State Auditor Hector Balderas' Office has uncovered some more
corruption, link.
No surprise there, it's a
target rich environment.
Shoot a bullet in any
direction in state govern-
ment and it will poke
a hole in either corruption
or incompetence.
Balderas would go shooting
more often, but the politicians won't have it. Governmental
oversight has always been underfunded in New Mexico.
The proof of the lack of support is the existence of the culture
of public corruption and incompetence in state government.
Balderas has said straight out; he's under-manned and under-
funded. He says the legislature won't give him the resources
he needs to do the audits that need to be done.
Why not? Why won't they?
Why is governmental oversight perpetually underfunded?
Why does government enable corruption and incompetence,
except that politicians and public servants want it that way?
Casinos and government hire from the same applicant pool.
Those who end up in politics or public service will be exposed
to endless temptation; a system that gives them control over
enormous power and resources and with very little oversight.
If power corrupts, then power without oversight, corrupts
absolutely. What do we expect from human beings, when we
push piles of cash under their noses, and don't pay enough
attention to what they do with it? Their ultimate corruption
is as predictable as it is inevitable.
In stark contract, casinos spare their employees any temptation
at all. Casino employees handle cash all day long and they're
never given a chance to steal it. It is impossibly difficult to steal
from a casino without getting caught; there isn't temptation
because there isn't opportunity.
It is manifestly not impossibly difficult to be a corrupt or
incompetent politician or public servant, and get away with it.
Even the ones who get caught, invariably get away with it.
The people who created government; everyone who has ever
served in politics or public service heretofore, have created a
government that is short on real oversight; real standards of
conduct and competence, and honest accountability to them.
There are two reasons and two reasons only, to have created
such a government; their corruption and their incompetence.
Either they could not, or they would not, provide casino
security over the spending of our power and our resources.
Which begs a thornier question;
Why are the sitting politicians and public servants not nowSteve Terrel writes that Governor Susana Martinez said,
providing casino security on our government?, except that
they too are corrupt or incompetent; unwilling or unable
to put an end to public corruption?
"... this audit report will help to inform our further effortsIf Martinez really wants to root-out government corruption,
to root-out government corruption in New Mexico.”
she will put full funding for governmental oversight on the call
for the Special Session. She will make legislators pick a side
in the fight against the culture of corruption and incompetence
in state government.
In the end, there will be robust oversight on the spending of
our power and resources, or we will know the names of those
who stood in its path.
"The right time, to do the right thing, is always right now." unk
The right time for government that is fully and transparently
accountable to the people, and to meaningful standards of
conduct and competence within public service, is right now.
It's not that it is impossible; it can be done. It's a matter of will.
Politicians and public servants either can not provide casino
security in government because they are incompetent to the
task, or they will not provide casino security in government
because they are corrupt.
If there is a third reason to not end the culture of corruption
and incompetence in state government, if there is a third reason
to continue underfund oversight, what is it?
What is it?
photo Mark Bralley
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