only state using such
a system. "We could free up beds if we abolish that procedure,"
he said. He said judges could rely on pre-sentencing reports.
High-security beds
However, Perry disagreed with the notion of simply retooling the prisoner
classification system. "What's missing (from the list of things
needed to be done about the problems) are any points about high-security
beds," he said. "Something needs to be done with that, or
everything else is for naught."
Perry and the Johnson administration want to convert part of the old
state penitentiary in Santa Fe into a "supermax" prison
for dangerous inmates, a plan that has not drawn enthusiastic support
from lawmakers who feel duped by the move to private prisons.
Deputy Attorney General Stuart Bluestone, also an advisory group member,
said his office believed "this report is excellent," although
he reminded lawmakers that many of the problems and suggestions contained
in it duplicated findings in the wake of the deadly riot at the state
penitentiary in Santa Fe more than 20 years ago.
He said his major concerns were with the contracts. "It is worth
considering what has been the real cost of these contracts,"
he said.
A budget analyst from the Legislative Finance Committee said no one
knows the exact cost. But whatever it is, Pederson said, the state
now faces as much as $2 million in costs for litigation growing out
of problems in the prison, including 10 to 12 death penalty cases
expected to come out of the prison killings last year. Two people
were killed in state prisons in 1999.
Contracts lawful?
Bluestone said the consultants' report raises questions "of whether
these contracts are even lawful," especially in light of maneuverings
to get the Wackenhut facilities built as county jails in Lea and Guadalupe
counties and leased to the state in an effort to circumvent state
funding requirements.
The report indicated the two private Wackenhut facilities house only
state prisoners, which Bluestone said the two counties assured his
office in writing would not be the case.
Bluestone said his office disagreed with the notion in the report
that the state might be in a weak position for renegotiating the contracts.
Panel member Sen. Bill Payne, R-Bernalillo, cautioned Bluestone and
committee members that, "we're riding a real tiger on these contracts,"
which include the possibility of either side canceling with a 60-day
notice. "We have to be careful because we don't have much leverage,"
he said.
Pederson said in an earlier interview that the short-notice "drop
dead" clauses in the Wackenhut contracts mean the prison company
could end its relationship with the state and find prisoners elsewhere
for the two facilities in New Mexico.
Lawmakers also hope to do something about higher pay for prison guards.
Entry level officers in New Mexico receive about $16,000 a year. In
Colorado, they receive $30,000 each year.
"We're not competitive," said Rep. Max Coll, D-Santa Fe
County. "We're not competitive anywhere." He reminded the
panel that teacher pay is a crucial issue facing lawmakers, too.
Perry said he appreciated the importance of the education issue, "but
that is not the purpose of this report. We need to hold this report
up to citizens and hold a lantern up next to it. We have to make some
decisions next Tuesday about what we are going to do."
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Attorney named to probe tribal groups
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — The Navajo Nation has gone to a familiar face to investigate
government entities for violation of tribal ethic laws.
That person is Fred Chris Smith, a Santa Fe attorney who was appointed
special prosecutor in the cases that ultimately led to the resignation
of Albert Hale as tribal president and the removal of his successor,
Thomas Atcitty. Both men were investigated for allowing companies
doing business with the tribe to pay for their golf trips.
Smith, as before, will report to a special panel of judges who are
expected to meet on a regular at least monthly basis to get reports
from Smith on the status of his investigation.
The tribe's attorney general, Levon Henry, originally called for the
appointment of a special prosecutor to look into three entities within
the tribal government, all of which in the past several months have
come under fire either from the press or from committees of the Navajo
Nation Council.
The primary focus of the investigation are school boards, the Navajo
Nation Hospitality Enterprise, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
board of directors.
Navajo Justice Department officials said that while Smith will have
a great deal of latitude in how to proceed with his investigation
of the three entities, he also has the power, with the judicial panel's
approval, to branch out beyond these investigations based on the evidence.
Smith, in his last stint as special prosecutor, was praised by many
members of the council for the speed with which he conducted his investigations
against Hale and Atcitty and the relatively low cost, which turned
out to be less than a fourth of what the tribe spent for the investigation
and prosecution of former tribal chairman Peter MacDonald on charges
of taking bribes from contractors and other companies doing business
with the tribe.
Henry was vague in his announcement about the specifics of what the
special prosecutor will be investigating, but Justice Department attorneys
said they expected that anything that has been questioned in the media
will likely be investigated.
