Time to abolish Albuquerque’s public financing system

The Rio Grande Foundation succeeded (barely) in advocating for the defeat of the 2019 “Democracy Dollars” system which left-wing advocates were touting as a hoped-for expansion of the City’s existing financing scheme.

Now, with just two months to go before the City election this fall, we have the spectacle of a Keller-appointed City Clerk Ethan Watson, who the Foundation JUST won a significant financial settlement against (for failure to disclose public record relating to Democracy Dollars), denying $650,000 to Keller’s main opponent this fall, Sheriff Manny Gonzalez.

In 2017 Keller notoriously violated the City’s campaign finance laws when he sought private AND public money for his campaign. Of course he was given a mere “slap on the wrist” post-election.

The system was always open to myriad problems (like having the clerk appointed by one mayor making financing decisions for his competition) and the use of third-party supporters to skirt the supposed effort to keep “big money” out of mayoral races, not to mention the “after the fact ‘enforcement'” of 2017.

If elected, candidates Gonzales or Aragon should work to abolish the current system. If Keller is elected he will gladly keep it intact as it has served him well.