Mike Riordan and his DMD Traffic Engineers really don’t care how much of our tax dollars they waste on landscaping medians-even doing those that don’t need it. The Berry Bugle’s (AKA Albuquerque Journal) July 13 article by Abigal Ortiz confirmed that the City is proceeding with destroying an attractive median put in seven years ago by homeowner Ben Lowney with his own money near his home at Yale and Cesar Chavez and replacing it with a very expensive one by the City. Lowney was first told he could have formally adopted his completed median only to find out that there is nothing on the City website even mentioning such an adoption program. A recent Berry Bugle editorial pointed this out to the City and recommended they leave the nice Lowney median alone-and instead complete the 64 miles of bare medians still throughout the City. Included in this list of bare medians was on the one mile segment of Juan Tabo north of Montgomery near our NE Heights neighborhoods.
But when there are opportunities for tax dollars to be wasted, the City’s DMD just has to do it and then fabricate some excuse to justify it. First their high paid press secretary/spin doctor Mark Motsko would point out that Ben could not adopt his median as there was a “misunderstanding” on what their program was all about. It was just to have neighborhoods pull weeds and remove trash from the existing expensive medians City contractors put in. This DMD-alleged “misunderstanding” was insulting to anyone with any bit of intelligence. To help them perpetuate this tax waste, Ben’s Neighborhood Association President would then be called upon to say (now after
seven years of apparently liking what Ben had done) that the costly City redo was needed in order for such medians to “be uniform.” Ignored is the fact that there are many landscaping templates the City uses-all different. None are uniform.
I guess the wealthy neighborhoods and/or those with a lot of influence downtown like this particular one, gets the high dollar water wasting medians done immediately while others of us can wait. Mr. Lowney was justifiably upset-as all taxpayers should be when saying, “I want them to stand up to what they were going to allow me to do.” His proper demand fell on deaf ears-and seemingly our self-proclaimed fiscally-responsibly Mayor Berry couldn’t care less about this waste. This is not an isolated case. Yet another example of waste is DMD having its contractor landscape just 2 miles of Academy Boulevard west of Eubank to Truchas for an exorbitant $2.7 million-and yet it’s mostly rocks. Maybe I should be one of Mike Riordan’s lucky median contractors. Should anyone suspect any kick-backs with all this? Also see the July 13 letter to editor of the Berry Bugle by Jean Wilkerson Rodney commenting on DMD’s $500,000+/mile medians, “Money doesn’t grow in Medians, Fields.”
All should recall that a developer contracted some years ago to do the beautiful ½ mile waterless median on Eubank north of Juan Tabo to Academy for a fraction of cost DMD is now paying its contractors. We taxpayers are repeatedly being ripped off by Riordan’s DMD with a large capital budget to waste. He is the Santa Claus to all City Councilors, many of whom seemingly care little about this tax waste-as long as they get their little fiefdoms and other special interest groups get cared for. It’s always about priming the pump when they next come up for re-election. The $300,000+ of our tax dollars recently spent to give Councilor Rey Garduno his two traffic lights on Central whose locations both failed DMD’s signal warrant analyses tests was just more of the same-but who really cares downtown? For far too many on the City Council and in the Mayor’s office, our tax dollars are just fun money to be wasted as they see fit.
There are yet other examples of mismanagement of our road system in Mr. Riordan’s DMD. He still has not explained why our four lane one mile stretch of Juan Tabo-passing by our Eisenhower Middle School is posted at a high 40 MPG while the same length of the six lane Montgomery Boulevard from San Pedro west to I-25 is only 35 MPH. That stretch of Montgomery is well known as a speed trap at the camera equipped Carlisle intersection for those coming east off I-25. It likely makes a lot of red light camera speeding revenue for the City. The remaining six lane length of Montgomery Boulevard is properly 40 MPH. Our four lane stretch of Juan Tabo is also the only road that passes by a middle or elementary school not at the 35 lower MPH limit. Riordan’s people first tried to blame MR-COG for this high speed limit-something MR-COG’s spokesperson pointed out was a blatant lie. In fact it was the City’s decision. The City can certainly reduce the speed limit there but won’t because I-on behalf of our and our surrounding neighborhoods was the one asking for it. Our District 8 City Councilor Trudy Jones also couldn’t care less with any of this-as her allegiance will always be first to her developer, builder and real estate friends who are her only constituents and then her “business (Trudy) friendly” Mayor. Those of us who are unwilling to pay-to-play/are unwilling to stop criticizing the ongoing tax waste in DMD and elsewhere in the Berry administration will get nothing-be it long awaited Juan Tabo median landscaping, street lights, a traffic light and crossing for our elderly and school kids or speed humps on streets very near our middle and elementary schools. Can you believe Riordan’s DMD put four speed bumps costing taxpayers well over $7,000 on a dead end street in an exclusive NE Heights neighborhood? It’s true.
Riordan and his DMD Traffic Engineering Division are clearly out of control as evidenced most recently by this sanctioned tax waste on this new Cesar Chavez/Yale median. If DMD was ever audited, it would likely reveal a haven of wasted taxes and inconsistent application of traffic signals and speeds. Nobody cares downtown including Mayor Berry or CAO Dave Campbell who is supposed to be supervising Riordan and his DMD big dollar spending. The Berry administration also doesn’t care what the
Berry Bugle recommends in their editorials despite the Bugle’s blind loyalty to them. There will always be a Mark Mostko there to spin DMD waste into something that would appear justified.
Taxpayers can only wish that the DMD was the only waster of our limited tax dollars. Our Councilor Trudy Jones now wants to leave her own personal legacy to waste by proposing to spend more than $9 million-with the blessing of DMD to build a new Holiday Park multi-generational center that we never asked for. Yet there already exists an adequate City Recreation Center on that Comanche Avenue site and a modern YMCA for both children, adults and senior citizens a mere one minute drive away. That multi-million tax wasting project is proceeding on schedule managed by DMD’s Capital Project/CIP manager. The Director of the Department of Family and Community Services-a former lawyer colleague of the CAO seemingly feels it’s none of her business to question it even though she will have no money to staff it.
We should also recall the KOB-TV 4 July 12 evening news expose of the hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars wasted by the City on renting Tiffany lamps for the museum, buying leather computer cases for some privileged employees, a costly drum set, an XM radio receiver for a community center and Lord knows what else. The justification for of this offered up to the KOB-TV investigative reporter by CAO David Campbell could hardly be believed-if not insulting. Why nothing yet from City in response to former District 8 Councilor and ABQRide Director Greg Payne’s recent Berry Bugle OpEd on the millions wasted on sick, injury and other leave time in the City that the City’s Human Resources Director with the Mayor’s blessing seemingly cares little about? Waste permeates the Berry administration. The fancy rhetoric (I’m going to run the City like a responsible business) is starting to get a bit old. It’s time for Mayor Berry to stop the hypocrisy and start walking the talk on fiscal responsibility-if only for a change. He can start with his mismanaged DMD.
Silvio Dell’Angela
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
West Side Art Project: Waste of Taxpayer Money
Dr. Joe, Dan, Janet (Supporters of West Side Art Project in Question):
I think this proposed west-side art that some may aptly describe as a porcupine while others believe may be more reminiscent of a military tank trap-the system of steel beams driven into the ground by combat troops to delay tanks, shows just how limited the “artists” are here in this City. If this is the best of the lot among the many designs proposed to the Arts Board, then maybe it’s finally time to say no and fix up the decaying art already in place with the 1% arts funds-as the good Councilor Lewis proposes, or defer any spending this year completely. Even the “Chevy on a Stick” on Lomas is better than this abstract, incoherent design.
It appears that the “arts community” whomever they are, and City Arts Board believe that because they are hard working volunteers that the general public has no right to pass judgment on what “art” they select-as if they are the sole experts on what is attractive and what is not and how we should spend our arts dollars.
Remember it’s our tax dollars they are spending-not their own. The “hard work” they put in and (what many believe is their questionable) judgment on this design are NO reasons for the City proceeding with something so bizarre to me and possibly to many other taxpayers.
Ask again for more art designs or repair what is already there.
Just my thoughts from one who has had a good number of art courses in college-likely no fewer than the self-professed City “experts” and have viewed art personally throughout the world. I know what’s eye-pleasing to me.
Regards,
Silvio
President EANA
Vietnam Vet
P.S.
While we are on the subject of City paid art, tell me again why there may be a (KOB-TV reported) proposal/Council bill for big taxpayer funding forthcoming from Councilor Sanchez to put a full time Vietnam vet (possibly homeless) guard in a City purchased manufactured home on the site of the Vietnam memorial on the NE corner of Louisiana and Gibson? The good Councilor Sanchez never donated even one dollar from his District 1 account toward that memorial and now sees the recent vandalism and theft as a reason to waste our tax dollars on a self-serving/personal “see how much I NOW care for Vietnam vets” guard project.
This inconsistency in thinking is much like his call (along with Councilor Garduno) for the firing of Susana Martinez’s senior prosecutor for merely passing along a internet joke about the killing of a Mexican that was in very poor taste while ignoring my call for the firing of those in the City who defamed/destroyed the name of my APD executed (non-Mexican) neighbor Chris Hinz with the baseless “criminal history” statement. Is it all about style over substance Mr. Sanchez?
