Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 93 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
April 17, 2014
THURSDAY
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Recordings surface in New Mexico governor race SANTA FE (AP) — Democrats called Wednesday for Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to apologize after a liberal publication released recordings in which she and aides used profanity and of fensive names to describe political opponents. The gover nor, who’s seeking re-election this year and is viewed as a possible rising star in national GOP ranks, also came under fire for making critical remarks about public school teachers while telling aides that it
was a view that couldn’t be expressed publicly during her campaign. “Governor Martinez and her aides’ comments are inexcusable. We have clear proof of her intent to deceive voters and her disdain for anyone who has dif fering views,” said Lawrence Rael, one of the five Democrats running for governor in the June primary election. Martinez campaign spokesman Chris Sanchez didn’t issue an apology on behalf of the governor but acknowledged that the
Going for the gold
governor “used salty language in a private conversation four years ago with close advisers and will pay the appropriate penalty to the cuss jar.” The campaign sent an email to Martinez supporters noting that Martinez had referred to her 2010 general election opponent, then Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, “using the B-word” in a conversation with advisers. The recordings were part of an unflattering profile of Martinez posted online by Mother Jones magazine.
Sanchez dismissed the article and Democratic criticisms. “That the national left is trying to smear the first Hispanic woman governor in American history because they view her as a threat is about as surprising as the National Enquirer reporting that Elvis is still alive,” Sanchez said in a statement. The recordings were “private conversations undoubtedly sent to them by individuals or their allies who are either under federal indictment, or have
Mark Wilson Photo
Students from Military Heights Elementary compete in the 100-meter dash at New Mexico Military Institute, Wednesday morning, in a qualifying heat to determine the school's fastest athletes to represent the school in the upcoming Roswell Games. The Roswell Games will be held at the Wool Bowl on May 6 and will have students from Roswell area elementary schools competing against one another in an Olympic-style format.
had their homes raided by the FBI for their role in stealing or distributing Gov. Susana Martinez’s email,” he said. A former campaign manager for the gover nor pleaded not guilty last year to federal charges that he hijacked the campaign’s email system after Martinez became governor in 2011. Martinez, in one of the recordings, privately suggests public school teachers may earn too much. “During the campaign, we can’t say it, I guess,
because it’s education, but I really keep going back to that ... keeping the teachers from feeling the pain when they already don’t work, you know, two and a half months out of the year or three months out of the year but earn salaries at the same rate of people who do work 12 months a year,” Martinez said in the recording.
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
tell people their concerns are deeply validated,” Pearce said. “When you look at the timber industry when they listed the spotted owl as endangered now ... 85 percent of the timber industry is gone. It’s out of the country now. The same thing has the potential of occurring here.”
Leaders of educational unions said the governor’s remarks were demeaning to teachers.
Community expresses ‘deep concern’ over prairie chicken listing Farmers, oil and gas producers, landowners and concerned residents crowded the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday for a town hall meeting held by Congressman Steve Pearce about the federal lesser prairie chicken listing. Some of the attendees filled the room and stood in the hallway to hear from Pearce, representatives of New Mexico Game and Fish and the Bureau of Land Management. Many asked questions concerning what affects the recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing that designated the bird as threatened would have on the livelihood of county landowners. “People are expressing deep concerns about this listing that has occurred. I
Pearce said he was deeply disappointed with the federal listing of the bird, announced last month. He said the agency’s state director Dan Ashe confirmed the decision was made in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental activists and it was not based on science.
“(Ashe) said we had to move now because of the lawsuit. I’m sorry, but we should not be determining the future of industries ...
State town hall yields School board honors Roswell Coyotes water recommendations ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Hundreds of New Mexico officials, business leaders and others finished hashing out recommendations Wednesday for improving the way the drought-stricken state uses its water and plans for the future.
They’re calling for more sharing agreements to stretch meager water supplies through dry times and changes in the law to better balance the water needs of people with endangered species. Carving out a portion of the state budget each year for water projects and adding a special curriculum to teach students at all grade levels about water issues are also among the suggestions to come out of New Mexico First’s two-day town hall on water.
John D’Antonio, former state engineer and a deputy district engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said implementing the recommendations will require a combination of common sense, political will and money. Working with lawmakers and lobbyists, D’Antonio will be leading the implementation effort over the next year. “Water is so complicated. If you can’t put all of the pieces together, it does look insurmountable,” he said. “Somehow we have to simplify that complexity and try to get to some collaborative solutions.” New Mexico is entering its fourth consecutive year of drought, the latest in a See WATER, Page A3
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Independent School District Board of Education members honored the Roswell High basketball team, who are the 2014 AAAA state champions. The 29-1 team went 4-0 in their district and took top honors in the state, the third state championship Roswell High has gar nered in six years, said coach Britt Cooper. “We expected to win the championship in 2010, we had several of those same boys back that year, but the talent and determination of this bunch may have surpassed even that group,” Cooper said. See BOARD, Page A3
From left: Chaves County sheriff Republican candidates Gary Graves, Art Fleming, Britt Snyder and Pat Barncastle spoke at the Chaves County Republican Women's luncheon Wednesday.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
Randal Seyler Photo
The Roswell High School Boys Basketball squad were front and center at Tuesday’s school board meeting when the Coyotes were honored for their 2014 State Championship by the Roswell Independent School District’s Board of Education.
Sheriff candidates speak at CCRW luncheon JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Jill McLaughlin Photo
See LISTING, Page A3
Protecting county citizens and their constitutional rights against federal infringement was a hot topic posed Wednesday to the four candidates running for sheriff at the Chaves County Republican Women’s Luncheon. All four candidates are Republican and will face off in the primary to be held June 3. Luncheon attendees heard speeches and asked
questions of Gary Graves, former De Baca County sheriff; Art Fleming, a veteran New Mexico Mounted patrolman and gas utility employee; Chief Deputy Britt Snyder; and District Attorney lead investigator Pat Barncastle. The topic of protecting the county’s citizens from federal overreach came up several times. Fleming first brought up the topic when he talked about his belief about protecting Second Amendment rights. “What’s coming with the prairie chickens and with
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the federal government trying to impose their thoughts on what we need in Chaves County... We believe in the right to have our guns,” Fleming said. “Those are our constitutional rights. They are tools and we’ve always seen them as tools. Nothing more, nothing less.” Fleming said the county needed someone willing to stand up for the community and to be ready for what was coming. After attending the meeting held by Congressman Steve Pearce about the lesser prairie
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
chicken listing Tuesday, he was concerned about the federal government’s actions and affects on local citizens.
“If we give them an inch, they will take a mile,” Fleming said. “It has happened. We’ve seen it. And by reading the news headlines, it’s on the way guys. We have people who make a living in the oil and gas industry. It is threatened right now. The wolves are at the door, we’re going to have to stop See CANDIDATES, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD ..................B4