thumbnail of New Mexico in Focus; 812; Campaign Finance, Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King (D)
Transcript
Hide -
This transcript has been examined and corrected by a human. Most of our transcripts are computer-generated, then edited by volunteers using our FIX IT+ crowdsourcing tool. If this transcript needs further correction, please let us know.
PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NEW MEXICO InFOCUS PROVIDED BY THE McCUNE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. >> THIS WEEK ON NEW MEXICO InFOCUS ... WE BEGIN A SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH CANDIDATES COMPETING IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION. TONIGHT WE TALK WITH DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY GENERAL GARY KING. >> MY FATHER TAUGHT ME THAT THE ONLY POLL THAT REALLY COUNTS IS THE ONE THEY TAKE ON ELECTION DAY. >> AND THE LINE OPINION PANEL LOOKS AT THE SCATHING LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE STATE'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPENDING. NEW MEXICO InFOCUS STARTS NOW. >> A RECENT SURVEY OF NEW MEXICO VOTERS FOUND THAT FOUR IN FIVE OF US BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE THAT LARGE CAMPAIGN DONORS HAVE ON POLITICIANS IS EITHER A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM OR A SOMEWHAT SERIOUS PROBLEM, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO? THIS WEEK, NMiF PRODUCER FLOYD VASQUEZ DELVES INTO THE ISSUE WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF NEW MEXICO IN DEPTH AND COMMON CAUSE NEW MEXICO, ALONG WITH LONG-TIME POLITICAL BLOGGER JOE MONAHAN.
THE LINE OPINION PANEL LOOKS AT A SCATHING REPORT FROM THE STATE'S LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON STATE SPENDING ON ADULT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND WE HAVE THE FIRST IN OUR SERIES OF ELECTION ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, GARY KING. AND OUR PANELISTS' REACTION TO THAT INTERVIEW. BUT WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH A CONTROVERSY INVOLVING GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ'S FIRST CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR. AT ISSUE WAS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF E-MAILS AND DOCUMENTS CREATED IN THE OFFICE OF THEN THIRD MARTINEZ AND HER APPOINTED SUCCESSOR, AMY ORLANDO. HERE'S THE LINE. >> A PUBLISHED REPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR CLAIMED THAT IN 2010, THE MARTINEZ FOR GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN REGULARLY USED AN OFFICIAL STATE DATABASE TO IDENTIFY POLITICAL OPPONENTS BY THEIR LICENSE PLATES. NOW, IF THAT'S TRUE, THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL, SO INSPECTION OF PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS WERE MADE AND AN INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE CURRENT D.A., HAS ISSUED ITS
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT, WHICH WE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU WANT TO READ IT. IT SAYS A LARGE NUMBER OF OFFICE E-MAILS AND DOCUMENTS WERE DELETED, AND THE BACK-UP COPIES ERASED. A FEW E-MAILS WERE RECOVERED, AND THEY REVEAL CONDUCT AND ATTITUDES UNBECOMING OF THE OFFICE. NOW, AMY ORLANDO, WHO IS NOW AN OFFICIAL IN THE MARTINEZ ADMINISTRATION, DENIES ANY WRONGDOING. HERE TO OFFER WISDOM ON THIS AND OTHER ISSUES OF THE WEEK IS LINE REGULAR, LAURA SANCHEZ-RIVET OF SANCHEZ LEGAL SOLUTIONS. ALSO AT THE TABLE IS ROB NIKOLEWSKI OF THE NEW MEXICO WATCHDOG. JOINING US ONCE AGAIN IS FORMER STATE SENATOR DEDE FELDMAN. AND WE'RE GLAD TO WELCOME BACK FORMER STATE LEGISLATOR JANICE ARNOLD JONES. NOW, LAURA, YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, LIKE ALL OF US, TO REVIEW THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT. A LOT OF THINGS DO JUMP OUT FOR SURE. YOU? WHAT GRABBED YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT? >> FIRST OF ALL, THIS HAS BEEN TURNING INTO A NATIONAL STORY. MOTHER JONES HAS PICKED IT UP, THERE'S BEEN POSTINGS ON -- I FIRST SAW IT ON FOX LATINO ONLINE. THEY PICKED IT UP. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S GETTING SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION, WHICH IS TOO BAD. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME WAS JUST HOW THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF EFFORTS GOING ON TO TRY TO HIDE INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, ALLEGATIONS OF DELETING THINGS, MISSING INFORMATION. ALL OF THAT, I THINK, SIGNALS THAT THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO -- IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF THE OLD SHREDDING PARTIES. USING A DIFFERENT MEDIUM, BUT PEOPLE JUST ACTIVELY TRYING TO PREVENT INFORMATION FROM BEING SHARED, WHICH DEFINITELY, I THINK, SIGNALS -- IT RAISES RED FLAGS FOR ME. >> ABSOLUTELY. SENATOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU. A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT ARE ON THE RECORD, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WEREN'T DELETED THAT I THINK LAURA IS GETTING AT, AS WELL, THAT LEADS ONE TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING MAY HAVE HAPPENED HERE. DID YOU GET THAT SAME SENSE, AS WELL? RETRIEVE SOME OF THE MESSAGES THAT HAD BEEN SENT, I BELIEVE, AND ACTUALLY, THEY REVEALED SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY ALARMING TO ME AND TO THE LAS CRUCES PAPER, AND THAT WAS THE EFFORT TO DENY FEDERAL FUNDS TO THE SUCCESSOR OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHO HAD WON THE ELECTION. I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING GOES AGAINST GOOD PUBLIC SERVICE. I MEAN, DESTROYING THE
RECORDS, LYING ABOUT THE RECORDS, AND THEN TRYING TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE PERSON WHO BEAT YOU IN THE ELECTION. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHICH IS WORSE. IT'S HARD TO SAY, AND IT REALLY REVEALS THE FACT THAT WE REALLY NEED TO CLARIFY AND CHANGE OUR PUBLIC RECORDS LAWS. >> IS IT NOT ILLEGAL TO DO THAT CURRENTLY? >> YES, IT IS ILLEGAL. >> I THOUGHT SO. >> BUT THE EXCUSES ARE ALWAYS THINGS THAT ARE MUDDYING THE WATERS, SAYING THAT OUR LAW IS NOT CLEAR AND DOESN'T REQUIRE ARCHIVING, AND EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS A DIFFERENT POLICY FOR HOW LONG THEIR RECORDS ARE KEPT. YOU KNOW, BUT DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC RECORDS IS A KEY THING, AND THEN LYING ABOUT IT, ALSO. I MEAN, LYING ABOUT THE FACT
THAT, OH, THEY'RE ROUTINELY -- WE ROUTINELY SCRUB OUR COMPUTERS AFTER A YEAR, I THINK THAT WAS THE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES. >> RIGHT. >> THAT'S INCORRECT. THAT WAS FOUND OUT TO BE INCORRECT VERY QUICKLY. >> LET ME GET OTHERS IN HERE. I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT ON THAT. REPRESENTATIVE JONES, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE CURRENT D.A., MR. D'ANTONIO, HAS OPENED HIS OWN INVESTIGATION, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THIS MAY BE LEADING TO. WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT OF WHERE THIS MAY BE LEADING TO, IN >> WELL, WHAT I THINK YOU SEE HERE IS A FLAUNTING OF THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO CAMPAIGNS, BEGINNING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S WEBSITES OR DOMAINS WERE PURCHASED. THERE IS CLEAR TRACK ON ANOTHER CASE THAT SAYS THEY WERE PURCHASED FROM THOSE COMPUTERS IN THE D.A.'S OFFICE. AND I HAVE NO QUARTER WITH A CAMPAIGN OR ANYTHING ELSE. IF YOU BREAK THE LAW IN A CAMPAIGN, WHY SHOULD I THINK YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HONOR THE LAW ONCE YOU'RE ELECTED? AND THE OTHER COROLLARY, AND THE SENATOR IS GETTING
THERE, IS OUR SYSTEM IS BUILT ON AN ELECTION, AND THE ELECTION SAYS THE MAJORITY RULES. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN ELECTED, YOU ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE TO EVERYBODY, AND THAT IS NOT HAPPENING. AND TO DISADVANTAGE AN OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION IS PETTY, AND I AM BEING VERY GENEROUS. >> I'M GOING TO STAY WITH YOU ON THAT VERY POINT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEEMED TO FIT UNDER THAT WORD PETTY IS MS. ORLANDO'S WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO HER STAFF SAYING, DO NOT COOPERATE ON A FEDERAL GRANT FOR HER SUCCESSOR, WHICH SEEMS TO ME YOU'RE DENYING THE PEOPLE OF THAT DISTRICT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GETTING AT HERE? >> ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE FIRST POINT. ONCE THAT ELECTION HAS HAPPENED, THAT IS OUR SYSTEM, AND TO HAVE ANYBODY WHO IS LEAVING OFFICE TO BEHAVE IN THAT WAY, TO HURT THE VOTERS, TO HURT THE CITIZENS, I FIND IT ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE. YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHO WON, AND YOU MAY HAVE TO HOLD YOUR NOSE AS YOU DO THE HONORABLE THING, BUT I EXPECT YOU TO DO IT.
