>> THE CANDIDATES IN THE
SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
RACE IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
MET THIS WEEK FOR A DEBATE IN
LAS CRUCES.
STEVE PEARCE, A REPUBLICAN, IS
RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
HIS OPPONENT, DEMOCRAT, MARY
LEE SOULES, IS A FORMER
GENERAL MOTORS EXECUTIVE.
THEY SHARED PRIORITIES ON
ISSUES LIKE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY.
THE FULL DEBATE IS AT
NEWMEXICOINFOCUS.ORG.
HERE IS A BIT OF THAT
CONVERSATION.
>> THE ANNUAL REPORT ON
CHILDHOOD WELL-BEING SHOWED
NEW MEXICO HAS A HIGHER
PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN LIVING
IN POVERTY THAN ANY OTHER
STATE IN THE NATION.
BEYOND THE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS THAT HELP PEOPLE
SURVIVE, WHAT CAN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DO TO BOOST
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
IN THE STATE TO PROVIDE THE
GOOD PAYING JOBS THAT PEOPLE
NEED TO GET OFF OF THOSE
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
>> THANKS.
APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU
BEING HERE.
THANKS TO MY OPPONENT FOR
BEING IN THE RACE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY
WIFE CYNTHIA IN THE STUDIO
AUDIENCE.
THE ISSUE OF POVERTY IS ONE
THAT SHOULD GET MORE ATTENTION
NATIONWIDE.
I VISIT WITH YOU ALL WHEN IN
THE EDITORIAL REVIEW THAT IT
IS FOCUS THAT IS GOING TO BE
TIGHTENED UP CONSIDERABLY IN
THE CONGRESS.
I HOPE TO BE A PART OF THAT,
BUT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
WE CAN DO IS PROVIDE THE YOUNG
PEOPLE WITH EDUCATION.
I GO CONSTANTLY INTO OUR
SCHOOLS, VISIT WITH OUR KIDS,
EVALUATE THE KIND OF EDUCATION
THEY ARE GETTING.
SECONDLY, WE NEED TO BE AWARE
OF THOSE JOBS THAT ARE
POTENTIALS IN A RURAL STATE
LIKE NEW MEXICO.
THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT WE FIGHT SO HARD FOR THE
RURAL JOBS THAT ARE HERE.
I THINK WE SHOULD START AGAIN
CUTTING TIMBER OUT OF OUR
FOREST.
THERE WAS 123 MILLS AT ONE
POINT IN NEW MEXICO AND LOTS
OF MILLS IN THE SECOND
DISTRICT.
THEY HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN OVER
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.
MINING FOR RARE EARTH MINERALS
USED TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT
JOB IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE SHOULD
GET HIGH TECH JOBS.
WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.
THOSE GO TO THE LARGE
POPULATION CENTERS.
WE JUST NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN
WITH WHAT WE HAVE, BUT
BEGINNING IN EDUCATION, MAKING
SURE THAT OUR SKILL SETS ARE
AS HIGH AS WE CAN WOULD BE
IMPORTANT.
AT ONE POINT I BROUGHT
EMPLOYERS FROM AROUND THE
STATE INTO THE DESPERATE
CONDITIONS YOU REFERRED TO.
WE HAVE NOT JOB FAIRS BUT
HIRING FAIRS.
WE HIRED 57 PEOPLE ON ONE DAY.
I HAVE TAKEN REPRESENTATIVES
FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES TO SOME
OF THE JOBS HERE WHERE THEY
TELL ME THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> SAME QUESTION.
WHAT CAN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DO TO HELP PROVIDE
GOOD PAYING JOBS HERE IN NEW
MEXICO?
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
QUESTION.
WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FORWARD,
NOT BACKWARD.
THE BACKWARD THINGS THAT MY
OPPONENT HAS MENTIONED ARE
RELATED TO GLOBAL COMPETITION.
BUT WE ARE STUCK HERE IN NEW
MEXICO.
I WOULD LOOK TO ENERGY, CLEAN
AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AS A
SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR
FUTURE.
I KNOW FROM MY BUSINESS
BACKGROUND, LOW COST
ELECTRICITY IS ONE OF THE KEY
THINGS THAT MAKES INDUSTRY
POSSIBLE.
NEW MEXICO HAS ALL OF THAT
POTENTIAL.
I WOULD ALSO LOOK TO CONNECT
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
CONNECTIVITY TODAY IS A
PREREQUISITE TO BEING ABLE TO
DO BUSINESS.
