Bob Anderson said his plan to spend Albuquerque's money on community development rather than "wars abroad" makes him the best candidate for City Council in District 6.
Anderson, 59, and an adjunct professor of Western civilization and political science at UNM, is running on the Green Party ticket. He is not teaching any courses this semester.
Anderson said his candidacy is built more on bringing a "peace and justice" voice to the council than it is on Green Party values.
"I think what my campaign represents in this race is the voice of people who have been left out of so-called progressive politics," he said.
Four issues are at the heart of Anderson's agenda, he said.
While many of the candidates are debating how to make Albuquerque safer in terms of crime, Anderson said, they are avoiding the most pressing public safety hazard - 3,000 nuclear weapons at Kirtland Air Force Base.
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"We're sitting right here in Albuquerque where a large war industry is what runs the city," said Anderson, who worked with the U.S. Air Force's bomb disposal unit during the Vietnam War. "I'm saying let's convert that to peaceful uses."
Water use is the second issue Anderson's platform focuses on, he said. He advocates a dual-pipe system, under which corporations and West side developers could use water from the San Juan-Chama project equally with citizens seeking drinking water.
"The aquifer belongs to the public," he said.
Anderson said Mayor Martin Ch†vez's regressive tax system puts too much of a burden on the low-income citizens in District 6. He said if elected, he would make sure those people "get their share" of money brought in by projects such as street bonds.
Finally, Anderson advocates a light rail train system for Albuquerque and two major street-restructuring projects to alleviate pollution in the city. He said converting Coal Avenue into a walking and bike path and making Lead Avenue run two ways instead of one would decrease air pollution.
Anderson, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1998, said the council run has been "more regulated, I've had to do more paperwork."
He also said media publicity he's received for anti-war activities has made him a more visible candidate, increasing his chances to win.
At UNM, Anderson said, more transparency and a publicly elected Board of Regents would preserve the University's academic integrity.
District 6 is bordered by Girard Boulevard on the west, Gibson Boulevard on the south, Lomas Boulevard on the north and Eubank Boulevard on the east. The election is Oct. 28.
On the issues:
lAnderson opposes expanding the Montano Bridge from two lanes to four and the proposed road through the Petroglyph National Monument. "We've got to draw the line somewhere and stop sprawl," he said.
lAnderson supports raises for city employees, but said salary increases should "start from the bottom, for folks like our bus drivers."
lAnderson opposed both recent Constitutional amendments concerning education. The first allowed the governor to appoint a Cabinet-level secretary of education; the other allows public schools to tap the state's permanent land fund.
