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.
Kate Nash of the Santa Fe New Mexican wrote in her blog earlier today that “15 to 20″ people have expressed interest in succeeding Diane Denish as lieutenant governor. This would be in the event that Gov. Bill Richardson…
Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, center, looks on as Brenda Brooks speaks. Dan Lopez stands to the right.
ALBUQUERQUE — Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said she is open to the possibility of merging state agencies once she takes over as governor.
Denish conditioned such action on it being among the recommendations she receives from a team of advisers she has empaneled to help her transition into the role of the state’s chief executive.
“I think one of the hallmarks of what we have done in our administration, specifically that I’ve done, is have a model of collaboration between agencies. But we can always do better,” Denish said when asked about the possibility of merging state agencies once she takes over. “If there’s ever a time to think of efficiencies, and smoothness, and operating collaboratively, now is the time.”
Denish’s remarks came at a news conference in downtown Albuquerque, where she named a team of advisers to help advise her as she prepares to take over as the state’s chief executive. On Monday, economists projected New Mexico will have a $450 million shortfall for the year that ends June 30 and a sizable shortfall for the following year.
“My experience with transitions is that there are some innovative ideas that come out of them and that our opportunity …we will see if we can find those innovative ideas and take advantage of them,” Denish said.
Gov. Bill Richardson, who has been appointed U.S. commerce secretary by President-elect Barack Obama, doesn’t expect to resign as governor until middle to late February when the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on his nomination.
Denish said she wanted the creation of the advisory team to send a message to New Mexicans that she is ready to take over.
“I want them to feel very comfortable that in my job as lieutenant governor I am ready to step in and take charge when the time comes,” she said after the news conference.
“The No. 1 priority is to help us have a smooth transition …so that New Mexicans know that our No. 1 to make sure there is no interruption in the work that has to go on,” she said.
She said the advisers will be broken up into teams that will focus on seven key areas: government efficiency and finance; economic stability; transportation and infrastructure; education and workforce; healthy families and communities; energy and environment; and safety and security.
Each team of advisers will solicit the public, state officials and experts in each field for ways to “achieve greater efficiency in state government” and “ways in which agencies can better integrate.” The teams also will “rank priority issues, recommend what can be accomplished in the next two years, and in the next five years,” Denish said.
“I think it is very indicative of who she is as a leader that one of the first things she seeks to do is to get the opinions of the citizens from across this great state of New Mexico, “ said Brenda Brooks, one of two co-chairs of Denish’s advisory team.
The other co-chairman, Dan Lopez, said he had participated in other transitions. “It is really some hard work. It can be useful work if we approach it correctly.”
Lopez is the president of New Mexico Tech and a former cabinet secretary at two state agencies.
Brooks said each team leader will deliver a five- to seven-page report to Denish by Jan. 15, five days before the 2009 legislative session opens.
