Applauding Unethical Behavior

If you were reading the Tribune today, you would have learned that:

At its first meeting since being formed May 3, the Governor's Task Force on Ethics Reform picked four key areas it wants to attack to restore the public's trust in government.

And you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that one of those key areas is enforcement and prevention:

The state lacks a way to enforce ethics violations, panelists said. They want to compare and contrast different ways to enforce ethic violations, as well as how to pay for such enforcement.

Ok, let me give the prevention part a shot...

Here it is. I'm thinking that the task force could start by suggesting to Governor Richardson and Attorney General Patricia Madrid that publicly praising and applauding those with a history of ethical violations sends the wrong message:

Embattled District Judge Larry Ramirez received a warm reception this weekend from a group of Democrats that included Gov. Bill Richardson.

During a fundraiser in Las Cruces for Patricia Madrid, who is trying to unseat Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., Richardson was acknowledging people in the crowd. A source tells me he heaped some extremely generous praise on Ramirez and his accomplishments, and the approximately 60 people in attendance broke out in applause to honor the Las Cruces children's court judge.

I wonder which aspect of Judge Ramirez's sexual harassment trials and tribulations the crowd was applauding? Last I checked, most folks consider sexual harassment to be unethical behavior.

I'm Going to Be Sick

How fast is New Mexico spending our hard earned tax money? Check out the spend-o-meter.

What Do You Think?

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Exactly Where Did It Go?

Education spending has been increased year after year during the Richardson administration without the slightest improvement in student performance. And now we have this (subscription):

Santa Fe and Gadsden school districts plan to cut dozens of teaching positions. Moriarty may have to close an elementary school in 2007. And tiny Mosquero Municipal Schools in Harding County is one of about 15 mostly small, rural districts relying on state emergency funding to get by.

It's too early to tell whether there will be more financially strapped districts next year than in past years. But some say making ends meet has become a bigger problem in recent years.

Hmm, I wonder where all that taxpayer money went?

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Dr. J.R. Damron has finally taken off the gloves in his campaign against Governor Bill Richardson. In a press conference today, he said what every New Mexican is thinking:

Good afternoon. I'm J.R. Damron, and I'm here today to prescribe a solution for ending the corruption and scandals that are running amok in our state government.

For the last three and a half years, New Mexico has had to endure the most corrupt administration in our state's history.

In the courthouse across the street, the trial for the worst scandal in our state government's history just played out.

Pay to play, abuse of power, and cronyism have become just the way we do things in New Mexico.

Multiple Richardson administration officials have had to resign in disgrace.

Friends, you can be blind or you can turn a blind eye, but the most hands-on governor we've ever had can't use either of those excuses.

Whether by fear and intimidation, or rampant nepotism, this governor and his cronies are conducting the state's business - the people's business - in an irresponsible and dishonest manner.

And that's a leadership problem.

I find it strange that this administration has to look to another task force to find its ethics. It's been my experience that if you have to look outside for something, you probably didn't have it at home in the first place!

Strong ethics are the backbone of good government, not something you make up as you go along.

We must seek to bring more transparency in general to government by opening more meetings and documents to the public.

Pay to play and cronyism are games that must stop.

The Governor has established an ethics task force to study what new laws or regulations may be passed. And there are steps that should be taken to restore higher ethical standards to our state government and discourage corruption. These include:

*Enforcing a rigorous merit-based system of hiring qualified state and political appointees and implementing a thorough vetting process.

*Implementing a standing nonpartisan ethics commission. We are one of only a few states that doesn't have one.

*The commission should hold open public meetings and make recommendations to the legislature and the governor on a codified, regulated Standard Code of Conduct for all State Employees and officials.

*Ethics training, education and counseling must be made available to all state employees and be made mandatory for all state employees and political appointees who have a fiduciary or procurement responsibility.

But laundry lists of new ethics guidelines or laws are not a magic bullet. Every time an official violates the law or behaves in an unethical manner, the first impulse is to pass more new laws. But the bottom line is that ethics mean nothing to unethical people, and new laws are meaningless if the current ones are not being enforced.

