Lt. Governor Diane Denish establishes yet another new hot line.

In the Journal this morning, it is reported that Lt. Governor Diane Denish has established a "government efficiency" hot line.

My first thought is, so what?

Please do not read this as a criticism of Denish.

Any day a high ranking government official publicly admits that there may actually be inefficiencies in government, is a good day. And the public official that makes that admission is doing a good thing.

I just don't believe that a state government (riddled) with inefficiency is going to deal with those inefficiencies very efficiently.

Denish says that if callers report abuse, the information will be forwarded to the appropriate investigative or enforcement agencies. Ok, but what good with that do? If they were efficient in handling inefficiency, there would be no inefficiencies to report.

As but two examples; complaints have been filed with the Attorney General's Office and with the Office of the State Auditor. The complaint filed with the AGO has to do with the fact that the leadership of the APS is holding evidence of felony criminal misconduct involving senior APS administrators, and refuses to turn it over to the DA for prosecution. The complaint was filed in February of this year, link. To date, they have done nothing except give me the runaround.

My critics will jump in here and write; it is a nuisance complaint and it is being given the attention it deserves. To which I will point out that no one has ever denied anything that I have alleged, and further that a school district hiding evidence of felony criminal misconduct is no small matter.

The complaint filed with the OSA, was filed February 5th, 2009, link. I alleged that the leadership of the APS submitted an audit for approval by the OSA, and it contained a deliberate fraud. (APS represented that it has a whistle blower program that meets federal standards; I proved conclusively, they do not, link.) To date I have seen no evidence to suggest that they are doing anything at all. I did receive one assurance that the complaint was being taken seriously, but it was accompanied by an explanation that "audit rules" prevented them from showing me anything that would indicate that it was.

A follow up with the ombudsman in Denish's own office, was ignored.

Never the less, if it would make you feel better, by all means,
call the number, make a complaint, and see what happens.

The number is 505-750-4684.




photo Mark Bralley