I wonder where she has been while The Bridge in Las Cruces operates like a clandestine oligarchy, making decisions for government bodies to implement and fund without public notice or citizen participation. The governor led a celebration here celebrating an early college high school which has never been discussed on its merits in any pubic forum; the LC School Board passed a motion after cursory discussion authorizing the Superintendent to enter into negotiations on this school, and he has since announced that construction will begin in the not distant future. No public notice, no documentation of the plusses, minuses, or costs; no analysis of purposes, plans, and prospects of success. Nothing. The sun may shine in New Mexico, but not on officials. Martinez accepts this form of private governance as something other than corruption of a democratic political system.

For example, her recent column on “Education Reform” was focused on prosecuting kids and parents for truancy, with no mention of any thoughtful or substantive qualitative changes we need to make to improve our schools. (What’s the point of forcing kids to sit in classes when the test scores of those who DO attend are at the 39 percentile anyway? And how about the new report that says our teachers colleges are not training their students well enough?) Ethics reform? Insult the other side, and champion the misuse of the law to “Indict, Prosecute and Purge” people you have decided are guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. Not a graceful way to get people to warm up to “Sunshine”.

Our next Governor needs to have big vision, solid principles and ethics, and the ability to bring folks together to get things done–which requires having stepped outside of Dona Ana County once or twice in the past few years. To be honest, we’re not seeing ANYONE running who has proven that they have those qualities, but there is still time. It’s just not Susanna’s.

As sincere and hardworking a person as Susanna is, she either needs to start lower on the totem pole and gain some bigger experience, or stick with her day job–which, arguably, she does very well..