IamA Founder of Fast Company Magazine--now running for the greatest job in the world: Governor of New Mexico! Ask Me Anything!

New Mexico is losing young people, skilled people and entrepreneurs who are looking for a better place to find their futures. Instead of putting down roots, too many New Mexicans are pulling up stakes. What would you recommend I do as the next Governor to reverse this disturbing trend of New Mexicans "voting with their feet"? (As a former journalist, I have questions of my own!)

Hello Mr. Webber. I am a democrat living in Albuquerque NM. I've followed your stances on various issues and find that I line up with you on many things. As a small business owner who moved his business and self to Albuquerque 2 years ago, the local economy is very important to me and my state of business. Though I have one very important question for you, Mr. Webber.

If elected into office, where does your priority stand on getting Albuquerque an In-N-Out burger?

I've always been a strong supporter of The Big Lebowski--and as you undoubtedly know, The Big Lebowski features a very important visit to an In-N-Out Burger! And we all know how much Jeff Bridges loves New Mexico So when it comes to an In-N-Out burger, I'm a passionate supporter of cultural diversity. (I personally favor the secret menu.)

By the way, here's a little visual testimony to the power of the In-N-Out Burger! https://twitter.com/AlanForNM/status/471836483876581376/photo/1

Okay, I'm sorry to have to sign off! At the same time, I don't want to overstay my welcome. So here's a big thank you to everyone who participated. Final thoughts: If you're a New Mexico voter, I'd appreciate your vote and your support. This election represents a real cross-roads for our state. I believe our future is genuinely at stake. We need real solutions that work. We need new ideas, new thinking, and a fresh perspective. And we need to make Susana Martinez a one-term Governor. Your vote for me can help make that happen. On June 3, please give me your support. On a lighter note (pun intended) take a listen to our new campaign song. It was written and performed by New Mexico musicians and friends of the campaign, and it's called, "We're Better Together!" Enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/alan-for-nm/were-better-together-re-edited

Lifelong New Mexican here. How would you improve the public school system in New Mexico?

Edit: For those that don't know, New Mexico is 50th in the country for education.

We have got to go to work right away to make quality education the birthright of every child in New Mexico. My approach starts with quality early childhood education for every child in our state. We need to be the state where "education begins before the child is born." That means teaching parents-to-be that they will be their child's first and most important teacher. Instead of attacking teaches and driving them out of their chosen profession--and by the way, did you see the recent statistics on APS teachers leaving? Governor Martinez's attack on teachers is having a horrible effect--we need to offer teacher training and career development. We shouldn't teach to the test--we should teach to each child's learning style and approach. We can adopt a "New Mexico model" of public education, instead of using the Jeb Bush "plug-and-play" system that came to us from Florida.

What about community and cultural education? How do NM's traditions and heritage relate to your solutions??

Great follow up. We need to make the unique traditions and cultural inheritances of New Mexico part of our future: marry tradition with transition. Preserving languages, recognizing multi-culturalism as New Mexico's unique strength--those are important aspects of real education, as opposed to rote test-taking. We need to ask ourselves the first question: What is the real purpose of public education? What are we trying to do with learning in our state? Is it really all about taking tests? Or is it about helping young people discover their unique talents, gifts and values? We want young people to become adults who can create good lives for themselves and their families. New Mexico today looks like the future of America--and that's our advantage as a state.

Taking big money out of politics is very important to me in order to keep our democratic election system pure. In an interview you said that you don’t believe in self-financing and then dropped almost half a million dollars into your own campaign? Isn’t that hypocritical? If you have a strong message, people will contribute to your campaign, by putting all that money in yourself though, it looks like you aren’t able to stand by your words.

A self-funded campaign is one where the candidate puts up all the money for the campaign. And I don't believe in that--it takes away the role of supporters and voters in the democratic process. My campaign funding is a mix of money that my wife and I committed to the campaign and the contributions that have come into my campaign from supporters in New Mexico and across the country. A few statistics tell the story: 71% of our contributors are New Mexicans. That's grass-roots support.

Mr. Webber, are there any plans for complete recreational legalization of cannabis in New Mexico if you are elected?

If you can't answer that, what are your thoughts on Washington and Colorado's success in legalizing recreational cannabis thus far?

Also, for giggles:

Fast Company magazine, the fastest growing, most innovative business magazine in American history. Under his leadership, Fast Company won numerous awards, including launch of the year, magazine of the year, and best designed magazine in the country.

That sounds exactly like what they used to say about Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling of Enron.

Just joking, I know you guys weren't a black box. Congratulations on your business and political success.