From: JOEVALLES@aol.com [mailto:JOEVALLES@aol.com] Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 7:55 AMTo: jlaros1@comcast.netSubject: Fwd: FW: Westside Art Project
Janet...per your request on behalf of Coors Trail NA...your request has been 'blind copy' forwarded to a substantial list...Dr. Joe
From: jlaros1@comcast.netTo: info@abqwestside.orgSent: 7/11/2010 10:20:27 P.M. Mountain Daylight TimeSubj: FW: Westside Art ProjectMy name is Janet Laros and I am President of Coors Trail Neighborhood Association. I recently sent this email to our community and would appreciate if you could forward this to all the Associations on the Westside since this effects all of us. Please call me at 507-2403 if you need additional information. I recently learned the Land Art Project that was approved for the corner of Coors and Bosque Meadows last year has been placed on hold or eliminated completely. This is very disheartening for our community. We fought hard to be part of the selection committee and were excited when it was approved. Now I find out the project has been rejected so I would like the City Art board to explain why.My concern is the hard work and many hours that volunteers spent into selecting this piece only to have it taken away without any regard to their efforts. I have heard the decision never even went to the City Council as planned so we would like to know why.There is a meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 17, 10:00 at the Open Space Visitor Center. Please attend this important meeting. The City Art Board has agreed to be there, the artist that was approved will be there and I have invited City Councilman Dan Lewis to attend as well. I need your support on this very important issue to Coors Trail NA.Janet Laros President, Coors Trail Neighborhood Association
890-0657 / 507-2403
I think this proposed west-side art that some may aptly describe as a porcupine while others believe may be more reminiscent of a military tank trap-the system of steel beams driven into the ground by combat troops to delay tanks, shows just how limited the “artists” are here in this City. If this is the best of the lot among the many designs proposed to the Arts Board, then maybe it’s finally time to say no and fix up the decaying art already in place with the 1% arts funds-as the good Councilor Lewis proposes, or defer any spending this year completely. Even the “Chevy on a Stick” on Lomas is better than this abstract, incoherent design.
It appears that the “arts community” whomever they are, and City Arts Board believe that because they are hard working volunteers that the general public has no right to pass judgment on what “art” they select-as if they are the sole experts on what is attractive and what is not and how we should spend our arts dollars.
Remember it’s our tax dollars they are spending-not their own. The “hard work” they put in and (what many believe is their questionable) judgment on this design are NO reasons for the City proceeding with something so bizarre to me and possibly to many other taxpayers.
Ask again for more art designs or repair what is already there.
Just my thoughts from one who has had a good number of art courses in college-likely no fewer than the self-professed City “experts” and have viewed art personally throughout the world. I know what’s eye-pleasing to me.
Regards,
Silvio
President EANA
Vietnam Vet
P.S.
While we are on the subject of City paid art, tell me again why there may be a (KOB-TV reported) proposal/Council bill for big taxpayer funding forthcoming from Councilor Sanchez to put a full time Vietnam vet (possibly homeless) guard in a City purchased manufactured home on the site of the Vietnam memorial on the NE corner of Louisiana and Gibson? The good Councilor Sanchez never donated even one dollar from his District 1 account toward that memorial and now sees the recent vandalism and theft as a reason to waste our tax dollars on a self-serving/personal “see how much I NOW care for Vietnam vets” guard project.
This inconsistency in thinking is much like his call (along with Councilor Garduno) for the firing of Susana Martinez’s senior prosecutor for merely passing along a internet joke about the killing of a Mexican that was in very poor taste while ignoring my call for the firing of those in the City who defamed/destroyed the name of my APD executed (non-Mexican) neighbor Chris Hinz with the baseless “criminal history” statement. Is it all about style over substance Mr. Sanchez?
From: JOEVALLES@aol.com [mailto:JOEVALLES@aol.com] Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 7:55 AMTo: jlaros1@comcast.netSubject: Fwd: FW: Westside Art Project
Janet...per your request on behalf of Coors Trail NA...your request has been 'blind copy' forwarded to a substantial list...Dr. Joe
From: jlaros1@comcast.netTo: info@abqwestside.orgSent: 7/11/2010 10:20:27 P.M. Mountain Daylight TimeSubj: FW: Westside Art ProjectMy name is Janet Laros and I am President of Coors Trail Neighborhood Association. I recently sent this email to our community and would appreciate if you could forward this to all the Associations on the Westside since this effects all of us. Please call me at 507-2403 if you need additional information. I recently learned the Land Art Project that was approved for the corner of Coors and Bosque Meadows last year has been placed on hold or eliminated completely. This is very disheartening for our community. We fought hard to be part of the selection committee and were excited when it was approved. Now I find out the project has been rejected so I would like the City Art board to explain why.My concern is the hard work and many hours that volunteers spent into selecting this piece only to have it taken away without any regard to their efforts. I have heard the decision never even went to the City Council as planned so we would like to know why.There is a meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 17, 10:00 at the Open Space Visitor Center. Please attend this important meeting. The City Art Board has agreed to be there, the artist that was approved will be there and I have invited City Councilman Dan Lewis to attend as well. I need your support on this very important issue to Coors Trail NA.Janet Laros President, Coors Trail Neighborhood Association
890-0657 / 507-2403
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Darren White: No Time to investigate Chris Hinz's death by APD but time to Campaign for a future governor?
All must have noticed the tough guy political TV ads shown on KOB-TV 4 and elsewhere with “Sherriff” (on his shirt) Darren and his posse recently endorsing Susana Martinez. Yet Darren just couldn’t find any time since mid-June to identify just who told KOAT TV 7’s Ilana Gold that my neighbor, a good single parent and community volunteer Chris Hinz had a “criminal history”-thus deserved to be executed on June 10 by those in APD under him.
Does a seat belt and a speeding violation constitute a “criminal history” or is there more? That defamatory portrayal of Chris called “sickening and despicable” by brother Eric Hinz to the City Council on June 21 was then repeated by news anchor Shelly Ribando to hundreds of thousands of her KOAT viewers right after Ilana’ interview that day with Darren’s Public Information Officer/propagandist/former Journal reporter T.J. Wilham. If this “criminal history” statement that Ilana Gold said came “from the City” was a lie, doesn’t this justify a firing or forced resignation-Mr. Mayor?
Nor did we hear any comments from Darren why in mid-2007 under his watch, two of his BERNCO deputy sheriffs pumped ten bullets into a fleeing Joe Molina who posed no threat to them and then pumped more into him as he lay dead to make it appear to be a struggle for their guns? Bernalillo County will pay dearly in court for that shoot-first mentality that Darren has apparently brought with him to the City Public Safety job under our self-professed “tough on crime” Mayor Berry.
Isn’t it curious that only KOAT-TV 7 and not the “Berry Bugle”(AKA Albuquerque Journal) didn’t deem that “wrongful death” civil suit for the Molina killing filed on July 2 worthy of news coverage? Nor did Darren’s star-struck admirers at KRQE TV 13 see fit to tarnish his tough guy reputation by reporting on this civil suit? The way one of his former BERNCO deputies recently manhandled attorney Ron Bell and cited him for a DWI based solely on a field sobriety test seemed to be more of the same “take no prisoners” White mindset.
The BERNCO Sheriff’s Office was to be embarrassed later when Ron blew a 0 in the conclusive DWI test he willingly took. BERNCO deputies and APD officers know that such field sobriety tests are unreliable indicators of DWI in middle to elderly people like Ron-but it seemed that Bell just had to be publicly ridiculed with help from the Berry Bugle. I guess Ron should feel lucky he wasn’t shot during the stop-given the trigger happy legacy Darren left at the Sheriff’s Office.
If Darren is indeed shopping himself for a future job in the Martinez cabinet should she win, then let his loyal enabler Mayor Berry help him devote full time to that campaign and eliminate this unneeded crony Public Safety Officer job that Mayor Marty dreamed up. While it is legal for anyone to be in campaign ads, didn’t Mayor Berry, who professes to serve all of the people of Albuquerque frown on the political ad done by his ABQRide Director-Bruce Rizzieri for Lawrence Rail during the recent primary? Apparently not. So here comes Darren to do his thing for Susana and portray his office to many as partisan Republican.
Susana Martinez should ask herself whether “Sheriff” Darren shown in the ad and his posse of tough guys really helps or hurts her bid to be our next Governor. I think the latter but you can decide for yourself. The ball is in your court Mayor Berry. Stop looking the other way.
Silvio Dell’Angela
Does a seat belt and a speeding violation constitute a “criminal history” or is there more? That defamatory portrayal of Chris called “sickening and despicable” by brother Eric Hinz to the City Council on June 21 was then repeated by news anchor Shelly Ribando to hundreds of thousands of her KOAT viewers right after Ilana’ interview that day with Darren’s Public Information Officer/propagandist/former Journal reporter T.J. Wilham. If this “criminal history” statement that Ilana Gold said came “from the City” was a lie, doesn’t this justify a firing or forced resignation-Mr. Mayor?
Nor did we hear any comments from Darren why in mid-2007 under his watch, two of his BERNCO deputy sheriffs pumped ten bullets into a fleeing Joe Molina who posed no threat to them and then pumped more into him as he lay dead to make it appear to be a struggle for their guns? Bernalillo County will pay dearly in court for that shoot-first mentality that Darren has apparently brought with him to the City Public Safety job under our self-professed “tough on crime” Mayor Berry.
