Tim Keller, Forget About the Private Email Thing! Just Quit Trying to Change the Great Seal! And quit Using Taxpayer Money to Do It.
New Mexico Political Journal
8/14/15
State Auditor Tim Keller just decided he would stop using his private email server to conduct official state business. That's a good decision.
But now comes evidence of his latest caper. He's up and changed the Great Seal of the State of New Mexico. Take a look at the new "Tim Seal" side by side with the Great Seal:
You will notice that Mr. Keller has removed the State Motto, "Crescit Eundo," and replaced with something that sort of looks like a "T." Though to be fair it looks a slightly more like a water meter key.
Slogans on an Official State Business Card?
Another disturbing aspect of the new Great Keller Seal is the use of a campaign slogan on an official taxpayer-funded State of New Mexico business card.
Keller and anyone working for him now must hand people official New Mexico state business cards, not with the words State of New Mexico, or perhaps an official designated position, but with the slogan "ELECTED FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT" emblazoned on the card.
Keller Doesn't Like Crescit Eundo?
Whether this is his idea to replace the English translation of the State Motto, "It grows as it goes," is unclear.
Maybe he doesn't like the oft-misunderstood* State Motto. Is this is his way of just expunging it from the record, or showing his disapproval.
State Auditor Trumps State "Hood"
Additionally, the words "State Auditor" are placed at the bottom of the seal, replacing the year of statehood that appears on actual Great Seal.
It currently looks like this: 1912. But on the Great Keller Seal it looks like this: State Auditor.
What is with all this redesign? We aren't sure, but employees tell us Mr. Keller has gone overboard in a number of bizarre incidents.
For example, there's overwhelming amounts of parking at the state auditor's parking lot, and there's never been a designated parking spotfor anyone—they just aren't needed. It's a small office staff.
Mr. Keller's predecessor's did not have designated parking.
Other Disturbing Actions
We are told that thousands of dollars have been spent on new furniture which was completely unnecessary, but merely a case of Keller wanting to “put his stamp” on the office.
A similar bizarre event had Mr. Keller ripping up a nice-looking frame, taking Mr. Balderas’ photo out, recopying Balderas’ picture in black and white, and re-inserting the former auditor’s photo in a old “duller” frame.
Keller then put his own new color photo in Balderas’ old frame.
Weird, huh?
Taxpayer Expenses
All of this seemingly egomaniacal effort is taking place at taxpayer expense by the way.
All cards, not just for the state auditor, but for all employees, had to be redesigned, and reprinted by the state printing contractor. The same with stationery, and the special “Tim Only” parking sign.
Keller is Operating with Impunity
We have already documented Keller's style regarding "investigations" — first, rush to the media; second, use inflammatory language about a situation; and third, then say it's "under investigation."
Meanwhile turn whatever he's halfway done to the Attorney General, and drop it in his lap without ever having finished so much as a real investigation, let alone reaching anything that might be called a "finding," preliminary or otherwise.
Along the way, pay your political buddies to do the so-called "preliminary" investigation. Just up and give work to your progressive fellow travelers and pals who are donors to fellow progressives' campaigns.
Did they bid for that contract? Or was it just given to them? We know the answer.
Keller spent six long years using his position a state senator to drum up business for his own company and for the company that hired him — openly training employees (people with elected or appointed officials' titles) on how to use their official positions to "make the sale" or "close the deal."
He did this in New Mexico as "Senator Keller," buttonholing Indian tribes and Pueblos, as well as their lobbyists. As a sidelight, he would also use his official position to attack or condemn competitors-—using his "constituents' wishes" as a cover for his business activities.
He also directed millions of dollars of taxpayer funds toward capital outlay to benefit Indian tribes and Pueblos—which were either current or potential future clients!
All with impunity
Now he's the "auditor"? For everybody else? Seriously? Only in New Mexico.
Pretty amazing record, both in business and political conduct—though he never quite got the hang of separating those two concepts.
Now, it appears his personal conduct and ego more or less match the "no one will say anything to me" feel of immunity that he seem to take with him everywhere he goes and in all he does.
But for now, the people of New Mexico need Keller to leave our state symbols alone.
*Crescit eundo in Latin, does mean, "It grows as it goes." More or less. And it's sometimes made fun of for its seemingly impenetrable meaning. But years ago we investigated further and found that an acting Territorial Secretary, William G. Ritch, was a scholar of Roman literature and was widely read. He was fond of a poem by a Latin poet by the name of Lucretius who had written an epic poem translated in English as "On the Nature of Things." In the poem from which Ritch took the motto, the phrase referred to a bolt of thunder that increased in strength as it moved across the sky.
So the motto was intended to reflect that New Mexico was showing the potential for doing the same for growing, progressing and getting better year by year. Ritch added the motto to the territorial seal in 1882. Thirty years later, upon becoming a state, the legislature went ahead and adopted the seal as it was.
State Auditor Tim Keller, 143 years after it was first used, apparently thinks the state seal needs his unfailing touch and redesign.