On a busy political Saturday, with candidates walking, talking and appearing at rallies, candidates for state representative District 77 and 78 spoke at public venues.

State Rep. Paul Moreno and his challenger, Marisa Marquez, appeared on KHRO-1650 AM with host Hector Montes, and later in the morning, District 78 state Rep. Pat Haggerty appeared at Inform El Paso. Haggerty's challenger, Dee Margo, did not appear.

Margo said his campaign manager told one the forum organizers, Ric Schecter, that he would not be at the event.

NPT was going to cover each one in separate stories. However, given Haggerty's solitary attendance, this is how it's happening: A brief overview of Haggerty's appearance, and a comment from Margo, reached after the forum. We'll just have to get to them in more depth in a future article.

Following that, a recap of the Moreno-Marquez appearance on KHRO.

One more thing: Although this article focuses on the state representative races, it is worth noting that the candidates for County Commissioner Luis Sarinana's seat -- the incumbent and challengers Anna Perez and Tomas Rey -- appeared at the Pearson Group meeting Saturday. That can be seen on video via this link.

A busy Saturday, indeed.

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Haggerty passed out cards with his picture and the slogan "You Can Count on Pat." Across the bottom of the card, in yellow letters on black background, was a "Voter Integrity Alert," which called challenger Margo a "carpetbagger" assigned by Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick to take Haggerty out. Margo recently moved to Haggerty's district, and has said he was planning the move -- to a singe-level home -- well before the campaign because the family housekeeper has a hard time with the multi-level home on Rim Road.

Haggerty said that Margo was backed largely by three sources: Craddick, who has been a statewide story for his rule of the House (Haggerty was one of the Republican "rebels" who challenged Craddick), and El Paso businessmen Woody Hunt and Paul Foster, both of whom gave Margo large sums of money, as reported in the last round of campaign finance filings.

Haggerty laid out what he believes will be Margo's strategy -- a series of telephoned questions defined by Haggerty as a "push poll," where Haggerty's positions on issues will be misrepresented, and whichever answers make voters less likely to support him will be used by Margo in a $150,000 television ad campaign.

He said he had some examples of the statements used; one was that Haggerty voted to give needles to drug addicts. Haggerty said that an example of a half-truth used to make him look bad, and explained the needle giveaway was a pilot program in San Antonio that was an amendment added to an important Medicaid reform bill, SB 10.

Margo said he'll debate Haggerty on KVIA-Channel 7, in an appearance to be broadcast Jan. 28, and that Saturday he did not go to the forum because "it's more important to me I get out and communicate with voters and that's what I'm doing."

Margo denied doing a push poll, and said of the assertion that there is a $150,000 media campaign in the works, "I haven't even seen the media budget yet. He (Haggerty) must be omniscient, or inebriated, I don't know which."

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The discussion between Moreno and Marquez essentially boiled down to experience and stability v. youth and potential.

They agreed on many issues, including the similar position when asked about teaching "intelligent design" or other forms of creationism in science courses that it was not a relevant issue to voters in District 78.

Both said they would not vote for Craddick for speaker, and both said they were leery of using eminent domain, although they were not specific about how rules regarding use of eminent domain could or should be changed. They agreed that a border fence is a bad idea, and so were school vouchers.

Host Montes opened with the question: What is the main priority in the next legislative session?

Moreno said education: "As long as we maintain the funding processes that exist ... that will be detrimental to the eucation process." He said he has been "in the forefront of every bill, of every asset of state government" that attempts to raise "the education level of the Mexican people, of all the minority people."

Marquez said: "I would have to agree. The statistics in District 77 and across the board in El Paso show the great need for education dollars." She said more than half the people in District 77 dropped out of high school, and that "affects economic development ... education creates myriad opportunities."

The next question was whether the candidates favor or oppose religion-based concepts to be an element of Texas school science curricula.

Marquez answered by saying it gets down to the essential question of nature v. nurture, and said, "I believe in nurture and that is what we are lacking now." She said any student can succeed regardless of race or gender.

Moreno said that the topic "is beyond the comprehension of the people we represent," and then chided Marquez for not understanding the education funding. Moreno frequently tried to point out when he thought Marquez showed a misunderstanding of government processes, and in the case of education, he said that her assertion that she work to bring education funding to the district was misinformed. Moreno said the state money that goes to school districts is based on a formula in which every district receives funding in relation to its taxing ability "and this is what is so unfair. ... She's under the impression she is going to bring a certain funding to District 77. That is not the case."

Asked whether they would vote for Craddick as speaker, or sign a pledge card supporting him, both said no.

Moreno said two House members from El Paso already had signed Craddick pledge cards, but he did not identify who. Moreno said Craddick has stirred up so much animosity that he will not even be nominated as speaker; Marquez said she would pledge to a Democratic speaker and said the Democrats are only several representatives away from taking back the House.

The next question was whether the candidates considered their role to file bills, what bills they would file, and what bills by others they would support or oppose.

Moreno said despite the local chatter because he does no file bills, "people in El Paso don't know I'm a debater on the floor. I check the calendar every day and I go in there and fght for every darn good bill on the floor and fight the bad bills. This is why the mayor of El Paso called me 'Kill Bill.'"

Marquez said that while it is important to kill bad laws, "it's also important to file bills. The district has changed, El Paso has changed. ... We need to assess as representatives of the district and El Paso what those needs are and move forward and file bills to assist them."

On the subject of a border fence, and the use of eminent domain to seize land from people who won't give it up to the government, both said the fence was a bad idea and eminent domain just makes it worse.

