Phill Casaus: Abbey takes his leave, and his loss will be felt

May 27—To understand the institutional heft of David Abbey, you have to hear the Uh-oh Story.

Several years back, New Mexico was broke — as in "Buddy, can you spare a dime?" busted. And state leaders were frantic, shaking couch cushions and shattering piggy banks for spare change to fund a budget that, without a miracle, would be as vacant as a pocketful of lint.

As state Sen. Peter Wirth conversed with Abbey about the impending financial catastrophe, he asked the sage of the state budget a simple question: What do we do?

kAm"p?5 x D2:5[ 'x 5@?'E 6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 A@H6C7F= {68:D=2E:G6 u:?2?46 r@>>:EE66[ C62==J k6>mH2Dk^6>m DEF>A65] xE 5@6D?'E 92AA6? @7E6?] p?5 9:D :?23:=:EJ E@ 4@?4@4E 2 D@=FE:@?[ 2 7C:89E6?:?8 AC@DA64E 7@C =68:D=2E@CD H9@ 56A6?5 @? 9:D 24F>6?[ 2E6 2E 9:>[ CF:?:?8 9:D 52JD 2?5 :?G25:?8 9:D D=66A]k^Am

kAm"(96? s2G:5 p336J 5@6D?'E @>6?E 7:?2==J 2CC:G65] p336J[ E@DD:?8 :? 365 @?46 >@C6[ 7:8FC65 :E @FE] %96 56E2:=D 2C6 AC@323=J 36DE D6CG65 3J 2 ?6HD=6EE6C 7C@> E96 z6??65J $49@@= @7 v@G6C?>6?E[ 3FE 96C6'D E96 3@EE@> =:?6i p336J 56G:D65 H92E 96 42==65 "E649?:42= 25;FDE>6?E[" 2==@H:?8 E96 DE2E6 E@ C64@C5 2? Sg_ >:==:@? C6G6?F6 82:?[ 3C:58:?8 H92E =@@J =:76 :? 2 =@E @7 H2JD[" p336J D2:5 @7 E96 >@>6?E — 2?5 E96 AC6DDFC6 E92E 42>6 H:E9 96=A:?8 4C27E E96 DE2E6'D G@=2E:=6 3F586E 7@C 564256D] "x 5:5 :E 3642FD6 x 6?;@J65 :E 2?5 x 96=A65 A6@A=6] ]]] xE H2D 492==6?8:?8[ E@@]"k^Am

kAm%92E >:89E 96=A 6IA=2:? H9J E96 E64E@?:4 CF>3=6 J@F 76=E 36?62E9 E96 #@F?59@FD6 E9:D DAC:?8 42>6 @? E96 52J p336J @77:4:2==J 2??@F?465 9:D C6E:C6>6?E — 2 >@G6 E92E E26 2?5 8@[ =68:D=2E@CD A@?E:7:42E6 2?5 8@ A@@7[ 3FE p336J 2=H2JD D66>65 E@ 36 2C@F?5i DE625J[ 5C:G6?[ 23=6] w6 962565 E96 {ur D:?46 'hhf 2?5 925 D6CG65 :? 8@G6C?>6?E 7@C 7@FC 564256D — 2 >2DE6C @7 H92E E@ D2J 2?5 H96?j 6=682?E=J W2?5 D@>6E:>6D D64C6E:G6=JX A:C@F6EE:?8 2C@F?5 E96 >:?67:6=5 @7 68@D 2?5 4@==:5:?8 :?E6C6DED 2?5 ?@DJ C6A@CE6CD E92E 4@>6D H:E9 A@=:E:4D[ >@?6J 2?5 5625=:?6D]k^Am

kAm~? E96 7=@@C[ 96 H2D E96 86?E=6 G@:46 :? E96 62C @7 2 =68:D=2E@C 2D E96J DA@2EE6CDi rJC2?@ H:E9 2 DAC625D966E]k^Am

kAmx E@=5 p336J E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 2E E96 r2A:E@= H9@ E9@F89E 96 H2D @? E96 >652=D DE2?5 2D @?6 @7 E96 E9C66 >@DE :?7=F6?E:2= A6@A=6 :? }6H |6I:4@]k^Am

