Statement to San Miguel County Board of Commissioners

Good afternoon. I want to start out by expressing my sincere appreciation for this chance to be heard by the Board of County Commissioners, my fellow New Mexicans and my neighbors to address something that has long been festering in our community. I am here today to demonstrate my loyalty and commitment to this state and to San Miguel County in particular, as a long-time resident. First, know this: I consider New Mexico to be my home. I have lived quietly, bordering the wilderness for 25 years now. Both my father and grandfather lived here and are buried here. My children have grown up knowing the wonder of this desert wilderness. I and my brother and my children exist because of the kindness of my grandmother’s Hispanic neighbor in the Gila. He nursed my grandfather’s injuries from a bad accident and my father never let me forget the importance of three things out in our wonderful wild west: First, to make a donation to the church and often, secondly, the importance of water, and thirdly, the importance of being a good neighbor and giving back to the community. I am here today because I want our community to heal from any ill will being harbored due to past comments attributed to me. Living here has bestowed upon me countless blessings, not least of which has been the opportunity to cultivate relationships with New Mexico’s people. My friends and neighbors the Perea’s, George Adello, Brian Sandoval, the Cowles, Jane Fonda, Mr. Garcia, Pam Sawyer and many others are close neighbors. I love it out here. New Mexico’s physical beauty and wildlife has inspired me to work towards conserving our natural environment and its inhabitants – an undertaking I feel privileged to be a part of. Preserving New Mexico’s natural resources for future generations to enjoy is a lasting legacy that we can all be proud of and benefit from.

Looking to the future, I have tried to do my part by giving back to the community. I have been actively involved in numerous wild life, art and museum initiatives. I support our local schools and their athletic teams. I take an active interest in our local projects, including the Pecos Medical Center and our Fire Department. I have also donated 3 solid years every Sunday to community service at my church in Santa Fe as a reader for the services. I have also sought to show the world the splendor of this magical place by encouraging the film industry in New Mexico. This has resulted in the creation of jobs, increased economic opportunity and has showcased New Mexico’s beauty. I have assisted in getting 3 films moved to Las Vegas, NM. I have personally assisted Gov. Johnson and Gov. Richardson in producing what an associate of our present Governor said was the fastest growing business in New Mexico since the atom bomb. Since I helped lobby under Johnson for our film incentives, we have grown from as I understand it, a 3 million dollar industry in our first year to just over a 3 billion dollar one now. I am proud of that contribution. I raise these acts of mine now, not to boast, but to explain how my support and love for this place we call home ought to speak louder than my words, especially the twisting of my words.

Despite my best intentions to be a good neighbor, a conscientious member of the community and a steward for our land, I recognize that I have not always succeeded. Comments I made to a reporter some seven years ago were misconstrued and taken out of context. At the time I had recently been made aware of what were staggering crime and DWI figures for our state and the resulting tragedies, which greatly saddened me. Unfortunately, it seems we all know someone who has been impacted by drunk driving. My oldest friend died as a result of a drug and alcohol related car accident. My mom was hit by a drunk driver years ago. My ranch manager and I were driven off the road by a drunk driver. It was in this vein that I spoke of the precautions necessary while driving on a busy interstate. I had been told by a judge the area this reporter was driving in was especially dangerous. It was my hope that such incidents would decrease with awareness. Instead, the comments resulted in an unfortunate and inaccurate portrayal of San Miguel County and its people. While I take issue with the way the reporter chose to transform our earnest discussion for the benefit of magazine sales, I take full responsibility for the resulting consequences. I never intended for any statements I made to be construed as derogatory, racially prejudiced or disparaging. I understand your anger and frustration at the offensive, sweeping generalizations the article made about our home. Trust that I too was offended.

I also want to apologize for the Esquire Magazine article that quoted me as making disparaging comments about our nation’s veterans. The comments were made only in reference to character acting and were taken out of context and applied to veterans in general, not the specific role I had been preparing for. In no way did I intend to insult those men and women who have given so much. Both my father and grandfather are proud veterans. Michael Naranjo, the renowned Native American sculptor, is my oldest and dearest friend in the state and here today in solidarity. He too is a veteran and was injured and blinded in Vietnam. I went to Iraq to support the troops and sought no publicity for my tour. I love and support our soldiers who have sacrificed in order to preserve our freedoms. Their strength and bravery is an inspiration to us all. I hope you can forgive my misconstrued comments and accept what is in my heart.

I accept that I have not done enough to prove that I am not the person I have been accused of being. I know of not a single personal slight I have made to a soul out here. There is not a person in this room, county, state or country that can make a claim that I am in any way prejudiced.

I sincerely apologize to the residents of San Miguel County, my neighbors, our nation’s veterans and the residents of the state of New Mexico for the comments made in Rolling Stone and Esquire magazine. I hope that you can recognize my deep regret for the impact my comments have had on you, my neighbors, as well as our state. I am, and wish to remain, a contributing member of our community. I can only ask that you view my apology as a stepping stone towards repairing this misunderstanding between us so that we may go forward working together towards our common interest in promoting and protecting our beloved New Mexico.