Downs Deal Hearing

Tom Tinnin

Although Gov. Susana Martinez, her consultant Jay McCleskey and State Fair Manager Dan Mourning did not appear at Senate Rules Committee to testify about the Downs racino contract this morning (nor did state Auditor Hector Balderas), three Republican critics of the Downs deal did.

These were former Fair Commission chairman and Board of Finance member Tom Tinnin, who resigned from the latter because of the deal; former Commissioner Charlotte Rode and current Commissioner Twister Smith.

All spoke about pressure from the governor's office to approve the 25-year, multi-million contract.

Also, they talk about how the Fair Commission has been "neutered"by the administration.

“If you do take a stand in the face of  corruption, you are going to be retaliated against," Rode told the committee.

"Look at the agenda and the minutes. We  never every talked about business at meetings, ever," Smith said.

"You  need to have  professional management," Tinnin said. "Keep politics out. (Politics) kills it."

Read more about this in tomorrow's New Mexican.