More Republican Projects Were Vetoed (NM - Richardson)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Friday, March 17, 2006 | Trip Jennings And Gabriela C. Guzman

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE— Gov. Bill Richardson vetoed Republican-sponsored capital outlay projects twice as often as projects sought by Democratic legislators, a Journal analysis found.

The Democratic governor used his line-item veto to strike nearly 33 percent of the projects sponsored by Republicans. Democratic sponsors lost only about 15-percent of their projects.

Richardson made the cuts in the $762 million capital outlay bill passed during the 30-day legislative session that ended February 16.

The analysis found that lawmakers who either have been outspoken critics of the governor or who opposed key legislation in the recent session were more likely than Richardson allies to see their projects vetoed.

<< snip >>

"I don't think there's any doubt that this governor punishes people who don't agree with him," said Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, a frequent Richardson critic, who saw 18 of his 41 projects vetoed by the governor.

"I'm not sure that fairness is in this governor's vocabulary," said House Minority Leader Ted Hobbs, R-Albuquerque. "He is a partisan political animal."

House Democrats, who align themselves with the governor more often than Senate Democrats, saw the fewest number of vetoes as a group and the least amount of money cut from projects, the analysis found. Even Democrats who clashed with Richardson, such as Jennings and Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, saw significant cuts.

Rep. Justine Fox-Young, R-Albuquerque, who saw more than half of her projects and about $1 million of $2.3 million vetoed, said it seemed odd for the governor to trim dollars earmarked for children in what he called the "Year of the Child." Many of Fox's projects that were vetoed would have gone to public schools and upgrading playground equipment. "I think it is very sad the governor has chosen personal partisanship over kids in New Mexico," she said.

[CedarDave]

Nothing new here -- we all know this is the way the RATs have operated since time immemorial. Plums distributed according to political ties and party, rather than need. In this case, its more transparent and blatant than most. As he makes his bid for President, it is important that this info be put on the record so that Richardson can be exposed as the complete political animal that he is.

[Frank T]

Reigning in spending is a bad thing?

You have to know that if NM had a Repubican governor, the flood gate on spending would open. Sad to say.

[Rogle]

The kids suffer and King Bill gets his $5M dollar plane, his $50M dollar train and will provide a spaceport for the rich and famous to go on space rides.

[AmishDude]

Bull,

And the spending isn't being reigned in. It's just re-targeted.

[Rogle]

No he did not reign in any spending. He had the Chairman of the Capital Outlay Committee sneak in his spending bills after the committee finished its work and before it went to the House floor for a vote. All he did was veto the Republican Outlay monies and directed it towards his projects like the Spaceport.

BTW our last Republican Gov. veto this bill on a regular basis and his record was 2,000 sustained veto's in 8 years.

[CedarDave]

The previous governor, Republican Gary Johnson holds the veto record during his eight years in office. However, he was more of a libertarian than Republican. Sad to say, most of today's Republicans are at the trough fighting for $$ right beside the Democrats. Hard to resist when oil money is making state coffers burst at the seams.

[CedarDave]

For the out of state viewers, that's $50-mil just for the track. The Journal says the Rail Runner project is slated to cost a total of $393 million, but I don't know if that includes the track purchase. The train plus operations are likely to bring the total up to close to half a billion, if not higher.

[Rogle]

You are right Dave my should have added in another 0 to bring the dollare ammount up to $500M and that is just for the track.

[CedarDave]

The Journal's editorial cartoonist has Richardson pegged. Here is another from last week:

I believe his cartoons (and the editorial page) are free and not subject to subscription. Let me know if otherwise:

http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/default.htm?mdtop

[CedarDave]

You were right the first time. Track alone is $50 million (just for the section now in use), according to this Journal article:

Rail Runner Buy Set to Close Today

(Suspect article is password protected)

By the close of business today (3-17-06), the state of New Mexico will likely own a $50 million stretch of train line for the Rail Runner Express commuter train.

The state and BNSF Railway are today expected to sign the sale-closing documents for the tracks between Belen and Bernalillo— tracks necessary to begin the first phase of Gov. Bill Richardson's commuter line...

The state and BNSF in early December celebrated their track deal, a phased-in purchase totaling $75 million that will ultimately give the state about 300 miles of tracks between Belen and the Colorado state line.

[CedarDave]

Posted ABQJournal excerpt as FR article:

Rail Runner Buy Set to Close Today (NM - Richardson's Railroad)