About 10 people showed up to the Edgewood Library on Sept. 3 to raise their concerns about topics ranging from the national debate over health care, concerns about unemployment, education and environmental issues as Matthew Zidovsky, a constituent liaison for State Rep. Martin Heinrich, took notes and assured people he'd relay their concerns.

Kay Wilks, who said she was harassed at Whole Foods by someone pushing for health care overhaul, said that she'd had enough.

"This is my country and you guys can't push us around," she said.

Zidovsky said that what she had experienced sounded like it was out of line, but that he had no idea who Wilks had run into at Whole Foods.

"Everybody has a right to an opinion," he said.

Edgewood Mayor Robert Stearley said there weren't enough doctors or medical practitioners to support the increased demand after health care legislation. For the most part, his concerns involved environmental legislation, specifically a "cap and trade" bill designed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which he referred to as "cap and switch."

"Cap and switch, which is to save the icebergs, you know," he said, "… supposedly to save the world from global warming."

Stearley added that the bill is in conflict with other forms of renewable energy, such as biomass, where wood is taken from the forest and burned to produce electricity.

Stearley argued that this would release carbon into the atmosphere, questioning why then houses with fireplaces aren't considered "green."

Zidovsky pointed out that carbon scrubbers are required to be built into biomass power generators.

Attendees also discussed education, and the No Child Left Behind Act was brought up, which Wilks said was "putting everybody into the same box."

Saul Araque, career development specialist for the Workforce Connection's Moriarty office, said he'd like to see the representative make an effort to create jobs in the state's rural areas.

Ramona Floyd, the Senior Case Manager for Hogares Inc. — which offers aid to children and families in crisis — said that Torrance County needs more affordable housing and other federal programs, such as money to weatherize people's homes, and recreational services for children so they don't get into trouble.

Former Torrance County manager Bob Ayre, who was one of the last to voice his concerns, brought the round of comments back to health care.

"(Insurance companies) can't cherry-pick who they want to insure and what they charge. There's got to be a better way," he said.

He also told Zidovsky to tell Heinrich that the people "screaming" at town hall meetings would never vote for a Democrat anyway.