Democracy for New Mexico

The $10,000 Challenge for Equality

From Equality New Mexico:
I have wonderful news.  A group of Equality New Mexico supporters got together to offer a special challenge.  If we can raise $10,000 within the week (by May 17th, the first-year anniversary of the Massachusetts marriages), they will donate an additional $10,000 to launch Marriage is a Civil Right, EQNM's year-long education campaign for same-sex marriage rights.

We are asking our friends, families, neighbors, and colleagues to make a special effort to help us meet this target.  If you haven't had a chance to give this year, or if you are able to make an additional donation to us at this time, your financial contribution could be the gift that helps us qualify for the matching funds.  You can track our progress meeting the challenge on EQNM's website, www.eqnm.org. 

To make a secure credit card donation that will help meet this challenge, please use this special link created to record challenge donations:

HELP US MEET OUR MATCH HERE!

For this challenge, pledges or recurring donations will be counted at the full value of one year's total pledge (but you can always cancel a recurring donation at any time).  To pledge a contribution as a recurring donation, please email me at gregg@eqnm.org, and I will see to it that your pledge is included in the challenge totals.

Equality New Mexico understands that not everyone has the ability to give money.  Our philosophy is that everyone can help secure equality for same-sex couples: some attend a rally, some write a letter, some meet with legislators, and some give money.  All of these efforts are required for us to win.  So even if you can't give at this time, let others know and help us publicize the challenge.  We are grateful for your activism, passion, and support.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Gregg Ferran
Executive Director
Equality New Mexico / Equality New Mexico Foundation
gregg@eqnm.org
www.eqnm.org
(505) 224-2766

P.S. Please forward this to your family, friends and colleagues.  Every dollar raised will bring us closer to meeting the challenge!

Senator Cisco McSorley On Tonight's 'We The People'

WE THE PEOPLE
May 12, 2005 -  Channel 27 - 7 PM
HOST:     Mickey Bock
GUEST:   Senator Cisco McSorley

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. We hope to remind viewers of their legacy and heritage coming from the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution--with the Bill of Rights that gives us our FREEDOMS.

Watch us every Thursday 7-8 PM
Community Cable Channel 27
Albuquerque, NM

Call-in (the number will be flashed on the TV Screen).
Or
E-mail us and we will try to answer your questions and concerns.

Please, forward to Albuquerque area friends and tape the program if you can't be present. Thanks!
- - - - - -
www.1776wethepeople.com
mickbo@earthlink.com\

THANKS FOR WATCHING
Mickey Bock/Judith Binder

CAFTA Protest in Albuquerque

Worth a look: Albuquerque blogger Johnny Mango has a couple entries on CAFTA and yesterday morning's protest at an event with El Salvador's president at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Be sure to read the Global Exchange article on the topic that's linked:

https://albloggerque.blogspot.com/2005/05/lot-of-action-on-south-valley-bike.html

https://albloggerque.blogspot.com/2005/05/paper-chains-can-be-as-real-as-iron.html

Red River to Host NM Young Dems

From Democratic Party of NM:

Historic Red River to Host Annual Convention, May 20-21
Santa Fe, NM – The Young Democrats of Santa Fe County (YDSFC) are hosting the 2005 Young Democrats of New Mexico State Convention in historic and beautiful Red River New Mexico May 20th and 21st, where the state organization will elect a new president among other offices.  Red River is located in scenic North Central New Mexico. 

“Red River is a charming and extraordinary community that offers many amenities to visitors year round.  Red River promises to be an exciting place to hold the 2005 Convention.  Santa Fe County Democrats are looking forward to harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of young Democrats and ensuring continued Democratic representation,” said Young Democrats of Santa Fe County President, Ben R. Lujan.

On Friday, young Democrats will have the opportunity to explore the natural wonders and adventures of Red River, before the convening of standing committees and registration, starting at 5 p.m.  The Young Democrats of New Mexico State Convention begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, when outgoing President Sisto Abeyta will welcome attendees.

After hearing from candidates for contested offices, New Mexico’s Young Democrats will elect National Committee Woman, National Committee Man, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President.  All New Mexico Democrats under the age of 36 are eligible to cast ballots for these offices.

