Last Cabinet Meeting and Lyons Screws the Pooch

I attended my last meeting as a Cabinet member of Governor Richardson's administration today. I thought there might be one more before I retire on March 1st to make my full time campaign run at unseating Pat Lyons as Land Commissioner. (More later) Alas, there won't be another Cabinet confab until March 6th. So, I made my thank yous today. Really, Richardson's Cabinet is one of the best I have ever seen in New Mexico. I have been involved in state government off and on for almost 30 years now and have seen lots of Governors and their top folks in action, and this really is a stellar crowd. I am going to miss them all and the Governor's top notch staff too.

I am still impressed with Richardson's detailed knowledge of issues and legislation. He always knew what Cabinet members were talking about when they made their reports and his questions were always on target. Thanks to Conroy Chino for taking this quick picture with my Nikon before I departed.

My Opponent Messes Up

Patrick Lyons was the subject of an Albuquerque Journal story on using state land office funds to air commercials that suspiciously look like campaign commercials. He has spent over $100,000 of money that would otherwise go to buy school supplies for our kids. He said the commercials were for education of the public since they knew little about the Land Office. He didn't explain why he waited almost four years to do this education, but it is just possible waiting until an election year was the important thing. When he was told last week by a local TV station that he had to remove himself from the commercials in order for them to air, he said no thanks! That sort of proves the point that they were nothing more that name i.d. commercial for him. I have called on Lyons to return this money to the State Land Office from his campaign fund. If he doesn't the school teachers of this state should send him a bill for pencils, paper, kleenex, and art supplies they might otherwise have enjoyed.

I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know before about morals and what is right or wrong in human conduct.
Carl Sandburg