New Mexico Mercury

Curbing Money in Politics the Key to Restoring Public Trust

Early last month Common Cause New Mexico commissioned a poll to find out how New Mexico voters felt about money and politics in the wake of the 2014 elections.  The results from Research and Polling are now in, and one thing that is abundantly clear is that disclosure of campaign finances of all sorts—candidates, lobbyists and independent groups—is important to voters.  

The results confirm what we’ve been saying for several years, namely that everyone wants and deserves to know who is lobbying and paying for the campaigns of our elected officials.  And according to these results, transparency is almost a magic word...

Anniversary of Citizens United is No Cause for Celebration

In his heyday nearly a century ago, Will Rogers made Americans smile with an observation that our country “has the best politicians money can buy.”

This week, on the fifth anniversary of what might be characterized as the Supreme Court’s initiative to help us buy better ones, it’s fair to say the justices have increased the cost of our politicians without improving the quality.

Since January 2010, when the court ruled 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations, trade associations, labor unions, and other groups have a constitutional right to spend whatever they like to influence elections...

CCNM guide to independent expenditures‏

Common Cause New Mexico is often asked what “rules” exist in New Mexico for regulating campaign spending by “PACs” and other groups who operate independently of the candidates.  No short and simple answer to this question can be given because New Mexico’s law on this subject is currently in a fluid and uncertain state, owing to recent court decisions invalidating most of the current statutes and to recent legislative efforts to rewrite the law to bring it into line with these decisions and with modern campaign practices...

Again, U.S. Supreme Court Decides Against Democracy

The Roberts Court today continued its drive to give Americans a government of, by and for big money. As you probably know by now, the US Supreme Court went mucking around in politics again this morning. Its decision in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission struck another blow on behalf of the powerful and against the hundreds of millions of Americans whose voices can now be drowned out by the wealthiest 1 percent.

The high court interprets and enforces the law. But we the people can still change it...

Nearly four-in-five of state voters believe there is corruption in NM politics

Common Cause New Mexico just released a December 2013 poll by Research and Polling, Inc. on money in politics in New Mexico. The numbers are overwhelming, and show that New Mexico voters believe corruption in politics is alive and well in our state.

Those who frequent the New Mexico Capitol know the old saying that gets tossed around quite a bit – “perception is reality at the Roundhouse,” and this poll shows that perception is also competing with reality across New Mexico...

Lobbying in the Land of Enchantment: Special Interests and their Hired Guns

Common Cause New Mexico (CCNM) just released its latest “Connect the Dots” report focusing on lobbyists and lobbying in New Mexico. The research looks at who are the lobbyists; who are their employers; political contributions to legislators by both lobbyists and their employers; and money spent by both lobbyists and their employers to entertain and feed legislators.

In 2013, there were 673 lobbyists registered in New Mexico, outnumbering legislators by over six to one.

The report takes a look at the lobbyist corps in Santa Fe and asks who they are and who they represent...

Keep Big Money out of Publicly Financed Races

Voters in Albuquerque and Santa Fe overwhelmingly voted to establish public financing systems in both cities to eliminate the influence of special-interest money on our elected officials and to permit them to take office beholden to no one but the voters who elected them.

The systems are now facing two challenges, one old and one brand new...