{"id":23120,"date":"2010-11-03T01:51:30","date_gmt":"2010-11-03T07:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=23120"},"modified":"2010-11-17T09:35:28","modified_gmt":"2010-11-17T16:35:28","slug":"martinez-will-have-to-get-practical-dems-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2010\/11\/martinez-will-have-to-get-practical-dems-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Martinez will have to get practical, Dems say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

Republican Gov.-elect Susana Martinez<\/a> opposes tax increases, cuts to education and Medicaid, and taking money from the permanent funds to deal with the state\u2019s fiscal crisis.<\/p>\n

That leaves cuts to the other 40 percent of state government as the way to balance the budget. But two fiscally conservative Democratic lawmakers say Martinez\u2019s plan is not realistic, and they expect her to shift gears soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think once you get the campaign people away from her\u2026 I think she\u2019s going to look at it in a different light and recognize that we\u2019re in a serious situation,\u201d said Sen. John Arthur Smith<\/a>, D-Deming. \u201cI don\u2019t know that she\u2019s going to want to go around to the district attorneys and tell them that prisons are going to have to be closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Joseph Cervantes<\/a>, D-Las Cruces, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving known Susana for almost 20 years, I am confident that she\u2019s going to approach the job pragmatically,\u201d he said. \u201cIf she takes a pragmatic and constructive role, I am confident we can find the best balance for the state, but that balance is going to mean a prompt re-evaluation of promises made during the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa Fe is going to be very different<\/h3>\n

Martinez\u2019s victory over Democrat Diane Denish<\/a>, coupled with the GOP\u2019s gain of eight seats in the House<\/a>, means that Santa Fe is going to be very different when the Legislature convenes in January.<\/p>\n

Democrats will still control the House, but that chamber will be more conservative. Some committees will no longer have Democratic majorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re talking about a significant change in the dynamics,\u201d said Rep. Keith Gardner<\/a>, R-Roswell and the minority whip.<\/p>\n

Asked if Martinez\u2019s campaign pledges related to the budget are realistic, Gardner said he believes it\u2019s possible to balance the budget without raising taxes and without cutting anything but waste from education and Medicaid programs. He said such waste can be cut without slashing classroom funding or affecting the delivery of Medicaid services.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s different than Martinez\u2019s pledge to not cut the education or Medicaid budgets. Gardner said he believes Martinez intends to keep her promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe means what she says and says what she means,\u201d Gardner said \u201cThat\u2019s been my experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gardner said the severity of the budget problem isn\u2019t known. Many lawmakers have accused the Richardson administration of not being honest with them about the financial situation, and Martinez has said she expects to discover big problems when she takes office.<\/p>\n

I was unable to speak with Martinez on Tuesday night to ask her about the budget.<\/p>\n

Budget cuts are likely, tax hikes aren\u2019t<\/h3>\n

With a more conservative House and a Republican governor come January, here is the reality:<\/p>\n