State Senator Cicsco McSorley (D) has a word for Governor Richardson’s practice of creating and then handing out high-paying jobs to political cronies – ILLEGAL. Now the Republican Party of NM has brought it to light that other Democratic leaders and state department officials have been very vocal in committee meetings regarding the negative effect the Governor’s practices have had on the delivery of services. For example:
The Department of Cultural Affairs received scathing criticism from LFC members about the agency’s significant number of newly created and expensive staff positions. In the listing of staff expansion requests, the Department of Cultural Affairs told the LFC that “approximately $462.7 thousand in un-budgeted Gov-Ex salaries and benefits has severely impacted our ability to deliver programs in FY 06.”
And…
Rep. Kiki Saavedra (D-Bernalillo), the chairman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, the Legislature’s most powerful standing committee, quickly assessed that the highly paid occupants of the unauthorized positions take resources away from the department’s lowest paid employees. Stuart Ashman, the DCA secretary, said the enormous staff turnover at the Department of Cultural Affairs cost this one mid-sized agency $1 million dollars.
Depsite this new evidence, Attorney General Patricia Madrid has continued to turn a blind eye to the administration’s lawlessness.