I've said consistently that I favor studying the programs in Colorado and Washington State to learn from them and then legalizing, regulating, and taxing cannabis in New Mexico. There are a number of reasons why this simply makes sense: we waste far too many law enforcement resources on marijuana-related offenses. And we waste too many lives of young people getting caught in an offense that ought not to be a crime. I also don't agree that cannabis is a "gateway" drug. I believe that legalization is simply a fact of life and that we can and should get ahead of the curve of change. I'd use the tax dollars that we generate for two things, by the way: more options and better treatment for serious drug issues; and investing in public education so our kids stay in school and don't get into trouble in the first place. We should talk about the issue of medical cannabis too!

How do you feel about PNM's push to move the states RPS away from solar and towards other renewable sources like wind?

As a follow up, should we be pushing for small business growth in tandem with reducing New Mexicos carbon footprint? How would you like to balance these as priorities?

We have yet to hit our solar goal--and that is despite the fact that New Mexico ranks #2 in the nation in terms of solar potential. It seems to me that common sense and sound economics would tell us to realize our solar potential: it represents both good jobs and a sound environmental future. I'd like to see New Mexico take the lead in sustainability--it would preserve and protect our unmatched quality of life, create thousands of good jobs, and put us at the forefront of a movement that is growing in strength. New Mexico has a diverse economy--we've got at least 10 different segments that we can support and grow--and we can do that best by supporting the small and medium-sized businesses that are here. We have strengths we aren't emphasizing! We can become a model for livability and sustainability that makes other states wish they had adopted our strategy for the future!

Portland is recognized as becoming a model city. How will your experience working with Portland's mayor affect your vision for New Mexico?

I went to work in Portland City Hall back in the early 1970s when that city was at an inflection point: one path would have taken it toward becoming a miniature Los Angeles, with sprawl and air pollution. The path the city selected was far different: livability, sustainability, walkability, a blend of economic opportunity and environmental quality. Portlanders weren't afraid to be themselves--to make Portland and Oregon more of itself, rather than more like other places. That's why, when you go there, you see light rail and a Downtown transit mall, a park along with riverfront, thriving neighborhoods, and a lively cultural and entrepreneurial scene. The lessons: don't be a dirtier version of Arizona or a cheaper version of Texas--be the best New Mexico we can be! And learn to work together--we're better together! Collaboration, cooperation and connection is how we create the future we want for New Mexico. It's not the same as Portland, of course. It's what's right for us!

Well...this is what he said about the Portland Mayor he worked for, "when a dear friend and mentor of mine was brought low by the revelation of a sad sexual scandal more than 20 years after the fact."

That "sex scandal", was the repeated molestation of a 14 year old girl. If he was that close to his mentor/friend how could he let that happen?

How could he have the nerve to run for office with that skeleton in his closet?

This is laughable. "How could he let that happen?" That must be one of the most idiotic questions I've ever heard. Please feel free to join us in a dialogue about things that matter, like the future of our state.

I had no idea that crime was taking place until 30 years after the fact. It was a crime and I deplore it.

Can you elaborate on your plan to focus on growing the NM economy from within? I'm excited to hear more about your plans to create opportunities for its citizens in a place where deep cultural traditions meet future possibilities.

I've said all along that New Mexico's future is "hiding in plain sight." We have the talent, the technology, the history, culture, and resources to have an economy that provides great jobs and personal opportunity for all of our people. And we can have the kind of opportunities that are so appealing that our young people and skilled workers stop leaving the state! So: make New Mexico the most sustainable state in the country, with renewable energy and wise use of our water and natural resources. That way we combine our unmatched livability with economic opportunity. We emphasize our "cultural creatives" and link that community up with high-speed Internet--and we become the "most Etsy-ed" state in America. We imagine an approach to tourism that substitutes "apps for maps" and we become the coolest place for young tourists to come. We hire 21 economic specialists who are based in local communities to help existing companies grow and prosper. Better job training, more entrepreneurship, match vocational education with growing career opportunities--that's why our future is "hiding in plain sight"!

Hello Mr.Webber, as all instigators are, I have a few controversial topics but they are well meant.

!) What will be your policy on illegal immigration? Certain industries rely heavily on low wage workers below minimum wage.

2) What is your position on firearms? I hope you are one of the few in your political party to view the topic from both angles instead of deciding that a barrel shroud is a shoulder thing that goes up.

3) Finally, what is your opinion on LGBTs? Of course this is a personal question unlike what many think, there is no fully correct answer, so if you opt to leave this question unanswered, that is understandable.

