Richardson Plays Dr. Doom

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | October 31, 2009 | Thomas J. Cole

[CedarDave]

Today is Halloween, but Gov. Bill Richardson has been running around as Dr. Doom all week.

Richardson is upset the Legislature approved a 7.6 percent cut in funding for most of his agencies as a means to help address a $650 million budget deficit.

Day after day this week, in a well-orchestrated public-relations campaign, Richardson and other administration officials warned of dire consequences ...

Senior citizens will go hungry, poor children will go without medical care, state parks will be shut, two prisons will be closed and hundreds of criminals will be set loose to prey on you, the administration said.

~~snip~~

The goal of the governor's doom-and-gloom show may be to punish legislators, who refused to cancel $150 million in so-called pork projects and use the money to help close the budget gap....

They also say they were forced to make a deeper cut in agency funding because Richardson insisted on a smaller reduction in money for public schools...

The governor "can whine, and he'll probably be one up on everybody" because he has such a large soapbox, says Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming. But, Smith added, Richardson's big-spending days are clearly over. The state budget shot up more than 50 percent in the governor's first six years in office, from 2003 to 2008.

In just a year, it's out with the Santa Claus costume and in with Dr. Doom. Richardson's public-relations campaign on the budget cuts this week was made possible in part by the small PR army he has fielded across government. As of Sept. 25, there were 25 slots under Richardson for political appointees ... The average annual salary: $72,336. ...

As part of its budget-reduction package, the Legislature mandated that Richardson eliminate the jobs of 102 political appointees.

[CedarDave]

One thing the governor did not cut as deeply was education, which as we all know is bloated with administrators and rife with teachers who can barely teach and of course the curriculum is full of liberal propaganda, global warming BS, Obama praise and zero tolerance and expulsion for mistakes by six-year old's.

[CedarDave]

PING! to the NM list. Thank you, greyfoxx39, for alerting us to the article. Here it is for the entire FR readership.

[greyfoxx39]

NM Ping

If you want on or off the NM Ping list, please FReepmail me.

Access to the ping list is available to anyone by going to my FR home page.

Thanks for posting this Dave.

[greyfoxx39]

Sorry to have Pinged in haste..;)

[Brilliant]

Richardson’s fault. Why did he put them in the situation where they would have to cut the budget for “essential services?”

[submarinerswife]

Bill Clinton advises that you put some ice on that, Bill.

[DManA]

Q: What do you call a 7.6% cut?
A: a start

[RowdyFFC]

Reality just sucks for some people, doesn’t it?

The New Party crackhead commies think they can keep thieving from the people and buying votes with their money.

I think America has news for these people. WE’RE DONE!

[CedarDave]

But, Smith [Senate Finance Committee Chairman, D-Deming] added, Richardson's big-spending days are clearly over. The state budget shot up more than 50 percent in the governor's first six years in office, from 2003 to 2008.

For any who might have thought that Richardson was a "moderate" Democrat, this by a Democrat is telling. Richardson is as much a "moderate" as Obama is a free-market supporter.

[CedarDave]

Last year in December we were selfishly looking forward to getting rid of him and foisting his corruptness on the rest of the country as Obama’s Commerce secretary. Unfortunately, the pay-to-play investigations, which are still going on, derailed his appointment. So we wait 14 short months until 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2011 to be rid of him.

[joelt]

I thinking that we would be in better shape if not for the $500 million for the little utilized train.....

[Freddd]

Every month or so a different Governor comes out claiming this...then a week or two later, they claim to have found a way around it.

Constant state of agitation. Oh wait, that’s a community organizer, Saul Alinsky tactic...

[CedarDave]

I thinking that we would be in better shape if not for the $500 million for the little utilized train.....

Well, it is utilized -- on Labor day weekend they had over 26,400 boardings. However, it's almost free to ride. For example, an all day weekend ticket to ride the train end to end and return (a distance of 200 miles RT) is only $7 ($6 if purchased online). Kids under 10 ride free. Roundtrip ABQ-Santa Fe-ABQ is only $5 online. The train takes you directly to downtown Santa Fe where parking is horrendous and expensive (parking is free at the stations). I've ridden it and the after work trains are full. They need to raise fares to attempt to recover some of what is paid by the taxpayers to operate it.

[elkfersupper]

I'm glad this fat socialist / fascist bastard is nearly gone.

I don't really give a crap what he says, does or thinks.

[elkfersupper]

I've ridden it.......

I haven't and won't.

If you show up, you lend credibility to the insanity.

[OneWingedShark]

*sigh* - Where’s the Fantastic Four when you need them?

[greyfoxx39]

Editorial in the Journal this morning:

The Sky Isn’t Falling; Budget Just Ballooned     

 

As sure as tomorrow is Monday you can bet the drip, drip, drip of budget-cut drama will continue to leak out of Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration.

   Last month during a special legislative session lawmakers recommended 7.6 percent cuts for agencies under Richardson’s control to help shore-up a $650 million revenue shortfall.

   On Tuesday, the Human Services Department declared the sky was falling and predicted reduced mental health and substance abuse services for the poor as well as medical services for uninsured children and developmentally disabled people.

   On Wednesday, the Corrections Department joined in the chorus and said it would have to shut down two prisons and release more than 500 inmates early.

   On Thursday, the Children, Youth and Families Department increased the volume, sacrificing services for foster families and at-risk children. The Aging and Long Term Services Department chimed in with cuts to seniors’ day care, home care and meals.

   On Friday, Energy Minerals and Natural Resources predicted state park shutdowns.

   The state workers’ union demanded a veto.

   But here’s a little acorn to wake up these Chicken Littles — the state budget has grown more than 50 percent since Richardson took office in 2003. New Mexico averages 24.5 state workers for every 100 in the private sector when the national average is just 16.22. About 400 state jobs were added last year alone at a cost of $1 million every two pay periods. Some 468 gubernatorial appointees have joined the ranks in the past two terms.

   This week, before we get another refrain of the budget sky is falling, the administration should acknowledge spending is already sky high.