Susana Martinez
In a recent Associated Press story, Gov.-elect Susana Martinez complains that the Richardson administration sandbagged her (and her gubernatorial rival) during the campaign by withholding upwardly revised forecasts of the state’s budget deficit until after the election.
Martinez realizes that the near doubling of the deficit projection makes it more difficult for her to honor her campaign commitment to not cut any funds for education. She also realizes that she must qualify that position, if she does not have to abandon it, by re-interpreting her pledge to mean no cut in classroom funds.
Perhaps Martinez believes that cuts in non-classroom funds will be enough to spare education additional cuts that would affect the classroom. I cannot believe that she does. If I am wrong, she will be in for another shock.
Certain aspects of this story or the history behind it worry me. One is Martinez’s unreasonable belief as a candidate that, even with a projected budget deficit of $250 million, no cuts in education funding, classroom or non-classroom, would be required.
Michael L. Hays
The second is her apparent disregard of news or editorials about the likelihood of such cuts in light of the projected deficit. I was one of many who wrote that the $250 million deficit would require such cuts. As I said in a column published Sept. 8:
“One fact faces the new governor, as well as state senators and representatives: The flow of funds from the federal government’s economic recovery stimulus program will cease. Even with those funds, the state had to cut the public education budget this year; without them, the state will have to cut it next year. Elected officials will have to make choices that will offend or outrage most or all constituencies because they will have to examine all line items and spread the discomfort of cuts to many of them. Their mission to protect personal or political favorites or keep campaign promises will be difficult, if not impossible.
“The education budget will be no exception.”
My third worry is her (or her staff’s) lack of attention, even during a hectic campaign, to budget information presented in September legislative hearings.
Four is Martinez’s reaction to the new deficit projection – combative, mistrustful and irritable. Some warned that she inclined to such reactions in the face of difficulties. Her no-one-told-me complaint about a deficit of $450 million sounds like whiny blame-shifting.
My guess is that she and her staff failed to do due diligence; my hope is that she realizes she must blame herself for being surprised by this bad news.
A wish that was granted
Martinez now knows that she confronts bigger challenges than she ever imagined, and that her solutions to these problems may tarnish her rising political star. The old advice applies: Be careful what you wish for; your wish may be granted.
Still, she has yet to be sworn in, has much to learn, and is sure to make some mistakes. But she must cool her jets, cut herself some slack, learn from them, get her staff up to snuff, and seek advice from all quarters.
Welcome to office, governor-elect. How can we help?
Michael L. Hays (Ph.D., English) is a retired consultant in defense, energy and environment; former high school and college teacher; and continuing civic activist. His bi-monthly Saturday column appears in the Las Cruces Sun-News; his bi-monthly blog, First Impressions & Second Thoughts, appears on the intervening Saturdays at firstimpressionssecondthoughts.blogspot.com.