Matt Rush
In two years the State of New Mexico will celebrate its 100th birthday. We have a proud history and a dynamic future ahead if we have the vision to make progress in the governing of the state, especially in the realm of accountability and ethical leadership. My name is Matt Rush and I am seeking the office of commissioner of public lands for those very reasons.
My roots in New Mexico go back to 1922 when my family homesteaded here. As an eighth-generation farmer and rancher, I have continued in the tradition that has made New Mexico strong.
My opponent, Ray Powell, correctly stated in a recent column published on this site that the N.M. Land Office is an important institution. It’s how you utilize the opportunity to govern this great institution that matters. That charge includes managing state trust lands to support 89 school districts, seven universities and many other institutions.
However, we disagree on how this vital office should be administered in the best interests of the citizens of New Mexico. In the 10 years he served as commissioner, he had a chance to move this office forward. The record shows he allowed this important office to become a haven for special interests with little regard for the actual charge of the state land office.
In the recent editorial he implied that more bureaucracy, red tape and endless meetings are what he would bring back to the office. I want to continue to work with our energy producers while enhancing renewable energy projects such as wind and solar energy on state lands.
During Powell’s 10 years in the land office no solar energy or even a single wind turbine spun on our state-owned lands. Stakeholders such as the energy and ranching industries remember Mr. Powell’s policies when he brought the myopic agendas of special interest groups into the land office. He has a record that should be reviewed and carefully examined. Voters across the country are saying they are bone weary of this old style of regulating, litigating and putting businesses out of business. That is not the duty of the state land office.
I want to bring a new brand of leadership and balance to the N.M. State Land Office where all benefactors and users of the trust can reach a common ground. We should hear the concerns of those who produce the $500 million in revenue from our trust land as well as protecting the beneficiaries and the corpus of the trust for generations to come.
My focus will be on strengthening our school trust lands for current students, educators and generations far into the future. Our team will be open to new opportunities aimed at economic growth while maximizing revenues for our beneficiaries. Stewardship of our public lands is paramount and enhanced by trusted partnerships with our lessees, who also know the value of conservation and proper resource management.
The land office is the very reflection of the landscape and history of our great state. From the pump-jacks and windmills that tell the story of our innovative citizens, the state land office is a unique treasure in this nation. As New Mexico commissioner of public lands, I will respect the vision of our forefathers to properly fund the education system as well as respecting the struggle of those who bring energy out of the ground and grass into the pastures to fund that system. We will strive to bring solid community development across this landscape through innovative policies while preserving the important cultural resources of the Land of Enchantment.
We need vision and leadership in this important office… not the tired old politics of the past.
Rush is the Republican candidate for land commissioner.