Democracy for New Mexico

Volunteer at Sandoval County Democratic Party HQs

Are you interested in helping your local county Democratic Party? 

Sandoval County Democratic Party is looking for volunteers to help with visibility and party building activities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 AM to 1 PM. Projects include phoning, data entry, and letter-writing.

Please call Sue Buckner at 505-994-0587 or email suebuckner@hotmail.com or call Meredith Dixon at 505-830-3650 or email meredith@nmdemocrats.org.

Screening of Film on Navajo Battle Against Uranium Mining Set for Indian Market Weekend in Santa Fe

(Click image for larger version.)

“HOMELAND” AT NATIVE CINEMA SHOWCASE SPOTLIGHTS NAVAJO BATTLE AGAINST URANIUM MINING

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., the Honorable Stewart Undall, Owen Lopez of the McCune Charitable Foundation and Activists Mitchell and Rita Capitan to Attend Benefit Screening on Indian Market Weekend

Santa Fe, NM  – A Navajo couple’s against-all-odds struggle to stop uranium mining in their hometown of Crownpoint, NM, takes center stage at the Native Cinema Showcase with the benefit screening of the award-winning documentary Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action on Saturday, August 20th at 4:00 PM at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail. Homeland, produced by the Katahdin Foundation , is the first feature documentary to take an in-depth look at the environmental hazards that threaten nearly all 317 Indian reservations across the U.S., and at the handful of Native Americans – including Navajo activists Mitchell and Rita Capitan – who are leading the charge in these new “Indian Wars.” With the support of their communities, these leaders are actively rejecting the devastating affronts of powerful energy companies in order to protect the environment for all Americans.

The screening will benefit the Capitans’ organization, Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM). A reception will follow. In attendance will be Navajo Nation President, the Honorable Joe Shirley, Jr.; former Congressman and Secretary of the Interior, the Honorable Stewart Udall; Owen Lopez of the McCune Charitable Foundation; acclaimed Native American director Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals); and the Capitans – as well as Homeland’s director Roberta Grossman, producer Lisa B. Thomas and the film’s director of photography, Santa Fe resident Dyanna Taylor.

In addition to the August 20th screening and fundraiser, Homeland will also screen on August 21st at 6:30 pm at the Center for Contemporary Arts. For tickets to either event, please call 505-262-1862 or call Katahdin Productions at 323-337-1177.

For the Capitans, the fight against uranium mining is especially personal. They, along with thousands on the Navajo Nation, have endured the painful effects of post-World War II uranium mining. During the height of the Cold War, Navajo men were sent into the mines to work without any warnings or protective gear. As a result, more than 1,000 have died from cancer; birth defects on the reservation are five times the national average; and bone cancer is five times the national rate. In 1994, when the Capitans learned that despite this shameful legacy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had approved a permit to mine uranium just miles from their home, they decided to act.

“We’d never been involved in politics or anything like that before,” says Rita. “But with grassroots organizing and endless legal challenges, we’ve been able to block the new mine for nearly a decade.” In fact, earlier this year, after an aggressive campaign by ENDAUM, the Navajo Nation Tribal Council passed a bill that bans uranium mining and processing in Navajo Indian Country.

In addition to the Capitan’s story, Homeland presents three other dramatic, first-person narratives set against the backdrop of some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. Gail Small, an attorney from the Northern Cheyenne nation in Montana, is spearheading the fight to protect the Cheyenne homeland from 75,000 proposed methane gas wells that threaten to make much of the reservation unsuitable for farming or ranching. Evon Peter is the former chief of an isolated Alaska community of Gwich’in people, who are working against current efforts to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And Barry Dana, former chief of the Penobscot nation in Maine, is battling powerful paper companies and their allies in state government to curtail the companies’ dumping of toxic wastewater into the Penobscot River, on which his people have depended for food and medicinal plants for 10,000 years.

Produced by the Katahdin Foundation, Homeland premiered earlier this year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Fund for Santa Barbara’s Social Justice Award. The film is accompanied by an extensive outreach campaign that includes collaborations with a network of Native American organizations, social justice and human rights groups and environmental organizations. The campaign is coordinated by Active Voice, an organization that puts socially relevant films to work for personal and institutional change in communities, workplaces and campuses.

The Katahdin Foundation, whose motto is "changing the world one frame at a time," also enlisted the aid of several leading Native American environmental activists in the production of Homeland. Those involved include Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabeg) of the Honor the Earth Foundation and Tom Goldtooth (Diné/Dakota) from the Indigenous Environmental Network.