Isn’t it curious that only KOAT-TV 7 and not the “Berry Bugle”(AKA Albuquerque Journal) didn’t deem that “wrongful death” civil suit for the Molina killing filed on July 2 worthy of news coverage? Nor did Darren’s star-struck admirers at KRQE TV 13 see fit to tarnish his tough guy reputation by reporting on this civil suit? The way one of his former BERNCO deputies recently manhandled attorney Ron Bell and cited him for a DWI based solely on a field sobriety test seemed to be more of the same “take no prisoners” White mindset.
The BERNCO Sheriff’s Office was to be embarrassed later when Ron blew a 0 in the conclusive DWI test he willingly took. BERNCO deputies and APD officers know that such field sobriety tests are unreliable indicators of DWI in middle to elderly people like Ron-but it seemed that Bell just had to be publicly ridiculed with help from the Berry Bugle. I guess Ron should feel lucky he wasn’t shot during the stop-given the trigger happy legacy Darren left at the Sheriff’s Office.
If Darren is indeed shopping himself for a future job in the Martinez cabinet should she win, then let his loyal enabler Mayor Berry help him devote full time to that campaign and eliminate this unneeded crony Public Safety Officer job that Mayor Marty dreamed up. While it is legal for anyone to be in campaign ads, didn’t Mayor Berry, who professes to serve all of the people of Albuquerque frown on the political ad done by his ABQRide Director-Bruce Rizzieri for Lawrence Rail during the recent primary? Apparently not. So here comes Darren to do his thing for Susana and portray his office to many as partisan Republican.
Susana Martinez should ask herself whether “Sheriff” Darren shown in the ad and his posse of tough guys really helps or hurts her bid to be our next Governor. I think the latter but you can decide for yourself. The ball is in your court Mayor Berry. Stop looking the other way.
Silvio Dell’Angela
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Open Letter to Coalition of Neighborhood Associations for Albuquerque
Coalition of Neighborhood Leaders for Albuquerque, New Mexico
This is a follow-up to the e-mail that was sent to Dr. Joe and Laura of WCONA (Westside Coalition of Neighborhood Associations) and Cc to all of you and many others on Sunday.
There are many good people including dedicated and caring APD officers in this City who are fed up with what has been going on here for years and want enough of us citizens to step up and demand changes or vote into office new people both on the Council and in the Mayor’s office who are willing to do so.
The senseless execution by APD of my neighbor Chris Hinz on June 10, the catching of only the low level employees who steal mere thousands, the abuses of personal injury, sick leave and vacation policies are only the tip of the iceberg to even more serious moral, fraud, waste and abuse problems in this city. The high level supervisors, Department Directors and others in key decision position are seemingly never held accountable for those under them or even for what they do.
At the June 21 Council meeting I called for the firing or forced resignation of the person(s) who destroyed the good name of Chris Hinz by alleging to KOAT-TV 7 Ilana Gold that he had a criminal history and thus deserved to be killed. That was broadcasted by KOAT to hundreds of thousands of viewers. Chris’ brother Eric was outraged at this false portrayal calling it “sickening and despicable” at that same June 21 City Council meeting. None of the City Councilors seemed to care.
Yet all from the Mayor’s office and APD has been silence and no firing(s) or resignation(s). Did the Public Safety Office spin doctor T J Wilham or someone else relay to Ilana Gold what was told by Darren White or others downtown? Notice there was nothing in the pro-Berry Journal on any of this.
Many of these elected leaders and their hired civil servants depend on the apathy by most of you so they can perpetuate the ongoing pay to play and culture of corruption that seems ingrained in this city. Nothing ever changes by looking the other way and never demanding accountability from those paid to serve us.
You might consider sitting in on the WESCONA meeting tomorrow night and see how much of this is discussed.
Respectfully
Silvio
EANA
This is a follow-up to the e-mail that was sent to Dr. Joe and Laura of WCONA (Westside Coalition of Neighborhood Associations) and Cc to all of you and many others on Sunday.
There are many good people including dedicated and caring APD officers in this City who are fed up with what has been going on here for years and want enough of us citizens to step up and demand changes or vote into office new people both on the Council and in the Mayor’s office who are willing to do so.
The senseless execution by APD of my neighbor Chris Hinz on June 10, the catching of only the low level employees who steal mere thousands, the abuses of personal injury, sick leave and vacation policies are only the tip of the iceberg to even more serious moral, fraud, waste and abuse problems in this city. The high level supervisors, Department Directors and others in key decision position are seemingly never held accountable for those under them or even for what they do.
At the June 21 Council meeting I called for the firing or forced resignation of the person(s) who destroyed the good name of Chris Hinz by alleging to KOAT-TV 7 Ilana Gold that he had a criminal history and thus deserved to be killed. That was broadcasted by KOAT to hundreds of thousands of viewers. Chris’ brother Eric was outraged at this false portrayal calling it “sickening and despicable” at that same June 21 City Council meeting. None of the City Councilors seemed to care.
Yet all from the Mayor’s office and APD has been silence and no firing(s) or resignation(s). Did the Public Safety Office spin doctor T J Wilham or someone else relay to Ilana Gold what was told by Darren White or others downtown? Notice there was nothing in the pro-Berry Journal on any of this.
Many of these elected leaders and their hired civil servants depend on the apathy by most of you so they can perpetuate the ongoing pay to play and culture of corruption that seems ingrained in this city. Nothing ever changes by looking the other way and never demanding accountability from those paid to serve us.
You might consider sitting in on the WESCONA meeting tomorrow night and see how much of this is discussed.
Respectfully
Silvio
EANA
Friday, July 2, 2010
To Councilor Jones: Are you going to cover up re: Chris Hinz Death?
Councilor Jones:
Just prior to the last Council meeting on 6/21, I requested in an e-mail that you and other councilors ask 15 questions of the administration about the APD killing of my neighbor Chris Hinz on June 10. Neither you nor anyone else on the Council cared enough to even ask one of them. Three of these were:
1.Who in the City reported to KOAT-TV 7 that Mr. Hinz had a “criminal history” that was repeated by anchor Shelly Ribando on the evening news and is there any basis for that assertion-defamatory statement?
2.When is APD’s internal investigation of the Hinz killing going to be completed?
3.Has APD evolved into a closed privileged society that operates under its own rules with no fear of accountability for their actions?
Neither did you nor anyone else in the City express any public remorse about the killing that could more properly be called an execution. Chris’ brother Eric Hinz pointed out to you and the others that the City knowingly put out false information intended to vilify him-something he properly described as “sickening and reprehensible.” He referred to a statement released “by the City” to KOAT TV 7 reporter Ilana Gold saying that Chris had a “criminal history” and that many of my neighbors supported the killing. Those lies were repeated later by KOAT news anchor Shelly Ribando on the evening news. I assume that since APD killings have become almost routine now, that Mayor Berry, Darren White and Chief Schultz just couldn’t find any time to speak to Ilana. Instead Darren’s spin-doctor/PIO (former Journal reporter) T.J. Wilham was trotted out to try to portray this killing was fully justified and that Chris was a criminal and thus deserved to be killed. You read the personal e-mail accounts of that horrific evening from neighbor Angela Durham which I sent to you and many others including propagandist Wilham and Mayor Berry.
Likely during Ilana’s interview with Wilham were the falsehoods of the “criminal history” told her along with the alleged support of many neighbors of APD’s execution. That night of the council meeting you and the others approved another $1.4 million to hire outside attorneys to defend yet other civil suits against the city. Citizen Bob White’s talk likened these non competitive funding authorizations-one as high as $350/hour as the “lawyers full employment act.” Your seemingly only worry and the worry of those in the Mayor’s office were whether the Hinz family also intended to sue-thus having to add more to the City’s favored lawyers’ fund-at taxpayers’ expense. The manipulation of the media coverage and destruction of Chris’ good reputation-all intended to misinform the public was to be part of the damage control. The Journal and KRQE TV 13 willingly cooperated with the Mayor’s office by deeming the many testimonies given to the council on 6/21 unworthy to cover.
As you know, well before the 6/21 council meeting and afterwards, I repeatedly asked KOAT’s Shelly Ribando, Ilana Gold and their news department for proof of that outrageous defamatory statement. I also asked Mayor Berry, Darren White and Chief Schultz in repeated e-mail for proof of that. All I could find out about Chris’ “criminal history” was a speeding ticket and seat belt violation. Nothing but silence from all-and you apparently went along with the blatant lying and stonewalling. As Chris’ neighborhood association president, right after the shooting that was very close to my home, I even asked for a meeting with Mayor Berry to be assured of an honest City investigation. Not surprisingly, he ignored me and along with Darren White and Chief Schultz chose instead to hide in their offices rather than give these assurances or express any public remorse. You and they simply didn’t care and apparently don’t value human life unless it is that of APD officers.
Not even once during or after the Council meeting did you ever express any remorse or state that you expected the investigations of this shooting to be thorough and honest. You heard the testimonies of the ordeals that APD put Chris’ mother and daughter through including the lies told to them by officers-one of whom seemed more concerned with who was going out for hamburgers during the stand-off. One even threatened to arrest his mom that night. You also heard the harsh comments that night from his brother Eric, from me and Chris’ many friends and even from those who did not know him but cited other examples of APD wrongdoing and the cover-ups. Visually impaired citizen Art Tannenbaum echoed daughter Krystal’s earlier talk when questioning why APD's crisis intervention task force never showed up in the two hours prior to the APD execution? This is a task force that Art apparently has little respect for because of some earlier experiences with them. He also said that in the summer of 2003, there was an incident with APD cops that caused him to be far more afraid of them than any of the many thugs who would routinely intimidate/hassle him on the City streets. The recent egregious mistreatment of attorney Ron Bell by a Bernalillo County cop-one formerly under Darren White’s supervision is yet another example. The fabricated DWI charge against Ron (that was later dropped) and the Journal’s apparent dedication to destroying his reputation were inexcusable-but typical. People justifiably fear some law officers in APD and in the County-and for very good reason. You just don’t get it-nor do the others-or are in denial. A badge is NOT a license to kill!
