Nov. 5--LAS CRUCES -- Gov. Bill Richardson popped a chicharron in his mouth and smiled at the New Mexico State University representatives warning him about the "devastating" consequences of cutting 11 faculty statewide from agricultural extension.

"So, you want me to save you, huh?" he joked, with a chuckle.

Occasionally sneaking a spoonful of menudo from his Roberto's takeout, Richardson held five-minute meetings with 29 individuals and groups at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces on Wednesday morning.

Some had specific problems -- one man was trying to get his driver's license reinstated, and two men gave him Church of Scientology-backed anti-psychiatry literature -- but most were urging him not to cut funding, as is called for in budget bills passed by the Legislature last month during a special session to address the state's estimated $650 million deficit. Richardson has until Nov. 12 to sign, veto or partially veto those bills.

Employees and clients of Southwest Counseling Center, in Las Cruces hoped to convince Richardson not to cut mental health funds.

"For every dollar New Mexico spends, they get $3 in federal funds and behavioral health has always been very lean," said program director Helen Cooley. "And we've not gotten budget increases for seven years, so to cut 7.6 percent in outpatient services -- without that, we'd have a lot more in-patient and homeless."

Las Cruces client Teresa Hernandez said after suffering severe head trauma from

a car accident 20 years ago, she was institutionalized before finding help to become "stable."

"Should our benefits be taken away, it wouldn't just be medication, it would be housing, transportation," Hernandez said. "If they cut the Medicaid (benefits), I would be back in the mental hospitals. It is of the utmost importance that (Richardson) does not cut the Medicaid benefits. And if he does, there's going to be a lot more expenses to y'all."

County Commissioner Karen Perez and Tortugas resident Martin Lopez, general manager of the Mesquite Mutual Domestic Water Consumers and Mutual Sewage Works Association, urged the governor not to cut $500,000 in capital outlay funds marked for water projects -- and the residents those projects would employ.

"We have regionalized five water systems and received funds as part of the overall merger of Berino, Mesquite, Vado, Desert Sands and La Mesa, and we stand to have our projects pushed back for several more years," said Lopez, who estimated the water association served around 11,000 residents. "We have about $2.8 million and the last half million is in jeopardy."

Ironically, not funding the projects would put them at risk of fines from federal and state environment departments, Perez noted.

"All of the federal funds depend on the state match," said Perez, adding that she hoped Richardson would "show mercy" to water projects in all 37 colonias. "We have equipment bound up in this. It may look like 'pork' but it's a backhoe. We'll be devastated. All the headway we've made in the colonias? We'd be at a standstill."

Ashley Meeks can be reached at ameeks@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5462.

Can you hear me now?

New Mexico residents who were unable to attend Richardson's office hours Wednesday may contact the Governor's Office with thoughts about the budget bills by e-mailing Special.session@state.nm.us or calling (505) 476-2210 before Nov. 12.

-----

To see more of the Las Cruces Sun-News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lcsun-news.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.