As Governor, I regard the question of immigration as a matter of federal policy. Personally, I disagree with Governor Martinez's divisive policy of trying to take driver's licenses away from undocumented immigrants. It's wrong on every measure. I believe New Mexico is the most diverse state in America--and that our diversity is a huge advantage. I'd like to welcome immigrants who come here to make a better life. Check out the Think New Mexico proposal on the link between immigrants and entrepreneurship. 2. I answered the gun safety issue above. 3. I support equal rights for all New Mexicans. The day should be long gone when we discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual identity or sexual orientation. On Memorial Day, I attended the dedication of the first LGBT veteran's monument in New Mexico (and only the third in the country), and it was a moving ceremony and long overdue.

Hi everybody! Looking forward to an AMA exchange that adds to the conversation about New Mexico's future and engages a wide network of folks who want to explore the issues and opportunities we're all concerned with. Here we go!

Mental/behavioral health in NM - is there a viable model?

Governor Martinez's "audit" of the existing behavioral health providers in New Mexico and the outsourcing of the jobs and services to Arizona companies is a truly disgraceful record. We're learning that those "audits" didn't actually turn up fraud and abuse and companies were terminated without due process or a chance to respond to accusations. As governor, I'd act to reverse that whole episode. We need to invest more in mental health in New Mexico--we don't have enough options for people who need help. And we need a model that functions at the community level, so people can get the help they need without having to travel great distances for their treatment. What happened with the behavioral health audits was all about politics--not about taking care of New Mexico's most vulnerable citizens. That's just plain wrong.

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My wife and I came here for the same reasons many people do: the beauty of the state, the friendliness of the people, the incredible quality of life. We came here on a vacation, bought a house on that trip because we fell in love with New Mexico and decided to make this the place we'd spend the rest of our lives.

Job growth is seriously low in NM. What are your plans to grow the economy and help get people the jobs they need?

New Mexico is one of only two states in the country that actually lost jobs between April 2013 and April 2014. That's unacceptable. I see huge potential for good jobs across New Mexico: we should be at the top of the list for jobs in the solar and renewable industry; we should restore New Mexico's leadership in film and entertainment; we need to make "cultural entrepreneurship" a hallmark of New Mexico's economy; we have huge potential for farming and ranching that focuses on healthy food products; we have entrepreneurs who are eagerly awaiting a governor who'll help them grow new businesses; and we need to support our existing small and medium-size businesses in communities across the state. And that's just for starters!

As the successful candidate, do you believe you could attract funding to effectively compete with Gov Martinez? Do you believe you could attract Republican voters?

I was earlier asked about campaign funding and this is an important question as well. I'd like to see the words "campaign" and "finance" not be in the same sentence. I support Senator Udall's effort to pass a Constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizen's United decision. But for the moment, we have to deal with reality. And the reality is that thanks to the Koch Brothers and outside interests, Governor Martinez has amassed a considerable campaign war chest. I'm the only Democratic candidate for Governor who can "nationalize" this election. I can gain contributions from supporters both in and outside of New Mexico--I've proved that in the primary. And I know I can attract Independent and Republican voters. On the day I announced that I was running for Governor, I got calls from Republicans who said that if I were the Democratic nominee, they'd support me--because my record as a businessman gives them confidence that I can get New Mexico's economy moving again.

What is your position on gun control?

I support responsible gun safety legislation. I would close the so-called "gun show loophole," as a reasonable first step. I also believe that the current initiative to get local councils and school boards to take a hard look at gun safety resolutions is an important part of a better informed discussion about gun safety. The campaign that asks, "It's 3 in the afternoon--do you know where your gun is?" prompts parents to think carefully about gun safes and trigger locks.

Would you support laws to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Yes. Thanks for asking.

Your supporter, Senator Fischmann, called your opponent Gary King a “pussy” - which you evidently found hilarious based on your immediate reaction of laughing. Do you believe Gary King is a “pussy”?

I'm glad you asked about that video tape that was taken by a "tracker" sent by the Martinez campaign to a picnic. What you didn't see--because the "tracker" didn't send the whole video tape--was that as soon as former Senator Fischmann stopped talking, I told him that I didn't agree with what he'd just said or how he'd said it. Unlike Governor Martinez, who never apologized to the family of the late-Speaker Luhan for the remarks her staff made about him, I rebuked Senator Fischmann in real time and then called Gary King's campaign and apologized.

You're not from New Mexico, are you?

And the honor of the first question goes to you: Nope, my folks didn't make it all the way to New Mexico--they stopped in Missouri. So I was born in St. Louis, where my dad was a camera salesman. But my wife and I got here 11 years ago, and we'll be spending the rest of our lives here. I'd have to say, while I wasn't fortunate to be born here, I'm smart enough to get here as soon as I could.