Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 7

ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Sunday, March 20, 1991 A7 Gubernatorial Hopefuls Slam Government, Taxes -v '1 I 1 I 'V -r A 1 '1 Candidates Target "Spending Spree By Thorn Cole JOURNAL CAPITOL BUREAU State government and taxes took licking in a get-together of gubernatorial candidates Saturday. evOne of the three Democratic hopefuls for governor and all five Republican candidates showed for the forum in Albuquerque, spon-'i sored by Ross Perot's United We Stand New Mexico. Gov. Bruce King and Lt. Gov.

Casey Luna were the no-shows. During its session, ended in Feb-J ruary, the Legislature approved and King signed a record-high spending package that will create 1,575 additional government jobs in J(the fiscal year, beginning July 1. "We just went through a spending spree unparalleled in our history up in Santa Fe and, while that was done, the percentage of money that education gets from the general ffund went down," said Democrat Jim Baca of Albuquerque, a former 'state land commissioner and the 'recently ousted head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Former New Mexico House Minority Leader Dick Cheney, a Farmington Republican, said the legislative session demonstrated that New Mexico government is out of control.

And GOP hopeful Gary Johnson, an Albuquerque businessman, said government doesn't practice common sense and operates free from accountability. "I don't know about you, but I'm mad as hell and I don't want to take it anymore," Johnson said. Legislation to provide $47 million in tax cuts in the 1994-95 fiscal year was also approved during the session, but Republican John Dendahl of Santa Fe said government missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make major tax changes in a bid to stimulate economic development. Dendahl, a former state economic development and tourism secretary, said: "We have a governor and a governor's wife who's influential in his administration and a speaker of the House of Representatives and a Senate president pro tem who believe down to the roots of their toenails that creating a government job is just as valid an economic development strategy as creating a private-sector job." In what he called a facetious remark, former GOP Gov. Dave Cargo of Albuquerque said, "Actually, we're probably lucky we don't get all the government we pay for." Keith Judd of Albuquerque, a write-in candidate for the Republican nomination in the June primary, said New Mexico has a government that is going around in circles.

"And all the people are hoping to get on the merry-go-round," Judd said. "The government is not the economy." Baca pledged to institute at the state level a program similar to the Clinton administration's drive to "re-invent" government, a process designed to make it more efficient through the elimination of regulations and improved service. Cheney said he prefers to use the phrase "returning to basics" rather than "re-inventing government" in describing how he would govern. "Just ask the question, 'Is this program a function of he said. "If the answer is yes, then we figure out how to fund it.

If the answer's no, we do away with it." Johnson added: "I think that if New Mexico government were cut a third tomorrow there isn't anybody in this room that would notice a difference in the services that we receive from state government because they would be forced to become efficient." Dendahl said that during his work in the administration of Gov. Carrey Carruthers, he showed he could make a government agency perform well. Also, he said, the administration had success in privatization of some government work. Cargo objected to Johnson's comment on cutting government revenues by a third. "Before we cut education to quite that extent, we ought to give it a little thought." 1 I ft PAUL BEARCE JOURNAL Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jim Baca, left, and Republican candidate Dick Cheney listen to instructions at a forum sponsored by United We Stand on Saturday.

Republican Gary Johnson is in background. SHOP NEW HOURS SUNDAY 11 TO 7 ft Pl I1, ft 1 1: WAY CHARGE IT! ITS EASY WITH YOUR BROADWAY COLD ACCOUNT. WE ALSO WELCOME MASTERCARD VISA AND THE AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD..