State of Affairs

There is something to be said about decorum. A person who acts with decorum never brings their character into question, they always have a high moral standing and earn respect from the community. This is what we expect from our elected officials, what you should expect from your newspaper, and what we should all expect from ourselves. It’s not always easy to maintain decorum. This is a lesson that Mayor Erik Garcia learned over the past week. I want to be abundantly clear that I do not appreciate the manner of business taken by the mayor this past week, but I respect it. Crime has been on the rise for years in New Mexico, yet the state legislature is failing all of us. Being that it’s election season there is a lot of gaffe about our crime in the community, but the truth is – the legislature is responsible for creating laws and restricting the success of criminals, but instead they restrict the success of law enforcement. Rep. Harry Garcia and Rep. Eliseo Lee Alcon need to work to increase the punishments for crime. Bringing money to the community means nothing if the crime is so bad people can’t enjoy the projects funded by the legislature.

While the legislature is failing to protect New Mexicans from crime, several New Mexicans are taking it upon themselves to keep the street clear. This is unacceptable. Defend yourself in your home, defend yourself in your car, but do not hassle people on the street. It’s not illegal if a suspicious person has a knife or a needle, if they’re not threatening you with it, they have every right to possess those items – it is not illegal.

This city, under the leadership of the new government helmed by Mayor Garcia, has taken massive steps to clean off the muck from the previous government which was lame duck and ultimately wasted city resources. That work has been damaged.

We need to remember decorum. Let us always rise above the challenges of the day and continue to march forward, especially when we have no authority to control the situation. As the mayor learned, unwarranted interference in certain situations can create a whirlpool of disaster.

Another lesson that we can all learn from the mayor’s unfortunate weekend is not to judge a book by its cover. Because, trust me, I understand the fear and need to have a watchful eye when at the cemetery. My own father is buried here, and grave robbers have struck more than a few times. It is disgraceful and disgusting, there is no lower form of theft, yet it has seemed for years that the City of Grants is ambivalent to the needs of mourners who have loved ones in the park. I understand and I respect Mayor Garcia for trying to protect the loved buried at the cemetery. But even though I respect and am glad that someone finally rose up to set an example for people who vandalize our family’s resting places, it was done inappropriately. Not every “suspicious person” is a criminal. We have rules and laws for a reason. Please, don’t overcomplicate this situation. We can appreciate what the mayor did while recognizing that it is and was wrong. This should not be an example set for the community, instead, it should be a wakeup alarm for the city council about crime.

I appreciate that the Mayor Pro Tempore George Garcia understands the rules, he is working with the city manager to better understand where and how money allocated for “Public Safety” is being spent. A better understanding of where every penny is going will allow the city to better allocate this funding and find a way adequately to address public safety concerns.

Better management, not vigilantism, is what Cibola needs.

I hope that members of the community do not take action into their own hands. Crime is a problem, and it must be addressed; thankfully, the city is working on ways to address this. I know there is serious division within the council chambers that sets the stage for political conflict between the councilors, but the two sides need to meet in the middle and compromise. Let’s not ram decisions through without so much as a simple discussion.

I was slightly disturbed sitting in the special meeting on October 4 where I could hear Councilor Beverly Michael and Pro Tem Garcia discussing their plans for a hijack of the agenda. Was that a necessary move? I mean, it accomplished nothing and the entire meeting ended up being a waste of time.

This special meeting did not even see the mayor in the executive session that was called to discuss his conduct. Which, again, his conduct was inappropriate, but so was this meeting.

The special meeting held on Tuesday accomplished nothing. After the council removed everything else from the agenda, they then managed to chase off the mayor. I have to wonder – and it is not public record – what the councilor’s discussed in that room. They have no power to remove the mayor, maybe they can censure him but I don’t know how that would work given the city charter does not lay out a path for such an action. So, it just seems like an incredible waste of the public’s time, especially the public who came out to speak on the need for public safety.

I know that the community is anxious and worried about the rise in crime. I don’t have any of the answers, and I’m grateful I don’t have to have them right now. The city council has a tough question ahead of them, hopefully they can figure this mess out. The current council did not create this crisis. It has been years – decades – in the making, and now this council must find solutions the problem.

I firmly believe that there is no room for personal vendettas in government. The conduct of the mayor needs to be addressed, there is no question about that. So does crime. There are too many issues in the city right now for personal issues to get in the way. The mayor’s street brawl should not have happened, let’s move forward and correct the issues, instead of wasting taxpayer time and money. I’m praying that the city and our elected leaders receive the wisdom they need. Good luck to them.