by Scot Key

The new “governing” is to refuse to work with anybody, complain that “they” are all idiots, and then pretend to be magnanimous by making half-assed “compromises” that weren’t specifically asked for, unilaterally.

This is called “listening” in this new “governing” model.

At the national level, this is resulting in a semi-orchestrated train wreck. New Mexico’s version is weaker in orchestration, (yes, even than the national lack of orchestration) and even more inept in both quality of train and relative extent of wreck.

Today’s installment of “everybody else is an idiot,” we have NM Educational Secretary Hanna Skandera basically calling Rio Rancho Public Schools, and its Director of Finance Randy Evans, idiots when it comes to how much operational fund should be “swept” to meet mandated budget shrinking:

“Every school is subject to the same calculation as Rio Rancho,” Skandera said in a prepared statement. “This is not an accounting issue they are bringing up. Rio Rancho is refusing to read the bill as it is written.”

But in this case the “idiots” are Rio Rancho Public Schools, perceived by many, in particular the Albuquerque Journal, as being the “good” district relative to the Big, Bad Wolf of districts (you know who). So, the “good” district gets to have as many quotes in the story as Skandera, including this one from RRPS Spokesperson Beth Pendergrass,

“All we want is clarification and that is really what we are working on.”

as well as Mr. Evans’ contention that Skandera and Co. are employing “completely inappropriate accounting.” Naturally, if these quotes were coming from the Big Bad Wolf District (BBWD), eyes would be rolled and “pshaws” uttered. But this is RRPS, the district so “nice” in the view of our “governor” (yes, in quotes at this point) and Journal that brouhahas between them engender added public policy weight.

The true key to governing, and doing any job, is to effectively piss off the “right” people and avoid pissing off the “wrong” people. The new “governing” doesn’t adhere to this long-established axiom, and it will be interesting to see if our so-called governor will be anything close to successful in what certainly appears to be an poorly orchestrated 24-month temper tantrum seeking to burn every goddamn bridge possible between her and all the “idiots” she has had to deal with since 2011.

Burn, baby, burn. It all kinda reminds one of Tom Waits’ “Island Trilogy,” and this song in particular…

Never could stand that dog.