You also heard the condemnation at that 6/21 council by Andres Valdez of Vicinos United of Darren White, of Chief Schultz and of you as willing enablers of the ongoing “APD corruption.” Andres cited the intentional contamination of the crime scene by APD officers who removed the bloody sheets and the mattress at the home of fellow officer Leroy Chavez who allegedly shot and killed his wife. Andres pointed out the civil suit and $662,000 punitive court ruling against the City for civil rights violations of an APD officer who dared break the blue code of silence in APD’s mishandling of the Al Unser matter. He also mentioned the excusal of the APD officer who drove his car on to a property killing the elderly grandmother in her yard. Citizens termed it
gross negligence but APD-with the DA’s blessing excused it as a mere accident. No accountability is ever expected by APD officers for their egregious actions.
I mentioned during my talk the demonization and banishment to APD’s Siberia on the west side of our former Foothills Area Commander Marie “Sisi” Miranda after she dared to break the blue code of silence and exposed the thefts in APD’s evidence room. Sisi’s career was ruined merely for doing the right thing while then APD Chief Gallegos who many believed should have been fired, was instead allowed to retire as a hero and even flown to his ceremony on an APD helicopter. Chief Schultz took over and seemingly perpetuated the Gallegos legacy with the blessing of Mayor Chavez. Darren White arrived on the scene last December and made the situation even worst with APD shootings increasing even more under his watch. There are likely many good APD officers who were there that night of the execution and elsewhere on the force who were sickened by what happened and don’t want this shoot first policy and cover-ups to continue. Possibly some will be called to testify should the Hinz family sue-which they should.
You expressed no remorse publicly or called for an honest investigation of the killing at the council meeting likely fearing Mayor Berry would get mad that this might jeopardize the cover-up being planned. Instead, after my talk you left it up to Councilor Harris to mention you were on vacation and couldn’t attend the 6/17 candlelight vigil but would be willing to talk to Chris’ mother only privately? You then came to Chris’ mom’s seat during the meeting and escorted her out into the lobby to talk privately. Apparently you explained then that you were out of town during the vigil for Chris. I guess your policy analyst Elizabeth Shields who knew of the vigil didn’t feel it necessary to attend on your behalf. Nor did I see either of you two at the memorial service at Hoffmantown Church last Thursday or did I recognize anyone else from the city. Your decision to avoid any public statement before, during or since that 6/21 Council meeting seeming confirms to many the perception that you are indeed an embarrassing enabler of such APD killings and cover-ups as Mr. Andres Valdez vilified you there for.
Apparently City leaders even got the Journal to completely ignore our testimonies given at the council meeting when reporting on it the next day. Apparently the wasteful $430+ million downtown Events Center and three year union negotiator contract-both of which you supported, were the only things of interest to Journal beat reporter Dan McKay and his bosses that night. KRQE who seemingly feels our Public Safety Officer-Darren White is their hero, also ignored reporting on our many testimonies for Chris and against APD that night. Isn’t it more than coincidental that since Darren White was hired, that killings by APD have gone up dramatically? It can’t be blamed on the poor economy-as some downtown would have us believe. Is the recent retirement of a good Foothill Area Commander Levi Anaya right after the shooting also coincidental? Has he secretly become the APD scapegoat for this high level White/Schultz trigger happy-shoot-first policy seemingly blessed by Mayor Berry, by those in the administration and you and others on the City Council?
It’s curious that you and the others were so concerned with the image of the City that you wanted to continue the Chavez administration policy of banning the “COPS” nationwide TV show from ever coming again back to Albuquerque. COPS likely presented a very realistic view of Albuquerque and likely might have prevented even more killings when they were here riding along with APD officers. Had COPS been here on June 10 along with the army of APD officers during the many hours leading up to the shooting, the two officers may not have taken Chris’ life. APD would have feared nationwide publicity if they continued their trigger happy solution to such problems-many of which could have been resolved non-lethally-as could clearly this one. Were you ever shown the APD videotapes of that horrific night or heard any of the tapes of the audio recorders carried by each officer? Or don’t you and the others even care? Human life is seemingly not sacred to you and the others downtown.
It was almost hypocritical on the part of Councilors Garduno and Sanchez to call for the firing of Susana Martinez’s senior prosecutor Lisa Kuykendall for merely passing along an internet joke that was clearly in very poor taste. A reprimand by Martinez just wouldn’t suffice. Yet are they, you and the others going to publicly demand proof from those in the Mayor’s office and in APD of the damning assertion that Chris had a criminal history told to KOAT’s Ilana Gold and passed along and broadcasted by Shelly Ribando to hundreds of thousands of her viewers? If there is no criminal history are you willing to call for the firing of the individual(s) who lied? Will Councilors Garduno and Sanchez do so or does the executed Chris have to be a Mexican or Hispanic in order to prompt them to do this?
The real questions all of us in District 8 and throughout the city should be asking is just whose side are you on? Is it that of Mayor Berry, Darren White and APD Chief Schultz who are all still hiding in their offices and trying to suppress any media publicity about what really happened or is it us who you are supposed to represent?
More than disgusted with you and the others.
Silvio Dell’Angela
EANA
296 3241
Just prior to the last Council meeting on 6/21, I requested in an e-mail that you and other councilors ask 15 questions of the administration about the APD killing of my neighbor Chris Hinz on June 10. Neither you nor anyone else on the Council cared enough to even ask one of them. Three of these were:
1.Who in the City reported to KOAT-TV 7 that Mr. Hinz had a “criminal history” that was repeated by anchor Shelly Ribando on the evening news and is there any basis for that assertion-defamatory statement?
2.When is APD’s internal investigation of the Hinz killing going to be completed?
3.Has APD evolved into a closed privileged society that operates under its own rules with no fear of accountability for their actions?
Neither did you nor anyone else in the City express any public remorse about the killing that could more properly be called an execution. Chris’ brother Eric Hinz pointed out to you and the others that the City knowingly put out false information intended to vilify him-something he properly described as “sickening and reprehensible.” He referred to a statement released “by the City” to KOAT TV 7 reporter Ilana Gold saying that Chris had a “criminal history” and that many of my neighbors supported the killing. Those lies were repeated later by KOAT news anchor Shelly Ribando on the evening news. I assume that since APD killings have become almost routine now, that Mayor Berry, Darren White and Chief Schultz just couldn’t find any time to speak to Ilana. Instead Darren’s spin-doctor/PIO (former Journal reporter) T.J. Wilham was trotted out to try to portray this killing was fully justified and that Chris was a criminal and thus deserved to be killed. You read the personal e-mail accounts of that horrific evening from neighbor Angela Durham which I sent to you and many others including propagandist Wilham and Mayor Berry.
Likely during Ilana’s interview with Wilham were the falsehoods of the “criminal history” told her along with the alleged support of many neighbors of APD’s execution. That night of the council meeting you and the others approved another $1.4 million to hire outside attorneys to defend yet other civil suits against the city. Citizen Bob White’s talk likened these non competitive funding authorizations-one as high as $350/hour as the “lawyers full employment act.” Your seemingly only worry and the worry of those in the Mayor’s office were whether the Hinz family also intended to sue-thus having to add more to the City’s favored lawyers’ fund-at taxpayers’ expense. The manipulation of the media coverage and destruction of Chris’ good reputation-all intended to misinform the public was to be part of the damage control. The Journal and KRQE TV 13 willingly cooperated with the Mayor’s office by deeming the many testimonies given to the council on 6/21 unworthy to cover.
As you know, well before the 6/21 council meeting and afterwards, I repeatedly asked KOAT’s Shelly Ribando, Ilana Gold and their news department for proof of that outrageous defamatory statement. I also asked Mayor Berry, Darren White and Chief Schultz in repeated e-mail for proof of that. All I could find out about Chris’ “criminal history” was a speeding ticket and seat belt violation. Nothing but silence from all-and you apparently went along with the blatant lying and stonewalling. As Chris’ neighborhood association president, right after the shooting that was very close to my home, I even asked for a meeting with Mayor Berry to be assured of an honest City investigation. Not surprisingly, he ignored me and along with Darren White and Chief Schultz chose instead to hide in their offices rather than give these assurances or express any public remorse. You and they simply didn’t care and apparently don’t value human life unless it is that of APD officers.
Not even once during or after the Council meeting did you ever express any remorse or state that you expected the investigations of this shooting to be thorough and honest. You heard the testimonies of the ordeals that APD put Chris’ mother and daughter through including the lies told to them by officers-one of whom seemed more concerned with who was going out for hamburgers during the stand-off. One even threatened to arrest his mom that night. You also heard the harsh comments that night from his brother Eric, from me and Chris’ many friends and even from those who did not know him but cited other examples of APD wrongdoing and the cover-ups. Visually impaired citizen Art Tannenbaum echoed daughter Krystal’s earlier talk when questioning why APD's crisis intervention task force never showed up in the two hours prior to the APD execution? This is a task force that Art apparently has little respect for because of some earlier experiences with them. He also said that in the summer of 2003, there was an incident with APD cops that caused him to be far more afraid of them than any of the many thugs who would routinely intimidate/hassle him on the City streets. The recent egregious mistreatment of attorney Ron Bell by a Bernalillo County cop-one formerly under Darren White’s supervision is yet another example. The fabricated DWI charge against Ron (that was later dropped) and the Journal’s apparent dedication to destroying his reputation were inexcusable-but typical. People justifiably fear some law officers in APD and in the County-and for very good reason. You just don’t get it-nor do the others-or are in denial. A badge is NOT a license to kill!