Ethics laws mean nothing when those who violate them are not held accountable for their actions. And if the people do not demand that their top elected officials, such as the Governor and the Attorney General, be held accountable, no one else will.

The best and most important way to ensure our government operates in the highest ethical manner is to elect honest officials.

The headlines from over the past year show just how endangered democracy is in New Mexico. It is embedded with corruption and unethical officials at virtually all levels of government, all the way up to the Fourth Floor of the Roundhouse.

Our governor demonstrates his lack of ethical standards all too clearly, even in the legislation he chooses to sign or veto.

Let me ask you, what kind of governor --- what kind of man - saddles the most vulnerable of our state with a $3200 a year bed tax, and then uses taxpayer money to buy a new $5 million jet?

What kind of man spends half a million dollars trying to get a pro-football team, but vetoes money for homeless children?

How is it that this governor couldn't find $7,000 for school library books for our kids, even with a $1.4 billion surplus?

Not the kind of governor who puts New Mexicans first.

And here's a headline I threw in just for fun. "Governor pays $200,000 for new ideas."

Well here's an idea, how about electing an honest and ethical governor to lead New Mexico.

It's time to put New Mexicans FIRST. It's time to make the state's opaque government as transparent as possible in order to protect their best interests. And it's time to throw out corrupt, dishonest officials and replace them with people who have a track record of honesty and integrity.

I couldn't agree with you more Dr. Damron.

Cafeteria Politicians

Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez chimes in on the immigration debate (subscription):

Chavez said the United States must control its borders. "We are a nation of laws," he said. But most people who come here illegally "are not breaking other laws. ... There is a very small element engaged in illegal activity."

You are either a law breaker or you're not. How is it our politicians think it is okay to pick and choose which laws are followed? You can't say we need to control our borders and at the same time say we need to recognize the rights of illegal immigrants. Pick one side of the issue Mayor Chavez. Just remember, it is the immigrants who are following the rules who suffer when you let the illegals jump to the front of the line.

Oh, and to Mayor Chavez and everyone else who advocates that:

As part of the answer, he said, "we need to engage in activity that helps Mexico develop its economy. ... To the extent that we can engage in activity that helps develop a robust economy, fewer people will come here."

If Mexico wants U.S. taxpayer money to help them develop a robust economy, maybe they should begin the process to become the 51st state.

Prohibition Tactics

When it comes to DWI, I believe we should throw the book at offenders. However, this is just bizarre (subscription):

Some Downtown Albuquerque bar owners are angry at what they say is stepped-up state law enforcement, with agents asking patrons to step outside and take a breath-alcohol test.

But agents do that only to build a case against bar owners who serve underage drinkers and overserve adults, according to Peter Olson, a state Department of Public Safety spokesman.

State officials insist agents are not randomly testing patrons, as has been reported.

Billy Baldwin, president of the New Mexico Hospitality Retail Association, a group of bar owners, said it seems as if agents have ramped up their methods in recent months - and increased their presence in general around taverns in Albuquerque and across the state.

What is most troubling about this article is that the citizens who tried to videotape the agents were arrested. How is it that the government can videotape us as we drive on the city streets, but we can't videotape agents harassing bar patrons? Yeah, that makes sense.

I Can't Believe It

I'm in shock. Total disbelief. Absolutely dumbfounded. No, I'm not talking about the judge's decision to declare a mistrial in Robert Vigil's case. I'm talking about this gem of a statement (subscription) from Attorney General Patricia Madrid:

Attorney General Patricia Madrid said her call for Vigil's resignation last year was not premature. Vigil resigned in October as lawmakers were considering whether to impeach him.

No, it wasn't premature... It was OVERDUE!

"At the time I called for Vigil's resignation he was the sitting state treasurer and he had been indicted on very serious charges,'' she said. "Resignation was the appropriate course of action.''

Yes, he had been indicted on very serious charges. However, what is important to note is that he was not indicted by you or anyone in your office. Oh, and does everyone remember the sweetheart deal that Attorney General Madrid and Governor Richardson were advocating for Mr. Vigil at the time?

