Green Party Watch

The New Mexico PRC race is covered by the Albuquerque Journal with this interesting take on the race:

The battle began last week when Green Party candidate Rick Lass challenged his Democratic opponent Jerome Block Jr. to a series of debates. The candidates are vying for the northern New Mexico seat on the Public Regulation Commission, whose various duties range from pipeline safety to pocketbook issues, such as by how much utilities can hike energy bills.
Block responded to the challenge in an e-mail Tuesday that was forwarded to reporters.
“Regardless of your motivation or agenda in conducting debates, I do not intend my campaign schedule to be influenced by a minor party candidate who had to be ‘drafted to run,’ ” Block wrote.

“You and your supporters tout you as the ‘qualified candidate,’ ” the Democrat continued. “While there is nothing wrong with your real-life experiences and employment as a pizza delivery person and a food market clerk, I do not feel it qualifies you to be a PRC commissioner. You mention, repeatedly, your advocacy for voting initiatives. Perhaps you are not aware that the PRC does not deal with voting issues. Perhaps you would consider applying your self-professed talents to running for county clerk in 2012.”
[...]
Block also said his recent work as a sales manager for a title insurance company would serve him well on the commission, which regulates the industry.
Lass responded Wednesday in an open letter to Block.
“Your only qualification seems to be your employment by the title insurance industry, which represents an enormous conflict of interest given the PRC sets the price of title insurance in New Mexico,” he wrote. “How can the voters trust you to represent them on rate hearings involving an industry for which you were on the payroll and may still be?”
Block said Wednesday he left the title insurance job for the campaign. Lass is a graduate of St. John’s College and is now the director of Voting Matters, an election-reform organization.

Tags: New Mexico, Rick Lass

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 pm and is filed under State Party News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.