Democracy for New Mexico

Support Valle Vidal This Summer

From the Coalition for the Valle Vidal:

July 15 - 17: Valle Vidal - Riparian Vegetation Restoration, Valle Vidal:
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation will host a will and cottonwood planting expedition along Comanche Creek in the Valle Vidal.  Contact: Michael Scialdone at 505.843.8696 for more information.

July 23 - 25: Ponil and McCrystal Creek Riparian Restoration, Valle Vidal:
Boy Scout Troop 409, Trout Unlimited and New Mexico Trout will join forces to spend several days performing riparian restoration in the Valle Vidal.  Contact: Nick LaRue at 505-344-9924 for more information.

July 22-24:  Sierra Club - Valle Vidal hiking and camp out, Valle Vidal:
Contact:  Sarah Lundstrom at 505.243.7767 for more information.

August 20-21:  Road Closure, Midnight Meadows Area:
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and Amigos Bravos will join forces to lead a road closure weekend.  The roads to be closed are illegal routes that access the Valle Vidal from the south. These roads cause great harm to streams and wildlife.  Contact: Rachel Conn, 505-758-3874, for more information.

Day Outings and Hiking Trips, Valle Vidal:
We are in the process of preparing a series of one-day summer hikes in the Valle Vidal.  If you would like to lead a hike, please contact me ASAP.

If there is anything else your organization is will be doing with regards to the Valle Vidal this summer, please let me know.  I will be sending out further updates as the summer progresses.

Finally, the Valle Vidal bumper stickers are ready and available throughout the Taos area.  Keep an eye out for them or visit the Amigos Bravos office in Taos to get a handful.

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

DFA Meetups Today and Tomorrow

DFA - Democracy for New Mexico Meetups will be held today in Las Cruces and on Thursday in Albuquerque. We hear that Joaquin Guerra, State Field Director for the DPNM, will be traveling down to Las Cruces to check out their gathering. Hey Joaquin, give a shout out to the folks down there from the Albuquerque DFA contingent! The Las Cruces group will be continuing their discussion on a bi-partisan effort to improve the local school system.

Here in Albuquerque, we'll be hearing from City Councilor Miguel Gomez on passage of his Social Security resolution, folks from the Los Alamos Study Group on coming events organized to bring attention to nuclear issues on the 60th anniversay of the Hiroshima atomic bomb detonation and a very special segment on the Federal deficit and what we can do about it from Chuck Scott, a close associate of the esteemed Will Creamer of the Albuquerque chapter of the Concord Coalition.

We'll also be hearing reports on last month's DemocracyFest in Austin, Merging Left's success in getting their message on two city buses and future plans, what we can do to help Marianne Dickinson's campaign to win back Sally Mayer's City Council seat in District 7, a recent visit by the DNC Assessment Team and more.

Click to join the Las Cruces Meetup or the Albuquerque Meetup. The Santa Fe DFA Meetup is on hiatus for the summer and will resume its meetings in September.

Mightier Than the Sword

Download a pdf of this.

Conyers to Rove: Explain Plame Role or Resign

Raw Story has a copy of letter being circulated to other House Democrats for signature today by Rep. John Conyers:

Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, calls on Bush adviser Karl Rove to explain his role in the outing of a CIA agent or resign his office.

"We write in order to urge that you require your Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, to either come forward immediately to explain his role in the Valerie Plame matter or to resign from your Administration," the veteran Democrat writes. "High-ranking members of your Administration who are involved in any effort to smear a private citizen or to disseminate information regarding a CIA operative should be expected to meet a far higher standard of ethical behavior and forthrightness."

Tick, tick, tick. So what do you think the odds are that Karl Rove goes to jail?

Come See Oil Derricks in ABQ Wednesday

Alert from Defenders Environmental Network:
Did you know that Congress is now considering an energy bill that could make it easier to drill not only in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but also on our nation's shores?

To sound the alarm on this urgent issue, Defenders of Wildlife -- as part of the Arctic Coalition -- is spreading the word about a very special event in Albuquerque Wednesday morning:

Come See the Oil Derricks and Speak Out on Artic Drilling
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
10:00 AM
Albuquerque Civic Plaza
(between 3rd and 4th on Marquette)

Please join us as we give voice to the millions of Americans who believe the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should remain wild, unspoiled, and free of oil rigs. With two giant model oil derricks looming in the background, the Arctic Coalition will speak out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain and in opposition to the Bush administration's energy plan -- a proposal that could also invite more drilling on our nation's shores.

I hope you are able to attend! As always, thank you for your support of wildlife in the Refuge and the rest of America's wild places.

