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Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 04 November 2016 04 November 2016

By Mary Alice Murphy

On Tuesday evening, Nov. 1, 2016, one week before the General Election on Nov. 8, the two candidates for New Mexico House District 38'Republican Rebecca Dow and Democrat Mary Hotvedt'took part in a forum, sponsored by the Silver City Daily Press. Both, at the beginning of their opening statements, thanked the newspaper and those gathered to hear them.

Hotvedt gave the first opening statement. "We are the voters, we are the issues and we need to discuss them."

She said she spent 24 years in a small business group, as a therapist, a family therapist and marriage therapist. "I teach as an adjunct professor at Western New Mexico University. I am concerned about a lot of the issues, including the budget."

Hotvedt said she was not against the mines, because she is in favor of full employment. She also clarified that she is not against the second amendment. "I do stand for growing local economies."

Dow said she grew up in District 38, has raised her children there and now her grandchildren live in the district.

"I employ 78 people in my business," Dow said. "So I have a vested interest in growing the economy. I believe in common-sense governance, helping businesses grow and bringing in new ones. My childcare center, Apple Tree, has never had a case of child abuse. We are filling the gaps of community needs, for early childhood care and education, economic development and other opportunities to end poverty. I'm tired of seeing people leave."

The first audience question was: "What is the greatest challenge in District 38 and how will you work to solve it?"

Dow said Sierra County is the poorest county in the state, with Grant County and Hidalgo County right behind. "I see poverty and the repercussions of poverty. I have opened non-profits that are up to the challenges."

Hotvedt said in economic issues, Sierra and Grant County have differences. She said Sierra County's average income is $10,000 below that of Grant County's annual income. "What we have in common is tourism behind mines and agriculture. We have more good jobs in Grant County. I want to address what will benefit whom, how to grow small businesses that employ 10 to 75 people and how to encourage growth. LEDA (Local Economic Development Act) has good government incentives. I can work at the legislative level."

The next question was how many jobs were created in their businesses.

"Five to seven at a time," Hotvedt said. "I would fill when there were vacancies, and I would offer the best possible package I could, with a living wage and as many benefits as possible to prevent turnover. It was successful, many stayed with us and when they did leave, they moved to more skilled levels of jobs."

"Every job I have created didn't exist before," Dow said. "Now I have seven businesses in Sierra County. When I first opened AppleTree, there was no early childhood education in the county. Many had no experience before I hired them. I had to create career pathways. I helped many complete their GEDs, associate's degrees, and bachelor's and even master's degrees. I deal with state agencies on a daily basis."

The next question asked why each was running for office and how each would represent all the voters, including farming and ranching.

"My passion is to get rid of poverty," Dow said. "I want to see people thrive as individuals, as families and in business. Farming and ranching is a big part of our economies, providing great food at reasonable prices, and it's safe. I work well with the soil and water conservation districts and the Farm Bureau. I will work with them on regulations that hinder their growth."

Hotvedt says she has a long history of being able to pull together among disparate opinions to create solutions for difficult problems. "I am more comfortable with the dairy industry, but I have attended all farming group invitations. Agriculture is one of the prime industries in the three counties."

The next question asked how each candidate would define her political ideology and how would she work with all constituents.

"I am a proud Democrat," Hotvedt said. "I care about working people, the working middle class. How do we support them, and how do we benefit the greatest number of the middle class? What do we do to support them?"

"I am a Republican," Dow said. "I believe in our Constitution and Bill of Rights that defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When you strengthen families, it increases the economy. I expect them to strengthen from the family up. In my years of spending time in Santa Fe, no one ever asked me my party affiliation. I identified myself as a resident of Sierra County. I'm passionate about families."

Hotvedt said she forgot to answer the second part of the question. "Throughout my campaign, I have listened. I stay very calm and listen to competing sides and understand from within to determine how to reach a solution."

Ben Fisher, Daily Press reporter, asked his first question from the newspaper. "Throughout Rep. Hamilton's tenure, her record stayed devoted to veteran services and Western. I would like to hear your biggest forum and what specific bills you will bring forward."

"My biggest focus will be rural economic development," Dow said. "The rules and regulations are burdensome for businesses, even more so in rural areas. For instance, the state reimbursement was less in rural areas then in urban. I had to advocate for it to become equitable, because services are more expensive in rural areas, because of economy of scale. I have been opening doors for rural economies, and I want to roll back rules and regulations."

Hotvedt said she would like to see an Early Education Department. "If we take families through eight years of the life of their child, and we carefully fund evidence-based programs, we will let the family be the driving force, then they will partner with the schools and we will have active engaged parents. I would be focusing on it in major legislation, I would like to work with Sen. Morales."

The next question was about the children of New Mexico. "What part of your background makes you better qualified?"

Hotvedt said she worked in Zambia for an orphanage for AIDS orphans. "They have attachment disorders and have been neglected and abused. We have in this district faced these issues. I advocate in this area. I have taught from pre-primary to post graduate university. In university education, we see excessive testing. We have to teach students how to learn."

"I have extensive early childhood experience," Dow said. "I have received federal and state recognitions for my work."

