<h2>My Story</h2>

<h5 style="text-align: center;">Deep Roots and Deep Faith</h5><img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/de1725fd-76dc-4cd2-9df1-44a7bec18bcc/de1725fd-76dc-4cd2-9df1-44a7bec18bcc.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=156%2C123%2C809%2C571&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="35" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">I was born and raised in a large Catholic family in San Antonio, Texas, by parents who understood the meaning of perseverance. My father immigrated to Texas from Santiago, Chile, at just 13 years old after his own father tragically passed away in a plane crash. My dad arrived in a new country without speaking a single word of English, but he built a life through sheer determination. My mother faced her own deep losses early on; her mom passed away when she was only five years old, and she was raised by her grandparents. They instilled in me a deep sense of faith and family.My work ethic started early. At just 10 years old, my first job was pushing a hand mower around the neighborhood to cut grass to earn a few dollars. By the time I turned 12, I was riding my bicycle early every morning to deliver the morning newspaper, and I hit the streets again right after school to deliver the evening edition. I learned early on that if you want to see results, you have to show up, do the work, and be accountable.The Family I Grew Up With<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/9ab1527e-6488-4849-83d0-98da588478d4/9ab1527e-6488-4849-83d0-98da588478d4.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=-25&amp;shad=-80&amp;usm=35&amp;rect=348%2C79%2C2371%2C1595&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="My Family /Mi Familia" align="right" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">My Family /Mi FamiliaBoth of my parents are deceased and interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, honoring my father's service as a World War II Marine. I am the oldest of six children. Sadly, two of my brothers, Pat and Mickey, passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. My sister Nancy has been living in a San Antonio memory care facility for the past few years, and her health is rapidly declining. My other sister, a retired American Airlines flight attendant, now lives in Fort Worth. My youngest sibling, Brad, lives in San Antonio and has three sons, two of whom are married to wonderful Latina women. Brad serves as a Catholic deacon.My Family TodayMy wife's eyes still reflect the resilience built during a childhood of severe poverty in Juárez, Mexico, where she grew up in a home with dirt floors and a shared communal bathroom on the neighborhood street corner. Despite facing more than her share of disappointment early in life, she was happy and rose above those hardships to become the bedrock of our family. She moved to Guadalajara as a young woman for work and that is where we met, on a blind date set up my some mutual friends in Mexico City.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/5f66dae5-7846-44d9-8fc2-e466f1bdbbee/5f66dae5-7846-44d9-8fc2-e466f1bdbbee.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C179%2C1023%2C702&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Her name is Norma Leticia Rodriquez Gomez de Wakely and she is the steady foundation I lean on—my woman, my woman, my wife.</h4>We have 1 daughter and 2 grandsons. Our daughter's name is Kelly and her husband's name is Jason. Their boy's names are Casey and Sean. Both boys are men now. Casey is working with his dad in construction, Sean is a sophomore in college. They all live in Tennessee.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/a761b520-deaa-4788-9452-9d7604abbfb2/a761b520-deaa-4788-9452-9d7604abbfb2.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=278%2C881%2C798%2C833&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="25" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">From Military Service to Faith- Based Community OrganizingAfter serving my country and receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, I immediately put my energy into fighting for working people. I joined the United Farm Workers’ Organizing Committee's historic grape boycott campaign. My pay: $5 a week plus room and board. It was there I met Dolores Huerta and it was she who helped me bring into focus my lifelong calling: standing up for individuals and communities who were being pushed to the margins.Following my time working on the grape boycott campaign, I spent the following decade serving as a union organizer. First with the Service Employees International Union in Denver, then as an international organizer with the Office and Professional