{"id":15642,"date":"2010-04-12T08:11:56","date_gmt":"2010-04-12T14:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=15642"},"modified":"2010-04-12T12:35:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-12T18:35:00","slug":"gop-gubernatorial-candidates-discuss-issues-in-cruces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2010\/04\/gop-gubernatorial-candidates-discuss-issues-in-cruces\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP guv candidates discuss issues in Las Cruces"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Republican gubernatorial candidates (from left to right) Susana Martinez, Janice Arnold-Jones, Doug Turner and Pete Domenici Jr. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)<\/p><\/div>\n

The four Republican gubernatorial candidates who attended a forum Saturday in Las Cruces agreed on many of the issues that were discussed.<\/p>\n

In general, most of the candidates agreed that it\u2019s time to end corruption in state government, to improve the business climate by simplifying and reducing taxes and regulations, to secure the border, and to diversify education options by allowing school choice, supporting homeschooling and bringing back vocational education.<\/p>\n

So what sets them apart from each other? As a lawyer who deals with environmental regulations, Pete Domenici Jr.<\/a> said during the forum, sponsored by the Republican Party of Do\u00f1a Ana County, that he knows \u201cwhere the roadblocks are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually know the people that are the road blocks,\u201d Domenici said.<\/p>\n

Janice Arnold-Jones<\/a> highlighted her success in bringing webcasting to the Legislature as a way to point to her experience as a state lawmaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of you know me as the lady with the webcam because you helped defeat the same-day voter registration bill, and you did it from right here in Do\u00f1a Ana County,\u201d she said, a reference to her webcasting meetings of a committee that considered the bill earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Susana Martinez<\/a> pointed to her work as Do\u00f1a Ana County\u2019s district attorney, arguing that she has the experience to clean up corruption, which she said will improve the state\u2019s business climate, and that she has more experience in dealing with border issues than the other candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have stood alone and made tough decisions,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n

Doug Turner<\/a> said his business experience \u2013 he owns the public relations firm DW Turner<\/a> \u2013 is what makes him stand out, arguing that for him there are no \u201csacred cows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s probably nothing more that qualifies me for this job than having no prior government experience,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 We need a governor who understands that money doesn\u2019t grow on trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Turner was a member of the state\u2019s Judicial Standards Commission<\/a> during the Johnson administration, but it was a volunteer, appointed position.)<\/p>\n

The fifth Republican gubernatorial candidate, Allen Weh<\/a>, didn\u2019t attend the forum.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Doug Turner<\/p><\/div>\n

Turner<\/h3>\n

Turner spoke a lot about how New Mexico\u2019s business regulations and taxes stack up against those in neighboring states. He said Texas is currently creating jobs because it has consistent regulations and lower taxes. Instead of providing incentives to large corporations to come to New Mexico, Turner suggested creating an investment fund to help small businesses.<\/p>\n

Turner also said he would simplify the state\u2019s regulatory system. And he highlighted a motion<\/a> he filed in district court last week seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the administration from implementing a state cap-and-trade system without the Legislature\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

The businessman talked about how government has grown under the Richardson administration, and said he would \u201cget rid of every single political appointee that this governor has created.\u201d He said he would implement a true hiring freeze.<\/p>\n

Turner said New Mexico\u2019s retirement system needs to be more in line with others \u2013 retirement plans should be subject to the ups and downs of the market, he said, and employees shouldn\u2019t be allowed to draw retirement until age 65, or whatever age is comparable in the federal system.<\/p>\n

On education, Turner said he supports vouchers and would do more to support home-schooling. He favors increased early childhood education. He said the educational system should not be entirely dependent on test scores and shouldn\u2019t protect bad teachers from losing their jobs.<\/p>\n

On immigration, Turner said he opposes so-called sanctuary policies that forbid local law enforcement from checking immigration status.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

Martinez<\/h3>\n

Martinez spoke about electability. She talked about having been raised to be a Democrat and switching parties after realizing her values were Republican. She said that could have ended her political career before it began in a county in which Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans, but she\u2019s won election four times since because she \u201cstood by my values.\u201d<\/p>\n

In talking about her support for lower taxes and fewer regulations, Martinez said decisions need to be \u201cbased on commonsense and on facts and evidence.\u201d The latter is a theme she\u2019s sounded regularly to talk about how being a prosecutor would help her govern. She said state government \u201ccannot show favor to any special interest groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to do all of that by eliminating corruption, which is a part of every decision that is made by the current administration,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n

She called for an attitude shift in state government, saying the current mindset \u201cis definitely not a customer-friendly mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martinez also talked about her experience in prosecuting immigration- and drug-related crimes. She said securing the border is necessary so that children feel safe at school, people feel safe shopping, and businesses feel safe locating in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

On education, Martinez also called for the return of vocational education and called for school choice. She also said schools must become more transparent and called for their budgets to be put online so communities can know exactly how their money is being spent.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Janice Arnold-Jones<\/p><\/div>\n

Arnold-Jones<\/h3>\n

Arnold-Jones, like the others, called for lower taxes, a simplified tax code, and \u201ctax equity.\u201d She also said government must have a service mindset and that people shouldn\u2019t be hired because of who they know.<\/p>\n

\u201cHire for competence. What a concept, I know,\u201d Arnold-Jones said.<\/p>\n

On immigration, she said the border can\u2019t be sealed by any physical barrier, but it can be sealed with technology, and that should be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to seal the border,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Currently, she said, FCC rules hamper radio communications among U.S. officers along the border, but those coming illegally from Mexico don\u2019t face the same challenges. That\u2019s one regulation, she said, that needs to change.<\/p>\n

She also called for prosecuting employers who hire illegal workers and said there shouldn\u2019t be any wilderness areas along the border \u2013 an apparent reference to a proposal<\/a> to create a number of wilderness areas in Do\u00f1a Ana County.<\/p>\n

On education, Arnold-Jones said the focus must be on valuing education as more than \u201ca jobs program.\u201d She said she supports charter schools, vocational education, homeschooling, online training and other uniquely tailored programs that allow students to learn in a setting that\u2019s best for them.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Pete Domenici Jr.<\/p><\/div>\n

Domenici<\/h3>\n

Throughout the forum, Domenici focused on his pledge to \u201cmake New Mexico a business-friendly state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to end corruption in Santa Fe, it\u2019s time to deflate big government, it\u2019s time for a new New Mexico,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Domenici said ending \u201cthe practice and appearance\u201d of corruption must come first. Once that\u2019s complete, Domenici said, the focus must shift to becoming \u201cfundamentally, at our heart,\u201d a state that welcomes businesses. He said he would eliminate all currently vacant positions in state government and others as they become vacant.<\/p>\n

He spoke a lot about personal responsibility, saying, \u201cpeople and communities need to stand up and speak out in favor of business.\u201d He also said New Mexico needs to make education a cultural value, and said government should emphasize to parents and communities \u201cthe inherent value of an education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be sure that parents are responsible, that parents are encouraged to do as much as they can,\u201d Domenici said.<\/p>\n

Domenici said it\u2019s the federal government\u2019s responsibility to reform immigration, and he would push Washington to do that as governor. Until it happens, he said the governor must do what he can by sending the National Guard to the border. He said he would also end policies that forbid police officers from checking immigration status and allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The four Republican gubernatorial candidates who attended a forum Saturday in Las Cruces agreed on many of the issues that were discussed. But each candidate also talked about what sets him or her apart from the others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[108,140,118,125,114,107],"class_list":["post-15642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","category-uncategorized","tag-2010-election","tag-border-and-immigration","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-public-corruption","tag-roundhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15642\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}