Rooting out corruption in the Roundhouse
Doug Turner
Amid the latest revelations about political cronies taking the taxpayer for a very expensive ride, I want to remind New Mexicans that they really don’t need to settle for an ‘everybody does it’ state, or state of mind. Really, one does not need to look that far back for a time when ‘everybody’ did not do it.
For eight years, Gary Johnson reformed state government, vetoed special interest ‘pork’ that was costly to the New Mexican taxpayer, appointed cabinet secretaries who focused on serving us rather than themselves and stood up to a state Legislature with bad spending habits. This was eight years ago, but wanting this for New Mexico again does not have to be an exercise in nostalgia.
The election is right around the corner. Most of us want an honest government that makes national headlines for its good management rather than corruption and budget deficits. New Mexicans must understand that fixing our government is not impossible and really isn’t asking too much.
But it will take much more than talk. There are a few simple things that can be done to reduce corruption and improve the service we get for our hard-earned tax dollars.
Who we elect
In government, corruption typically starts at the top and works its way down. But we sometimes forget that we have a say in who is at the top of our government. This means that dealing with the ‘rot in the Roundhouse’ starts not on the inside, but on the outside — with the voter.
I have talked to New Mexicans – Republicans, Democrats and independents — from every corner of our state who are disheartened by what is going on in Santa Fe. Yet they know, just like I do, that not everyone who serves in public office is there to take advantage of the taxpayer. They know there are still responsible individuals who view public service as a privilege.
Voters must exercise their right for a better government and find candidates who are ready to serve our state, not themselves.
Appointments and state employment
We want to elect a governor who will apply the principal that ‘public service is a privilege’ to those they appoint. Good government must be run by individuals who are highly qualified and prepared to work hard for the public good — not by buddies, relatives and business partners. The spoils of political patronage and cronyism have been plain for all to see, but we don’t have to live with them, if we chose not to.
Size of government
Sometimes, when government organizations grow to a certain size and level of bureaucracy, a harmful dynamic sets in. They start to operate not for their originally intended purpose, but merely to sustain their own size and budget. New Mexico’s government has grown as big as its budget deficit. It’s time that New Mexicans see the correlation and say no to both.
Ethics commission
We need a governor who is willing to submit state government to an outside check such as an ethics commission. If properly constructed, an ethics commission could be a deterrent to corruption without adding a cent to the cost of government.
Inspection of Public Records Act
New Mexico needs to elect a governor who will strengthen our Inspection of Public Records Act. The current version lacks the teeth of serious enforcement when a bureaucrat or politician defies it. Willfully withholding public documents from the public, media or other inquiring stakeholders should be a fourth-degree felony, and we need a governor who will fight for such consequences.
State procurement and contracts
Our next governor must also rein in sole-source practices and procurement exemptions to lessen the possibility of corruption, increase competition and reduce the cost of state government. State contracts should be competitive and awarded based on ability to perform the contracted service at the lowest possible price, not on which political appointee is doling out favors that day.
Just imagine how much progress our state will make if we start the next decade with a return to honest, open and accountable government. These are commonsense solutions, but they will not happen without the right leadership. I hope New Mexicans understand what they will gain if they trust their desire for lean, honest government and believe we can achieve it.
Turner is a Republican candidate for governor.
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Cynicism and complacency are the engines of corruption. I have my own share of both these ‘virtues,’ but I’ve lived here long enough to remember administrations that did not opperate anywhere near this level of reproach.
First of all, I applaud candidates like this throwing their hat in the ring, but at the same time this editorial smacks of political opportunism to say “in government, corruption starts at the top and works its way down”. That’s just not accurate and discredits the writer as knowing anything about government and what it costs to operate. Those at the top, which are few, face more scrutiny (check recent headlines) and gossip and hearsay. Those “at the bottom” are more numerous and often operate with little scrutiny and little oversight and get away with a lot more. People have greater reason to be concerned about public trust in local government and local businesses — people are being caught embezzling and stealing and padding expense reports all across the state in local government, small businesses, churches, etc. What it takes to reduce corruption is more auditing and more enforcement and that costs a lot more money to perform. You can’t have it both ways—if you’re going to need more oversight and more enforcement and for that matter, more competitive bidding, then you are advocating more government and more spending for staff and resources. You can’t fight corruption or increase competition “without adding a cent to cost of government”, no more than you can fight crime with fewer policemen.
Mr. Turner makes good music, but when did NM have an honest, open and accountable government?
All politicians, prior to election claim to be rooters-out of corruption, but what actually happens?
I have yet to see a wanna-be politician, especially governors put-forth a detailed plan open to public scrutiny that would be effective at even reducing corruption — be it graft/bribe or participation in destroying individual rights supposedly guaranteed by state and federal constitutions.
The solution resides in cutting at least 30% across the governmental regulatory chess-board to not only balance the budget, but to begin to get a handle on corruption that results with power.