Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by Viewers Like You >>Nash: This week on New Mexico in Focus Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham weighs in on the just concluded special legislative session and looks towards the work ahead.

>>Grisham: There is no state in America that can shore up their healthcare system without Congress coming to its senses.

>>Nash: Plus, we go deep with two top tier candidates vying for the soon to be vacant Santa Fe Mayor's Office.

New Mexico in Focus starts now >>Nash: Thanks for joining us, I'm Nash Jones.

Early voting in the Santa Fe Mayor's race began this week, and the contest is starting to come into focus.

A mix of government insiders, current and former city councilors, previous candidates for The City Different's top job and a county commissioner are emerging as the most likely winners.

In previous shows, we introduce you to the lower tier candidates through quick question and answer sessions with our reporter, Cailley Chella This week, we bring you a pair of longer, more nuanced interviews with two of the potential frontrunners.

They are Ronald Trujillo and JoAnne Vigil Coppler Two familiar faces for Santa Fe city government watchers, both of whom ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Alan Webber in the past.

Webber is not running for reelection this time around.

Now, a quick reminder about how we chose who got the longer treatment versus the shorter interviews.

We used campaign cash raised minus the amounts that contenders may have loaned themselves in ballot petition signatures to rank the candidates.

You will hear from Trujillo and Vigil Coppler a bit later in the show.

But first, an interview you will only see on New Mexico in Focus.

Last week, special session ended late Thursday afternoon following some lengthy airing of grievances on the House Floor that left no time for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's traditional post session news conference.

She issued a written statement but hasn't spoken publicly about what lawmakers did and did not get done.

This week, we caught up with the governor in her office.

In this first part of the interview.

We get into a little postmortem on the special session with the second term Democratic governor, >>Nash: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Thanks so much for the time.

>>Grisham: You're welcome.

>>Nash: So, your office and the legislature, there are two separate and equal parts of the government and so, you don't always see eye to eye.

This last special session, though, I felt like you were on the same page with Democratic leadership in the legislature.

In fact, Speaker Martinez told me after the Session adjourned that he had a good partnership with your office that his whole caucus did, and he felt like you would be very much supportive of the work that they got done.

How do you feel at that?

>>Grisham: I agree with the Speaker.

I mean, for for your viewing audience.

I have the ability to just to call a Special Session.

It doesn't have to be an emergency.

I can just do it.

But that's not the way that I think you should operate with the legislature.

When I called them in for the crime, Special Session, I still think that's an emergency statewide.

But I can't get agreement when you don't have agreement by the majority party in the chambers.

You're not likely to get the stuff that you need.

And then it's much harder sometimes in the next session.

So this session, it was important to me, with all the angst and all of the anger that all of us are feeling about politicians today.

But the most valuable thing, in addition to solving problems that we could do, is for the vast majority of us, to be on the same page.

New Mexicans deserve to know that we've got their back and to the Speaker's credit, he delivered his caucus and to the pro tem and the leaders credit in the Senate.

They did the same.

So, we agreed well in advance about what would be on the agenda.

>>Nash: So, well in advance.

And I imagine, you know, that's mostly behind closed doors until the public can see the session after it's gaveled in.

Last year you vetoed a bill that would have offered more transparency for lobbying in the legislature.

You called it, “onerous and unclear.” Would you support a similar type of bill with some tweaks in order to give the public more of a picture of how this all came together in the future?

>>Grisham: Yeah, I mean, we've done a ton, and I've been around for a time.

I was -- doing advocacy work with the legislature, pre webcasting, where every New Mexican can at least see and hear the debate and, and in real time, get access to what these Bills look like.

Right?

You can read them -- >>Nash: The session itself -- >>Grisham: The session itself in the interim committees.

Right?

You can see everything all year long.

But we should do more and more and more, particularly trust for government all time low in America.

I'd like to think I haven't pulled it recently.

That trust for New Mexico governing and government in general is higher than the national averages.

But that bill just was sort of a moment in time.

These bills change all the time.

And so to try to get that drafted, I mean, get that, listed at the Secretary of State's office when you can't get timely reports because they haven't funded the Secretary of State to have the new IT system.

I don't want -- New Mexicans to have a failed system about transparency and think that we aren't serious about transparency.

So, underlying intentions are good in my mind, Bill, not quite good.

And also put legislators in there having meetings with lobbyists all day long.

And in fact, if you really want to know what lobbyist are doing, they're downstairs with legislators.

So they have to also talk about their positions.

What's been given to them in writing.

Otherwise you can't get a true picture.

And statewide officials, including the Governor's office.

So they should make it an all encompassing bill.

That's going to be a challenge, but I think they're up to it.

>>Nash: Okay.

Let's talk about what did get done with this agreement.

So, $162 million to backstop federal funding cuts.

Those cuts come from not only Trump's Big Bill, but the rescission package.

The potential end of ACA tax credits at the end of the year here.

That's the Obamacare plans.

Backstopping those with state funds.

We've gotten some questions from the public about how the state was able to do this.

So, what money was this, $162 million?

And why is New Mexico in a better position than so many other states as these federal funding cuts are coming?

>>Grisham: I'm going to do why we're in a better position, because to your point, and New Mexican's points, there are many states that are in the red and are at budget deficits and states, most states, I think all of them have to balance the budgets.

They have to figure out things to cut to get back into the black.

So number one, New Mexico has an incredible economy today.

That does not mean that I think every New Mexican is feeling like they have enough to make ends meet, right, with inflation and housing and healthcare costs.

I don't think that's the case, but truth be known, we are more than double the national average in every single one of our economic sectors.

Our energy sectors are off the charts.

That's not just oil and gas.

It's also all of our renewables.

