Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Other Races

As everyone holds their breath for the Sunday Albuquerque Journal Poll on the Governor and Congressional races I am left wondering what, if anything, is going on in the other statewide races.  I have a feeling that the reason we are not hearing much about them, from the Attorney General contest, Land Office race and others is because they are not raising any serious money and so they can't get much attention.

I don't see that changing much except maybe in the Land Office race.  It won't be long before the oil and gas boys start spending a lot of money on their anointed candidate for the GOP.  Republican Matthew Rush will get the lion's share of that tainted money.  Democrat Ray Powell might get a few dribbles, but because the GOP is run by the oil and gas industry in this state Ray will be facing an onslaught of money from dirty oil.  No matter who wins I don't see much in the way of change at the Land Office except for an improvement in ethical behavior.  (How could it get any worse?)  I don't know Rush at all so I can only assume he is an okay guy on the honesty front.

What you wont see happen at the Land Office is true Constitutional reform of the way the office works.  Ray is not a big agent of change and Rush will be leashed by those who profit from the Land Office resources.  If either of these candidates would come out and say, 'we need to amend the constitution to make environmental protection of water, air and landscapes a factor in decision making', then I would vote for that candidate. (Oh, really I will vote for Ray.)

Come on you guys!  Show us some deep thinking about the future!

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