Reform State Government: Ethical, Transparent, Accountable
- Basic reforms that could reduce government dysfunction, fraud and abuse have been recommended by bi-partisan groups such as Think New Mexico. While the legislature has made some progress, there is still much more to do. We have to get all government business--legislative and executive--out in the open, where the public can see everything. I support the efforts of Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to enforce campaign finance disclosure requirements. I believe that all donors to political campaigns should be disclosed to the public. It is outrageous that millions of dollars to influence elections can be spent today by unknown contributors, not only hidden corporations, but foreign groups with sinister intentions for our nation.
- I disagree with the 2010 Supreme Court "Citizens United" decision that basically threw out any limits on corporate spending in elections. The U.S. Constitution does not say corporations are entitled to unlimited spending in the name of free speech, to the exclusion of actual human (non-billionaire) citizens’ rights to equal protection of the laws. If we have to pass a Constitutional amendment to enforce full disclosure and reasonable limits on campaign contributions and spending by corporations, PACs, and individuals, we better get started. I have worked since 2011 in support of resolutions in the NM Legislature supporting such a Constitutional amendment, such as SM3, passed by the Senate in 2012, and SJR12 in 2017.