Contact Redford Raley at (505) 255-6061 for more information.

Register Now for Free Conference on Separating Myth from Fact in Military Recruiting

Fun – Information – Films – Speakers - Strategy Sessions

Another Side:  A Conference Separating Myth from Fact in Military Recruiting

for youth, their families, educators, counselors, veterans, and community members

Friday through Sunday, July 22-24, 2005, UNM, Albuquerque, NM

• Learn your rights under the No Child Left Behind Act
• Hear from Veterans who have served
• Network with others from around the southwest
• Learn mediation and critical thinking skills for Truth in Recruiting presentations
• Preview multi-media curriculum materials
• Join a training to become a counselor for conscientious objectors

For more info, conference schedule, and to register (by July 11, please) call (505) 268-9557 or email anotherside@comcast.net.

Free and open to the public, but tax-deductible donations gratefully accepted!

-Another Side is a project of Veterans for Peace, the Alliance for Academic Freedom, and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice.  We offer youth, military-aged adults and their families information about and alternatives to military service in our country. Through school-based presentations and outreach programs led by military veterans and trained facilitators, Another Side provides factual information and resources on every individual’s rights regarding military recruitment. We offer support to those who choose to not join the military or who wish to leave military service.--

Reins

Barbara Grothus turned us on to a website called Bag News Notes that features alot of creative political graphics and cartoons, as well as posts. Click for their Independence Day post called Howard's Rein, pictured below:

Either spit that apple out, Howard, or take the bit and run with it!

(Note: TypePad, where both this site and Bag News Notes reside, is in the midst of an overhaul so things might not be working entirely right at these and other TypePad sites.)

Eric Griego on 'We The People' This Thursday

WE THE PEOPLE

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2005 -  Albuquerque Channel 27, 7-8 PM.  CALL-IN:  346-1633. Please, TAPE the program if you cannot be present.

GUEST:    Eric Griego, Candidate for Mayor of Albuquerque
HOST:    Mickey Bock

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, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It is our country's government--based on law and not tyranny--that grants us FREEDOM.

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. Kindly forward to Albuquerque area friends.

www.1776wethepeople.com
mickbo@earthlink.com

THANKS FOR WATCHING
Mickey Bock/Judith Binder

Happy Independence Day!

When we hear "Oh beautiful, for spacious skies" and other patriotic odes to America this Independence Day, I hope many of us will be thinking about preserving the spectacular beauty and bountiful natural resources of this nation, as well as its promises of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In this vein, here's a photo taken at sunset from the Sandia Mountain foothills in Albuquerque by our good friend Victor (Julio) Rodriguez:

(Click on image for larger version)

I think it's also a good day to just BE IN the moment and celebrate life (especially since Family Dog's Chet Helms passed away from complications from a stroke on June 25th):

We're flying our Stars and Stripes out front today, right along side our made-from-hula-hoop-pieces-and-xmas-lights peace sign. How about you? It's OUR flag too!

It's always a good idea to read our Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, just to remember what, exactly, we're commemorating on this day.

Finally, since our friend Victor is originally from Costa Rica, click to see his native country's flag and check out its national anthem.

Sunday Birthday Blogging

OK, so I usually do bird blogging on Sundays, but today I wanted to highlight a recent milestone of one of our most active, passionate and wise members -- the 90th birthday on June 26th of Jeanne Carritt. Here's Jeanne contemplating her candles at a small gathering last weekend:

And blowing them out:

Note the Dean Speaks for Me and No W buttons. (Click photos for larger versions.)

Jeanne has logged literally thousands of phone calls to potential voters, provided many hours of practical advice to activists (including me) and generally kept things stirred up in a most positive way via DFA-DFNM Meetups and beyond. She slogged many hours of volunteer work during the Dean campaign for president, the Miles Nelson primary run for Congress and for America Coming Together during Kerry's run.

A definite Deaniac and one of the founding members of DFA-Democracy for New Mexico, as well as our Meetup, she remains active, committed, politically saavy and willing and able to speak truth to power whenever she deems fit! Need to gather signatures for a petition or plot strategies to raise money or achieve goals? Jeanne's there. Want advice on a good political book or a must-read article? Jeanne has suggestions. In need of the kind of long-term perspective 90 years on the planet can provide? Jeanne's the one to consult.

Perhaps most importantly, she's a joy to work with, very funny and just an all-around terrific spirit and presence on the scene. We love her!

I hope you'll join me in wishing Jeanne a Happy 90th Birthday and Many Happy Returns!