That means that the investigation of the Mariano Lake School Board,
as well as other school boards, will deal with accusations that some
board members abused their authority by giving themselves as much
as $300 for attending individual board meetings before the tribe's
Education Committee stepped in and set limits on payments and stipends.
As for the Navajo Nation Hospitality Enterprise, which operates the
Navajo Nation Inn, Manager Don Hubbard came under attack late last
year from the Government Services Committee because of allegations
that some members of the council were being allowed to stay at the
motel for free.
At the time, Ervin Keeswood, the committee's chairman,
said the committee was not trying to find out which council delegates
were getting freebies, although such gifts could have been in violation
of tribal ethics laws.
Instead, he said, the committee wanted to make sure that the enterprise
was operated efficiently and that it was not doing anything that would
lessen its ability to be profitable.
Although the committee requested Hubbard several times to submit documents
showing how widespread the practice of free rooms to council delegates
was, the enterprise so far has not complied with the request.
The complaints concerning the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority board
center around the former board, the one that was in existence before
Kelsey Begaye was inaugurated as tribal president last January.
Several of the board members came under severe criticism from employees
of the company for making personal purchases on their board credit
cards. While no one at NTUA would comment publicly about the internal
investigation, news stories at the time reported that at least three
of the former board members were required to reimburse NTUA for some
of the purchases they made on the credit cards.
The boards for both NTUA and the hospitality enterprise have issued
press releases in the past week saying they welcome the investigations.
Navajo Justice Department officials expect that Smith will begin his
investigations by late February, after final negotiations are completed
and the judicial panel approves his contract.
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Area in brief
Code Talkers elected
WINDOW ROCK — New officers of the Navajo Code Talkers Association
have been elected, according to incumbent President Sam Billison.
Roy Hawthorne succeeds Wilfred Billy as vice president with Keith
Little and Jean Whitehorse re-elected as treasurer and secretary,
respectively...
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Stauder named 'Citizen of Year'
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce presented
a new award to a longtime Gallup businessman Thursday night at its
annual meeting and banquet.
Sherwood Stauder, co-owner of Gallup Lumber & Supply Co., was
awarded the Citizen of the Year award for his years of business and
service in the community.
"It's very nice of them," he said. "I never expected
it. I had no idea this was going on..."
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Council hikes bootlegging fines
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Council on Thursday approved
revisions to the criminal code that have been under discussion since
last summer.
Larry Foster, chief adviser for President Kelsey Begaye, told the
council that the proposal is acceptable. The revisions increase maximum
fines for bootlegging from $500 to $5,000 and jail sentences from
six months to a year. Police also would be allowed to confiscate the
property of bootleggers.
Delegates approved the changes by a vote of 61 in favor, 1 against
and 3 abstained...
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Navajo Dems want stronger voice
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Strengthening the Native American voice in the Democratic
Party was the main concern for nine Navajo citizens who gathered Thursday
night for the first meeting of Native Americans for the Democratic
Party.
"The biggest concern the Native American has is not being heard
in the Democratic Party," said Ben Shelly, McKinley County commissioner,
who led the group through the first meeting.
Shelly advertised the meeting on KGAK, AM 1330, on Thursday and called
several people to bolster attendance...
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Tribal Council actions
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Here is a summary of actions taken by the 19th
Navajo Nation Council Thursday, the fourth of its five-day winter
session:
Approved, 66-1-3, the first major revision in more than two decades
to Title 17, the law and order section of the Navajo Tribal Code.
Failed to approve revising Title 2 of the Navajo Tribal Code regarding
accepting gifts to the Navajo Nation. The vote was 54-12-0, but 59
votes were needed for approval...
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New Mexico delegation agrees: Clinton's
speech was too long
New Mexico's congressional delegation may have disagreed on certain
planks outlined in President Clinton's State of the Union address.
But there was at least on thing most of them agreed upon it was long-winded.
"My god, it was long," Sen. Pete Domenici said.
The New Mexico Republican said he added up the costs of Clinton's
wish list for the next year and came up with more than $342 billion
dollars...
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Storytellers to perform in Gallup
Staff Report
GALLUP — On Feb. 15, the National Touring Theatrical Company's
"Act!vated Storytellers" will take their theatrics to Rocky
View Elementary School in Gallup.
During the day they will present "Timeless Tales" for the
student body, and in the evening a public performance of "Alias
Don Quixote" will be presented for Family Night at 7 p.m.
"Alias Don Quixote" is a madcap adaptation of the Cervantes
classic, complete with sets, costumes and props...
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