GOVERNOR MARTINEZ’ CONTINUING BLACK EYE: THE ALBUQUERQUE DOWNS CASINO CONTRACT
The article in the Albuquerque Journal this morning about Governor Martinez’ biggest black eye since becoming governor stems from the political uproar caused by Buster Goff, when he cast the deciding vote to put off a vote by the State Fair Commission on the contract between the Albuquerque Downs and the state of New Mexico for a 25-year lease and a big, new casino by the corner of Louisiana and Central.
Almost immediately after the vote, Jay McCleskey, Martinez’ political advisor, sent a barrage of emails to Andrea Goff, Buster’s daughter, saying things like, “Buster screwed us,” and, “He has just really hurt the governor,” and …”the governor is furious.” Although McCleskey denies trying to pressure Andrea to get her father to change his vote, she is quoted in the Journal as saying she felt she was being pressured to do exactly that.
She went on to say in the Journal article that her father and the others who wanted a delay to hold a study session were trying to perform their civic duty, but that they didn’t know, “that they were just supposed to be a rubber stamp.”
The owners of the Albuquerque Downs had been big political powers in the state, and they contributed over $70,000 to the governor’s campaign. Although the governor’s team insists that this RFP (response for proposal) bid was the most transparent in history, McCleskey is quoted in the article as saying, “The winning bidder on the lease had already been selected long before…” That tends to substantiate assertions by sources close to the process that there had been communications from the State Fair executive director assuring the Albuquerque Downs that they were going to get the contract before the process was carried out.
McClesky asserted in the article that “opponents” were going to use the two weeks between the sessions to, “kick the crap out of the gov.” The big political “opponents” were mostly all neighborhood associations and private citizens who opposed the casino. Obviously, no match for the big political muscle and financial clout of the proponents of the Downs proposal.
The State Fair Commission, with the help of Buster Goff, had voted to hold a “study session,” where they could jointly discuss the merits of the contract at an open public forum. Instead, Goff was isolated and pressured by the Downs and political operatives to accept a few changes and accept the Downs proposal. The study session was discarded, and the follow-up meeting was a meeting for a straight up or down vote on the privately amended contracts. Goff folded and the contract was approved.
The governor’s people had a much tighter reign on the State Finance Board meeting, and it looked like a carefully orchestrated play. About a year earlier, the legislature had passed legislation asking the governor to appoint a task force to investigate a wide range of options for the 83 acres occupied by the Downs, but Governor Martinez had ignored the legislation, instead offering only 30 days for interested parties to come up with bids for a contract that, according to the Albuquerque Downs, would be worth billions of dollars over the course of the lease.
Several states (notably Nebraska, with its Aksarban Center) had previously converted run-down racetracks into prosperous commercial enterprises, far more profitable and wholesome than the toxic racegracks they replaced.
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico is one of the “opponents” that has fought this politicized RFP from the beginning, and will continue to fight it and point out the danger of the government/casino complex which is alive and well in New Mexico.
Dr. Guy Clark, chairman Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico