Top Gov. Aides, Readers Weigh in on Appointees (NM-Richardson scandal)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | December 31, 2008 | Thomas J. Cole

[CedarDave]

I wrote a column for Christmas Eve about the large increase in the number of political appointees under Gov. Bill Richardson and the growth in the number of appointees making more than $100,000 a year...

I expected the column to be noncontroversial. After all, I have written before on the subject. Instead, the column set off a small firestorm...

Rushing to the governor's defense were two of his top aides — Bill Hume, a former Journal editorial page editor, and Gilbert Gallegos, [formerly of] the Albuquerque Tribune.

Gallegos accused me of having disdain for Richardson's political appointees... Hume said I had presented... "a totally unwarranted broad-brush smear" of the appointees.

I'm guilty of all that because I wrote that the governor has increased the number of appointees and their pay?

~~snip~~

I have received many e-mails and telephone calls from readers as a result of the column, most favorable and a few not...

• "Some people in New Mexico may be surprised to find out that Richardson had so many $100,000 friends but not me... I guess that is what the average middle-class New Mexican makes," wrote Eddie McMurray of Amarillo, Texas, and formerly of Albuquerque.
• "Regardless of what strikes the fancy of Gilbert Gallegos and/or Bill Hume, I found your December 24th article on the generosity of our governor 'right on,' " said Tom Kimball in Veguita.
• "During his time in Santa Fe this governor has been the poster boy of political patronage and 'pay-to-play' politics that seems far worse here than in Chicago," wrote Silvio Dell'Angela of Albuquerque....
• "I am a retired teacher .... I receive much more than a lot of the more elderly. All they have is Social Security — and our governor is spending like this," said an e-mail from a woman in Portales.

[CedarDave]

A lengthy article (free to non-subscribers after you watch a short video).

In the article Cole asked [sarcastically, I presume] why don't "all New Mexicans assume, as I do, that the governor would appoint only the most qualified of people, regardless of whether they dropped money on his various political campaigns or went to Iowa in the dead of winter to help him campaign for president?" And further: "Why wouldn't we assume that all those appointed by Richardson work hard at their jobs and bring value to our lives through better governing?" He concludes by saying that these questions would best by answered by Gallegos and Hume.

Oh, so much fun!! Now that Richardson is coming back to the state, wait for his revenge on the back stabbers.

[CedarDave]

NM list PING!

FReepmail greyfoxx39 to be added or removed from the list.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Heh heh heh. There ain’t enough popcorn in the world...

[flpatriot3]

ping

[greyfoxx39]

Looks like the state of NM will have to order the GIANT-SIZED tin of this to get through the next two years....

[CedarDave]

Here is a link to the letters published Friday by the Journal:

Readers: Rein This Santa In

Here's one from the former State Personnel Director (likely a Democrat):

Personnel Act Was Violated by Hires

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON'S spokesperson recently defended the 180 percent growth in the governor's exempt staff with the words, “paying competitive salaries, while maintaining a balanced and fiscally responsible budget.” This comment is an outright insult to the taxpayers and public employees in New Mexico!

Richardson's administration has literally ignored the merit service promulgated in the State Personnel Act. The governor, the personnel board, the personnel director, the chief of staff, and the secretary of Department of Finance and Administration all share in this irresponsible execution of personnel administration in state government.

The Personnel Act identifies positions exempted from classified service coverage, including, department secretaries and heads, division directors and “positions the personnel board has classified as policy making positions.”

The Richardson administration has applied its convenient interpretation (or disregard) of the act by converting, creating and using exempt positions for purposes other than policy and efficiency. ... Ironically, I was accused by him and his then chief of staff of being “dictatorial” when I refused to take frivolous requests to the personnel board for conversion to exempt positions. ...

I surely hope that Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has the fortitude and stamina to address this issue and lead the effort to re-evaluate, re-engineer and re-structure a more responsible and responsive state government.

JEFF A. VARELA Former State Personnel Director, Rio Rancho

[CedarDave]

LOL!!!

[AirForceMom]

[Dr. Ursus]

Now,we know why Jose wanted out of town so bad!

[torchthemummy]

Oh, so much fun!! Now that Richardson is coming back to the state, wait for his revenge on the back stabbers.

I would think that it is fair to say that it is Richardson's adversaries that have the upper hand. Richardson is neutered in a variety of ways and any lashing out could be very dangerous. Who knows if the FBI has some taps going on.

[DesertDreamer]

... Who knows if the FBI has some taps going on.

Good point, but Richardson is every bit as arrogant as Blagojevich. I expect he sincerely believes that his actions are justified and even legal, just because he says so. If this episode results in el Jeffe's political death, it will be a good thing for NM and the USA.

[dearolddad]

I’ve always been told that it is almost impossible to polish a turd. Am I missing something?

[DonnerT]

You cam polish it if you pick it up by the clean end.