Jim Spiri
September 13, 2011, Santa Fe – It has now been a total of six days that I have worked at the special session at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. I was called back to work and readily accepted the position. Living the life of the unemployed keeps me constantly taking all kinds of part time jobs these days, which I am extremely happy to have. Others have zero jobs, or don’t look as hard as I do. Not sure exactly what the story is on that one. But, for now, I’m working.
Well, kind of.
I was told that the special session is costing around $50,000 per day, which I find astronomical. I cannot at this time figure out where exactly the money is being spent. I know it is not being spent on my salary, which is $10.65 per hour. So far, I have managed to accumulate a grand total average of about five hours per day, which after taxes nets about $47 per day in my pocket.
Now, add to that the matter of the cost of riding the train, $8 per day, and the cost of the lunch that my wife packs, $3 per day, and the gas to drive me to and from the train station in our Honda Civic, $5 per day, the total I am bringing home will be about $30 per day.
Now, I am thankful to have this job, and I presume there may be more hours coming, but as far as I can tell, nothing is happening at the Senate, which is where I work. I just don’t get it, yet.
Out of control
For the record, I know that redistricting is one main issue that everybody knew was going to happen. Why our legislators did not prepare for this ahead of time has completely got me in a tizzy. I worked for the U.S. Census Bureau for nearly two years and I finished that job a year ago. I know the results were handed out a long time before Sept. 6, 2011 for New Mexico, which is the day the legislative special session began.
As usual, the wheels of progress turn slowly, but this time it is out of control, and I for one am going to say something about it.
Now, some time ago, a very respected military person told me that if “one is going to complain about something, then by all means present a solution to the problem, or shut up.”
Well, I have a solution to this dilemma and I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. Here goes.
One legislative body
In 1965, when I lived in Las Cruces, our great state of New Mexico had a very, very productive Senate. Each county had one senator. Period. Things got done and got done rapidly. There were 76 representatives in the House. Things got done in the House also, but slower than the Senate.
There was not a giant building called the Roundhouse. There were no cameras for senators or representatives to perform to. If you wanted to know what went on at the peoples’ Legislature, well one just had to find their way over to the nearest watering hole. Deals were made, gridlock was avoided and that was that.
Now, my solution is this, and it is a good idea: New Mexico only needs one body to handle state issues. We need what Nebraska has in place, a unicameral legislative branch. It means having only one body. In New Mexico’s case I propose that it be the Senate, because for the past 44 years, since things changed in 1967, the New Mexico House of Representatives has been nothing but a house of bickering, and this year it is completely insane.
We don’t need it anymore. If we eliminated them all, the state would save literally hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayers.
Now, if we had only one body, and it was the Senate, we as a state could then use the other half of the Roundhouse for some other state business. Perhaps we could consolidate some other state offices, vacate the buildings they occupy and sell or lease the building. This saves more money. It would actually turn a profit.
One vote, one county
Now I know that there are those out there that just cannot fathom the thought of not having the House of Representatives in New Mexico. Well, the way things have been this year, it is actually like we don’t have one already. The Senate has not been much better, but at least with fewer members there is a better chance to get something done.
And if we went back to what made this state great in the first place, one senator per county, the state would have to function as one body, not a whole bunch of disjointed, out-of-step, wimpy cry babies.
This is a proposal that is actually gaining a lot of momentum, albeit rather quietly, across the entire state. I for one don’t care whether Harding County has 1,000 people in it or that Bernalillo county has 1,000,000 people in it. One vote, one county will get things done. It got things done quite well for the first 55 years. It’s been a mess the last 45 years, with no end in sight with all this partisan wrangling going on. Back to basics is what I say.
My proposal should take effect for the New Mexico centennial celebration, which is set to begin in a little over three months. Until then, everyone must hold their breath and wait for Michael Sanchez and Ben Luján to decide if this is a special session or an un-special session. So far, nothing special about it to me.
Spiri is a combat war photographer and writer. Find him online at jimspiri.com.