And now with quantum and the AI investments and fusion, our projections 20 years out are incredibly good.

Two, we as Democrats and Republicans have been really good about putting money away in interest bearing investment accounts that allow us to have sufficient funds today, tomorrow and the next day.

So, it's not just the big land grant permanent funds, but those are very useful.

But it's the early childhood.

$9 billion, which is how we're doing universal childcare and related programs.

The Healthcare Affordability Fund, right, that we built and created, the Medicaid Trust Fund that we're building as we are spending both things.

So, states don't do that around the country.

New Mexico has done that.

It really started in oil and gas, but we've done it in a number of our tax accounts or reserve accounts.

If they hit a certain threshold, money gets placed in other savings accounts for specialized purposes that are aimed at keeping costs down and creating opportunities for New Mexicans.

And third, from a policy perspective, frankly, even in a bipartisan way, this is a state that is worried about whether you can find a house, whether or not you're going to be able to pay for your premium, whether or not you can, get the groceries that you need to feed your family.

And when you have policymakers that care about that, it's really easy then to invest.

It was really three questions, and I broke up one of them, which is how could we do that?

We already have more money in our general fund account getting into the next session.

So, we spend the money that we are told that we have, right?

But sometimes we have more than that.

So more money.

In the first part of this fiscal year, what started in July is coming into the coffers than previously identified.

That gave us some more money to add to this.

So, 162 million, without raising taxes, without making cuts is available to give people some relief.

>>Nash: Thanks for making that down.

Part of that money went to shoring up medicaid and Snap benefits as federal funding cuts are impending from Trump's Big Bill.

1 in 5 New Mexicans relies on Snap.

40% of New Mexico relies on Medicaid.

I'd like you to take a moment to speak to those New Mexicans and, help them understand what does this investment mean for their benefits and what they can expect longterm?

>>Grisham: Well, I want two things.

Again, that's a hard question, because right now, I believe that Congress and the federal government are not paying attention to what those New Mexicans and so many of those Americans really need.

Right?

They need access to healthcare coverage.

For me, healthcare is a fundamental right.

We don't operate it like that in this country.

And getting rid of those programs for children and by and large, and their families, for retirees for our grandparents and great grandparents, for disabled adults is the cruelest, backwards and not necessary shift at the federal level.

In New Mexico, we're not going to do that.

We're going to figure it out.

And the reason I said it was complicated.

The 162 million make sure right now that we're starting to save and make sure that there's going to be Medicaid support, because federal dollars in a year are really going to get restricted.

So see, I'm really I'm already leaning in.

>> Nash: In planning for that, >> Grisham: Not planning, having money in an account ready so you don't, squeeze those benefits right.

Two the affordability for insurance.

The ACA, the Affordable Care Act premiums there, that's what we have a shut down for, right?

You're not going to be able to afford your premiums.

And here's something else I want New Mexicans watching this.

It's a hard thing for anyone, everyone to understand feels like, well, maybe we shouldn't be spending so much federal and state money on people who can't afford health care insurance, Medicaid.

I disagree, fundamental right.

We don't do that.

We certainly don't let a child with cancer go without treatment.

We shouldn't let anyone with cancer go without treatment.

Without those Medicaid investments, your health care just goes up.

It stabilizes, right?

All the other health care investments and benefits, fewer people getting access and coverage.

More people need ERs more six people that's their only access point.

You and I have to pay more.

Pretty soon, our subsidies, our premiums are so out of whack ore prescription drugs, you cannot do it.

Medicaid, it is beyond.

You have to create stability in the whole health care system.

>> Nash: Another piece of what was passed was, shoring up ACA, premiums.

>> Grisham: That's right.

>> Nash: If those subsidies end at the end of the year.

About $17 million, >> Grisham: Even if they do, and even if they don't, we create an opportunity to go beyond the federal requirements or limitations.

>> Nash: Yeah, is that what would happen for the $17 million that was approved for, ACA assistance?

If you know, that's a bargaining chip right now during the shutdown, if congressional Democrats were able to succeed in extending those tax credits, where does that $17 million that, the state legislature approved go?

>> Grisham: It means more people are going to have access to our affordability fund, because at 400% of poverty, I'm going to tell you right now, you don't have enough to make your mortgage payment or pay for your insurance.

That's about 140,000 for a family of four.

You can't buy your groceries, you can't pay your electric bill.

So the federal design is really tight.

The New Mexico design is to make sure that we keep as many New Mexicans fully covered as possible.

And with this nonsense, what's going on at the federal level?

These insurance companies have to project what they think is going to happen.

So they've already set their rates way too high because they're expecting this doesn't get resolved in a really meaningful way.

So even if Congress comes to their senses, even if President Trump says, okay, I will extend right, those tax credits will put them in to the budget bill.

For most Americans, it's already too late.

They've failed you by fooling around with this and reducing Medicaid by nearly 900 billion.

They already did the damage.

That's why we had a special session.

I'm not going to let that damage preclude New Mexicans from having the protections they need and deserve.

>> Nash: So when, when legislative Republicans were arguing this isn't an emergency, some of these things aren't going to hit until next year or even after that.

That's what you're saying.

That's why this needed to happen now?

>> Grisham: That's absolutely right, and it is happening now.

People have gotten already insurance bills that are up.

You've seen all of the national advertising about prescription drugs going up.

They know that's not true.

It's a political talking point that everything hits later.

And by then the economy is going to be great and it's not going to be damaging.

That's just not true.

And also a lot of these cuts like the snap cuts also happen right now it's October and November.

That means families are without a snap benefit to feed their children today.

We took care of that today with this special session.

And, you know, in the Senate, we had a bipartisan vote.

