Friend:

Under the current and previous school administrations, we have seen outrageous staff hires unrelated to the university’s core mission; an irresponsibly managed athletic department that has tolerated a football program which, under the current head coach, has become both a financial drain and an embarrassment; the ongoing loss of talented academic faculty; a disproportionate increase in overall operating costs when the CPI needle has barely risen above one percent for the past few years; and on and on and on! 

For a state that has more than its share of financial headaches, this is potentially one more problem that shouldn’t be! 

The civil lawsuit, which was just announced, charges that UNM President David Schmidly rigged the contract for a preferred contractor — who then hired his son. 

I would expect that either the Bernalillo County District Attorney or the NM Attorney General, or both, will immediately begin a criminal investigation. They need to get the facts, and then take the appropriate action to hold anyone, and everyone, accountable who may have broken the law. 

One thing is clear: In order for this state university to be restored to good fiscal health, there needs to be some long overdue housecleaning at UNM — from the top on down. 

I trust, and expect, that the Board of Regents in due course will get this done. The citizens of this state deserve nothing less. 

Respectfully, 

Allen Weh