Moreno sad the fence was a "detriment" to the country's relationship with Mexico, and that he is against eminent domain, which "plays a role in El Paso in the restructuring of the barrio. ... I am against eminent domain that will take the wholeness of the title for the benefit of government."

Marquez agreed.

On whether there is a leader for the El Paso legislative delegation, and how to bring the group closer together, Marquez said that "all of them (members) contribute to the betterment of El Paso in different ways." She said
she'd like to see more unity and "It is important they communicate effectively and regularly."

Moreno, without saying to whom he was referring but clearly aiming his barb at state Rep. Norma Chavez, who came out in support of Marquez after many in El Paso's Democratic Party establishment came out in favor of Moreno, said "unfortunately we have one member of the delegation who is constantly in oppostion to the rest of us, including the senator, making it imposible to get together, but fortunately we work together for the betterment of El Paso and we do not take orders from the speaker."

Following the questions from Montes, callers weighed in.

KHRO regular "Dark Side" Dave said the candidates "avoided the creationism question."

Marquez said it wasn't so much avoiding the question as that it wasn't "pertinent to the issues we were talking about."

She said that "yes, as far as science class it should be available, they should have access to that type of information."

Moreno said "this question is just a bad question for District 77."

Caller Kevin said took Moreno to task for his comment that the issue was beyond the comprehension of people in the district.

Moreno fired right back, saying it was a topic drummed up by "a group of people like you."

"You probably don't even know the boundaries of District 77 and we have to do what is right for the education of the poor kids in District 77 and the border states so don't bring all this," he said.

Kevin replied with the rhetorical question: Did Moreno think "being paternalistic" benefits the students in the district. There was a brief moment of garbled crosstalk, and the conversation moved on after Marquez stepped in and said, "I don't think it's beynd their comprehension but I think Rep. Moreno and I want to stick with the issues most relevant to District 77."

Candy said that there has been no improvement in the Segundo Barrio in 40 years, and asked Moreno what his plan was to change that.

Moreno agreed that Segundo "suffered in economic development," but said he didn't understand Candy's question.

Marquez said that she would be present to work with the delegation, but as a freshman legislator "I'll be realistic about what I can promise and what I can't. ... I don't have all the answers right now."

Moreno took exception to the comment that Marquez would be present, taking it as an attack on his record of not filing bills. "If Marisa would check she would realize I have the best record in the House as far as present is concerned," he said. Marquez said her comment was about her "and was not accusatory."

Debbie asked their position on opening Asarco.

Marquez cited the UTEP study released by the city, in which the number of people opposed or not having a strong opinion on reopening Asarco was put at 62 percent of El Pasoans, and said that she would "have to side with the constituents."

Moreno said he was instrumental in shutting Asarco down "many years ago," although "I sort of have some regret about the lost jobs."

Sandra asked if they would support vouchers.

Both said no.

Enrique asked if either would support legislation to restrict the use of eminent domain to government projects; currently, state law allows the use of eminent domain to transfer property from one private owner to another if the property is in a blighted area and the transfer's primary focus is the elimination of blight. The question was a reference to the Downtown Plan, where eminent domain is possible and some property owners took their fight to the legislature last session.

Moreno said he was "totally opposed" to eminent domain taking property from an owner "under the guise of governmental processes."

Marquez said yes, although her answer was unclear as to the process. "It needs to be a conversation in which they are given an opportunity to voice their concerns and their needs and I do not believe in eminent domain."

Moreno said Marquez was "mistaken because the community has nothing to do with eminent domain. You have to follow the laws of the state of Texas and people have to be compensated."

Marquez said what she meant by community involvement was the relationship between the legislature and the community and "incorporating them when they come to vote."

Both appeared confused regarding the issue. Moreno said "you cannot have a vote on eminent domain," but it was unclear whether he meant Marquez did not have a vote or the public did not have a vote. Then he said that "it's in the constitution" and has to be from a popular vote, with which Marquez agreed.

Moreno used that discussion string to state Marquez lacked experience.

She said she agreed that experience was important, but "so is commitment. The reason I am putting myself in this position is that I have the ability to learn. It's time our generation be accountable."

The theme was continued when a caller asked Marquez whether she agreed with the idea that it's time for new leadership. Marquez, to nobody's surprise, agreed.

Moreno said that he already has the knowledge needed, and "why take a chance on somebody that hasn't got a record, and by god, I have proven myself."

That discussion went on for few beats before Dan called and asked why Moreno did not vote on the bill to allow Tigua gambling. The bill, by Rep. Chavez, died on a tie vote.

"If you're talking abut me being absent for the burial of my former colleague Nancy McDonald, you must be awfully sick, my man, for me to miss the funeral of one of the best colleagues in the state of Texas and colleagues in El Paso," Moreno responded.

Carmen asked Marquez why she did not include employment with Texas Community Care on her mailer. Marquez, who is community relations manager for the company, said it was because of space considerations on the mailer, and said because it is the largest provider of Medicare services "we're going to get the most complaints."

In regards to how the candidates would address deficiencies in Texas Workforce Commission operations, Marquez said boards need to be accountable but she was not aware of the issues there. Moreno said he had a meeting next week with the director of the Workforce Commission and "I will report to El Paso." Editor's note: This paragraph has been corrected. The original version stated: In regards to how the candidates would correct deficiencies in Texas Workforce Commission board appointments, Marquez said boards need to be accountable but she was not aware of the issues there.

In closing, Moreno said he wanted people to consider his honesty, integrity and proven record.

Marquez thanked Moreno for blazing the trail, and said she was "asking for change, for qualified change. Experience will come with the support of the delegation, even Mr. Moreno."