Democracy for New Mexico

Score One for the People

It isn't often that we get good news these days, but when I read that Bernard Ebbers, former CEO of WorldCom and world-class crook, had been sentenced to 25 years in prison, it was a welcome bit of news.

Excerpt from a CNN article:

Ebbers gets 25 years
Former WorldCom chief, 63 years-old, could spend the rest of his life in prison. 

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Ex-WorldCom chief executive Bernard Ebbers was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for his role in orchestrating the biggest corporate fraud in the nation's history.

Legal experts said the sentence is the largest ever against a top executive convicted of committing corporate crimes.

Ebbers was convicted in March for his part in the $11 billion accounting fraud at WorldCom that was the biggest in a wave of corporate scandals at Enron, Adelphia and other companies.

WorldCom, now known as MCI, filed the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history in 2002. The company's collapse cost shareholders and employees billions of dollars in losses.

Of course this development would have been even more powerful IF the U.S. Congress had decided that irresponsible and fraudulent corporate bankruptcies needed to be stopped at least as much as personal bankruptcies caused by divorce, illness or just plain bad luck in the job market. As it stands, the bankruptcy bill they passed this year hones in only on individuals, leaving corporate bankruptcies free and clear from additional regulation.

Still, it's always heartening to see arrogant crooks like this guy get their comeuppance, at least in some small way. I imagine Ebbers will be placed in the most comfortable federal pen that can be found, but at least there'll be no more telecom cowboy pleasures for this guy. Score one for the people. Now, when will justice visit Enron's Ken Lay?

Here's the Wikipedia profile on Ebbers.

ACTION ALERT - VALLE VIDAL SCOPING COMMENTS

A very important message rom the Coalition for the Valle Vidal:

Tell the Forest Service to Protect New Mexico’s Valle Vidal

On June 14, 2005, the U.S. Forest Service began a formal process that will ultimately determine whether or not the eastern half of the Valle Vidal will be leased for coalbed methane development. The first step in this process is the preparation of a Forest Plan Amendment to incorporate the Valle Vidal Unit into the Carson National Forest’s overall Forest Plan. That Forest Plan Amendment will establish a specific vision for the Valle Vidal, and set out certain “management highlights,” and standards and guidelines.

The Carson National Forest is accepting public comments on this Forest Plan Amendment now through September 14, 2005. Speak up today to ensure that the Valle Vidal is not slated for energy development!

What to Do:

Send your comments to the Forest Service by September 14, 2005, urging the agency to protect the Valle Vidal by closing the entire area to energy leasing and development.

Talking points, a sample letter and background information are below.

If at all possible, please write your own, original comments that incorporate the talking points below. Original comments are the most effective way to make your voice heard in this Forest Service planning process. If you cannot write your own comments by the deadline, please use the sample letter. You must provide your name and address for your comments to count.

Talking points:

•  “The Vision” for the Valle Vidal that as it is written on page 3 of the Forest Service’s Proposed Action, does not reflect my vision for the Valle Vidal. I want to see the Valle Vidal’s "unique combination of wild land resources" -- habitat, range, fish, wildlife, riparian and watershed resources – “restored and improved” across the board, NOT simply “maintained or sustained.”

•  My vision for the Valle Vidal requires that the Forest Service establish a management framework that incorporates the common sense principle that it is easier to prevent harm to the land than to attempt to repair it later. Preventing devastating impacts, like those of coalbed methane development, is the only way that the Valle Vidal can truly be restored and improved.

•  The Forest Service should permanently close the entire Valle Vidal to energy leasing and development. The Valle Vidal should be protected for the benefit of sportsmen, ranchers, outfitters and guides, local business, outdoor enthusiasts, wildlife enthusiasts, Boy Scouts, future generations, and the public at large.

•  The Forest Service should put the entire Valle Vidal off limits to oil and gas leasing NOW, in the Forest Plan Amendment stage. They should NOT defer this decision to a future analysis of leasing. If the Forest Service believes this area should be protected, then it has the authority to “say no” now and not waste taxpayer dollars on a leasing analysis.

Sample Letter:

Mr. Martin D. Chavez Jr., Forest Supervisor
Carson National Forest
Attn: Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment
208 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, NM 87571

Dear Mr. Chavez,

I am writing to comment on the Carson National Forest’s Proposed Forest Plan Amendment for the Valle Vidal, or management area 21.

The Valle Vidal Unit is a tremendously unique portion of America’s public land. As a public landowner and user, I value the Valle Vidal’s abundant and broad range of wildlife, the area’s clean riparian and water resources, and its vast array of recreational, sporting and agricultural opportunities.

