• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
“Lt. Governor, thank you very much. I know that you’re doing a great job back here. I want tothank you and let you know your daughter is also doing a good job in Washington. I know she’sworking hard back there.“President Pro-Tem Jennings if he’s here, I want to recognize him. Speaker Lujan, wonderful tosee you. Ben Ray is making great first impressions on everybody in Washington. You shouldknow that. He’s doing the good work of the state.“I also want to thank my escort in here. And to all of the distinguished members of the New Mexico Legislature, thank you for inviting me to come share a few thoughts with you heretoday. I know that you’re very busy, and I want to make sure that I make my points and then letyou get your work done. Much of the work of addressing our state’s economic trouble has fallento you. I understand the difficulty of your task. And I respect the thoughtfulness andcompassion that you bring to it. A number of you have talked to me about how important it is toyou that you do your job well in these tough times.“I speak to you today for the first time as a U.S. Senator for New Mexico. I consider many of you my friends. And I hope that all of you, regardless of party, will see me as your partner.”
 
Economic Crisis“Given the situation we see around us, you won’t be surprised that I want to start by talkingabout the economy. Good people will disagree about how to fix our economy. But you knowsomething must be done. You know that your constituents are struggling. They are sufferingbecause of failed policies that they had nothing to do with. Some people want us to think that theonly people hurting right now are lazy and reckless Americans who borrowed money they couldnever pay back. But we know better.“My office was contacted by a man who has run a small business for 20 years providingconstruction supplies. He has cut his staff twice, and it’s really hurt him to do it. But even thatwas not enough, and he worries that he will be faced with closing his doors. He does not want ahandout for himself. But he asked if we could make it just a little easier for Americans to buyhomes. For Americans who can afford a home but can’t find credit. For middle class familieslooking to buy a piece of stability.“My office spoke the other day with a retired woman from Albuquerque who went back to workbecause she couldn’t pay her mortgage. She is working now, but she can’t quite make the money for her payments. And she asked me if we could just make it a little bit easier.“Just a little bit easier.“We have taken the first step. The housing tax credit in the recovery package won’t helpspeculators. But it will make it just a little easier for families to buy that first home. That, as allof you know, is something very important. And that will make it just a little bit easier for New Mexico builders and for that struggling small business owner. “As a result, the Recovery Package will create or save 22,000 jobs here in New Mexico.“And we’re doing more. President Obama’s housing plan won’t help people who took loansthey couldn’t afford. But it will make it just a little easier for a senior citizen who works hard to
 
 protect her house—a woman who needs a small boost to make that next payment and stay in her home. We have the power—you and I have the power—to make things just a little bit easier.We should use that power to get things done.“We must plan for the future. We cannot solve today’s problems without planning for tomorrow. One of the things that I want to talk to you about today is how we focus on planningon the kinds of issues that really make a difference to our constituents here in New Mexico. AndI want to talk in particular about two areas here in New Mexico that demand reform—two areaswhere the private market alone just doesn’t work. One is clean energy and the other ishealthcare.Clean Energy Jobs“And we all know—we all know—we have very tough times in the country in terms of energy.We need to do it all. We need to have a strong domestic oil and gas industry. You all had oiland gas day here at the Legislature. And we in New Mexico know that we’re a producer stateand they know that in Washington. And John Heaton, you know that nuclear power needs to be part of the mix. It may be a little known fact in New Mexico, but about 30 percent of New Mexico’s power comes from over the Palo Verde plant over in Arizona. And we have to investin innovative technologies.“But today I’d like to focus on green jobs.“As you know, Luna County has a double-digit unemployment rate. They were in a recessionbefore this crisis. And, if we don’t make fundamental changes, they will be in a recession whenthis crisis is over for the rest of the country. But Luna County has a massive, untapped potential for solar energy. If they can find a way to sell their sunlight, their future will besecure.“Rebuilding Luna County’s economy—and the economies of communities across our state—isnot a matter of spending government money. In fact, if we make smart investments today, wewill have more tax revenue in the future to address other challenges. But the private market, onits own, will not solve this problem. America’s energy markets do not value Luna’s cleanelectrons like they should. Economists call it market failure, and we have the power to fix it.“You have already done something to help communities like Luna County by passing a stateRenewable Portfolio Standard. Congratulations to you on doing that. Since that legislation passed, two private companies have begun construction in Deming on what will soon be amongthe largest solar power plants in the world. By 2011, the plant will employ 3-400 workers and produce enough energy to power 240,000 homes. This one plant could employ more than onequarter of the unemployed residents of Luna County.“Two California companies have paid almost $100,000 for the privilege of searching southwestNew Mexico for an appropriate site to build another utility-scale solar power plant. If thesecompanies decide to build another plant, southwest New Mexico will see a massive influx of money and jobs. Senator John Arthur Smith and Representative Dona Irwin—I know youunderstand how big this could be for your constituents. And I want you to know I understandtoo.
 
