Campaign Phone
505-205-0868
Occupation
Attorney
I am an attorney and a certified public accountant. I bring the professional skills and abilities to help find solutions to the difficult issues facing our communities. I have worked in state government in positions ranging from an Assistant Attorney General to a Deputy Cabinet Secretary. I have worked as a successful executive director of a non-profit organization focused on helping women, children, and families with children. I understand the intricacies of working with state agencies.
My top priorities are to help develop a coordinated behavioral health program where state agencies coordinate with behavioral health programs in counties and cities to provide an elevated level of mental health and behavior health services for people when they need this level of care. I have prioritized the mental health and behavioral health of our children by focusing on having mental health and wellness rooms in our middle and high schools. Behavioral health programs help reduce crime.
We must address the aging infrastructure in our state to fix breaks and leaks in underground distribution pipes. Our water policies must focus on conservation, re-use, watershed management, and storm-water capture. Our policies must include education for the public about conserving water and a process for providing incentives, such as rebates, and tax credits for those who engage in xeriscaping and utilizing water-efficient appliances.
We must make sure that our law enforcement officers are trained to recognize people with mental health issues to protect the safety of these individuals when they engage law enforcement officers. We must continue to develop and enhance more community-based intervention programs like the Albuquerque Community Safety Program where people with lived experiences help others navigate through problems that lead to public safety problems. We must clean up vacant lots and improve street lighting.
I support HUD’s Housing Trust Fund, a program designed to increase the number of affordable rental units available to low-income households. Under this program, HUD provides funding to New Mexico for affordable housing rental projects. In 2022, HUD provided $3.5 million to New Mexico for this project. We need a strategic plan for marketing the availability of these funds to individuals and families who qualify for the funds. We need to develop programs that will support manufactured homes.
The state can focus on supporting programs for entrepreneurs and removing barriers to financial resources for entrepreneurs. New Mexico can become more involved in global trade and manufacturing. We can work closer with the federal government to enhance the state’s work in the aerospace industry. We can focus more on training and developing programs that help people learn a skilled trade though workforce training programs at community colleges throughout the state.
Legislators should be paid for the work they do every day to develop policies and laws that support the well-being of communities, families, and children in our state, then diversity of people who serve as legislators will grow significantly. When legislators are paid, they can devote one hundred percent of their time to their work as a legislator rather than having to divide their time between finding employment that will pay a salary and serving in the legislature.Legislators should be paid.
Campaign Phone
505-264-0813
Occupation
retired/Domestic Engineer
I'm a former public school teacher. I've been an active participant in the democratic process, including studying bills, giving testimony, and educating the public on various legislative agendas for the past 2 decades. I served on a Student Advisory Committee at APS from 2010 - 2013. I have served my community volunteering for my children's sports teams, church ministries, homeschool groups, as well as my daughter's high school activities. I've also volunteered as a paralegal.
As a former public school teacher, I understand the absolute importance of giving the tools for life long learning. Lately we have groups that have decided for New Mexicans what they can or cannot think, while neglecting the basics. Foolish sayings such as, "Math or Reading is racist," not only pigeon-holes students into draconian thinking, it cripples them from succeeding in life. Every child deserves proper tools to help them fulfill their potential in life.
Water is life. Generations of New Mexicans have known how to use, conserve, & respect our water supply. People should be cautious about external groups deciding about how or who gets to use our water. These same groups disregard private property and land grants. As a legislator, I will be committed to protecting and defending New Mexican's sovereignty and our livelihoods from outsiders with a pen and an agenda, who think they can determine who gets to thrive and who doesn't.
Support our men & women in blue. Stop catch and release. Close the border. This humanitarian crisis has left 80K+ children unaccounted for; many were used as decoys to deter attention from cartels smuggling fentanyl across the border. Over 1/3 of those women and children have been raped, some murdered. That is NOT compassionate. Woke legislation ties the hands of law enforcement, and then leaves those most affected by high crime vulnerable. Who gets blamed? The Blue. That has to stop.
Start with our Veterans! I'm in support of the newest homeless veterans transitional project in Albuquerque, helping them get on their feet. We've also seen a huge growth of those needing affordable housing, because of our destroyed economy. Offering training in financial basics will empower families to create goals and hope to provide as they truly desire, not as the gov't says they can have.
Start with cutting taxes. Stop unnecessary regulations. New Mexico's landscape lends itself to tourism, but this past legislative session raised taxes on Air BNBs from 3-10%! -330% increase! Talk about stymieing the economy! These are individuals offering alternatives to draw commerce to NM, but the smell of cash flow will most likely shut this down. Entrepreneurs don't need the govt breathing down their necks to do their job. Certain industries shouldn't be the only ones with tax breaks.
There are positives and negatives on both ends. Positive - Legislators can concentrate on doing their jobs, not divided to have to have a separate income when not in session. Negative - There will still always be lobbyists. Also, this is more taxes; will people give the same amount of effort when in office? Will the legislative sessions be extended full year leading to more unnecessary laws? I lean on the "no" side. Let the people decide.