>> GOTCHA, INTERESTING. ROB, AGAIN, WHERE COULD THIS ALL BE LEADING, DO YOU THINK? IS IT A BIG ENOUGH CAMPAIGN ISSUE HERE IN EARLY OCTOBER FOR GARY KING? IS IT A PROBLEM FOR GOVERNOR MARTINEZ? >> I DON'T KNOW. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ASKED WHAT JUMPED OUT AT PEOPLE, AND THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPED OUT TO ME WAS, THESE DO SEEM TO BE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, YET I DIDN'T SEE DEMOCRATS JUMPING UP AND DOWN ABOUT LOIS LERNER DESTROYING E-MAILS AND THE IRS DESTROYING E-MAILS. SO THAT'S ONE THING. THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS THE OVERALL POLITICAL UMBRELLA ABOUT THIS. IF YOU DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, IF YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN IN LAS CRUCES, THE ORLANDO/D'ANTONIO RIVALRY HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. AND ALSO, I THINK MAYBE COMPLICATING THE ISSUE, BECAUSE IT IS A POLITICAL ISSUE SINCE GARY KING IS NOW GETTING INVOLVED, HE'S RUNNING AGAINST SUSANA MARTINEZ, I THINK THE OTHER POSSIBLY COMPLICATING MATTER IS THAT MR. D'ANTONIO SENDS A LETTER SAYING, I THINK THAT JAMIE ESTRADA SHOULD BE
GETTING A MORE LENIENT SENTENCE, AND YET JAMIE ESTRADA IS INVOLVED IN AN E-MAIL FLAP, AS WELL, AND HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF THAT. SO I THINK THE POLITICAL UMBRELLA IS PRETTY BIG IN THIS DEAL. >> THAT'S RIGHT. I'M GOING TO FINISH UP WITH LAURA ON THIS ONE. ONE OF THE OTHER REVELATIONS IN THE REPORTING WAS THE IDEA THAT OUR CURRENT GOVERNOR, A FEW DAYS AFTER HER ELECTION, WAS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS IN THAT OFFICE ABOUT EITHER COOPERATING OR NOT COOPERATING. IF SOMEBODY SAYS JUMP, YOU JUMP, AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, YOU COME TO ME, BASICALLY. HOW DID THAT STRIKE YOU? SHOULD OUR GOVERNOR BE STILL WORKING IN HER OLD OFFICE A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER, OR IS THAT OKAY? IT'S A GRAY AREA WITH POLITICIANS. >> WELL, I THINK CERTAINLY IF SOMEBODY IS IN AN OFFICE, THEY DON'T TAKE OFFICE TECHNICALLY UNTIL JANUARY, SO I THINK THEY'RE STILL IN THAT POSITION UNTIL THE END OF THAT YEAR AND THEY TAKE THE NEW OFFICE. >> THAT MAKES SENSE. >> THERE'S TYPICALLY A TRANSITION PERIOD, AND I THINK AT THAT POINT, AMY
ORLANDO TOOK OVER THE OFFICE. BUT I THINK WHAT'S MORE TROUBLING IS THE FACT THAT -- I AGREE WITH ROB ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S BEEN BAD BLOOD BETWEEN D'ANTONIO AND ORLANDO FOR A LONG TIME. THIS WAS A VERY CONTENTIOUS RACE, THEY HAD A VERY CONTENTIOUS YEAR WHEN THEY RAN AGAINST EACH OTHER, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND THE CAMPS ARE DIVIDED. BUT THERE'S ALSO SORT OF A LEGACY ISSUE HERE. I MEAN, THIS IS WHERE THE GOVERNOR CAME FROM, THIS OFFICE, AND SHE WAS THERE FOR MANY YEARS. AND THE FACT THAT AMY ORLANDO CAME IN AND WAS SORT OF PART OF HER ADMINISTRATION BEFORE, I THINK IT'S STILL SORT OF -- I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT. I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR HER LEGACY, FOR HER REPUTATION, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THINGS ARE BEING DONE PROPERLY AND THAT THE LAW IS BEING UPHELD, AND THAT THE PEOPLE OF THAT DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THEIR BEST INTERESTS ARE BEING PUT FORWARD AND NOT THESE PETTY POLITICAL INTERESTS. >> MAKES SENSE. UP NEXT, PRODUCER FLOYD VASQUEZ TALKS CAMPAIGN FINANCE. >> IN A SENSE, PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF THIS BUREAUCRATIC BOONDOGGLE WHICH THE STATE HAS ENGAGED IN IN THE PAST 18 YEARS.
>> A RECENT SURVEY OF NEARLY 500 NEW MEXICO VOTERS FOUND THAT FOUR IN FIVE BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE THAT LARGE CAMPAIGN DONORS HAVE ON POLITICIANS IS EITHER A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM OR A SOMEWHAT SERIOUS PROBLEM. FOR WHAT MAY BE OBVIOUS REASONS, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU HEAR ABOUT ON LOCAL TELEVISION NEWS. AND THIS WEEK, NMiF PRODUCER FLOYD VASQUEZ DELVES INTO THE ISSUE. >> JOINING US TODAY IS TRIP JENNINGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEW MEXICO IN DEPTH, WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT NMInDepth.com. VIKI HARRISON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMON CAUSE NEW MEXICO. AND JOE MONAHAN, AUTHOR OF THE POLITICAL BLOG, JoeMonahan.com. TRIP, LET'S START WITH YOU. RUNNING A SERIES OF STORIES ANALYZING CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN NEW MEXICO. TELL US ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT ON THE THOUSANDS OF ADS.
>> SO AT THIS POINT, THIS IS AS OF SEPTEMBER 26TH, I THINK, THERE WAS $7 MILLION IN TV ADS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST OF THIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, GOSH, ROUGHLY 19,000 ADS THAT HAVE BEEN BOOKED SO FAR, MOST OF THESE ARE THROUGH CANDIDATE CAMPAIGNS. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF LARGE OUT-OF-STATE PURCHASES. ONE OF THEM IS $340,000 BY THE COMMITTEE FOR JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS, AND THEY PLUNKED THAT MONEY DOWN IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S RACE FOR HECTOR BALDERAS, THE STATE AUDITOR WHO IS NOW RUNNING AS A DEMOCRAT TO REPLACE GARY KING AS ATTORNEY GENERAL. YOU KNOW, TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, THOUGH, THE STATE NORTH OF US TWO WEEKS AGO WAS AT $63 MILLION IN TV ADS. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE U.S. SENATE RACE, AND A VERY COMPETITIVE GOVERNORS RACE. HERE WE DON'T HAVE AS COMPETITIVE A SENATE RACE OR
A GOVERNOR'S RACE RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS LIKE, ACCORDING TO THE POLLING. >> AND MOST OF THIS MONEY IS GOING TO TELEVISION ADVERTISING? >> THIS IS ALL -- WE'RE TRACKING CAMPAIGN TV AD PURCHASES AT LOCAL STATIONS. SO IT IS ALL TV ADS, YES. >> VIKI, LET'S SAY I'M A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN. I'VE WORKED HARD AND I'VE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF MONEY, AND I WANT TO SUPPORT CANDIDATES WHO I WANT TO SUPPORT. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THAT? >> YOU KNOW, FLOYD, THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT AS CONTRIBUTING AND EVERYBODY IS BEING HEARD. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RECENT COURT CASES THAT WE'VE HAD, WITH PAST COURT CASES WE'VE HAD, AND RULINGS THAT REALLY ALLOW ONE PERSON'S VOICE TO BE AMPLIFIED ABOVE EVERYBODY'S ELSE'S. YOU KNOW, I GET RIBBED BY THE MEDIA A LOT BECAUSE I ALWAYS SAY THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF OUR LEGISLATORS IN THE STATE ARE HARD-WORKING AWESOME PEOPLE, AND I WOULD SAY THAT ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM. BUT THEY SPEND ALL OF THEIR
TIME RAISING MONEY FOR CAMPAIGNS. YOU KNOW, I HEAR ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, VIKI, THERE'S SOME GOOD PEOPLE THAT HAVE PACS. SOME OF OUR GOOD LEGISLATORS HAVE PACS. WELL, OF COURSE THEY DO. THEY CAN'T JUST GET LEFT IN THE DUST, THEY HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME WITH THE HAND THEY'VE BEEN DEALT. AND UNTIL WE CHANGE THE SYSTEM, THEN THEY'RE CAUGHT UP IN THIS CRAZY WORLD OF RAISING MONEY INSTEAD OF TALKING TO CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHY THEY SHOULD BE ELECTED. >> NOW, JOE, I GUESS MONEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF POLITICS, I IMAGINE, BUT WITH THE CITIZENS UNITED DECISION AND SUPER PACS, ISN'T IT A DIFFERENT WORLD NOW? >> THE MOTHER'S MILK OF POLITICS, FLOYD, THAT'S THE OLD SAYING. IT DOESN'T CHANGE, EXCEPT AS VIKI SAID, E OU A E TEITOFHEON SBIERHAITAS IT IS A CRAZY QUILT REGULATORY SYSTEM OVER THE MONEY. WE REALLY HAVE TWO CHOICES FACING US, I BELIEVE.
