I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
“Accountability” will play a major role in the November elections for Governor, Land Commissioner, and the State Auditor’s race, incumbant State Auditor Hector Balderas told The Independent at the state Democratic Party watch party Tuesday night.
Balderas expressed anger at legislators who he said have disproportionately cut his agency’s staff.
“Accountability has taken a back seat for too long … and the State Auditor’s office is going to play a pivotal role in regaining the public trust,” Balderas said. “This state has only 17 auditors for 600 agencies. That’s a travesty. This election will give me an opportunity to get in front of the voters, and they’re my source of power. They’ll lobby their own lawmakers.”
“Our audits have led to indictments, to transformation at public schools, yet the funding has not followed our successes,” Balderas said. “I absolutely think it was pushback. I made a mistake of believing the Legislature would just fund good work, but we were going to take a look at a lot of folks.”
Balderas is uncontested for the Democratic primary and has not begun internal polling, he said. But at the federal, state and local level, voters are growing cynical about government accountability, he said.
Balderas will face a Republican challenger, Errol J. Chavez, in November.
Balderas will announce a proposal next week to adopt a public school-like funding mechanism for state auditors, with an auditor for every 10 state agencies, he told The Independent.
“It needs to be tripled or quadrupled,” Balderas said of his investigative staff. “Now that I have a solid following, I’m going to be more honest and tell voters they only have 17 auditors for more than 600 agencies.”