The Katahdin Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation based in Berkeley, California. Katahdin’s mission is to tell compelling stories often ignored by the mainstream media – stories that inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. Katahdin is dedicated to creating high quality documentary films, ancillary educational materials and media projects that open minds, provoke dialogue and encourage positive social change – outstanding works that touch the soul as they sound a call to action.

Contact: Carla Lopez, 505-988-3552
amorgraciela@yahoo.com
www.katahdin.org

Reflections on Last Night's Cindy Sheehan Peace Vigils

Mitchell Field on Comanche at dusk.

Mitchell Field on Comanche in the NE Heights, Albuquerque: What started as a small gathering in a home got so many RSVPs it became a gathering of more than 80 people who formed a large circle of candlelight. Many had signs, a large peace flag waved, many age groups were represented and several peace dogs joined in. Speakers included a woman who had lost her 26-year-old nephew in Iraq this year and who made a very moving plea for peace and no more soldiers coming back as "cargo." The sunset (see above) lent a special glow to our solemn meditations on the Iraq War and what one person, like Cindy Sheehan, can do to renew and inspire a movement. KRQE TV-13 covered this event for their 10PM newscast with footage from some of the other vigils in Albuquerque. -Barb & M.E.

All ages were represented at the Comanche vigil.

Lomas & Girard, Albuquerque: These photos are pretty fuzzy, the light being what it was. But the spirit was clear. There were a little over 200 people gathered around this one intersection for a solid hour and a half, and the folks driving by really cheered us on. This was only one of six vigils in Burque tonight. -Marti

The crowd wrapped around the intersection of Lomas and Girard.

A spirit of peace and true patriotism at Lomas & Girard.

Albloggerque has an excellent commentary on Bush and the Iraq War along with more photos of the Lomas vigil. Marston Moore comments at >Duke City Fix and takes on Iraq's Churchillian origins. More Albuquerque photos at Fort Progress.

Taos: Tonight about 150 people gathered at the plaza in solidarity with Cindy Sheehan. The crowd included many young people. An 8-foot diameter peace sign made of candles offered a center to the determined and peaceful energies that typified the crowd. It begins… -T.

Boulder CO: We had a count of 850 at the Courthouse in Boulder (only 250 had been scheduled), with at least two other events in town. The one in South Boulder was also supposed to have somewhere around 100 folks signed up, but no word yet. -Joe

Boulder CO: In Boulder, there were at least 3 vigils. The one we attended had several hundred people at the court house on Pearl Street Mall. Really great. Another one had more than a hundred people signed up via the net. There were two scheduled in Longmont and one in Erie that I heard about folks attending. Also, a caravan from Boulder is leaving for Crawford tomorrow! -Myriah

Denver CO: The downtown Denver vigil was scheduled to have nearly 1000 and another one 250 with two more small ones for a total of over 1300. -Claudia

Rep. John Conyers is organizing a letters to the editor campaign to support Cindy Sheehan, as well as encouraging donations to the Gold Star Families for Peace, at his website. MoveOn reports that 1,627 were held nationwide last night. They'll be posting photos and reports from around the nation.

If you were at one of the vigils in New Mexico, send me your comments and/or photos to add to our coverage.
************
Stop the War Machine is organizing a caravan to Crawford TX:
You are invited to meet at the Albuquerque Peace Center (corner of Harvard and Silver) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 3 PM if you would like to caravan. (Bring a tent, water, possibly something to make shade, some food...)  If you need a ride or can share a ride, call the Peace Center (268-9557) beforehand. Folks who would like to go earlier are invited to do so. We know of others that will be leaving on Monday.  Let us show that New Mexico supports Cindy Sheehan and her call for justice!

Questions?  Contact StoptheWarMachine@comcast.net

ACTION ALERT: Many Opportunities to Support the Valle Vidal

NRDC's EARTH ACTION:
The Bulletin for Environmental Activists
Special alert for New Mexico Earth Activists: Come rally to protect the Valle Vidal!

The Valle Vidal (the "Valley of Life"), in northern New Mexico's Carson National Forest, is one of the places that makes our state special. The area is home to hundreds of wildlife species, including New Mexico's largest herd of elk, as well as irreplaceable cultural artifacts and unmatched scenery and recreational opportunities. The Valle Vidal is also a vital economic resource for the state, contributing $2-$5 million annually to New Mexico's economy.

But despite its unmatched beauty, cultural importance and benefits to our economy, the Valle Vidal is currently threatened by oil and gas development that would irreparably harm the landscape and wildlife, contaminate water supplies and destroy the majesty of this special place for our children and grandchildren.

