WE ARE HERE TODAY WITH LONNA ATKESON, PROFESSOR IN  THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT UNM AND ADRIAN  OGLESBY, DIRECTOR OF THE UTTON TRANSBOUNDARY RESOURCES CENTER  AT UNM LAW SCHOOL.

THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY.

ADRIAN, WE START WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE BEEN A WATER ATTORNEY  IN NEW MEXICO FOR OVER A DECADE.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT WATER ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO  THE GOVERNOR'S RACE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS PART OF  THE CONVERSATION THIS ELECTION SEASON?

WELL, OUR GOVERNOR HAS TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON  WATER.

WE ARE COMING OUT OF AN  INCREDIBLE YEAR OF LOW WATER SUPPLIES AND IF WE HAVE  ANOTHER BAD WINTER NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE UNPRECEDENTED.

SO REALLY SHOWING STRONG LEADERSHIP ON WATER OUT OF THE  GATE IS CRITICAL.

WE HAVE GOT THIS DROUGHT  SITUATION WHICH IS DEFINITELY AFFECTING OUR FARMERS NEXT  YEAR, OUR OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL INDUSTRY AS WELL, AND THEN WE  ALSO HAVE THE LOOMING THREAT OF THE TEXAS-NEW MEXICO  LAWSUIT DOWN IN LOWER RIO GRANDE THAT IS PENDING BEFORE  THE SUPREME COURT RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL  CHALLENGE THAT THE NEW GOVERNOR NEEDS TO TAKE ON.

WE NEED TO GET THAT THING SETTLED AND TAKEN CARE OF AS  SOON AS POSSIBLE SO WE HAVE CERTAINTY ABOUT OUR WATER  SUPPLY ON OUR ICONIC RIO GRANDE RIVER.

WHAT ABOUT BEYOND THE RIO GRANDE?

ARE THERE OTHER ISSUES AROUND THE STATE WITH WATER THAT YOU  SEE AS KIND OF NEEDING SOME ATTENTION?

YOU BET.

EVERY CORNER OF THE STATE HAS  A WATER ISSUE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION.

WHETHER IT IS THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO PIPELINE THE STATE HAS  BEEN TRYING TO GET BUILT FOR YEARS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITIES  THAT ARE RELIANT ON THE OGALLALA AQUIFER, QUICKLY  BEING DEPLETED, INCLUDING CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, WHICH  IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE HERE IN NEW MEXICO.

WE HAVE GOT THE SAN JUAN CHAMA RIVER WHICH IS TIED INTO THE  COLORADO SYSTEM.

THERE ARE PREDICTED SHORTAGES  ON THE COLORADO AND HOW THAT AFFECTS NEW MEXICO IS YET TO  BE SEEN.

WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF  THAT AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF  COVERAGE ON THE GILA RIVER.

WHAT KIND OF DECISIONS ARE  GOING TO AFFECT THOSE COMMUNITIES AND HEALTH OF THAT  RIVER IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, IT IS GOING TO BE DETERMINED  BY THE NEXT GOVERNOR.

SOUNDS LIKE A LOT GOING ON.

THAT IS RIGHT.

A LOT WE SHOULD BE TALKING  ABOUT.

LONNA ARE GUBERNATORIAL  CANDIDATES TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL?

TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

IT IS SORT OF LOWER PRIORITY THAN THE BIG ISSUES, ECONOMY,  EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY, IS A BIG HOT ISSUE.

THE ENVIRONMENT IS CERTAINLY AN ISSUE FOR NEW MEXICO BUT  NOT A TOP ISSUE.

SO, WHY DON'T ENVIRONMENTAL  ISSUES TEND TO COME UP IN CAMPAIGNS UNLESS CANDIDATES  ARE ASKED SPECIFIC QUESTIONS?

WE HAVE THIS BIG REPORT FROM  THE IPCC THAT JUST CAME OUT THIS WEEK, LOOKING AT THE  SEVERITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.

WE HAVE THE ONGOING DROUGHT.

LIKE WHY DON'T THESE ISSUES  RISE TO THE TOP, DO YOU THINK?

I THINK BECAUSE THEY ARE  LONG-TERM ISSUES, AND MORE THINGS ARE ON FIRE THAT ARE  VERY CLOSE BY, AND THOSE SEEM LIKE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES ON THE  BURNER FOR A VERY LONG TIME, SO THEY SEEM LIKE THEY ARE  ONGOING ON THE BACK BURNER.

SO HARD TO GET VOTERS IN  PARTICULAR, LARGE SEGMENT OF VOTERS, EXCITED ABOUT THEM TO  SORT OF PRESSURE THE POLITICIANS TO FOCUS ON THOSE  ISSUES.

SO, HOW DO YOU THINK  ENVIRONMENT ISSUES CAN BE SOMETHING THAT DRIVES PEOPLE  TO THE POLLS?