In the House I'm disappointed.

I mean, we could argue just numbers.

It's a supermajority.

I firmly believe that Republicans in New Mexico care about feeding families, and I wish they would show New Mexicans who they are, who I know them to be in more of these votes.

I think New Mexicans and Americans are hungry, pardon the pun, for that.

Instead of showing congressional Republicans that, you know, they've got some Republicans here that support what it is that they're trying to do with their so-called tax packages for business, which for me is a tax package just for the Uber ultra wealthy.

I was a little disappointed by that.

But my personal belief is you have far more Republicans in the legislature and far more Republicans in New Mexico that unequivocally care about feeding New Mexico families.

>> Nash: We appreciate the governor for making some time for us to talk all things special session, budget backfilling and more.

Stay with us for part two of our conversation later this hour.

But now, with early voting underway, we turn our attention to the race for Santa Fe mayor.

Two term Mayor Allen Webber is bowing out in a crowded field of eight, is vying for the capital city's top job.

This week, we introduce you to two more of them.

First up is Ron Trujillo, who served three terms in the city council representing district four in Mid City in the south side.

Trujillo's run for mayor before in 2018, losing to Alan Webber, the longtime public servant and youth coach of just about every sport you can name says he can't think of a single thing about the Webber administration that he supports.

So we talked about what exactly a Trujillo administration would look like.

Ron Trujillo, thanks so much for your time.

>> Trujillo: Appreciate it.

Thank you guys for inviting me.

>> Nash: Now, you served on the city council in Santa Fe for 12 years.

I imagine a lot of voters here are familiar with you, but for those who aren't.

I'd like to ask you to introduce yourself.

And let's start with your personal experience and, your life experiences that you feel, have positioned you well to become the mayor of Santa Fe.

>> Trujillo: Well, born and raised here in Santa Fe.

Attended elementary Kearney, De Vargas, graduated Santa Fe High, I attended the community college, in fact, as well as for my basics, you know, my mother and father, Edwina and Moose, you know, had a great childhood here in Santa Fe.

Played baseball, football, name it, you name it.

I was involved in a lot of stuff, and especially with my father and my mother, too, in the Democratic Party.

You know, growing up, other things, I, you know, I worked my way here at the New Mexico Department of Transportation, had a 25 plus year career there.

Married to my my wife, Amber, who I met here at Santa Fe and, at a political party.

We've raised two wonderful children who have now graduated from college.

They're they're pursuing their careers now, our daughter's actually going to medical school at, at UNM.

Other than that, and then the 12 years that I spent on the city council, I said, what's position to me for this, you know, as a mayor is, you know, technically being part of this community as a coach, you know, as a mentor, you know, my, you know, I was De Vargas for a fiesta, so I understand our culture as well.

And plus my 12 years, it's just being part of this community.

Understanding the culture, understanding, you know, what's happening in this community.

You know, my 12 years on the council showed, you know, showed me, you know, what a city needs, what a city counselor needs to do for a city.

And I'm going to bring that same passion that I had as the city Councilor, to Mayor.

>> Nash: And you mentioned some pieces of your resume that you were on the council for 12 years, that you worked at NMDOT, the Department of Transportation, for over two decades.

And what about your resume reflects your balance?

>> Trujillo: Well, you know what I've always been one about about honesty and transparency.

You know, that's the thing I work, that's the way I did things at that New Mexico Department of Transportation, you know, I understand budgets.

I can work with people.

It's about treating people with respect.

That's the reason I tell people, you know what?

I spent 25 plus years at the NMDOT.

Why did I spend that many years?

I was respected and I was valued.

Those are the values that I want to bring to the city of Santa Fe.

I want the employees who work there understand their valued and the respected under my administration.

You know, that's the whole thing about it is creating a team, you know, at the city.

And that's what I want to create a working team that, you know, feels the needs of our community.

Because I think that's what's lacking right now at the city of Santa Fe, especially in the mayor's office leadership.

You know, I definitely bring that, you know, to the table.

And, you know, we'll just continue that, you know, under my administration, we're going to make the city of Santa Fe, you know, you know, a bright place to be.

Because when I was there, all those 12 years, people were happy.

People loved working the city, Santa Fe.

It just seems over these last eight years.

So I've talked to employees.

They don't want to work there no more.

And it's because of the leadership and this administration the way they've treated their employees.

>> Nash: As a longtime public servant.

I'm wondering, what would you say to constituents or to voters, potential voters who have concerns about your preparedness to run the city?

Obviously, you've run a district as a city councilor.

But, you haven't run a city, in its total.

>> Trujillo: In its total, no.

But again, to my resume speaks for itself at, the level with the city councilor.

I was on almost every single committee, you know, there is.

So I saw day to day, you know, of what's happening at the city.

I worked, you know, on budgets, on there being on the finance, you know, being public works.

I was the chairman, I was chairman of public safety as well.

So, you know, at the time too, when I was there, you know, we were I'd have discussions with our police, with our with our firefighters, with our employees.

You know, the that's the thing that I think everybody knew about.

Ron Trujillo, Ron was a person that was approachable.

Ron went out there, I threw garbage, you know, with our employees.

I went and dug trenches with them.

I filled potholes with our employees.

The thing that I was, I said, if you don't know what's happening in your city, if you don't know what your employees are doing, then you're not doing a good job.

Because in order for you to understand what needs they need, what training they need, you need to be out there, you know, working with them side by side so you understand that.

And that's the thing that I, you know, I think is very good.

I went to all the all the departments, I asked the questions, they told me, you know, Ron, this is what's not working.

This is what we need to do.

So it's about being out there.

So I say, you know, am I ready?

Yes.

Day 1 I can walk in there, you know, to City Hall.

