Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has died. While we at the Rio Grande Foundation often disagreed with the former governor, we also had our areas of agreement. Here are a few thoughts on him and his legacy.
Compared to today’s Democrats, Richardson was a moderate. He genuinely seemed to desire economic growth for New Mexico and had a plan (which was fairly successful) to grow NM’s economy. He cut NM’s top income tax rate from 8.2% to 4.9% and reduced capital gains taxes.
Sadly, Richardson ALSO fell into the trap of big government boondoggles. His purchase of a supercomputer was one, but his Rail Runner and Spaceport have been very costly. The RailRunner continues to lose ridership while the Spaceport remains unproven even as Virgin Galactic FINALLY has started manned tourism launches. Subsidies for Eclipse Aviation and Schott Solar also failed to create long-term economic success. Richardson also laid the groundwork for New Mexico’s costly film subsidies, which have helped film while failing to develop New Mexico’s economy despite hundreds of millions in subsidies.
Richardson was pro-2nd Amendment, especially compared to modern Democrats. He was endorsed by the NRA twice.
In broader terms, Richardson was a consensus-builder who genuinely tried to represent the entire state, whereas current Gov. Lujan Grisham often ignores rural New Mexico in favor of vote-rich urban areas.
Richardson (gently) reproached Gov. Lujan Grisham for her overly zealous failed COVID lockdown strategy. He also (sagely) pushed NM legislators and Lujan Grisham to avoid raising taxes in the most recent legislative session.
Finally, as with so many other New Mexico politicians, ethical questions abound. Richardson was associated with noted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and missed out on a key role in the Obama Administration due to ethical questions. There is likely a great deal to both of these stories that the public is not aware of, but they highlight deep-seated problems with New Mexico’s political culture and Richardson’s own character.
Paul Gessing is the president of the leading free market economic policy think tank and taxpayer watchdog group, the Rio Grande Foundation. This article originally appeared in Errors of Enchantment.
Opinions expressed by Piñon Post contributors do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at news@pinonpost.com.
Too bad the modern day democrats are not more like Richardson was.
As a Bill Richardson supporter we were very fond of him he was a down to earth governor and we liked him. I still remember him when I worked at LANL he went to visit LANL and we got to see him there and also at his campaigns. My Sympathy goes out to his wife Barb and his relatives. He will be fondly missed.
Bill was a snake. He understood he had to give a little back to the folks of NM in return for turning over the reigns to him and his “amicable” appearance. His hand selection of the last two successors is only a glimpse at his “desire” for the prosperity of this state. Nothing Richardson did was without gain for Bill Richardson.
Few knew the real Bill Richardson. Those of us who did, may be doing a bit of dusting off of the shoes/boots.
He was not New Mexico!
Great comments Mario!
He was for Bill. Not for New Mexico . Loved drinking and partying.
Let me guess… you were not selected to give his eulogy
I specifically recall how Richardson made a campaign promise when he first ran for Governor, that he would get rid of the GST on food. HOWEVER…..it took him, and the Democrat Legislature, TWO YEARS to accomplish that promise!!!
Stories of him at the annual Governor’s conference can only be described as creepy!!!
He took the GRT off food by increasing it on everything else. Since the poorest folks get food stamps the majority of their budget is non food items which were taxed at a new higher rate such a diapers clothes and household items like detergent, toilet paper and soap, etc
He was the only governor in state history to cut services to the Developmentally Disable program.
Never cared for coyote Bill. He was slimey and did lots of underhanded deals. Add to that the scummy little piglet now in the roundhouse had ties to him.
she was handpicked by ol Bill.
Not just “ties.” She was acting Health Secretary when this went down. Richardson allowed her to feign a breakdown rather than him firing her. https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2011/04/14/bayard_findlet_5-1-06.pdf
And they went to “official state events” at Zorro Ranch. Epstein fancied himself a patron of the arts, so he frequently opened the ranch up for those kinds of events. There was no way she didn’t see the underage girls there. And Richardson was named by Virginia Giuffre in the Maxwell trial as a client. MLG had pre-teen girls at home while her boss was soliciting their “services.” MLG is way more scummy than most realize. Epstein bought the Zorro land from Bruce King. Buddy Lujan (MLG’s daddy) was friends with Bruce. So I am sure that MLG knew what was up before anyone else…because she would spend a lot of time on Bruce King’s adjoining ranch as a younger woman. I wouldn’t doubt that she met Epstein long before she was in government.
