Democracy for New Mexico

Political Tourism

From an AlterNet article:

In the next few weeks, expect a crop of outsiders to flock to New Mexico. They're not coming to peruse the state's famed art galleries or to hike its enchanted lands; the draw for this latest influx is the upcoming presidential election. Because New Mexico is a swing state, with Gore winning New Mexico by just a couple hundred votes in the last election, supporters of both Bush and Kerry are traveling from as near as Texas and as far as Maine to help sway New Mexicans to their candidate of choice. Jennifer Nation, a University of Texas at Austin student, decided to drive 14 hours from Houston to Albuquerque in hopes of getting New Mexicans to turn out for Kerry.

"I haven't given up on Texas," says the 20-year-old, "but I do think it's absolutely going to go to Bush, so I wanted to come to a swing state." Now that she's in New Mexico, Nation has been doing data entry, compiling information about Kerry campaign volunteers and updating information on voters. She will soon go door to door to garner more voters for Kerry. "I feel like the result of this election will not only affect us for the next four years but for the next 40 years," Nation says.
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I know that the Kerry campaign, ACT and the League of Conservation Voters are looking for people to house volunteers from other states for a few days or a few weeks. Call the Kerry campaign at 256-2570, Jordan Foster or Chris Cerbini of ACT NM at 872-9466, Olivia Stockman of LCV at 244-1077.

Mission NOT Accomplished

Since so many of us will be phonebanking and canvassing for various organizations from now until the election, I thought I'd pass along some food for thought that might be used to make your arguments for a Bush defeat. These are from the NM Democratic Party Victory Line email:

MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED: Bush and the Economy
Since George Bush took office, 7,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in New Mexico. [Bureau of Labor Statistics] Average wages in industries that are growing pay $8,338 less than in industries that are contracting. [EPI, “Average Wages in Growing and Contracting Industries, End of Recession Through November 2003] Since George Bush has taken office, family income in America has dropped by $1,462. [US Census Bureau]

MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED: Bush and Health Care
In New Mexico, the total family premium for health insurance has increased by $2,551 to $8,773. [2000 MEPS Data from the Agency for Healthcare Quality Research projected forward using KFF National Premium Increase] Health care premiums increased by 13.9% last year while workers’ earnings increased by only 3.1%. This is the fifth year in a row that premiums outpaced earnings. [Kaiser Family Foundation, “Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace, 2004 Update”]

MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED: Bush and Education
George Bush has requested $69,250,500 less than is needed to fully fund No Child Left Behind for 2005 in New Mexico. This shortfall will make it difficult for schools in New Mexico to meet the educational needs of its students. [Children’s Defense Fund, “Nearly Every School District In America Left Behind By President's Education Budget,” 4/30/04] Since Bush has taken office, tuition in New Mexico has increased by $614 at four-year public universities. [American Association of State Colleges and Universities; National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges; Based on College Board Tuition Increase]

MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED: Bush and Homeland Security
Bush cut state and local grant funding for first responder training, exercise, and technical assistance by nearly half, from $320 million in 2004 to $178 million in 2005. New Mexico will receive less than what police, firefighters and other first responders in need to get the training they need. [Budget of the United States, www.omb.gov]

Getting enough money allocated, getting possession of the money once it's authorized and having input into what types of expenditures the feds will pay for, are among the headaches facing local governments as they attempt to train and equip themselves against the possibilities of terrorism. Jim Hunter, director of Emergency Preparedness said Albuquerque has been promised $2.9 million in homeland security funds since Sept. 11, 2001, but only $700,000 has been delivered. [Albuquerque Tribune, 7/08/04]
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Here's a piece written by Sen. Robert Byrd on the same topic of Mission NOT Accomplished. And a DNC site with this theme.

Socorro: Let the Horses Lead

I've been reading about activities in Socorro recently on the DFA blog and wanted to share a couple posts that provide a nice report of the action, plus some much needed humor. Great to hear that our Socorro compadres have reawakened and are going full throttle! Hope we can reconnect with DFA folks around the state as we continue down the road towards building an organization that will last for many years beyond the current election. Join me in welcoming our Socorro contingent to the DFNM blog.

Posted by NM*Mom*for*Dean at September 6, 2004:
Our county fair was held this past weekend. One of the events was the annual county fair parade which I and my 7-month old participated in. We, and about two dozen other folks, marched with the Kerry float. I decked out the baby stroller with Kerry signs and my Howard Dean pin. We got some claps and some boos, but on the whole, the crowd was very respectful.

Now, there was a Bush/Cheyney float, too, with about 10 people participating, about half of them children not old enough to vote. And, in what I consider to be a scene of poetic justice, they were marching behind the members of the 4-H club who were riding their horses. And the horses were not shy about relieving themselves. I thought, there is a God, and he's got a great sense of humor.

