Democracy for New Mexico

The Hammer is Nailed

Celebrations are in order. Tom (The Hammer) DeLay will permanently give up his prior post as House Majority Leader. Reports are that "DeLay acted hours after a small vanguard of Republicans circulated a petition calling for leadership elections and citing DeLay’s legal problems" as well as his long ties to corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The panic and fallout from the Abramoff guilty plea and squealing has begun. Long may it live.

Bingaman Campaign Kicks Off Petition Drive This Saturday

From Bingaman 2006:
The Bingaman 2006 campaign will be kicking off a series of petition drives this Saturday, January 7, and we could really use your help. This is a great opportunity to show your support for Senator Bingaman’s effective leadership for New Mexico and ensure that we get him on the ballot for the June Primary.

Please join us this Saturday as we hit the streets of Bernalillo County (organized petition drives in other counties will take place later in January) to gather signatures on what is supposed to be a beautiful and unseasonably warm day: sunny and in the low 60s.  If you have even an hour or two to spare this weekend, please come by the Bingaman 2006 Albuquerque headquarters – 1301 San Pedro NE at the DPNM offices – between 9 AM and 2 PM to pick up petition forms and receive a door-to-door walk list or location assignment. Someone will be at HQ all day, and we’ll have refreshments there for you to enjoy.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.  We hope to see you and thank you for your support!

Kara Shair-Rosenfield
Volunteer Coordinator
Bingaman 2006
Work: (505) 830-3650, x29
Cell: (617) 869-5869
kara.shair-rosenfield@bingaman2006.com

Celebrate Opening of New Campaign HQ for David Coss

From David Coss for Mayor (Santa Fe):
Join me tomorrow (Saturday 1/6) from noon to 3 PM for the celebration of the opening of our new Campaign Headquarters, in the Silver Saddle Motel, 2810 Cerrillos Road, next to Jackalope. We will have a chance to talk and get ready for the weeks ahead. You can pick up bumper stickers, sign up for yard signs, and see what other ways you can help.

I am very excited about the campaign. Next week we will be issuing the platform that many of you have helped develop over these last months. Please take time to read it, discuss it with your friends, and tell others about it.

Finally, I want to thank so many of you who have signed up as endorsers. During this last week we have added 100 endorsers. Take a look at our on-line list by clicking here. You will recognize friends, family, and neighbors.

Come by tomorrow and help us make Santa Fe a City that works for all of us - un lugar para todos.

Visit www.davidcossformayor.com
2810 Cerrillos Road, next to Jackalope
P.O. Box 6078, Santa Fe 87502
505.984.1637

Editor's Note: The DFA Meetup in Santa Fe has endorsed the candidacy of David Coss.

Agreement Reached On NM Voting Machine Purchase Freeze

From Voter Action:
January 5, 2006 - New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron announced on January 3, 2006, that she will not, for now, proceed with purchase of millions of dollars worth of Sequoia AVC Edge touchscreen voting machines.  She had planned to buy the machines for 14 counties before the end of 2005.  This announcement is good news for New Mexico voters.

Vigil-Giron changed her plans after she was served with a motion for emergency injunctive relief to block the purchase.  The motion was filed in December by the plaintiffs in Patricia Rosas Lopategui, et al. v. Rebecca Vigil-Giron, et al., the year-old state court lawsuit in which eight voters seek a permanent ban on use of the Sequoia AVC Edge and other paperless electronic voting machines in New Mexico.  Prior to the Secretary of State’s announcement, her attorneys and the plaintiffs’ attorneys were in negotiations for a formal agreement to postpone any purchases pending court action. This agreement was reached today.

The Secretary of State has said the reason to buy the Sequoia AVC Edge touchscreen voting machines is to make voting easier for disabled voters, as required by the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA).  In fact, the Edge machines fail to accommodate the disabled or meet HAVA requirements, as shown in a powerful and detailed expert affidavit filed by the plaintiffs.  In addition, the machines lack printers to produce voter verifiable and auditable paper ballots, as required by the New Mexico Election Code, and do not accurately record and count votes, as required by the New Mexico Constitution.  To the contrary, the Sequoia Edge voting system has a record of losing thousands of votes, switching votes, and failing to record votes cast in Spanish.

