Liberal rhetoric on energy takes us nowhere

By Mario Sanchez

The New Mexico of my grandfather has long been the backdrop of the quintessential Rockwellian image of small-town America, a place in which Democrats were conservative and Republicans were, well, conservative. This was a New Mexico in which Republicans and Democrats alike were proud to be the cradle of the atom, and those many pump jacks slowly bobbing up and down around our landscape were a sign of prosperity, ensuring the future of American supremacy. So, what happened?

Did we loose the Cold War? Coup? Invasion? Dogs and Cats living together?

Oh, no. Hostile takeover by liberals or, more specifically, out-of-state and out-of-touch ultra-liberals. Now, this may sound a bit harsh, or even like grandiose partisan chest thumping; well, it is. As a twenty-something conservative Hispanic, I cringe when I hear of liberal Democratic plans to give birth control to 11-year olds. I ache as every illegal immigrant receives a driver’s license and I feel sick when I hear some liberal Democrat talking about “socialized health care” and “access” in the same breath.

For the last decade, New Mexico has been growing at a phenomenal rate. With that growth has come a wagon train of ultra-liberal ideology. As the next election cycle approaches, New Mexico voters find themselves in a historic situation, with four of our five congressional seats up for grabs. The big questions: Will voters choose progress or poverty? Will voters elect to be the cradle of power and innovation or will we choose entitlement?

Democratic leadership has been pretending to support things like innovation and progress for years, but deep down liberal Dems are not interested in a prosperous America.

Recently Tom Udall voted to support massive job cuts at Los Alamos National Laboratory and then publicly stated his regret for the loss of jobs and his support of the labs. He is a tried and true example of where the left is taking New Mexico. Oh, and he would like to employ these tools of deceit in the U.S Senate.

A Yugo in every garage…

Liberals love to talk about the need for energy conservation under the guise of their greatest tool of fear, their beloved “global warming.” They have know-nothing environmental celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney preaching to Middle America about the evils of our SUVs while they travel around the country in private jets.

I say begin drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Otero Mesa, and now! I have worked through many campaign cycles for Republican parties and candidates throughout the Southwest, and every cycle brings the same liberal rhetoric. Republicans press forward, developing practical solutions to America’s energy problems that include increased drilling, refinery production and looking at innovative industry in places like Hobbs and Artesia.

Liberals would love nothing more than to see us all abandon our way of life for Yugos powered by windmills and smiles. Liberals – saving planet Earth, one silvery minnow at a time.

As oil approaches record prices per barrel with no sign of relief, the gaggle of ultra-liberal politicians both in New Mexico and on the national stage have no solutions, just the same ‘ol sound bites geared toward duping the electorate.

Liberal hypocrisy…

The liberal left loves to bite the hand that feeds it, and that is especially true when it comes to energy development in New Mexico.

Election after election the liberal left opposes any energy growth both here in New Mexico and around the country. Out of the 2 million or so acres of wasteland, developers were looking at disturbing at Otero Mesa a mere 1,500 acres with wellheads and roads. Soon to be Senior Senator and ultra-left legislator Jeff Bingaman has opposed America’s energy independence for more than two decades. He has opposed development in Otero Mesa, ANWR, and Valle Vidal, and yet has vocally supported drilling in the Gulf because he believed it could be done in an environmentally sound manner.

Right.

To have such blatant contradictions about an issue as critical to national security and economic prosperity as energy (not that the Dems care about national security) would be laughable, if it wasn’t so scary. What gets me is that the New Mexico electorate has been ignoring such hypocrisy for decades and been content to wallow in its own poverty.

When Valle Vidal was being discussed the left wanted a permanent ban on any energy development. I’m all for protecting our lands but I have always had a problem with placing language like “permanent” in bills because it leaves no possibility for progress.

In 2004 the New Mexico gas and oil industry forked over a record amount in taxes to the State of New Mexico in excess of $1 billion, exceeding projections by over $300 million. For their troubles, Bill Richardson raised their taxes and proposed a moratorium and other restrictions on drilling in parts of southern New Mexico.

During the 2005 legislative session, while Republican lawmakers were hard at work drafting plans to give the projected $1.1 billion surplus (most generated from gas and oil royalties) to the taxpayers, Richardson decided to use it on his pet government projects during his so-called “Year of the Child.” Kids had a rough year indeed.

There are no signs that the liberal war on New Mexico is going to end anytime soon. The liberal road ahead has farmers abandoning their crops to produce corn for ethanol. Is it just me or is it crazy to encourage the dismantling of our food supply?

Maybe the next joint strike fighter can run on cabbage and launch from rainbow-fueled aircraft carriers.

The liberal road ahead does not lend itself to a true pioneering future as long as the left continues to create a government that tries to be all things to all people. A wolf in sheep’s clothing can also come in the form of ideology and policy.

Sanchez has been working in Southwest Republican politics for more than six years and is currently president of Sanchez Group Consulting LLC, a Republican strategic consulting group. You can e-mail him at mariorsanchez@hotmail.com.