She said she has provided comments on advisory boards and has testified in Congress.

"I have read the rules and regulations and I know how to apply them," Dow continued. "I work nitty-gritty on the ground, looking at evidence-based programs."

The next question continued on the children theme. "Why are New Mexico kids suffering and what do you propose to do to fix it?"

"I have seen multiple-generational poverty," Dow said. "When children are being raised they need to be raised by someone other than those who are not seeing their needs being met.

"We have to take a two-generational approach," Dow continued. "When a parent is working while their children are in a safe place, they have hope. It begins with hope. We must provide economic opportunities addressing the needs of families... and hope."

"I disagree," Hotvedt said. "I think it's a three-generational poverty. Rural poverty is a poverty of resources, and includes problems with drugs. I'm a family therapist that does not isolate the child. I look at how to raise the whole family with family-based solutions instead of government-based programs that separate out the child. And yes, it requires economic development to help the family thrive."

The next question asked about the state's Land Grant Permanent Fund and the proposal last year to use it for early childhood services.

"First, I support us getting the budget in order," Hotvedt said. "We can't continue to depend just on oil and gas. I think investing in children is not just throwing money at the problem. We must use home-based evidence-based programs. Yes, I support using money from the Permanent Fund."

Dow said it would not be the first time for funding to come out of the Permanent Fund, as it was used to fund pre-K, but it doesn't not include non-public pre-K.

"I have advocated for small private child care," Dow said. "It would be hard for me to support, because it can't go to private early childhood programs. If it were targeted to the right programs, I might consider supporting it. The family is the best place to raise a child, but it would require a lot of changes."

Fisher said both had been hit by negative advertising from PACs. "Would you support not allowing PACs?"

Dow said she is completely against negative ads. "They took the liberty to accuse me of other people's actions. The PACs have $54 million, but have no boundaries. I want to see reform so that candidates can run on their merits versus what outside groups with agendas say."

Hotvedt said she is for transparency and more ethics for the work place.

"We've been targeted, many funded by Jay McKlesky's group against me," Hotvedt said. "I don't think the negative ads benefit anyone. I have been a community organizer and in politics much of my life. I am not in favor of putting money behind these things."

The next question was on the economy. "How will you work to grow all jobs, including mining?"

"I hope the mines don't close," Hotvedt said. "They are still working on the Copper Flat Mine in Sierra County. I want to focus on and grow the local economy. I look at our resources. We have solar and wind. We could build an energy base, but we most of all need broadband. I've been talking to small businesses and they have turnover. We have to determine how to support them. We know New Mexico True is working. We need to expand our reach to other places so they can become part of us."

"I work tirelessly by being present in Santa Fe," Dow said. "I want to be the squeakiest wheel for District 38. I support creating a business-friendly task force to determine what rules and regulations are keeping small businesses from growing. Agriculture is thriving. We need to look at what they're doing. They have meaningful irrigation, water critical issues, and I'm interested to hear what the CAP Entity is planning. The mines say the Copper Rule is meaningful and it is holding the mines responsible for water purity."

The next question asked what the candidates propose to do differently for economic development.

"Pretty much everything," Dow said. "They tax the wrong things, for instance. We have a lot of ingenuity that needs a voice to roll back rules and regulations. We are visited every week, sometimes twice a week by CYFD. So many industries have constant visits. That needs an overhaul. The state has no standard administrative code, so it's difficult for businesses to thrive."

Hotvedt said she didn't disagree with the overlapping regulations. "We've favored big business. They build buildings and next thing you know they are empty. Focus on small business. We need to be like a garden that attracts more businesses. I see in Sierra County a budding industrial park near the Spaceport. That's good. How do we provide incentives here? I would like to see young families stay."

Fisher said the town of Silver City was hit hard by the phase out of hold harmless. "Should that decision be reversed or just let local governments deal with it?"

Hotvedt said New Mexico has not returned from the downturn. "Many communities are left high and dry. I support an extension. We've pushed gross receipts taxes down to be paid at the local level. That needs to be reversed."

Dow agreed it was concerning to small communities, because the loss is devastating. "The decision was made by the monopolizing by urban districts. We need major reform of the tax structures. The state can't keep passing its costs on to the municipalities and counties."

A question from the audience said the Legislature is known for passing the buck to local communities and businesses to raise taxes.

"I'm hesitant to say what I will or will not do," Dow said. "I don't think the state should just pass the buck down to smaller entities. I would take careful consideration: Does it strengthen the economy or not?"

"I agree the state is passing the buck," Hotvedt said. "The idea of taxes is so awful. We need major tax reform and to close the loopholes that are not doing the general public any good.

"I take a long-term view of how to fix the state, and that's tax reform," Hotvedt said. "This administration has been callous in pushing costs down to local municipalities."

Seibel asked a related question. The New Mexico Legislature is a volunteer legislative body. For instance, people have complained that local entities cannot ban fireworks. "Are you in favor of the citizen Legislature?"

Hotvedt said she has mixed feelings. "It seems to me if we changed it to a paid Legislature, it would look self-serving, but right now it limits who can run for officeG