You also heard the condemnation at that 6/21 council by Andres Valdez of Vicinos United of Darren White, of Chief Schultz and of you as willing enablers of the ongoing “APD corruption.” Andres cited the intentional contamination of the crime scene by APD officers who removed the bloody sheets and the mattress at the home of fellow officer Leroy Chavez who allegedly shot and killed his wife. Andres pointed out the civil suit and $662,000 punitive court ruling against the City for civil rights violations of an APD officer who dared break the blue code of silence in APD’s mishandling of the Al Unser matter. He also mentioned the excusal of the APD officer who drove his car on to a property killing the elderly grandmother in her yard. Citizens termed it
gross negligence but APD-with the DA’s blessing excused it as a mere accident. No accountability is ever expected by APD officers for their egregious actions.
I mentioned during my talk the demonization and banishment to APD’s Siberia on the west side of our former Foothills Area Commander Marie “Sisi” Miranda after she dared to break the blue code of silence and exposed the thefts in APD’s evidence room. Sisi’s career was ruined merely for doing the right thing while then APD Chief Gallegos who many believed should have been fired, was instead allowed to retire as a hero and even flown to his ceremony on an APD helicopter. Chief Schultz took over and seemingly perpetuated the Gallegos legacy with the blessing of Mayor Chavez. Darren White arrived on the scene last December and made the situation even worst with APD shootings increasing even more under his watch. There are likely many good APD officers who were there that night of the execution and elsewhere on the force who were sickened by what happened and don’t want this shoot first policy and cover-ups to continue. Possibly some will be called to testify should the Hinz family sue-which they should.
You expressed no remorse publicly or called for an honest investigation of the killing at the council meeting likely fearing Mayor Berry would get mad that this might jeopardize the cover-up being planned. Instead, after my talk you left it up to Councilor Harris to mention you were on vacation and couldn’t attend the 6/17 candlelight vigil but would be willing to talk to Chris’ mother only privately? You then came to Chris’ mom’s seat during the meeting and escorted her out into the lobby to talk privately. Apparently you explained then that you were out of town during the vigil for Chris. I guess your policy analyst Elizabeth Shields who knew of the vigil didn’t feel it necessary to attend on your behalf. Nor did I see either of you two at the memorial service at Hoffmantown Church last Thursday or did I recognize anyone else from the city. Your decision to avoid any public statement before, during or since that 6/21 Council meeting seeming confirms to many the perception that you are indeed an embarrassing enabler of such APD killings and cover-ups as Mr. Andres Valdez vilified you there for.
Apparently City leaders even got the Journal to completely ignore our testimonies given at the council meeting when reporting on it the next day. Apparently the wasteful $430+ million downtown Events Center and three year union negotiator contract-both of which you supported, were the only things of interest to Journal beat reporter Dan McKay and his bosses that night. KRQE who seemingly feels our Public Safety Officer-Darren White is their hero, also ignored reporting on our many testimonies for Chris and against APD that night. Isn’t it more than coincidental that since Darren White was hired, that killings by APD have gone up dramatically? It can’t be blamed on the poor economy-as some downtown would have us believe. Is the recent retirement of a good Foothill Area Commander Levi Anaya right after the shooting also coincidental? Has he secretly become the APD scapegoat for this high level White/Schultz trigger happy-shoot-first policy seemingly blessed by Mayor Berry, by those in the administration and you and others on the City Council?
It’s curious that you and the others were so concerned with the image of the City that you wanted to continue the Chavez administration policy of banning the “COPS” nationwide TV show from ever coming again back to Albuquerque. COPS likely presented a very realistic view of Albuquerque and likely might have prevented even more killings when they were here riding along with APD officers. Had COPS been here on June 10 along with the army of APD officers during the many hours leading up to the shooting, the two officers may not have taken Chris’ life. APD would have feared nationwide publicity if they continued their trigger happy solution to such problems-many of which could have been resolved non-lethally-as could clearly this one. Were you ever shown the APD videotapes of that horrific night or heard any of the tapes of the audio recorders carried by each officer? Or don’t you and the others even care? Human life is seemingly not sacred to you and the others downtown.
It was almost hypocritical on the part of Councilors Garduno and Sanchez to call for the firing of Susana Martinez’s senior prosecutor Lisa Kuykendall for merely passing along an internet joke that was clearly in very poor taste. A reprimand by Martinez just wouldn’t suffice. Yet are they, you and the others going to publicly demand proof from those in the Mayor’s office and in APD of the damning assertion that Chris had a criminal history told to KOAT’s Ilana Gold and passed along and broadcasted by Shelly Ribando to hundreds of thousands of her viewers? If there is no criminal history are you willing to call for the firing of the individual(s) who lied? Will Councilors Garduno and Sanchez do so or does the executed Chris have to be a Mexican or Hispanic in order to prompt them to do this?
The real questions all of us in District 8 and throughout the city should be asking is just whose side are you on? Is it that of Mayor Berry, Darren White and APD Chief Schultz who are all still hiding in their offices and trying to suppress any media publicity about what really happened or is it us who you are supposed to represent?
More than disgusted with you and the others.
Silvio Dell’Angela
EANA
296 3241
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
More taxpayer wasted money on un-needed new building project yet no funding for APD substation?
Councilor Jones (also to be sent to District 8 NA leaders and Coalitions of NA leaders who are likely as concerned)
We now have an APD substation at Montgomery and Tramway that can’t be manned due to lack of funds/officers. We now have an attractive well equipped YMCA on Tramway Boulevard. It is only ¼ mile away from your requested, (but never asked for by anyone in District 8) Holiday Park Multi-Generational Center that you now intend to build.
You have already unilaterally committed much of our tax dollars to SMPC Architects to design this Center without any prior consultation with your District 8 constituents and plan to waste another $8 million in the future to build it. You cared little that nobody even showed up to your recent meeting to discuss this project. We don’t need it now particularly in this poor economy! Just why are you doing it as it is clearly fiscally irresponsible?
I have asked DFCS Director Robin Otten just why this project is still proceeding without the benefit of any DFCS required Center needs analysis? She indicated an unwillingness to challenge you on this-thus allowing the waste to proceed. While preaching to all fiscal responsibility, is the Berry administration merely in a I don’t care mode choosing to defer to the whims of you and many other city councilors who don’t feel you have to justify to anyone just how you spend our tax dollars? You all will be reminded of this on election day-be assured of that.
This Center is much like the $430 million for an equally unneeded, unjustified white elephant Events Center/Hotel/parking garage project in the downtown that you and six others (O’Malley, Benton, Garduno, Sanchez, Cook and Harris) on the Council voted last Monday night to still pursue. You deliberately ignored the fact that no sane private developer prior to 2006 would even take on this very high risk project using its own money.
You also know that the DMD-Mike Riordan-run 2006 procurement process had picked their favored (Ed Adams and Diane Denish-connected) but far more expensive (by $100-175 million more) contractor team to do this job-one whose bid also was based on irresponsible baseless exaggerations of its success.
Yet not surprisingly, that team (DDT-now ABQ66 Center LLC) chose in its bid proposal to commit the least amount of its own money towards this white elephant-and it is a white elephant.
Then adding insult to injury to us taxpayers, in a secret 2008 meeting, your project allies Councilors Benton and O’Malley would have the audacity to approve changing and increasing the RFP scope and allowed cost of that project even more for their favored developer team friends. The Council would in 2008 also give this winning contractor team $700,000 to hire their own consultants to do the important go/no-go economic viability analysis of the project for the City/us taxpayers-something that Ms. O’Malley attempted to portray Monday night as even credible.
This blatant conflict of interest 2008 viability analysis contract award would prompt us citizen attendees at a mid-2008 NM First-sponsored Town Hall Events Center meeting to document our real fears about corruption with this fast tracked downtown project. All of this relevant information was being ignored. It was then of no concern to you and the others that Economic Development Director John Garcia-also seemingly unconcerned with wasting our tax dollars, would then hold secret (closed doors to the public) advisory team meetings to try to justify this wasteful downtown project. His report is not even out yet, yet you and the others supported proceeding with it Monday night.
Like your personal blatantly tax-wasteful new multi-generational center in Holiday Park, choosing to proceed with this Events Center seemingly demonstrates just how arrogant you and the other tax wasters on the Council who voted with you Monday night are. 70% said to you all in a survey last year that they did not want it. You don’t really care what we think! You have to take care of your downtown friends first and foremost.
In another example of misguided priorities, isn’t it also curious that you-with many of these same other councilors had earlier agreed to divert much of the $20 million committed to the important I-25/Paseo interchange to now your own personal pork projects? $8 million of this $20 million would go to a streetscape for MLK Boulevard downtown. Was that decorative project really that urgent? We are already spending/wasting $36 million to decorate just six miles of Lead and Coal.