Yesterday, the family and I were driving around Albuquerque, and I noticed that there are a lot more Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers than Bush/Cheyney stickers. I also saw a number of Dean stickers (you are still loved here!). I have a pretty strong feeling that Kerry's going to take NM.

Also, given that Richard Romero, a Dean Dozen candidate, is running against Heather Wilson, a Bush lapdog, I wonder if we could get a visit from Howard out here in the Land of Enchantment (hint, hint).

Posted by NM*Mom*for*Dean at September 3, 2004:
Things are busy in Socorro. The Dem party opened their county headquarters here last week. I've signed on with Socorroans for Democracy (the phoenix rising from the ashes of Socorroans for Dean) and Socorro Democratic Women. Our county fair begins today thru the weekend, and tomorrow morning I'll be marching in the parade on the SFD float. We are tabling at the local farmer's market twice a week, and I registered two new voters yesterday. There are a number of events scheduled up to the election including fiestas, candidate forums and a Matanza on October 30. The Dems are very active down here. It's going to be b@lls to the walls between now and Nov. 2.

Oh, and they FINALLY got Fahrenheit 9/11 into the local theater after an email effort to Trans-Lux by members of SFD and other locals. We do have the power!
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For those visiting here from outside New Mexico, here's a with links about the Socorro area, home to NM Tech, the Very Large Array, the Bosque del Apache and old San Miguel Mission (pictured at top).

Crazy Quilt of Polls

According to , the most recent national polls on the presidential races are all over the map. Here's a summary:

Pollster	Kerry	Bush
American Research Group	48	47
The Economist	45	44
Leger	47	51
Newsweek	41	52
Rasmussen	45	49
Time	41	52
Zogby	44	46

It seems clear that Bush is getting a bump from his dishonest and mean-spirited convention, but it's not clear how much. Here in New Mexico, a Journal poll released today has Bush with 45% and Kerry at 42% in a poll conducted Aug. 27 -- Sept. 1 sampling 908 registered voters statewide. Eight percent were undecided, 1% said "none of the above" and 1% wouldn't say. David Cobb of the Green Party, Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party and independent Ralph Nader each had 1%. The margin of error was plus or minus 3%, so the race remains a statistical tie.

Us vs. Them

Compare and Contrast: Barack Obama was the Dem Keynote Speaker, while Zell Miller keynoted the RNC convention. You can check out the really telling differences of approach by reading or, even better, by viewing their keynote speeches: Obama, Miller.

And if you agree that Obama's speech was a home run, you can even buy a shirt that features the transcript.

Some good tools for comparing Bush vs. Kerry can be found in the new Kerry Kit offered for the $4 shipping cost by MoveOn PAC. You can order a Kit for yourself, have it sent to friends or neighbors, or download most of the materials directly.

Americans for Healthcare, an arm of SEIU, offers an excellent flyer that compares the Bush and Kerry healthcare plans.

And for data nuts everywhere, we have Bush's Speech by the Numbers, which shows what he isn't interested in by the number of times his speech contained these words:

Unemployment - 0
Uninsured - 1
Outsourcing - 0
Premiums - 0
Middle-income families - 1
Iran - 0
North Korea - 0
Osama bin Laden - 0
Al Qaeda - 3

Apparently the hatefest continues as we head into the Labor Day weekend:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) President Bush on Friday wished Bill Clinton "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery.'' "He's is in our thoughts and prayers,'' Bush said at a campaign rally. Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. Bush did nothing to stop them.

And it seems our courageous leader is already getting scared to tangle with Kerry. This article reports that the Bush camp may cut one debate from the schedule. Funny how quickly his "steel resolve" fades in the light of TV cameras trained on both the candidates sharing a stage!

Labor Day Extravaganza in Santa Fe

As part of a plan to increase NM’s voter participation by 10% over the 2000 general election, the state NAACP, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, AFL-CIO and 30 other organizations will sponsor a "Labor Day Extravaganza" to mobilize New Mexicans who want to help increase turnout and those who didn't vote last time around.

Only 47 percent of New Mexico’s voting-age population voted in 2000. The program will outline a plan to increase that turnout rate by 10 percent for November’s election. Part of the coalition’s long-term strategy includes promoting state legislation in the next session that would allow voter registration on Election Day.

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall will address the rally, along with other nationally known speakers. There'll be a poetry slam, music and refreshments, and voter registration, all for FREE. Gather on the East side of State Capitol building in Santa Fe from 11:30 through the afternoon on Labor Day, Sept. 6. A reception will follow at the Marriott Courtyard on Cerrillos Road from 5 to 7 p.m. (Sponsored by: NAACP National Voter Fund).