Calls for impeaching state Treasurer Robert Vigil grew louder Thursday after the state Supreme Court rejected a request from Gov. Bill Richardson and Attorney General Patricia Madrid that would have allowed Vigil to temporarily step down with pay and have a gubernatorial appointee run the office.

Kind of reminds you of the retirement package Madrid's colleague, Mr. Serna, just received, doesn't it?

Madrid also said she would review the testimony of several prosecution witnesses for any violation of state laws. She noted Garcia is to go on trial next month on state securities fraud charges she brought before Vigil's arrest.

Now she is going to finally take an interest in determining if any state laws were broken. Good grief! And what's that nonsense she tries to spin regarding Angelo Garcia going to trial on state securities fraud charges next month? The reality is that if Mrs. Madrid had upheld the law while Messrs. Montoya and Garcia were busy lining their pockets, senior citizens would not have been bilked of their life savings.

Do You Know Who I Am?

In 2006, fear, intimidation and harassment appear to be sanctioned tactics for Richardon administration appointees. First, you had the strong arm approach of state Tourism Department marketing director Jon Hendry:

Paulette De La Pascal, who represents filmmaker/producer Christopher Coppola, says state Tourism Department marketing director Jon Hendry told her that Coppola's company would have trouble hiring union workers if it didn't support House Bill 358, currently moving through the Legislature.

Hendry is also the business agent for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 480.

Hendry's actions ultimately resulted in his resignation. Just days after the Hendry incident, the Department of Labor announced it was auditing the NM Republican Party. Secretary of Labor Conroy Chino claimed it was a random computer generated audit:

New Mexico's Department of Labor has ordered what it calls a routine audit of the state GOP, but Republicans suspect politics as the reason for putting them on notice.

A state computer randomly selects 200 to 250 businesses each quarter for audits to determine if they are complying with unemployment insurance laws, said state Labor Secretary Conroy Chino.

However, Chino was later forced to admit that there was nothing at all random about this audit:

Administration officials denied [targeting the GOP], saying at first that a computer program randomly chose the Republican Party among more than 200 New Mexico operations selected for audits in the first quarter. The department later said the GOP was chosen by a tax examiner but that the selection was"not one bit political"

Now you have Environment Secretary Ron Curry harassing small businesses that refuse to serve him after hours.

Miyazaki [restaurant owner] said Curry and his girlfriend [state Sen. Cynthia Nava, D-Las Cruces] arrived at the restaurant after closing time, expecting to be seated.

He said Curry became angry, threw his business card on a counter, asked staff members if they knew who he was and threatened to shut down the restaurant.

Next thing you know the restaurant is being buried in citations, and what does the department spokesman have to say about the "coincidence:"

Adam Rankin, a spokesman for the department, said New Mexico restaurants are inspected annually and Mix Pacific Rim wasn't singled out.

Right, just like the Labor Department audit was computer generated.

Update: It seems that in the case of the environment department this inspection may have actually been a coincidence. In which case, it would just mean that Envirnonment Secretary Ron Curry just used extremely bad judgement without regard to how his actions could be perceived. I encourage you to read more here.

What's Good for the Gov is Good for the Gander

Back in March, Larry Barker did a two-part investigative series on Governor Richardson's misuse of taxpayer dollars to reward supporters with cushy jobs for which they were unqualified. Well, it seems the Governor's practice has had an interesting ripple effect:

Chino confirms that his wife's sister's husband was hired as a low-level employee for the DOL during his tenure but that he had no involvement.

"He applied like everyone else and got the job on his own merit," Chino says.

You've got to love that last statement. Mr. Chino, is your wife's sister's husband qualified in the same way an investigative reporter is qualified to be named Secretary of Labor? Because as near as I can tell, that doesn't seem to be working out to well.

Shall I recap for you?

There was that politically motivated audit of the state GOP that went absolutely nowhere.

A New Mexico Department of Labor audit of the state Republican Party's payroll records found no discrepancies in wages reported by the party.

The GOP also complied with reporting requirements under laws covering unemployment insurance, the department announced Monday.

State Republican Party executive director Marta Kramer has said she believed the audit stems from the administration of Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson.