I don't need on the job training.

>> Nash: I want to get into some of your specific policy proposals.

But first I'd like you to reflect on the two terms of Mayor Alan Webber You you are not running against him?

No, he's not running for reelection, but you are running to replace him.

So I think it would be a value to the voters for you to outline what you like and don't like about the work that he's got.

>> Trujillo: Well, you know, it's been a disservice to this community when you see late audits, you know, this is this holds up state funding to come to our city.

I mean, in the 12 years I was on the council, we never had a late audit.

You know, why has this been consistent with this administration?

You know, in my opinion, the reason is you have you have a mayor that has no -- how can I say it, he has no experience?

He was not experienced to be a mayor, to be in city government.

You know, that's the important thing.

You have to know government.

You have to, you know, my 25 years plus yet with the state prepares me for that.

You know, you've just come in here and said, yeah, I'm going to run for mayor.

I think a lot of people saw, you know, a businessman with a lot of money.

He may change the city around.

In my opinion, this city has failed.

It's its constituents for the last eight years.

You look at the roads, you look at the you know, you know, the parks.

You just look at Santa Fe the things that I'm going out to constituents and attending.

What does Santa Fe look and act like a capital city?

And the reaction I get from the people here in the city of Santa Fe, No we don't.

That's what I want to do.

I want Santa Fe to start looking and acting like the capital city it should.

Santa Fe should be setting the standard for the rest of the state.

When you go to Albuquerque, you go to Rio Rancho.

You know, you could even go to Espanola.

You know, their medians are at least clean.

That is something that does not happen here in the city of Santa Fe.

It's my thing is about -- I'm getting, tongue tied right now.

Proactive, not reactive.

That's the thing that I want this community to be is, you know what?

You see a need on the ground.

We're going to start pulling it.

You see trash on the ground, we're going to clean it up.

We're not going to wait.

You know, you call City Hall right now.

They tell you, you know, it'll be we'll get you back to you in 4 or 5 days.

That's unacceptable.

Constituents want to be heard now.

So a 24 hour turnaround that's feasible.

You know, those are the things I want to change.

The mentality at City Hall.

It just seems like City Hall has a as a bubble over it.

>> Nash: is there anything under Webber administration that you do like that you would see continuing if you were looking?

>> Trujillo: Not really.

Not really.

There's like I said, you know, unfortunately, you know, you know, Alan has created divisiveness in this community.

You've seen it with what's happened on, on, on our plaza with the Soldiers Monument.

You know, why was that?

You know, he even made the comment that we need to get away from these monuments, you know, and as somebody who portrayed devargas for Fiestas, you know, that's part of my culture, you know, I you look at my skin, I'm mestizo, I'm of two people.

I'm of Native American and the Spanish, you know.

You know, this divisiveness that We have.

The city needs to stop.

You know, Santa Fe has no world run for our multicultural.

That's what I want to bring to this community is respect for all cultures that call Santa Fe home.

And, you know, that's the thing that's lacking in this community.

And that's something that that started with Allen.

>> Nash: What is that value mean for how you would, handle the issue of cultural reconciliation in Santa Fe?

Whether through the Plaza obelisk, the Carson statue fiestas, differently from the Webber administration.

>> Trujillo: It's bringing everybody to the table, bringing all the stakeholders.

You know, when this mayor made his decision about on the, on the soldiers monument and on removing the Vargas, he didn't bring all the stakeholders to the table.

That's the way that you have communication.

My whole campaign is about collaboration.

Let's talk.

Let's actually bring out the facts.

Let's sit down.

Let's have those tough talks so we can come up with good solutions.

>> Nash: How do you ensure everyone's there.

>> Trujillo: You invite them.

You know, that is one thing.

And I have those relationships, you know, with the pueblos, I'm able to reach out to them and say, please come to the table.

We need to have this session.

You know, that's one of the first things I want to do.

You know, when I get to become Mayor is bring the people to the table because you already looking at five years that, the obelisk, the soldiers monument was, was destroyed, you know, and the city still has not done anything.

There's even a court order that it needs to be rebuilt.

Nothing has happened.

You know this.

>> Nash: You want to see it rebuilt?

>> Trujillo: I do, I do I becaus >> Nash: that you gather at the table don't?

>> Tujillo: Well no.

No to that I'm going to listen.

I'm going to listen.

And we're going to have the, the game to until we come to the table.

You don't know what's going to happen.

That's all.

Thing is, we need to come to the table.

We need to have those those discussions.

I think we can come to a compromise.

I really do.

>> Nash: because it wouldn't be your way or the highway >> Trujillo: No no no no no no no no no no.

I want to bring people to the table.

That's the whole thing.

But there's a court order right now to rebuild it.

You know, the judge has said that the city needs to follow that.

But I as mayor, am going to bring the stakeholders to table because I want to have that discussion because, like I said, look at what Santa Fe has gone from Native American, Hispanic, Anglo, and I look at all these cultures, a cluster of people that's beautiful.

You know, to know that how many cultures now call it call Santa Fe home because we're a multicultural, you know, city, we're world renowned, you know.

And I want to keep that.

I want to show the respect to all cultures that call Santa Fe home.

>> Nash: preserving historical, cultural and traditional values is one of the six platform priorities that you've outlined.

You call it Santa Fe 6 in 2026?

Briefly, what are the other five steps?

>> Trujillo: Well, you know, it's one thing I said.

It's collaboration working with with the city, with the county, the state, the federal government.

You know, I want, I want, like I said, what I want to bring people to the table.

I want people to come to the table.

So we have discussions, you know, we fall under Santa Fe County, we fall under the state of New Mexico.

We need their help as well.