The Red River Convention Center is located at 101 W. Main Street in Red River, New Mexico.  For detailed information regarding the Red River Convention Center you may call their toll free number at 877-754-1708.
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Please pass this info along to young Democrats you know and encourage them to attend. To download more information and registration materials for the Young Democrats' convention, click this link:

Download YoungDemocratsofNewMexico.pdf

Great Old Broads for Wilderness--2005 Calendar of Events

From the NM Wilderness Alliance:
The Great Old Broads for Wilderness have released their calender of events for 2005! The groups unique, passionate voices are needed in many places on many issues that threaten our nation’s wild places. Join the Broads as they do Wilderness events in New Mexico. For more information, contact Rose Chilcoat at: 970-385-9577, rose@greatoldbroads.org

Days in the Desert IV – Jemez Mountains, NM
Date: May 20-22
Cost: $70 incl. meals and camping
If you want to understand the effects of grazing on our desert riparian areas, this is the workshop for you! We gather Friday afternoon at an undeveloped campsite near La Cueva for dinner and to begin our awakening to the way streams in the desert should look. Scientists from the University of New Mexico will train us out in the field to systematically assess the health of a riparian area. We will spend a day visiting an ungrazed stretch of creek as our reference site, where you will be able to see what optimal conditions look like and to practice using the assessment tools. Sunday, we will visit an overgrazed, impacted stream, and continue to learn how to evaluate the health of the stream. Our weekend will conclude with a wrap-up Sunday afternoon. Folks are welcome to arrive early or stay longer to enjoy the beautiful Jemez Mountains, hiking trails, and hot springs.

Valle Vidal Broadwalk – northeast of Taos, NM
Date: June 23-27
Cost: $90 incl. meals and camping
Potential oil and gas leasing threaten the Valle Vidal, a lush mountain basin in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Donated to the American people in 1982 by Pennzoil, the Valle Vidal is managed by the Carson National Forest primarily for its wildlife, as well as its outstanding scenic and recreational opportunities. However, a forest management plan has never been developed for this area. The time for public input into the decision process is now. The Santa Fe Broadband is helping host this Broadwalk, so that Broads from all over can experience this special place and learn to speak for its protection. Folks from the Valle Vidal Coalition will lead us on hikes and talk about this special place. Forest Service District Ranger Ron Thibedeau will give us agency insight and a tour of the Valle. Tweeti Blancett, NM rancher, will share the horrors of oil and gas development on her ranch and adjoining BLM lands. Broads will help the Forest Service with a service project. We’ll be camping at a Forest Service campground. Cost includes camping fees, 4 breakfasts and dinners, and speakers.

To reserve your spot for any of these events, send full payment or a $50 deposit per event per person to Great Old Broads for Wilderness, PO Box 2924, Durango, CO 81302. Please include an email address if you have one. Detailed information on logistics, packing, and agenda will be sent to registered participants. More information is also available at www.greatoldbroads.org

SOUND OFF: Remember the Party of the People?

Is it just me, or is anyone else put off by Governor Richardson's already large campaign fund for the 2006 governor's race? According to this morning's Albuquerque Journal, Richardson has "more than $3 million in his 2006 re-election campaign account almost a year before the candidate declaration date and before any Republican has mounted a challenge."

The article continues, "The Richardson for Governor committee raised $2,921,449 million and spent $131,085 over the past year, according to a report filed Monday with the state Bureau of Elections. The account's closing balance was $3,066,459."

What peeves me is that we frequently hear "we have no money" when we suggest that the Dems, particularly our County Parties, do something about building our Party BEFORE the next election cycle. No wonder it's so difficult to raise funds for Party activities when the big honcho at the top sucks all the bucks into his own personal coffers for a race that's way down the line.

In my opinion, this is NOT the way to rebuild the Party from the ground up after the devastating losses at so many levels over the past couple election cycles. You'd think it would be clear that the Party needs to spend bucks and time on grassroots activities and candidate development. And you'd think the top Dem in the state would be concentrating on raising funds for that instead of for his own personal goals.

I know that the State Party (with DNC funds?) has financed regional field coordinators around New Mexico and I think that's a very good thing. By all accounts the field staff is working their buns off. However, I'm sure they could always use more resources, along with the essentially broke County Parties, to really kick this effort into high gear. Instead, the dollars are going to ONE candidate who won't, in all probability, even have a serious competitor from the Republican side. Meanwhile, important work goes undone between now and the 2006 congressional election cycle. I know the Republicans aren't sitting on their behinds during this time, that's for sure.

This irks me too. According to the Journal, major contributors to Richardson include Miguel Lausell, a political and business consultant based in Puerto Rico, $25,000 and Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Bloch, real estate investors from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., $25,000. Hmm. I wonder what they expect to get from such generous donations to a governor's race in New Mexico? We once were truly the Party of the People. What are we now? The Party of the big bucks contributors?

Personally, I hope Governor Richardson sees the light and starts putting more effort into helping the State and County Parties, as well as up and coming Democratic candidates, raise funds. If we don't build the Party as a whole, from the bottom up, we'll be in piss poor shape regardless of whether Richardson wins another term.