LIKE HOW CAN THOSE ISSUES RISE UP TO GAIN ENOUGH ATTENTION  FROM CANDIDATES, DO YOU THINK?

ADRIAN, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS  ON THAT?

WELL, YOU KNOW, WE  CERTAINLY SEEN THEM RISE TO THE POLLS AS THEY BECOME  CRISES.

WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THIS  YEAR WE DIDN'T EXPERIENCE MEGA WILDFIRES HERE IN NEW MEXICO.

BOTH CANDIDATES ARE TALKING ACTIVELY AROUND WATERSHED  RESTORATION.

THAT IS A POPULAR CONCEPT  ACROSS ALL POLITICAL STRIPES.

I THINK IF WE HAD A FIRE, YOU  WOULD HAVE BEEN HEARING THEM TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT IT.

BOTH ARE TALKING ABOUT WATER OF COURSE NOT AS MUCH AS YOU  MENTION AS ECONOMY AND OTHER ISSUES, EDUCATION, BUT, BOTH  OF THEM DO HAVE WATER PLATFORMS OUT THERE AND  RECOGNIZE WATER AS BEING A CRITICAL ISSUE.

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO VOTE ON  WATER ISSUES.

ESPECIALLY THOSE FOLKS IN  AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES AND ENGAGED IN WATER PLANNING  AROUND THE STATE.

DO YOU WANT TO ADD ON TO  THAT?

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT  IS AN ISSUE WHERE IN MANY WAYS, I WONDER HOW THE  CANDIDATES REALLY DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES.

THEIR REAL IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES.

EVERYBODY CAN GET AROUND ISSUES OF, YOU KNOW, WE NEED  TO PROTECT OUR WATER, WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR SAFETY, OUR  HEALTH, SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE REALLY FIND DISTINCTIONS  BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES THAT MAKE THEM SORT OF  DISTINGUISHED THAT MAKE THEM OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHOICES IN  THIS AREA.

I AM NOT SURE.

RIGHT.

SO, AS NEW MEXICO SORT OF  GAINS MORE INDEPENDENT AND DECLINE-TO-STATE VOTERS, DO  YOU THINK THAT AFFECTS -- I MEAN, I THINK DEMOCRATS HAVE  TRADITIONALLY CONSIDERED ENVIRONMENT ISSUES TO BE A  PART OF THEIR PLATFORM AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES SORT OF  HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW ON THAT.

WHERE DO INDEPENDENT OR  DECLINE-TO-STATE VOTERS FIT IN?

INDEPENDENT VOTERS TYPICALLY ARE NOT VERY ACTIVE  VOTERS.

SO, THEY ARE SORT OF -- THEY  DON'T WANT TO BE AS INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM.

THEY ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE EVEN IF THEY ARE  REGISTERED, SO, I DON'T SEE MANY LIKE STRONG EFFECTS.

PEOPLE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE RISE OF INDEPENDENTS, BUT  THERE IS A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL REASONS WHY THEY  ARE RISING.

I DON'T THINK THEY ARE A BIG  FORCE OR WILL BE A BIG FORCE IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF  POLITICS.

THEY ARE NOT AS ACTIVE AS  PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY IN THE PARTIES AND INTERESTED IN  THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES.

WITH EVERYDAY VOTERS, IF  ENVIRONMENT ISSUES MAYBE DON'T RISE TO THE TOP FOR EVERYDAY  VOTERS BUT THESE ISSUES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, HOW DO  PEOPLE MOVE THE NEEDLE ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES, WHETHER IT IS  WATER, CLIMATE, ENERGY?

WHERE CAN THE CHANGE REALLY  HAPPEN, DO YOU THINK?

STATE WATER PLANNING, WE  HAVE A FAIRLY ANEMIC STATE WATER PLANNING PROCESS AND  REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS, IN PARTICULAR, HAS  BEEN DONE VERY QUICKLY IN THE PAST.

IF YOU LOOK AT COLORADO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF  OTHER STATES THAT HAVE MUCH MORE ROBUST WATER PLANNING  EFFORTS.

IN COLORADO, THEY HAVE ONGOING  ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING IN EVERY BASIN AND  THOSE ARE SUPPORTED WITH FUNDING FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE  DEVELOPED BY THOSE LOCAL FOLKS.

ALLOWING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO GET ENGAGED IN MAKING WATER  DECISIONS, RATHER THAN BEING A MORE PATERNALISTIC TOP DOWN  KIND OF SYSTEM, I THINK, IS WHERE THE ACTION IS.

OF COURSE, ALL WATER ISSUES ARE LOCAL AT THE END OF THE  DAY.

YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU SIT  DETERMINES YOUR VIEW AND SUCCESS HOW YOU MANAGE WATER.

