NM Guv Debate: Susana Martinez Says Trash All Regulations, Including Green Building Codes

Candidates on stage today. Click image for larger version

Former Sen. Fred Harris responds to debate

Update: You can listen to an audio recording of the debate here on KUNM or watch a video recording here on KRQE.
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Radio station KANW 89.1-FM will air the forum at 5:00 PM today and again at 9:00 AM on Monday, September 27. You can listen online here.

Today's New Mexico governor candidate debate, held this morning at Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, had Democrat and Republican Susana Martinez treading a lot of the same ground they've covered in their previous encounter at the APS education debate, as well as in the battles of the press releases and TV ads. Three things stuck out to us from today's event:

1) Susana Martinez has the debate demeanor of a flashlight cop -- not surprising since she started out as a security guard for her dad's company in El Paso and has spent almost her entire career in the DA's office badgering recalcitrant witnesses and criminals. The words mean-spirited and overbearing come to mind. Is she positive or happy or hopeful about anything in the present or the future? It's certainly not evident from her scowls and snide snickers during debates. She comes off like a first-class cynic, which I don't think is appealing to most folks who want to see some light at the end of the tunnel after 8 long years of Bush and 2 more years of Republican obstructionism.

2) Susana Martinez thinks she is running against Bill Richardson because that's mostly what she talks about. I guess her handlers told her it's a winning meme. Understandable, I guess, when your policy recommendations consist almost entirely of generic blurbs like "bold change," "cut taxes/government" and "deregulate everything," as Susana's do.

3) Susana Martinez believes the government should not be allowed to regulate anything, especially anything to do with business and the environment -- like green building codes. The way she talked about green building codes, you'd think they were the devil's work, designed to completely shut down corporate business and finance like, you know, the GOP-Bush agenda has done.

Well, there are a few exceptions to Susana's "no regulation" mindset. Although it was't covered in the debate, she wants to re-regulate medical marijuana so folks with serious illnesses and terminal conditions can suffer even more than they are already. And she wants the government to continue to regulate the lives of LGBT folks and impose her personal religious tenets on everyone in the state so we can't get even be granted civil unions or domestic partnerships. In Susana's world, it's always 1982 or so -- when President Reagan wouldn't utter the word "AIDS."

Diane Denish supports our hard-fought medical marijuana law and strongly backs domestic partnerships for all.

Mostly, though, Martinez seems determined to "free" powerful interests and big corporations from all that "unnecessary" regulation that protects New Mexicans and our priceless natural resources. As Denish said in her opening statement:

Just the other day, Susana Martinez said she would roll back regulations, put a moratorium on all of them -- regulations that protect our families -- our land and our water. We’ve seen that movie before -- it’s the same failed Republican plan that got us into this mess. I’m running for Governor because I want New Mexico families to have a fair shake. I want to fight for their jobs, education and opportunities for the future. Today, during these tough times, New Mexico needs a governor that can be a leader and fight for those jobs.

Audience members comment

Workers rights, civil rights, keeping our lands and water safe, protecting ordinary people from the ravages of dishonest and greedy payday loan and mortgage lenders? All down the drain if Martinez wins. And that's not even counting Susana's desire to "privatize" the public schools with a taxpayer-funded private school voucher program.

As for limited licenses for undocumented drivers, Martinez said she would demand that everyone holding one immediately turn it in as revoked. She provided no details on how she would accomplish that amazing task except that she'd send them letters. Maybe she'd personally conduct house-to-house or car-to-car searches (with her flashlight). Denish said she was against the current law that permits the issuance of these licenses, but said she'd address the problem by making the licenses that are currently out there be nonrenewable. You know, a sensible and workable solution.

To my mind, the substance of the debate can be summed up as follows: Susana supports her moneyed interests from Texas and big corporations, and seems to have a vague, "law and order" proposal for almost every problem. She doesn't seem to get that governors aren't prosecutors or security guards. Diane Denish supports helping New Mexico families and small businesses rebound and thrive after being pounded by the Bush-GOP economic agenda. She believes it's important to collaborate, innovate and encourage the best in our citizenry. Clearly, Denish has a positive take on the future -- not a cynical, punishing view.

On other important issues:

Jobs: Denish outlined her plan to help small business through increasing access to capital, a tax credit and cutting red-tape. Martinez offered the Bush-era mantra of cutting protections and letting corporations run wild -- the same plan that got our economy into this mess.

Education: Denish pledged to fully fund public schools, expand early childhood education and redesign high school to better prepare students for what comes next. As in the education debate, Martinez had trouble explaining her plan to take money from our public schools and give it to wealthy private schools.

Corporate Accountability: Denish said she’d outlaw payday lenders and continue to crack down on unscrupulous mortgage lenders who drain wealth out of New Mexico. Martinez’s position: get rid of regulation, creating the anything-goes environment that led to the national economic downturn.

Budget: Diane Denish outlined her 36-point plan to save taxpayers an estimated $450-million, while Martinez offered little more than sound bites.

Energy: Diane Denish proposed a balanced approach to energy, including support for the traditional extractive industries as well as investment in clean energy so New Mexico can sell its renewable power to other states, creating high-wage renewable energy jobs. Susana Martinez blindly took the side of the big corporations funding her campaign, favoring Bush-era roll-backs on basic accountability measures that protect New Mexico's air and water.

“The difference could not be more clear -- there is one candidate on the side of New Mexico’s families and one who will side with powerful corporate interests,” Denish spokesman Chris Cervini said in a statement released after the debate. “These are hard economic times and they call for a leader who’s on the side of working families. Someone who’s fought predatory lenders and big insurance companies -- and that’s Diane Denish.”

Notes: Mary Ellen attended the debate in person and I watched KRQE's "live blog" streaming. Normally, we have video and photos from candidate debates, but the powers that be this time dictated that only "official" media could have access as press, with accompanying video and audio recorders and cameras. We basically got the run around on how and why this decision was made, but I think it's telling that KRQE usurped the normal role of the New Mexico Independent in running live blog/streaming from the event. I guess even community debates are now being "privatized" as far as who can cover them live, with mostly for-profit outlets being allowed full access. As far as I know, KUNM was the only non-profit or other outfit allowed to record.

Ironically, KRQE's "live blog" had zero comments from the public, while NMI's are usually full to the brim. Even worse, I can't find any archived posting of the video yet, so you can't see it. Maybe the campaigns like it better that way.

Also, the debate audience was ordered not to clap, cheer or even (I'm not kidding) snicker. Since when does politics have to be conducted in a solemn, boring, completely controlled environment? Moderators could certainly keep the crowd in line without turning the place into a mausoleum, but I guess some people want to make politics even more unappealing than it already is for some people.