“But we can do more to help Luna and areas like it. And we have already started. Theeconomic recovery bill provided the largest investment in clean energy and conservation in our nation’s history. It included $10 billion to begin building a Smart Grid.“A Smart Grid would let Luna County start selling its sunlight to Arizona, Colorado andCalifornia. Expanding Luna’s market for clean electrons is the economic equivalent to sticking amassive oil well under the county’s soil. We have the power to turn Luna’s most plentifulresource into its most valuable. Why wouldn’t we do that?“The recovery package also includes $5.1 million for New Mexico’s State Energy Program toencourage alternative energy and conservation.“Congress should do something else to help Luna County and places like it. When the New Mexico Legislature passed a state renewable portfolio standard, you created a market for LunaCounty’s energy in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. That action will create thousands of jobs andbring billions in private investment. Now, imagine if the market for Luna’s sunlight was evenbigger. What if it included not only Santa Fe, but San Francisco? Not just our state, but all of the fast-growing states of the region.“A national renewable electricity standard would help create this national market for New Mexico’s energy. Only two lawmakers have succeeded in passing this plan through theCongress, and I am proud to say that both of them are from New Mexico. Senator Bingamanhas been a leading advocate for this proposal in the Senate, where he passed it three times. Andlast year, I was proud to pass a renewable standard through the House of Representatives. Nowis the time to make a renewable standard the law of the land. Senator Bingaman and I areworking to make it so.“And let me be clear: this is not just about Luna County or southwest New Mexico. I wouldbet that every one of you represents a district that would benefit from smart energy policies. If your district would not get its own solar plant or wind farm, your constituents would find jobsbuilding one or working on one. The workers from those plants will be able to buy food in your restaurants and goods from your stores—so that your small businesses can hire more of your citizens. And—with this plan—everybody you represent will benefit from lower energy costsand higher tax revenues. Everybody will benefit from an energy policy that sends more moneyto rural New Mexico and less money to Iran and Russia.“New Mexico is full of the small businesses and big ideas that could thrive with the right policies.“Senator Clint Harden and Representative Dennis Roch will see the benefits. They have “theworld’s tallest classroom” at Mesa Lands Community College. It is in a more than 400 footwind turbine, a place where students get an up-close look at the promise of wind power. Dennisand Clint—with better energy policies, we can make sure that students at Mesa Lands have jobswhen they leave the classroom. We have the power to help them. We should use it.“The five of you—Representatives Jose Campos, Keith Gardner and Dennis Roch; SenatorsStuart Ingle and Gay Kernan—who represent Portales will see the benefits. The U.S. Senate isworking right now on a bill that will provide $1 million for a plant in Portales that will getenergy from algae. It is expected to create 100 jobs. But I want to make sure that those jobs are just the beginning. With the right policies, we can make sure the Portales algae plant can sell its
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...