kAm"(6==[ x H2?E E@ 36 G6CJ >@56DE 23@FE :E[" 96 C6A=:65] "... x'> G6CJ 4=62C] x'> ?@E 6=64E65] |6>36CD 2C6 6=64E65] ~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 3642FD6 @7 6IA6CE:D6 2?5 65 E@ 36 2 56DE:?2E:@?] %96 8C2?5D@? @7 2 >2? H9@'5 366? >2J@C @7 r=6G6=2?5 2?5 E96 D@? @7 2 >2? H9@'5 D6CG65 :? E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 H@Cm%96k^6>m k6>m(2D9:?8E@? !@DEk^6>m 2E 286 'c[ 3FE 2=D@ E26 E@ C625 E96 H@C5D 96 E@DD65 @? A6@A=6'D 5@@CDE6AD]k^Am

kAmW}@E6 E@ E@52J'D %:D 5:DE2?E 2?5 ?62C 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6] "x 925 2 — :E'D =:2D 2C6 2D AC6G2=6?E 2D 6G6C[ 56DA:E6 2 C:D6 :? E96 3F586E 7C@> Sgf_ >:==:@? :? c_ J62CD 28@ E@ ?62C=J S'_ 3:==:@? E@52J]k^Am

kAm"x E9:?2== E96 E:>6 23@FE H9J 2C6 H6 =2DE 2?5 H6 2C6 DE:== =2DE[" 96 D2:5] "x >62?[ H6 H6C6 =2DE H96? x DE2CE65 >J 42C66C 2?5 H6 DF3DE2?E:2==J 2C6 ,?@H.[ 2?5 2 =@E @7 E92E H2D 3642FD6 H6 H6C6 2 A@@C DE2E6] p?5 ?@H H6'C6 ?@E C62==J 2 A@@C DE2E6] }@H ]]] H6 92G6 >@C6 >@?6J E92? >2?J 6G6C :>28:?65 ,E92E. H6 H@F=5 92G6 H:E9 E9:D @:= 2?5 82D[ 7C242?6?E 7F?5D 3F:=5:?8 FA] qFE 6:E96C H2J[ H6 ?665 E@ E9:?92C5 23@FE :E]"k^Am

kAmp336J 4=62C=J 92D] p?5 D@ 96 4@?E:?F65[ E2=@?6J :D =6DD 2 4@?DEC2:?E] w6 FD65 E96 H@C5 A:4EFC6 @7 2 AC6D6?E2E:@? 96 FD65 E@ 8:G6[ :? H9:49 }6H |6I:4@ E2D C2E96C E92? 7@4FD @? ,E9:D.[" 96 D2:5] "(6 D9@F=5 E2 s2G:5 p336J] w6 D2:5 96 DE:== H2?ED E@ 36 @7 D6CG:46 :? D@>6 H2J[ 2?5 96'D C:89E7F==J AC@F5 @7 E96 A6@A=6 96'D 9:C65 2?5 >6?E@C65 :? DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E] w6'D D66? 9:>D6=7 2D 2 E62496C[ 8F:5:?8 =68:D=2E@CD[ >65:2[ >2J36 6G6? 4C:E:4D[ E@ F?56CDE2?5 9@H E96 ?F>36CD H@C2?5 9@H E96J 4@F=5 36 6>A=@J65 :? 2 >@C6 FD67F= H2J]k^Am

kAm%9@D6 =6DD@?D >2J 4@>6 :? 92?5J 2D p336J E236CD[ @7 4@FCD6] qFE :E'D 23@FE 2 H9@=6 =@E >@C6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 D62C49 7@C E96 C:89E D@=FE:@?D]k^Am

kAm~C 2D p336J >:89E D2J[ 2 D62C49 7@C E96 8@@5]k^Am

Phill Casaus is editor of The New Mexican.