Candidates court Lobo vote

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@ArdeeTheJourno

Albuquerque’s mayoral elections are tomorrow, but not everybody is caught up with the recent mayoral debates. The Daily Lobo gave the three mayoral candidates a final chance to reach out to UNM’s voters and to speak about their stances on some of the city’s key issues. Here are their responses:

Daily Lobo: What do you think is the biggest issue in the city?

Richard Berry: Albuquerque is a great city, and we need to keep moving forward. When I first came into office, we faced some tremendous challenges with a national recession and federal budget cuts. But our city has turned a corner, and our best days are ahead of us. Businesses are adding jobs, we’re now seeing the lowest crime rates in 20 years, and our city is fiscally sound.

With steady and responsible leadership, we’ve made too much progress to turn back now. My next four years will focus on moving Albuquerque forward and building upon our accomplishments.

Pete Dinelli: We must stop the brain drain Albuquerque is experiencing due to the lack of good-paying jobs and careers with a future. Under Berry, we’ve lost thousands of jobs and are now the fourth worst place in the nation for jobs and second to last in employment prospects. It’s simply unacceptable. As mayor, I will fight to provide young people with the same great opportunities that I had growing up so that they can stay here at home and thrive.

Paul Heh: There are several serious issues plaguing Albuquerque.

The biggest problem lies with the economy, which is tied directly to the lack of jobs. Albuquerque desperately needs new industry. That new industry will bring well-paying jobs.

Albuquerque lost more jobs last year than any other city in the United States. The Albuquerque metro area economy declined further this year and was ranked 96th out of 100 for the first quarter. We have to stop the hemorrhaging of jobs from our city.

DL: What do you plan to do to address economic development in the city?

RB: I want Albuquerque to be a city of opportunity where everyone can find a good job. My partnerships with UNM, including Innovate ABQ, will be an integral part of that plan. With steady and responsible leadership, our city’s economy continues to improve. In my first term, we made Albuquerque more business-friendly. As a result, local businesses added 7,200 jobs in just the last year. During my second term, we will continue diversifying our local economy through private sector growth while fighting to protect our public sector partners, such as Sandia National Labs … and Kirtland Air Force Base.

PD: I’m proud to be the only candidate who has proposed a comprehensive plan to create the permanent careers that Albuquerque so desperately needs. It’s called ENERGIZE ABQ and will create 20,000 jobs by making major investments in our infrastructure, supporting local businesses and attracting new industry. The time for thinking small about our future must end.

This plan is a forward-looking vision that will energize our community with big ideas and tens of thousands of jobs while rebuilding our economy from the ground up.

PH: As mayor, I will bring large special events to Albuquerque that will immediately stimulate our economy and create thousands of sustainable jobs. Simultaneously, I will have a team of stewards who will actively be out in corporate America selling Albuquerque to industry. I will work to create trade schools to train our workforce to work in those industries … Short-term, I will bring spectacular special events to Albuquerque, such as Route 66 Car Show, running, bicycling … that will immediately stimulate Albuquerque’s economy. Long-term, I will seek highly qualified and knowledgeable stewards to sell Albuquerque to different industries.

DL: What do you plan to do to improve public safety in the city?

RB: We’ve made public safety a priority during my first term, and the results have been nothing less than impressive.

Albuquerque has seen the lowest FBI crime rates in 20 years during my first term. We’ve cracked down on property crimes and doubled the number of arrests, and last year our city had 650 fewer auto thefts than the year before I took over. While violent crime rose across the country last year, it went down in Albuquerque. During the next four years, we will continue to make public safety a priority.

PD: Throughout my career in public service I’ve helped make government work. As interim director of 911 (in Albuquerque), we brought emergency response times down almost 90 seconds, and as public safety director we cracked down on meth labs and crack houses. On day one I will remove the top brass of APD so that we can finally begin the healing process and restore confidence in public safety after four years of total mismanagement from Mayor Berry. We will restore APD to 1,100 officers and get 911 emergency response times back down so that Albuquerque families will feel safe once again.

PH: The Albuquerque Police Department is a disaster due to the lack of true leadership. As mayor I will replace the top leadership at APD. I will eliminate the college requirement and I will bring APD’s numbers up to the authorized strength. I will continue to grow the police department to 1,200 police officers. From there, it will be evaluated to see where we need to go. Every officer will receive new training on how to deal with people who are mentally ill and there will be more training in the area of use of force.

DL: What makes you qualified to be mayor?

RB: I have experience in business and public service and a proven track record of steady and responsible leadership. We faced some big challenges when I first came into office. But our city has definitely turned a corner, and our best days are ahead of us.

During my first term we’ve accomplished a great deal by working together in a non-partisan way to make this city even better.

PD: I was born and raised here, love my hometown and know that we can do better than we have the past four years. I’ve dedicated my career to public service and have always focused on making government more responsive and more effective. I’m the only candidate who has a plan to get us back to work immediately while creating long-term careers. On day one, I will clean up the police department, and I will fight to protect what makes Albuquerque special, including the Bosque.

PH: I am not a politician. I am the same as you. I have assembled a professional team of advisors who possess expertise in different fields to advise me. I have the winning team for Albuquerque. I know what the problems are, and I promise to change, reform, rejuvenate and restore Albuquerque. This includes re-establishing our economy, creating jobs, correcting APD and improving the overall quality of life. I need your support and vote.

DL: How important do you think are student votes in this election? Would you encourage students to vote?

RB: This is a very important election for university students because there is so much on the line for Albuquerque’s future. As mayor, one of my biggest priorities is making sure that when you graduate, you have the opportunity to find the job of your dreams right here at home. We’re working hard every day to do that by diversifying our economy and making Albuquerque an attractive city for businesses around the world. Everything I have worked on during my first term leads to this very important goal, and we will continue to work toward it during my second term.

PD: Your vote is your voice — be heard. I strongly urge students to learn more about the candidates, our positions and our plans for Albuquerque’s future. I’m the only candidate who believes in a woman’s right to choose, that same-sex couples deserve the same rights as everyone else and that our mayor must enforce the minimum wage raise approved by two-thirds of voters last year. I truly believe that students have a big stake in this election, and I encourage students to exercise their right to vote on Tuesday.

PH: I believe the student vote could decide who the next mayor of Albuquerque will be. I strongly encourage students to get out and vote. Students need to have their voice heard in the community. I am concerned, however, with voter suppression for UNM and CNM students. In the past, there was always a vote placed at the (Student Union Building) at UNM. This year, there is not. I believe it is imperative for students to motivate each other and have their voices heard.