Governor's cash stash not for furloughs

SANTA FE (KRQE) - While most employees of state government are being forced to take five unpaid days off, Gov. Bill Richardson has nearly $58 million in federal stimulus funds stashed away to spend as he pleases.

Meanwhile state workers like Charles and Kathy Ritz both will lose two days of pay each between now and Christmas.

"It makes me mad," Charles Ritz said. "We're not spending.

"We had the daunting task over Thanksgiving of informing our family that we're going to have to considerably reduce Christmas this year."

The Ritzes are among 19,000 state workers being furloughed for five days between now and the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

Governor Bill Richardson said the budget shortfall is so severe the executive branch state workers have to take the furloughs.

"It's really difficult to have it right at the holidays," Kathy Ritz said.

The furloughs will save the state $10.8 million, but KRQE News 13 has learned Richardson has $57,851,842 in federal stimulus money sitting in an account unused.

"It's just unacceptable," said Christine Trujillo, president of the unions representing the state's government workers and teachers, the AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers-New Mexico respectively. "It should be distributed, and it should be distributed to the people who need it the most."

To be fair the governor had promised to hand out much of his big pot of money to what many describe as some very needy or important causes and to other projects.

The $57.9 million sits in an account labeled "Government Services Fund" and was allocated by the federal government as stimulus money to be used at the governor's discretion.

He has pledged to spend:

• $9.4 million on the Graduate New Mexico Initiative aimed to boost high school graduation
• $2 million to boost what had been reduced cash assistance for 2,100 disabled individuals who cannot work
• $1 million to finance the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment
• $643,500 to support Sunday Rail Runner commuter train service
• $4 million toward land purchases to keep the College of Santa Fe open
• $10 million to develop solar power in public schools
• $22 million on infrastructure projects like construction and rehabilitation of sidewalks, street lighting, storm sewers and public facilities

That leaves $8,808,342 Richardson hasn't promised to anyone. It's enough to eliminate at least three days of furloughs.

"I wish he would play a little bit of Santa Claus for state employees and say, 'Look. I'm going to minimize or eliminate furloughs,'" state Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, D-Santa Fe, said.

Varela chairs the Legislative Finance Committee and said he asked Richardson to use his discretionary stimulus money to keep state workers working. Varela said the governor didn't respond, but it would be a gift for the Ritzes that would save Christmas.

"I think that would be a great idea," Kathy Ritz said.

In response to a query from News 13 the governor's office issue a statement about why Richardson isn't using the stimulus money to cut down on the furlough days:

"More than $400 million in stimulus funds have been used to replace state general funds in areas like education and Medicaid, which has helped the state balance the budget and avoid layoffs. The governor is committed to utilizing stimulus funds for the greatest benefit of all New Mexicans, including investing in areas that will create new jobs while addressing critical infrastructure needs in communities throughout the state."