UNM's Government Affairs Director

In the Sunday Albuquerque Journal we hear protestations from the well-connected about how there is no such thing as being well-connected.  It' s all merit and good karma.   And it shows.  ::cough cough::

It's been a quick climb up the salary ladder for the University of New Mexico's politically connected government affairs director, who has been on the job for 20 months.  While the average UNM salary has increased by 7 percent since last March, Marc Saavedra's has jumped by nearly $45,000 or about 50 percent.

Too bad we don't have a tax increment development district on him.  That would pay for a lot of UNM infrastructure. 

Saavedra also said his raises had nothing to do with his father. "When your father is a powerful man, like my father, ... your entire life you grow up with everybody thinking that you just get everything because of your dad," he said. 

Son of powerful state Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra, D-Albuquerque, the younger Saavedra said the raise was due to his performance— not any influence by his father.  Saavedra's father is on many of the committees Saavedra lobbies.  The elder Saavedra has been in the Legislature since 1977. He is chairman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and a member of other key committees, including the Legislative Finance Committee, the New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee and the Capital Outlay Subcommittee.

UNM's  Executive Vice President David Harris has to do a lot of verbal two-stepping about where the UNM money goes and here he repeats that Saavedra's family connection had no effect on his hiring or salary.  How does that guy sleep at night?  He's got to be up all hours throwing meat to howling hungry lobos.   

Did you get the part about where Marc worked before? 

Saavedra, who holds a bachelor's degree, was deputy Metro Court administrator under Toby Martinez. He replaced Martinez in 2002, when Martinez was fired after his indictment on a domestic violence charge that was eventually dismissed. Martinez is one of the central defendants in the federal corruption prosecution involving the courthouse construction.

Comments

[Inky Ink, Inc.]

Damn! That's almost like Athletic Director money! And you might want to have that cough checked out.

[Grasshopper]

Geez, the word around the courthouse when this guy left unexpectedy was that he had been accused of rape. I was really shocked to see UNM pick him up..but it shouldn't be surprising after UNM picked up Billy Sparks, Richardson's crony and made a position for him.