SO LETTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE A STRONGER  VOICE IN WHAT PROJECTS ARE BUILT AND PROPOSED, WHAT IS  EXPLOITED, I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO GETTING  PEOPLE TO THE POLLS.

SO, LOOKING AT THE LAST  CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FROM THIS LAST REPORTING PERIOD,  THERE IS A LOT OF OIL AND GAS MONEY IN PARTICULAR THAT GOES  INTO CAMPAIGNS.

CHEVRON, FOR EXAMPLE, RAISED  THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR STATE LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES.

ALSO, TWO MILLION DOLLARS FOR A PAC RUNNING ADS IN FAVOR OF  THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE LAND COMMISSION.

IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY AND INTEREST FOR WHAT FEELS  LIKE PRETTY LOCALIZED RACES.

IS THAT A LOT OF MONEY AND IS  THAT TYPICAL?

IT IS A LOT OF MONEY AND IT  IS MORE TYPICAL THAN LESS TYPICAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE  CITIZENS UNITED WE SEE A LOT MORE MONEY GOING IN AND A LOT  MORE FOCUSED ADVERTISING BY DIFFERENT GROUPS.

SO, THIS IS SORT OF, YES, THIS IS THE WAY THINGS ARE.

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE ADS IN GETTING PEOPLE TO MAYBE VOTE  IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THEIR CORE BELIEFS OR  THEIR BEST INTERESTS, LIKE, DO ADS REALLY DRIVE PEOPLE TO BE  VOTING?

YOU KNOW, ADS HELP TO  DISTINGUISH CANDIDATES SO THAT IS WHEN THEY BECOME IMPORTANT,  WHEN THEY HELP TO CLARIFY POSITIONS, OR THEY CREATE STOP  AND THINK CONDITIONS FOR VOTERS, BECAUSE, WHEN VOTERS  GO DOWN BALLOT, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH BASING THEIR  DECISION USUALLY ON THEIR PARTISANSHIP OR SOME OTHER,  GENDER OR ETHNICITY OF THE  CANDIDATE, WHATEVER THEY GLEAN FROM THE LIMITED INFORMATION  ON THE BALLOT.

SO ADS AND NOISE THE  CANDIDATES MAKE REALLY PUSH VOTERS TO THINK ABOUT THINGS  THAT THEY HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF BEFORE.

SO, ADS DO GIVE US A FOCUSING ATTENTION, THEY HELP SET AN  AGENDA ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT.

IF THEY RISE TO A LEVEL OF A CRISIS OR POINT OUT, YOU KNOW,  PARTICULAR ISSUES WITH A CANDIDATE, IT MAY CREATE A  STOP-AND-THINK CONDITION FOR US AND GO, WELL, WAIT A  MINUTE, DO I WANT TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE WHO IS ESPOUSING  THAT PARTICULAR VIEW OR FUNDED BY A PARTICULAR INTEREST  GROUP?

SO, THOSE KIND OF THINGS DO  AFFECT DECISION MAKING.

RIGHT.

SO, LOOKING AHEAD TO WHOEVER IS THE NEXT GOVERNOR AND TO  THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHAT DO YOU SEE CAN BE DONE,  THE MOST SORT OF CRITICAL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE  ADDRESSED BY THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE IN THE COMING  YEAR.

WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE  FIRST THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH IS THE STAFFING OF  OUR AGENCIES.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN IN  WATER ROLE IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE SEEN THE INTERSTATE  STREAM COMMISSION CRUMBLE UNDER THIS LAST  ADMINISTRATION.

THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO  IS REALLY IN CHARGE ON WATER.

WE NEED SMART, ETHICAL PEOPLE,  HARD WORKING FOLKS, TO GET INTO THESE POSITIONS AS  QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL STATE AGENCIES.

AND ONE OF THE CORE ELEMENTS TO GETTING THAT DONE IS FIXING  OUR STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE AND HOW WE HIRE PEOPLE.

GETTING THAT DONE WILL THEN ALLOW US TO GET THE RIGHT  PEOPLE IN PLACE TO LEAD ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES.

I THINK THAT IS REALLY A CRITICAL PIECE, THAT HUMAN  INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE.

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THAT?

YOU KNOW, THERE IS SO MANY THINGS ON THE AGENDA, BUT THIS  FIRST SESSION WITH THE NEW GOVERNOR IT IS GOING TO BE  IMPORTANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS AS FAST  AS POSSIBLE.

THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY  WITH THE NEW GOVERNOR TO MAKE CHANGES ALONG ALL KINDS OF  LINES, SO IT IS REALLY A CRITICAL YEAR FOR OUR  LEGISLATURE.

RIGHT,   WELL, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR HELPING US  UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES TODAY.

THANK YOU.