Rural activists ask NMSU to stay out of politics

A group of rural activists from around Doña Ana County have sent a letter to the members of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents asking them to pledge that the university will stay out of local political issues in the future.

The group – eight residents of Anthony, Mesquite and Vado in the south valley and one resident of Radium Springs, located north of Las Cruces – stated in the Oct. 3 letter that they believe an e-mail sent to all NMSU employees in advance of the April 3 spaceport tax election in Doña Ana County was inappropriate.

That e-mail, sent on March 30 by Ben Woods, a senior vice president at the university who is also a member of the state Spaceport Authority, did not state that employees should vote for the tax. But it did urge university employees to research the issues and vote. It also promoted a study conducted for the state, which found that the spaceport would create 2,300 jobs with $300 million in payroll in five years of operation.

“This provides local opportunities for our students to remain in the area while pursuing their career goals,” the e-mail stated.

It also promoted the fact that 25 percent of the 1/4 percent gross-receipts tax increase would go to education in Doña Ana County and “continued development of aerospace education at NMSU.”

“Specialized education means local employment for local students,” the e-mail states, while also stating that the new jobs would lead to improved roads, schools and other county services.

Several days later, voters approved the tax by a 270-vote, or 1.6 percent, margin. It’s expected to provide $49 million to help build Spaceport America.

The activists’ letter states that Woods’ e-mail, “no matter how cleverly worded to avoid direct support, amounted to a free advertisement by a top NMSU official in favor of the spaceport tax.”

Woods said he had not seen the activists’ letter, but had heard about it. He defended his e-mail.

“The intent was just to say this is an important issue and people need to vote,” he said. “We had people who looked at this before it was sent out and agreed with me that it was OK.”

Arturo Uribe of Mesquite, one of the activists who signed the letter, said the regents have not responded, but he has spoken with student Regent Ed Kellum, who pledged to discuss the situation with the regents.

The activists who signed the letter opposed the tax and say a tax increase should go to schools, public health or infrastructure.

“Our position is a conservative and responsible one, and it is worthy of respect,” they wrote.

Uribe said the group wants the university to focus on education and stay out of politics. He said the university has delved into politics in other recent issues, and cited opposition by some regents to a proposal to build a casino in Anthony.

The leader of the opposition to that project is Stan Fulton, the owner of the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, who has admitted in giving millions of dollars to the university that he’s trying to buy opposition to the Anthony proposal. Though the university has no official position on that project, some regents have sided with Fulton.

“We want the university to stay involved in education and not get involved in development or political issues,” Uribe said. “Our university shouldn’t be involved in politics, especially when it’s a wedge issue.”

In the letter, he and the other activists wrote that they hope Woods’ e-mail “was a case of an insensitive official, not the policy of NMSU.”

“(University administrators) should respect all of us, not just one side,” the letter states. “… This is our university, too. Will you make sure this doesn’t happen again?”