Commentary: Where is Martinez’s ‘new level of transparency?’

From NM Politics.net - by Heath Haussamen - Gov.-elect Susana Martinez’s “bold change” was supposed to include a “new level of transparency” not seen before in state government. In one of the first tests of that pledge, Martinez is coming up short. The Santa Fe New Mexican requested copies of applications for state police chief and head of the Department of Public Safety from Martinez’s transition team, which is working to set up the administration before Martinez is sworn in on Jan. 1. If Martinez had already been sworn in, the applications would be public. But because Martinez isn’t yet governor, her transition team claims, nothing about the applicants is public. “Gov.-elect Martinez takes her responsibilities in relation to open government and transparency very seriously,” Martinez spokesman Danny Diaz was quoted by The New Mexican as saying. “The reality of the situation is that these are not public records; therefore, there is no records custodian due to the fact that there are no public funds, employees or equipment dedicated to the matter.” N.M. Foundation for Open Government Executive Director Sarah Welsh disagrees. “Those people are applying for state jobs, not campaign or transition team jobs – their salaries will be paid with taxpayer money, and they will be managing large state agencies,” she said. “Their applications are being received, used and held on behalf of the executive branch by the transition team.” Read more

Commentary: Where is Martinez’s ‘new level of transparency?’