COMPLETE PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING, OR COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY OF ALL THESE DONATIONS THAT WOULD GO UP IMMEDIATELY ON THE INTERNET. SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO FIND THE COMPROMISE IF WE'RE GOING TO GET AWAY FROM WHAT VIKI REFERRED TO AS THIS 24/7 MONEY CHASE BY OUR ELECTED LEADERS. >> WELL, DOES IT STILL MATTER, THE PICNICS, THE HANDSHAKING, THE DOOR KNOCKING? ARE THESE STILL PART OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS? >> THEY'VE FADED IN IMPORTANCE. LOOK AT THIS GOVERNOR'S RACE. THE IRONY IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY TODAY, IS THAT THE LACK OF MONEY IS THE STORY IN THE NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR RACE IN 2014. GARY KING, THE DEMOCRATIC HOPEFUL, HAS VERY LITTLE. HE NEEDS PUBLIC DEBATES WITH THE GOVERNOR, BUT SHE HAS MONEY AND WON'T GIVE THEM. AND IF SHE GOES TO A PICNIC, YOU CAN BET HE'S NOT GOING TO BE THERE. SO THAT SHOWS YOU HOW MONEY PLAYS A VERY REAL ROLE IN WHAT WE, THE PUBLIC, GET TO SEE OF THESE CANDIDATES. >> NOW, TRIP, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING SO MUCH MONEY SUPPORTING THESE
POLITICIANS? >> WELL, LET'S TAKE THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, FOR EXAMPLE. SHE HAS BOOKED $2.1 MILLION SO FAR. GARY KING HAS NOT. HE'S DARK RIGHT NOW. HE'S NOT ON TV. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHOEVER HAS THE MONEY GETS TO DEFINE THE OPPONENT AS THEY WANT THE OPPONENT TO BE DEFINED. THE OPPONENT IS NOT GIVEN THE CHANCE TO ACTUALLY DEFINE THEMSELVES FOR THE PUBLIC. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S POLITICS 101. THAT'S HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED. BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS MUCH MONEY -- I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING VIKI SAID. WITH CITIZENS UNITED IN 2010, AND McCUTCHEON VS. THE FEC, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE, MONEY IS JUST FLOWING INTO THE SYSTEM IN A WAY WHERE SOMEONE -- THERE ARE STILL CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT NOW SOMEBODY CAN GIVE AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO ACROSS THE SYSTEM. THAT'S BASICALLY CORRECT; RIGHT, VIKI?
>> THE AGGREGATE LIMITS ARE GONE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. >> THE AGGREGATE, EXACTLY. SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE -- IT'S LIKE A MEGAPHONE IN A BIG CROWDED KIND OF ROOM VERSUS SOMEBODY TRYING TO WHISPER. I'M NOT SURE THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE ANALOGY, BUT IN SOME WAYS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OF BEING HEARD, THAT'S A QUESTION. I'M NOT SAYING I KNOW HOW TO SETTLE IT, I'M SAYING THAT'S THE DEBATE RIGHT NOW, IS HOW TO SETTLE THIS STUFF. >> I THINK THE DEEPER ISSUE, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, TRIP, I THINK THE DEEPER ISSUE IS THE QUID PRO QUO, IF ANY, FROM CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS IN PUBLIC POLICY. WE'VE GOT THE GOVERNOR ON THE AIR NOW REMINDING PEOPLE OF RICHARDSON'S PAY-TO-PLAY. WE'VE GOT THE DEMOCRATS SAYING PAY-TO-PLAY WITH THE ALBUQUERQUE DOWNS LEASING CONTRIBUTIONS. SO WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM IF WE'RE GOING TO DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS AS TO WHETHER THERE'S ANY HANKY-PANKY, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT I SEE THAT THESE SUPER PACS AND CITIZENS UNITED HAVE EXPLOITED. WE CAN'T GET AT WHO EXACTLY IS GIVING THE MONDAY ALL THE TIME. >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT,
JOE. THAT'S WHERE THE KEY IS. THAT'S WHY COMMON CAUSE NEW MEXICO HAS TEAMED UP WITH A VARIETY OF CITIZENS AND LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE TO DO OUR NEW MEXICO PLEDGE CAMPAIGN, WHICH FOR YOUR LISTENERS IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DISCLOSURE, JUST LIKE JOE MENTIONED. WE HAVE TO HAVE FULL DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY, AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES THAT DISCLOSURE AVAILABLE, BASICALLY, TO THE MEDIA. BECAUSE WE KNOW YOUR AVERAGE CITIZEN, IF THEY'RE NOT LIKE ME, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE READING THROUGH CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS. BUT IF WE HAVE IT EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THE MEDIA TO DIGEST AND THEN WRITE THOSE STORIES, PRODUCE THOSE STORIES. AND PUBLIC FINANCING OF CAMPAIGNS. YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FINANCING USED TO BE SEEN AS A LEFT VERSUS RIGHT ISSUE, AND I'M TELLING YOU, WE'VE BEEN DOING POLLING AND RESEARCH AND FOCUS GROUPS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN NEW MEXICO, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE MORE SUPPORT, BY A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS, FROM REPUBLICANS FOR
PUBLIC FINANCING IN THIS STATE. >> THAT'S VERY INTERESTING. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT POLL THAT YOU DID. >> RIGHT. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN. TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU FOUND. >> IT WAS REALLY AMAZING. WE DID A POLL WITH RESEARCH AND POLLING, INC. HERE IN THE STATE AT THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR, AND WE ASKED A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS AROUND MONEY AND POLITICS. THE NUMBERS WERE STAGGERING. 80% OF THE STATE THINKS THAT THESE LARGE DONATIONS IN POLITICS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. 79% OF THE STATE THINKS THAT POLITICIANS ARE CORRUPT. AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NATIONAL POLLING, IT ALSO SHOWS 95% OF PEOPLE THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ALL OF THIS MONEY IN POLITICS, AND THIS IS ACROSS INDEPENDENTS, DTS, DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS. IT'S THE SAME. PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING TO DO, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE PUSHING THE PLEDGE.
IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE OF ALL THIS MONEY IN CAMPAIGNS, LOOK AT PUBLIC FINANCING, CREATE A STATE ETHICS COMMISSION. WE'RE ONE OF A HANDFUL OF STATES THAT HAS NO ETHICS COMMISSION. SO EVEN IF SOMEBODY DOES SOMETHING WRONG, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? >> THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY, WHAT VIKI IS TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SUPREME COURT RULINGS ALSO -- SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS ARE THAT THERE'S EQUAL DISCLOSURE ACROSS THE >> ABSOLUTELY. >> NOT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BECAUSE THE FEDERAL CAN SET FOR RACES, BUT EACH STATE BY STATE. AND I CAN TELL YOU, NEW MEXICO LAGS IN SOME WAYS COMPARED TO SOME OTHER STATES AS FAR AS DISCLOSURE OR TRANSPARENCY. THAT'S WHAT THOSE OF US WHO HAVE COVERED AND TRACKED POLITICS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE SORTS OF ISSUES, THERE ARE LITTLE THINGS LIKE -- THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY SMALL THING, BUT IN NEW MEXICO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL WHO YOUR EMPLOYER IS, JUST AN OCCUPATION. AND THAT'S A PIECE OF
INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE LIKE A REPORTER KIND OF MAKE CONNECTIONS. >> AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE PUT OUT TO THE LEGISLATURE, YOU'RE RIGHT. AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY KEY POINT THAT TRIP JUST MENTIONED, EVEN IN THE CITIZENS UNITED RULING WHICH EVERYONE SAYS IS HORRIBLE, IT ALLOWS UNLIMITED MONEY, EVEN WITHIN THAT RULING, THERE WAS ANOTHER 8-1 RULING THAT SAID, OF COURSE YOU'LL HAVE DISCLOSURE. SO EVEN WITHIN THIS 5-4, LET'S LET THE MONEY FLOW IN, THERE WAS STILL 8-1 OF THE SUPREME COURT THAT SAID, WELL, OF COURSE YOU SHOULD AT LEAST REQUIRE DISCLOSURE SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM AND WHERE IT'S GOING. >> JOE, DO YOU THINK OUR POLITICAL ELITE WILL GO ALONG WITH THIS IDEA OF REFORM? >> IT'S GOING TO BE VERY TRYING EVERY YEAR, AND I THINK THEY MAKE A LITTLE PROGRESS EVERY YEAR. THE BIGGER ISSUE TO ME, LOOKING BACK AT IT WITH A HISTORICAL CONTEXT, IS THE DEEPER DISCONNECT BETWEEN PUBLIC OPINION AND PUBLIC POLICY, AND BY THAT I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES. REPEALING DRIVER'S LICENSES
FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IS SUPPORTED BY 77% OF THE PEOPLE, OR WHATEVER. A PROPOSAL FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD IS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED BY NEW MEXICANS. THIRD GRADE SOCIAL PROMOTION IS OBVIOUSLY SUPPORTED. THE POINT BEING THAT BOTH SIDES ARE LOCKED INTO THEIR FINANCIAL BASES. THE UNIONS GIVE A TON OF MONEY TO STOP THE IMMIGRATION REFORM, PERHAPS. THE REPUBLICANS ARE -- THE UNIONS ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE ARE LOCKED INTO FIGHTING CERTAIN EDUCATION REFORMS. THE PUBLIC WANTS THAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS AS MUCH ANYMORE, I DON'T THINK, ON THE PUBLIC OPINION POLLS. I THINK THE MONEY IS REALLY SPEAKING LOUDER, VIKI AND TRIP, THAN IT USED TO BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, AND I THINK THOSE ARE SOME CONCRETE EXAMPLES. >> WE'RE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME, SO I JUST WANT TO CLOSE. WHERE CAN VIEWERS FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PLEDGE WITH INFORMATION
ABOUT THESE ALTERNATIVES? >> ABSOLUTELY. NewMexicoPledge.org. YOU CAN READ THE PLEDGE, SIGN THE PLEDGE, AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. >> AND, OF COURSE, WE HAVE NMInDepth.com. >> YES. >> AND JoeMonahan.com. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY IS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN NEW MEXICO THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. WE HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF WORKING POOR IN NEW MEXICO, AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A WAGE IN NEW MEXICO SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, THAT THEY'RE ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. >> NEW MEXICO CONTINUES TO LEAD THE NATION IN DAMAGING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS INCLUDING OVER A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN FISCAL YEAR 2015. THAT'S THE STARTING POINT OF THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE
COMMITTEE REPORT ISSUED LAST WEEK WHICH FOUND THAT, GET THIS, JUST 11% OF THE $210 MILLION THE STATE SPENT LAST YEAR ON ADULT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WENT TO SUPPORT EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. WE'RE GOING TO PARSE THAT OUT HERE IN A SECOND. AND THAT INCLUDES DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH COURTS, OUTPATIENT TREATMENT, AND MEDICATION ASSISTANCE THERAPY. WE'LL LINK THAT REPORT ON OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE. DEDE, YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE SINCE A LOT OF YOUR WORK WAS IN COUNTLESS COMMITTEES DURING YOUR -- >> COUNTLESS. >> IT'S A TROUBLING REPORT, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS HERE. 11 MILLION OUT OF 210 IS TROUBLING ENOUGH, BUT WHAT IS THIS ABOUT OUTCOME-BASED SERVICES? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE HERE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON AND WHAT THE LFC FOLKS SAY WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING FROM THESE FOLKS? >> WELL, THE LFC REPORT, WHICH IS REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND VERY DAMNING, USES A MODEL CALLED RESULTS FIRST, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT IS FUNDED BY
THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUST AND McARTHUR, I THINK. IT SETS UP WHAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED AND WHAT IS NOT, AND IT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN USED FOR FUNDING PURPOSES IN PLACES LIKE WASHINGTON STATE AND I THINK A FEW OTHER STATES. IT'S A TRICKY BUSINESS TO SEE WHAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH AND ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, THESE ARE CHRONIC ILLNESSES. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE RESULT OF A CURE, YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET THAT BECAUSE IT'S A RELAPSING DISEASE. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRICKY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS SUCCESSFUL, WHAT IS EFFECTIVE, AND WHAT IS NOT. BUT WE DO WANT TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND WE ARE NOT GETTING THAT RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING THAT RIGHT NOW FOR THE PAST SIXTEEN YEARS, SINCE I WAS THERE -- EIGHTEEN YEARS, I THINK, BY THIS TIME. AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMS, THEMSELVES, AND WHAT METHODOLOGY THEY USE, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE
REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEM AND BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION IN INSURING THESE PEOPLE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROVIDERS AND THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHETHER THEY BE HMO'S, WHEN IT'S CARVED IN, OR WHETHER IT BE A STATE-WIDE ENTITY WHEN IT'S CARVED OUT. THIS IS ALL JARGON. BUT IN A SENSE, PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF THIS BUREAUCRATIC BOONDOGGLE WHICH THE STATE HAS ENGAGED IN IN THE PAST 18 YEARS. >> INTERESTING. THERE WAS A REFERENCE IN THE LFC REPORT TO A 2002 STUDY, THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MEDIAN GAP STUDY, SAYING A LOT OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS THAT WERE LINED OUT IN THAT HAVEN'T HAPPENED SINCE 2002. SO IS IT A SYSTEMS PROBLEM, OR DO WE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE BEYOND A SYSTEMS PROBLEM?
>> IT SEEMS TO BE A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM. >> THAT'S TRUE. >> THE THINGS THAT JUMP OUT NUMBERS. THE FIRST ONE, FOUR OVERHAULS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING -- THE REGIME AIN'T WORKING. THE OTHER ONE IS $538 MILLION BEING SPENT, AND IF ONLY 11% OF IT IS BEING SPENT WISELY, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT SENATOR FELDMAN SAID, ARE WE GETTING MUCH BANG FOR OUR BUCK. I THINK YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE THINGS, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY -- IT'S HARD TO MEASURE THEM, BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND A CURE, BUT I THINK WHAT THE TAXPAYER AND ANY SENESCENT BEING WOULD BE LOOKING FOR IS NOT NECESSARILY A CURE, BUT IMPROVEMENTS. I'LL SAY ONE OTHER THING. DENNIS KINTIGH, A REPUBLICAN, HE USED TO BE IN THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WAS AT THE LFC MEETING, I WAS THERE, TOO, AND HE CAME UP TO MILAN SIMONICH AND I, MILAN FROM THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN, AND HE SAID, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE
BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND THEN THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENS IS THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM, WHICH SEEMS TO BE VERY FAR BELOW. YOU'RE EITHER IN ONE OR THE OTHER, THERE'S NOTHING IN BETWEEN. THE METAPHOR HE USED WAS, THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET, AND THEN THERE'S A CONCRETE FLOOR. THERE'S NOTHING IN BETWEEN. IT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE IT. REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN IN THIS LFC REPORT, GETTING TO WHAT IS EFFECTIVE, WHAT CONSTITUTES AN OUTCOME, A POSITIVE OUTCOME AS THESE TWO GUYS WERE MENTIONING, IS THERE A GAP BETWEEN THE PUBLIC'S EXPECTATION AND OUR ELECTED FOLKS' EXPECTATION, OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES' EXPECTATIONS? SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE OFF HERE. I THINK THERE ARE AT LOT OF THINGS OFF. AND I THINK REPRESENTATIVE KINTIGH, WHO WAS NOT ONLY A MAYOR, BUT ALSO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, HAS A REALLY GOOD VIEW. AND SO SEVERAL THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. ONE IS, NOW WE'VE ADDED ANOTHER 27,000 PATIENT CONTACTS, BUT THEY'RE
CONTACTS. YOU KNOW, SIMPLY REGISTERING SOMEBODY IS NOT CARE. AND ON THE GROUND LEVEL IN ALBUQUERQUE, WE HAD GROUPS THAT WERE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND MADE SURE THAT MANY OF OUR HOMELESS MEN WHO NEEDED MEDICATION WERE TAKING IT. ALL OF THEIR CONTACTS WERE JUST RIPPED AWAY. NOW THEY'RE NOT THERE. SO I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND THERE ARE SOME OTHER PLACES THAT I WOULD LOOK. ONE IS LEADERSHIP. THIS TAKES VERY STRONG LEADERSHIP OF REPEATEDLY SAYING, THIS IS OUR GOAL. THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. BUT THE OTHER PIECE THAT WAS MISSING EVEN IN THE REPORT IS TRAINING, AND TO KNOW THAT EVEN THE NONPROFITS WHO ARE SERVING ARE HAVING TROUBLE HIRING. BUT IF YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU HIRED SOMEBODY THIS WEEK, THERE'S A CHANGE NEXT WEEK, NOT SO. THE TRAINING IS A REQUIREMENT, AND IT WILL TAKE A GOOD YEAR TO WRAP UP. BUT IN ALL OF THE FOUR CHANGES, SENATOR FELDMAN, I NEVER SAW FOCUS ON TRAINING. DID YOU? >> NO. >> INTERESTING.
