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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Will Hope Trump a Lack of Experience?
By Richard E. Fox
Political Science Teacher, CNM
Susana Martinez won New Mexico's gubernatorial election in a largely issueless campaign. Of course, the issueless campaign is nothing new in American politics.
Martinez and New Mexico face daunting challenges. And it seems doubtful that Gov.-elect Martinez is adequately prepared to address such challenges, given a background largely devoid of governing experience and expertise. She now faces one of American politics' and government's eternal verities: campaigning is not governing.
Martinez must marry up the process of campaign politics with the substance of governing in a state riddled with deep problems of social and economic health. The problems include: poverty, DWI, hunger, high school dropouts, unemployment, underemployment, teen pregnancy, a yawning rich/poor gap, workplace deaths, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, overstretched district attorneys, violent crime, suicide, welfare abuse, tax cheating, thousands without health insurance, gambling addiction, diabetes, and a week secondary and postsecondary education system.
In a barrage of TV campaign commercials, none of these long-standing problems were addressed in any way.
In tandem with New Mexico's social health pathologies are the traditional problems of the state budget, environment, taxes, and water. The state is facing a budget deficit of more than $400 million. The flagship University of New Mexico (is projecting it may have to) cut its budget by 5 percent next year. CNM will eliminate vocational programs in 2011. There remains the disgrace of campaign finance.
All of this unfolds in a political and economic environment of deep recession, scarce resources, austerity and the usual partisan polarization. New Mexico's politics and public policy are a brutal zero-sum game — if there are to be winners, there must be losers. The next four years promise to be no different.
It is unclear what, if any, special attributes, abilities, or experience Martinez brings to New Mexico's formidable governing challenge. All of a sudden, "taking back our state," drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants, GOP talking points, and Bill Richardson are not longer salient in the state's conflicted atmosphere.
Therefore, I would pose the following questions to Martinez:
Whose income and standard of living do you and your party plan to reduce to solve the economic and social problems facing New Mexico?
How will you and your administration distribute the benefits and burdens produced by New Mexico's economy and state government?
In New Mexico, who will have to sacrifice in the years ahead in times of continued economic and social crises?
Here's to hope's triumph over experience.
Richard Fox is a former legislative analyst with the Albuquerque City Council and a former Department of Finance Administration analyst.
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