(Try to provide a description and personal example of what you value about the Valle Vidal, or if you have not yet been there, the opportunities it affords to you as a public land user. This can be an example of wildlife viewing or hunting, or any other recreational, agricultural, educational or ecological that is present in the Valle Vidal.)

The Forest Service’s Proposed Action outlines a vision for the Valle Vidal that includes maintaining and sustaining the Valle Vidal’s array of natural and recreational resources. I strongly encourage the Forest Service to raise the expectation for itself as it seeks to successfully manage this ecosystem. The Valle Vidal’s habitat, range, fish, wildlife, riparian and watershed resources must not simply be maintained or sustained, they must be restored and improved across the board. Furthermore, to restore and improve the Valle Vidal to meet this vision, the Forest Service should establish an Adaptive Ecosystem Management framework that, at its heart, reflects the common sense principle that it is easier to prevent harm to the land than to attempt to repair it later

Critically, in order to restore and improve the Valle Vidal’s resources the Forest Service must close the entire Valle Vidal unit to energy leasing and development now. I urge you not defer this decision to a future leasing analysis. The air, water, and soil impacts of energy leasing and development is clearly incompatible with the many uses of the Valle Vidal and will severely limit our public land managers ability to restore and improve the Valle Vidal resources.

Your Name
Your Address

Send Your Comments To:

Carson National Forest
Attn: Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment
208 Cruz Alta Road
Taos, NM 87571

Or email: comments-southwestern-carson@fs.fed.us

(“Valle Vidal Forest Plan Amendment” must be in the subject line.)

Congress has the power to protect the Valle Vidal!

Send copies of your comments to your own congressional representatives and these New Mexico members with a short note asking them to permanently protect the Valle Vidal.

Senator Pete Domenici
328 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-6621, 202-228-0900 fax

Senator Jeff Bingaman
703 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5521, 202-224-2852 fax

Representative Tom Udall
Democrat / 3rd District
1414 Longworth Bldg
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6190, 202-226-1331 fax

Representative Heather Wilson
Republican / 1st District
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-346-6781, 505-346-6723 fax

Download Forest Service documents at: https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/plans/index.shtml

For more information, contact:

Jim O'Donnell
Outreach Coordinator, Coalition for the Valle Vidal
www.vallevidal.org
PO Box 238
Taos, NM 87571
505-758-3874

Are you a member of the Coalition for the Valle Vidal? Would you like to support our efforts? Join or contribute today at: https://www.vallevidal.org/involved.html

Fiesta to Support Fair Housing and Home Ownership

Come to the FIesta and have fun!

ARTI, the Project Change Fair Lending Center, and the United South Broadway Corporation invite you to attend an evening in the park Friday, July 15, 5:30 - 8:30 PM, Dennis Chavez Park, 715 Kathryn SE. You will have a great time AND support fair housing and home ownership in neighborhoods of low-wealth in ABQ. If you have them, bring kids. There will be hot air balloons (tethered), clowns, face painting, games and more. For the adults: music, dancers, and a salsa competition. Bring your own to win a prize.

Click to download flyers that have more information. (page 1 is in English--- page 2 in Spanish).

I hope to see you on the 15th!

Vicki Plevin, Director
Anti-Racism Training Institute of the Southwest

PS. We deeply appreciate your support (in advance).

New Santa Fe Dems Website

From Robert Adams:

The Democratic Party of Santa Fe County now has a website:

www.santafedemocrats.org

A Great big THANK YOU to Tom Chepucavage and the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County Communications and Technology Committee for making this site a reality!!

The site is built around the state of the art .NET framework, which will allow us all of the functionality we will need to be truly effective at virtual organizing.  Plans are already in motion to provide Ward Chairs, Precinct Captains and Block Captains with a way to open their "online Headquarters".

Make sure and register once you visit the site - this will enable us to give you the permissions to view pages that are created specifically for our Executive and Central Committee.  It will also enable us to communicate more efficiently and effectively.

Also, we encourage your feedback!!

Cheers, Robert Adams
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SANTA FE COUNTY
PO Box 22183 l Santa Fe, NM l 87502
HQ: 907 W. Alameda l Santa Fe, NM l 87501 l 
505.982.5727 l sfdparty@qwest.net

The Supreme Court: Guide for Activists

Moving Ideas has a useful Guide for Activists with many actions you can take regarding the coming fight against right-wing ideologue appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court.

While you're there, check out their area on what's wrong with CAFTA.

Reform Democrat? Sign Here

From Frontier PAC:
It is time to show the Democratic leadership in Washington what it really means to be a Reform Democrat.

The reports that "Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is trying to get voters to hold the Republican Party responsible for the 'culture of corruption' he sees in Washington, but Dean is getting virtually no help from fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives."

