Mayors, including Chavez, Meet With Obama

Mayor Martin Chavez spent about 30 minutes with President-elect Barack Obama and about a dozen other mayors this morning (Jan. 8). The topic: “I think it was about 40 percent policy and 60 percent football,” Chavez joked in a phone interview.

Chavez, of course, was there at the request of Obama’s transition team, which is crafting an economic-stimulus package that could provide billions to cities across the country. The mayor was part of a group meeting with Obama’s incoming budget team.

Whether Albuquerque will get funding for solar-power plants, a streetcar system and other projects is unclear.

“The jury is still out,” the mayor said.