You know, we can't do it all by ourselves and especially now in these times, you know, at the federal level, you know, funding is going to be cut.

You know, how do we collaborate to ensure that the city, the county and the state thrive?

So that's what public safety, you know, here in Santa Fe, you know, over the over a few the recent years, we've seen crime.

It's gone up in a lot of things.

We've seen murders of which we don't usually see or in Santa Fe as much.

You know, this is the thing is, you know, working with our police department, knowing what they want.

That's the thing that I bring to the table.

I'm a good listener.

I want to talk to our police force, you know, what do you need?

What do you think?

We definitely need to hire more police officer.

That's.

That's a No-Brainer.

Because our city is growing, you know?

But again, to collaborating with the sheriff's office, with the state police, you know, as to what's going on.

I don't want to duplicate, you know, I want to work smarter, not harder.

And by bringing, you know, these entities together, we can talk about, you know, a lot of stuff.

>> Nash: One of the things officers may need is housing.

The city's growing affordability crisis is, is not just impacting folks who are unhoused.

It's impacting your everyday workers.

It's impacting government employees, police officers.

So what's your plan to make Santa Fe a place where people can both, work and live?

>> Trujillo: Well, let me tell you this.

So one of the big issues we've always had is about affordability.

Let's define affordable affordability for everyone around, because what's affordable to you may not be affordable to me.

What's affordable to you might.

You know, these are things we have never really talked about.

We have to look at the different how would you say it?

You know what people make in here.

You know the medium.

Some people are making $60,000 a year.

Is that enough for them to sustain to to buy a house, that sort of thing?

We again to bringing people to the table, bringing the experts.

How do we do this?

You know, when I was on the council, we had purchased the Northwest Quadrature in Santa Fe, which runs along, you know, the east side of Santa Fe.

We were going to build affordable housing.

I got off the council and that just dropped, and that would have been hundreds of houses to be built.

So again, to what I want to do is I want to, when I come into office, I'm going to do a forensic audit.

You know, it can be eternally, you know, we will figure out what's working here, what's not working here.

We are going to assess every department.

We're going to assess every piece of property the city owns, because that's what the city should be doing.

We should be looking at parcels of property that the city owns, so we can build that affordable housing and truly affordable housing so that we keep our workforce here and we keep, you know, people that, you know, born and raised here, that's that's the thing we're losing a lot of our, our born and raised.

You know, kids, they are going to Albuquerque.

They're going to L.A.

but again to it's not just that it's working with the schools because again, to a lot of people make their determination of where they live based on schools, you know, so again, to bringing it to the table, how do we improve the lives, you know, the quality of life for here in Santa Fe, but that we make sure that people here, you know, that want to stay here can stay here.

And affordability you know, now in Santa Fe you see so many apartment complexes going out up here in the city.

But they're not affordable.

You know, you're looking at $1,800.

How is that affordable for somebody, you know, just starting a career?

You know, those are the things that the city me as mayor, our city council, these are things we have to do.

Bring the stakeholders to the table.

How do we do this guys?

How do we?

That's the thing that I've been saying here.

People don't talk no more.

You know, when I was on the council, we talked to county commissioners.

You know, I talked with our legislature, you know, had great relationship with, you know, former you represented lucky lucky Luciano Varela.

These are the relationships that I had these relationships I will continue to have so that we get Santa Fe rolling here.

>> Nash: How do you feel about the city's new partnership with Urban Alchemy?

And, and what specifically would you change about the city's approach and strategy to, supporting folks who are experiencing homelessness, getting of the street?

>> Trujillo: You know, right now, unfortunately, Pete's Place has outgrown its space right now.

That's why there's discussion on where we put where we're going to put it, right now, a new facility again to that's where collaboration comes in with the county and the city and the state, >> Nash: how folks who are running it right >> Trujillo: Well, urban asked me, my biggest thing that I would have done with alchemy is I would have set benchmarks, you know, they're going to be getting, you know, something like $1.5 million.

I that's where I do things.

You know, let me put a benchmark.

Once you reach that money, that benchmark, I'll give you more money because I want to see progress there.

>> Nash: Thanks to Ron Trujillo for sitting down to explain his pitch to Santa Fe voters.

And as with all of our interviews for this race and the Albuquerque mayor's race, you can see the full version on our YouTube page.

Running against Trujillo in the eight person field is another former district four city councilor who's also run for mayor and lost to Alan Webber in the past.

JoAnne Vigil Coppler, the longtime public servant, has spent much of her career serving in all three branches of government.

After coming in a distant second in the last mayoral race, Vigil Coppler is giving it another go, arguing no one is better positioned to turn Santa Fe around.

>>Nash: JoAnne, thanks so much for joining me.

>> Coppler: I'm glad to be here.

Thank you.

>> Nash: Now, you served on the Santa Fe City Council for a few years.

I imagine, especially district four voters in Santa Fe are familiar with you.

But for those who aren't, I'd like to start by just having you introduce yourself to our viewers.

And let's start with your personal experience, your life experience and how that's prepared you to become the mayor of Santa Fe?

>> Coppler: well, I've -- started a career at a young age as a state government student intern.

And so I that I got a great taste of public service.

And so I just kept going.

After I graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in psychology, I kept working in state government and, just had various positions growing up.

I say growing up, but it was growing up in public service and, you know, I just, decided that I wanted to manage things, wanted to help people.

And so I went up the ladder from there and worked in different places, like the Human Rights Commission.

I worked in Department of Corrections in, in EEOC, actually.

>> Nash: Economic Development?

>> Coppler: No, it was equal employment opportunity.

Right.

