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.
Gov. Susana Martinez broke rules governing the use of state airplanes, according to a report by KRQE’s investigative reporter. This comes despite Martinez making former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish’s use of the state plane a major campaign issue.
KRQE reported:
The story begins with a Hollywood production crew from NBC/Universal, which came to New Mexico to scout locations for a television pilot called “The Crossing.” On Feb. 23, crew members found themselves in a bind: They were stuck in Las Vegas, N.M., and needed to get to Chama, 173 miles away.
Jennifer Schwalenberg, head of the New Mexico State Film Office, came to their rescue and suggested they could hitch a ride on a state plane.
Because the Martinez administration was particularly sensitive about use of the state airplanes, a host of top officials carefully scrutinized the details of the proposed flight. But not one of them raised a red flag.
The state transportation director gave the trip a thumbs-up. So did two cabinet secretaries, two top state lawyers as well as the governor’s office.
“The questions were asked by the governor’s office – was this, one, a legal use of state aircraft?” [Martinez Chief of Staff Keith] Gardner said. “And the answer came back, yes, it’s a legitimate use. It had been done apparently in the past. The second, and very important question to me was … will any taxpayers’ money be used or subsidize for this flight, and the answer came back, ‘No.’ ”
The Democratic Party of New Mexico was quick to criticize Martinez over the report.
“Susana Martinez ran her campaign on selling the state aircraft and making better use of the state planes and yet two months into office we find out that she violated three state regulations on the state aircraft, not one, but three,” said Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Forrester in a statement.
Forrester continued, “This is truly hypocritical of the Governor and she beginning to show a reckless record of broken promises.”
During the gubernatorial campaign last year, Martinez vowed to sell a state airplane that she deemed wasteful. She said, however, that she would keep two other planes that cost nearly as much to operate.
