Commentary: New Mexico District 51 Representative John Block, Has He Delivered on Promises Made?

When Representative New Mexico District 51, John Block announced his candidacy in 2021 for the office held, by then incumbent Rachael Black, Block promised a new era in politics delivering results for the people of Otero County. 

The question for Otero County constituents is how effective are our state legislators at crafting legislation and actually getting it passed and signed into law? How much of the legislation passed actually benefits Otero County residents? How much is actually constituent driven?  

Specific to our recent House members, the list of sponsored legislation actually drafted into law looks dismal.

In an article during the campaign against Mrs. Black featured in the Alamogordo Daily News, Block promised to end all state gross receipts taxes, to do away with double taxation, encourage affordable housing..."I will promote policies to drive tourism to Alamogordo and to strengthen the relationship between Alamogordo private industry and Holloman Air Force Base. I support any initiative to help our veterans, senior citizens, and small businesses."

Block stated in that interview he will "work around the clock to protect our Constitutional rights and to show up when constituents need me the most." 

Has John Block delivered on his promise of positive results and a significant improvement in results verses Mrs Black?

Let's look at a bit of history on Mr. Block, and a comparison of his legislative performance verses that of Rachael Black.

John Block is a newcomer to Otero County that had experience working for the liberal campaigns of Democratic Mayor Tim Keller and interned for Democratic US Senator Senator Martin Heinrich. 

According to articles published by PoliticalFireball.com, "Mr. Block comes from a family deep in Democratic activism. Per the article, “he comes from deep Democrat roots and is the cousin of former Democrat PRC Commissioner Jerome Block, who was sentenced after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of a state-issued credit card, embezzlement and election law violations. John Block’s uncle has also been in and out of jail for drug use and breaking the terms of his probation.”

Block had been active in liberal politics in Northern New Mexico and yet has attempted to reinvent himself in Otero County as a constitutional crusader that is ultra conservative and ultra MAGA and riding the coats of Trumpian ideology. His invention of the Pinon Post was his mouthpiece to propagate this newfound conservative theology he claims to have embraced. Block is not truly committed to conservative ideology he is an opportunistic individual that saw weakness in the candidate of Rachael Black who had upset the local Republican engines top leadership as a moderate. Block is smart enough to understand opportunism and Otero County with the antics of Couy Griffin opened the door for his arrival via a connection to Anissa Galacinni. 

Block is a product of New Mexico's "liberal public education" and the benefits it entailed, including minority scholarships and opportunities via liberal family connections. He benefited from what he terms as "New Mexico's socialist programs", yet he wants to cancel those programs going forward as shown by his actions last legislative session to kill New Mexico's Opportunity Scholarship as a result of a bill he sponsored. It got nowhere.

Block, who is vehemently antiabortion, and is in an LBGTQ relationship with ousted city commissioner Karl Melton, since being elected has attacked EQNM and advocacy group that pushed legislation legitimizing the relation of which he is in. In a post of propaganda by Block he refers to the EQNM Foundation as "EQNM (a far-left degeneracy activist group)".

As an out gay man, Representative John Block called for a straight pride parade, "So, is it time, New Mexico? Should we organize a “Straight Pride Parade” in Albuquerque to finally stand up to the irresponsible, wasteful, and degenerate city officials, hell-bent on forcing their agenda upon us? It’s about damn time New Mexicans stopped being walked all over by these sad excuses for elected officials and started fighting back through peaceful and practical measures. But at the end of the day, the most effective action is to vote these fools the hell out of office. We have had enough."

Does that create positive results and unify the community John Block represents?

The Legislative accomplishments of Rachel Black verses John Block...

Rachael Black sponsored and passed House Memorial 39 declaring Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and House Memorial 41 Declaring Fire Fighter Appreciation Day.  During the terms of 2021 and 2022 no legislation that was crafted by Black made it to the Governor for signature. She sponsored 15 bills and 7 resolutions and memorials.