Click here and to get all the details.

NARAL Needs Volunteers

The NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico team is heading full force into September and we need your help to expand our outreach and protect a woman's right to choose. We have several volunteer opportunities and our annual membership meeting is rapidly approaching - check out details below. We hope to see you at one or all of the events!

New Mexico State Fair, September 3 - 19: Volunteers are needed to staff our educational booth at the State Fair. You'll get to talk to pro-choice supporters and distribute information about a woman's right to choose. This is a great opportunity to reach out to the public and spread a positive message about a woman's right to choose. To sign up for a shift or get more information, please call Gayle at 505.296.6586. Shifts are three hours long.

2004 Annual Membership Meeting, September 12: The NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico Board of Directors invites you to attend our annual membership meeting, where you'll get to vote on the slate of candidates for the NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico Board of Directors.

Sunday, September 12, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice (202 Harvard SE)
Please RSVP by calling 505.243.4443.

Phone bank volunteers needed throughout September: We will call women voters in New Mexico through Election Day! Calling begins at 5:45 pm Monday through Friday. We will provide dinner and drinks and a great opportunity to meet other activists.

Make a difference this election. Join the NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico "NM Women Vote 2004" project today. To RSVP or for more information, call us at 505.243.4443 or email us at womenvote@prochoicenm.org.

Zig Zag Zell

Did anyone else think that all "Democrat" Zell Miller lacked last night while speaking at the RNC convention was a white hood and sheets? He said Kerry would fight the war on terror with "spitballs." I guess he forgot this 2001 speech about Kerry, which just happens to survive on Zell's website and includes this passage:

My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders – and a good friend. . . . John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment. "

Compare and contrast with Zell's comments last night: full text, or video clip.

OCTOBER 5 IS EAGER VOTER DAY

The first day for voting in New Mexico is October 5, and we have designated it Eager Voter Day. On October 5 any registered voter in New Mexico can show up at their County Clerk's office and cast their vote using a paper absentee ballot. We expect hundreds of people to show up that morning in Santa Fe to cast their vote against the Bush regime. Our goal is to see the polls nearly empty on November 2, because everyone has voted eagerly long before Election Day.

On Sunday, October 3, we will gather to make signs, talk about maximizing media exposure, and make flyers that voters on the 5th can distribute to friends to encourage them to vote early and eagerly, showing dates and places for voting. We will ask for donations of coffee and cookies for voters in line that morning. We will already have alerted the County Clerk and the local police so they can accommodate the crowd.

The morning of October 5 will dawn with college students waking up at the door of the Santa Fe County Clerk's office. We will have voters with signs at major intersections that morning, encouraging people to Vote Eagerly at the County Clerk's office. We will have buttons made that say something like "I Couldn't Wait for November 2" or "Don't Delay, Vote Today", or "I Already Voted Against W", so those who voted eagerly can encourage others to do the same. If we can get a newspaper ad donated, we will run it on October 4, announcing to all that the next day is the first day to vote against George W. Bush. We will invite the media to cover the event.

Here are a few reasons for using an absentee ballot and voting eagerly.

1. Your vote is on paper, and is capable of being recounted, even if entered into an electronic voting machine.

2. If the media project a winner as soon as polls in New York and Florida close, your vote will still be counted, and you won't be dissuaded from voting. (Voters on the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii, take note!)

3. You won't be taken in by e-mail hoaxes that tell you to vote on November 3rd. (Such an e-mail was circulated to California Democrats in 2000.)

4. You don't know what will happen that might prevent you from voting on November 2 in spite of your good intentions. Sick dog? Flat tire? Business trip? October surprise? Don't take that chance.
   

New Mexico's voter turnout in 2000 was dismal - only 47.4% of voting age citizens. We ranked 42nd out of 50 states. We can improve on that with an enthusiastic and informed electorate that votes early. Spread the word. Let's have an Eager Voter Day at every County Clerk's office in New Mexico. And for those in other states that permit early voting - a list of early voting states is here - find out what the first day of voting is, and make it a fiesta. Share your plans and ideas here on the blog at Democracy for New Mexico, and help all of us have a great event.

What a great message to spread around the country: We Want Bush GONE, and We Cannot Wait Any Longer! Contact us at Santa Fe or Albuquerque if you'd like to help, and check back here for updates and notices of planning meetings.

John McAndrew
Democracy for New Mexico/Santa Fe
democracyforsantafe@comcast.net
Santa Fe, NM

PS: We will be discussing Albuquerque's version of Eager Voter Day at tonight's Meetup at Page One. If folks in other parts of the state would like to have a similar event in their community, please contact John or me.

Barbara Wold
Democracy for New Mexico/Albuquerque
dfnm_albq@comcast.net