Administration officials denied that, saying at first that a computer program randomly chose the Republican Party among more than 200 New Mexico operations selected for audits in the first quarter. The department later said the GOP was chosen by a tax examiner but that the selection was"not one bit political"

Of course, we can't forget Mr. Chino's brilliant decision to fire all the TANF employees and hire his own cronies to manage the program, and the result of that decision:

SFR also learned this week that Human Services has decided to shift TANF's central New Mexico subcontract with DOL over to New Mexico State University during the next fiscal year.

Human Services spokeswoman Betina Gonzales McCracken says the shift is primarily due to new, stricter federal requirements that now govern the program, though she acknowledges "bumps in the road" regarding DOL's handling of TANF.

The cronyism way of governing may be good for the governor, and may be good for his appointees, but it sure as heck isn't good for the taxpayers of New Mexico.

Peas in a Pod

Ahhh... now it is all clear. There was a really good reason that Attorney General Patricia Madrid never investigated indicted Treasurers Vigil or Montoya. She was too busy learning from them to bring up charges:

Lawyers, some with firms that represent the state in lawsuits, were another major source of contributions to Madrid's committee, which is separate from a campaign committee financing her bid for Wilson's seat. Lawyers with a San Diego law firm contributed $95,500 to Justice for America. The individual contributions ranged from $500 to $18,500. The firm has a contract with the state for legal action over securities fraud and investment losses.

Apparently, she also learned an awful lot from Eric Serna during those years when she co-chaired Con Alma with him:

Among the top donors to the PAC were Stanley Fulton, owner of the Sunland Park racetrack and casino, who contributed $100,000 in August. That accounted for a fifth of the committee's fund-raising during the past year. Fulton gave $25,000 to Madrid's committee in January 2005.

And what did Mr. Fulton get in return? According to the New Mexico GOP:

Suspiciously, three months after Fulton's 2005 donation, Madrid released an advisory letter to Fulton's business rivals informing them that their proposed services agreement with Dona Ana County to open a competing casino was possibly illegal. It appears that in return for the $125,000 Fulton gave to Madrid's committee, Madrid conveniently opposed a rival casino plan - a plan Stan Fulton had been fighting against tooth and nail.

I think they have laws against that. Can someone check with the Attorney General's office? Maybe we'll get to see Patricia Madrid announce an investigation, and wheel boxes of papers out of her own office to investigate. You know, another one of those conveniently long investigations.

The Road to National ID

I'm a little pressed for time this morning, so I'll wait until tonight to do a more indepth analysis of the President's speech. However, there was one point that made me a little uncomfortable:

A key part of that system should be a new identification card for every legal foreign worker. This card should use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-proof. A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law - and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.

At first glance that sounds like a good idea. However, let's think this through. The only way this works is to require everyone in the country - legal and illegal - to have one of these new biometric cards, and I'm not sure I like that idea.

Not a Backbone Among Them

What's the role of New Mexico's Attorney General? I know that's not an easy question to answer. The attorney general's website tells us:

As New Mexico’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, the protection of New Mexicans is a priority of Attorney General Madrid’s administration.

However, those words ring hollow. Instead of protecting New Mexicans, Patricia Madrid spent a great deal of her time - and our money - creating self-promoting commercials under the guise of attacking the Payday Loan industry. How do we know this was just a ruse to build name identification? Well, you didn't hear a peep out of her when it was uncovered that Governor Richardson jetsets as a frequent guest of the Payday Loan industry, did you? Nope.

As usual, when it is politically inconvenient, she holds her tongue. Worse than holding her tongue was spending eight years turning a blind eye and letting political corruption flourish in New Mexico. What New Mexico needs now is an attorney general with a backbone who is willing to lead the charge to clean house of corrupt elected officials.

Unfortunately, an article in today's Albuquerque Journal (subscription) makes it clear that not one of the Democratic candidates for attorney general have the anatomy necessary to stop business as usual in New Mexico:

King, for instance, would create a government corruption division in the attorney general's office; Martinez says he would promptly investigate possible corruption cases but would avoid witch hunts; and Zamora would push for creation of an independent ethics commission.

