Alamogordo Daily News: Colón stops in Alamo

Alamogordo Daily News

By Laura London, Staff Writer

Brian Colón, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor of New Mexico, stopped in Alamogordo on Thursday night on his campaign and spoke at a candidate meet and greet at the Waffle and Pancake Shoppe on White Sands Boulevard.

Steve Brockett, owner of the restaurant and former Alamogordo mayor, kicked things off with a story about Colón, whom Brockett first met when Colón stopped at his restaurant on a sales route. Colón was working his way through law school at the time.

Brockett shared another story about Colón, who was chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico for two and a half years until he resigned in October 2009. Brockett said he called Colón last year and told him the superintendent of Alamogordo Public Schools wanted to close the elementary schools at
Holloman Air Force Base and in High Rolls.

Brockett said that afternoon Colón called back to tell him he had a meeting with the governor and the education secretary, and that he would let Brockett know how it went the next day.

"The next day he called me up and he said, 'This is not going to happen, but you can't say anything
about it,'" Brockett said. "That was a very polite way of telling the mayor of Alamogordo to keep your mouth shut because Bill Richardson wants all the credit."

Joe Ferguson, Alamogordo city commissioner, was next to speak. He introduced himself and mentioned he is running for the District 51 seat in the state Legislature, as is Sue Medina.

Ferguson said he has known Colón for a while, and Colón is different from the rest of the politicians Ferguson has seen. For one thing, Ferguson said Colón means what he says.

"The legislators and all that, they never call you back. But guess who does Mr. Colón," Ferguson said. "You call him, he's going to call you back. And he will do what he says. You ask for something, he'll get it done for you."

Colón then spoke, sharing some of his background. He said he grew up in an impoverished family in Valencia County. He said when he was growing up, his family stood in lines for commodities when the trucks would bring government cheese and other food to town.

He noted now those in need use the more dignified EBT cards at grocery stores.

"But I remember the old days," Colón said. "That is the lens I look through when I think about how we're going to lead this state. We're going to lead this state with dignity, and we're going to make it better for the people that are coming behind us."

Colón said he was the first in his family to attend college and graduated from New Mexico State
University in 1998 after spending 10 years taking courses, doing various jobs and starting different small businesses to pay his way through school.

"I was on the 10-year track," Colón said. "And for those of you who think of the professors I
wasn't on the tenure track, but I was on the 10-year track."

Colón then went on to law school at the University of New Mexico and graduated in 2001.

Colón said he has been able to break the cycle of poverty in his family with the help of Democratic
values.

"My son, who is 12 years old, will never know what it is to use an EBT card," Colón said. "He will never know what commodity lines are."

Colón said he has an obligation to serve the Democratic Party because he is a product of Democratic values, which allowed Colón's father to receive health care services when he needed them, put food on the family's table when they had no money and allowed Colón to attend college.

"So that's why I have enjoyed serving as chairman of the Democratic Party," Colón said. "And
that's why when I got the call to look at this race for lieutenant governor, I felt I had an obligation to answer that call."

Colón said he understands New Mexico doesn't all sit on Interstate 25. He said the Rio Grande corridor is important for economic development, but so is the rest of the state. He said the state must invest in corridors outside of I-25.

Colón said small business is the economic backbone for the state of New Mexico, and he understands how difficult it is for small business people as he has been one. He said he will be a small business advocate as lieutenant governor.

Colón said to have positive economic development, it is necessary to invest in education.

"But we also know something else: We can't continue to do things the way we've always done them in New Mexico and expect a different result," Colón said. "Our dropout rate is an abomination ... We have got to start conversation about changing the way we try and deliver education in New Mexico."

Colón encouraged all Democrats to participate in their local county convention and get elected to go to the state convention March 13.

Dawn Provencher announced the local convention will be Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Alamo Senior Center.

Contact Laura London at llondon@alamogordonews.com.