Ignoring the Trust

Current Republican State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons has been bragging on his government funded website that he cut the state land office budget by two tenths of a percent. This comes at a time when state land office revenues are setting records because of the price of oil and gas.

It is hard to understand why Lyons is cutting the land office budget in the face of drought, diminishing species, pollution from oil and gas activities, and extreme fire danger. If anything, the time for increasing the State Land Office capacity for dealing with biological assets and land health is now. If you don't think so just read this from the Washington Post today. But, I guess we should remember that Lyons is the guy who joined the bush administration in fighting Governor Richardson in a lawsuit to protect Otero Mesa Wilderness in southern New Mexico. Yes, he was trying to move forward with drilling leases that were signed by my primary opponent Ray Powell, but he might have worked to find some other solutions to despoiling this Chihuahuan grassland. You really need to realize that one of Lyons biggest financial supporters are the leaseholders in Otero Mesa

It is interesting to listen to Ray Powell out on the campaign trail picking up the mantra to protect Otero Mesa after issuing the leases to drill there when he was land commissioner. I think Ray is a generally decent and honest guy, but he really should make it clear he started this whole mess.

There is more campaigning ahead this week. I have spent hours on the phone calling delegates to the State Convention which takes place on March 18th. I will take a quick trip up north today to Las Vegas.