A few Rio Arriba County organizations may have taken a short-term hit on a project getting funded, or partially funded, but we have to thank the governor for vetoing Senate Bill 2, misnomered the “junior bill.” There’s nothing junior about it.
This bill distributes $50 million to senators and representatives to take pork back to their districts. It’s not their money, it’s ours. Senators in 2022 were alloted $600,000 to do with as they wish. Representatives were given $360,000.
The governor rightly pointed out the bill and associated pork bypass the legislature’s capital spending process. It’s a terrible process, rife with abuse, misuse and waste. However, it’s no worse than the overall system we use to award funds to capital projects. Comparing SB 2 to the way we fund capital projects in New Mexico does make it a junior bill—junior to a huge waste of taxpayer money.
Instead of weighing projects by their importance, amount of population affected or the requesting bureaucracy’s stage of readiness, or ability to execute the project, legislators hand out taxpayer money to whomever they fancy. A logical process based on need does not exist. And legislators like it that way.
They also don’t like to make public to whom they have bestowed our money. It’s bad for re-election prospects. It’s much easier to lie to constituents with the tired excuse, “I tried to get you funding, but they (other legislators) said, ‘no.’” When a senator or representative lists the projects they funded, there’s no hiding behind a lie.
Projects on these lists usually are smaller and the work isn’t done in phases. That’s not always the case though and multi-year projects performed by small organizations with quickly changing boards normally bog down or get scrapped.
Then there’s the vagueness of many of the requests. Sen. Leo Jaramillo, D-Española and Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, didn’t supply her list of requests but Rep. Roger Montoya, D-Velarde did. Most of his are self explanatory and necessary.
He requested $80,000 for the Office of the State Engineer to hire an Acequia Capital Projects Manager. If you read the story in this week’s issue (page A1) about the new flood control construction in Alcalde, the acequia president is quoted as saying it’s a lot of paperwork and the actual construction was quick and easily completed.
A manager for capital projects would move projects more quickly and would probably save money.
He requested $50,000 for Northern New Mexico College’s ¡Sostenga! Farm, “to continue building its 4-acre small demonstration farm utilizing traditional, sustainable and regenerative agricultural principles, value, it’s acequia program, and modernized farm techniques.” We’re big fans of the College but that description doesn’t state how the money will really be spent.
Additionally he asked for $80,000 to the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District to hire staff and consultants to provide grant research, grant writing, and technical assistance for communities in the District’s region. We don’t know of a project the District has done to help economic development in the Valley. We don’t see why they need more staff.
The bottom line is these funding requests should be weighed and justified like any other. It shouldn’t matter if it’s $80,000 or $800,000, legislators should have to justify the expense to taxpayers.
Fred Nathan, of Think New Mexico, has been fighting since 2019 to change our capital funding system. He’s quoted in Sherry Robinson’s column (opposite) stating the public has the right to know how its money is spent.
New Mexico In Depth wrote, “A system that allows lawmakers to individually distribute money in the dark simply isn’t good governance.”
It’s ironic that it’s National Sunshine Week, celebrating openness in government, while the legislature tries to come back into session to override a veto so its members can secretly spend the public’s money.