Mayor Keller, Why Are You Lying To Us?
-- I have repeatedly contacted Keller's PIO for the names of the cities that Keller used to compare salaries too. The answer from Keller? Silence. Keller refuses to tell the citizens of Albuquerque the names of the cities he used to compare salaries to.
-- Because Keller refuses to name cities, I can only come to one conclusion, KELLER LIED. He did not compare Albuquerque to any other city.
-- OneAlbuquerque, Kellers’ inner circle is now the one-percent in Albuquerque and they don’t answer to anyone.
“We looked at salaries for these positions throughout our region and found that, even after these raises, our salaries are much lower than those offered in cities in the region of a similar size. We also have to compete with the new state administration which pays higher salaries.”--Santiago Chavez, spokesman for Mayor Tim Keller.
Earlier this month it was reported (KOAT) that Mayor Keller had given special members of his inner circle gigantic pay raises. At this same time his city budget offered crumbs to all other city workers. When pressed as to why he would give tens of thousands of dollars in raises to four of his closest staff, Keller, through spokesmen, provided the quote above. But is there any truth to this quote?
I have repeatedly contacted Keller's PIO for the names of the cities that Keller used to compare salaries too. The answer from Keller? Silence. Keller refuses to tell the citizens of Albuquerque the names of the cities he used to compare salaries to.
Because Keller refuses to name cities, I can only come to one conclusion, KELLER LIED. He did not compare Albuquerque to any other city, and certainly not to anyone in state government. He pulled these extraordinary pay increases out of his ass, figuring no one would question him.
Well we did and he refused to answer. So much for transparency in the Keller administration. He is no different than R.J. Berry. Not so good for you Albuquerque.
We know he couldn’t have compared the salaries to any one in New Mexico state government because Governor Lujan Grisham just announced that she is giving her entire inner circle (24 cabinet members) 17 percent pay raises. Moving their salaries from $128,000 to $150,000 (KRQE report). Clearly Keller, through his spokesman, didn’t know what the governor was paying her cabinet secretaries.
Keller’s raises eclipse the raises the governor’s cabinet secretaries are now making.
Albuquerque Police Chief Mike Geier, $27,000 pay raise, now earning $187,000.
Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair, a $20,000 pay raise, now earning $190,000.
Albuquerque Fire Chief Paul Dow, a $18,000 pay raise, now earning $150,000.
Albuquerque Chief Operating Officer, $18,000 pay raise, now earning $185,000.
(KOAT)
Remember this, if Keller would have compared Albuquerque to other cities, he would have to figure in that Albuquerque has a very low cost of living in comparison. His inner staff are now the one-percenters of Albuquerque. Thanks to a mayor who believes he doesn’t have to be accountable to taxpayers for the use of our money.
Kellers’ gigantic pay raises for his staff come at the same time he is offering peanuts for the thousands of other city workers. Mayor Marie Antoinette is now running our city. Those city workers who are at the poverty level with very low salaries, let them eat cake!
Do you believe Keller’s inner circle deserves these pay raises? After having crime spiral out of control, do we really want to keep Geier as police chief? Albuquerque is the largest police department in New Mexico, yet the New Mexico State Police have had to come to Albuquerque to save us. That certainly should make us wonder if the pay is based upon merit or friendship.
Now Keller wants AFR (Albuquerque Fire Rescue) to start billing citizens to pay for their response to your car crash, so Keller can hire more AFR employees. Don’t our tax dollars already pay for this? Aren’t there specific public safety taxes, like the one Keller signed (breaking a campaign promise), to pay for APD and AFR? Where has all that public safety tax money gone?
I would ask the city council this question, but they are too busy holding PR, re-election, press conferences on Central Avenue telling us we are all safer because there are more bicycle cops working on four days, for ten hours.
Kellers’ slogan, OneAlbuquerque, is a hidden message to his high paid staff.
OneAlbuquerque, Kellers’ inner circle is the one-percent in Albuquerque and they don’t answer to anyone.
Mayor Keller, I will try one more time, please tell us who you compared these salaries too. Or our you too high and mighty to tell the taxpayer how you are spending their money?
