44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

DESIGNATING EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY OF APRIL AS "PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DAY".

WHEREAS, almost every New Mexican has someone in their family who is or has been a public employee, public officer or an elected official, at the federal, state, tribal, county or municipal level; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico currently has over one hundred eighty-five thousand public employees, who serve at a variety of agencies and entities; and

WHEREAS, many of these public employees, public officers and elected officials have worked long hours to improve and protect New Mexico and should be recognized for such service and dedication; and

WHEREAS, the general public is depending on these public employees for essential services that need to be delivered expeditiously, without mistakes, at lower cost, and with greater quality than ever before, and in order to achieve this level of superior performance adequate human resource and support systems need to be maintained and improved; and

WHEREAS, these include systems for employee recognition, compensation, job design, strategic planning, information analysis and processing, process improvement, customer satisfaction, professional development, job training, leadership development and management training and performance evaluation; and

WHEREAS, these public employees need the support of their chief executive officers, appointed officials, managers and other supervisory personnel in order to have the proper tools to get the job done, including computers, furnishings, office space, adequate staff support, office supplies and information sources; and

WHEREAS, these public employees need the support of these same supervisory personnel in order to have safe and appropriate working environments, including adequate lighting, ergonomic furniture, proper ventilation, safe vehicles, professionally designed office space and safe and secure lobbies and parking lots; and

WHEREAS, public employees from time to time come across information about wrongdoing, fraud, sweetheart contracts and other crimes in government, which need to be brought forward to the citizens of New Mexico, and these public employees and their managers must be made aware of how important these "watchdog" activities are and that statutes exist to protect "whistleblowers"; and

WHEREAS, these public employees also can reduce costs and waste in providing a service or a product, and this can be done by eliminating extra steps in a process, recycling, making fewer mistakes with materials, clarifying policies and procedures and utilizing supplies that are less expensive or that can be discounted; and

WHEREAS, the state legislature recognizes that providing a work force of better trained, more ethical and professional public employees makes New Mexico a more competitive business environment and a more desirable place to live;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Wednesday, April 7, 1999, and every first Wednesday in April, be recognized as "Public Employees Day" in New Mexico; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the nineteen cabinet level departments and agencies of New Mexico state government in order that they be encouraged to recognize and thank their public employees who are interested in improving the quality management and services of their agencies.