Great news! The bright orange signs at either end of the upcoming State Road 68 construction effort proclaim it to be the “Gov. Lujan Grisham Highway Improvement Project.”
Does that mean the Governor is going to pay for this herself? If so, what a relief. I travel this highway once or twice a day, and I was afraid that New Mexico taxpayers, many of whom are unemployed and struggling, were going to have to foot the bill for the road’s badly needed repairs.
How is this vanity sign any different from President Trump’s insistence on having his signature appear on those federal stimulus checks? The sign goes on to indicate that Gov. Lujan Grisham’s project is “Investing $15,573,013 in your community.” Reality-check: It’s we, the taxpayers, who are investing in our community.
Political egos and arrogance have risen to the point where many elected officials seem to have lost sight of the fact that their generosity is funded by their tax-paying constituents. I don’t recall previous highway construction project signs attributing the effort to any individual elected official. If I’m wrong, and this practice is customary, I’ll withdraw my objection.
Johnnie Martinez
Velarde