Mr. King, we don't need another division of government. We need leadership. Mr. Martinez, you haven't even been elected, and you're already making up his reasons not to investigate. We're tired of lame excuses coming out of the attorney general's office. Mr. Zamora, you have obviously been a student of your benefactor, Governor Richardson. The problem is that we don't want more task forces or commisions. We want action.

It is time for an attorney general who will fight corruption. It is time for an attorney general who will not shy away from battle. It is time for an attorney general who will the war. We need to elect Jim Bibb.

New Mexico's Own Dan Rather

If you're a politician, it's very helpful to have friends in the press. You know, people you can count on when you need to get your story out. Of course, sometimes that relationship gets a little too cozy.

Now, I'm just a blogger. Yeah, I wrote a few articles for my high school newspaper, and even took a journalism class at NYU, but it was freshman year, and there sure were a lot of distractions. So, I don't consider myself a journalist. It's ok for me to be biased. That's what blogging is all about. These are my opinions. Take them, or leave them - it's okay.

However, what happens when a reporter forgets their role? When they forget to be an unbiased observer, and jump into the fray with both feet? A reporter who stops observing the news, and starts becoming "a source." No, I'm not talking about all of those media pros that hired on with the Governor. I'm talking about a reporter that is still on the payroll with our major newspaper, but seems to have forgotten his role:

Did Mayor Marty call R's "rich folks?" Apparently yes, but not at that GOP breakfast that we blogged about yesterday. That's the word from those there, including veteran ABQ Journal city hall reporter Jim Ludwick who does not have a dog in the fight. "Joe, he never made any comment about Republicans being "a rich folks party with rich folks goals," as the GOP news release indicated. The news release was incredibly misleading. I said (to the GOP) I had been at the breakfast and I know Chavez had not made the statements they quoted. Their reply was that Chavez had made the remark on a previous occasion. I asked when it had happened, and I was told that they don't know."

Thanks Jim.

Well, if you read the rest of that Monahan post from last summer, you'll learn Mayor Chavez did actually make that ridiculous statement - although not at that breakfast. You'll also see Monahan's bias come through loud and clear. But, it's okay for Joe to be biased because he is after all just a political consultant/blogger. He is not a reporter. However, what is Jim Ludwick, a veteran reporter for the Journal, doing defending Mayor Chavez? Wasn't that the role of the well-paid campaign spokesperson? Was this just a one-time slip for Ludwick, or did he do it again?

I'm afraid it's the latter. Whitney Cheshire has some pretty interesting observations on that front (yes, she is also a political consultant/blogger, so bias is okay). The only thing Whitney fails to note is that the slanted Journal article she references was written by veteran reporter Jim Ludwick. Her point about all political hacks knowing that Greg Payne was supporting Chavez is absolutely true. So, it's hard to believe that a veteran Journal reporter would not have the same inside scoop.

Ok, let's be fair. Ludwick's two gaffs were in July in the heat of a campaign. He obviously just got caught up in the moment. He is only human. I'm sure he is not a reporter with an agenda. Then again, how do you explain this:

In the same edition of the Journal, there's another mention of Angelo Garcia. This one is buried on page D1, below the fold, in Jim Ludwick's column of assorted miscellany, "Reporter's Notebook." In case you missed it, Garcia, the "bag man" hosted a fundraiser for Martin Chavez at his home just five weeks ago. And in case you missed the point, "Reporter's Notebook" is where stories are assigned to die.

That's right "Section D." This was the hottest story at the time, and it landed in "Section D." Looks like Mr. Ludwick has some friends in the editorial department who share his bias. So, what kind of Ludwick story ends up on the front page (subscription)?

City Councilor Brad Winter is facing an ethics complaint over help he received from the Republican Party during last year's mayoral campaign.

The complaint, filed with the Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices by a campaign volunteer for Mayor Martin Chavez, says Winter's relationship with the party was inappropriate and was not properly disclosed on campaign finance reports.

"During the campaign, I received lots of mail at my house," Brusca said. "When I saw what was going on, it upset me greatly. ... It was no longer a nonpartisan campaign.