And then from there, I just got interested in human resources, and I worked at Tax and Rev as the human resources bureau chief and worked there twice, actually, worked at Los Alamos County as their H.R.

director, worked at the city of Santa Fe as the HR director twice.

Then I, I can't remember exactly.

I mean, I've been a lot of places, but, went over to the New Mexico Supreme Court as deputy director, went over to First Judicial district and ran the courts, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, and Rio Arriba County.

And that's where I retired.

And, you know, I've done some consulting and it's in HR and managerial roles and worked for governor Bill Richardson, who hired me, as his transition staff to direct the HR portion of becoming governor and help him get everything organized to choose his cabinet.

>> Nash: So you've worked in all three branches of government.

How would you say your professional experience reflects your values and the values that you would bring to the mayor's office?

>> Coppler: Well, you know, I think it affects it very much because having worked at the City of Santa Fe as HR director, my values there, and they're still the same as mayor.

Is to really, I have a compassion for people who need help, and that's really what an HR career is.

You help people, you know, you put in place the systems, the hiring and the recruitment and all of those that get the ball rolling for hiring good staff, qualified people.

You do it legally, you train others how to do it.

And you just you keep that ball rolling and you train in the organization in which you work.

But as mayor, you know, it's the same thing.

We we need a lot of help in this city.

We have a lot of folks who are barely making it our housing prices need to have some attention paid to that to see how do we build our city back, to give more people an opportunity to experience the the dream of owning a home and then also to people who can't yet afford it, how to keep rent stable, how to keep them, good for people so they can afford to even rent without doubling up like we see.

And then of course, we have our homeless population, you know, they, we really need to get a handle on that and quickly.

>> Nash: And I do want to get into some of your specific proposals in that regard.

But first, you know, you've had a long career as a public servant.

You even taught public administration at the college level But for voters who have any concern about your preparedness to run an entire city, what would you say to them?

>> Coppler: I would say I'm the one who can do it, of all of us.

And I've said that throughout the campaign, I really respect everybody who's running, and everybody has a good degree of some experience, some more than others.

But I've actually worked in the trenches at the city for a few years under different two different mayors at two different time.

So, and I've worked with city councilors of those mayors administrations.

And so, you know, I've sat through countless meetings and that prepared me to be a city councilor as well.

And so I saw how things were run.

And, I got some, thank goodness, I got some very good mentorship out of watching how things are done and how they're run professionally in the city of Santa Fe.

And when I was involved in HR, the last time the mayor, was Sam Pick and he was a consummate professional, hired totally top notch people with, you know, our assistance and, and human resources and, you know, our city was run really, really well.

And, and so having been in that administration and seeing how you definitely hire good people, let them do the job that they're hired to do and just guide and and lead the way.

Our city was run so well, and I really want to go back to getting us back on track.

>> Nash: I want to get into to where you feel like it got off track.

The city.

And so if you were to reflect on Mayor Allen Webbers two terms in office and, you ran against him in the last Mayors race.

>> Coppler: I did.

>> Nash: finishing, a distant second.

>> Coppler: Right.

>> Nash: Not running against him this time.

But you are running to replace him.

I think it would be a value to the voters to understand.

Where you, do like what you've seen and where you don't like what you've seen in terms of what his administration has gotten done in Santa Fe.

>> Coppler: Well, working with him as a city councilor was pretty difficult.

I had a ton of experience.

And having worked where I worked, and in city government, and I thought when he was elected, there was promise that we were going to move forward.

And I felt like I had a whole lot to offer.

And I him offer him and I did offer him my experience and take, you know, why don't we consider this and consider that?

And, in the beginning, I made a big impact because apparently the former city manager approved some raises on inauguration eve.

And, the mayor Webber was not happy about that, but said, hey, we've we've got to give those raises.

And I said, no, we really don't.

They're not legal.

And he says, but there's no basis to deny them.

And I said, yes, there is.

And so I told him what the basis was.

He checked in on it, and he indeed overturned them and gave me credit.

And I liked that.

Because I wrote those rules, I was there, so I knew why they were not, he had something to hang his hat on, so to speak.

So he did overturn them the and, they weren't really the fairest doling out of raises either.

Otherwise maybe it would have been different.

But, nevertheless.

So as things progressed, our relationship just seemed to deteriorate.

I don't know why.

And so I felt, like, less valued.

And I felt like the city wasn't going to be getting ahead as much as it could.

And some of the matters were left over, like audit matters from the former administration.

And so we never really caught up, those audit matters.

Kept piling on to each other and audits became late.

And, he wasn't particularly good at filling the positions he took.

I think he took too long, having been on Bill Richardson's transition team.

I mean, we were getting decisions made so that he could be ready on Inauguration Day to take the helm with his team.

And so, I mean, it was maybe way over a year before everything was filled to capacity.

And that is my forte.

And I felt like I could really help him with that.

And so our relationship just deteriorated.

The city deteriorated.

And that's why I ran against him.

Things were not improving.

>> Nash: Well, let's talk about, your run this time around.

>> Coppler: Yes.

>> Nash: You have what's called a ten point turnaround plan for Santa Fe, I assume, turning it around from the Webber administration.

Briefly, what are the ten points?

>> Coppler: Turn it around to start producing things better.

And I don't remember them in order, but certainly public safety, reducing crime.

We really have a big issue here.

And that is number one, because it seeps into everything else that we do.

And it certainly affects public confidence.

I hear daily, struggles that people have with break-ins, or police response times.

You know, all of it adds up to lack of confidence and people's losses.

And so we need to do something about that.

Our homelessness issue is something that definitely needs to be resolved.

And we need to create, a system of, a coalition of people, good organizations we have in the city that affect and are involved in our homeless population issues and making them better.

Let's gear them together.

Now.

