HOODWINKED BY THE SURPLUS

HOODWINK: Pronunciation: 'hud-"wi[ng]k: To take in by deceptive means; to cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation; to betray, deceive, dupe, fool; to conceal one's true motives by elaborately feigning good intentions so as to gain an end.

We’ve all been hoodwinked by people we trust and the facts and figures we believe. Many times we become susceptible to this deception because we don’t have access to information or we are not in positions of authority and must depend on those representing us to provide for our best interests. Sometimes we just don’t want to know what’s going on, because we don’t want to have to make tough decisions or don’t want to challenge a decision that on the surface benefits us. Welcome to the world of apathy and denial. Welcome to the world of budget surpluses and a cornucopia of benefits and expansion of government with toys and gifts, some beyond our wildest dreams—even out of this world.

The first Hoodwink Award needs to go to our State Government for using the term “Surplus” to promote the idea that all is well in New Mexico and that government can continue to expand to provide for our every want since all our needs have been fulfilled.

Does anyone ever think about the billions of dollars of roads in disrepair; the potholes and bridges that need to be fixed before we go on to spend billions on the expansions of GRIP 1 (Governor Richardson’s Investment Partnership) and GRIP 2? Do we think about the fact that we don’t have enough money in GRIP 1—which right now is hundreds of millions of dollars in deficit—before we begin spending money on the equally ambitious GRIP 2 projects? Does anyone question where the money will come from to pay for the Railrunner, also currently in deficit? The state government will have to continue to pay for most of its operation with subsidies because users will not be able to afford to offset costs. It would have been a great idea if we didn’t have other desperate transportation needs that compete with the train for money.

Billions of dollars are needed to build new public schools and maintain those that are now in disrepair. Our colleges and universities are becoming a danger to the health and safety of their students’ ability to receive an education with leaking roofs, bursting pipes and buildings that are falling apart. Our education system will need years and billions to catch up to where their facilities are capable of meeting the demands and opportunities of their students. Last year was the “Year of the Child/Education,” and the best the Governor and the Legislature could do was offer $90 million in loans to public schools with the Governor vetoing much of higher education’s capital needs.

Public school teacher salaries were given a boost by the Legislature and the Governor with a three-tier system that enables teachers to make $50,000/year and brings their salaries to 37th nationwide. Governor Richardson now proposes giving them another 7.4% raise to bring their salaries to 27th in the nation without considering the costs of associated benefits. We have teacher’s aides working in schools making at or near poverty level wages. Teacher’s pensions are being threatened because of shortages in their pension fund equaling hundreds of millions of dollars. We are now expanding a new program of Pre-Kindergarten that is supported by both the Legislature and the Governor that competes for dollars with our already overcrowded public schools and their lack of facilities, teachers and transportation needs. The many millions of dollars it would take to fix those problems, as well as include programs lacking in the current school systems such as physical education, music and art classes and providing nurses and other needed support personnel, are forgotten while we expand educational responsibilities.

The waiting list for children with developmental disabilities is at 3400 children. A federal lawsuit was lost by the State declaring that we have not only a moral, but legal responsibility to take care of these children. Our exposure will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars from that waiting list and the other waiting lists our neediest citizens are on, but the Legislature and Governor are recommending that only 90 children be taken off of that list this year while we hire attorneys to delay the effects of that suit.

While our State is benefiting from the increased energy costs that we suggest is a surplus to government, it is our citizens and energy using entities, such as schools and hospitals, bearing the brunt of such costs while we proclaim added revenue. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

There are neglected needs in our State in health care, corrections, public safety, the needs of cities and counties and all the other issues and the many billions of dollars of liability and exposure we have facing our citizens. To not reveal the hoodwinking of the public by erroneous claims of “Surplus,” is a stand in which I can no longer participate. To be fair, this has been going on for quite some time, but not to a degree whereby we have increased government spending over 30% in the last few years, including a proposed 11% increase this year, with the excuse of surplus monies available.

We are in tremendous debt, and it’s ironic that the citizens of our State, who are fueling the growth of government through their increased energy costs, will eventually have to pay for the expansion of government, through increased taxes.

These are only a few examples as to how our government has irresponsibly handled the funds of our citizens while leading them to believe that all their needs are being taken care of through an responsible government. And it’s just not our State Government hoodwinking the public, it’s also big business; it’s energy companies, utilities, political parties, and on and on, causing our citizens to have difficulty surviving in a world of deceit.

I hope to provide a valuable discussion by offering Hoodwink Awards to those entities whose efforts, I believe, mislead the public for their own gains. I will announce these Awards on my Web Site: www.senatorcarraro.com.

Contact:: Senator Joseph J. Carraro; 505-898-9369; joecarraro@aol.com