During the next several weeks, New Mexicans have a number of local opportunities to learn more and speak out about the need to protect the Valle Vidal -- please join us at one or more of the events listed below. 

Friday-Sunday, August 19-21
Valle Vidal Great Outdoor Adventure, Ring Place, Valle Vidal: Join in a weekend-long, family-friendly public rally that includes guided hikes, horseback riding, fishing and more. Speakers may include Governor Bill Richardson, Gary Fonay (former president of NM Oil & Gas Association), Joe Torrez (Valle Vidal Grazing Association) and others. Directions below. For more information, visit https://www.vallevidal.org/calendar.html or contact Oscar Simpson of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation at 505-345-0117.

Wednesday, August 24, 7:00pm
Valley Vidal: Valley of Life or Valley of Pumpjacks?
Randall Davey Audubon Center,
1800 Upper Canyon Road, Santa Fe: Join a panel of experts as they discuss what the Valle Vidal is, its importance to New Mexico and what we have to lose if it is sacrificed to natural gas industrialization. For more information, call the New Mexico Environmental Law Center at 505-989-9022, ext. 28.

Friday-Monday, September 2-5
Valle Vidal Trail Rides, Valle Vidal : Spend the weekend enjoying the beauty of the Valle Vidal! Guided horseback trail rides filled with breathtaking landscapes, lush grassy meadows, sparkling streams and wildlife are available all weekend long. Rides range in difficulty from easy to moderate. Directions below. For more information, contact Oscar Simpson of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation at 505-345-0117.

Forest Service Open House Community Meetings: The Forest Service is holding community meetings on the proposed coalbed methane development project in the Valle Vidal. These meetings are important opportunities to show our support for preserving the area. Two meetings will be held at each location, at 2:00pm (doors open at 1:00) and 7:00pm (doors open at 6:00).

Tuesday, August 23
Raton Convention Center, 901 South Third Street, Raton

Thursday, August 25
Taos Convention Center, Rio Grande Room, 120 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos

Tuesday, August 30
Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe
===
Please also forward this message to your friends and co-workers, and urge them to join us at these events as well.

And if you haven't already, please don't forget to send a comment opposing coalbed methane development in the Valle Vidal before the September 15 deadline. To take action, visit
https://www.nrdcaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=52851

Thank you!
===
Directions to the Valle Vidal: The Valle Vidal lies northeast of Taos and northwest of Cimarron, and is approximately 15 miles south of the Colorado-New Mexico border. The campsite is approximately a 4.5 hour drive from Albuquerque, 1.5 hours from Cimarron and 2.5 hours from Taos.

From I-25 take exit 419 approximately five miles north of Springer. Go west on Highway 58 to Cimarron (19 miles). At the intersection of highways 58 & 64, take Highway 64 and go north toward Raton for approximately four miles. Look for a small green Valle Vidal sign on the right side of the road and turn left. Go west on the dirt road (FS 1950) approximately 30 miles to the camp site.

The campsite is primitive: portable outhouses and a limited supply of fresh potable water will be available; you should bring at least five gallons of water or more per vehicle. Nights can be cool (high 30-degree range), and rain is always a possibility, so pack accordingly and bring your own sleeping accommodations. The campsite is suitable for truck/camper, truck-horse trailer and tent camping. Make sure you have good tires and as a precaution we suggest you carry several bottles of fix-a-flat and a flat tire repair kit (plug type). Cell phone reception is limited to a lookout point on the side of the mountain five miles west of the campsite.

==========
About NRDC
==========

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental organization with more than one million members and online activists, and a staff of scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.

For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC, please contact us at:

Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax)
Email: nrdcaction@nrdc.org
https://www.nrdc.org

Peace Vigils in Solidarity Set for Tonight

Nationwide peace vigils honoring our troops and Cindy Sheehan's efforts in Crawford will be held at 7:30 PM local time tonight (Wednesday). MoveOn, TrueMajority and Democracy for America are supporting and helping to organize and publicize the events. More than 1600 solemn, candlelight events have been scheduled so far.

Many vigils will be held in New Mexico. Click to find one near you or create your own. As of right now, at least seven events are scheduled for Albuquerque, including large gatherings along Lomas at Girard near the First Congregational Church, at Mitchell Elementary Athletic Field on the North side of Comanche on city property at 10121 Comanche NE and at the Cultural Crossroads Sculpture behind UNM Bookstore. Events are also scheduled for Rio Rancho, on the plaza in Taos, on the East Side of the Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe, Abiquiu, La Madera, T or C, Hillsboro, Silver City, Las Cruces and Farmington. No doubt more will be added throughout the day.