YOU'D THINK, WOULDN'T YOU, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT YOU'D BE TALKING ABOUT VIGOROUSLY. AND LAURA SANCHEZ, IT'S INTERESTING, IN THE REPORT, AS WELL, IT ALSO MAKES MENTION THAT TO DATE, AND I'M QUOTING HERE ON PAGE 11 IN CASE SOME FOLKS AT HOME WANT TO CATCH THIS: 'TO DATE, NOT ALL THIS RESEARCH MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, BUT SHOWS MANY OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STRATEGIES ARE EFFECTIVE.' MEANING SOME THINGS ARE WORKING, SOME THINGS ARE NOT, AND NOBODY SEEMS TO REALLY KNOW WHAT IS WORKING. AND FURTHER ON: 'THERE IS NO CURRENT TRACKING OF WHAT EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICES ARE USED AND HOW MUCH OF THESE SERVICES ARE USED.' I MEAN, NO ONE IS EVEN TRACKING THESE THINGS, IT SEEMS LIKE. SO I ASK AGAIN, IS IT A SYSTEMS PROBLEM? IS IT TIME FOR ANOTHER OVERHAUL? DO WE NEED TO SCRUB THIS >> SCRUBBING THE SERVER. I AGREE WITH ROB, I THINK IT IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY -- I THINK THE LEGISLATURE IS IN THE TOUGH ON THIS AGENCY AND EXPECT MORE THAN JUST A REPORT, AND THEN THEY GO BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL. I THINK THEY ABSOLUTELY NEED
TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, AND THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO STEP UP AND HOLD THE AGENCY ACCOUNTABLE. I THINK WE DO HAVE A LACK OF LEADERSHIP IN THAT AGENCY, A DISCONNECT BETWEEN SORT OF THE PUBLIC IMAGE AND WHAT'S BEING TOLD AND WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING. >> WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE LFC THE NEXT TIME WE TAKE A CUT AT THIS IS, WHAT IS IT COSTING US. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? INSTEAD OF THE MONEY WE'RE NOT SPENDING, WHAT IS IT COSTING US BY NOT SPENDING THIS MONEY EFFICIENTLY AND GETTING SOME GOOD OUTCOMES. I'LL BET THE NUMBER WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY. >> IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. >> EXACTLY. IT'S PRETTY WILD. NOW, COMING UP, NEW MEXICO InFOCUS INTERVIEWS DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY GENERAL GARY KING. >> THERE WAS NO MESSAGE THERE. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO FOR ME THAT WILL MAKE MY LIFE BETTER. AND AS A CANDIDATE, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. SO NOW HE'S DOWN TO MOVING THE NEEDLE, AND 13 POINTS, 15 POINTS 30 DAYS OUT, IT IS HARD TO DO THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, AND HE DOESN'T. >> NEW MEXICO PBS AND OUR PUBMIRTRFR ACROSS T S TG UP TID14CTN
COVERAGE. WE'LL HAVE DEBATES WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR THE THREE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS, AND ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH CANDIDATES IN KEY RACES. FIRST UP, THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR. THE INCUMBENT, GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ, DECLINED OUR INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN AN PU MEDIA GUBEORIADETE ADEIN TDO ONE-ON-OER SO HERE N INEMECO InCUCOESNDT GWYOLTH DEMOCRAN F GOVERNNECO GOVERN AOE GARY KIN >>R.INHA S MUCR IN U TOD YOU ARE DOWN IN THE POLLS RIGHT NOW AS WE APOA T ELECTION, AND THE GOVERNOR HAS RAISED A LOT MORE MONEY HAVE A CAMPAIGN MANAGER. CAN YOU WIN THIS RACE? >> OH, ABSOLUTELY. ACTUALLY, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN WORKING AGAINST US, WE'RE STILL WITHIN STRIKING RANGE. POLLS SHOW A SINGLE DIGIT DIFFERENCE, AND I THINK ON ELECTION DAY, AND MY FATHER TAUGHT ME THIS, THE ONLY POLL THAT REALLY COUNTS IS THE ONE THEY TAKE ON ELECTION DAY. SO WE HAVE A GREAT FIELD ORGANIZATION, I THINK I HAVE AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION, AND THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT THAT OVERRIDES THE WHOLE ELECTION IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE LAST IN CHILD WELFARE, LAST IN ECONOMIC GROWTH, LAST IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND PEOPLE ARE READY FOR A CHANGE. SO I THINK WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE POLLS AND HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR CHANGE, AND I'M THE AGENT OF CHANGE IN THIS ELECTION. >> YOU MENTIONED YOUR FATHER. GOVERNOR BRUCE KING WAS A THREE-TERM GOVERNOR KNOWN FOR HIS COWBOY CHARM WHO CREATED THE STATE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, AND FORCED POLLUTING MINES TO CLEAN UP. HE CREATED A PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM, AND THE CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT. HE WAAL KWFEI STUBBORN RIED NOT DOINMOREO PRISYEMEFE 1RI. BUTN AYYO AND I TELL PEOPLE, I'M NOT BRUCE KING, BUT I'M THE MAN THAT HE TRAINED ME TO BE. SO I'M A SCIENTIST INSTEAD OF A RANCHER, AND SO I THINK
PEOPLE PERCEIVE ME AS HAVING MORE OF A SORT OF COLLEGIAL SCHOLARLY APPROACH TO SOME OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT, FOR INSTANCE, THE BILL THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT HE SIGNED TO CLEAN UP MINES WAS A BILL THAT I CARRIED FOR THREE YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE TO GET IT PASSED. SO THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND WE WORKED TOGETHER. AND HE ALWAYS WORKED WITH THE LEGISLATURE. SO THE WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE CHANGE IN NEW MEXICO, THE WAY THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR JOB STATUS IN NEW MEXICO, THE WAY THAT WE CAN GET OUT OF THE BASEMENT IN CHILD WELFARE IN NEW MEXICO, IS TO SIT DOWN AND WORK TOGETHER TO BRING ALL OF THE PLAYERS TOGETHER, TO WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE, TO HAVE PROGRAMS. AND I THINK THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNOR HAS REALLY FAILED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS, TO EVEN ADMIT THAT WE HAVE PROBLEMS. I HAVE YET TO HEAR HER ADMIT THAT WE ARE LAST IN CHILD WELFARE. SO YOU CAN'T SOLVE A PROBLEM UNLESS YOU GO OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT MY FATHER TAUGHT ME. BILL CLINTON, IN THE EULOGY FOR MY FATHER, SAID THAT HE LEARNED THAT FROM MY FATHER.
HE SAID: 'BRUCE TOLD ME THAT THE PEOPLE ELECTED YOU TO DO A JOB, AND IF YOU SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND DO YOUR BEST, THEN THINGS WILL WORK OUT.' >> HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM YOUR FATHER? IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU, DO YOU THINK, IMPROVED ON WHAT HE DID? >> WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE CAN CLAIM THAT THEY CAN IMPROVE ON BRUCE KING. I MEAN, HE WAS A ONE-OF-A-KIND FELLOW, SO I DON'T TRY TO DO THAT. I AM NOT AS CAPABLE AS HE WAS OF GOING INTO A RESTAURANT AND SHAKING HANDS WITH EVERYBODY IN THE RESTAURANT, AND THEN GOING BACK INTO THE KITCHEN AND SHAKING HANDS WITH EVERYBODY IN THE KITCHEN, BEFORE I SIT DOWN AND EAT. HE WAS THE CONSUMMATE RETAIL POLITICIAN, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE WAY HE WAS. HE LOVED TO DO THAT. I THINK THAT FOR ME, YOU KNOW, I'M MUCH MORE OF A MECHANIC. I LIKE TO BE PRESENTED WITH A PROBLEM AND SIT DOWN AND WORK TO SOLVE IT. I SERVED 12 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE. I CARRIED A LOT OF LEGISLATION. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT, AND THAT WAS
ONE WHERE PEOPLE BROUGHT ME A PROBLEM IN 1987, THEY SAID, WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LAW THAT REALLY IS ADEQUATELY PROTECTING OR ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THE BILL THAT THE ADVOCATES BROUGHT TO ME WOULD NOT HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM, SO RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, WELL, THAT'S NOT A GOOD BILL, I SAID, LET'S WORK ON IT, LET'S DRAFT SOMETHING THAT WILL WORK. AND THAT'S BEEN THE LAW FOR 30 YEARS NOW, ALMOST, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY WORK TO DO THOSE THINGS, AND THAT, I THINK, IS THE STUBBORN PART OF ME. I THINK CONTINUING TO WORK ON THOSE PROBLEMS AND ADDRESSING THEM AND DOING BETTER EVERY TIME IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. >> YOU MENTIONED YOUR FATHER'S INFLUENCE ON YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE, BUT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, YOU'VE BEEN SUED BY FEMALE EMPLOYEES WHO SAY YOU DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THEM IN PAY, AND AS A CANDIDATE, YOU'VE LOST THREE CAMPAIGN MANAGERS. SO HOW SHOULD WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN
RECRUIT, MANAGE AND RETAIN A QUALITY TEAM AS GOVERNOR? >> SURE. WELL, PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE NOW. THE QUESTION COMES UP OFTEN, BUT OF THE THREE WOMEN THAT SUED ME, THE COURTS FOUND THERE ACTUALLY IS NO DISCRIMINATION IN MY OFFICE. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I MIGHT BE THE ONLY ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT YOU KNOW WHO HAS A COURT ORDER THAT SAYS THAT THERE'S EQUAL PAY IN MY OFFICE. I HAVE A GREAT CHIEF DEPUTY RIGHT NOW, ELIZABETH GLENN, WHO IS A WONDERFUL CHIEF DEPUTY. I HAD ANOTHER GOOD CHIEF DEPUTY WHO HAS MOVED ON. AND I HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD YOUNG LAWYERS THAT ARE MANAGING MY OFFICE. THE ISSUE WITH CAMPAIGN MANAGERS, ONE OF THEM ONLY LASTED ONE DAY. HE ACTUALLY HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY HAD TWEETS IN HIS BACKGROUND THAT WE HAD NOT FOUND THAT WERE DENIGRATING TO WOMEN. SO WE TOOK ACTION RIGHT AWAY ON THAT. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I THINK THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNOR HAS IS, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT SHE HAS WITH HER MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND
