Jim Scarantino Departs New Mexico Watchdog
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I am moving onto other adventures. My wife and I have decided to seize an opportunity to enter early “aspirement”–the intentionally direct opposite of “retirement.” We have the coming year nearly booked: a month in Italy that begins by paying respects at the WWI battlefields where my grandfather–then only 16 years old–fought in the trenches; a month on the East Coast visiting family and big cities; I am singing with Opera Southwest in its October performances of Rossini’s “The Italian Girl in Algiers” and hopefully next March in “La Traviata”; lots and lots of hiking and backpacking, with the full length of the Continental Divide Trail as a goal; a couple weeks in Cuba with a friend posted to Havana by the State Department; and more activities than I can fit into this post.
New Mexico Watchdog will now be in the very able hands of Rob Nikolewski, whom I have come quickly to respect as a hard-driving, meticulous, impartial and inquisitive reporter of the highest standards. The Rio Grande Foundation will soon be looking to hire someone to take over my duties for the investigative reports that put us on the state and national journalistic maps. I have been honored to work with the Rio Grande Foundation since 2008 bringing to light stories about tax dollars misused and government run amok. Though I have been subjected to many personal attacks in retaliation for my reporting (some of them quite vicious), I am proud that no one has yet come forward with proof that we got any of the facts in our stories wrong (except for the caliber of Susana Martinez’ personal carry, which we quickly corrected). Getting the facts right is all that has mattered to me, and I believe we consistently hit that target.
With scant resources, we broke major stories on the state and national news fronts. We helped shape the debate about the Obama stimulus. We broke the news about “phantom Congressional districts” in the stimulus accounting that echoed through the halls of Congress and provided material for Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert. We relentlessly dug into New Mexico state investments, and have been credited with contributing to the State Investment Council reforms enacted earlier this year. We highlighted senseless costs of the Rail Runner, injected reality into Bill Richardson’s tall tales of New Mexico’s “Solar Valley,” and were the first to report on other issues we now see playing out in the state and federal elections.
We have been a generous and eager resource for traditional print and broadcast media. I have been privileged to get to know some of the outstanding journalistic professionals working in this state. I have been flattered every time they have featured our work in their own reporting and broadcasts. “Steal our stuff” has been our motto and it is not going to change. We are not in this to trump any other media outlet, but to inject more and more facts into the public debate and further New Mexicans’ knowledge about how their government works for or against them. That is not going to stop because I am at a cafe in Trieste or on a mountaintop in Montana.
Thank you for all your support, your tips, your friendship, your criticisms, and above all just for reading our work. Take it from here, Mr. Nikolewski. Adios and God bless.
Posted under News.
Tags: Jim Scarantino, New Mexico Watchdog
18 Comments For This Post So Far
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Errors of Enchantment » Jim Scarantino Departs New Mexico Watchdog
[...] Foundation. But I’m off to other adventures. My farewell from New Mexico Watchdog is here. Posted on September 22, 2010 at 12:41 pm by Jim Scarantino · Permalink In: Uncategorized [...]
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WatchBlog: New Mexico Watchdog Jim Scarantino Retires
[...] is an investigative reporter for the Rio Grande Foundation, operating our sister website New Mexico Watchdog. Jim has broken a ton of great stories revealing corruption in the administration of Democratic [...]
2:21 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Thanks for all your work for the Rio Grande Foundation and in getting the Watchdog site off the ground and skyrocketing it to national prominence! Enjoy your travels.
2:42 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Dude! When you get bored in Italy (where politics is not nearly as interesting as the Land of Enchantment) and Cuba (where you would have been put in jail a long time ago), come back and keep mixing it up.
Rock on!
dwt
2:58 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Jim… ‘thank you’ isn’t adequate for your efforts on behalf of Rio Grande Foundation, but ‘grazie’. I am now aspiring to ‘aspirement’… My first visit to Italy was in 2005… I think I left a part of me there and envy your travel plans. “io speranza per tu la dolce vita’” Ciao!
3:23 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Tante grazie, amico mio.
6:09 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Sorry to see you go. You’ve written some great articles in the last several years. You’ve also proven that life can be redeemed after decades of practising law (as I have also discovered).
6:30 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Thanx for all you’ve accomplished for a better NM. Best of luck in your new adventures!
7:17 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Well, what a bummer for me. I’ve grown to admire your integrity and I sincerely believe you have made a difference … not only to the RGF but for many other bloggers and ordinary folks who will reach for your hilltop in making this State a better place in which to live.
Take care and good luck to the two of you.
Chuck
P.S. Going to miss you a lot.
10:28 pm on September 22nd, 2010
You’ve done a fantastic job with the site, and I’m sorry to see you go. I hope you and your wife enjoy your travels and adventures. Keep in touch.
10:36 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Thank you for everything you have done for New Mexico.
It always makes a difference.
You will be missed, you were one of the sane voices in a world where crazy talk ruled the communications!
jk
11:50 pm on September 22nd, 2010
Jim,
We have come to rely on your facts from your days with the “Alibi” on through your outstanding work with “NMwatchdog”! We await your return to journalism.
3:23 pm on September 23rd, 2010
Jim,
It’s been a pleasure reading your great stories. I especially liked everything you’ve written about Charlene Knipfing and her corrupt administation. A little heads up she’s going to be let go when Suzanna Martinez over. Another heads up for your great journalism ” Their moving Joanne Parish” out of ACA and into a new created position within the Response Center” In case anyone is wondering who Joanne Parish is? She’s the one who instructed Region Manger Tim Olsen to falsify safety records for DOC.
No worries here Folk’s, because she won’t last there for very long because the new adminstration coming in has the tapes where she’s discussing everything on the safety records.
Adio’s Jim, we will miss you very much!
Thank You again for caring about corruption.
12:32 pm on September 25th, 2010
I’m really going to miss reading your stuff. You’ve been an incredible asset to the New Mexico world of journalism. The upcoming year you’ve planned out traveling the globe with your wife sounds so great and I wish you the best.
Carol Clark
8:48 am on September 26th, 2010
Jim,
I can’t thank you enough on running all the corruption scandals on paper.
I especially liked the NMCD Probation Parole links and Mary Herrera stories.
I personally think your blogs have started a trend of helping people report corruption. The Charlene Knipfings and David Jablonski’s within state government offices need to be aware a new administration is stepping in and you guys will be goners. Not sure who the Joanne Parish is? I guess she’s just another pawn in a pawnsy sceme? And now to my ultimate favorite ” Mary Herrrera” Girl Do Your Roots” LOL your true colors are starting to show
Missing you already ,
Jim
8:40 pm on September 29th, 2010
Enjoyed reading your stories. I hope the trend continues.
Good luck Jim!
2:10 pm on October 7th, 2010
Oh no! But so well deserved. I know we are going to enjoy great work from Mr. Nikolewski, because you wouldn’t leave the job except in the most capable hands.
Much good luck to you and your family in everything you do.
6:44 pm on October 7th, 2010
Jim,
I will miss your sense of humor both in person and on New Mexico in Focus.
All the best to you and your wife.
P.S. Try finding a green chile cheeseburger in Italy, my friend. You’ll be back!
Thomas