Santa Fe isn't an exactly a big idea factory. Take, for example, the problems with the lottery scholarship fund we blogged of Tuesday and concluded that it is time for a new way to provide for our higher ed students.

Readers immediately chimed in with transformative ideas like using bonding capacity for the scholarships or using a portion of the state's revenue sharing from Indian gambling--rather than the less robust state lottery--to help fund the scholarships.

Others argued that the first order of business needs to be to restore 100 percent scholarships to low-income New Mexicans. Because the lottery problems have been left to stew, only 60 percent of tutition is now funded when it started out at 100 percent.

Fred Nathan of Think NM, a group that has been watchdogging the scholarships, weighs in with this:

Our focus has always been on maximizing the amount of lottery revenues that go to scholarships, but if the legislature wants to cover 100% of tuition instead of 60%, you're exactly right that lawmakers will need to identify a different funding source and we would be happy to investigate if they asked for our advice on that. (The LFC is probably the place that they would turn to first, however.)

The state doesn't have to end the lottery. It could just stop it from being the prime (and inadequate source) for scholarships for New Mexico high school grads. Is that too big of an idea to fit into the Roundhouse?

As for the blog pointing out that legalizing recreational marijuana looks dead in the water this session and that weed advocates might be better off pushing a decriminalization bill, we are hearing nothing of the sort from them. They and the mega-donors to their nonprofits are stuck in the mud.

If, as they claim, they are so concerned about minority and poor citizens being arrested for using small amounts marijuana why are they not seeking decriminalization when they know legal weed is dead for now while decriminalizing has a fighting chance? Maybe MLG should give them a push in that direction? Ya think?

HYPOCRISY WATCH

Monica Youngblood

Three legislative Republicans say they are outraged over what they see as a Sandoval County judge's lenient sentence (3 years out of a possible 30 years) for Christie Noriega, who was found guilty of driving drunk and killing two men on the side of I-25 where they had been changing a tire. They want the judge to resign. Okay, but. . .

Their outrage seems feigned when put into context. Where were these lawmakers when one of their own--ABQ GOP State Rep. Monica Youngblood--was arrested last year for aggravated DWI and seen on video trying to manipulate the arresting officer into letting her off, going as far as to insinuate her political position into the conversation? And where were they when she received only a one day sentence for her crime? And where were they when she was forced back into court because of suspicions by her probation officer that she was diluting her urine and drinking in violation of her probation? Not a peep from the Righteous 3.

In fact, not one House or Senate Republican had the intestinal fortitude to speak out on the Youngblood arrest and conviction, choosing instead to hide behind Susana's skirt, who also failed to raise any concern or objection over the arrest of Youngblood--one of her BFF's--despite years of ranting over DWI enforcement.

('18 GOP attorney general candidate Michael Hendricks was the only prominent R to speak to the Youngblood arrest when he urged her to resign her legislative seat. She did not and was defeated in her November re-election bid.

The three legislators in question--Reps. Tim Lewis and Jason Harper and Senator Craig Brandt are normally solid solons, and while Youngblood is not charged with killing anyone, the trio appear to be favoring a member of their political and social elite while urging that the judge throw the book at Noriega.

If there was no outrage from them over Youngblood's DWI and a call for her resignation, why would the public take seriously their plaintive cries for justice in the Noriega DWI case? Well, they wouldn't. And that's what puts the Righteous Trio on Hypocrisy Watch. Enjoy the stay, fellas.

THE BOTTOM LINES

In a first blog draft Tuesday we had ABQ Dem State Rep. Rep. Kiki Saavedra first elected to the state House in 1978.  He was first elected in 1976. . . And a wire service report initially reported Saavedra died at age 81, which we Tweeted out. He was 82, confirms his family.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019