"New Mexico has a lot of serious challenges that need to be addressed, but as long as New Mexico continues to be held hostage by an old, outdated, fossilized Democratic Party Machine whose only goal seems to be to hold onto power, we’re not going to be able to create new, forward-thinking solutions for much of anything.  Our Campaign for Change is all about electing real people who care more about the people rather than just staying in power." - Carl Trujillo

As a life long resident of New Mexico, I will protect the rich traditions of our heritage while working to create a prosperous and sustainable future for all of us. I'm committed to bringing a fresh perspective to solving old problems and tackling modern challenges. I have no long-standing history with special interests, and my grassroots, community-based perspective means I have the independence, ability and respect to work with all of us to find solutions that work for all of us, not just a select and privileged few.  

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR A HEALTHY ECONOMY & GOOD JOBS

Of course, the biggest issue on most people's minds is fixing our economy. Here in New Mexico, jobs are harder and harder to come by, and it's tougher and tougher for people to feed their families, much less buy a home or send their kids to college. Meanwhile, Wall Street bankers and corporate CEOs (and the politicians they own!) are getting wealthier.

The same situation exists here in New Mexico, where our corporate-funded state politicians get wealthier off of sweetheart deals and cronyism while New Mexico continues to suffer.

At the national level, we need to fight corporate and Wall Street corruption. Here in New Mexico, we need to get rid of an outdated and unresponsive political system of pay-to-play schemes and sweetheart deals that have cost us and our children opportunities, money and jobs.

I think we all know that economic prosperity comes when good people can work at good jobs for good wages. As a local small business owner, I know firsthand what workers and small local businesses are up against in this recession. I'll prioritize creating jobs in our community by actively seeking out and sponsoring economic incentives for job creation and promoting forward-thinking "incubator" programs that help people launch their own businesses.

We also need to focus much more on "deep green" businesses that really create a sustainable economy and protect our environment.  New Mexico is blessed with so much that we can use to stop carbon emissions and build our economy – the sun, the wind, and let’s not forget the enormous intellectual resources of the Los Alamos Labs - that can be directed towards research supporting clean, renewable and responsible energy technologies.

Now's the time to change the outdated and ineffective machine-driven political system that keeps New Mexico from growing a healthy, sustainable economy, and to elect real people who will put real people ahead of corporate and political greed.

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR ETHICS REFORM

New Mexico consistently ranks as one of the most corrupt states in the nation. We deserve better than this, and it needs to change if we're going to solve the problems we're facing.

We don't need an outdated and corrupt state government that serves special interests and the particular friends of elected officials at the expense of the well-being of all of us - a government based on fear and intimidation, rather than on integrity and respect. As your representative, I'll treat everyone equally and help lead the growing demand for honesty and transparency in state government. Now's our time to stand up and demand a government that truly represents the people.

Now, it's true that (almost) every candidate running for office promises to clean up government, and offers vague assurances of "transparency" and "honesty." So let's get specific...

We can clean up our state government, but only if we do it together and across a broad spectrum of constituencies. That means we need a community -- including media outlets, nonprofit organizations, citizen activists and unions -- that is not afraid to speak out against corruption for fear of losing jobs, government contracts and state funding. We need honest elections in which every candidate who wants to run is encouraged to run, and in which every vote (and not a single vote more) is counted fairly and no one is turned away from the polls. And we need a state government in which people are hired because they can do the job, rather than as a favor to an elected official.

Cleaning up our government is a big job. And it all starts with electing honest people who won't use their political position as leverage to silence dissenting voices.

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR A REAL DEMOCRACY

Unlike the politicians of the state party machine, I understand that elected office is a privilege, not a right, and that as representative, my job is to represent the interests of the people. As a true "citizen legislator," I know that I work for you, not the other way around.

And unlike the politicians of the party machine, I'll go above and beyond to listen to your concerns, with extended office hours to accommodate working people, an open phone line and email account, and frequent community forums, where we can discuss our common challenges and arrive at solutions that benefit all of us.

Above all, every vote I make in the legislature will be about what’s best for all of the people in our community, not just privileged party insiders. In two years when my first term is up, I welcome all opponents in an open, competitive election campaign as a referendum on my performance.