Employees International Union, traveling the country assisting local organizing campaigns, and finally as a Business Agent for an independent union in Milwaukee.Seeking to ground my advocacy in deeper ethical principles, I left the labor movement to attend the Chicago Theological Seminary. My focus was on Liberation Theology, a Christian movement that follows Jesus's path by emphasizing that true salvation requires actively dismantling social, political, and economic oppression to achieve justice for the poor and marginalized. My seminary training led me into faith-based community organizing.Grounded in my seminary training and the principles of liberation theology, my ministry has been defined by a commitment to servant leadership and the pursuit of justice for the oppressed. I began this journey as the Executive Director of Southern Lakes Communities Organized for Public Service, working alongside farmers in rural southern Wisconsin to help them secure bank financing for their farms, before returning to Texas to lead the Economic Justice Foundation in Austin. My work in Austin was recognized by the NAACP branch in that city, and they presented me with their annual Community Service Award for ensuring that local governments never ignored the voices of the marginalized. A Lifetime of CareLater in life, my wife Lety, and I, decided to take a step back from our often intense faith-based work and moved to the Pacific coast of Mexico, to Manzanillo in the state of Colima where we opened a beachfront jazz and wine bar called Viva Vino.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/356f245a-18a7-4634-8929-4d05b9a1b0eb/356f245a-18a7-4634-8929-4d05b9a1b0eb.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=232%2C588%2C1082%2C1040&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="37" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">It was a wonderful chapter of my life, but when my mother’s health declined and she required hospice, we closed the business after 4 years without hesitation and moved back to San Antonio. We cared for her until her passing. That profound experience changed our lives. CHRISTUS Hospice was so impressed with us they asked if we would be interest in caring for other hospice patients by taking them into our home, and without hesitation we said yes.Over the next 12 years, Lety and I took 84 military veterans or their family members into our home and cared for them until they passed. It was called Ann's Place after my mother. I served as hospice chaplain, cook and chief bottle washer. My wife provided direct patient care, and she is the hero of this story.After a few years, in addition to continuing to operate as a hospice, we became a VA Medical Foster Home, a program designed to be an affordable, community-based alternative to a traditional nursing home.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/45b564e4-c919-435a-a091-c493371603f5/45b564e4-c919-435a-a091-c493371603f5.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=47%2C737%2C1386%2C1099&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/7afc1d9d-3d08-438d-9cdc-7a6446ee7b1b/7afc1d9d-3d08-438d-9cdc-7a6446ee7b1b.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1264%2C843&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Among those we cared for was our oldest, and most well-known patient, beloved World War II veteran Lucy Coffey, who at the time of her passing was the oldest living female veteran in the United States. Our home became a crossroads of history because of her; when Lucy turned 108, Vice President Joe Biden called our house to speak to her and wish her a happy birthday. At the end of their conversation, the Vice President invited Lucy to the White House to meet him and President Barack Obama. Lety personally escorted Lucy to Washington, D.C., to fulfill that historic meeting. We treated every single one of our 84 patients with that exact same level of honor, devotion, and absolute care.The following year Vice-President Biden visited San Antonio to speak at a Veteran's conference and I took the opportunity to take Lucy meet him again but this time with his wife, Jill.In 2021, my wife and I chose to close Ann's Place, and relocate to southern New Mexico to be closer to her siblings and extensive extended family in El Paso and Juárez. We chose Deming as our new home. I am running for Luna County Commissioner because every chapter of my life—from mowing lawns at age 10 to working on the grape boycott campaign for $5 a week, to answering White House phone calls and caring for veterans like Lucy Coffey in my home—has taught me how to listen to people. I will bring that same unshakeable, lifelong commitment to the residents of Deming and Columbus.

