JOHNSON SAYS HE'S PROUD OF HIS WORK

Governor Defends the Accomplishments of His Administration in His Last
Meeting With Reporters.

SANTA FE - The way Gov. Gary Johnson sees it, he will leave office
this month pretty much the same way he entered it - a political outsider.

And he's proud of that image.

During his final news conference Monday with New Mexico media, Johnson
rattled off a list of what he views as his administration's major
accomplishments during the past eight years.

He cited hundreds of miles of four-lane highways, privately run
prisons and Indian gambling compacts that became reality on his watch.

Johnson bragged about his role in challenging the nation's war on
drugs, including his support for legalizing or decriminalizing the use
of marijuana.

The Republican governor also acknowledged he was forced to embrace
politics during his two terms in office.

But he emphasized he is leaving the governor's office a more cynical
man than he was when he entered - because of the politics.

Johnson said he feels many leaders in Santa Fe worry more about
political considerations before taking care of people's needs.

He said the prevailing attitude among legislators is, "If you screwed
me yesterday, I'm going to screw you today.

"Again, I like to think that we stayed clear of that the whole time
that I've been up here," Johnson said.

Democrats have complained during most of Johnson's two terms that he
engaged in political retaliation as much as legislators do. At times,
he seemed to revel in it, especially when he vetoed
legislation.

Despite the disdain Johnson says he has for politics, the outgoing
governor said he enjoyed the job and will miss being the state's chief
executive.

Johnson said he is especially proud of leaving the state's finances in
generally good shape as Democrat Bill Richardson takes office on Jan.
1.

New Mexico is one of a few states across the nation that is not
experiencing severe budget deficits.

Johnson gave himself part of the credit for that. He claims many of
the nearly 750 vetoes during his tenure helped reduce spending and
build up savings for rainy days.

"I leave the office in not as good as financial shape as what I would
have hoped," Johnson said, referring to rising Medicaid costs that
continue to eat much of the state's tax revenue. "But nonetheless,
we're not in deficit as so many other states are."

When he leaves office, Johnson will split time between a new home in
Taos and his home in Albuquerque. He also plans to climb Mount Everest
in the spring.

After that, he will pursue his new role as a drug-policy reform
activist on the national stage.

He recently founded a nonprofit group, called Americans Against the
War on Drugs, whose goal is to educate politicians about ways to "back
away from the lunacy of the war on drugs."