ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: New Mexico Government Can, and Must, Change

Sunday, January 23, 2011

New Mexico Government Can, and Must, Change

By Sen. Tim Eichenberg
Democrat, Albuquerque
          The state's painfully slow economic recovery and a new political climate in Santa Fe are converging to create the perfect opportunity to realign state government into an efficient, less expensive and more accountable operation as recommended by the Government Restructuring Task Force.
        Implementing the task force's recommendations will improve efficiency and save money at a time when the state needs to scrounge around for every penny it can find, and it will increase accountability and transparency at a time when New Mexicans deserve reassurance that its public servants are indeed serving the public.
        The task force, which consisted of legislators and current and former state officials, focused on two questions: what are the essential services the state must deliver, and what is the most effective way to accomplish the state's goals, given our budget constraints? After months of hearings, fact-finding and public input, the task force concluded that we can vastly improve the structure of New Mexico government — and the sooner we begin, the better.
        Several of New Mexico's Cabinet departments should be merged, and dozens upon dozens of boards and commissions should be eliminated. School districts should be consolidated, a moratorium should be imposed on new school, college and university construction, and course credits should transfer effortlessly among schools. And, all state agencies should make better use of technology to save time and money.
        Among the task force's major recommendations are the proposals to:
        • Merge three Cabinet departments — the Economic Development Department, the Tourism Department and the Workforce Solutions Department — into a single commerce department, which would result in improved efficiency and a savings of $2.1 million a year;
        • Fold the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department back into the Department of Public Safety, along with the Fire Marshal Division of the Public Regulation Commission and the administration of several public safety programs. This would improve efficiency and accountability, as well as save close to $1 million a year; and
        • Combine or eliminate dozens of smaller agencies, boards, commissions and task forces, including the Public Regulation Commission and the Public Education Commission.
        More important than any single recommendation is the realization by the Legislature and the governor that something must change, and that something can change. New Mexico's leaders simply cannot afford to continue to rely on federal money or temporary accounting maneuvers to shore up the budget. While there are hopeful signs of an economic recovery, even the most optimistic among us are not predicting that a recovery will be fast enough or strong enough to solve the state's budget crisis.
        The task force understands that organizing and reorganizing government is an ongoing and arduous process. It recognizes that its recommendations cannot and will not be implemented instantly. And, it knows that its recommendations are not the final word on the subject of government reorganization. Indeed, the task force was assisted greatly by the work of groups that preceded it, most recently the governor's Committee on Government Efficiency, led by former Gov. Garrey Carruthers.
        While the work of reorganizing New Mexico government will take years, it must start now. The budget crisis and the advent of a new gubernatorial administration not only make it necessary, but also may combine to provide the impetus needed to overcome the bureaucratic inertia that resists any restructuring.
        We were disappointed to find how uniformly unwilling public officials and employees were to offer practical suggestions for changes that would lead to efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and transparency. Instead of suggestions, we heard impassioned defenses of the status quo. Gov. Susana Martinez, legislators and the public should be prepared to hear that same refrain as these proposals are debated this legislative session.
        The status quo cannot continue, however, and the task force looks forward to joining forces with Martinez to reshape New Mexico government.
        Sen. Tim Eichenberg chaired the Government Restructuring Task Force. Its report can be found at www.nmlegis.gov.

You also can send comments via our comment form