Egolf: Silent on Santa Fe Studios, But Outraged at Governor Replacing Chairs on 4th Floor With Her Budget

Brian Egolf

Commentary by Jim Spence - You knew Santa Fe lawyer and partisan progressive Democrat Brian Egolf wasn't going to be able to refrain from whining when Governor Susana Martinez used savings from her operating budget to replace aging dilapidated chairs in the governor's offices. It would seem that Egolf is still miffed that Martinez told Santa Fe County to use it's own money to furnish their new District Court Building after she vetoed state money earmarked for the local judges and lawyers furnishings.
Egolf was quoted by the Santa Fe New Mexican, “It certainly seems unfortunate that if she is spending money on herself, then it’s worth it, but if she’s going to spend money on the court and the judges, she thinks it’s not worth it.”
Spending money on herself? Martinez was making a choice on her priorities within the governor's operating budget. The "chairs" won't go with the governor when she leaves office. The question should be what source of funds should be used for Santa Fe, the county's own funds? Or the state funds?

The fact that Egolf would choose to speak about this when he has ignored a real case of state government spending taxpayer dollars for personal/private purposes is amazing. Egolf and his colleagues have been curiously silent on $20 million in Santa Fe County and state money that was GIVEN to a private movie studio that just happened to be co-owned by current Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales a few years ago. Despite repeated requests from media members representing the entire philosophical spectrum, no disclosure whatsoever has ever been provided by Gonzales after being on the receiving end of this massive taxpayer giveaway to Santa Fe Studios. One can only wonder how much furniture could be bought for the new courthouse in Santa Fe with the $10 million state cash grant handed to Gonzales and friends, not to mention the $5 million of county government-backed loans, free land, free utilities hookups, etc. provided by taxpayers.
Maybe Brian Egolf will find it fitting to finally comment on the Santa Fe Studios situation someday when he calms down over the new chairs bought for the governor's office.......out of the governor's operating budget.