Frontier PAC believes that grassroots Democrats everywhere would rather fight the Culture of Corruption head-on than lose out to the fears of cozy old-guard politicians. We can take back Congress if we give voters a slate of honest reformers. Help prove us right!

Please sign the petition!

The Republican Culture of Corruption now defines Washington politics. Key Republicans from Tom DeLay to Karl Rove to Randy "Duke" Cunningham face serious ethics charges, and American voters strongly disapprove of their lack of leadership in Congress. This presents an opportunity to draw a true contrast between the values of the two parties: Democrats stand for American families, while Republicans stand for multinational corporations.

2006 can be the key to a lasting Democratic majority, but not if we can't be bold and clear about what makes Democrats different. Please join Frontier PAC and grassroots Democrats from across the country in calling for the Democratic leadership to draw a strong distinction on ethics and corruption. Ask our Washington leadership to join Chairman Dean in asserting the values of Reform Democrats.

Dean says that our party's 2006 message will be worked out by the end of this summer, so we're giving ourselves until the beginning of August to gather 10,000 signatures. Thanks to all the Frontier Democrats who make that happen!

Sincerely,
Patton Lee Price, Executive Director
Frontier PAC

Conejos River or Bust

We're setting out this morning for four days of camping with friends on the Conejos River in the Rio Grande National Forest in Southern Colorado near Platoro. Since the area we're headed is about 8,700 feet above sea level, it should be alot cooler up there -- always a great escape during the high heat of summer in the desert. One of our aims is to avoid talking politics as much as possible. We'll see how we succeed!

I've set up some automatic posts for the time we're gone so feel free to use them as open threads. Back early next week.

(Click on photos of Conejos River for larger images.)

INVITATION: Breakfast with State Democratic Party Chairman

Following up on the DNC Assessment meeting some of us attended on 6/29, Meredith Dixon and the State Democratic Party is inviting progressive activists from around the state to a breakfast meeting in Santa Fe with State Party Chair, John Wertheim, to discuss issues we’ve raised and/or other topics of interest. I understand these meetings will be scheduled regularly in different parts of the state. All are encouraged to participate. If you know anyone else you believe would be interested in attending, please pass this along:

Breakfast with
State Democratic Party Chairman John Wertheim
Saturday, July 23rd
10 AM to 11:30 AM
At the NEA Building, 2007 Butolph Rd, Santa Fe, 87505.

If there are particular agenda items that you feel should be addressed, please send them to me or Marci by close of business on Wednesday, July 20th. 

Please RSVP to either meredith@nmdemocrats.org or marci@nmdemocrats.org

Thanks!

Meredith A. Dixon
Regional Organizer
New Mexico Democratic Party
O: 505-830-3650, C: 505-401-8339
meredith@nmdemocrats.org
www.nmdemocrats.org

London Blasts

Horrible news out of London today, but at least there's reassuring news from our favorite Democrat abroad in England, Kathy F.

Common Cause NM Update on Open & Ethical Elections Code Referendum

From Common Cause NM:
Thanks to the hard work of Common Cause members in the Duke City, the City Council passed the Open and Ethical Elections Code referendum by a 5-2 vote last Thursday!  Barring a veto from Mayor Martin Chavez, the referendum will be placed on the October 4 ballot.  This is exciting news for all of us who support leveling the playing field and giving ordinary candidates from diverse backgrounds a chance to run for office.  But, we need to make certain Mayor Chavez will allow Albuquerque voters to weigh in on the Open and Ethical Elections Code.

Following the passage of the referendum by the council, Mayor Martin Chavez's spokesperson Deborah James stated in the July 1 Albuquerque Tribune, "Mayor Chavez has always believed in taking big money out of politics and feels it's perfectly legitimate for the taxpayers to weigh in on this issue on the ballot."  James also made a statement on behalf of Mayor Chavez to the July 1 Albuquerque Journal saying it's "perfectly valid for taxpayers to weigh in on this issue on the ballot."  Common Cause appreciates this statement from the mayor's office, and we appreciate Mayor Chavez's desire to limit campaign spending.

Even though Mayor Chavez has declared his support for placing the Open and Ethical Elections Code on the ballot, we still need to make sure he knows how important leveling the playing field is to Albuquerque voters.  Please call the mayor's office at 768-3000 and thank him for pledging his support to let voters decide about the future of campaign financing in Albuquerque.  Please also let the mayor know how important this issue is to Albuquerque voters and ask him to endorse the Open and Ethical Elections Code.  You can reach Mayor Martin Chavez's office at 768-3000.

Please continue to visit the Common Cause New Mexico website for updated information about the Open and Ethical Elections Code. Thank you for all that you do for democracy in New Mexico!

Sincerely,
Matt Brix, Executive Director
Common Cause New Mexico