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<h4>Only God can stop the wind from blowing, but Luna County can help stop the dirt from flying!</h4>Luna County can certainly do a number of things to cut down on the amount of dust being thrown around by the ever increasing number of storms moving through our community. Dust that finds it way into every nick and cranny of your home. Dust that closes down portions of Interstate 10 and NM 11 - the crucial highway connecting Deming, Columbus and Palomas. Dust that stops all outdoor activities including school sports. Dust that sickens the elderly and children with asthma.Right now, the Luna County Ranchettes have hundreds of miles of loose, dirt roads. Every time the wind blows or a car drives by, a thick cloud of dust hits our community. This dirt chokes our kids during sports, makes people sick, and shuts down our schools. I am proposing a plan to pave the dirt roads in the Ranchettes. Paving these roads locks the dirt down under solid asphalt. The wind won't be able to lift it, and cars won't kick it up anymore. This simple fix will give us cleaner air to breathe, safer roads to drive on, and fewer canceled school sports.<h5>65 Years of "Not Our Problem" — It’s Time for a Change!</h5>For the last 65 years, Luna County Commissioners have looked at the families in the Ranchettes and said:&nbsp;"Those unpaved roads are your problem, not ours."They claim their hands are tied because of a loophole from 1961. But while they ignore our neighborhoods, they choose to spend our tax dollars maintaining over 1,600 miles of dirt roads for farms and ranches.The truth is simple: past politicians chose to help those farmers and ranchers and they chose to leave Ranchette families stuck in the dust.<h4 style="text-align: center;">I say 65 years of waiting is enough!</h4>As your County Commissioner, I will work to change this selfish policy. I will stop making excuses for a 1960s mistake. I will work with my fellow commissioners to accept these roads into the county system and use state grants to pave them. No extra taxes. No more excuses. It is time to make the Ranchettes a priority!Legally, the county has the full power to accept the roads in their current condition and cover 100% of the paving and drainage costs without adding a single cent to the Ranchette property owner's tax bill.&nbsp;The current rule requiring Ranchette families to pay an extra tax is not a state law. It is just a local choice made by past county commissioners. If a new board of commissioners votes to change that policy, they can fix these roads using the county's general fund and state grants.🛠️ How the County Can Pay For It Without Taxing Ranchette Property Owners<ol><li>Changing the Local Policy:&nbsp;The County Commission has the power to amend the&nbsp;<a href="https://cms6.revize.com/revize/lunacounty/07.2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Luna County Roads Policy</a>. They can pass a resolution stating that due to severe dust storms and public health dangers, the county will automatically absorb specified Ranchette roads into the main county system.</li><li>Using NMDOT State Grants:&nbsp;New Mexico has a special fund called the&nbsp;<a href="https://cms6.revize.com/revize/lunacounty/Second%20Amended%20Resolution%2024-21.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Local Government Road Fund (LGRF)</a>. The state regularly gives millions of dollars to counties specifically to pave dirt roads and fix drainage. A proactive County Commission can apply for these grants specifically for the Ranchettes, meaning&nbsp;state money pays for the asphalt and drainage, and not local property owners.&nbsp;</li><li>The "Discretionary Clause":&nbsp;The county's own rules state that the commission can choose to maintain or build any road at "county expense whenever it is deemed appropriate and beneficial to the overall county road network." Stopping dust storms that shut down local schools and roads is absolutely beneficial to the whole county.</li><li>Populated Corridors: The county would pave the main arterial dirt tracts leading into the ranchettes, and then branch off into specific residential areas where clusters of homes have been built. This approach would create a cohesive, dust-capped network of main arterial roads and side roads where people currently live.</li><li>Elect two new County Commissioners: In order to get the Ranchette roads paved two new commissioners need to be elected come November, one in District 1 and one in District 2. I am running to replace the Republican incumbent in District 2 and Mary Meade, an Independent candidate, is running for District 1. Together we can get those Ranchette roads paved.</li></ol>

