Governor Bill Richardson has not yet made up his mind to put the establishment of an Ethics Commission on the call for the Special Session beginning Monday next. He isn't even talking about the prospect of finishing the work on robust webcasting by putting it on the call.
There is no good and ethical reason to put off webcasting and an Ethics Commission until another session. What do we need to see in another session that we do not need to see in this one? When will archiving be more necessary than it is right now?
There is a movie called The Great Debaters, link. In that movie, the character of a young Negro woman argues that it is time for students from Negro colleges to be allowed to debate students from White colleges. In closing, she pointed out;
"The right time to do the right thing is always right now."According to Richardson, legislators have been working since the end of the last session, on the solution to the budget problem; hopefully, in groups small enough to avoid breaking Open Meetings law, and the spirit of the whole discussion surrounding webcasting.
He said; "I believe giving lawmakers this extra time to build consensus is the best thing for all New Mexicans.”
Well the very best thing for all New Mexicans, would be a government that is transparently accountable to the people.
In addition to the budget, he can just as well, give them the time they need to work on the solution to the need for transparent accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence for politicians and public servants.
After all, it really should not require that much more time.
How long does it take, to make up your mind whether or not you are willing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
When you are asked that question in a court of law, you are not expected, or allowed, nor should it be necessary, to take a great deal of time to formulate your answer.
Richardson's legacy is in the toilet.
NMI's Matt Reichbach, link, reports;
"... 63 percent of voters in the state disapprove of him and only 28 approve.If he has any chance at all to rehabilitate his reputation and legacy, it would be by acting decisively to end the culture of corruption and incompetence in Santa Fe. He will shine the light of day on every corner of government that is not explicitly and specifically excepted by the law.
“He’s even in negative territory among Democrats at a 42/47 spread ..."
If he does nothing, if he offers some lame excuse for not making the Ethics Commission and robust webcasting the first priority of the Special, then it is because, and only because, he wants to do something that he needs to hide from voters in the next election.
And why in the world will we sit back doing nothing
while he does that?
Update; I stand corrected. Richardson cannot put webcasting on the call. "Separation of powers" dictates that the legislature take the initiative on the issue of webcasting.
I would settle for his encouragement on the issue.
photo Mark Bralley
1 comment:
Why would the fox ask the hunters to put guns and bullets and hounds on their shopping list?
I suppose you are being rhetorical, but Richardson putting forth ethics legislation would simply put his ass in more of a bind than it already is, and he certainly wouldn't do that... unless he was innocent, of course.
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