San Miguel County Commission District 1. I am the 6th generation on our
families land and hail from the original 36 families that settled Las Vegas
Grandes. I have 9 children, five girls and four boys. I also have a Bachelors
of Science in education from UNM where I graduated with honors.I have traveled
throughout the United States, Asia, and Central America. In all my travels, I
have worked with youth, education, economic, and justice issues. I have always
known that I would return home to San Miguel County with my knowledge and
experiences in tact in order to help build a stronger and sustainable
community. Since I have returned to San Miguel County, I have volunteered
thousands of hours working with our youth and on many other community issues. I
have five main ideas in my platform, grassroots economic development,
collaboration with city government and surrounding counties to address poverty,
summer youth programs in rural areas, Alternative energy education center, and
a reintegration center.Grassroots economic development is a community owned
economy. One example of grassroots economic development is ecotourism. I
believe that we do not need some outside corporation to come in and save us. I
will lobby Santa Fe and Washington to support my economic plan which includes
business planning seminars, micro grants and or no interest loans. We certainly
have the resources and brain power to thrive economically as a community and
maintain the health of our land, water, and air.Collaboration with the city of
Las Vegas and surrounding Counties in order to address poverty is essential. We
can pull our resources; stand together as a region in order to design and
foster sustainable solutions to the poorest region of the country. In Las Vegas
we have three institutions of higher learning, HUNM, UWC, and LCC. Together,
there is no problem we cannot solve.Two years ago I did a survey with over 300
young people throughout San Miguel County. I found that the center of gravity
for our youth was Wal-Mart. The youth in rural areas complained about nothing
to do, particularly during the summer months. I hope to fund programs
throughout San Miguel that places our elders with our youth in order transfer
knowledge and a return to the culture we once honored. Children are our most
precious resource and our elders are our greatest asset.I will collaborate with
The City of Las Vegas to build an alternative energy and education center. The
energy produced must be community owned. This center will also provided
training and education of our youth in the field of solar power, wind power,
geothermal, and much more. A center such as this will insure the beauty and
heath of our environment while building trades for our youth.A reintegration
center has been on paper for way too many years now. Many of those incarcerated
are low level offenders whose crimes are directly related to poverty. They are
going to be released and living among us. The more we can support their reentry
into society, the more likely they will not reoffend. The county jail will save
money and we will have more productive members in our community, its a win
win.All of these ideas are connected and will drive each other for a
sustainable future. With the support of the masses, each one of these is
attainable. Its time create the change we desire from the ground up. History
has shown that change has never happened from the top down, it never has and it
never will. Please join us, vote Rock Ulibarri, County Commission, District
1.Sincerely,Rock G. Ulibarri