Written : Jan. 30, 2011
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (R-NM) gave her first State of the State address on January 18, 2011. Not the perfect speaker, she pitched the positive and appeared practically presidential. Sounding a little like no one I've ever heard, her talk rang true. Inspiring, non-partisan, and motivational, she framed the issues and laid a foundation to fix the state’s problems with examples and specific solutions. That, my friends, is what we call Reagan-esque!
Reminiscent of someone we haven’t heard in years, and out of left field, she shocked me by saying she'd cut the state's film subsidy from 25 to 15 percent. What? But then she explained, "When a film is made in the state, New Mexico taxpayers cover 25 percent of the costs." She also said, "I support the film industry and support maintaining the incentive at 15 percent. But in these tough times, when New Mexicans are facing an historic budget deficit, I cannot support subsidizing the expense of Hollywood by cutting programs like child care services for working moms." Nice to hear, right?
Governor Martinez also said, "Unfortunately, some are still pushing tax hikes: Doubling the tax when you buy a car. Taxing job creators. Even taxing the Internet. To make them sound better, some call them 'revenue enhancements.' They can be called many things but they will all be vetoed." I found this statement refreshing, but we have the right to be cynical. We’ve heard it all before. Let's see how she handles the power of the veto pen.
To help address her state's deficit, she spoke about cutting costs "by reducing the governor’s budget. I cut overall salaries within my cabinet by 10 percent. I will reduce the number of political appointees in state government by at least 20 percent." The Governor then widened some eyes when she offered to "cut costs at the Governor’s residence by 55 percent – permanently eliminating the positions of two personal chefs." She added, "The First Gentleman will just have to help out with the cooking." Unfortunately, she flubbed the line, saying it in a way that made me think of the first personal chef! I have to admit I didn’t get it until I read it.
Remember how Nancy Pelosi, when she was Speaker of the House, demanded the use of a large, private jet at the federal government's expense? Well Gov. Martinez said in her State of the State that she "will get rid of that ultimate symbol of waste and excess, we will sell the state’s luxury jet." The Governor of New Mexico is a politician who seems to be aware of what's going on. Her address can be read and heard at: Gov. Martinez' first NM State of the State Address I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
For more information about Mark A. Cohen, see The Castle Rock, CO Gathering Place, Writer of the Month for Nov. 2010
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