Rachael Black cosponsored 10 pieces of legislation, resolutions and memorials. HB 13 teacher residency requirements bill was passed and signed into law by the governor. Black delivered more than $4.5 million in capital outlay to the City of Alamogordo and Otero County which funded local infrastructure, law enforcement and fire department projects in 2021 and about $6 Million in 2022.

John Block sponsored 23 bills in 2023 and cosponsored 6. Three Block sponsored bills were signed into law including HB 35 free access to cultural services for foster families, HB131 requiring insurance companies to cover prosthetics, HB232 Law Enforcement Disclosure Law. Mr. John Blocks success rate in sponsored legislation is 13% success ratio. 

He proposed bills to kill the Opportunity Scholarship, Repeal the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, limit the size of liquor bottles, make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion and a standards of care bill related to women's health.  

John Block cosponsored six bills none of the cosponsored bills made it to the house floor for consideration. 

The 2024 legislative session he has sponsored 11 bills so far...

Specific to Capital Outlay funds from the State Block claimed victory but voted against the funding. 

As reported by AlamogordoTownNews.com referencing HB505 Allocations of Capital Funds; the state budget signed by the Governor included more than $1 billion for local infrastructure projects throughout the state. Capital outlay funds are for the state’s 33 counties and its municipalities came via House Bill 505, totalling about $1.2 billion statewide. The bill was signed by the governor and enacted into law on April 7th, 2023.

Representative District 51, John Block issued a press statement issuing praise for his leadership for bringing nearly $3 Million back to his district in funding. While the money back to Otero County is applauded there is much that is left out of the statement by the representative. The fact is District 51 Representative, John Block voted against House Bill 505 which funded major projects within Otero County.

Thus technically, yes, the state allocated funds back to Otero County in greater amounts then years past. However, not with the vote of support from District 51 Representative John Block, as implied.

Representative Madrid whose district includes parts of Otero County to include Chaparral voted yes to HB 505, thus endorsing the allocation of funds to Otero County, New Mexico. 

Each local Senator voted yes for this legislation. 

Another fact is significant capital improvement money was also allocated to the Mescalero Apache Capital Projects, $3,690,000, The City of Tularosa Water Improvements, $2,500,000, New Mexico State University Alamogordo Campus Infrastructure, $1,000,000 and to the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, $1,870,000. The City of Alamogordo receives $1,237,000 for Alameda Park and Zoo improvements as well as funding for a chairlift at the police department, police vehicles and significant funding for irrigation at the golf course.

The total in Capital funding allocated to Otero County of which Mr. Block, voted NAY, is $14,251,075.

Looking at legislation proposed by Mr. Block and legislation sponsored by him to date. Has he made his promise "of promote policies to drive tourism to Alamogordo and to strengthen the relationship between Alamogordo private industry and Holloman Air Force Base. I support any initiative to help our veterans, senior citizens, and small businesses?" 

Not a single piece of legislation proposed by him to date has helped Alamogordo small businesses nor strengthen the relationship between Alamogordo private industry and Holloman Air Force Base

A 13% success rate is sports would get Mr. Block benched.  Mr. Block is quick to grab the headlines with bills that will never pass such as impeachment of the governor. While those make awesome coffee table talking points and bring media attention. They don't deliver on promises of effective leadership for Otero County in the Roundhouse. 

Stay tuned to the 2024 session and let's see what actually gets accomplished to benefit Otero County.

(Note: Mr. Block typically strikes back at this news service when we issue a commentary that is critical or negative of his performance. He has gone so far as to purchase a URL that redirects people to a story that is critical of this commentator. That URL branding grab is a trademark violation and just a slimy political retaliatory ploy. Given Block's political family connections which have a history of legal run ins, we are not surprised by his action, commit a questionable act to deflect and point out our past legal issues as a retaliatory tactic. The attorney general’s office has been made aware. All is fair in love and war, as they say.)

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