Based on Ludwick's and the Journal's track record this article is just a little too conveniently timed to counterbalance the ethics-reform legislation that Brad Winter is introducing at Monday's council meeting. You know, the reform legislation Winter's promised the voters during his campaign. You've got to love it. A politician doing exactly what he promised to do.

The problem is that with Vigil on trial, and Riordan and Garcia's close ties to the Governor and Mayor, Winter's quick move to action on ethics reform is making the Democrats look pretty bad. My guess is that the strategy they devised to counter Winter's straightforward approach is going to backfire. You see, they picked on the wrong guy. Heck, even the Alibi noted that "[the one thing] everyone seems to agree on is that Winter is impeccably honest."

Now maybe it's just me, but it sure does seem that Mr. Ludwick and the Journal are beginning to look very Ratheresque.

Should Have Given More Money

According to campaign reports, Presbyterian Healthcare gave $75,000 to Governor Richardson. So what happens if you are a business in the State of New Mexico, and you don't pony up enough money to the Governor or other political "leaders" campaign efforts:

Gov. Bill Richardson and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez said Tuesday state and city officials will co-chair a task force formed to "open communication" between the Lovelace health system and New Mexico citizens about the health system's future.

Richardson and Chavez say their offices have been contacted by physicians, nurses, Lovelace employees and patients who have expressed concerns about the loss of Lovelace's behavioral health outpatient program, the closure or restructure of the Lovelace Medical Center hospital on Gibson Ave. SE in Albuquerque and the status of the Lovelace Medical Group.

Now mind you, this is a private business. The Governor and Mayor have no business forming task forces to insert themselves into a businesses operations. What if they did this to your business? Where is the Chamber of Commerce in all of this? Why aren't they outraged?

In January, Chavez held a news conference [in the hospital lobby] at which he said Ardent deserved an "F" for corporate responsibility and had not effectively communicated with the city about its plans prior to making the decision to close the hospital.

Since when are businesses required to communicate with the city before making a business decision to close an unprofitable center? Wasn't the Mayor protesting - I mean holding a press conference - in the lobby of a business similar to that outrageous requirement of that defeated minimum wage bill?

I wonder which business benefits when the full weight of the Governor gets involved in the operations of one of its competitor? I guess Lovelace should have given a $75,000 campaign contribution.

New Bloggers Everywhere

Everytime I turn around, it seems like another New Mexico political blogger lands on the scene. Heck, even Bosque Farms has their own political blogger.

Can Integrity be Bought?

The Governor has had a banner fundraising year:

Gov. Bill Richardson has raised about $3.8 million for his re-election campaign during the past year, giving him a huge fundraising advantage over a Republican challenger.

The latest report on contributions brought Richardson's total fundraising for the campaign to nearly $6.9 million.

Which again makes you wonder... why did it take Governor Richardson so long to donate Riordan's money to charity? Why would a Governor with millions in the bank hold onto a measly $25,000 of tainted money:

"People are very concerned," said James Lewis, a Democrat who hopes to be the next state treasurer.

"The first thing they say is, `What about integrity?' " he said of people he's met while he campaigns. "They say, sort of jokingly, `Can we trust you or anyone else?' "

Along with the politicking come campaign contributions, something money managers are closely scrutinizing.

That's happening in light of testimony by former state Treasurer Michael Montoya that Gov. Bill Richardson ally Guy Riordan gave him money during meetings in bathroom stalls. Montoya is cooperating with prosecutors in Vigil's case.

Will Richardson's millions buy the public's trust? Have New Mexicans had enough of shakedown artists in elected office? What other money is the Governor going to be forced to give back before the election? Lot's of questions.

Rewarding Failure Policy Stinks

Performance by outgoing Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron demonstrates why we can't leave the secretary of state office in the hands of the dominant party (subscription):

More than 500 New Mexico candidates and office holders are supposed to file state campaign finance reports online for the first time Monday.

It's a new computerized system intended to make it easier for the public to see where politicians get their money and how they spend it.

But, despite three years to prepare for this day, the secretary of state's Web site won't be equipped to handle such searches for months, say representatives of the secretary's office and the company contracted to do the work.

