Running a gubernatorial campaign requires coalition-building between state and federal government and the private sector.
Commentary
Jon Lipshutz is a politcal consultant who most recently served as the campaign manager for Sam Bregman’s campaign for governor.
It requires an understanding of where your state currently ranks economically, and a plan to take your state where is should rank. As campaign manger for Bregman For New Mexico the candidate, myself, and staff poured over reams of economic development position papers as well as proven upward-economy policy initiatives across the nation. We built a campaign on what became our economic platform of “Opportunity For All.”
We quickly realized that in order for New Mexico to provide a fertile economic environment for the energy, infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare sectors we would have to aggressively champion permitting reform. We were laser-focused on streamlining the permitting and licensing process that far too many small businesses in New Mexico found themselves buried beneath. A frustrating and revolving theme when we sat with large and small-scale entrepreneurs was the layers upon layers of redundant permitting requirements.
Navigating this municipal, state, and federal maze should not require someone looking to start a business to be fluent in contract law. Nor she we hang on to time-honored traditions that are highly regressive towards economic development.
The current apathy to nurture well-paying jobs through the creation of small businesses and/or locating corporate investment is directly associated with existing permitting rules. New Mexico has world class energy but too often sits idly by while investment dollars cross state borders to multiply under less draconian permitting requirements.
Bi-partisan permitting reform legislation is about to be taken up by Senator Heinrich’s Energy Committee. What a great opportunity for our state’s senior senator and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to usher in pragmatic permitting reform that can be used as a boilerplate for cities, counties and villages across New Mexico. We can actually aide in the protection of our natural resources, air, and water by removing byzantine paper trails.
Industry is largely responsible for funding innovation in environmental, healthcare, and education sectors. But before New Mexico, and New Mexicans, can realize any benefits from their largess they need to get permits to operate.