SO, BROADBAND, INTERNET
SERVICE, THAT CONNECTIVITY
LETS THE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE
FIND OPPORTUNITIES, MOVE
FORWARD.
WHEN WE ARE NOT CONNECTED WE
ARE NOT GOING FORWARD AND
BEING LEFT BEHIND.
>> BLOOMBERG REPORTS THERE WAS
A RECORD 328 BILLION INVESTED
IN CLEAN ENERGY LAST YEAR,
WORLDWIDE.
CHINA LED THE WAY WITH 110
BILLION.
WHAT CAN CONGRESS DO TO SPUR
MORE CLEAN ENERGY PRODUCTION
HERE?
>> WE HAVE A LOT OF BARRIERS
TO CLEAN ENERGY RIGHT HERE IN
NEW MEXICO.
WHEN I TOOK ON EL PASO
ELECTRIC, A SIGNIFICANT PART
OF THAT WAS RELATED TO THEIR
CONTINUING TO CHOOSE NATURAL
GAS FIRED GENERATION AT A COST
OF 10.9 CENTS PER KILOWATT
HOUR, WHERE JUST RECENTLY,
EXCEL ENERGY SIGNED A PURCHASE
POWER AGREEMENT AT 3 1/2 CENTS
PER KILOWATT HOUR.
WE ABSOLUTELY CAN BE AN ENERGY
LEADER HERE IN NEW MEXICO TO
BE CREATING THE ENERGY
TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE,
WHETHER THAT IS RENEWABLE THAT
WE KNOW TODAY, WHETHER IT IS
ENERGY STORAGE, WHETHER IT IS
HOW TO CAPTURE AND CONTAIN
THOSE CARBON EMISSIONS THAT
ARE RELATED TO GLOBAL WARMING,
WE HAVE IT RIGHT HERE.
WE HAVE THE NATIONAL LABS, WE
HAVE THE TOP NOTCH UNIVERSITY,
WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE WITH
ENERGY PRODUCTION OF ALL
KINDS.
TO NOT STEP UP ON THAT, TO GET
THE BARRIERS OUT OF THE WAY,
TO GET THE SPECIAL INTERESTS
OUT OF THE WAY, AND REALLY
TAKE THAT ON, WE ARE DOING OUR
ENTIRE STATE AND COUNTRY AND
THE WORLD A DISSERVICE.
>> NOW IS THE TIME TO GET ON
WITH IT, OPEN THE DOORS, MAKE
THE INVESTMENT, FIGURE OUT THE
TECHNOLOGY AND EMBRACE IT
BECAUSE OUR ENTIRE WORLD
DEPENDS ON IT.
>> REPRESENTATIVE PEARCE, YOUR
THOUGHT ON FURTHER CLEAN
ENERGY INVESTMENTS.
>> THE IDEA OF HAVING
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IS ONE THAT
IS IMPORTANT BUT IT ALSO NEEDS
TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH
LIMITATIONS.
IT IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3 AND
4% OF THE NATIONAL POWER.
IF WE CONVERT TOO QUICKLY,
WHICH IS WHAT EUROPE DID,
YOU'LL FIND COST OF POWER GOES
UP, MANUFACTURERS THERE, SOME
ARE SHUTTING DOWN 8 AND 12
HOUR SHIFTS, BECAUSE OF THE
HIGH COST OF ENERGY.
SO, UNDERSTAND IF WE POUR
OURSELVES HEAD LONG INTO THIS,
AS MY OPPONENT SUGGESTS, WE
ARE GOING TO LOSE JOBS AND
THAT IS THE LONG AND SHORT OF
IT.
STORAGE IS THE KEY TO ANY
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY.
WIND DOESN'T BLOW EVERYDAY,
SUN DOESN'T SHINE EVERYDAY
EXCEPT AT HOBBS AND HERE IN
LAS CRUCES, BUT KNOW THAT
STORAGE IS THE KEY.
WE HAVE BEEN TO SANDIA, ASKED
THEM WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO
INCREASE IT.
THEY SAY WE ARE 40 YEARS AWAY
FROM ADEQUATE STORAGE.
I PUT A BILL IN THAT WOULD LET
US HAVE SOLAR ON PUBLIC LAND
IN MASSIVE AMOUNTS.
SO IT IS SUPPORTED BUT THE
IDEA THAT IT CAN REPLACE COAL
AND OIL AND GAS IS ONE THAT IS
WAY PREMATURE.
>> THANK YOU.
