Commentary: I am shocked at Governor Susana Martinez's anti-Monument stand. In 1947, President Harry Truman warned us about people like Governor Martinez and anti-wilderness Congressman Steve Pearce: “The battle for conservation cannot be limited to the winning of new conquests. Like liberty itself, conservation must be fought for unceasingly to protect earlier victories. There are always plenty of hogs who are trying to get natural resources for their own personal benefit …. We have to remain constantly vigilant to prevent raids by those who would selfishly exploit our common heritage for their private gain. Such raids on our natural resources are not examples of enterprise and initiative. They are attempts to take from all the people just for the benefit of a few.”
It appears that Governor Martinez, Congressman Pearce and his pirate band want to dole out federal land to their supporters under the disguise of private property rights and border security. Personally I am disgusted with and outraged by Mr. Pearce and his "behind the scenes" maneuvers to decimate our National Monument in Dona Ana County for strictly private selfish reasons.
Our community overwhelmingly supports our National Monument. Governor Martinez is bowing to the GOP political dictates of Congressman Pearce. Maybe she's hoping for a job in any Pearce administration.