You and others had even asked for $100 million from the federal government in MR-COG’s 2010 TIP last year for the $30-40 million/mile streetcar. Are you really that out of touch with reality or do you have a blank check from Mayor Berry to continue to waste tons of our tax dollars whenever you wish?
The truth is that you and most of the others really don’t care what your constituents with far more important needs think. It’s your own selfish personal self interests you really care about and this is a demonstration of arrogance at its very worst. Many of us can’t wait until the 2011 and 2015 elections.
TO: Mayor Berry
Do you really care about any of this? If so, just where’s your veto pen?
Disappointed-but not surprised
Silvio
EANA
We now have an APD substation at Montgomery and Tramway that can’t be manned due to lack of funds/officers. We now have an attractive well equipped YMCA on Tramway Boulevard. It is only ¼ mile away from your requested, (but never asked for by anyone in District 8) Holiday Park Multi-Generational Center that you now intend to build.
You have already unilaterally committed much of our tax dollars to SMPC Architects to design this Center without any prior consultation with your District 8 constituents and plan to waste another $8 million in the future to build it. You cared little that nobody even showed up to your recent meeting to discuss this project. We don’t need it now particularly in this poor economy! Just why are you doing it as it is clearly fiscally irresponsible?
I have asked DFCS Director Robin Otten just why this project is still proceeding without the benefit of any DFCS required Center needs analysis? She indicated an unwillingness to challenge you on this-thus allowing the waste to proceed. While preaching to all fiscal responsibility, is the Berry administration merely in a I don’t care mode choosing to defer to the whims of you and many other city councilors who don’t feel you have to justify to anyone just how you spend our tax dollars? You all will be reminded of this on election day-be assured of that.
This Center is much like the $430 million for an equally unneeded, unjustified white elephant Events Center/Hotel/parking garage project in the downtown that you and six others (O’Malley, Benton, Garduno, Sanchez, Cook and Harris) on the Council voted last Monday night to still pursue. You deliberately ignored the fact that no sane private developer prior to 2006 would even take on this very high risk project using its own money.
You also know that the DMD-Mike Riordan-run 2006 procurement process had picked their favored (Ed Adams and Diane Denish-connected) but far more expensive (by $100-175 million more) contractor team to do this job-one whose bid also was based on irresponsible baseless exaggerations of its success.
Yet not surprisingly, that team (DDT-now ABQ66 Center LLC) chose in its bid proposal to commit the least amount of its own money towards this white elephant-and it is a white elephant.
Then adding insult to injury to us taxpayers, in a secret 2008 meeting, your project allies Councilors Benton and O’Malley would have the audacity to approve changing and increasing the RFP scope and allowed cost of that project even more for their favored developer team friends. The Council would in 2008 also give this winning contractor team $700,000 to hire their own consultants to do the important go/no-go economic viability analysis of the project for the City/us taxpayers-something that Ms. O’Malley attempted to portray Monday night as even credible.
This blatant conflict of interest 2008 viability analysis contract award would prompt us citizen attendees at a mid-2008 NM First-sponsored Town Hall Events Center meeting to document our real fears about corruption with this fast tracked downtown project. All of this relevant information was being ignored. It was then of no concern to you and the others that Economic Development Director John Garcia-also seemingly unconcerned with wasting our tax dollars, would then hold secret (closed doors to the public) advisory team meetings to try to justify this wasteful downtown project. His report is not even out yet, yet you and the others supported proceeding with it Monday night.
Like your personal blatantly tax-wasteful new multi-generational center in Holiday Park, choosing to proceed with this Events Center seemingly demonstrates just how arrogant you and the other tax wasters on the Council who voted with you Monday night are. 70% said to you all in a survey last year that they did not want it. You don’t really care what we think! You have to take care of your downtown friends first and foremost.
In another example of misguided priorities, isn’t it also curious that you-with many of these same other councilors had earlier agreed to divert much of the $20 million committed to the important I-25/Paseo interchange to now your own personal pork projects? $8 million of this $20 million would go to a streetscape for MLK Boulevard downtown. Was that decorative project really that urgent? We are already spending/wasting $36 million to decorate just six miles of Lead and Coal.
You and others had even asked for $100 million from the federal government in MR-COG’s 2010 TIP last year for the $30-40 million/mile streetcar. Are you really that out of touch with reality or do you have a blank check from Mayor Berry to continue to waste tons of our tax dollars whenever you wish?
The truth is that you and most of the others really don’t care what your constituents with far more important needs think. It’s your own selfish personal self interests you really care about and this is a demonstration of arrogance at its very worst. Many of us can’t wait until the 2011 and 2015 elections.
TO: Mayor Berry
Do you really care about any of this? If so, just where’s your veto pen?
Disappointed-but not surprised
Silvio
EANA
Friday, June 25, 2010
Why did Chris Hinz die? Ask APD
Subject: Killing of Chris Hinz
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:06:40 -0600Dear Sirs:
We the family and friends of Chris Hinz would like to have some issues explained to us as we have questions as to how things were handled.
We understand that you are unaware of the things that happened prior to his death: he visited with a neighbor about 5:30 or so before going home around 6pm, he was intoxicated, and he asked his neighbors for assistance to find his cell phone shortly after going home. His cell phone was not found until Saturday but he has a landline that is listed on the Internet under the White Pages, Chris Hinz. What all of us don't know is why Chris was drinking, and why he was shooting his gun in his home. What most of us know is the police showed up around 7pm, surrounded the area from Spain to Camero on Carruthers, prevented people from going in or out, and Chris was shot around 8:45pm because he came out of his garage holding a rifle he did not put down because the police feared for their lives (this is what was reported). The stories have come out that are incorrect are that he was running around the neighborhood shooting his gun; or that he had an altercation with a neighbor. What we are disturbed about (we were present on the Camero and Overlook corner) are the following:
1) His daughter, Krystal, was on the scene standing on the corner of Camero and Carruthers with a neighbor and then was whisked away by the police and put into a police car after she heard the shots that killed her father. She was kept in the police car with a friend, for about 5 hours after the shots, while we stood around waiting for an announcement. His daughter is 18 years old. She is an adult. How was keeping her in the car with her friend for about 5 hours helping her?
2) There were about 5-6 police, including a female officer, around the car who were talking, laughing and carrying on like nothing had happened. Their behavior was very offensive and disrespectful. They may be used to people dying but this was a father, a son and our friend who had just been killed.
3) His mother, Cathy, was called and asked to come over to the scene by one of our parents. She had no idea that it was her son who was on the news. She tried to approach her granddaughter, Krystal, in the car and the police sent her away. She was not given any information and told that they were waiting. For what? No one was ever told. This is the victim's mother and she was told to go away. She identified herself and this is how you treat family? a mother?
We understand that the police felt they were protecting the public and themselves but what we would like to know is what measures were taken to protect Chris from getting killed?
Is there a Crisis Unit available to handle these situations?
Does the police have any measure in place to diffuse situations like this or is it only in the movies that blow horns are used?
He has been described as having a 'criminal record' so if this is true, were there no records of his family that could have been called to intervene ?
This scenario seemed to have happened 2 years ago and his mother and daughter were used to talk him out of killing himself. The police knew his daughter was present, why wasn't she allowed to talk to her father?
There was a neighbor in the area whom he had gone to visit prior to his getting shot available and ready to talk to Chris but he was not allowed to contact him. Another officer who lives in the area was with this neighbor and knew he was prepared to talk to him. Why wasn't he allowed to talk to him?
When he came out of the garage, where were the Swat Team that were present, who may be dressed with bullet proof vests to keep them safe? Why didn't they take a shot to disarm him or render him unable to shoot? It was reported on the news that 2 regular policemen shot Chris.
Why did the police shoot to kill? Is this policy?
It was also reported that the rifle was not cocked to shoot nor did he have elevated to shoot. Why did they shoot to kill?
What many people, including the "experts" are stating is that Chris had 'suicide by police' in mind.
We, his family and friends, knew that he was elated about a new job he started in Santa Fe and that he adored his daughter!
We also knew he was not suicidal nor gun crazy nor asking for the inevitable. We also knew that he was his daughter's only support.
Chris made a bad choice coming out with a rifle in his hand but why did he have to die? He was not a violent person! Come into the neighborhood and interview the people who lived by him; interview the cheer parents of Eldorado High School; interview the baseball players he played with for years; interview the parents and families at Road Runner Little League where his daughter played and he was a role model for many years; interview his bosses and peers at his employment; interview his mother, his brother, his sister, and interview his daughter, Krystal. They will all give you a different picture of the man being touted as a violent man!
Tonight's KOAT-TV 7 news indicated that you, Mr. Berry, are not looking at the way police are handling these shootings. The other man, the independent expert, stated something that when the public is concerned, the police shoot... yes, we know.
If it was a family member and you knew he or she was ill, wouldn't you want someone to do all they could to keep them alive and get them help? Are you stating that the way this situation was handled was the best APD could do? How can anyone feel that the police will not shoot to kill? Are the present police procedures the best APD has to offer?
Chris Hinz is dead.
We are having a candlelight vigil service to honor his life and help us heal on Thursday, June 17th, at 8 pm in front of his home, 5501 Carruthers. His memorial service will be held at Hoffmantown Church on Thursday, June 24th at 10 am. You are welcome to attend.
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:06:40 -0600Dear Sirs:
We the family and friends of Chris Hinz would like to have some issues explained to us as we have questions as to how things were handled.
