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>> AFTER MORE THAN TWO WEEKS ON THE EVE OF DEFAULTING ON
THE DEBT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS REOPENED AND
FURLOUGHED WORKERS HAVE BEEN PROMISED BACK PAY FOR THE TIME
THEY WERE LAID OFF. THE DEBT CEILING HAS BEEN
RAISED THROUGH FEBRUARY 7, BUT, LAWMAKERS DIDN'T RESOLVE
ANY LONGSTANDING DIVIDES ON FISCAL POLICY, NOT EVEN CLOSE,
SO THE SAME ISSUES WILL BE DEBATED IN COMING MONTHS.
THE TURMOIL HAS HIGHLIGHTED YET AGAIN NEW MEXICO'S
ECONOMY. WILL THIS CHANGE ANYTHING?
I LIKE THE PIECE YOU DID THIS PAST WEEK BEFORE THIS GOT
SOLVED ABOUT HOW DO WE GET OFF THE FEDERAL DOLE.
>> HOW DOES NEW MEXICO BECOME LESS VULNERABLE TO SHUTDOWNS.
>> HERE IS MY QUESTION, NOW THAT WE CAME TO THE EDGE, SO
TO SPEAK, HERE IN NEW MEXICO AND LOOKED DOWN, DO YOU
PREDICT ANY MARKET CHANGE IN PEOPLES' ATTITUDES ABOUT THIS,
BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE NEED TO GET OFF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
WAS THE THING TO PUSH IT ACROSS THE LINE HERE?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL PUSH IT ACROSS THE LINE, MAYBE
IT TAKES IT A FEW MORE INCHES TOWARDS THE LINE BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, NEW MEXICO WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, SOMETHING LIKE 1/3 OF NEW
MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS TIED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO
FEDERAL SPENDING, SO THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT DO WE DO TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE A MORE DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY?
>> QUOTES FROM FOLKS OUT THERE WHO TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING
FROM TAXES TO BUSINESS FRIENDLY STUFF.
FAIRLY NOT YOUR FAULT FOR JUST REPORTING QUOTES.
WE HAVE HEARD A LOT OF THAT BEFORE, SOPHIE, I GUESS THIS
IS AN ERA WE'RE COMING UP ON, OKAY, THEN WHAT?
THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE SUBJECT WE JUST TOOK ON WITH EDUCATING
KIDS, WHAT IS GOING TO BE WAITING FOR THEM DOWN THE
ROAD? WHAT KIND OF JOBS, WHAT DO
THOSE LOOK LIKE? IF THEY ARE NOT FEDERAL JOBS,
WHAT ARE OUR STRENGTHS? THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE
NEED TO HAVE. >> ONE OF THE TREMENDOUS
CHALLENGES FOR US IN NEW MEXICO IS WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND
THE MARKETPLACE, ONE OF THE MOST STABLE CUSTOMERS, THIS
MOST RECENT PERIOD ASIDE, ACTUALLY, IS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CONTRACTORS -- AND I
WANTED TO MAKE THIS POINT, YOU IN YOUR INTRO, YOU SAID THE
FURLOUGHED WORKERS WILL BE PAID.
THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE IS IT BECAUSE THE FURLOUGHED
FEDERAL WORKERS WILL BE PAID, BUT THE MANY CONTRACTORS --
THIS ISN'T, OF COURSE, COUNTING SANDIA, ILLEGAL
CONTRACTORS WHO NEVER WENT ON FURLOUGH, BUT WE HAVE
OUTSOURCED AN AWFUL LOT OF FEDERAL WORK TO CONTRACTORS
WHO WILL NOT BE PAID AND WHO WERE FURLOUGHED.
AND SO, WE LOOK AROUND THE MARKETPLACE, WHO IS OUR BEST
CUSTOMER? IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
OR CONTRACTORS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LIKE HONEYWELL,
LIKE URF, WE HAVE THESE BIG, BIG COMPANIES WHO ARE DOING
BUSINESS HERE AND THEN THEY ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE
GOVERNMENT AND SO IT WOULD BE SURPRISING IF BUSINESS HERE
STARTUPS WEREN'T LOOKING AGAIN TO THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY THE
BILLS. >> I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND
THE REASON I AGREE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE COMPANIES
YOU JUST NAMED, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND, IN ANY
STATE RIGHT NOW, COMPANIES THAT CAN HIRE IN LOTS OF 100,
150, 250, 350. AS OPPOSED TO THE CASE WE DO
WITH MOM AND POPS HIRING ONE, TWO, THREE AT A TIME.
IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO ATTRACT THOSE BUSINESS
FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT SOME CONNECTION TO FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AT ALL; THEIR BUSINESS.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN. IT IS A TRICKY ONE.
>> I DON'T THINK IT IS POSSIBLE AND I ALSO THINK IT
IS WORTH LOOKING AT CONTRACTORS VERSUS FEDERAL
WORKERS, YOU HAVE A FEDERAL WORKER WHO HAS A STABLE JOB,
THEY ARE MAKING GOOD MONEY, THEY HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE,
THEY HAVE RETIREMENT, THEY ARE THE HOMEOWNERS, THEY ARE THE
PEOPLE BUYING NEW CARS AND VEHICLES, THEY ARE PAYING
TAXES, AND I THINK THAT GETS OVERLOOKED WHEN PEOPLE START
SORT OF SCREAMING ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THOSE ARE STABLE TAX PAYING COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
DO WE REALLY WANT -- DO WE WANT TO CUT THAT BACK AS
MUCH AS WE SAY WE DO. MAYBE THOSE CONTRACT WORKERS
AREN'T AS STABLE JOBS, YOU MIGHT MAKE MORE SALARY AS A
CONTRACT WORKER THAN A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUT WITH A FEDERAL
EMPLOYEE, YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF JOB SECURITY AND YOU
HAVE RETIREMENT, SOMETHING THAT IS NOT SO COMMON THESE
DAYS. >> INTERESTINGLY, STEVE, THE
POINT YOU GUYS ARE MAKING REALLY CAME HOME TO ME WITH
290 CONTRACTORS FURLOUGHED FROM LANL THAT WERE DOING THE
WASTE WORK AND ALL THE STUFF WE HAD FROM FLOODS AND FIRES.
I KEPT THINKING, WELL, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THAT?
THAT IS AN AWFUL LOT OF CONTRACTORS WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND LOS
ALAMOS. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MAKE UP
FOR THAT. THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING
THING. >> YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME
THAT YOU GO BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WHAT MAKES THE
ECONOMY GO AND YOU CAN'T REALLY -- YOU KNOW -- IT GOES
BACK TO OUR FIRST TOPIC, EDUCATION.
IT GOES BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT GOES BACK TO WHAT BUSINESSES -- THIS IS IN ROB'S
ARTICLE, ACTUALLY, GOES TO WHAT BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT. AND, PERSONALLY, I WOULD
RATHER SEE TARGETED INCENTIVES TO BUSINESSES TO COME IN
RATHER THAN THESE GENERAL CORPORATE TAX CUTS.
I THINK THAT IS A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF DOING IT,
PROMISING A BUSINESS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INCENTIVE IF THEY
STAY, HAVING CLAWBACKS IF THEY DON'T STAY, I THINK THAT IS A
MUCH MORE EFFICIENT WAY AND MAYBE WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE, BUT TO YOUR BASIC POINT IT IS A LONG HAUL.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EXPECT A QUICK RESULT.
>> SURE, THAT ALSO MEANS, SOPHIE, WHAT ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT FOLKS HAVE TO DO IS FORECAST, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS
COMING UP ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND HOW DO WE FIT IN.
WE HAVE HAD UPS AND DOWNS ON THIS, IF YOU THINK BACK TO
CHIP MAKING AND ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS.
>> SPACE TRAVEL. >> YEAH.
>> SO, THAT STABILITY STEVE IS TALKING ABOUT IS A DIFFICULTY,
SO, ARE WE JUST GOING TO BE A BUNCH OF ENTREPRENEURS HERE AT
RISK TO EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT IS NECESSARILY THE CASE.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY, NEW MEXICO HAS BENEFITED FROM SOME
STABILITY THROUGH GOVERNMENT WORK.
I CAN FORECAST THIS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A
WHOLE LOT OF STABILITY THROUGH JANUARY AS PEOPLE LOOK -- AND
THAT IS GOING TO BE ON PERSONAL CHECKBOOKS.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT QUALIFIES AS A FORECAST.
>> I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE REALLY CAUTIOUS
WITH HOW THEY SPEND. THAT IS GOING TO HIT OUR
MARKET HARD. >> JUST AHEAD WE LOOK AT THE
CONTROVERSY OVER THE STATES NEW RULES ON COPPER MINING AND
THE PUSH TO OVERTURN IT.