by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
City Councilor Eric Griego was the only mayoral candidate to participate in a debate at the SUB on Wednesday - and he was 45 minutes late.
Representatives spoke for candidates Mayor Martin Ch†vez and Brad Winter.
A surrogate also spoke for Griego until he arrived.
Candidate David Steele was not represented in the debate, which was put on by the Graduate and Professional Student Association and the Associated Students of UNM.
The surrogates said the candidates they represented were at an emergency meeting of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association.
Bruce Perlman, who spoke for Ch†vez, said he did not know he would be speaking until Thursday morning.
"The mayor called me this morning - I was still in my pj's in fact - and asked if I could pitch in for him," he said.
Griego made an opening statement at the police meeting, but then left to attend the debate, he said.
The other candidates probably stayed to try to get the endorsement of the police department, he said.
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"I'm really surprised these other guys didn't show up," he said. "The police are important, but this is important too."
Ch†vez arrived at the debate about 10 minutes after it was over. He told Buckner Creel, GPSA president, he was sorry he missed the debate.
"But police endorsements are a powerful thing," he said.
Chavez's and Winter's representatives said it was important for the candidates they represented to attend the police meeting out of respect for the August murder of two Albuquerque police officers.
Creel said the association should not have scheduled the meeting at the same time as a mayoral debate.
"I was disappointed that they scheduled it at this time," he said. "It puts the candidates in a bad position."
About 60 people attended the event in the SUB Ballroom.
GPSA picked the questions for the candidates from questions students submitted.
Creel said graduate students submitted about 20 questions, which were edited down to just eight.
Brittany Jaeger, ASUNM president, said she was disappointed undergraduate students did not submit any questions.
One topic of debate was a minimum wage increase in Albuquerque.
Perlman said the minimum wage should be increased, but it should not be Albuquerque's responsibility.
"There's no doubt that Brad wants to support, and we need to support, higher paying jobs in Albuquerque," Winter said.
She said it should be up to the federal government to raise the minimum wage.
Griego said Bush's administration will probably not raise the minimum wage and it is up to the city to make sure its citizens are paid well.
Another question was about problems with crime in Southeast Albuquerque.
Griego, who represents that district in City Council, said the area faces problems because of the sprawl development of Albuquerque.
He said the city government is not trying hard enough to protect and take care of its older neighborhoods.
Winter said the student ghetto needs more police officers.
"We need to put more effort, more time and more money into patrolling that particular part of the city," she said.
Perlman blamed Griego for problems with southeast Albuquerque.
"What's pertinent is public safety and putting more officers on the street," he said. "You have to ask yourself who's responsible for that part of town."
Creel said he was disappointed some questions did not get asked.
"I thought there would be a question about all-ages shows Downtown," he said. "But I guess some of these questions were more important."
