By Frances F. Williams When Michael Montoya, the ex-treasurer of New Mexico, was hitting up a prospective client of the Treasurer’s Office for a bribe, he said that was “the way we do business” in New Mexico. The recent reelection of Ben Lujan to the position of speaker of the House and the impunity his friend Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos has enjoyed to date, in spite of serious allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, collusion and conflicts of interest against Gallegos, suggest that Montoya might have been right. There were two reports last year that revealed widespread misuse of state money by the housing authority. One of the reviews, ordered by Gov. Bill Richardson, reported gross mismanagement and flagrant violation of state statutes in providing affordable housing for moderate to low income families. The other report, a forensic audit of Gallegos’ Region III Housing Authority and Housing Enterprises, Inc., a related company, was ordered by the State Investment Council after Gallegos defaulted on $5 million in state-owned bonds that were to be used for affordable housing. Continue Reading