Voters have two constitutional amendments before them Nov. 6. Constitutional amendments look intimidating and many people’s eyes glaze over as they try to read what each amendment is about.
They’re not that intricate. Please take a few minutes to read the two amendments on pages C7 and C8 of today’s edition. The Secretary of State’s Office goes to great expense and trouble to publish those legal notices so the public can know on what it is voting.
Thomas Jefferson said, ”An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” This is especially true when deciding on issues versus a candidate. We need facts to make a decision, not a sparkling personality and a whole load of meaningless rhetoric.
The first amendment concerns the appeals process from lower, or inferior, courts to the state district court level. Currently to appeal a case in municipal, magistrate or probate court, you must go to the applicable district court.
One of the problems with this is that the appeal goes to the district court de novo, or starts from the beginning, arguing the entire case again, versus arguing certain aspects of a case, which deserve an appellate look.
Voting yes on this amendment is supporting giving the state legislature the ability to pass a law allowing appeals from lower courts to the state Court of Appeals. Voting no means you’d like the lower court decisions to remain appealed to the state district court.
Looking at political party-neutral websites it’s indicated that the current system overloads the district courts and makes an appeal process time and money-intensive.
State Sen. Peter Wirth, an Albuquerque Democrat said Oct. 12 he carried the bill for the Administrative Office of the Courts. It’s not clear what problems have come up that initiated the bill. Office Director Artie Peppin did not return calls asking for clarification.
Wirth wanted to drive home the point passage of the amendment does nothing more than give the legislature the ability to hear the arguments and perhaps pass legislation to change the law. Passing the amendment does not change the law. It changes the process outlined in the state Constitution.
This is original language in the Constitution from 1912. A few things have changed since we became a state. We believe legislators should hear directly from the people involved in moving this apparent massive work load through the system.
If the Office of the Courts wants it changed, officials there are seeing something they need to explain to lawmakers. Passage of the amendment would allow that and the possible changes.
Vote yes on Amendment 1.
The second amendment on the ballot is long overdue and badly needed. Pick a poll and you’ll find voters and the population in general are disenchanted with elected officials at all levels for many reasons. One of the big reasons is voters don’t trust their own elected officials.
That’s because they’re rarely held accountable. This amendment would be a beginning to do just that. It would create a state ethics commission and a process to populate it and fund it.
It’s not an answer nor a magic pill to fix politicians. But it’s a monumental start. New Mexico is one of six states in the country that does not have an ethics commission. As with everything else in New Mexico we were dragged kicking and screaming into making our politicians accountable.
Like the first amendment on the ballot, this one only allows the legislature to pass laws and provide funding to set up the commission.
The arguments against the amendment are that we already have many different bodies that can keep dirty politicians in check. The bodies listed include state personnel office, the Attorney General’s Office and the Secretary of State. Yet these numerous bodies don’t seem to be doing a lot about unethical behavior in the legislature because they’re all elected and serve in the same style as legislators.
This commission is badly needed. Passage of the amendment will still mean an active, engaged commission is a few years off.
Vote yes on the second amendment and let the legislature get to work cleaning their own house.
The General Obligation Bonds are always a “good news, bad news,” vote. By design, for you to vote for your county to receive money, you must approve funds for all New Mexico counties, municipalities, schools of all kinds and pueblos/nations. A huge majority of the Bond money in all four bond questions goes to Albuquerque entities and Bernalillo and Sandoval counties.
Bond A is a $10,770,000 bond to improve senior facilities around the state. Rio Arriba County stands to receive about $474,600 or 4.4 percent of the Bond.
Please see the story on page B1 of this week’s issue that explains the funding. The Española Senior Center would receive $150,000, Ohkay Owingeh Senior Center would receive $67,900, Santa Clara Senior Center and Adult Daycare Center combined would receive $155,700 and Rio Arriba County Adult Daycare would receive $101,000.
The specific use of the money is listed in the legal ad on pages C8 and C9. It includes vehicles, kitchen equipment and building repairs and upgrades.
For our senior centers to receive this small percentage we must approve the whole Bond question. We’d like to see a different system in place to apply these funds but that’s been tried many times. Change can’t get a foothold because most of the political power in the state comes from the city of Albuquerque and those two counties.
Vote yes on Bond question A.
Bond question B would give $12.9 million for capital expenditures for all types of libraries around the state, except rural 501(c)(3) libraries. What a shame. Our rural libraries are teaming up with others in the state to get some recurring funding but that’s a long slog.
This is the bond that supplies public libraries with equipment, software, possibly vehicles, repairs and remodels. It does not fund salaries, books or supplies.
Most of our libraries are old and neglected. The Española Public Library is typical of public libraries, always ending up at the bottom of funding lists and at the top of lists of where to cut.
These capital funds are essential to keep the roofs from leaking and the heater working in winter.
Vote yes on Bond B.
Bond question C asks voters to approve $6.2 million to purchase buses all over the state. If approved the money would go to the state Public Education Department and people in transportation there would separate and spend that money to their liking.
Again, that’s not an ideal situation when you consider the number of buses in Albuquerque and how many we have in Rio Arriba County.
We recall when two different bus contractors had legal and tax problems about 10 years ago, Española School District was begging for buses all over the state. A couple of southern districts helped us out with some of their hand-me-downs. The Department was not very helpful but that could be because our bus shortage was a problem of our own making.
We’d like to see more of an earmark for our area but we do all need buses and the Department is the go-to holder of the wallet when it comes to buses.
Vote yes on Bond question C.
Bond D is always the higher education capital spending bond. This election cycle it asks voters to approve $136.2 million for capital expenditures throughout the state, except at Northern New Mexico College.
Once again the big winners are the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. Those are the two largest higher education facilities in the state, with the most students. We all have to support them because many local students end up at those two universities.
While we’d like to see more money flowing to Northern, we must support higher education in this state if we’re going to get out of the basement on all those bad lists we’re reminded of continually.
Vote yes on Bond D.