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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Editorial: Richardson's Bully Tactics Don't Work

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    Is it too late to take the politics out of politics?
    Last week, Gov. Bill Richardson signed the Legislature's $348 million capital outlay bill, but scratched out about $7 million worth of requests by state senators. The Senate had refused to act on a health care reform bill the governor favored.
    Among the cuts was $450,000 for an outdoor track at Roosevelt Middle School requested by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort. The governor officially explained his line-item vetoes by saying they targeted projects less than $25,000 or were not fully funded.
    Of course, if you take away the money to do a project, it won't be fully funded.
    The line-item retaliation on this year's capital outlay bill would be bad enough if it wasn't a common tool used by the governor every year he's been in office. However, it's the wrong tool.
    The effect of cutting money to communities that sorely need it is a bully tactic that doesn't work— everyone loses. Projects won't be completed and there still isn't health care reform. In addition, lawmakers are likely to be less willing to work with the governor.
    The governor should instead make a compelling argument for health care reform and work with legislators to accomplish it. Our schools have zero tolerance for bullying. It's too bad the governor never learned that lesson.