Thursday, March 13, 2008
Richardson, PRC Member Go Hunting
By Jack King
Copyright © 2008 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer
With PNM's electric rate case pending before the Public Regulation Commission, Gov. Bill Richardson and PRC Commissioner Sandy Jones went hunting and fishing together last weekend.
Richardson publicly urged PRC members on Friday to make a "careful decision" on the proposed electric rate increase, saying he was troubled by a drop in the utility's stock after a hearing examiner recommended that the requested increase be cut by about two-thirds.
Jones, who said he went goose hunting with Richardson the same Friday near Socorro, then fishing with him Saturday at Elephant Butte, said Wednesday the governor made only a passing reference to the case during the trip.
"He did tell me he had issued a statement on PNM with (PNM Chairman, President and CEO Jeff) Sterba. I haven't seen that. He said I would see that in the paper," Jones said.
He said he and Richardson talked extensively about getting the Sierra County Commission— part of Jones' PRC District 5— to pass a tax credit for Spaceport America, but did not discuss the rate case beyond the one remark.
Jones said he did not remind Richardson that, as a PRC commissioner, he could not discuss the rate case outside of a public meeting, but neither was he influenced by the governor.
"I'm not gonna tell him what he can say in a press conference. He has his job and he knows I have mine," he said.
Asked to confirm whether Richardson had made the trip with Jones and had talked with him about the rate case, the governor's spokesman, Gilbert Gallegos, responded Wednesday that he had not asked Richardson about the trip.
"The governor often hunts and fishes with Sandy Jones. He did so long before Mr. Jones became a commissioner. I don't know what he did during a private time last weekend. Nevertheless, it is no secret that the governor has concerns about the case before the commission, because he outlined those concerns in a very public way," Gallegos said.
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Ducks, Fish and Electricity
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