Susana Martinez
One of the main reasons I have decided to seek New Mexico’s governorship is because I, along with so many of you, am sick and tired of reading about scandal after scandal and instance after instance of corruption. As someone charged with not just upholding the law — but also enforcing it — I feel like the bad actors in state government have left a stain on our great state and completely lost sight of their responsibilities.
I was deeply troubled by the celebratory response the lieutenant governor issued when it became public that the Department of Justice would not prosecute the governor or his staff.
Diane Denish released a statement saying, “Assuming news reports are accurate this is good news for the people of New Mexico.”
Good news for the people of New Mexico or good news for Denish? The fact that there is a distinction between those two questions tells us how far state government has fallen.
Those currently in power in state government have made a huge mess. They have broken the law. They have abused the public trust. They have stolen, misused and abused taxpayer dollars and public funds. Overall, they have done a terrible job and, as a result, corruption runs rampant in Santa Fe and the people of New Mexico have lost faith in elected government.
Our state needs someone new to come in and fix what is so clearly broken. At every level in state government, whether it’s “leaders” in the Roundhouse being convicted of crimes, state officials being indicted for defrauding taxpayers or members of New Mexico’s executive branch being investigated for pay-to-play schemes, the corruption has overtaken the system, and the only option is change.
I will come to the governor’s office with a new agenda and perspective. I am the only candidate seeking the state’s highest elected office who has the experience of bringing corrupt politicians to justice. As district attorney in Doña Ana County, I authorized the prosecution of corrupt politicians, including a judge who was held to account for his actions.
The message that was sent was simple and straightforward: You break the law and you are held responsible. No politician is above the law or exempt from rules that govern the rest of the population. In fact, our elected officials should be held to a higher standard.
More open and transparent government
We serve as examples for our youth, and if we cannot conduct ourselves with dignity and truthfulness, how can we ask our youngsters to do so? As governor, I will re-establish a level of trust and respect for state government by finding the corruption and rooting it out.
I will make government more open and transparent and report to the people on a routine basis concerning the progress that is being achieved. My view on open government stands in contrast to that of Diane Denish. For example, Denish opposed opening legislative conference committees to the public, arguing in a 2001 editorial that, “…some aspects of politics, like sausage, are best made unseen if we’re to stomach the contents.”
I disagree with Denish, and share the belief of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who wrote, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
Now that she is running for governor, Denish is singing a different tune and claiming to be a champion of ethics reform. The public will have to weigh her self-serving campaign rhetoric against the overwhelming evidence of unethical behavior of the Richardson/Denish administration and determine whether her newfound positions are borne out of political convenience or true conviction. I look forward to having that debate.
I do believe good news is coming to New Mexico — and it will be in the form of executive leadership that has a proven history of taking on corruption and delivering a strong dose of justice to those who take advantage of our state’s citizens.
Martinez is a Republican candidate for governor.