It's so important that this effort be supported all over America, so click on the link above and get involved NOW.

Bush Crashes

Bush's approval ratings are crashing pretty much everywhere. Check out the graph for New Mexico from polling firm SurveyUSA. As of 8/15/05, only 41% of adults in our state approve of Bush, while 56% disapprove. A state by state breakdown shows Bush at or above 50 percent in only nine states and at 40 or below in 19 states.

In a tone deaf exhibition of his 'What, me worry?' attitude, the President continues his five-week vacation at his faux-ranch. While Gold Star Mother for Peace Cindy Sheehan and supporters endure at Camp Casey this weekend, he'll be focusing on Mountain Biking for Millionaires with a fun ride with Lance Armstrong.

Oh, and they arrested the lout who drove his truck over the crosses and flags erected in Crawford to commemorate the deaths of our soldiers and Marines in Iraq. And when local authorities started spreading the word they'd be closing down the road and booting the Camp, a rancher with a nearby spread offered up his land for campers. Now Camp Casey will have a much safer spot, even closer to BushLand than they were before. Local rancher to the rescue!

Election Fraud Continues in US

According to an article by Peter Philips on Common Dreams, new data show extensive manipulation of non-paper-trail voting machines occurred in several states during the 2004 election. The data comes from a recently released study by Dennis Loo, Ph.D., at Cal Poly Pomona. Some findings:

In 2004 Bush far exceeded the 85% of registered Florida Republican votes that he got in 2000, receiving more than 100% of the registered Republican votes in 47 out of 67 Florida counties, 200% of registered Republicans in 15 counties, and over 300% of registered Republicans in 4 counties. Bush managed these remarkable outcomes despite the fact that his share of the crossover votes by registered Democrats in Florida did not increase over 2000, and he lost ground among registered Independents, dropping 15 points.

... Bush "won" Ohio by 51-48%, but statewide results were not matched by the court-supervised hand count of the 147,400 absentee and provisional ballots in which Kerry received 54.46% of the vote. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio the number of recorded votes was more than 93,000 greater than the number of registered voters.

... national exit polls showed Kerry winning in 2004. However, It was only in precincts where there were no paper trails on the voting machines that the exit polls ended up being different from the final count.

The linked article and the full report by Dr. Loo are important reads for anyone concerned about democracy in America.

Philips concludes:

There is little doubt key Democrats know that votes in 2004 and earlier elections were stolen. The fact that few in Congress are complaining about fraud is an indication of the totality to which both parties accept the status quo of a money based elections system. Neither party wants to further undermine public confidence in the American "democratic" process (over 80 millions eligible voters refused to vote in 2004). Instead we will likely see the quiet passing of legislation that will correct the most blatant problems. Future elections in the US will continue as an equal opportunity for both parties to maintain a national democratic charade in which money counts more than truth.

Meanwhile, the voters' lawsuit in New Mexico has moved into the discovery stage. Click on the continuation page of this post to read the latest from Voter Action and learn how you can make a difference.

New Mexico has the opportunity to play a big role in moving the nation towards more accurate and secure voting for the future.

The Lopategui vs. Vigil-Giron lawsuit is entering a very active phase.  Over the past several months, the county clerk defendants filed motions to dismiss the case and the Secretary of State filed a motion for summary judgment.  These motions seek in different ways to end the case without a trial.  The plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed memoranda opposing the motions.  Before the end of August, the Secretary of State will likely file a reply memorandum in support of her motion for summary judgment, after which Judge Mathis will set a hearing date on the motions.  Plaintiffs’ attorneys believe their position is strong and are guardedly optimistic that the motions will be denied.

Meanwhile, the attorneys for the plaintiffs have commenced the “discovery” process by serving subpoenas on two key witnesses, requiring them to supply documents and testify under oath in depositions in late August.  The first is Terry Rainey, President of Automated Election Services, Inc., the Rio Rancho company that provides extensive election-related services to the Secretary of State and dozens of New Mexico counties.  The second is Ernest Marquez, who worked for Automated Election Services for six years before being hired by the Secretary of State in January 2005 to head the state Bureau of Elections.  Additional depositions, demands for production of documents, and demands for examination of voting systems are planned in the near future.  The ultimate aim is to seek a court ruling in the early part of 2006 that would prohibit future use in New Mexico of voting systems that plaintiffs can prove were inaccurate and unreliable in the 2004 presidential election.

Additional evidence of voting irregularities from the 2004 election continues to surface. Should you have or know anyone who has additional information regarding vote recording or tabulation (counting) irregularities, please contact us at 505 823 6362 or send email info@voteraction.org .

