45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

DIRECTING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO AND THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS TO DEVELOP A MERIT PER DIEM PLAN FOR STATE LEGISLATORS.

WHEREAS, the phrase "merit pay for teachers" is ringing loudly through the legislative hallways these days; and

WHEREAS, such a brilliant concept deserves the flattery of imitation; and

WHEREAS, being firm believers in "judge not, lest ye be judged", legislators everywhere act with confidence that their solution is the best solution; and

WHEREAS, what's good for the goose is good for the gander;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the national education association of New Mexico and the American federation of teachers develop a merit per diem plan for legislators with normed performance criteria that:

A. ten points be awarded each time a legislator is mentioned in any context by his hometown newspaper but that twenty points be deducted every time his name is mentioned by a talk show host;

B. one point be awarded each time a legislator is able to place legislation on final passage without remedial education assistance from the chair;

C. twenty points be awarded each time a legislator is able to clearly explain his bill on final passage and that an additional ten points be awarded if he is able to clearly explain it twice and that an additional ten points be awarded if the first two explanations actually match;

D. ten points be awarded for bringing home a better-than-average amount of bacon but that ten points be deducted for introducing a more-than-average number of capital projects;

E. one point be deducted for buying your own lunch, but that twenty points be awarded for buying lunch for a legislative colleague;

F. twenty points be deducted for having the most speaking time on the floor but that thirty points be awarded if others are actually listening;

G. ten points be awarded to a legislator understanding the constitutional clause against special legislation and the constitutional anti-donation clause but that one hundred points be awarded for passing a bill violating either provision and having it signed by the governor;

H. twenty points be awarded for playing in the house-senate basketball game but that ten points be deducted for playing fair;

I. five points be awarded for receiving a DO PASS recommendation except that twenty points be awarded for receiving a DO PASS from the public affairs committee, and that forty points be awarded to any senate member who gets a bill through the house and that five more points be awarded if that house is the New Mexico house of representatives;

J. ten points be deducted for each bill sponsored that is cited by the national education association or American federation of teachers as "needing improvement" but that twenty points be awarded for each bill amended by the sponsor to create a "much improvement" remark by the same groups; and

K. one hundred points be awarded for actually visiting a school classroom other than on election day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that legislators everywhere stay fully alert to classroom teachers' daily fulfillment of their individual commitment to excellence on behalf of the school children of New Mexico.