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Monday, January 03, 2011
Javier Gonzales Should Resign as an NMSU Regent
By Walter Hines
NMSU, '66,'67
As a longtime and active New Mexico State University alumnus, it was with deep concern that I read two recent op-ed columns in the Albuquerque Journal.
On Wednesday, Democratic Party Chair and NMSU Regent Javier Gonzales wrote a highly partisan political attack piece on incoming Gov. Susana Martinez. The following day, Republican Party Chair Marty Newman wrote a response pointing out the huge existing financial and corruption issues rampant during the Richardson administration, including the political appointment of Gonzales' brother to a Department of Transportation job for which he had no qualifications.
As chair of the Democratic Party, it is entirely within Gonzales' prerogative to criticize Republicans and Martinez. Unfortunately, as an NMSU regent his partisan public actions as party chair are an egregious conflict of interest and a disservice to the NMSU administration, students and state taxpayers.
Gonzales was appointed as Democratic Party chair in September 2009. An article in the New Mexico Independent on Sept. 12, 2009, was followed by a blogger's response wondering, "How does Mr. Gonzales simultaneously and without conflict of time or interest serve the Democratic Party of N.M. and NMSU as a member of the Board of Regents?"
How indeed?
Before his appointment as party chair, in April 2009 Gonzales announced his possible intention to run for lieutenant governor. In August 2009, then-Democratic Party Chair Brian Colon was instead chosen as the Democratic candidate. Earlier in 2007, Gonzales had expressed interest in running as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. Tom Udall got that nomination instead.
Still earlier, in July 2006, Gonzales as then-head regent at Highlands University was involved in the decision to terminate the corrupt Manny Aragon as president of Highlands after perhaps the worst financial and politically-driven academic crisis in the history of New Mexico higher education. A crisis that, mysteriously, was only recognized by the regents after it became blatantly obvious to virtually all others. Less than a year before, Gonzales and the other regents had voted to give Aragon a performance bonus. Upon his termination, Aragon received a $200,000 severance package. He is now in prison as a convicted felon for the worst public construction kickback scandal in the history of New Mexico.
If all this sounds like extremely partisan New Mexico politics, it is. Gonzales has chosen that arena. Good luck and more power to him. But to continue as a regent at NMSU under these circumstances and with his agenda is a perversion of his duty.
At the University of New Mexico we have partisan political regents Jamie Koch and Raymond Sanchez, both former Aragon cronies. And there are ex-interim President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President David Harris and Director of UNM Health Sciences Communications and Marketing Billy Sparks. Both Harris and Sparks were political appointees. The result has been numerous scandals, financial issues, academic decay of departments and picketing and no-confidence votes by student and faculty organizations. It has been a disaster.
It is one thing to be a recognized Republican or Democrat on the board of regents. This is the way the boards have been structured for years in order to achieve "balance." But Gonzales' situation is distinctly different.
As an avowed political partisan, "public enemy" of the incoming administration, and a holdover appointment of Richardson with a "bone to pick," he would foster a different but not less damaging dynamic on the NMSU Board of Regents than has been the case at UNM.
Gonzales should do himself, the Democratic Party, higher education and New Mexico citizens a favor and resign forthwith from the NMSU Board of Regents.
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