Repellant

I signed on to the web site for State Land Commissioner today to see what was going on over there. You need to look at it here.

This headline is really beyond the pale. It says, "Land Commissioner Lyons earns $1 Billion Dollars for Trust Land Beneficiaries." This headline was written by the same people who convinced Lyons to use over $100,000 in Land Office money to air name i.d. commercials for him in the last four months. That money was intended to go to those beneficiaries but Lyons just used it for his political advantage instead. (I bet that money would have paid for all the school supplies in some of our poorer counties.)

Lyons, in one fell swoop, is taking credit for earnings coming off of oil and gas leases that have been producing revenues for the last 40 years. A good portion of that money is due to the fact that I worked to raise the royalty rates to fair market value in the 1980's after many years of New Mexico having the lowest royalties in the nation. It was not difficult to do because the oil and gas guys knew the rates were low and most, not all, agreed to reform legislation in the legislature. We also started the oil and gas audit department in my first term in the 80's and that has brought in untold millions of dollars that otherwise would have been lost to the beneficiaries.

There is no doubt that oil and gas revenues are up for the land office but frankly, Commissioners have little to do with that. Oil prices are set globally, not in state land offices. What is really surprising is that Lyons goes on to brag about cutting the Land Office budget during this time. I submit this is the time to increase the field force to ensure that state lands are being treated properly by the lessees and that good conservation practices are being followed.

At any rate, it appears that Lyons is now using a state funded website to campaign as well. If he is going to do that he should at least do it in a credible way.