THEY'RE STILL THERE. THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS SAID VERY DENIGRATING THINGS ABOUT OUR FORMER SPEAKER AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO SOMETIMES CHANGE IS GOOD. I ACTUALLY WANT TO KEEP WORKING UNTIL WE GET THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE. AND ANYBODY THAT'S LOOKED AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AFTER EIGHT YEARS WILL SAY THAT IT'S RUNNING SO MUCH BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS RUNNING EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN I BECAME THE HEAD OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. >> SEVERAL TIMES YOU'VE MENTIONED THE FACT THAT WE CONSISTENTLY IN NEW MEXICO RANK SO LOW IN THE CHILD WELL-BEING RANKINGS. BUT WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU WOULD DO TO CHANGE THAT? >> WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS. ONE IS THAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE MORE SUCCESSFUL AS A GOVERNOR TO GET A PROGRAM IN PLACE TO DO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR EVERY CHILD IN NEW MEXICO. THAT'S A BIG PROJECT, AND IT'S ONE THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS FAILED TO EVEN ADDRESS IN ANY MAJOR WAY. AND I THINK THAT IF OUR CHILDREN GET A GOOD START, THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY IMPORTANT. SECONDARILY, WE JUST GOT WORD THIS LAST WEEK THAT NEW MEXICO ACTUALLY INCREASED IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY. SO UNTIL WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF POVERTY, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. ONE OF THE REASONS WE RANK LOW IN CHILD WELFARE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN AMERICA LIVING IN POVERTY. WE HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT. >> BUT WHEN YOU SAY WE SHOULD FOCUS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, EVERYBODY I THINK AGREES THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD. DO YOU SUPPORT TAPPING THE PERMANENT FUND TO DO THAT? >> YES, I DO. THAT'S THE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. >> BUT THERE'S TENSION BETWEEN TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE PERMANENT FUND AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY GOING INTO IT, AND PART OF THAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, FACED SOME TENSION OVER THE SAND DUNE LIZARD AND THE LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN, AND TRYING TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY WHICH CONTRIBUTE SO HEAVILY TO THAT FUND WITH THE NEEDS OF PULLING ENOUGH MONEY OUT OF THAT FUND. HOW DO YOU FIND THAT
BALANCE? >> WELL, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, ONE OF THE THINGS THERE WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, WHICH IS WHEN THE PRICE OF OIL IS HIGH, THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF OIL EXPLORATION. WHEN THE PRICE IS LOW, WE DON'T SO MUCH. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO, INDEED, DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY IN NEW MEXICO. WE HAVE AN ECONOMY THAT'S BEEN VERY DEPENDENT ON NATURAL RESOURCES, THE EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WILL COME TO AN END SOMEDAY. AND SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION NOW -- THIS IS AN INVESTMENT. THIS IS NOT JUST TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE FUND, THIS IS AN INVESTMENT. BUT IF WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE 20 YEARS FROM NOW WHO HAVE THE RIGHT EDUCATION AND SKILLS TO GENERATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE, TO GENERATE HI-TECH JOBS, GOOD PAYING JOBS, THEN WE'LL HAVE AN INCOME STREAM THAT OFFSETS WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR DEPENDENCE ON EXTRACTION FROM NATURAL RESOURCES. I HAD A TEACHER JUST THE OTHER DAY WHO TOLD ME, WE SHOULDN'T CALL THIS THE
PERMANENT FUND, WE SHOULD CALL IT THE EDUCATION FUND, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT IT WAS SET UP FOR. WHEN WE WERE CREATED AS A STATE, THERE WAS LAND SET ASIDE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO, YOU KNOW, TO INVEST THAT MONEY NOW IN OUR CHILDREN AND IN OUR STUDENTS I THINK IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRYING TO HOARD THE FUND. AND MAYBE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CRASH ON WALL STREET AND THAT MONEY WILL ALL GO AWAY, ANYWAY. YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT PROBLEM IN 2008. WE LOST HALF OF THE FUND IN 2008. I'D MUCH RATHER INVEST IT IN OUR CHILDREN. >> YOU'VE MENTIONED POVERTY. AND IT IS AN INTRACTABLE, SEEMINGLY INTRACTABLE PROBLEM. BUT IS THERE ONE NEW IDEA THAT YOU HAVE THAT WOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF THE POOREST OF NEW MEXICANS? >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY IS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN NEW MEXICO THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. WE HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF WORKING POOR IN NEW MEXICO,
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A WAGE IN NEW MEXICO SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, THAT THEY'RE ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. AND SECONDARILY, I THINK THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO APPROACH THE ISSUE OF POVERTY BY RECOGNIZING THAT THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT SKILLS, OR FRANKLY, WE'RE JUST NOT CREATING JOBS IN NEW MEXICO. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING NEW MEXICO IN DROVES BECAUSE THE ECONOMY HAS BECOME SO BAD IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GO TO OTHER STATES TO FIND JOBS. >> SPEAKING OF JOBS, WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD DO TO BRING MORE JOBS THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MARTINEZ HAS DONE? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE PROBLEM THERE IS THIS IDEA OF BRINGING JOBS. I MEAN, THE BASE OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GROW SMALL BUSINESS. YOU KNOW, I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, IF WE HAVE A BUSINESS THAT HAS TEN EMPLOYEES AND WE HELP THEM TO GROW SO THAT THEY HAVE ELEVEN EMPLOYEES, THAT'S 10% JOB GROWTH. AND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS FOCUSED ON TAX CUTS FOR LARGE CORPORATIONS, AND IT HASN'T
REALLY HELPED. ACTUALLY, INTEL LAID OFF 900 PEOPLE LAST YEAR. SO WE HAVE TO FOCUS WHATEVER INCENTIVES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE ON BUSINESSES THAT CAN GROW IN NEW MEXICO. WE SHOULD FOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE FUEL, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION KINDS OF PRODUCTION. WE'RE THE BEST IN NEW MEXICO IN SOLAR ENERGY AND WIND ENERGY, WE SHOULD BE GROWING THOSE AREAS. THE GOVERNOR PLAYED SOME GAMES WITH THE FILM TAX AND WE LOST A LOT OF OUR FILM INDUSTRY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THAT BACK, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A CAP ON THE FILM INDUSTRY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL NOT WILLING TO LOOK AT NEW MEXICO. SO IF WE THINK THAT INCENTIVES FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY ARE GOOD, THEN WHY WOULD WE CAP THOSE? I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCENTIVIZE THE INDUSTRY, AND THAT'S A GOOD CLEAN ENERGY. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS WE CAN DO IN OUR TAX POLICY TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, AND NONE OF THOSE ARE BEING DONE RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, TESLA BASICALLY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO NEVADA BECAUSE NEVADA HAD A CAN-DO ATTITUDE, THAT THEY WORKED WITH THEM TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY NEEDED TO DEVELOP. NEW MEXICO HAS NOT HAD THAT ATTITUDE FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. >> JUST A LAST QUESTION. IF YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN THIS BID AND YOU DON'T BECOME GOVERNOR, YOUR TERM AS ATTORNEY GENERAL IS ENDING, WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU THEN? >> WELL, THAT'S A FASCINATING QUESTION. YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF TWO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING ON NOVEMBER THE 5th UNTIL THEY COUNT THE VOTES. BUT MY WIFE HAS JUST RETIRED FROM WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. WE MIGHT TRAVEL. WE MIGHT WRITE BOOKS. WE MIGHT DO SOME CONSULTING. I MEAN, THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR ME. FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SPENT 30 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE SO FAR, AND SO I GUESS I HAVEN'T THOUGHT VERY MUCH ABOUT WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WASN'T DEDICATED TO THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY. SO MY GUESS IS WE'LL FIND
SOME COMMUNITY WORK TO DO, TOO. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY. >> GOOD, THANK YOU. IT'S NICE TO BE HERE. >> YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US ANY TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION. WE'RE AT NMInFOCUS ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, AND FIND EPISODES AND WEB EXTRAS AT OUR WEBSITE, NewMexicoInFocus.org. >> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A LONG AND STEEP HILL TO CLIMB, AND NOT A LOT OF TIME TO WIN THIS ELECTION. ROB, DID HE AVAIL HIMSELF WELL IN THIS INTERVIEW? AND I ASK YOU THAT UNDER THIS IDEA. GWYNETH ASKED HIM STRAIGHT UP, CAN YOU WIN, AND HE SAID, LOOK, IT'S WITHIN HANDLING DISTANCE, AND QUOTED THE POLLS THAT HE HAS SEEN ARE WITHIN FIVE PERCENTAGE POINTS. HE'S CLEARLY NOT INCLUDING THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL POLL. >> RIGHT, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER POLL WHERE I THINK HE WAS DOWN BY 13. THE OTHER THING THAT STRUCK ME WAS, HE SAID WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S WORKING AGAINST US, WE'RE STILL IN STRIKING DISTANCE.