An alternative and superior voting system that satisfies all of these concerns is not only available but has been chosen by county clerks in a majority of New Mexico’s counties (19 of 33).  The Automark is a device which voters with a broad range of disabilities can use to mark and review their votes on paper optical scan ballots.  The votes on these paper ballots are then counted by optical scanners, just like the votes on the ballots filled out by non-disabled voters.  Fewer voting machines are required in each precinct, and the paper ballots can later be audited to ensure that the count was accurate. Many states across the nation are choosing the Automark as their permanent solution for equal access voting. Concurrently, counties and states are also banning the use of touchscreen voting machines such as the Sequoia Edge which do not provide a paper ballot. 

The plaintiffs applaud the Secretary of State’s decision not to buy Sequoia AVC Edge touchscreen voting machines at this time.  They also recognize, however, that it is not a permanent solution.  The Secretary of State has left open the possibility of going ahead with the Sequoia Edge purchases at a later date if permitted by the court.  The lack of finality is of concern for two reasons.  First, plaintiffs firmly believe that buying and using paperless Sequoia Edge touchscreen voting machines will be bad for New Mexico voters.  Second, the next statewide election is only six months away.  Counties need whatever new machines they acquire to be in place soon, so they can train poll workers in their use. 

The Lopategui plaintiffs and election officials all have the same goal:  elections in which all New Mexico voters, disabled and non-disabled, can vote independently and be confident that their votes are accurately recorded and counted.  The Automark, paired with optical scan paper ballots, is the best solution now available.   The plaintiffs will not accept anything less, nor should the Secretary of State, county elections officials and the voters they serve. All New Mexican voters deserve the most reliable and accurate voting system available.

To see the stipulation, TRO memorandum and related affidavits, visit www.voteraction.org. Voter Action is a project of the International Humanities Center

Editor's Note: There will be a Valentine's Dinner, Dance and Silent Auction to benefit Voter Action on Saturday, February 11th, at the Wool Warehouse in Albuquerque. For more information or to purchase tickets ($35), contact: alcanales@comcast.net or swashbur@nmia.com

Become Republican!

This presentation tells you how.

(Elephant hats not included.)

An Equation For Our Times

And you can get all kinds of gear featuring this calculation at Tom Tomorrow's House of Shopping Fun. Too bad they didn't finish the equation with = 0 .

Sound Off: Rep. Murtha and Military Service Today

This Sound Off was submitted by Terry Riley. Sound Off is a regular feature of the blog that allows individuals to voice their views on timely issues and controversies. Click on the 'Email Me' link on the upper right-hand side of the page if you'd like to submit your own Sound Off.

I just sent the following e-mail to the Ed Schultz show. I am responding to his attacking Congressman Murtha for recommending that this is not a good time to join the military. (See Reuters article.)

I listened for a while the other day while Ed attacked Congressman Murtha and I appreciated the many callers who supported the Congressman. I can appreciate Ed's comments but I would hope that he has gotten enough information by today to rethink and restate his position. Ed should be supporting the Congressman. I am so pleased to hear a person of such position taking a stand in defense of the potential soldier, the yet unspoiled citizen.

My son's enlistment was extended by this administration's manipulation of the laws to support their illegal military action. No citizen owes any allegiance to a president (lower case intentional) who causes the deaths of people, both American and Iraqi, for business gain at great risk and national consequence. I feel that it is the responsibility of the citizens of this country to stand up and refuse to serve as a statement of conscience and a statement to direct our leaders that they no longer represent our wants or our needs.

I offer the following e-mail from a Counter-Recruiting Yahoo Group that points out many other reasons why so many people recommend to people considering joining the military that today is not a good day.

I support the military and I support our country.  I do not support this administration and their ambitions in the oil acquisitions. We need an energy policy that does not include military might. 

Terry Riley
Son of a Veteran (WWII)
Veteran (Vietnam era)
Brother of a Veteran (Vietnam era)
Father of a Veteran (Gulf War era)
Father of a Veteran (Enduring Freedom)
Member:
Military Families Speak Out
Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Common Sense
Stop The War Machine

I do not know the person who wrote this email but it was posted on a list-serve so that implies permission to reproduce:

After some soul searching, I agree with EVERYTHING that Rep. Murtha said. Upon reflection, I don't believe that I would enlist in the Army today, given what I know concerning OPTEMPO, personnel shortages, stop-loss and the like. When I enlisted in 1995, it was a different world and a six month tour to Bosnia, where no one died, was about as "rough and tumble" a deployment as you could get. Christ, in August of 2001, while in the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain, the most "shit-hot" mission the Army had was KOSOVO!! Now, that assignment is considered a third-tier NG assignment.

