By Steven Robert Allen
Executive Director, Common Cause New Mexico
There is a new urgency to the long-held belief that government as usual needs to change. On the national level, a seemingly endless sequence of grotesque public corruption scandals has created widespread cynicism about the current troubled state of American politics.
In New Mexico, the situation is just as dire. Two former state treasurers have been sentenced to federal prison terms for kickback schemes that ripped off New Mexico taxpayers of millions of dollars. Allegations of corruption involving high-ranking New Mexico political figures surround both the construction of the Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque and planning for a new Transportation Department headquarters in Santa Fe.
The good news is that Gov. Bill Richardson's Ethics Reform Task Force has spent the last two years putting in the hard work necessary to determine how to begin the difficult process of improving state government and fixing a damaged public trust.
Chaired by former Gov. Garrey Carruthers and Suellyn Scarnecchia, dean of the Law School at the University of New Mexico, the group brought together some of the most respected experts on governmental ethics and regulation in the state.
After receiving detailed input from key state officials— including legislators, the auditor, treasurer and representatives from the Secretary of State's Office— the task force has put forth an impressive set of recommendations on how to improve the ethical framework of New Mexico's state government.
The most important recommendation is that the Legislature pass full public campaign financing for all statewide offices during the 2008 session. For citizens to regain faith in the fairness of New Mexico's political system, it is essential that we cut special interest dollars out of the equation entirely.
The system recommended by the task force would provide full public funding for qualified candidates who agree to strict spending limits and to only accept small contributions from individuals. We have seen this reform work for Public Regulation Commission campaigns. We saw it work on the municipal level during the last City Council race in Albuquerque.
During the 2007 session, the Legislature wisely voted to pass public campaign financing for statewide judicial races. It is time to extend this crucial reform to all statewide offices.
Richardson appears committed to this goal. He recently signed a Common Cause pledge to support congressional public financing. He also wrote a letter to Iowa voters explaining that his goal in New Mexico this year is to expand public financing to more statewide offices. Moreover, in the New Hampshire presidential debate Jan. 5, he expressed his belief that public financing, in the broader sense, is one of the key reforms necessary to begin to heal the deep political wounds of this country.
With a short legislative session and many high-profile bills to be considered, there is a very real danger that this issue will be lost in the shuffle along with the other big-ticket items recommended by the task force, including creation of an independent commission to investigate complaints against public officials and the setting of campaign contribution limits. This cannot be allowed to happen.
The time is ripe for change in New Mexico, and in 2008 our state has a historic opportunity to become a national leader in the cause of ethics reform.
Public support for these measures is extremely high. A Journal poll released last September revealed that 88 percent of Democrats want exactly these types of reforms. Another Journal poll released a year earlier showed similar support among New Mexico Republicans and independents.
Only decisive action by our legislative leaders can begin to repair floundering public confidence in the electoral process and the function of government in our state.
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