Posted at: 05/28/2009 5:45 PM
Updated at: 05/28/2009 5:57 PM
By: Stuart Dyson, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com
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Candidates take whack at weed campaign
City employees take aim at weeds.Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez launched his annual war on weeds Thursday, under heavy artillery fire from mayoral candidates R.J. Berry and Richard Romero as the race for mayor heats up.
Chavez ordered City Hall department heads and managers to hit the weeds hard—admitting it’s a propaganda tactic.
He said Thursday, "Hopefully it inspires Albuquerqueans to take pride and do the same thing. I think everyone realizes we're dramatically different than we were just a few years ago when it comes to weeds and graffiti." The battleground is big—unseasonably wet, cool weather in May has weeds sprouting all over town, and now the weed war turns political as Candidate Richard Romero says City Hall itself needs a good weeding-out.
"He has had political appointees all around him - people that are loyal - blind loyalty to him - what I call lapdogs - scapegoats to take all the heat from the media when things don't go well at City Hall," Romero told Eyewitness News 4.
Candidate R. J. Berry also took aim at Thursday’s weed-whacking campaign.
He said, " I'm the only business owner in this race and, as a business owner, I can tell you this: If our company is staring down on a fiscal disaster, I don't have my department people and my key folks out pulling weeds - we need to have our sleeves rolled up - we need to be sitting around the table fixing these problems."
