PRESS RELEASE-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Albuquerque Tea Party Media Contact:

Rick Harbaugh, 1709 Indiana NE, Albuquerque,NM 87110

505.268.4731

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Date of Release: January 23, 2012

Damage Control Continues

 

Sheryl Williams Stapleton is still trying to justify her egregious behavior two months after her racist comments concerning our governor and three months after an expose by KRQE concerning unauthorized compensation from Albuquerque Public Schools. In addition to her public apologies at various times since early December to every breathing person in the Roundhouse, a letter to her constituents in District 19, and numerous defenses against Albuquerque Journal articles, she now has written an op-ed piece in the Journal dated January 23. In one paragraph of that article, Stapleton says she has apologized to the representative, her colleagues in the Legislature, her constituents, the public and the governor. In the next paragraph, she says, "I was the offended party when you consider all the smearing, accusations and denigrating of my character by KRQE." Do we see any remorse here? No. It is all just damage control while continuing to claim that she is the victim. How arrogant can one be?

 

Then, there is the issue of her being paid by APS while working for the Legislature. The average employee in a retail store works around 230-240 days a year. This figure is used after deducting about 10 days for holidays (assuming those days aren't worked) and a couple of weeks for annual vacation. If a person manages a small business, they will often work much more than 240 days a year. Public school administrators work about 10 months and with holidays work about 190 days a year. For the past several years, Representative Stapleton, with PAID days off from APS to work for the Legislature, was working around 100 days a year at her APS job with an annual pay approximately 30% higher than that of the average family of four in New Mexico. She was doing so in direct violation of the APS employee handbook during much of this time. Whether she is willing to admit it or not, that handbook represented a part of her employee contract with APS. She says she was doing nothing wrong. If that is so, why did Superintendent Brooks take it upon himself to change the rules in the handbook retroactively to support Stapleton? And, isn't it arrogance when a person knows she is in trouble for her behavior, and even while defending herself, continues the practice that is at the center of the controversy?

These episodes and her responses to them point to a flaw in character. At her core, Representative Stapleton with her exaggerated sense of self-importance, has serious character flaws and is not worthy to represent the constituents of District 19. No amount of damage control is going to make this issue go away.

  

 

 

The Debt Generation

 

 

  

       

  

  

 

 

We hope that you can play a big part in helping us realize our goals:

 

·Recruit and Educate New Candidates for 2012

·Elect a majority of Fiscal Conservatives in 2012 into the NM Legislature

·Influence the NM legislative process to result in Limited Government Spending and encourage Transparency in that Legislative Process

·Elect another Fiscally Conservative US Congressman and Senator

·Influence APS and Albuquerque City Council Policy

·Hold Elections with Integrity

·Sponsor Park Parties for Community Relations and Recruiting Volunteers

·Continue to Host our Signature April 15th Event

 

We made some in-roads in the 2010 election by electing 8 new members to the NM House of Representatives. However, we must continue our fight against progressives and elect even more fiscal conservatives in 2012. We are asking for your support in the way of funding and volunteer work, to completely turn the tide in our state and help our new governor 

 

"Take Back New Mexico!"

 

The Albuquerque Tea Party is planning and building for 2012 and we have to start now!

 

We cannot afford to sit back on our heels in an off-election year and have the forward momentum of 2010 be reduced to inaction!   

 

We have many goals for the upcoming year and into 2012.