corruption
This just in:
Rio Arriba County Magistrate appointee David Valdez today informed the Governor’s Office that he was withdrawing his name and would not be able to serve. Valdez admitted that in 1983 he had been found in contempt of court and had been punished for failure to pay child support, but did not disclose that information prior to his appointment. Governor Bill Richardson last week announced his intention to appoint Valdez to the position after reviewing a list of qualified candidates offered by a search committee named to assist in the selection of a new Magistrate for Rio Arriba County.
Valdez misled the Governor’s Office by not disclosing the information on his appointment application and lied about it when questioned by Vince Ward, Deputy Chief Counsel for the Governor. Furthermore, a background check of electronic law enforcement and court databases revealed no indication that such an incident had been reported to the state.
Of course, earlier today former state treasurer Michael Montoya plead guilty to extortion and admited he started taking bribes as soon as he got into office."
And then, last week, Judge Fran resigned and faces criminal charges Nov. 21 in mag court.
I really think the governor should create an Office of Suspicion, or some such thing, and staff it with the most intrepid investigators he can find. They should have total autonomy to oversee all government agencies from top to bottom and root out any corruption and nip it in the bud. It's really kind of disgusting what appears to have gone on, unchecked, in the state treasurer's office, for years and years and years. And not just there. Why the hell was a public education department employee looking at some form of kiddie porn while at work (or at all, for that matter). What is wrong with people? Granted, I am an ADMITTED SPEEDER but so far this has been a victimless crime (not counting the damage I've done to my checking account paying tickets) and I've learned from my mistakes. Now I drive the speed limit and let everyone and their grandmother tailgate me, pass me and terrorize me in general (and never, it seems, get pulled over but hey, let's not get off topic). Is it just the old axiom that absolute power corrupts? Or is there something more insidious at play here?
Or are we back to the Hobbsian world-view I've been working so hard to eschew?
Rio Arriba County Magistrate appointee David Valdez today informed the Governor’s Office that he was withdrawing his name and would not be able to serve. Valdez admitted that in 1983 he had been found in contempt of court and had been punished for failure to pay child support, but did not disclose that information prior to his appointment. Governor Bill Richardson last week announced his intention to appoint Valdez to the position after reviewing a list of qualified candidates offered by a search committee named to assist in the selection of a new Magistrate for Rio Arriba County.
Valdez misled the Governor’s Office by not disclosing the information on his appointment application and lied about it when questioned by Vince Ward, Deputy Chief Counsel for the Governor. Furthermore, a background check of electronic law enforcement and court databases revealed no indication that such an incident had been reported to the state.
Of course, earlier today former state treasurer Michael Montoya plead guilty to extortion and admited he started taking bribes as soon as he got into office."
And then, last week, Judge Fran resigned and faces criminal charges Nov. 21 in mag court.
I really think the governor should create an Office of Suspicion, or some such thing, and staff it with the most intrepid investigators he can find. They should have total autonomy to oversee all government agencies from top to bottom and root out any corruption and nip it in the bud. It's really kind of disgusting what appears to have gone on, unchecked, in the state treasurer's office, for years and years and years. And not just there. Why the hell was a public education department employee looking at some form of kiddie porn while at work (or at all, for that matter). What is wrong with people? Granted, I am an ADMITTED SPEEDER but so far this has been a victimless crime (not counting the damage I've done to my checking account paying tickets) and I've learned from my mistakes. Now I drive the speed limit and let everyone and their grandmother tailgate me, pass me and terrorize me in general (and never, it seems, get pulled over but hey, let's not get off topic). Is it just the old axiom that absolute power corrupts? Or is there something more insidious at play here?
Or are we back to the Hobbsian world-view I've been working so hard to eschew?
posted by Julia at 3:41 PM
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