District 2's "Independent Voice" is Debbie O'Malley

marjorie says...

I enjoyed getting my first full-color flier from Katherine Martinez today, who is running for city council against incumbent Debbie O'Malley in District 2, which is where I live. After a long day, I really needed a good chuckle. And I got a couple of them. Martinez is actually referring to herself as "An Independent Voice for our community." And when you look inside the flier you see this statement: "After assuming her position as Director of Government Affairs, Katherine went to work on the problems facing Albuquerque."

My first thought was... she was Director of Government Affairs? Sounds pretty...important. Doesn't it? Even after all these years I am still quite gullible. At first. Then I remembered...Oh right, Director of Government Affairs for the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico! Of course, that last bit is conveniently left off of her flier. This was the moment of my first chuckle. Because, you know, I actually have a sense of humor about crass politics.

Folks, lets break that title down.

Home Builders Association: An association of private entities who come together to advance their interests.

Director of Public Affairs of said Association: The person responsible for manipulating the media and the government to achieve the aims of the Association.

In effect: Someone who works day in and day out to advance the interests of her employers, who in this case happen to be one of the most powerful players in terms of shaping our built environment. The shaping of which provides them with substantial economic benefit if it goes their way.

This does not make her "An Independent Voice." This was the second chuckle.

You know, it should really come as no surprise that incumbent Debbie O'Malley, who has been a champion bar none in this city of affordable housing, is being challenged with major bucks by someone friendly with the real estate and homebuilders crowd. That it would be their own Director of Public Affairs is really telling. Katherine Martinez isn't just friendly, she's essentially one of them...a seat on the Council, if she is elected, for the Homebuilders Association.

Let's face it. Fifty years from now, when this city looks back at the shaping of development of this city in a way that prioritizes workforce housing and small business/mixed use development, one of the essential names they will surface in making it happen will be Debbie O'Malley. And this is why the Homebuilders Association doesn't like her. They don't like anyone to challenge their right to build their housing developments exactly the way they want to build them...fifty years from now be damned. And for this very reason alone (because there are many others) Debbie has my vote.