That's where I will.

I have given the mayor credit in the beginning.

He created, a meeting where he brought all of those stakeholders together.

And I looked around the room and I said, this is huge.

Look how many organizations in our city are involved in homelessness in some fashion or another, whether it's feeding them, housing them, taking care of their mental wellness and such.

And, wow, they each have a component of it.

Wouldn't it be great if this group existed in into perpetuity, where they report it to the City Council?

Because we do give each one of their organizations money already, and we can get more money from various sources.

So if we could do that and create like, for lack of a better term, a case management system where everybody is involved and we get them to the places where those needs can be met, we can make a big dent in them because most of these organizations have a personal relationship with these people.

They know who they are, they know what they need, that, our housing, definitely needs to be worked on.

And with my career in real estate, I'm very familiar with all of these organizations as well who are involved in housing and meet regularly.

We can make an impact here.

We need to study some of the systems that we already have improve upon them, and then get it going like the fee in lieu of, we need to work with our home builders.

We need to work with our Chamber of Commerce, with our Realtors Association, and all of those organizations that have a piece of the pie.

And how do we create housing in our city, both housing for sale and housing in rentals.

>> Nash: And we'll get into kind of some more in-depth, ideas about housing around those kinds of things.

Your number one point is to make Santa Fe safe.

>> Coppler: Right.

>> Nash: Why is that your top priority?

And what would a safe Santa Fe look like?

>> Coppler: Well, a safe Santa Fe would, would be where criminals know they're not going to get away with things.

A safe Santa Fe would be where, the legislature and the district attorney's office and, the police organizations work together to come up with the solution for the problem we have in catch and, commonly called catch and release.

And that is there for a purpose.

And it's primarily related to the fairness or unfairness of bail for people who could afford it or couldn't afford it.

People are innocent until proven guilty.

But, what's happening is the police department is very -- their motivation and as they have told me, is down because they, they work hard to capture, a criminal.

And then the next day that that person is walking the streets and more often than not commits crimes again.

And it's just like a revolving door for them.

And they feel like, are they spending their time doing the right thing?

>> Nash: What would you do about that as mayor?

>> Coppler: Well, I would work with the legislature, certainly the the judicial system, the DA's office and our law enforcement.

How can we revisit this issue to equalize the goal?

For the reason that it was implemented, not treat people unfairly and make a little bit maybe better laws to achieve both purposes.

>> Nash: You talked a bit already about, how you feel about the, city's approach to homelessness and supporting, unhoused residents.

I'm wondering how you feel about the approach that the city has taken, including that new partnership with Urban Alchemy, which is running the shelter formerly known as Pete's Place.

>> Coppler: Right.

>> Nash: And specifically, what would you change in terms of policy?

In terms of strategy?

>> Coppler: Well, with urban alchemy, I mean, I think we need to give them a chance.

But I hear they're experiencing the same thing.

That Pete's Place the administrators of that are and, you know, you still have people congregating on the sidewalks.

You still have the neighborhoods who are really feeling the brunt of the excess, population that cannot or won't go into Pete's Place.

They're experiencing crime in their area, and as I understand, and open drug use.

And that goes back to enforcing law.

If, you or I were on the sidewalk openly doing drugs, they'd pick us up.

They make us go to jail or arrest us.

Do what, what, you normally do in law enforcement, but when you have congregations, for some reason, it's just happening widely in front of the public, and it seems as if there's not a lot being done.

>> Nash: We're glad JoAnne Vigil Coppler made some time to introduce herself to you and talk about why she believes she's best suited to be Santa Fe's next mayor.

For a more complete look at her candidacy, head over to the New Mexico in Focus YouTube page for an extended interview.

Now let's return to our interview with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham following last week's two day special session.

The upcoming regular session in January will be the last for the termed-out governor in part two of our conversation, we also dig into her must haves before she leaves office.

>>Nash: Lawmakers also, that $162 million part of that is going to support public media stations not unlike our own, including our own and more than a dozen others across the state, with $5.5 million, that amounts to about two years or, one year of the two years that was rescinded in that rescission package at the federal level.

Why was it important to you to put that on your call?

And what does it look like long term to support public media stations?

>> Grisham: We're going to have to do a more specific.

I'll do the second question again first.

30 day session happens, starting third Tuesday in January.

My belief is even if I wasn't willing to put it in my budget and, you know, this is newsworthy.

Newsflash, it is important for me to put it in my budget so that we get that funding stabilized for public broadcasting, for the entire time that the feds are not going to fund it.

But the reason we just did the short term is because I'm using money I have today.

Right, you don't go into the red We didn't do that.

I didn't go into we kept, our reserve accounts high.

We might need that in, the 30 day session in outlying years.

Although our economy is so good.

I don't think so.

But you want to, you want to keep all of that in a really productive place.

And I want to take you back to the fight about Big Bird.

I don't understand this nonsensical political fight about public broadcasting.

But here's what public broadcasting does.

I want to remind New Mexicans, you know, who is giving me programing for kids, for early childhood education and childcare?

PBS is, you have to have a nonprofit segment of factual information that is available for all of your families unequivocally, day in and day out, and that is worth preserving and fighting for in New Mexico.

And I feel pretty confident that I'm not going to have to twist any arms.

But for New Mexicans >> Nash: It was fairly bipartisan.

The support for it.

>> Grisham: Absolutely Again, that's why, >> Nash: In conrtast to what we're seeing federally.

>> Grisham: Yes, and I'm mad about what's going you should be, mad is not the right word.

We should be dismayed enough that we're asking for more accountability and more bipartisan work.

And I do I think the Republicans here, I wrote kind of a harsh message for both parties about that.

The House work on the vaccine bill.

