Contact information
To protest the city's decision to exclude The SCORE from its mailing list, contact city manager Jim Payne at 891-5001 or by clicking here to send him an e-mail. Be sure to change the subject line in each e-mail so that it must be read and deleted individually.
Publisher's statement
Here is the text of remarks made by Eric Maddy, publisher of The SCORE, to the Rio Rancho Governing Body on Feb. 13:
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
Mr. Mayor, councilors, city staff and members of the public:
Good evening. My name is Eric Maddy. I reside and operate the state’s first totally on-line community newspaper as a home business from 601 Emerald Drive in Vista Hills.
Who says so?
The state of New Mexico does. Governor Bill Richardson’s office sends me news releases, as does the New Mexico Environment Department. My site has a direct link from New Mexico Magazine. And the Taxation and Revenue isn’t forgetting to send me notices about paying Gross Receipts taxes that go back to the city of Rio Rancho.
Sandoval County seems to think so. They send me news release and share their “County Lines” column with me just like they do other local media outlets.
The Rio Rancho Public Schools includes me on their official distribution list, as do both major political parties, athletic teams from around the area … the list goes on.
And even the city clerk’s office does. They have issued a license that describes my business as an “online newspaper,” as you can see by the copy I have passed out.
Unfortunately, two people in this city’s government don’t recognize these facts.
Almost than 110,000 hits and more than 2,200 unique viewers in less than four months of operation hasn’t convinced them. Neither did these media credentials from organizations ranging from the United Sates Secret Service to the New Mexico Scorpions.
The city charter authorizes the governing body to make policy and hire a city manager, then lets that city manager hire employees to execute those policies.
But in this case a staff member is setting policy by not including my publication on the city’s media distribution list. I believe this decision is based in part on a situation four years ago when in another capacity I was obligated to report on something that didn’t reflect well on his supervisor at the time.
Do you want city employees to act that way?
It took me seven phone calls to schedule an appointment with the city manager to discuss this issue. The first thing I was told was I was “I think you know our position.” If I had, I wouldn’t have made seven phone calls and driven 10 miles for a meeting that lasted about two minutes.
Do you want the city to treat new business that way?
Given this city’s recent problems with the state open meetings act, and statements by this council and the mayor saying that issues like SAD-7 could have been better communicated to the public, I’m surprised the city wouldn’t avail itself to every form of mass media possible in order to convey its message.
Do you want to limit your opportunity to inform the public by having your representatives act this way?
I hoped this issue could be resolved privately, but it has not. By speaking tonight I am simply following the city’s organizational chart which starts with the staff at the bottom, the Governing Body and mayor in the middle and the people at the top.
I’m not asking for anything special – just to be treated like other media outlets that cover this government. The only thing it would cost the city is a few seconds to add my name to an e-mail address book.
Having been unsuccessful in my efforts so far, I’m appealing to the ultimate boss, the citizens of Rio Rancho. I ask them this question: Do you believe there should be fair and equal access for all media, no matter their format? If so, I urge you to go to www.The-SCORE.info to find out how you can protest this arbitrary and capricious decision.
I thank you for your time.
Eric Maddy
Publisher,
The Sandoval County Online Reporting Enterprise
Site: http://www.The-SCORE.info
E-mail: Publisher@The-SCORE.info
Mobile: 505-304-1265
Office: 505-994-4205