>> RIGHT. >> WELL, EVERYTHING WORKING AGAINST YOU, A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN SELF-INFLICTED. HE'S GONE THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT CAMPAIGN MANAGERS IN THIS TIME, SO THAT'S ONE THING. THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS THAT IN POLITICS -- WELL, THEY SAY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. IN POLITICS, POLLS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. AND IF YOU'RE DOWN BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN AT LEAST TWO VERY RESPECTABLE POLLS, IT'S NOT JUST THE POLLS THAT HAVE A PROBLEM, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE POLLS ARE RELEASED, AND THAT MEANS THERE'S ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF DOLLARS. IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT WHO'S GOT SOME MONEY AND YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY AND HAVE SOME IMPACT IN NOVEMBER, I THINK A LOT OF DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE STATE ARE SAYING TO THEMSELVES, IF I ONLY HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY, MAYBE IT'S BETTER SPENT ON THINGS LIKE SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS SO THEY DON'T LOSE THE HOUSE. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL KING FACES. >> REPRESENTATIVE, DID YOU
HEAR ANYTHING IN GOVERNOR KING'S RESPONSE TO THE INTERVIEW THAT SAID TO YOU, HE UNDERSTANDS THE GAME, THE SITUATION AS IT'S BEING PLAYED, AS ROB DESCRIBED IT? AND DID YOU HEAR AN AGGRESSIVENESS ABOUT CLOSING THAT GAP IN THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF TIME? DID ANYTHING STRIKE YOU THAT WAY. >> NO, NOT AT ALL. AND HAVING BEEN A CANDIDATE, AND WHEN THE POLLS GO AGAINST YOU -- I MEAN, THIS IS A DESPERATE PLACE TO BE. IT'S PAINFUL. SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT ARE TRULY GOING AGAINST HIM. AS THE AG, HE HAS AN UNREMARKABLE RECORD OF HAVING NOT TAKEN ACTION. HIS MESSAGE IS NOT COHERENT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT GOOD CANDIDATES IS THEY ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION. WHAT I HEARD HERE WERE CANNED ANSWERS. I'M TIRED OF HEARING THAT. BUT EVEN IN THOSE CANNED ANSWERS, THERE WAS NO MESSAGE THERE. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO FOR ME THAT WILL MAKE MY LIFE BETTER. AND AS A CANDIDATE, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. SO NOW HE'S DOWN TO MOVING THE NEEDLE, AND 13 POINTS,
15 POINTS 30 DAYS OUT, IT IS HARD TO DO THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE LOT OF MONEY, AND HE DOESN'T. >> ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, WHAT STRUCK ME, LAURA, WAS THE SIMILARITY TO THE DEBATE, USING FINGER QUOTES, THAT NAIOP HOSTED BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND GARY KING, AND THE INTERVIEW HERE WITH GWYNETH. THERE WAS A SIMILARITY WITH MR. KING ON HIS POINT OF VIEW, HIS OUTLOOK ON THINGS THAT NEED FIXING. I DIDN'T HEAR THE VIGOR. I'M CURIOUS WHAT STRUCK YOU. WAS THERE A VIGOR HERE ABOUT WANTING TO FIX THINGS AND MOVE THINGS FORWARD IN OUR STATE? >> IT'S INTERESTING, I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT ANY TIME WHEN YOU'RE EVALUATING A CANDIDATE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE HAS SAID, ABOUT WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO FOR ME. AND FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I KNOW I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENT, AND I CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. SO THERE WAS SORT OF A DISCUSSION SOMEWHAT ABOUT SOME OF THE LEGACY ISSUES, EVEN AS FAR BACK AS HIS FATHER, ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, BUT I KNOW THAT HE'S DEFINITELY GOT THE RIGHT INTERESTS THAT I CARE ABOUT.
SO I THINK THIS COMES DOWN TO REALLY -- >> THERE IS A TRACK RECORD THERE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF, SURE. >> FOR SURE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DEEPLY CARE ABOUT, AND I THINK A LOT OF NEW MEXICANS DO. IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT TURNOUT IN THIS ONE, AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE USUALLY WITH TURNOUT -- AND THAT'S ELECTION TURNOUT, WHICH HAS EXPANDED NOW. IT'S NOT JUST ELECTION DAY. NOW IT ALSO INCLUDES ABSENTEE BALLOTS, AS WELL AS EARLY VOTING. SO IT EXTENDS THAT GET-OUT-THE-VOTE TIME PERIOD. BUT ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IS, YOU USUALLY HAVE THE TOP OF THE TICKET PULLING OTHER PEOPLE TO THE POLLS SO THAT PEOPLE DOWN BALLOT WIN. IN THIS CASE, IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT REVERSED. YOU HAVE A LOT OF REALLY STRONG EFFORTS HAPPENING FOR THE HOUSE RACES, THERE'S A LOT OF HOUSE RACES THAT ARE UP FOR GRABS, SO YOU HAVE A HUGE PUSH OF PEOPLE GETTING THEIR SUPPORTERS OUT. AND THEN UDALL, ALSO, HAD A HUGE PUSH. SO YOU'VE GOT THOSE TWO FACTORS, I THINK, HELPING KING, AS WELL. BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING PEOPLE COME OUT JUST FOR KING, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER. AND NOT HAVING THE MONEY TO DO THAT MAKES IT A HUGE ISSUE. >> RIGHT. >> IT'S VERY HARD. >> AT THIS STAGE OF THE
GAME, I HAVE TO THINK THE MONEY CYCLE, SPEAKING OF WHICH, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS WATCHING THE INTERVIEW, HAS TO SLOW DOWN QUITE A BIT, AND THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY, I WOULD IMAGINE, THAT HE WOULD PERSONALLY BE WILLING TO PUT INTO THIS KIND OF RACE WITH 15 POINTS DOWN, OR 5 POINTS DOWN, DEPENDING ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW. WHAT CAN HE DO TO CLOSE A GAP LIKE THIS WITHOUT THE MONEY YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ON TELEVISION AND SUCH? IS THERE ANYTHING OUT THERE HE COULD BE SAYING OR DOING, IN YOUR VIEW? >> I THINK LAURA'S RIGHT. I MEAN, WE'RE IN THE VOTER TURNOUT STAGE, AND USUALLY THAT IS A PARTY AFFAIR. SO THE ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAGES A COORDINATED CAMPAIGN TO GET OUT THE VOTE, AND GET OUT THE VOTE ACROSS THE BOARD. IT HELPS WHEN YOU HAVE A FLASHY CANDIDATE AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET. BUT I THINK WHAT YOU SAW IN THAT INTERVIEW WAS, YOU SAW A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOU SAW A WORK HORSE, YOU SAW SOMEBODY THAT DID HAVE A FIRM GRASP OF THE STUBBORN FACTS, AND HAD THE ISSUE BEEN ABOUT, OR HAD THE INTERVIEW BEEN ABOUT THOSE ISSUES RATHER THAN JUST ABOUT THE POLL, I THINK
HE WOULD HAVE COME OFF A LOT BETTER. I'VE NEVER SEEN AN INTERVIEW WHERE THE INTERVIEWER IN A RACE ASKED, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER YOU LOSE. >> ALSO, SENATOR FELDMAN, YOU WOULD THINK THAT A SEASONED POLITICIAN, REGARDLESS OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ANSWERED, YOU'VE GOT SOME TALKING POINTS THAT YOU WANT TO GET TO. HE NEVER -- AND JANICE TALKED ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, THE ECONOMY IS STRUGGLING, AND BEYOND SAYING, WELL, LET'S TAP THE LAND GRANT PERMANENT FUND, I THINK IF YOU'RE THE AVERAGE PERSON, AND LET'S SAY YOU'RE NOT A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN AND YOU WANT TO HEAR A PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT IN THAT INTERVIEW. >> HE WANTED TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND HE WANTED TO FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESSES, AND IF EVERY SMALL BUSINESS ADDED ONE PERSON, WITH TEN EMPLOYEES, THAT WOULD BE A 10% INCREASE. >> BUT HE NEVER EVER, AND I THINK LOTS OF US ARE LISTENING FOR THIS. WHERE IS THE LINK THAT TELLS
ME HOW HE IS GOING TO DO THAT? YOU KNOW, AND HE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TAXES, I LOVE TO TALK TAXES, BUT I NEVER HEARD ANY HOW, AND I NEVER EVEN HEARD THE WHAT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S SAD IS THAT I KNOW HE KNOWS. I KNOW HE KNOWS. >> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE INTERESTING THING WITH GARY KING IS, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE VERY GOOD AT RUNNING FOR OFFICE, AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE SCARE ME BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THAT GREAT AT GOVERNING. >> GOOD POINT. >> GARY IS DIFFERENT IN THAT HE'S SO KNOWLEDGEABLE. HE REALLY HAS A REALLY DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF POLICY. HE'S VERY WELL EDUCATED ON A TECHNICAL LEVEL. TALKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, HE HAS A PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY. HE REALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT AT A VERY BASIC LEVEL. BUT IN TERMS OF THE POLITICKING, WHAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE AS -- >> THE RETAIL. >> YES, THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN SUCH A SOUND BITE KIND OF WORLD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE TOP THREE THINGS, AND THEN KEEP HAMMERING AWAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET IT. >> I AGREE.