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR A DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE

Like you, I believe in the Democratic Party and what it stands for.  I’m a lifelong Democrat and I come from generations of lifelong Democrats.  The Democratic Party has always been the party of the people, has always stood up against tyranny, injustice and greed.    But as many of us know too well,  New Mexico’s Democratic Party has lost sight of these ideals.  In public, the Party Machine talks the talk about upholding Democratic values, but behind closed doors, it rules by threats and intimidation, and puts the will of the privileged and powerful above the  will of the people.   Our campaign is about creating real change by electing real people who will truly uphold Democratic values and ideals. 

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR GREAT SCHOOLS

New Mexico is consistently ranked between 45th and 49th in the country as the worst educational system. In Santa Fe, we have a 50%+ drop out rate and unacceptably low achievement scores.  I think we all agree this is unacceptable. 

I understand that an investment in our children will bring huge returns to our neighbors, communities and our state. I've had politicians here in New Mexico tell me that "we've tried everything and found it doesn't work." They've given up on fixing our schools.

I’ve spent a great deal of time listening to teachers, parents, students, administrators and community leaders. Almost all of them shared some good, common sense and innovative ideas -- ideas that could really make a difference. The problem is our outdated political party machine does not listen. The politicians seem to be more concerned about their own personal interests and lining their own pockets -- they've forgotten about protecting one of our most valuable resources, OUR CHILDREN!

We also need to invest in and respect our teachers. Under the reign of Ben Lujan Sr., the legislature's mismanagement of funds cost the Teachers Retirement Fund tens of millions of dollars. This misuse of public funds has punished teachers, taking more dollars out of their pockets for the mistakes Ben Lujan Sr. and Governor Richardson created.

There are many people, like me, who realize it's not just about money. Yes, money is important but what is more important is how it is spent! Let's give teachers the resources to use intervention strategies when needed to help individual students. We also need to empower our teachers with the tools to identify learning gaps early rather than waiting until it's too late, help in designing classroom learning environments for students at multiple learning levels, and accelerated opportunities for students who are ahead of their peers.

We also need to do much more to make it easier for working parents to get involved in their kids’ education.  And finally, we have a system that doesn’t teach kids to value learning.  We need to relay the message to students that they can be successful and that it’s good to be smart.

NOW'S OUR TIME... FOR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

New Mexico is blessed with abundant natural resources and some of the world's most spectacular landscapes and wildlife. Our spectacular natural beauty is a national treasure, and it's also an important part of our cultural heritage.

As your representative, I'll fight to protect our wilderness and wildlife to ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the beauty of New Mexico just as we do. I'll encourage investment in green energy and sustainable technologies like wind, solar and alternative fuels to protect New Mexico's environment while providing sustainable, high-paying jobs and business opportunities for all New Mexicans.

Getting our energy through wind, solar, and geothermal isn’t just theoretical. There are companies and regular people working all over the country in these jobs right now. Green, sustainable energy is the future of New Mexico. (For a great short documentary on how the green energy economy is putting people to work right now, visit CleanEnergyStories.org.)

We also need to be much smarter than we have been about future development.  We need to be careful not to allow anxiety over the current crisis in the state and national economy to pressure us into haphazard development that we’ll regret later. We need to develop our community and economy in a way that’s genuinely sustainable, maintains our unique New Mexico way of life and protects our environment.

We can encourage sustainable development with strong green building practices that are specific to the needs of our community and that may be different from green building practices that work in other areas of the country. And in situations where homeowners would like to build green but can't afford to do so, we can explore the possibilities of working with local governments to reduce permitting fees for green projects, and to develop creative incentives that make green building affordable for all.

NOW'S OUR TIME...FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION

We have a serious substance abuse problem in America, and it’s particularly severe in northern New Mexico.  A lot of people talk about tougher enforcement, but enforcement alone won't solve the problem. We need to work much harder to address the underlying social problems that make drug abuse an attractive option for our young people -- a lack of opportunity, an entrenched system of poverty, and an absence of role models and mentors that show young people that success is possible.

We need to support early prevention and mentorship programs that are tailored to fit the individual communities that are hardest hit by substance abuse. Prevention programs aren't one size fits all, and what works in Albuquerque might not work in, say, Espanola or Chimayo, because the culture is different. 

We need to be much more innovative and do more "big picture" thinking with our handling of this critical issue.