The truth always comes out.
Bill was a snake. He made a fortune off the boondoggle spaceport.
And we are now paying the price for it. I think whatever he did do that was good was to offset his tainted schemes.
Declaring an emergency on the US/Mexico border over the rampant immigration issues, and after being shot at by the drug and alien smugglers, and getting financial support to increase local law enforcement right on the border, I thanked Governor Richardson for that. While everyone can complain about what happened with a lot of things about him…he was far better than doing what MLG’s policy platform is to attract tourism dollars to the Taxation and Revenue Division for advancing late term, for any purpose, or reason, at any stage execution of infant- abortion-murderous-insanity. RIP Governor, and I will still thank you for helping me… just a shame after you left the Governor’s office. The DNC led Village of Columbus decided to run guns to the drug cartels and use the police department I tried so hard to solidify was disbanded forever for gun running for the Mayor.
RICHARDSON FAMILY IS FROM MEXICO. I DISTINCTLY RECALL BACK IN 2005/06, RICHARDSON ASKED THE ASFCME UNION TO WELCOME A BUSLOAD OF IMMIGRANTS CRISS CROSSING THE COUNTRY TO BE WELCOMED BY SAID POINTS OF INTEREST, THIS IMMIGRATION CRISIS BEGAN DECADES AGO AND AGAIN DURING RAICHADSON TENUR. I WONDERED AT THAT TIME WHY THE UNION WAS ASKED TO PARTICIPATE, THEN I CAME TO MY SENSES, “PHOTO OP” TO PUSH THIS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. I NEVER LIKED RICHARDSON POLITICS OR POLICIES. RECALL HIM GETTING PARDONED BY OBAMA BEFORE RICHARDSON SHOULD HAVE SPENT YEARS IN PRISON.
Old dollar Bill abandoned his buddy Bill Clinton and his wife and held the primary without using the Secretary of State to total the vote. Remember!! It was an accounting firm that counted them in a secret location that ended up in Obama winning the state. Then the Obama appointed US Attorney for New Mexico declined to prosecute him while the guy that bribed his was jailed in New York by Attorney General Coumo.
I seem to recall at the beginning of the COVID BS he was starting some organization to get Native Americans running water on their reservations. I never heard another word about it — why do I have a feeling he made some money off of it but never delivered on what he said he would do?
Just because he was better than MLG doesn’t make him good.
I was laughing at one article that talked about what “a wonderful diplomat” Richardson was. He advocated for the trade of Brittany Griner for that arms dealer. Brittany wasn’t some wrongly imprisoned political prisoner. She knowingly broke the laws of another country and expected that her status as a pro ball player would get her released. She’s another liberal that advocates for BLM and socialism. She makes her living playing basketball yet capitalism is “evil” to her. So Richardson is this wonderful diplomat for springing her, when she should still be rotting in a Russian jail.
Didn’t he drive around at 100 mph? Wonder he drove that speed to Zorro Ranch to abuse underage girls and subsequently to hell.
He brought mandatory union dues to all state emplyees or they would get fired; just like a mafia boss; “pay up and we won’t break your leg”.
The man is deceased and now you have the audacity to state your opinions. You should of stated your opinions when he was alive.
Many of us did and will continue to do so.
FM,
The man’s death does not erase his deeds while he was alive; the evil men do lives on after them. Evil doers need to be exposed whether they are alive or dead. New Mexicans need to know they were harmed by Richardson.
Richardson was a friend of Epstein. Period. Pedo party goers. It’s best he is gone.
He was nothing but a pedophile & he abolished the death penalty in New Mexico so he won’t win any awards in my book.