From Joe Monahan: “Some Grumbling Over Berry Bus Plan At City Council But Not Much More”

The following is pertinent to the controversial implementation of Albuquerque’s Rapid Bus Transit project. It is taken from a more extensive article dealing with other political issues in New Mexico. The website where it appears is “Politics in New Mexico by Joe Monahan.”  


You would think that with the intense and emotional opposition  that has built throughout the city against Mayor Berry's ABQ rapid transit plan (ART) that at least one of the nine city councilors would be leading the charge to slow down the project. It would run rapid buses down a 10 mile section of a revamped Central Avenue, a plan that has drawn heated protests at recent public meetings.

GOP Councilor Brad Winter takes note of the opposition to the project in his NE Heights district saying, "I know it's the Mayor's project but we have many road projects that need to be done in my district. I went some help for them." But will Winter move to put the brakes on the buses? It doesn't appear so. Ditto for Dem Councilors Klarissa Pena and Pat Davis. They say it's the Mayor's project and there's nothing they can do but try to make sure it works.

The same impotence was displayed by the council when it came to the APD crisis that has cost the city tens of millions. The council also followed the Mayor's lead in ignoring the city's job crisis which was again crystallized when last month there were 10,000 applicants for 290 jobs at the new Cheesecake Factory restaurant. None of the councilors made a peep.

What the city council needs is a couple of members with fire in the belly. We already have plenty of chair warmers.

(Here's some video of Councilor Ike Benton being accosted over ART at a public meeting this week. Mayor Berry was not at that ART meeting or any of the others held recently).