Land Commissioner
Jim Baca, Democrat
The land commissioner's race this year is really a contest about who can look out better for the long-term best interests of New Mexicans and the state's public-trust lands, whose revenues go to schools across New Mexico. Both candidates can lay claim to good backgrounds for the office. But Baca has the foresight and inventiveness to serve New Mexico the longest and the best.
Though Baca is the challenger this time around, he has considerable relevant experience. He was New Mexico's land commissioner twice, from 1983-86 and 1991-93. From 1993-94, he headed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He was mayor of Albuquerque from 1997-2001 and a state Natural Resources Trustee from 2003-06.
Generally, he has proved to be an innovator. The Tribune is particularly impressed with his bold and surprisingly successful efforts to turn the Land Commissioner's Office from its traditional emphasis on exploiting trust lands to get revenues from oil, gas and other extractive industries and from grazing leases. Instead, Baca began attending more diligently to conserving and protecting trust lands for recreational uses.
It's not that Baca abandoned money-making ventures. On the contrary, he pressed oil and gas companies and ranchers for higher revenues and initiated planning for the development of Mesa del Sol in south Albuquerque. But he recognized that oil and gas supplies are running out in New Mexico, and the ranching business has been declining under various pressures. In the long run, recreational uses are taking more prominent revenue-producing roles, and Baca is about encouraging this. This time around, Baca is promoting an interesting new round of innovations.
The current land commissioner is making money from trust lands, but for how long? We think the future, in the long run, lies with Baca's approach.
2 comments:
This is a very good article, and gives great background, but it fails to mention the truth behind your "considerable relevent experience". It doesn't mention the fact that you were fired from the job as director the BLM, and how you bad mouthed farmers and ranchers for trying to protect their livelihood, just like any American would. The reason I bring this up, is because I am wondering what you will do to New Mexico farming and ranching families. Will you criticize them for not agreeing with your policies or constitutional amendments, and will you treat them with the same disrespect you did back in 1994? Lastly, you are quick to point out your two terms as Land Commissioner, and all you did in your term from 1983-86, but what about the second term? Did you just forget about New Mexico and look on to DC? I'm not trying to be negative, or "sling mud," I am just wondering.
How many politicians do you know would hold to their principles instead of hanging onto power? Maybe you wish Baca was fired, instead of resigning as he did, but wishes don't make it true. If he's elected, farmers & ranchers shouldn't start in "enemy" mode and neither should he. If they're both smart, they'll realize they have more in common than they used to.
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