Political flier focuses on driver's licenses for illegal immigrants

A political flier distributed last week to Clovis residents cited the Clovis News Journal as a source for its information. The flier's subject was municipal candidates' positions on driver's licenses for illigal immigrants.

Here's the story we published following a political forum hosted by the High Plains Patriots; decide for yourself where the candidates stand:

A first chance to meet candidates for the March 6 municipal election dealt with driver's licenses for illegal immigration, quality of life and top issues for each commission candidate.

A Thursday forum at the Masters Center, organized by the High Plains Patriots, functioned with a two-fold purpose: To let candidates for the mayor's position and four commission seats introduce themselves, and to see where they stood on important state and local issues.

Tim Ashley of the HPP, a local group that pushes for limited government, said as a former county commissioner he knew the candidates elected would have a tough task ahead of them.

"Unlike in state or federal offices," Ashley said, "you don't get to go to a another town hundreds of miles away and make your decisions."

Due to an extended introduction period — five minutes to each of nine candidates — only three audience questions were answered during the approximately two-hour forum:

• Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants: A question noted proposed legislation to end the practice of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, and that the city commission had not issued a resolution in support of such legislation during last year's legislative sessions.
• Current Mayor Gayla Brumfield, running for re-election, brought minutes from the commission meeting where the resolution in question was tabled, and said the commission wasn't comfortable with language in the resolution and tabled it. The resolution was never reintroduced again. Brumfield said she was against legislation currently proposed because more work needed to be done with dairies on the right language. Her opponent, former Mayor David Lansford, said it doesn't make sense to give legal documentation to illegal immigrants.

  District 4 Commissioner Chris Bryant said when the resolution came up, it had wording he couldn't live with and it seemed to only shift the problems to the police departments without dealing with the underlying issues. His opponent, Rube Render, said a national identification act that has been passed but continually delayed could lead to a situation where a New Mexico driver's license isn't accepted because illegal immigrants had them as well, and the state should eliminate that possibility.

  Bobby Sandoval, running unopposed in District 3, said he was told criminal groups were selling New Mexico driver's licenses, and he would prefer a process that goes after those specific offenders instead of people trying to drive their kids to school.

  District 2 candidate John Jones said he was against it because, "Most, if not all of them, provide false information to get the licenses." His opponent, Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, said she was against illegal immigrants having driver's licenses, but part of the problem was that many businesses encourage illegal immigration by hiring illegal immigrants.

  District 1 incumbent Randy Crowder said he is against driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, and sees it more as a safety issue than an immigration issue. His opponent, Jan Elliott, said she is against the process but has issues with the proposed legislation to end the process.

• Quality of life: The mayors-only question was answered in great detail by Brumfield, and briefly by Lansford.
• Brumfield said when she became chairman of a growth management organization to help eastern New Mexico prepare for a new Cannon Air Force Base mission, the concern was lack of recreational activities for children. She noted creation of a quality of life task force, which made recommendations that mirrored a master parks plan sitting on the shelf. The parks plan included an 18-hole golf course and the repurposing of Hillcrest Park into youth sports fields, walking trails and other amenities.

  Lansford said quality of life is a very subjective term, but during his tenure as mayor the city built a new CATS (Clovis Area Transit System) building, a new public works building and the Clovis Civic Center.

  "If it's defined as recreational activities," Lansford said, "Gayla's done a fabulous job and I commend her."

• Commission candidates were asked for their most important and least important issues.
• For important issues, Crowder said water supply and fixing streets; Elliott said making sure city employees had proper tools to do their jobs and possibly adding warning lights at dangerous intersections on 21st Street; Taylor-Sawyer stressed public safety, quality of life and education; Bryant and Render each said water; Jones said water and safety for children; Sandoval said roads, "by far."

  For least important issues, Sandoval said he couldn't think of a least important because the smallest item to one person may be somebody's biggest issue, a stance most everybody agreed on. Render did joke that his least important concern was, "the guy with the ruler measuring your weeds (for code compliance)."

  The following candidates appeared at the High Plains Patriots candidate forum, held Thursday night at the Masters Center.

  Mayor

• Gayla Brumfield: The current Clovis mayor, running for a second term, said she planned to run on her record of improving infrastructure and quality of life, among other concerns.
• "It has been an honor being your mayor," Brumfield said. "We have worked hard, the city commission has done things that had been needed for many years."

• David Lansford: Lansford, who served 12 years as mayor before declining to run for a fourth term in 2008, said he stayed on a term longer than he should have because of important items coming up like the Ute Water Project and the Base Realignment and Closure process for Cannon Air Force Base.
• "I needed a break," Lansford said. "Being mayor takes a lot out of you, and I'm sure Gayla can tell you it takes a lot of effort."

  After four years off, he feels ready to serve the community again, whether he is elected again or not.

  City Commission, District 1

• Randy Crowder: The self-employed general contractor was going to call it quits after two terms, and had told friends that.
• "My wife came home from a Bible study," Crowder said. "She said, 'I think we need to reconsider.'" There were other events that took place that convinced me my wife was right."

• Jan Elliott: The longtime director of Eastern N.M. Emergency Medical Services Corporation Region III said running for the office was a "bucket list" item.
• "I wanted voters to have another choice," Elliott said. "I believe I can bring passion and energy and new ideas."

  City Commission, District 2

• The spot is the only open race. Fred Van Soelen declined to run for a third term.
• John Jones: A retired letter carrier, Jones serves as deputy chief for the New Mexico Mounted Patrol.
• "I think I can do some good," Jones said. "I'm pretty open-minded, and I have the needs of the public in my heart."

• Sandra Taylor-Sawyer: The director of the Small Business Center at Clovis Community College spent much of her time talking about her upbringing in Clovis and her numerous positions in committees and boards.
• "My husband and I love helping people," she said, "by providing them with the tools they need to do something."

  City Commission, District 3

• Bobby Sandoval, running unopposed for re-election, said it's good that the city can do big things like a cheese plant, but it's just as important that a constituent can call a commissioner and get their problem solved.
• "I go by two things," Sandoval said. "I believe Jesus came down to save us. I want to treat everyone the way I want to be treated. After that, basically everything takes care of itself."

  City Commission, District 4

• Chris Bryant, the incumbent, is a lifelong resident of Clovis and owns the Foxy Drive In.
• "I've enjoyed my four years in city government, and I believe we've moved Clovis forward," he said.

  His top concern is fixing roads, but he sees a challenge because capital outlay money is limited and he does not support a tax increase to fix it.

• Rube Render: The retired project manager for Lockheed Martin spent his early years in parochial school, then went to a boarding school for boys, then served in the military and got married — leading him, he joked to a transition of "Yes, Sister," to "Yes, Father," to "Yes, Sir," to "Yes, Dear."
• Render said he believes, "city government needs to be more closely attuned to the needs of citizens."