We understand that you are unaware of the things that happened prior to his death: he visited with a neighbor about 5:30 or so before going home around 6pm, he was intoxicated, and he asked his neighbors for assistance to find his cell phone shortly after going home. His cell phone was not found until Saturday but he has a landline that is listed on the Internet under the White Pages, Chris Hinz. What all of us don't know is why Chris was drinking, and why he was shooting his gun in his home. What most of us know is the police showed up around 7pm, surrounded the area from Spain to Camero on Carruthers, prevented people from going in or out, and Chris was shot around 8:45pm because he came out of his garage holding a rifle he did not put down because the police feared for their lives (this is what was reported). The stories have come out that are incorrect are that he was running around the neighborhood shooting his gun; or that he had an altercation with a neighbor. What we are disturbed about (we were present on the Camero and Overlook corner) are the following:
1) His daughter, Krystal, was on the scene standing on the corner of Camero and Carruthers with a neighbor and then was whisked away by the police and put into a police car after she heard the shots that killed her father. She was kept in the police car with a friend, for about 5 hours after the shots, while we stood around waiting for an announcement. His daughter is 18 years old. She is an adult. How was keeping her in the car with her friend for about 5 hours helping her?
2) There were about 5-6 police, including a female officer, around the car who were talking, laughing and carrying on like nothing had happened. Their behavior was very offensive and disrespectful. They may be used to people dying but this was a father, a son and our friend who had just been killed.
3) His mother, Cathy, was called and asked to come over to the scene by one of our parents. She had no idea that it was her son who was on the news. She tried to approach her granddaughter, Krystal, in the car and the police sent her away. She was not given any information and told that they were waiting. For what? No one was ever told. This is the victim's mother and she was told to go away. She identified herself and this is how you treat family? a mother?
We understand that the police felt they were protecting the public and themselves but what we would like to know is what measures were taken to protect Chris from getting killed?
Is there a Crisis Unit available to handle these situations?
Does the police have any measure in place to diffuse situations like this or is it only in the movies that blow horns are used?
He has been described as having a 'criminal record' so if this is true, were there no records of his family that could have been called to intervene ?
This scenario seemed to have happened 2 years ago and his mother and daughter were used to talk him out of killing himself. The police knew his daughter was present, why wasn't she allowed to talk to her father?
There was a neighbor in the area whom he had gone to visit prior to his getting shot available and ready to talk to Chris but he was not allowed to contact him. Another officer who lives in the area was with this neighbor and knew he was prepared to talk to him. Why wasn't he allowed to talk to him?
When he came out of the garage, where were the Swat Team that were present, who may be dressed with bullet proof vests to keep them safe? Why didn't they take a shot to disarm him or render him unable to shoot? It was reported on the news that 2 regular policemen shot Chris.
Why did the police shoot to kill? Is this policy?
It was also reported that the rifle was not cocked to shoot nor did he have elevated to shoot. Why did they shoot to kill?
What many people, including the "experts" are stating is that Chris had 'suicide by police' in mind.
We, his family and friends, knew that he was elated about a new job he started in Santa Fe and that he adored his daughter!
We also knew he was not suicidal nor gun crazy nor asking for the inevitable. We also knew that he was his daughter's only support.
Chris made a bad choice coming out with a rifle in his hand but why did he have to die? He was not a violent person! Come into the neighborhood and interview the people who lived by him; interview the cheer parents of Eldorado High School; interview the baseball players he played with for years; interview the parents and families at Road Runner Little League where his daughter played and he was a role model for many years; interview his bosses and peers at his employment; interview his mother, his brother, his sister, and interview his daughter, Krystal. They will all give you a different picture of the man being touted as a violent man!
Tonight's KOAT-TV 7 news indicated that you, Mr. Berry, are not looking at the way police are handling these shootings. The other man, the independent expert, stated something that when the public is concerned, the police shoot... yes, we know.
If it was a family member and you knew he or she was ill, wouldn't you want someone to do all they could to keep them alive and get them help? Are you stating that the way this situation was handled was the best APD could do? How can anyone feel that the police will not shoot to kill? Are the present police procedures the best APD has to offer?
Chris Hinz is dead.
We are having a candlelight vigil service to honor his life and help us heal on Thursday, June 17th, at 8 pm in front of his home, 5501 Carruthers. His memorial service will be held at Hoffmantown Church on Thursday, June 24th at 10 am. You are welcome to attend.
Chris Hinz: Not a person with a criminal history who died by APD lethal force
City Councilors
You already received a copy of this 6/15 e-mail below from a close friend of the Hinz family and I hope you are now as concerned as are we.
I had expected my Councilor Trudy Jones to be concerned-but really am not surprised with her silence, as her loyalty is once again clearly to Mayor Berry and not to us-her supposed District 8 constituents. I plan to discuss this killing at the Council meeting Monday night and hope more concerned citizens will show up expressing their outrage and call for changes. Seemingly showing a lack of leadership, Mayor Berry has been silent on this killing thus far hoping it will somehow go away with the blessing of the Police Oversight Commission and some help from his TV, radio and printed media friends. The review of this by the Police Oversight Commission will be a sham/cover-up-as APD well knows. Mayor Berry has likely seen the APD videotape of the incident-killing but won’t have it released to the media or public. You should ask to see it.
It’s clear that the administration is now in damage control to try to lump Chris’ killing into all of the other shootings-some justified. They expect the media to support them- rather than the citizens of this City in their reporting-something that has seemingly been their slant thus far. The administration recently told Channel 7 reporter Ilana Gold that Chris had a “criminal record” so apparently viewers are to conclude he deserved to die. TV-7 anchor Shelly Ribando repeated that “criminal record” City claim as well as the bogus assertion that many EANA neighbors agreed with how APD handled it. I doubt that either is the case. Just what is Chris’ “criminal record?” Just who agreed?
Today’s Journal article quoting Chief Schulz and Darren White tries to somehow paint the APD shooters as the victims saying that “officer-involved shootings have an effect on officers and their families.” What about the effect they have on the victim and their families? Chief Shultz claims that “the last thing they want to do is take someone’s life.” Really? Tell that to Chris’ daughter Krystal who now has no dad or mom. What about the traumatizing effect on her? What about the effect on the families of the other people wrongly killed by APD?
The e-mail below from neighbor Angela Durham speaks for itself. This was NOT a justified killing-plain and simple and is symptomatic of the apparent freedom APD officers have to take innocent lives without any fear of accountability for their actions-with the blue code of silence they expect. A badge does NOT give them a license to kill indiscriminately! This anger with the Hinz killing voiced by many is not against the dedicated police officers but with the leadership or lack thereof-starting with the still-silent Mayor Berry to Darren White to APD Chief Schultz, all of whom have seemingly embraced this culture of lethal rather than non-lethal force. You note that the front page article in today’s Albuquerque Journal states that Chris now only ALLEGEDLY threatened officers. The APD videotape will likely reveal that there was no threat and this matter could have been resolved without his death. As Angela’s e-mail below says, “the rifle was not cocked to shoot nor did he have elevated to shoot.” Demand that APD release their videotape! I also wish TV 4 would have played more of my interview with their reporter yesterday to put my “gutless” comment broadcasted last night into context. Sometimes the easy way out/shoot to kill rather than take non-lethal action, is gutless. The victims here are NOT the APD officer shooters and their families!
Please get involved. You should be as outraged with this shooting as am I and not choose look the other way and thus perpetuate this seemingly “shoot-first” culture.
The blame should be placed at the very top-not with the shooters who were just following orders-their misguided training in such matters.
Respectfully,
Silvio
EANA
296 3241
I hope the Journal asks Ms. Durham if they could print/summarize the contents of her e-mail below as an OpEd or letter.
You already received a copy of this 6/15 e-mail below from a close friend of the Hinz family and I hope you are now as concerned as are we.
I had expected my Councilor Trudy Jones to be concerned-but really am not surprised with her silence, as her loyalty is once again clearly to Mayor Berry and not to us-her supposed District 8 constituents. I plan to discuss this killing at the Council meeting Monday night and hope more concerned citizens will show up expressing their outrage and call for changes. Seemingly showing a lack of leadership, Mayor Berry has been silent on this killing thus far hoping it will somehow go away with the blessing of the Police Oversight Commission and some help from his TV, radio and printed media friends. The review of this by the Police Oversight Commission will be a sham/cover-up-as APD well knows. Mayor Berry has likely seen the APD videotape of the incident-killing but won’t have it released to the media or public. You should ask to see it.
It’s clear that the administration is now in damage control to try to lump Chris’ killing into all of the other shootings-some justified. They expect the media to support them- rather than the citizens of this City in their reporting-something that has seemingly been their slant thus far. The administration recently told Channel 7 reporter Ilana Gold that Chris had a “criminal record” so apparently viewers are to conclude he deserved to die. TV-7 anchor Shelly Ribando repeated that “criminal record” City claim as well as the bogus assertion that many EANA neighbors agreed with how APD handled it. I doubt that either is the case. Just what is Chris’ “criminal record?” Just who agreed?
Today’s Journal article quoting Chief Schulz and Darren White tries to somehow paint the APD shooters as the victims saying that “officer-involved shootings have an effect on officers and their families.” What about the effect they have on the victim and their families? Chief Shultz claims that “the last thing they want to do is take someone’s life.” Really? Tell that to Chris’ daughter Krystal who now has no dad or mom. What about the traumatizing effect on her? What about the effect on the families of the other people wrongly killed by APD?