NEXT WE GO 'ON THE CLOCK.' >> WELL, WHEN I SAW THIS STORY, MY REACTION WAS, AND THE SUN ROSE IN THE EAST THIS MORNING. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN LOTS OF MONEY IN POLITICS. AND THE QUOTE I'VE USED IS THAT TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS IS TRYING TO GET SALT OUT OF THE SEA. >> WELCOME BACK TO OUR 'ON THE CLOCK' SEGMENT THIS WEEK WHERE WE GIVE OUR PANELISTS ABOUT ONE MINUTE TOTAL TO WEIGH IN ON SOME ADDITIONAL STORIES. FIRST UP, ON MARCH 16th, APD OFFICERS SHOT AND KILLED JAMES BOYD, A HOMELESS MENTALLY ILL MAN WHO WAS ILLEGALLY CAMPING IN THE SANDIA FOOTHILLS, AS YOU KNOW. NOW, A RECORDING TAKEN TWO HOURS BEFORE THE SHOOTING HAS JUST NOW BEEN MADE PUBLIC, AND IN IT OFFICER KEITH SANDY CALLS BOYD A 'BLANK LUNATIC,' AND SAYS HE'S GOING TO SHOOT HIM, A CHILLING PORTENT OF WHAT EVENTUALLY OCCURRED. DEDE, JAMES BOYD'S DEATH RELEASED A FIRESTORM OF PROTESTS, AS WE KNOW, AND
REFORM AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE. BUT WHAT JUMPED OUT AT YOU WHEN YOU HEAR THAT KIND OF LOOSE LANGUAGE FROM A TENSE SITUATION? I DIDN'T HEAR AN OFFICER WHOSE HEAD WAS IN THE GAME, NECESSARILY, THAT THIS WAS ABOUT A WHOLE OTHER THING ALTOGETHER. HOW DID IT STRIKE YOU? >> IT CLEARLY SPOKE TO HIS INTENTION, AS TO WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO, AND HE SIMPLY SAID HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT THIS BLANKY-BLANK GUY IN THE NETHER REGIONS, TOO. >> RIGHT. >> SO I DON'T SEE HOW YOU COULD DRAW ANY OTHER CONCLUSION FROM THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF FANCY DANCING ON THIS. AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHY HE IS STILL ON THE PAYROLL. >> THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS. LAURA SANCHEZ, HOW DID IT STRIKE YOU? >> I THINK THE INTENT WAS THERE, AND ANY TIME YOU HAVE INTENT INSTEAD OF A REACTION IN THE MOMENT, THAT'S A QUALIFICATION FOR MURDER. THERE'S ALREADY PEOPLE CALLING FOR HIS INDICTMENT. >> THAT'S RIGHT, TOO. BOYS TALK CRAZY STUFF IN LOCKER ROOMS AND NEWS ROOMS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
DOES THIS QUALIFY, IN YOUR VIEW, OF JUST MEN TALKING STUPID IN THE FIELD? >> NO, AND THE REASON IS DOESN'T IS, THIS IS A SWAT TEAM. IT IS PARA-MILITARY. BUT IT LACKS THE DISCIPLINE OF ANY MILITARY UNIT I'VE EVER SEEN. THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED, SO I HAVE TO ASK, WHERE IS THE LEADERSHIP? BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK LIKE THIS IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION, SENATOR FELDMAN IS RIGHT, THE FOCUS IS NOT ON THE MISSION. >> INTERESTING. ROB NIKOLEWSKI? >> MY QUESTION IS WHY KEITH SANDY GOT HIRED TO BEGIN WITH. IN 2007, HE WAS HIRED DESPITE GETTING RELIEVED FROM HIS DUTIES AT THE STATE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND AT THE TIME THEY SAID WHEN HE WENT TO APD THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE A GUN. >> INTERESTING. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. STAY RIGHT THERE, WE'RE DOING MORE 'ON THE CLOCKS' ON THE WEB. >> AS ALWAYS, ALL OF US HERE AT NEW MEXICO InFOCUS APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR EFFORT TO STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED. CATCH UP WITH US ANYTIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY SEARCHING NEW MEXICO InFOCUS, AND YOU CAN FIND ARCHIVED INTERVIEWS AND OFTEN BONUS MATERIAL FROM OUR SHOWS ON
OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND AT NewMexicoInFocus.org. I'M GENE GRANT. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
Series
New Mexico in Focus
Episode Number
812
Episode
Campaign Finance, Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King (D)
Producing Organization
KNME-TV (Television station : Albuquerque, N.M.)
Contributing Organization
New Mexico PBS (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-b6e7d00bb5e
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip-b6e7d00bb5e).
Description
Episode Description
This week on New Mexico in Focus, Correspondent Gwyneth Doland begins a series of one-on-one interviews with candidates competing in November’s general election. In the weeks to come NMiF will hear from candidates running for Congress in NM District 1, Secretary of State and Attorney General. This week Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King is front and center. NMiF explores campaign finance. A recent survey of New Mexico voters found that 4 in 5 believe the amount of influence that large campaign donors have on politicians is either a very serious problem or a somewhat serious problem. NMiF Producer Floyd Vasquez delves into the issue with Trip Jennings, executive director of New Mexico In Depth, Viki Harrison, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico and Joe Monahan, publisher of political blog JoeMonahan.com. The Line opinion panel reviews the investigative report issued by the state’s 3rd Judicial District Attorney on the office’s efforts to respond to an Inspection of Public Records Request for records created under the administrations of then DA Susana Martinez and her appointed successor, Amy Orlando. The investigation found that a large number of office emails from former employees had been deleted and the back-up copies erased. A few emails that were recovered reveal conduct and attitudes unbecoming to the office. NMiF panelists also explore the scathing report issued by NM’s Legislative Finance Committee on the state’s spending on adult behavioral health. The LFC says in 2013 only 11% of the nearly $210-million spent was to pay for evidence based programs and services. Finally, The Line panelists viewed the one-on-one interview with Gary King and weigh in with their reactions. Host: Gene Grant. Correspondents: Gwyneth Doland; Floyd E. Vasquez Jr.. Guests: Viki Harrison, Executive Director, Common Cause New Mexico; Trip Jennings, Executive Director, New Mexico In Depth; Gary King, Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate; Joe Monahan, Political Blogger, JoeMonahan.com. Line Panelists: Janice Arnold-Jones, former State Legislator; Dede Feldman, former State Senator; Rob Nikolewski, New Mexico Watchdog; Laura Sanchez-Rivét, Sanchez Legal Solutions.
Broadcast Date
2014-10-03
Asset type
Episode
Genres
Talk Show
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
00:57:13.852
Embed Code
Copy and paste this HTML to include AAPB content on your blog or webpage.
Credits
Guest: Harrison, Viki
Guest: Jennings, Trip
Guest: Monahan, Joe
Guest: King, Gary
Host: Grant, Gene
Panelist: Sanchez-Rivét, Laura
Panelist: Feldman, Dede
Panelist: Nikolewski, Rob
Panelist: Arnold-Jones, Janice
Producer: Kamerick, Megan
Producer: Vasquez, Floyd
Producing Organization: KNME-TV (Television station : Albuquerque, N.M.)
Reporter: Vasquez, Floyd E.
Reporter: Doland, Gwyneth
AAPB Contributor Holdings
KNME
Identifier: cpb-aacip-9f07a6a7bee (Filename)
Format: XDCAM
Duration: 00:57:06
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “New Mexico in Focus; 812; Campaign Finance, Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King (D),” 2014-10-03, New Mexico PBS, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed October 1, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-b6e7d00bb5e.
MLA: “New Mexico in Focus; 812; Campaign Finance, Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King (D).” 2014-10-03. New Mexico PBS, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. October 1, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-b6e7d00bb5e>.
APA: New Mexico in Focus; 812; Campaign Finance, Gubernatorial Candidate Gary King (D). Boston, MA: New Mexico PBS, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-b6e7d00bb5e