NM FOG's Giant Step Backwards

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (link) has appointed a new executive director to replace the much respected Robert "Bob" Johnson, who passed away recently.

The Journal reported this morning that Leonard DeLayo has been chosen to fill the very large shoes of the foundation's founder. (no available link)

When an organization selects an executive director there is an inherent possibility that it will "shoot itself in the foot"; it will appoint someone who in the end,
will hurt the organizational interests.

Those at NMFOG, who voted for Leonard DeLayo
as the new Executive Director, have instead
blown both legs off at the knees.

While "serving" on the APS Board of Education,
Leonard DeLayo voted for, tacitly approved of,
or failed to stand in opposition to assaults on
the very interests that the NMFOG is dedicated to.

The school board removed the public forum from the public record.

They eliminated the only opportunity that had existed, where citizen stakeholders could stand nose to nose with their elected public servant; and ask questions about their public service.
They did so to prevent a particular question from being asked on the record. It had been asked in about a dozen previous public forums, and on the record. That record was then deliberately falsified and broadcast to the community. Missing from the broadcasts was board member responses to the following question; Will you, as a public servant, and as a steward of a billion tax dollars a year, and a senior role model for 99,000 of our sons and daughters, hold yourself honestly accountable to the student standard of conduct?

The school board removed language from the employee code of conduct that held them actually accountable as role models.

They removed language which read, In no case shall the standard for an adult be lower than the standard for students.

The school board denied protection to employees who expose ethical misconduct by administrators or board members.

They passed a Whistle Blower Policy that failed to provide protection for those whose expose ethical misconduct. They did so deliberately.

The APS BoE continues to employ the Modrall law firm to litigate exception for the leadership of the APS, from the public records act.

The President of the Modrall is the husband of School Board President Paula Maes. Modrall makes millions of tax dollars litigating exception to the law for senior administrators and board members. The exceptions to the NMIPRA in particular, fly in the face of everything the NMFOG fights for.

In diametric opposition to the interests of the NMFOG, Leonard DeLayo's record is of opposition to every effort to open up the government. He cannot point to a single vote that he cast in twenty years on the board, in support of open government in the APS.

You have to wonder why the NMFOG would even consider, much less select DeLayo. A visit to their website (link) suggests a possibility.

On the NMFOG Executive Committee;

• Kent Walz, editor Albuquerque Journal

The Journal of course, has steadfastly refused to report upon any of the anti NMFOG votes that DeLayo cast over the years. I don't mean refusing at this moment, I mean refusing over years and through at least three elections.

• Patrick J. Rogers, attorney, Modrall

Modrall is making millions of dollars off the APS, in part for litigating for the leadership of the APS, self exception to the law; including the open records act.

And on the NMFOG Board of Directors;

• Phill Casaus, Editor, Albuquerque Tribune

Casaus is absolutely aware of DeLayo's record. I have been dunning him about it for years. He absolutely refuses to expose the corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS. He absolutely refuses to stand in support of an immediate accountability audit of the administration of the APS.

• Terri Cole, President,Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce used to support Character Counts. When I asked Cole and the Chamber for help in defending Character Counts against the assault of DeLayo and others, she refused. The Chamber website indicates that they have know abandoned Character Counts, in support of APS' abandonment.

• Michelle Donaldson, News Director,KRQE-TV

KRQE has videotape of me being thrown out of a board meeting for trying to exercise my legal and ethical rights to petition the board, on the record. I was removed, four times ultimately, by members of a publicly funded, private police force functioning as a Praetorian Guard. Their Commander at the time, was the now disgraced Gil Lovato.

I suspect that Donaldson has more than a passing acquaintance with Paula Maes, school board president, and President of the New Mexico Broadcasters Association.

It would appear that the leadership of the APS/Modrall,
in their efforts to hide public records from the public,
has little to fear from the the NM FOG or their
new Executive Director.