NM-03: Wiviott Kicks Off Tour on Easing Energy Squeeze for Families

Over the next few weeks, Don Wiviott,a  Democratic Congressional candidate in NM-03, plans an energy tour that will take him throughout the Third District. The tour kicks off today at a house party from 5:00 to 7:00 PM hosted by Jill Meyer at 512 Los Nidos, Estancia Primera, Santa Fe. All are invited to attend. He plans to travel the state on the tour in a new hybrid van (above) that is fueled by cooking oil from Santa Fe’s Flying Tortilla. Very cool.

With the price of gas hovering around three dollars and the cost of heating a home at an all time high, Third Congressional District candidate Don Wiviott said today that he would use his 30 years of experience working with energy to fight for solutions that help hardworking families get ahead.

At his event Monday, the candidate will announce that he will spend the next month touring the Third District to talk to voters about his ideas to end the energy crunch. He promised to draw on his decades of work in affordable housing and energy efficiency to help middle-class families across the Third District.

In his campaign, Wiviott said he’s heard from families across the district who are paying more for energy and in need of relief. Money these families once had for groceries or a night out is now going down the tank. In Congress, the candidate pledged to offer the new leadership Washington needs on this issue. Instead of energy plans that benefit special interests, Wiviott pledged to fight for relief for the working Americans who really need it.

“It’s no coincidence that as the price of gas has gone up, the popularity of Washington has gone down,” said Wiviott. “The Washington answer to families pinched at the pump is to line the pockets of big oil and gas. Its solution to our addiction to foreign oil is to keep consuming 21 million barrels a day. The politicians don’t get what’s happening in America, but as someone with 30 years of real experience in energy issues, I do.” 

Wiviott continued, “While politicians are out talking about solving energy challenges, I've been right here in new Mexico getting it done. Not by giving speeches, but by giving families the real solutions they need. In the last 10 years, I’ve built hundreds of middle- class homes that are energy efficient, environmentally friendly and save families money.”

Wiviott explained that his business builds homes that are good for the environment and better for the budget, because they are built with energy efficiency and recycling in mind. His homes, which are marketed to middle-class families, use technologies that save families money on their utility bills every month. Wiviott said Washington should do more to give Americans access to such technologies.

“Our projects show that with a little leadership, you can make a real difference,” said Wiviott.

At his kick-off event in Santa Fe, Wiviott will stress that energy efficiency is not just something for rich or urban Americans. In fact, rural New Mexico might have the most to gain from a smarter energy policy.

“When it comes to wind, solar and geo-thermal power, rural New Mexico has more energy than Saudi Arabia has oil,” said Wiviott. “We should use this energy as a catalyst to create jobs and opportunity where none exists today. “Imagine this rural energy economy. Instead of exporting our kids, we’ll be able to export clean energy to other regions of the United States. Instead of depending – and spending on oil from tyrants in the Middle East, we’ll be reliant on our neighbors and keeping our energy dollars here at home.”

Over the next few weeks, Wiviott plans an energy tour will take him throughout CD-03. He plans to travel the state on the tour in a new hybrid van that is fueled by cooking oil from Santa Fe’s Flying Tortilla.

Wiviott said, “When I talk about using energy to create jobs and opportunity for families, I’m not talking about an abstract, impossible challenge. I’m talking about a cause I’ve been working towards for the last thirty years. In Washington, I plan to be a vocal proponent for a comprehensive energy plan and all that it will bring, savings for families, new jobs for workers, new strategies to halt global warming and freedom from Middle Eastern oil.”

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-03, visit our archive.