Poking the Bear: A Lesson I Learned at 22 That Stansbury and Keller Never Did.
Per Senator Heinrich's August 12, 2022, press release:
"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), and City of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller are welcoming $11,466,938 in federal investments from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to construct a mile-long, multi-use urban trail through the heart of Downtown Albuquerque. This is part of the city's larger Albuquerque Rail Trail project."
The release closes with:
"New Mexico Congressional Democrats sent a letter to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg supporting the City of Albuquerque's FY2022 RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant application."
Representative Stansbury celebrated the $11.4 million she claimed to have secured for Mayor Keller's Rail Trail project.
But Stansbury doesn't get it. Being hyper-partisan when your party is out of power in Washington is political malpractice. Publicly taunting President Trump was guaranteed to have consequences.
While Stansbury was waving her protest sign at Trump during his Congressional Address, the rest of New Mexico's delegation—and Albuquerque's political leadership—were cringing. They all wondered: what will her antics cost Albuquerque?
They didn't have to wait long for the answer.
- July 5, 2025 – Mayor Keller declared Albuquerque a "Sanctuary City" as part of his reelection strategy—picking a fight with Trump.
- August 5, 2025 – The Trump DOJ released its "List of Sanctuary Jurisdictions." Albuquerque was the only New Mexico city on it.
- September 11, 2025 – The DOT notified Albuquerque that the Rail Trail project no longer aligned with federal objectives, and the $11.4 million grant was revoked.
Why did Stansbury and Keller poke President Trump? Ego. And now Albuquerque taxpayers are paying the price.
The Lesson They Never Learned
Their mistake reminded me of one I made at 22, just months out of college. I was a project engineer on what would be a $50 million job in today's dollars. During a major concrete placement, I mocked the inspector in front of twenty men. Everyone laughed nervously, and the inspector still allowed the pour.
By the time I returned to the office, the carpenter general foreman, Billy Thomas, was waiting. He chewed me up one side and down the other. I reflected, realized he was right, and fifteen minutes later I apologized—to Billy and to the inspector, Bob Lourey.
That humility—and the lessons I learned over the next year—led to my promotion to Project Superintendent, responsible for fifty men.
Stansbury and Keller never learned that lesson in their twenties. Today, Albuquerque is footing the bill for their failure to understand one simple truth: you don't poke the bear.
