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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Sunday, October 10, 2010
Endorsements for Three Statewide Races
The Journal makes recommendations in these three statewide races in the Nov. 2 general election:
Secretary of State — Dianna Duran
There's no question the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office has been plagued by scandal. From Rebecca Vigil-Giron's indictment involving millions in federal voter funds to the parade of incumbent Mary Herrera's now ex-employees talking to the FBI, one of the state's most important offices has been in the public eye for all the wrong reasons.
Republican Dianna Duran, who has represented Otero and Doña Ana counties in the state Senate since 1993, has the qualifications and plans to put the office in the spotlight for the right ones.
Duran vows to put sound management principles in place and "look carefully at every dollar spent." She plans to work with county clerks and the Legislature to implement photo voter ID, and recounts specific examples of voter fraud she's heard on the campaign trail to show why. And she will collaborate with the state's 33 county clerks so rules that work are promulgated in a timely fashion.
Duran knows exactly what she is talking about — she has 30 years of experience with elections, including five as Otero County clerk.
The Journal recommends voters put Dianna Duran in the Secretary of State's Office.
Auditor — Hector Balderas
Democrat Hector Balderas has spent the past four years overseeing the financial audits of more than 600 offices. And what he has found in many cases isn't pretty.
That's in great part because Balderas believes his job is to "provide New Mexico's citizens with a professional and unbiased opinion of the financial affairs of all government agencies." As a result, in his first year Balderas flagged 87 offices as out of compliance with financial protocols. He also set up a system of risk advisories to flag troubling money patterns, and as a result entities from the Jemez Mountain School District to the State Land Office have been investigated. And he has turned several complex fiscal cases over to law enforcement, including the Secretary of State's Office to the FBI and the Region 3 Housing Authority to the state attorney general.
While he received support in his last campaign from Gov. Bill Richardson, Balderas emphasizes his nonpartisan approach to taxpayers' bottom line and points out Republican lawmakers from Janice Arnold-Jones to Stuart Ingle have sought his office's help during his first term.
Balderas, a former state legislator from Wagon Mound, says he would work with the Legislature to strengthen the state's auditing function and will institute a system of fees so his office can afford to examine large entities like the Transportation Department.
"Spending just $15 million to safeguard $5 billion is ridiculous," he says.
Considering the money troubles his office has uncovered, he's right. The Journal recommends voters keep Hector Balderas as state auditor.
Attorney General — Matt Chandler
District Attorney Matt Chandler of Clovis has taken on one of the toughest opponents in the Nov. 2 election — a political dynasty — because he believes something has to be done about the culture of corruption in New Mexico.
While incumbent Gary King has served the state for many years as a legislator and as attorney general, he isn't willing to say a culture of corruption has developed here even as he investigates millions in missing voter education funds. Let's face it: Pay-to-play has become a way of doing business, and New Mexico simply can not move forward with those blinders.
By comparison, Chandler has made a career of prosecuting lawbreakers, including those in his own Republican Party. His indictment resulted in the Curry County treasurer paying back her salary as restitution for falsifying records. And he knows a law-and-order approach doesn't operate solely during banker's hours — a tip he received at a football game cracked a $143,000 embezzlement scheme involving funds intended for tornado victims.
Chandler says he will ask the Legislature to repeal the state practice of giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants; King has been reticent to call for a repeal but supports changes so licenses reflect citizenship. Chandler vows to go after high-ranking state officials rather than relying on federal prosecutors to pick up his slack. And he emphasizes that by finally seeking swift, accurate punishment of those involved in corruption and illegal activity, New Mexico will be able to move forward and focus on important issues such as the economy and education.
The Journal recommends voters make the first move and select Matt Chandler for attorney general.
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