That's right Ms. Vigil-Giron has had three years to get this system up and running without success. As our Secretary of State describes it, the problem is two-fold 1) the contractor has failed to meet the deadlines; and 2) there just wasn't enough money allocated. Of course, number two rings a little false when you realize that Vigil-Giron spent $2 million in 2004 on self-promoting television ads.

So, what has Ms. Vigil-Giron done about the contractor's failure to deliver? Has she demanded a refund? No. Has she sent a letter to the contractor demanding that they stop listing New Mexico as one of the "jurisdictions using SOSKB?" No. Has she gone to the Attorney General and asked Patricia Madrid to file suit against this company to get back our taxpayer dollars? No. So, what has she done?

Using federal dollars earmarked for voter education, Vigil-Giron's office only last month signed a new $350,000 contract for completion of the system with the same North Carolina company she hired to do the job in 2003.

You read that correctly. Vigil-Giron's office has given the company another contract for $230,000 more than the first contract. Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts? Then again, maybe she is rewarding the company for failing to deliver a fully operational system. See, that actually makes sense. The company's failure to deliver has allowed Governor Richardson's representative the opportunity to say:

"It's a shame there are problems," Amanda Cooper, Richardson's campaign manager, said of the state's electronic filing program. "We want to file our campaign finance records in a way that people can search them."

Oh yeah, sure you do. Like the ethics task force, this is another convenient delay in campaign contribution reform for the Richardson administration and other elected officials. It's time for a change.

Subscription Issues

It's been brought to my attention that bloglet, the service I was previously using to automatically send blog posts to subscribers via email, is no longer working. So, I've transferred to FeedBlitz. Hopefully, this solves the problem.

Thanks for being a reader!

No, No, No

I like and respect former Governor Garrey Carruthers.

I've had the opportunity to sit with him on committees, and he has been a friend and an advisor. He is an ethical person with New Mexico's best interests at heart.

I also believe friends can disagree, so Governor Carruthers let me say, I respectfully disagree with the following statement you made in today's Journal (subscription):

Carruthers said the panel may discuss something he has long favored - a stipend for lawmakers, who are unpaid although they get expense reimbursement.

When legislators are uncompensated, "there's always one or two that might feel it necessary to take some compensation in another way,'' said Carruthers, who is dean of business at New Mexico State University.

No, no, NO! If someone is unethical, a stipend is not going to help keep them on the straight and narrow. Just consider that the corrupt behavior now under investigation and on trial is not that of "unpaid" legislators. A salary of $65,000 a year was not enough to keep the State Treasurers from lining their pockets. The State Superintendent's annual salary of $91,495 was not sufficient for Eric Serna. So, just how big are these stipends going to have to be to keep legislators from temptation?

No, stipends are not the problem. The problems are relatively simple, and so are the solutions.

• First, deal with the antiquated reporting requirements. Require everyone to report their contributions in real time on the internet, and allow the reports to be easily searchable.
• Second, have severe penalties for failures to report, and throw those who take and give kickbacks behind bars.

Some very good people are going to donate their time to this "task force," and I applaud them for that. However, I also know that when Governor Richardson wants to create the appearance of dealing with an issue, he announces the formation of a task force. It's his bureaucratic answer to a real world problem at a time when we need a real world answer to a bureaucratic problem.

A Tax by Any Other Name

In today's Journal (subscription):

Home builders have agreed to start paying Albuquerque Public Schools about $2,000 for every new home they build to help the district catch up on school construction.

An agreement between the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico and APS would require home builders to pay a fee on new homes, starting next year. The money would be used to build new schools or renovate old ones, APS facilities director Brad Winter said Monday.

The fee would start at $2,000 and increase to nearly $3,000 in the third year.

The agreement will be presented to the school board's capital outlay committee today.

This is all well and good, but what this really means is that if you want to buy a new home in Albuquerque your cost is about to go up another $2,000 to $3,000. This has happened before. Those lovely impact fees required by the council drove home prices up about $10,000 across the board. So, basically in just a couple of years we have another $12,000 in one time property assessments - a tax no matter what you call it. I just don't understand how city and state government can grow their budgets in the 50% range and still ask the people to pony up more.

New Kid on the Blog

Looks like another political blogger has emerged.