Heinrich in the Spotlight

Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich gets national exposure on the Sirotablog. Excerpt:

Heinrich is the kind of political leader progressives will be relying on in the future to clean up government and start making it work for ordinary middle-class people - not just the fat cats, the lobbyists, and the corporate interests. He is, in short, a model for how even at the local level, a new progressive populism is starting to boil into a real movement.

By all accounts, Councilor Heinrich is definitely one of the good guys, both in terms of his positions and as a human being. He's not giving up on a local living wage despite the defeat of his Albuquerque proposal in the October 4th election, by a hair. Neither is Eric Griego, another champion of the measure. They're working with Governor Richardson to get a statewide version of the bill on the Governor's call when the 30-day session of the NM Legislature convenes in January.

Heinrich is also contemplating a run for State Public Lands Commissioner in 2006. New West profiles this race. If Heinrich continues to receive positive attention in national blogs, it might well result in his receiving campaign contributions from the blogsphere for his 2006 race. A big plus.

In addition, Councilor Heinrich has long been promoting the designation of New Mexico's Ojito Wilderness Study Area, near Zia Pueblo, as wilderness. Check out an article he penned in 2004 describing the area's unique beauty and value.

Working as a consultant with the Coalition for NM Wilderness, Heinrich devoted three years to helping unite government agencies, tribal leaders and conservationists behind the movement to protect Ojito under the 1964 Wilderness Act. This effort culminated in a Senate bill to create the Ojito Wilderness co-sponsored by Senators Bingaman and Domenici, and a House version cosponsored by Representatives Udall and Wilson. The U.S. Senate passed its version of the bill unanimously in July of this year, after long delays. Reps. Udall and Wilson are trying to get that version a fast-track hearing in the U.S. House this Fall so it can go directly to the President for signature without the need for a conference committee hearing.

You can find out more about Martin's accomplishments and goals on his website. Good going, councilor!