To my mind, almost all of our efforts at this point in time should be dedicated to Party building and finding and supporting real Democrats to run in every single race possible around the state -- not to fattening up the finances of one particular Democrat.

What do YOU think?

Barbara Wold

ACTION ALERT: Call On Bolton NOW

Personal forward, please pass along…

National Bolton Call-In Days This Week!
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY

When John Bolton was nominated to be our UN Ambassador, you sprung into action to tell your Senators that a UN-basher must not fill this important post. You made your voices heard. As a result, the battle over Bolton’s nomination and over U.S. engagement in the world has become one of the major stories of 2005.

This week is the big vote and we're joining pro-global engagement groups across the country to call on the Senate to stop Bolton’s confirmation.

PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO MAKE THIS IMPORTANT CALL TO YOUR SENATORS.

It’s easy. Just call the number and use the script: You can use the U.S. Capitol Switchboard to help you make the calls: 202-224-3121.

Remember, when you’re on the phone with a Senator’s office, you won’t be speaking with the Senator. You’ll be calling a staff assistant whose job is to answer the phone, find out what YOU care about, and pass your views along to the Senator. Here’s a script that you can use if you’re not sure what to say:

CALLER: “Hello, my name is (name) and I live in (hometown). I’m calling because I would like the Senator to stop John Bolton from becoming UN Ambassador. We need an Ambassador we can trust to promote U.S. policy, not espouse his own radical views.”

STAFF ASSISTANT: Will either state the Senator’s position or volunteer to pass along your views.

CALLER: “Great, thanks. Let the Senator know I’ll be keeping track of his/her stance on the issue.”

“The [UN] Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories.  If you lost 10 stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."

Visit our Stop Bolton Campaign site: https://www.stopbolton.org/

Free Documentary Screening: IL Death Penalty Decision

From NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty:

FREE SCREENING OF "DEADLINE," A DOCUMENTARY, AT ALBUQUERQUE'S SOUTH BROADWAY CULTURAL CENTER, MAY 16, 2005

Official Selection of The 2004 Sundance Film Festival
Winner of The 2005 Cine Golden Eagle Special Jury Award

Please join us for a special community screening of the award winning film, Deadline, which chronicles former Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, and his historic decision to grant clemency to 167 inmates on death row.

We are screening the film FREE OF CHARGE. After the film there for a special Q&A with one of the filmmakers and special guests. Spread the word and please join us for this limited engagement.

MONDAY, MAY 16TH, 7PM
SOUTH BROADWAY CULTURAL CENTER
1025 Broadway SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
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About Deadline:
What if you discovered that 13 people slated for execution had been found innocent?

That was exactly the question that Illinios Governor George Ryan faced in his final days in the office. He alone was left to decide whether 167 death row inmates should live or die. In the riveting countdown to Ryan's decision, Deadline details the gripping drama of the state's clemency hearings. Documenred as the events unfolded, Deadline is a compelling look inside America's prisions, highlighting one man's unlikely and historic actions against the system.

Visit www.deadlinethemovie.com for more information.

Thank you for your continuing support,
NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
(505) 986-9536
www.nmrepeal.org
info@nmrepeal.org

Lakoff in Denver May 21

Although this is in Denver, I thought some New Mexicans might want to make the trip to see George Lakoff:

George Lakoff in Denver on May 21 -- Save the Date!
Our friends at ThisMatters invite Democracy for Colorado supporters to an important grassroots event. Berkeley linguistics professor and Rockridge Institute Senior Fellow George Lakoff will be coming to Denver to speak on Saturday, May 21. (The time and location are still to be determined.)

Seating will be limited, so please RSVP now at https://democracyforcolorado.com/lakoff_rsvp.

George Lakoff is one of the most influential political thinkers of the progressive movement. His ideas on using language to effectively "frame" an issue and change the debate to our terms have influenced grassroots volunteers as well as Democratic leaders. Lakoff is the author of Moral Politics and Don't Think of an Elephant, and the DVD How Democrats and Progressives Can Win.

Professor George Lakoff will be speaking on Saturday, May 21st in Denver, so RSVP now and save the date! Please check back with Democracy for Colorado and ThisMatters for details of when and where.

Arianna's New Blog

Wow, there's alot going on at Arianna Huffington's new blog, Huffington Post. Lots of guest bloggers, news, opinion, media gossip and a place to send her scoops and story tips. The content is supposed to change frequently, 24/7.

Today's bloggers include Mike Nichols, Ellen DeGeneres, John Cusack and David Mamet. What's your take on Arianna's new internet venture?