Editorial: Wasted days, wasted nights

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - Even our low expectations for Gov. Susana Martinez's first special legislative session were not met. In this latest train-wreck excuse for governing, neither she, the Republicans nor the Democratic leadership have emerged with credit to their names. The biggest losers, unfortunately, are New Mexico taxpayers, who spent around a million bucks on session expenses. Now taxpayers are facing millions more in court costs to complete redistricting. Santa Fe now resembles Washington on the Rio Grande, with gridlock, finger-pointing and a lack of will to get the people's business done. At the beginning of this mess, we suggested a way to save money on the session. Pass a dummy redistricting bill, let the governor veto it and send it to the courts. Stay a day, or two, at the most. It was clear that whatever a Democratic Legislature passed, our Republican, red-meat governor would veto. So why stretch it out? The Legislature itself has little to crow about. Our representatives could not even pass a redistricting plan for the state's three congressional districts. What did get through was redistricting of the state Senate, the House of Representatives, the Public Regulation Commission and the Public Education Commission. The governor says the plans are too partisan and promises to veto most, if not all of them. That means the courts will decide where people vote, a process that cost some $3.5 million 10 years ago. Read more

Editorial: Wasted days, wasted nights