Corruption's conjoined twin, incompetence.

There is a lot of talk about the culture of corruption in NM State Government. Whether the "talk" amounts to a hill of beans, is a whole other issue.

There doesn't seem to be much talk about the culture of incompetence. Incompetence wastes as many or more tax dollars as corruption. It affects directly, the quality of service that government delivers. It affects directly, the quality of the product that government produces.

Imagine a business where all of the top slots are filled with friends and cronies who are promoted to, or appointed to, all of the most important positions based not on their intellect, their education, their training, or their experience, but rather on their political influence. What would be the bottom line in such an organization? If one is being honest, they would predict the eventual demise of the business.

Except if the business is government, there is no eventual demise. There is instead, an inevitable increase in the cost of doing business, paid for by taxpayers who have no say in the promotion or appointment of their (public) servants.

Take for example, Manny Aragon. He was appointed to the Presidency of Highlands University; a position from which he was later fired. He was appointed to the position by Governor Bill Richardson. Is there a person so naive, as to believe that Richardson appointed him because he was the most qualified candidate, or even qualified at all?

And then there is Jamie Koch, "... a prodigious fundraiser for Democratic candidates and causes." according to blogger Monahan. He also is a Richardson crony appointed to high (paying) office. Is he any good at the job? If an overwhelming vote of no confidence, 482-7 link, by the faculty of the UNM is any measure at all, the answer would seem to be, no.

Did the vote make any difference?
He said;

"... he didn't care one bit about the vote —
that it had slid off him like water off a duck's back."link

He still has his job.

I have argued for some time that, enabling incompetence is a form of corruption. I still do.