By Mary Alice Murphy

A candidate forum between the two candidates for the New Mexico Congressional Second District was held on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 at the Western New Mexico University Besse-Forward Global Resource Center. It featured the two candidates'Democrat challenger Merrie Lee Soules and incumbent Republican Stevan Pearce answering questions from the audience and from the sponsor, the Silver City Daily Press and Independent. A co-sponsor for the event was the WNMU MeChA group, which made use of the room possible.

Soules gave the first opening statement. "I believe government has serious responsibilities." She said gridlock is not letting the government do its job.

"We're not sharing in the prosperity of the rest of the nation," Soules said. "My background as an executive with a General Motors division makes me understand what it takes to attract industry. Low-cost electricity is one of the important things. I look around here and see all the unending opportunities for low-cost electricity and energy generation for our future."

Last year when El Paso Electric got a rate increase, she filed to intervene in the case and helped keep the rate from going up by $8.6 million a year. "As a result of my work, the Public Regulations Commission awarded only a $1.1 million raise. That's $7.5 million saving per year, with the savings going into the pockets of my community... And kept electricity rates low. I seek to do this sort of work for you, for us, for the people of southern New Mexico. I see that kind of future. I want that kind of future for us. I will grab opportunities in front of us that create prosperity right here at home."

Pearce said in his opening statement: "The republic begins right here. This job as Congressman is very rewarding in a huge district. I would like to give appreciation to my opponent. Anyone willing to get into the public square deserves respect."

"We are talking in our country about two futures," Pearce said. "We see one playing out in front of us, with extremely high health care costs that are expected to rise even more."

He said a constituent had approached him the day before to tell him about his $700 a month health insurance premium and later the same day, another told Pearce about his $1,200 a month costs. "With the Affordable Care Act, these costs were supposed to go down by $2,000 to $2,400 a year. Instead we are seeing rises in costs to a thousand or more per month. This is not sustainable. Sixteen of the 23 exchanges that were funded in the billions with your tax dollars have gone bankrupt. They've used your money and now they are bankrupt, saying they just can't stay in business. Those were the government-sponsored enterprises that were going to compete. The exchanges are having difficulties. Many times doctors aren't in them. You were promised you could get the same doctor and it's not happening."

"One side of the equation says we have to do something about it," Pearce continued. "The other side says we have to do something fundamentally different. I'm on the side of wanting to do something fundamentally different.

"When I go around the Second District, I find people have two strong concerns," he said. "No. 1 is economic security. They are afraid that if they should lose their job they won't be able to find one or that their kids won't be able to find one when they graduate from high school or college. The second concern is national security. People see the cutting off of heads or whatever is happening overseas, and Orlando and San Bernadino, and it frightens them and for their kids. They want to be safe

"Our forum today will cover two sides of these issues," Pearce concluded.

Nickolas Seibel, SCDP publisher, served as moderator.

The first audience question said: "You both have different views on the Veterans Administration. Why is yours better for Silver City and Western New Mexico University?"

"As a veteran myself, having served in Vietnam, I pay close attention to this issue, and I believe the Veterans Administration has not lived up to its promise," Pearce said. "We field constituent services continually. One of the most recurring is problems with the VA. We've engaged in sessions with local VA providers and that has proved mediocre at best. Two, maybe three years ago, the nation became angry at the long lines and people dying while on the waiting list. Democrats and Republicans got angry at the same time, and said we're going to fix this mess. Washington actually acts rather quickly when this happens. Within 90 days, we passed a bill that said we would give choice to veterans. If you're more than 40 miles away from your local clinic or VA hospital, you can choose a local provider. Sometimes people have to drive six to eight hours to Albuquerque to the VA and then turn around and come home the same day. When people get into their 70s, 80s, and 90s, that is extraordinarily difficult and argues for being able to see someone locally.

"The second piece of the legislation we passed, called the Choice Act, says the VA can fire people for not doing their jobs," Pearce continued. "Now you may think that's normal, but in Washington, it's not. The VA has yet to implement and is fighting implementing the Choice Act. We will continue to fight for it. We must honor the service of those who offered their allG