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New PRC member sworn in today
Gov. Bill Richardson appointed Becenti-Aguilar last week to replace Carol Sloan, who was removed from the job by the state Supreme Court after being convicted on two felony charges.
In appointing Becenti-Aguliar, a Democrat, Richardson was stepping into the November election and giving her an incumbency advantage over her GOP opponent, Gary Montoya. Becenti-Aguilar will represent District 4 on the PRC.
“Today I am pleased to appoint Theresa Becenti-Aguilar to the Public Regulation Commission,” Richardson said last week. “She has the necessary experience and unique knowledge to hit the ground running to tackle issues that affect all New Mexicans.”
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PRC Commissioner qualifications (in a perfect world) would be college degrees (min. Bach.,) in economics, business, law, science, or engineering. That coupled with experience in the industries and businesses regulated by the PRC, real experience not being an “executive assistant (read secretary). I was not discussing McCamley or DuBlois, but Ms. Bencenti-Aguila, you were trying to change the subject. A Tom Udall staffer listening to request and complaints by constituents has no bearing on PRC Commish responsibilities, anymore than selling ice cream cones on the street. Executive assistant (most likely a secretary or clerk) for Udall is not any better. She was not litigating cases, writing briefs, investigating industries regualted by the PRC for wrongdoing, probably typing them up maybe, or setting up meetings? Sorry, you don’t get education and experence by osmosis and standing next to “great men” like Udall.
DJ, EDU, your criticisms are still nothing but frivolous carping. “Experience and education?” Make a list of qualifications you think are necessary. McCamley has a masters in business administration. Stephanie DuBois, whom you completely ignore, actually runs a small business and served on the Demming Chamber of Commerce for many years.
Becenti-Aguilar served seven years as a constituent services representative focusing on tribal relations from then U.S. Representative Tom Udall. She also spent eight years as an executive assistant in the litigation division of the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. You assume nothing involving the PRC ever came up during these 15 years? Seems to me you are just displaying your own vast ignorance.
Yep Dr. J, you’ve got it right. I couldn’t say it better myself.
weedum59, you bring out the facts, but you haven’t said why this person is qualified. A paralegal does not a good commissioner make. Can she really interpret the law? An accounting “certificate” qualifies you to be a simple bookkeeper and that’s about it.
We have a, shall we say, “interesting” situation before us in District 5 now. Bill McCamley is well educated but his politics are concerning and he doesn’t know much about the regulated industries. Another community organizer type. We PNM customers are going to be paying lots more because of this push for “green” energy. I have tried to get the Republican candidate, Ben Hall, to answer my questions but he will not reply to email. During primary season, I sent messages to ALL candidates and got quick replies from Estrada and McCamley. I was grateful for their replies even though I disagreed with both of them on some things. Ben Hall (high school diploma) doesn’t appear to care one iota.
District 2 is gonna be more of the same “good ole boy” politics with Pat Lyons on track to win that seat.
We’ll probably have less drama at the PRC if these commissioners keep their noses clean. But we may have the same level of incompetence and lack of knowledge.
wedum59, when a person has no experience, education, nor understanding of the position they are “running” for, and who have done nothing but been a political operative, most people would deem that person unqualified for a technical position like PRC. Comparing her to others is irrelevant (like Block maybe, or Sloan?), when the absolute criteria for the job is so lacking. Just because no one else is qualified does not make her qualified. And we all know what a great judge of character and qualification Richardson is, that why many are suspicious about this. We need to demand qualified and educated and experienced candidates, as well as those with character and put the ctizens first ahead of their own political ambitions. To continue to accept and elect less will doom NM to remain what it is today.
Theresa Becenti-Aguilar is the Democratic candidate for this position (PRC District 4). According to The Daily Times in Farmington, she attended but didn’t graduate from New Mexico State University and earned accounting and paralegal certificates from Santa Fe Business College and The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos.
In this heavily Democratic area, the Democratic primary was the important race. The candidates were former Gallup Mayor George Galanis, Theresa Becenti-Aguilar, Andrew Leo Lopez of Albuquerque and Hank Hughes, head of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. Lopez is the one who wrote the ‘bigoted Anglos’ email.
Her opponent, Republican Gary Montoya, was unopposed in his primary. I couldn’t find any information about him. He probably has zip chance of winning the election, so Richardson’s appointment was a sensible one.
Frankly, the three previous snarling comments are lacking in any real substance, as they don’t compare Becenti-Agular’s qualifications to those of any of the other candidates, Democratic or (lone) Republican, for the PRC District 4 position.
If you’re a political hack, you get the job and unfortunately Dr, J, it seems that they are lurking all over our state. Let’s dissect these qualifications…
“constituent services representative focusing on tribal relations for then U.S. Representative Tom Udall”. Nope, don’t see any knowledge of the regulated industries there.
“eight years as an executive assistant in the litigation division of the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office” (probably an appointed position of Gary King). Nope, no qualifications there either. Besides “executive assistant” is such a broad term, and it actually sounds like a clerical secretary/bureaucrat if you ask me.
I guess we’re supposed to be satisfied that she doesn’t have a criminal record. Hopefully that remains the case. But still, seems completely unqualified to me.
The PRC is a powerful commission, which regulates the state’s electrical, natural gas, and water utilities, insurance industry, and administers the state Fire Marshal’s office. PR release reaction: How does her prior work serving “seven years as a constituent services representative focusing on tribal relations from then U.S. Representative Tom Udall, and eight years as an executive assistant in the litigation division of the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, according to the governor’s office” uniquely qualify her for this $90K a year position? As EDU says above, “what does ‘necessary experience and unique knowledge’ mean?”
Yet more evidence of the incompetent, unprofessional government we have in banana republic NM. Where do they get these people?
It would be nice, wouldn’t it, if these PRC members had at least a college education. Seems we keep getting the community organizer type. I read Richardson’s press release. What does “necessary experience and unique knowledge” mean?