Denish talks about spaceport, ethics and her future

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is a strong supporter not only of Spaceport America but also of using local gross receipts tax increases to help fund it.

“I think the state has done its part by putting in its big chunks of money,” Denish said.

She made her comments during a visit to Las Cruces on Thursday hours before the tallying of ballots in Doña Ana County revealed that the tax increase here had passed. Denish said such a victory would “give the spaceport some legs with the other counties.”

Otero and Sierra counties have also been asked to approve tax increases, but their commissions were waiting for the results from Doña Ana County before deciding whether to take the question to voters.

Denish agreed with tax supporters who said the vote in Doña Ana County was critical to the project’s future. Now the spaceport will be built, she said, and once its economic benefits are felt, there will be “smoother sailing” through the Legislature, which has reluctantly agreed to give almost $125 million to the project in the last two years.

“I certainly will push for support to continue,” Denish said.

2010 looms

Denish is already raising money and has stated her intent to run for governor in 2010. Her comments on the spaceport are relevant to that race because it is scheduled to begin operating in late 2009 or early 2010. With the number of delays that have already occurred, it’s not unlikely that the spaceport could open for business shortly before the election, or even that it could be mired in construction delays by the time November 2010 rolls around.

One could mean the success of launching the spaceport is fresh in the minds of voters. The other could have voters frustrated with the money their leaders have invested in the project.

Though she’s a supporter, Denish said isn’t hanging her hat on the spaceport. She is focused on a number of other issues that include affordable housing, education and health care.

Her candidacy, which began four years before the election, is an anomaly in New Mexico that has some skipping over 2008 and focusing on what happens when Gov. Bill Richardson leaves office. Though about a dozen Democrats have approached Denish to express interest in running with her as the lieutenant governor candidate, Denish said she isn’t committing to anyone.

Electing Democrats in 2008

Denish said she is focused on defeating U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and also ensuring that New Mexico’s five electoral votes go to the Democratic candidate for president in 2008.

She had especially kind words for Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, who announced earlier this week that he will challenge Pearce. To those who say he has no shot at victory, Denish compared the 29-year-old McCamley to another Bill – Richardson, who challenged Republican incumbent Manuel Lujan for Congress in 1980. People and polls said Richardson had no chance of winning, but he surprised everyone by losing by less than 1 percent.

Richardson was 32 at the time.

“He’s young. He’s energetic. He’s got the enthusiasm to jump into a race,” Denish said of McCamley. “I think it took some courage for him to step in at this early date.”

Democrat Al Kissling, who lost to Pearce in 2006, is also seeking the Democratic nomination.

Richardson has asked Denish to consider running against Domenici in 2008. Though she didn’t completely discount the possibility, Denish said she is focused on running for governor. She hasn’t even allowed a national Democratic group to test her popularity against Domenici in a poll.

Denish said she loves this state and doesn’t want to leave.

“My feet are pretty firmly planted here in New Mexico,” Denish said. “I want to be the governor.”

Ethics reform

Denish and I also discussed the controversy surrounding ethics reform. As the person who presides over the Senate, Denish has seen firsthand the resistance to the proposals made by Richardson.

After many of his ethics proposals died in the regular and special sessions this year, Richardson announced that he will reconvene his ethics task force to examine the reasons for the resistance, and may call another special session later this year.

Denish doesn’t think he should. She said the few reforms that were passed this year are “a good first step” and said she believes the Legislature will pass a bill placing limits on campaign contributions next year.

“I think we need ethics reform, but I think it needs to be done during a regular session,” Denish said.

Noting the recent indictments of former Senate President Manny Aragon and others in the Bernalillo County Metro Courthouse scandal, Denish said an ethics commission, more than the other ethics reform proposals, would help combat such wrongdoing.

Aragon and the others are accused of taking part in an elaborate plot to steal taxpayer dollars by skimming them off the top of invoices for work done on construction of the courthouse.

The exposing of such incidents, Denish said, is helping create a public push for ethics reform that will, in time, lead to legislative action.

Denish added that she is interested in the possibility of a special session later this year to deal with health care reform.