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Land commissioner contribution ban bill tabled
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe (Photo by Peter St. Cyr)
The Senate Rules Committee tabled a bill earlier today that would have banned people who have contracts with the State Land Office from giving campaign contributions to the land commissioner or candidates for that office.
It was on a 5-2 vote that Senate Bill 110, sponsored by Steve Fischmann, D-Las Cruces, was tabled, but at least two of the members voting against the legislation said they might agree to bring it back this session with some changes.
The most vocal opposition to the current version of the legislation came from Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, who said he worried that it was too broad. He expressed concern about how it might affect people who hunt on state land and people who lease only small amounts of state land.
The land office’s general counsel, Robert Stranahan, also objected to the bill.
“It’s almost like you’re disenfranchising tens of thousands of voters because they have ag leases, commercial leases,” he said.
Stranahan added that the land office would support an “across-the-board” limit on contributions.
“If we’re going to apply ethics reform and campaign reform, it should be across the board,” Stranahan said. “We would support a measure that would do that and put an emergency clause on it and have it apply right now.”
“But this particular bill specifically singles out the commissioner of public lands,” he said. “We believe it’s bad public policy.”
Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque and one of two members of the committee who voted against tabling the measure, pointed out that the Public Regulation Commission has a similar ban on contributions from people who do business with that office. Fischmann said his bill is modeled after the PRC law and important for the same reason it was important to pass such a regulation for PRC candidates.
“There’s an extraordinary level of autonomy and power that the state land office and commissioner of public lands has that does not get a broad review from elsewhere in state government,” he said. “I think the risk of conflicts of interest is, frankly, great.”
Feldman was joined in voting against the motion to table by Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe.
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Spiro OMG your public comments smell real bad, New Mexico must hold every candidate to a high standerd Democrate or Republican we just dont elect any John off the street.
Mr. Spiro, that is a bad example. Those two comments do not compare. Judge Sonia Sotomayor was referring to her unique life experiences as they pertain to her status in humanity. A a self made Hispanic woman from a humble background does offer a different perspective than a white male from a privileged background. White males of privileged background still hold most positions of wealth and power in this country and Americans of every stripe have been subject to white male rule and perspective exclusively for hundreds of years. There are still no shortage of this narrow demographic in power in our country. She has a deep and diverse understanding for common people trying to live in this mean world. We WANT diversity in power in this diverse country and saying so is not racist.
Trent Lott’s statement was promoting the continuance of prejudice against non-white races by virtue of their skin color alone. This is the sentiment that has become obsolete and outdated. Lott’s contention that only one narrow demographic hold wealth and power is a historical evil. Trent Lott’s objection to having diverse people in power is racist.
To: Sugar
Response to your request of “Mr. Vassilopoulos would you mind giving at least one example where Republicans are held to a higer standard”.
For the sake of brevity and space – one example only:
Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott made a racially insensitive remark on television at Senator Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party on December 5, 2002. Lott said: “When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years, either.”
Was the remark racist, stupid and insensitive? Yes it was.
That ignited a firestorm in the press and Trent Lott was was promptly dispatched to the political gallows. Almost immediately thereaafter, he resigned his Senate Minority Whip position, and in 2007, his US Senate seat.
End of story and end of a political career.
Now, to Judge Sonia Sotomayor at Berkley on October 26, 2001: “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Was the remark racist, stupid and insensitve? Yes it was.
Justice Sotomayor is now the first Latina member of the US Supreme court.
In closing, I concur with Sugar that most large contributions to politicians (Dems and R’s) just don’t pass the “smell test”. The political contribution system, from the US Presidential race on down, has to change. Otherwise, politics will forever remain the purview of political dynasties and the rich.
I am Spiro G. Vassilopoulos, Certified Petroleum Geologist, candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands.
Very interesting.
Spiro says “Qualifications should be the determining factor for the Commissioner of Public Lands, and not incumbency or personal wealth.”
Amazingly, this is the exact opposite of the argument Spiro made as his reason for getting in the race. He has been telling people that he will spend a large sum of his personal wealth created from petroleum to win the GOP Primary for Commissioner of Public Lands. Now, he’s saying money shouldn’t matter. Which is it Spiro?
I guess when you’re talking to GOP Party Bosses it’s good to talk big money, but when it’s addressing the public you try to play the pauper.
“It is a fact of life that Republicans are always held to a higher standard”. Mr. Vassilopoulos would you mind giving at least one example where Republicans are held to a higer standard. We will not even talk about the $20,000 given to Mr. Lyons from the Blue and Red PAC right after selling off a large section of land to Mr. Phillipou. It was the same Mr. Phillipou who gave the Blue and Red PAC the $20,000 to give to Mr. Lyons.
Inquiring minds would like to know who joined Jennings in voting against this bill.
As far Spiro’s comments go, this sort of contribution ban should be approved regardless who or what party controls the SLO. New Mexicans have seen plenty of Democrats in office who were happy to work inside deals for campaign contributors and other friends.
The maneuvers by Mr. Wirth and Ms. Feldman in the Senate Rules Committee are aimed at the current Republican occupant of the office and that is simply bad form. Said another way, that would be a foul in any arena of fair play.
It is a fact of life that Republicans are always held to a higher standard.
Campaign contributions to any New Mexico State, County or City election (Albuquerque excepted as public financing already exists) should be limited in both the sum of contributions and the amount of an individual donation.
The current system discourages people that are not of means from public service. Barring a redemptive miracle or incumbency, an individual that is experienced (sic. usually older or retired) that wants to serve is almost always at a disadvantage because of money. Qualifications should be the determining factor for the Commissioner of Public Lands, and not incumbency or personal wealth.
In the case of the land office, we have term limits and that provide for the entry of new candidates for the position. Term limits aside, it always seems to come to personal wealth or to the money-raising ability of the candidate. Money and/or incumbency are not what public service should be all about.
I am Spiro G. Vassilopoulos, Certified Petroleum Geologist, Republican candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands.