Webber Becomes 1st Dem to Use Mother Jones Recordings in Ad

Alan Webber

Democrat Alan Webber became the first candidate for governor to use one of the recordings of Republican Susana Martinez released in that Mother Jones article this week.

The recording used in the 60-second radio spot is the one in which Martinez was talking about teachers not working during the summer months. (All the audio released with the article reportedly come from private conversations taped during debate prep in the fall of 2010.)

This is contrasted to a portion of an interview by New Mexico Watchdog with Martinez in 2013.


Here's the script of the ad:

Announcer: Here’s what Governor Martinez says on the campaign trail.
Martinez: “I am so pro-teacher it’s not even funny.” 
Announcer: But in newly released audio recordings…a different story.
Martinez: “During the campaign we can’t say it, I guess, because it’s education…They already don't work, you know, two and a half months out of the year, three months out of the year.” 
Announcer: In public, Susana Martinez pays our teachers lip service. But when she thinks no one’s listening…she slams them.
That’s what’s not even funny.
And neither is her plan for New Mexico…
Tax breaks for big, out-of-state corporations.
While middle class families fall further behind.
Alan Webber has a different approach.
End tax breaks for out-of-state corporations
Raise the minimum wage…to lift everyone’s pay.
Invest in early childhood education.
And support our teachers.
…not insult them. 
It’s time we respect New Mexicans. Vote June 3 for Alan Webber for Governor. 
Paid for and authorized by Alan Webber for New Mexico, Maria J. Franco, Treasurer—and saying what every New Mexico Democrat believes.

A couple of things to note: Although Martinez and her advisors in 2010 apparently were talking about the possibility of having to cut teacher salaries in that upcoming legislative session, no such salary cuts ever came to be. In the most recent legislative session, Martinez proposed raises for beginning teachers and later signed a budget that included teacher raises.

As for the tax breaks for corporations, that was part of a major tax bill in 2013 that was pushed for and voted for by many Democrats in the Legislature.

Listen to the ad below:

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