Janice Arnold-Jones
The Government Restructuring Task Force was created by the unanimous passage in both Houses of the Legislature of HB237, sponsored by Rep. Lucicano “Lucky” Varela, D-Santa Fe.
According to its work plan, the task force will examine the structure and operation of state government in order to rethink priorities and to ensure that programs and services are provided in the most efficient manner possible.
There is general agreement that nothing is off the table. Specifically, all three branches of government and their respective agencies are subject to review and possible restructuring.
The main questions are:
• What are the essential services that the state must deliver?
• What is the most effective way to accomplish the states goals with the funds available?
The task force, according to the work plan, intends to answer those questions by:
• having the Legislative Council Service direct interim committees to include in their work plans, findings and recommendations on restructuring the agencies and program each committee reviews or oversees.
• reviewing the existing structure of state government as well as the structure according to the law.
• identifying areas of large expenditures.
• examining the inventory of state agencies, boards and commissions.
• assessing the effectiveness and efficiencies of various agencies and programs, particularly in light of the task force’s consideration of what essential services should be provided.
• requesting presentations by agencies to help the task force identify redundancies or duplications and the benefits or consequences of consolidating or eliminating certain programs or services.
• exploring the provision of online services to realize concomitant reduction in staff and offices.
• reviewing the sources of revenue, including efforts to better leverage existing funding and identify alternative revenue sources.
This is an opportunity to closely examine the process of government. The task force has the potential to play a major role in meaningful reform of a government badly in need of reform. It would be difficult to overestimate that potential.
In particular, we have an unprecedented opportunity to address the fundamental issue of transparency in state government – public records, open meetings, internet portals, as well as legislative and agency access, including regular webcasting.
The task force chairman, Senator Tim Eichenberg, promised a public forum at every meeting, and while that has been available, there have been few citizens who have taken advantage of that opportunity. The task force is going largely unnoticed. There are, at best, only a small handful of citizens attending the meetings. There has been no media coverage of the task force since it first met in April, and seemingly no effort to engage them.
Many argue that you get the government that is available, or the one you deserve. Those who take a “wait and see” position on the Government Restructuring Task Force, rather than participating in it, will likely find the government that is available is the one they deserve, and is not the government they want.
Government of the people, by the people, and for the people requires, most of all, the people.
Arnold-Jones is a Republican state representative from Albuquerque.