By Vanessa Dabovich
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/krwg/local-krwg-928586.mp3
Las Cruces, NM – This year's election ballot has Incumbent Democrat Joni Gutierrez up against local small business owner Virginia Robertson.
Robertson owns and operates Desert Air Quality in Las Cruces and has lived in New Mexico for forty years. She says she is concerned about small business in the community.
Robertson-"It is the small businesses of NM that create jobs. So we need to give our small businesses a break. They are overtaxed, overregulated and over managed by our state. We have a great place, great people and great opportunity here in NM."
Robertson also says the state needs to work on education as well. She says New Mexico kids are not graduating from high school and money spent on education needs to actually get to the classroom.
When it comes to the states current budget issues Robertson says finding ways to better manage government will aid in trimming spending.
Robertson-"Well, our budget has almost doubled in the last 8 years and as a conservative I'm an advocate for smaller government. There are vacancies in Santa Fe that are funding and there are no warm bodies there, we can start there. We can work on combining agencies."
Gutierrez has held the District thirty-three seat since 2005 and was unable to be reached for comment, but KRWG hopes to speak with her in the days before the election.