Governor Jay Nixon may be about to lose a cabinet appointee. Nixon’s choice for Economic Development Director, Linda Martinez, has had her confirmation hearing held up in the Senate. While several issues are causing Senator’s concern, The Source has found a new issue which may derail the process completely.
Linda Martinez is a Saint Louis lawyer in the Bryan Cave law firm. She has represented companies seeking state tax credits in the past. Now, she will be responsible for handing those credits out. The potential conflict of interest may be too big to ignore, and has caused her nomination to stall, despite her claims she will recuse herself when needed.
Now, The Source has found evidence that Martinez has taken state tax breaks herself to rehabilitate a condo she owns. Martinez owns the Paristyle Lofts building in Saint Louis. She and several partners set up a development company, Porfidio, LLC to fix up the lofts. Porfidio, LLC then applied for, and received, almost $1.4 million dollars in state tax credits. To our knowledge, Martinez had not revealed this to the Senate committee considering her nomination.
It should be noted that most of Nixon’s nominees have and will sail through the Senate with little opposition. This despite the overwhelming Republican majority. Republicans are clearly giving Nixon the benefit of the doubt on his choices, which makes the hold up and questions about Martinez even more significant.
Linda Martinez is the perfect candidate for Missouri's Economic Development Director - a creative and tenacious consensus builder who can work with stakeholders across the spectrum - exactly what is needed in these tough economic times.
Martinez has been an ardent and successful advocate of public/private economic development in Missouri throughout her 25+ years at the Bryan Cave law firm in St. Louis. And, she is someone with the credibility and proven ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats.
Missouri, like the rest of the country, is in an economic crisis. Missourians (Republicans and Democrats alike) should be grateful that Martinez is willing to go to Jefferson City to put her expertise and talents to work for the State.
Martinez has been unfairly criticized by the GOP for her participation in a challenge to an illegal Valley Park immigration ordinance. I was involved in this lawsuit, along with the clinic attorneys from St. Louis University Law School, the Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, and the Bryan Cave pro bono committee. The heart of this case was pro-business. The challengers were small business owners and landlords in Valley Park who successfully resisted regulation that illegally (and unrealistically) charged them with immigration law enforcement. The plaintiffs in this case were not immigrants and the case in no way supported illegal immigration. Judge Barbara Wallace of the St. Louis County Court agreed that the ordinance exceeded the powers of the City of Valley Park and the City was forced to revise its ordinance.
If we are to address the serious economic crisis in Missouri, we have to put old politics aside and engage in the new politics of collaboration. Together, we can succeed. Divided, we will fail. And, we cannot afford to fail.
Karen Tokarz
Charles Nagel Professor of Public Interest Law and Public Service
Director, Dispute Resolution Program
Washington University School of Law
One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
Office: 314.935.6414, Cell: 314.422.0354
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Posted by: Karen Tolkarz | February 01, 2009 at 07:50 PM