Grisham Emails Keep Inviting Comment

It’s not that I have anything especially against Michelle Lujan Grisham; it’s just that the invitations to comment keep coming via her fund raising emails directed to small donors to her campaign for governor.
The latest appeared February 24. Lujan appears confused about the beginning of Gov. Susana Martinez’ term as governor. Lujan said, “New Mexico has had eight years of failed Republican leadership.” But the Martinez term didn’t start until January 1, 2011. So Grisham is off by ten months. That’s an error of fact and all errors of fact get an F.
The Grisham campaign runs on fear, especially, it seems to me, fear of Steve Pearce, her fellow member of congress and Republican candidate for governor.
Her latest rant is about money. It appeared February 20, continuing the left’s theme that money in politics is evil. She focuses on the Koch brothers of Wichita, KS, favorite left wing bogeymen.
She writes that the brothers “are planning to spend around $400 million in untraceable dark money during the midterm elections—and they’ve singled our race as one for which they are willing to spend big to win.” She cites Pearce’s $900,000 (or so) in congressional campaign funds that he was able to transfer to his governor’s race.
Observation: Money in politics means communications. Sometimes the message works, sometime it doesn’t. Much depends on the messenger.
For example, according to New Mexico News Port, Mayor Tim Keller, all purity, took $544,000 in public funds for his race. But, the article said, “a political committee that formed specifically to support him, Albuquerque Forward Together” raised $674,000, bringing Keller’s total to $1.2 million. Keller also got in-kind donations that were ruled a violation of campaign regulations.
Keller gamed the system and won.
For Ricardo Chaves, spending didn’t work. Chaves $525,000 got him one percent of the vote in the first round.
In the Alabama senate race last year, Doug Jones, the Democrat and the winner, spent about $12 million. The incredibly awful loser, Roy Moore, raised $5 million, Newsweek said. Jones won by 22,000 votes or, 1.5%. Jones’ money helped with his communications.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful campaign spent $768 million, the Washington Post reported. Donald Trump spent $398 million.
The Koch brothers are active in New Mexico these days through their Americans for Prosperity organization.

Home Sales Start 2018 Nicely

Maybe it was the warm weather. Maybe it was the jobs, few as they are, being added to the metro Albuquerque economy.
Whatever the reason, metro Albuquerque sales of single family homes started the year nicely with 721 closed sales representing a 7.6% increase over January 2017. Everything being relative and seasonal, however, the January sales were 20% down from the 904 sales in December 2017.
The Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors released the January sales report today.
Pending sales, the predictor of closed sales the following month, suggest a good February. January pending sales were 1,037 homes, 28.7% above a year ago and 11%, or 104 homes, above February 2017.
Homes continue to sell faster than a year ago. Homes took an average of 58 days to sell during January. That was four days or 6.5% faster than January 2017. There were 2,671 homes offered for sale during January, a drop of 570 homes, or 17.6%, from a year ago. Inventory dropped two percent, or 65 homes, from December.
Prices changed little from January 2017. January’s average price, $217,679, was down 0.6%, or $1,237, from January 2017. However, that $217,679 was down $12,501, or five percent from December 2017. The average sales price had been over $230,000 for nine months.
The median price during January was $187,500, up 1.1% or $2,000, from January 2017 but down $6,400 or three percent from December.
Sales of attached homes (townhouses or condominiums), 77 during January, were up 30.5% from January 2017. The 118 pending sales were 53% increase from a year before.