The budget for the New Mexico research and litigation effort is $250,000 and is actively being raised in order to move discovery forward in a timely and effective manner. As a project of the International Humanities Center, a 501(c)(3) organization, Voter Action can offer donors tax deductibility to the full extent permitted by law.  Checks should be made out to Voter Action/IH Center c/o Voter Action, PO Box 25651, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Credit card payments may be made at our website - www.voteraction.org. Gifts of stock can be made by contacting Pam Stokes at Voter Action New Mexico 505 823-6362.

To read the legal filings mentioned here, please visit www.voteraction.org

Thank you again for any and all support you can provide. Thomas’ Jefferson’s quote” The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." stays very relevant today.

For democracy,
The Entire Voter Action Team
PO Box 25651
Albuquerque, NM 87125
(505) 823 6362
www.voteraction.org

Espinosa Loses Supreme Court Case

The NM Supreme Court today ruled against Albuquerque mayoral candidate Judith Espinosa and said the Albuquerque City Clerk had acted properly and within the authority of the City Charter in deciding on the validity of candidate petition signatures. Marston Moore at Duke City Fix has the details.

The only chance for Espinosa to get on the ballot would be to prove that 1,000 of the disqualified signatures are actually registered voters in Albuquerque.

Here are links to coverage of this story in the Albuquerque Tribune and the Albuquerque Journal.

Mayor Marty Goes Missing Again

He's in the money.

Greg Burton's Albuquerque Blog has the scoop on SEEDpac's city candidate forum this past Sunday. As he mentions, Mayor Martin Chavez was missing in action again. Excellent event by SEEDpac though!

As many of our DFA-DFNM Meetup members recall, Marty's campaign had confirmed his attendance at the Democracy for New Mexico mayoral candidate forum back in June, only to call and cancel as we were walking out the door to go down to the hall. The excuse: very important city business. Strangely, this important business seemed to entail Marty donning a pair of shorts and leisurely walking his dog, as reported by one member who witnessed it on the way to the event.

Marty also failed to show at the mayoral candidate forum put on by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County, but then I guess that's to be expected given how rarely he even pretends to represent Dem concerns these days. Why bother to try and get the votes of Dems when most of your big buck campaign contributions come from Republicans? Or when you have a mutual admiration society going with Republican members of the City Council, especially Tina Cummins and the loathsome Sallly Mayer, who both like to sit in the Mayor's back pocket.

I know the mayor's race is supposed to be nonpartisan, but isn't it time for our local Dem Party to disown Marty Chavez? As far as I can tell, he's against almost every single progressive and/or Democratic core issue we hold dear. How can any real Democrat support a politico who is vehemently AGAINST the Living Wage proposal, AGAINST cleaning up City elections by reforming campaign funding and AGAINST efforts to use our heads in planning, shaping and regulating the future of our city to benefit the common good?

Add in Marty's scandals to the equation, like the evidence room crimes and the ABQPAC bribery scheme, and what you've got is a severely ethically challenged and arrogant politician who works for the monied, right-wing establishment to the detriment of ordinary folks, day in and day out. Pandas anyone? I suggest Marty save some of his anticipated $1 million plus war chest to buy them himself. So he can enjoy them OUT of office. When he's defeated by Eric Griego on October 4th.

PS. You must be registered to vote by 5:00 PM on September 6th to vote in the October 4th municipal election. Click for municipal election info from the . For information on how to register, call the Albuquerque City Clerk's office at 505-768-4090, the Democratic Party of New Mexico at 830-3650 or the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County at 256-1855. Click for the in Bernalillo County.

Progressive Film Series in Los Alamos Starts 9/14

Passed along by Steve Fettig:
A series of critical, progressive films on vital public issues will be presented at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos beginning September 14 and continuing on the second, fourth (and fifth) Wednesdays of the month. Pizza and soft drinks will be available at each screening, which will be followed by letter writing to office holders regarding issues raised by the film.

Films to be screened during September through mid-December will include "Rich Media, Poor Democracy" by Robert McChesney, "UNCONSTITUTIONAL: The War On Our Civil Liberties" by Robert  Greenwald, "UNCOVERED:  The Whole Truth About the Iraq War" by Robert Greenwald, "The World According to Bush" by William Karel, "No Logo" & CAFTA by Naomi Klein, "Hijacking Catastrophe" by the Media Education Foundation  and "TRINITY AND BEYOND: The Atomic Bomb Movie" by Peter Kuran. The series will continue in January, after the holiday season.

Click for a flyer with more information.