Lass Supporters Target Block on Web
      Journal Staff Report Tuesday,
             October 28, 2008 (Albuquerque Journal)

     Democratic supporters of Rick Lass, the Green Party nominee for northern New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission seat, have released two Internet videos using satire — and old music — to go after Democratic candidate Jerome Block Jr.
      “When the clock strikes one, two o'clock, there's gonna be another scandal from Jerome Block,” sings Santa Fe performer Jim Terr to the tune of Bill Haley's old rock 'n' roll hit, “Rock Around the Clock.”
      As headlines from newspaper articles about Block go by on the screen, Terr sings about Block “paying some band that hadn't really shown” — a reference to Block misreporting a $2,500 campaign payment to country-western group that includes San Miguel County Clerk Paul Maez (the county's top election official) for a campaign rally performance that never took place.
      “Falsified payments, fake reports, around these parts that's all in sport,” Terr sings.
      Block and his campaign spokesman did not return calls and an e-mail from the Journal seeking reaction. The ads by Democrats for Lass are the first video salvos of the increasingly high-profile PRC race.
      The Secretary of State's Office has proposed that Block pay $11,000 in fines and return $10,000 in taxpayer-financed public campaign money for violation of campaign finance rules.
      The second ad uses the old Brenda Lee hit “I'm Sorry” as a soundtrack as various people — including former state Democratic Party chairman Earl Potter and former long-time Democratic state Rep. Max Coll of Santa Fe — say that they are “sorry” but that they support the Green Party's Lass over Democrat Block.
      Bernie Logue Y Perea, who organized the Democrats For Rick Lass PAC, said he, Potter and Terr wanted go after Block “in a fun way” with the videos.
      Block has accused Democrats for Lass of violating campaign finance laws because of contributions of as much as $2,000 that were made to the PAC.
      Block cited a state statute that limits candidates from accepting more than $500 from a “person.” But Potter has noted the PAC is not bound by the same rules as a candidate.
      The PAC's videos have been posted on YouTube and on the Democrats for Lass Web site, dems4lass.com