The e-mail below from neighbor Angela Durham speaks for itself. This was NOT a justified killing-plain and simple and is symptomatic of the apparent freedom APD officers have to take innocent lives without any fear of accountability for their actions-with the blue code of silence they expect. A badge does NOT give them a license to kill indiscriminately! This anger with the Hinz killing voiced by many is not against the dedicated police officers but with the leadership or lack thereof-starting with the still-silent Mayor Berry to Darren White to APD Chief Schultz, all of whom have seemingly embraced this culture of lethal rather than non-lethal force. You note that the front page article in today’s Albuquerque Journal states that Chris now only ALLEGEDLY threatened officers. The APD videotape will likely reveal that there was no threat and this matter could have been resolved without his death. As Angela’s e-mail below says, “the rifle was not cocked to shoot nor did he have elevated to shoot.” Demand that APD release their videotape! I also wish TV 4 would have played more of my interview with their reporter yesterday to put my “gutless” comment broadcasted last night into context. Sometimes the easy way out/shoot to kill rather than take non-lethal action, is gutless. The victims here are NOT the APD officer shooters and their families!
Please get involved. You should be as outraged with this shooting as am I and not choose look the other way and thus perpetuate this seemingly “shoot-first” culture.
The blame should be placed at the very top-not with the shooters who were just following orders-their misguided training in such matters.
Respectfully,
Silvio
EANA
296 3241
I hope the Journal asks Ms. Durham if they could print/summarize the contents of her e-mail below as an OpEd or letter.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Does Albuquerque Mayor Berry decide just what information citizens receive?
“On June 22, I asked Journal Editor Kent Walz whether the real editor of the Journal sits in the Mayor’s or CAO’s chair on the 11th floor of the City/County Building. That is where the Ministry of Truth and Newspeak described in George Orwell’s book “1984” seems to reside telling you and others in the media just what propaganda to put out to us unwashed (assumed to be stupid) masses. See an abbreviated extract of the “1984” plot below. It should be mandatory reading by all there and elsewhere in the broadcast and printed media.
The Journal’s deliberate lack of coverage of the many people speaking at the City Council meeting last night who objected to the June 10 execution of neighbor Chris Hinz by APD was inexcusable! Even most of your recent article covering last Thursday’s candlelight vigil for Chris in our neighborhood was devoted to the City’s defense of the killing. Someone in the City even lied to KOAT-TV-7 saying Chris had a criminal history to try to somehow justify it. This certainly demands the firing of that person or persons-(White?, Schultz? your former guy T.J. Wilham? or someone else?) but does Mayor Berry have the backbone to do it? We’ll see. This defamation of Chris was repeated on the late news by KOAT anchor Shelly Ribando to tens of thousands and the family has yet to see a correction. Will APD ever release a videotape of their June 10 execution?
Will Dan McKay and others covering the City ever have an epiphany and become a Winston of Oceania? Are those among us who have the courage to condemn the City’s culture of corruption and fraud, waste and abuse of our tax dollars now deemed by the Journal to be the Emmanuel Goldsteins of Albuquerque? Is that why our letters to the editor or OpEds there never get published? Possibly your boss-Publisher T.H. Lang might consider renaming the paper the R.J. Rag, the Berry Bugle or something more descriptive.
Your misguided editorial today “A Government That’s Here to Help-Really” praised the three transit mechanics who in reality were only doing their jobs that the seemingly incompetent highly-paid City contractors just couldn’t do. Doesn’t it instead send a message that the City ought to hire more competent lower-priced city mechanics and other employees who can serve us better than these favored contractor friends of the Mayor, of the CAO, of ABQRide’s Bruce Rizzieri, of DMD’s Mike Riordan and others?
Isn’t the planned waste of tax dollars to bulldoze the neighbor’s attractive completed median already there on Cesar Chavez and Yale and now do a ridiculously-expensive new median-this time with water wasting sprinklers, more newsworthy and more typical of this Berry administration-the waste that occurs there every day?
You should also have praised Councilor Dan Lewis for being the only one with the guts to oppose the “downtown first” crowd’s Council bill last night attempting to perpetuate the unneeded, unjustified and wasteful $430 million events center/hotel downtown. APS ought to say NO to sharing the First Baptist Church property.
Just a reminder in the extract of “1984” below just how similar we are to Oceania?
Cheers
Silvio Dell’Angela
President-EANA
296 3241
Plot Overview-“1984”
Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in London, in the nation of Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, even his own home, the Party watches him through telescreens; everywhere he looks he sees the face of the Party’s seemingly omniscient leader, a figure known only as Big Brother. The Party controls everything in Oceania, even the people’s history and language. Currently, the Party is forcing the implementation of an invented language called Newspeak, which attempts to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. Even thinking rebellious thoughts is illegal. Such thoughtcrime is, in fact, the worst of all crimes.
As the novel opens, Winston feels frustrated by the oppression and rigid control of the Party, which prohibits free thought, sex, and any expression of individuality. Winston dislikes the party and has illegally purchased a diary in which to write his criminal thoughts. He has also become fixated on a powerful Party member named O’Brien, whom Winston believes is a secret member of the Brotherhood—the mysterious, legendary group that works to overthrow the Party.
Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters historical records to fit the needs of the Party. He notices a coworker, a beautiful dark-haired girl, staring at him, and worries that she is an informant who will turn him in for his thoughtcrime. He is troubled by the Party’s control of history: the Party claims that Oceania has always been allied with Eastasia in a war against Eurasia, but Winston seems to recall a time when this was not true. The Party also claims that Emmanuel Goldstein, the alleged leader of the Brotherhood, is the most dangerous man alive, but this does not seem plausible to Winston. Winston spends his evenings wandering through the poorest neighborhoods in London, where the proletarians, or proles, live squalid lives, relatively free of Party monitoring.
The Journal’s deliberate lack of coverage of the many people speaking at the City Council meeting last night who objected to the June 10 execution of neighbor Chris Hinz by APD was inexcusable! Even most of your recent article covering last Thursday’s candlelight vigil for Chris in our neighborhood was devoted to the City’s defense of the killing. Someone in the City even lied to KOAT-TV-7 saying Chris had a criminal history to try to somehow justify it. This certainly demands the firing of that person or persons-(White?, Schultz? your former guy T.J. Wilham? or someone else?) but does Mayor Berry have the backbone to do it? We’ll see. This defamation of Chris was repeated on the late news by KOAT anchor Shelly Ribando to tens of thousands and the family has yet to see a correction. Will APD ever release a videotape of their June 10 execution?
Will Dan McKay and others covering the City ever have an epiphany and become a Winston of Oceania? Are those among us who have the courage to condemn the City’s culture of corruption and fraud, waste and abuse of our tax dollars now deemed by the Journal to be the Emmanuel Goldsteins of Albuquerque? Is that why our letters to the editor or OpEds there never get published? Possibly your boss-Publisher T.H. Lang might consider renaming the paper the R.J. Rag, the Berry Bugle or something more descriptive.
Your misguided editorial today “A Government That’s Here to Help-Really” praised the three transit mechanics who in reality were only doing their jobs that the seemingly incompetent highly-paid City contractors just couldn’t do. Doesn’t it instead send a message that the City ought to hire more competent lower-priced city mechanics and other employees who can serve us better than these favored contractor friends of the Mayor, of the CAO, of ABQRide’s Bruce Rizzieri, of DMD’s Mike Riordan and others?
Isn’t the planned waste of tax dollars to bulldoze the neighbor’s attractive completed median already there on Cesar Chavez and Yale and now do a ridiculously-expensive new median-this time with water wasting sprinklers, more newsworthy and more typical of this Berry administration-the waste that occurs there every day?
You should also have praised Councilor Dan Lewis for being the only one with the guts to oppose the “downtown first” crowd’s Council bill last night attempting to perpetuate the unneeded, unjustified and wasteful $430 million events center/hotel downtown. APS ought to say NO to sharing the First Baptist Church property.
Just a reminder in the extract of “1984” below just how similar we are to Oceania?
Cheers
Silvio Dell’Angela
President-EANA
296 3241
Plot Overview-“1984”
Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in London, in the nation of Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, even his own home, the Party watches him through telescreens; everywhere he looks he sees the face of the Party’s seemingly omniscient leader, a figure known only as Big Brother. The Party controls everything in Oceania, even the people’s history and language. Currently, the Party is forcing the implementation of an invented language called Newspeak, which attempts to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. Even thinking rebellious thoughts is illegal. Such thoughtcrime is, in fact, the worst of all crimes.
As the novel opens, Winston feels frustrated by the oppression and rigid control of the Party, which prohibits free thought, sex, and any expression of individuality. Winston dislikes the party and has illegally purchased a diary in which to write his criminal thoughts. He has also become fixated on a powerful Party member named O’Brien, whom Winston believes is a secret member of the Brotherhood—the mysterious, legendary group that works to overthrow the Party.
Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters historical records to fit the needs of the Party. He notices a coworker, a beautiful dark-haired girl, staring at him, and worries that she is an informant who will turn him in for his thoughtcrime. He is troubled by the Party’s control of history: the Party claims that Oceania has always been allied with Eastasia in a war against Eurasia, but Winston seems to recall a time when this was not true. The Party also claims that Emmanuel Goldstein, the alleged leader of the Brotherhood, is the most dangerous man alive, but this does not seem plausible to Winston. Winston spends his evenings wandering through the poorest neighborhoods in London, where the proletarians, or proles, live squalid lives, relatively free of Party monitoring.
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