<h2>Let's Work Together To End The Housing Crisis</h2>

<h5>What I Think We Should Do</h5>Currently Luna County is part of the WESTERN REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY. However, the agency, through no fault of their own, is fundamentally constrained in what they can do. They serve eight geographically expansive New Mexico counties, a massive 32,546 square miles, an area larger than these 11 US states:<ul><li>South Carolina</li><li>West Virginia</li><li>Maryland</li><li>Hawaii</li><li>Massachusetts</li><li>Vermont</li><li>New Hampshire</li><li>New Jersey</li><li>Connecticut</li><li>Delaware</li><li>Rhode Island</li></ul>With a centralized team of only seven permanent administrative staff members there is no way they can effectively serve all eight NM counties. Consequently, low and moderate income families in Deming and Columbus are getting short changed. In my opinion, the solution is for Luna County to withdraw from the Western Regional Housing Authority and establish our own&nbsp;Luna County Housing Authority to bring decision-making power back home where it belongs.<h5>Housing Vouchers</h5>If you are waiting for Section 8 housing, good luck. Administrative delays are what low-income residents in Luna County can expect when they rely on the Western Regional Housing Authority for those vouchers. Currently 545 subsidized housing units are physically present in Luna County, but an alarming 24% sit completely unoccupied and unavailable due to slow local processing times. A Luna County Housing Authority would solve that problem.<h5>New Rental Housing</h5>Under my plan the Luna County Housing Authority could do much more, much, much more than just issue Section 8 vouchers. It could build new multi-family rental housing without costing local taxpayers a dime. It could do that by issuing Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds, and selling them to investors, and this is why those bonds are great:<ul><li>Zero Taxpayer Liability: These revenue bonds do not constitute a debt for Luna County;</li><li>How We Pay Back The Money We Borrow: Imagine we borrow money from investors to build new apartments. Once families move in, they pay monthly rent. We use that rent money to pay back the people who loaned us the money. It does not cost Luna County taxpayers anything;</li><li>Taxpayer Protection: If the apartments lose money, the lenders lose their money. Luna County taxpayers never have to pay a single dime.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/49a4fb70-64b6-4b70-ac33-283d12dad93e/49a4fb70-64b6-4b70-ac33-283d12dad93e.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1800%2C981&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></li></ul><h5 style="text-align: left;">Single-Family Homes</h5>Additionally, the Luna County Housing Authority could build entry-level single-family homes for rent or for sale. This would help low-and moderate-income families obtain safe, and affordable housing. <ul><li>How it is funded:&nbsp;Our local housing authority would apply for the money to build these new homes through the New Mexico <a href="https://housingnm.org/developers/homeownership/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HOME Single-Family Development Program.</a>&nbsp;It provides below-market-rate construction loans to public housing agencies;&nbsp;</li><li>Zero-Interest Financing:&nbsp;Our housing authority could also utilize the New Mexico&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsha.org/hfa-news/housing-new-mexico-launches-zero-interest-homebuilder-program-to-help-address-affordable-housing-shortage-in-the-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zero Interest Homebuilder Program (ZIHP)</a>&nbsp;to access interest-free construction financing specifically to build single-family homes for low-to-moderate-income buyers.</li></ul><h5 style="text-align: center;">Single-Family Homes for Rent</h5>The Luna County Housing Authority can and would build these single family homes for rent inside the city limits of Deming and Columbus provided each gave their permission.<ul><li>Scattered-Site Public Housing:&nbsp;Our own housing authority could build individual single-family homes or townhomes on all those vacant lots in Deming and Columbus.&nbsp;</li><li>Section 8 Voucher Compatibility:&nbsp;Since it would own those single-family rental homes, tenants could use their Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to rent them, or the housing authority can attach a "Project-Based Voucher" directly to that single-family rental property.</li></ul><h5 style="text-align: center;">Single-Family Homes for Sale</h5>The Luna County Housing Authority could build a high-tech, green subdivision featuring solar panels, with backup batteries, and tankless water heaters in both Deming and Columbus.&nbsp;In fact, in New Mexico, building affordable single-family housing using "green tech" is a highly effective way to lower the total cost of homeownership. This strategy reduces a working-class family's monthly utility bills to near zero. And this how it could be done:<ul><li>The New Mexico Affordable Housing Act:&nbsp;Luna County or Deming or Columbus could legally donate vacant land they own directly to our new housing authority for $0. This completely eliminates the cost of land and because the housing authority as a government agency it does not build for profit. Plus, it is completely tax-exempt. That means they pay&nbsp;$0 in sales taxes&nbsp;on building materials. And they pass every single dollar saved directly to the buyers of the homes it builds, making home purchase price as inexpensive as possible.</li><li>Lease-to-Purchase Single-Family Program:&nbsp;The authority could build these single-family homes and structure these properties as a lease-to-own program, helping low-income families build equity over 5 to 15 years until they fully buy the home from the county.</li><li>MFA Homebuilder Financing:&nbsp;The new authority could apply directly to&nbsp;the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority for programs like the&nbsp;Zero Interest Homebuilder Program&nbsp;to fund the physical construction of houses for sale to first-time buyers.&nbsp;</li></ul>

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<h1>Unlike Republican Colette Chandler, The Incumbent District 2 County Commissioner, I will Actually Try To Solve The Housing Crisis!</h1>

<h1>Leadership That Listens </h1>

<h1>Unlike Republican Colette Chandler, The Incumbent District 2 County Commissioner, I will Actually Try To Do Something About All The Dust!</h1>

As a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran, family man, and retired hospice chaplain my entire adult life has been devoted to fighting for low-income families, and anyone just struggling to make ends meet. I am running for District 2 County Commissioner to bring real, accountable leadership to our local government. Together, we can put the needs of Deming and Columbus first and build a community where every resident is included.

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