Let's see, a young person enlisting today for a four year hitch can realistically expect to spend three combat tours downrange with the third involving some type of "stop-loss" extending the original commitment. Why on earth would I volunteer or encourage a loved one to volunteer for such a venture, when we have a civilian leadership that refuses to permanently increase the size of the Army or USMC by even one person?

More to the point, we are actively contemplating cutting the ARNG by 30,000 people as there appears no slow down in the need for deployable personnel.

The burden borne by the Active component will only increase, as virtually every reserve BDE sized element has reached or will reach their 24 month COTTAD cap by mid FY 2007. After that, the USAR and ARNG will be "human spackle" to fill force structure holes and will not be able to deploy organic units unless Congress changes the law - It won't, nor should it.

John Murtha has a tremendous amount of credibility on Capitol Hill and much of the Reagan era buildup is directly owed to his efforts in the House. Lest we forget that Reagan BUILT UP the military with a DEMOCRATIC House and Senate. More than one observer has said that on defense issues, Reagan had no better friend in Congress than Jack Murtha.

He has served our nation in combat and was twice wounded. The citizens of his blue-collar Pennsylvania district have already borne a disproportionate share of the sacrifice in this war. Why should he encourage MORE sacrifice from the families of Altoona and Johnstown that he represents, when no sacrifice is being asked of the rest of the nation? Other than a single oblique reference, the POTUS has never asked for volunteerism from the American public to enlist or share in the common defense.

I take great issue when loaded words like "treason" are thrown about by commissioned officers who fail to see that that the Army is collapsing around them. The 5,000 CPT and 3,700 LT vacancies in the USAR are growing, ROTC enrollment has fallen by 26% in a year and CPT attrition, even with stop-loss is keeping pace with the record percentage of seperations seen during 2000-01.

The fact is that we need a larger Army and instead, we have an obstinate leadership (civilian and uniformed) that refuses to acknowledge this obvious reality. The fact is that all through '99 and '00, some of today's biggest "stay the course" champions were featured every week in the Army Times lamenting the fact that 6 month Bosnia and Sinai rotations were "breaking" the force. Now, my old battalion, the 2-14 Infantry, is prepping for its THIRD deployment to OIF. This is simply too much sacrifice to ask from a handful of citizens.

The fact is that John Murtha, no matter what you say about him, speaks for a large number of serving and retired senior officers. Anyone that objectively looks at our personnel situation - particularly in the commissioned ranks - will come to the same conclusion.

If we will not grow the Army and send the same folks back three times in a single enlistment, no, I would not encourage anyone to join the Army today.

Does it hurt me to say this? Hell, Yes. Do I mean it? Damn straight!

Heads Up: Health Action NM Legislative Panel Meets 1/5

From Terri Holland:
Health Action NM is presenting their 2006 Legislative Panel Meeting tomorrow, January 5th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Continuing Ed Building on University at Indian School NE in the main building.  "Legislative Priorities for the January 2006 Session" will feature the following panel speakers:

Sandra Penn, MD: Health Care for All Campaign;

Representative Danice Picraux: Chair, Interim Health & Human Services Committee-Health Issues;

Senator SueWilson Beffort: Member, Interim Health & Human Service Committee-Health Issues

Senator Linda Lopez: Chair, Welfare Reform Committee-Child Care Issues;

Ruth Hoffman: Director, Lutheran Office Governmental Affairs-Tax Reform Issues; NM Voices for Children-Medicaid Issues

Health Action NM is working for a statewide health care system that...

• Puts control into the hands of health care consumers based upon their medical needs and not on corporate or personal profit.
• Is publicly regulated to assure responsiveness to patient's needs and wishes.
• Provides easily understood health plans with meaningful grievance procedures to resolve health care disputes and protect patient's rights.

For further information, please call Mandy Pino at 292-3721, daytime calls only.

