PRC elections should bar unfit candidates

Editor,

I strongly support the state constitutional amendment to require education and professional qualifications for the Public Regulation Commission.

My degree and work experience provide the background necessary to run my business properly. To understand the complex issues involved in the regulation of utilities and other major industries, I expect commissioners to have the appropriate education and experience as well.

The current PRC District 1 race is a perfect illustration of why we desperately need the amendment.

While reading profiles of both candidates, I learned that candidate Christopher Ocksrider is a practicing attorney who also has an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts in business. However, candidate Karen Montoya does not have a degree in any discipline and has no work experience in business, the energy industry or any other industry regulated by the PRC. This position is too important for on-the-job training.

Voters should be able to choose the candidate that they believe is best suited to the position, while knowing that either is competent to hold the office. Regardless of the outcome, we should have confidence that the winner is qualified and that consumers and businesses will be treated fairly.

Instead, the current system forces us to pick the only qualified candidate, and it even provides the possibility that no qualified candidate would be on the ballot so voters would be left with a “lose-lose” proposition.

This fall, I urge voters to approve state constitutional amendment 2 to impose qualification standards for the PRC and ensure we have proper representation. If they do not, we could continue to have ridiculous mismatches, or worse yet, races between aspiring Jerome Block Juniors.

Scott Harenberg
Daily Lobo reader