{"id":2919,"date":"2008-02-27T12:58:00","date_gmt":"2008-02-27T18:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/02\/newman-cites-sons-service-in-explaining-war-stance\/"},"modified":"2008-02-27T12:58:00","modified_gmt":"2008-02-27T18:58:00","slug":"newman-cites-sons-service-in-explaining-war-stance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/02\/newman-cites-sons-service-in-explaining-war-stance\/","title":{"rendered":"Newman cites son’s service in explaining war stance"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the seventh in an occasional series of articles based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Articles on each candidate who agrees to an interview will run before the parties\u2019 preprimary nominating conventions on March 15.<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Monty Newman<\/a> believes that America<\/st1:country-region> needs to stay in Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>. So do many other Republican candidates for the Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce<\/a>, but Newman\u2019s view is perhaps unique because his son Ryan is an Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> war veteran.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cHe felt strongly that you need enough boots on the ground in order to secure the country,\u201d Newman said of his son\u2019s experience<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said the United States<\/st1:country-region> didn\u2019t have enough troops in Iraq<\/st1:country-region> when it took control of Baghdad<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> in 2003. Last year\u2019s surge helped remedy that situation, he believes.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the surge is a way of proving our determination to be successful there,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t believe we should remove ourselves from Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> until we are sure that the country is reasonably stable and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman, the Hobbs<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> mayor, acknowledged the controversy surrounding the war, saying it is \u201cdifficult for the American people and I understand that,\u201d but he said some fights take time.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI do think Democracy is a painful and difficult process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said he won\u2019t \u201cget into the debate as to whether we should have gone in there in the first place. We\u2019re there.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The other Republicans in the race are rancher and retired banker Aubrey L. Dunn Jr.<\/a>, former Sierra County GOP chair C. Earl Greer<\/a>, former state Rep. Terry Marquardt<\/a>, Las Cruces daycare-center owner Greg Sowards<\/a> and rancher and restaurant-chain owner Ed Tinsley<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman is focusing on several other issues in his campaign, including the economy; energy policy; national defense, security and sovereignty; and the American family.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The economy<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said he wants to limit the size of government and cut unnecessary spending. He wants to reform the tax structure by making the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminating the estate tax opponents often call a \u201cdeath tax,\u201d reducing corporate taxes to spur economic growth, accelerating depreciation schedules for capital gains for small businesses and eliminating the tax on investments.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, we are a country built upon free markets and capitalism, and we have to guard that as almost our sacred grail,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Energy<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said decreasing the United States<\/st1:country-region>\u2019 dependence on foreign oil begins with opening more land to drilling, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska<\/st1:state> and Otero Mesa in Southern New Mexico<\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the technology we have today, I think it can be environmentally friendly,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also favors development of alternative fuels including sugarcane and algae. He said solar and wind energy will have a place, but won\u2019t dominate the American power system in the future.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman wants to streamline regulations for bringing new power plants and refineries online, and called the current regulations too \u201cburdensome.\u201d He\u2019s also a fan of expanding the use of nuclear power. Newman was involved with the recent efforts to bring a national uranium enrichment facility to Lea<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>. Local officials are working to secure a second facility.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s efficient. I think it\u2019s clean. I think we can deal with the waste,\u201d Newman said of nuclear power.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

National defense, security and sovereignty<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman believes immigration reform begins with securing the nation\u2019s land borders with Mexico<\/st1:country-region> and Canada<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> and its ports.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to find sound immigration policy until we find a way to manage and secure our borders. That\u2019s just a fact,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The next step will be strengthening intelligence and security through appropriating more resources and increasing the number of Border Patrol agents.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said the system for dealing with illegal immigrants must be streamlined based on advice from the Border Patrol agents. He said they know best how to deal with such situations. He opposes amnesty.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman also said the nation\u2019s military must be funded and supported at a level that ensures it\u2019s the best in the world.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The American family<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said he is pro-life and believes families are \u201cthe cornerstone of our civilization\u201d and \u201cthe backbone of small businesses.\u201d He said small-business owners \u201cgo to work every day looking for a job\u201d so they can support families.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman also said families support small businesses. The \u201ccollective genius and ingenuity\u201d of small-business owners, when allowed to flourish, means that \u201cnothing can stop this country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Controversies<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman has faced some controversy during his tenure has Hobbs<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> mayor. The city, under his leadership, agreed in 2006 to pay $70,000 to former Police Chief Kenneth Bohn after the American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> sued on his behalf, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated because he raised concerns about pay inequities in the department and insisted on an investigation of missing items and other problems with the police evidence room.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman declined to comment on the lawsuit, except to point to the settlement.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman is also criticized by some conservatives because Hobbs<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> has raised taxes twice under his leadership.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman said the first \u2013 a 1\/16 percent increase in the gross-receipts tax \u2013 is providing $35 million for a new wastewater treatment plan that\u2019s also being funded by a loan users will repay. Newman said paying for the plant through the tax and by passing the rest of the cost on to users was necessary to avoid taking money away from other city operations.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe in subsidizing the rates with our general-fund money,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The other increase \u2013 a 1\/8 hike in the gross-receipts tax \u2013 is providing $2.75 million to reconstruct Broadway Street<\/st1:address><\/st1:street> in Hobbs<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> and beautify it. Newman said he is \u201choping to spur economic development and vitality to the downtown district.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Both projects, Newman said, are \u201ccapital intensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a strong proponent of infrastructure investment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Asked how he will balance keeping taxes low and taking care of the nation\u2019s aging infrastructure if he is elected, Newman said he will make decisions based on \u201cwhat\u2019s critically important to the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf our infrastructure falls apart, then I think you\u2019re going to have a huge burden on the economy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

About the candidate<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Newman has a lot of experience in areas related to the economy. He has owned a real-estate business for 31 years. He has served on the Hobbs<\/st1:city> and Lea<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placetype> planning boards and spent nine years as an elected board member at New Mexico<\/st1:placename> Junior College<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>. He was elected to the Hobbs City Commission in 2002, and became mayor in 2004.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

His term ends in March and he\u2019s not seeking re-election. Newman and his wife Vicki, a second-grade teacher, have been married 33 years. In addition to Ryan, they have another adult son, Reagan. Ryan is a West Point graduate, and Reagan is a graduate of New Mexico<\/st1:placename> State<\/st1:placetype> University<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Like other candidates, Newman is working to secure 20 percent of delegates at the March 15 preprimary nominating convention. Though he believes he has more than 20 percent, he said he\u2019s gathering signatures \u201cas a parallel method\u201d to get on the ballot. Assuming the governor signs a bill he has said he will sign, the alternate path will be an option.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s good business,\u201d Newman said of his decision to work both methods. \u201cWe intend to be on the ballot in the primary. The people that support me know I don\u2019t quit.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Prior interviews with Second Congressional District candidates:<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Bill McCamley<\/a>, published Feb. 20, 2008<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Ed Tinsley<\/a>, published Feb. 18, 2008<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 C. Earl Greer<\/a>, published Feb. 14, 2008<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Al Kissling<\/a>, published Jan. 28, 2008<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Aubrey L. Dunn Jr.<\/a>, published Jan. 14, 2008<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u2022 Harry Teague<\/a>, published Dec. 20, 2007<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the seventh in an occasional series of articles based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Articles on each candidate who agrees to an interview will run before the parties\u2019 preprimary nominating conventions on March 15. Monty Newman believes that America needs to stay in Iraq. So do many other Republican candidates […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2919","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=2919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}