We got to get out of these political bubbles.

Let's debate whether or not we're going to let parents have access to every tool they believe is necessary to keep their kids safe.

That's the only argument here.

>> Nash: Let's talk about that in terms of the vaccine bill.

>> Grisham: Let's do it.

>> Nash: So a bill that you just signed on Wednesday as we speak, that was yesterday.

It was about almost a week later than the other bills that you signed last week.

Why the hold out?

And and for folks unfamiliar with this bill, it decoupled.

New Mexico's vaccine standards from the federal ones.

Why the hold up on signing it?

>> Grisham: Well, there was two reasons.

One, we were in negotiations with the CDC because if they didn't give us a little more flexibility, which, by the way, they did.

So again, just because I get dismayed does not mean that I stopped doing my job as an advocate for New Mexicans at the federal level.

And I want to give my Secretary of Health a shout out, Gina DeBlassie, She was on that.

I didn't have to remind her.

I just had to make sure that she had a good partner in the governor's office and, I believe unequivocally that she had a lot to do with and others with making sure the CDC gave more flexibility.

And I was going to do a public health order.

I need to think about that.

I'm really leaning in harder that governors need the ability, through their departments of health and emergency responses to declare emergencies, but I don't want an executive order design like we're seeing at the federal level.

I think this comes with great responsibility and great restraint, right, because you need transparency and trust by the public that this is not a tool to get your way.

When the legislature doesn't agree with you about something >> Nash: So you wanted to go through legislature?

>> Grisham: I really did, it needs to be a bipartisan decision and then it stays.

It's not a temporary order.

And it's not just, related to me as a governor.

It's for families when you need them and doctors and hospitals.

>> Nash: I mean, it wasn't bipartisan.

No.

>> Grisham: It wasn't.

>> Nash: It didn't hit that two thirds threshold It needed to go into effect immediately.

That means it's not going to go into effect until the end of the year.

>> Grisham: That's right.

>> Nash: Is that too late in terms of purchasing vaccines for New Mexico's children?

>> Grisham: It would've been, except the CDC A. Gave us more flexibility.

So we're going to buy them.

And B, I would have done that health order in spite of what I said about using, right, some restraint.

But they didn't do that.

>> Nash: Because of the change at the CDC that was unnecessary.

>> Grisham: It's unnecessary.

>> Nash: Okay.

>> Grisham: Every family who wants access to an RSV, a flu and a Covid vaccine is going to get unfettered access to those vaccines.

>> Nash: Now, Democratic leaders emphasized during and after the session that what you signed is emergency funding that no state, New Mexico included, despite the state's ample reserves, >> Grisham: Yep.

>> Nash: Can backfill all of these federal cuts.

>> Grisham: Not $20 billion.

This is what we need to say, >> Nash: So how long, >> Grisham: New Mexico, $20 billion.

>> Nash: So how long can the state prop up the dam?

>> Grisham: Well, I'm going to give you this, example.

If we wanted to cover every lost federal fund, we could frankly do it for a couple of years.

We have that kind of money, in our reserve accounts, including the land grant, permanent funds, notwithstanding their very restricted.

Right.

We just pretend for this moment >> Nash: That you could use that however.

>> Grisham: I could use however I want for the legislature without the public's review.

That's not a sustainable practice.

And then what happens two years later?

There is no state in America that can shore up their health care system without Congress coming to its senses.

>> Nash: The 30 day.

It will be your last as governor.

Any other must haves come January?

>> Grisham: Well, it's early, and we've done a bunch.

But expect more public safety, expect more targeted behavioral health.

Expect more accountability for all populations.

And, penalties.

I mean, it should be a crime to shoot from your car.

There are plenty more things that just didn't get enough attention in the 60 day.

We went from two extremes, a state that only seemed to really care about accountability and public safety penalties for crimes, but no prevention.

We didn't put any money in the schools.

We didn't pay teachers.

We didn't have a pre-K system.

We didn't have a college support system.

You know, now we we have all of that.

New Mexico is leading the country.

It is, in fact.

And even though I've said it, don't take my word for it.

Take UCLA, take the Hunt Institute.

The blueprint for America's educational woes is occurring right here in New Mexico.

And I am frustrated, too, that our outcomes, you know, don't show it immediately.

But when you had schools at a 30 and a 15% proficiency, you aren't going to go from 50th to number one overnight.

It's impossible.

We let it get so bad, so fast, for so long.

This is the blueprint.

Don't be on the fringes.

Accountability should be addressed by every legislative body, every single session.

And so should prevention.

We're number one for moving kids and families out of poverty in the country.

Be proud of that, I am we are number one for wage growth again.

But when you're in a ten mile hole and I got us to only three miles, I'm going to use one mile we're one mile from the surface and the feds do us no favors.

Stay the course.

That's why we funded 162 million, keep moving families into stability and beyond.

Focus on opportunity, but not in the absence of accountability we deserve, both in New Mexico.

And we're going to be the only state in America that figures it out on both ends of that equation.

And for that, I'm extremely grateful for the policymaker, those who are doing the work, and I'm extremely proud of New Mexico and New Mexico citizens are saying that's exactly what we deserve.

Fight for it.

So I will.

>> Nash: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, thanks for your time.

>> Grisham: You're welcome.

>>Nash: Thanks to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and everyone else who contributed to the show, and a special shout out to our production crew who have made more trips up and down La Bajada Hill in the past week than we can count.

We appreciate their hard work to help us bring you important news and analysis from around the state, but we are not done racking up those freeway miles just yet.

We will have the final two candidates in that Santa Fe mayor's race next Friday night for New Mexico PBS.

I'm Nash Jones, until next week.

Stay focused.

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