Judge Alito: Bad for Civil Rights, Bad for Fairness, Bad for America

With the Senate hearing on Judge Samuel Alito's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court about to begin, People for the American Way has released its comprehensive report on his legal background, The Record and Legal Philosophy of Samuel Alito: "No One to the Right of Sam Alito on this Court" (PDF). You should also check out Alito's America, a site put together by the American Progress Action Fund and Campus Progress for information about the disheartening record of this nominee to the highest court in the land.

DNC Chair Howard Dean is calling for at least one million to sign a petition being organized by the Democratic Party as well as a coaltion of organizations calling themselves IndependentCourt.org, recommending that the Senate reject Alito. So far, more than 750,000 signatures have been obtained. Sign up NOW to be a part of it. Excerpt:

Our courts are the last line of defense against abuses of power ... and every judicial nominee must demonstrate that they will honor their most important responsibility: protecting our rights and freedoms.

Samuel Alito will not.

During the course of his judicial career, Samuel Alito has compiled a record of looking the other way when abuses of power threaten our basic freedoms. He has deferred to unscrupulous prosecutors who constructed all-white juries to try black defendants. He repeatedly failed to protect our right to privacy. He was even the lone judge voting to uphold the illegal strip-search of a 10-year old girl.

You're urged to sign the petition now and stay tuned for further action alerts as the hearing process begins. Other groups opposing Alito's appointment include:

ADA Watch / National Coalition for Disability Rights
Alliance for Justice
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association of University Women
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Asian American Justice Center
Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Change to Win Coalition
Communications Consortium Media Center
Communications Workers of America
Congressional Black Caucus
Earthjustice
Feminist Majority
Friends of the Earth
Greenpeace USA
Human Rights Campaign
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Lambda Legal
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Legal Momentum
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
MoveOn
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Abortion Federation
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Women’s Organizations
National Council on Independent Living
National Environmental Trust
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Lawyers Guild
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Senior Citizens Law Center
National Women’s Law Center
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
People For the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
SEIU
The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.
The Shalom Center
Sierra Club
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association
US Action
Violence Policy Center
World Association of People With Disabilities

IWW Centenary Art Show Opens This Friday

IWW Centenary Art Show Grand Opening
Friday, January 6
6:00 - 10:00 PM
929-1/2 4th Street SW, Out Ch’Yonda Performance Space
Barelas Neighborhood, Albuquerque
Celebrating 100 years of Revolutionary Unionism

Two unique art exhibitions that celebrate more than 100 years of revolutionary labor history and working class culture open in Albuquerque on Friday, January 6th. The event will include speakers, food, poetry and breakdancers.

The shows tell stories of the first 100 years of the Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the I.W.W. or the Wobblies, a radical labor union which has struggled for a multiracial, radical labor movement made up of all workers, including "unskilled" workers shunned by the AFL-CIO. IWW members have created a vast amount of poetry, music, and artwork to inspire workers to take action and reflecting their struggles.

Speakers include:
Carlos Cansino, a longtime Xicano revolutionary and land grant activist; Bob Anderson, an ex-steel worker organizing against militarism; CJ Levine, a restraunt worker and IWW organizer; Danny Solis, a poet and musician; Fred Mahinafarahmand, a carpenter fighting for his job at UNM; and Aztatl, a Xicano poet, artist and activist.

Featuring:
Yours for the OBU: Radical Wobbly Traditions in the art of Carlos Cortez, Koyokuikatl and Dylan Miner (local)

The Traveling Wobbly Show:
With artwork by Sue Coe, Fly, Seth Tobocman, Peter Kuper, Trina Robbins, Josh MacPhee, Nicole Schulman, Mike Alewitz, Susan Simensky Bietila, Sabrina Jones, Mike Konopacki, Harvey Pekar, Spain Rodriguez, and others.

The Traveling Wobbly Show has been on a yearlong tour though the United States and parts of Canada. The curator of the exhibit, Paul Buhle, has recently edited a stunning full color book titled "WOBBLIES!  A Comic Book History of the IWW." Local wobblies will be there to answer any questions and will have a literature table.

Question? Call 331-6132 or email abq@iww.org. To contact the performance space for information on future hours you can see the exhibit call 385-5634.

(Click on image above for larger image. Click link in Coming Events section on right side of this page for flyer.)

www.campesinocollective.org
www.iww.org