OPINION: High-profile objections ring hollow unless WNMU scandal is remedied

Over 10,000 structures and hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by the ongoing California wildfires.

Similarly, 16 months after the Hawaii wildfires, Lahaina residents remain displaced, struggling to access basic relief.

In western North Carolina, months after Hurricane Helene, many are still living in sheds, tents and temporary camps, facing harsh winter conditions. These events highlight a disturbing trend: the incompetence, corruption and indifference of our political class.

This problem extends beyond Washington and state capitals. It has permeated all levels of governance. Public service has become a means for gaining wealth and influence, with little concern for those they are meant to serve.

A glaring example of this attitude can be found in the scandal surrounding Western New Mexico University (WNMU).

After a state auditor’s report revealed allegations of financial misconduct by the WNMU Board of Regents and president, the two parties entered into an agreement that, in its tone-deafness and arrogance, would have made an Enron executive blush.

Despite the misconduct allegations, the university awarded President Joe Shepard a multi-million-dollar severance package. This deal was made during the Winter Holiday break, a classic political move to avoid public scrutiny and resistance.

However, when the agreement became public, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that his office would conduct an inquiry into the matter.

What followed is a testament to how public pressure can sometimes force action.

The university’s Faculty Senate swiftly scheduled a meeting to vote on a motion of “no confidence” in the Board of Regents, urging the governor and other state officials to rescind the agreement. The motion, requested by a School of Business senate representative, passed unanimously.

News of this led to the governor calling for all board members to resign and the attorney general filing an emergency motion to halt the $1.9 million severance payment for Shepard.

However, the story didn’t end there.

After the attorney general filed his motion on Jan. 6, his office discovered that the Board of Regents had expedited the payout and ignored requests for information. The attorney general responded by filing an additional motion to prevent President Shepard from spending the funds.

On Jan. 13, 6th District Judge Jarod Hofacket denied the attorney general’s request, stating that he didn’t have the authority to make such an order, while encouraging both sides to resolve the issue outside of court.

As of now, no hearing on the original motion has been scheduled.

What does this all mean for the future? The reality is grim. Many New Mexico political insiders believe there’s little chance the severance agreement will be overturned. The political will simply isn’t there to challenge it, reflecting the same sense of superiority and infallibility that marks the actions of the political class.

These individuals operate with the belief that they’ll never be truly held accountable. The political system is set up to protect them, no matter how egregious their actions.

This situation underscores a disturbing double standard. While there is no shortage of political will to persecute ordinary citizens for trivial offenses, often destroying their lives in the process, there is a distinct lack of will to hold the political elite accountable.

In this case, both the governor and attorney general have made some public gestures, which may be politically valuable for them. But without a significant change, these gestures will be meaningless. Unless the severance agreement is rescinded, their actions will remain hollow.

In the meantime, the rest of us continue to bear the consequences of a political system that is more concerned with protecting its own than with serving the public. The wildfires, hurricanes and scandals are just a few examples of the deep-rooted issues within our governance.

The political class believes it is above reproach, and unless we demand true accountability, that belief will persist, leaving ordinary citizens to suffer the consequences.

Jorge Romero-Habeych, of Silver City, is an assistant professor of economics at Western New Mexico University. He is also a member of the Faculty Senate, representing the university’s School of Business.