Democracy for New Mexico

Immigration Reform Events Monday in Albuquerque

Photo from 4/9/06 Albuquerque Immigration Rally at National Hispanic Cultural Center courtesy of karlos at SWOPblogger

ALBUQUERQUE! PEACEFUL MARCH IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE NATIONAL CALL FOR ACTION FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM AND INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ DAY

3:00-5:00 PM — TIGUEX PARK (Mountain/18th) for information, live music and fun for the whole family. As it is a no purchase day, take a picnic lunch for your family.

5:00 PM— Peaceful march from the park to the Civic Plaza (3rd/Tijeras) and then march back to park.

To show that we are a unified community we will wear white or a white ribbon on May 1st and will carry white flags instead of national flags. Download flyers in English and Espanol.

ATTENTION WORKERS/STUDENTS: If you decide to participate in the national strike and you have questions about your rights, call us.

For more information: El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos al 246-1627. Go to: www.swop.net and click on SWOPblogger.

Co-sponsors: Southwest Organizing Project, Southwest Network for Economic and Environmental Justice, Community Health Partnership, Partido La Raza Unida,

Supporting organizations: ACORN, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Archdiocese of SF, Center for Economic Justice, East Central Ministries, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, Grey Panthers, Kalpulli Izkalli

Sunday Anti-War Events in Taos

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld Threaten
Nuclear War on Iran
We Say: NO WAR on Iran!
Nuclear War is Unthinkable!Sunday, April 30th

3PM: Citizens’ Arrest of Rumsfeld at his Canoñcito home

5PM: Rally at the Taos Plaza: Public Sentencing of Rumsfeld and Speak Out by John Nichols & Phyllis Bennis

7PM: Speech at the TCA ($10) Institute of Policy Studies Fellow: Phyllis Bennis: CHALLENGING U.S. EMPIRE Iran, Iraq & the Middle East

Action Coalition Taos • Democracy Network • For more information: 776-8486

(Click to download the poster at top of page.)

Immigrants’ Rights Group Sponsors "Worker’s Day Family Picnic" Monday in SF

March in Santa Fe 4/19/06
(Photo Courtesy Somos Un Pueblo Unido)

From Somos Un Pueblo Unido:
Immigrant workers and local businesses will participate in a nationwide boycott and mobilization in support of immigration reform.

What: Worker’s Day Family Picnic supporting the nationwide boycott and mobilization for immigration reform. This event is sponsored by Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a membership-based New Mexico immigrants’ rights organization.

When: Monday, May 1, 2006 -- 1:00 to 6:00 PM

Where: Franklin Miles Park (corner of Camino Carlos Rey & Siringo Rd., Santa Fe)

Entertainment: Live Music (Mónica y Flechazo, Andé Marimba, Danzantes Aztecas Anahuac Grupo Eclipse)

Click for flyer in or .

In support of the national boycott and mobilization for comprehensive immigration reform, Somos Un Pueblo Unido is organizing a "Worker’s Day Family Picnic" with food, music and entertainment for Santa Fe’s working families.

To demonstrate the positive economic impact of immigrants in the local and national economy, hundreds of immigrant families and supporters in Santa Fe will participate in the "Paro" (boycott) on May 1st. Many will choose not to go to work or send their children to school. Others will participate by buying nothing and wearing a white ribbon.

Participants in this mobilization are calling on Congress to negotiate a workable immigration reform that: does not criminalize undocumented immigrants; provides a path to permanent legal residence and citizenship for undocumented workers and students; and provides future immigrant workers with safe and legal means to immigrate with full workplace protections.

Several local businesses are supporting this effort by closing their doors on May 1st, supporting their immigrant workers who decide to participate in the mobilization, or donating food to the event.

An initial list of supporting businesses includes:

Harry’s Road House
Posole Mío
El Palenque
Pollo Real
Lucero’s Lathing and Plastering
Adelita’s
Red Enchilada
Carreras Auto Sales
La Familia Mexicana
Lorena’s Boutique  El Paisano
Ten Thousand Waves
Cloudcliff Bakery and Artspace
Jackalope
Laura’s Café
Alicia’s Tortillería
Pascual’s
Mariscos La Playa in Española
Castro’s New Mexican Food
Llantera California  Mariscos La Playa in Santa Fe
El Tesoro
Mariscos Costa Azul
Wild Western Wear
La Cabaña
Chihuahua Tires
Castillo’s Auto Repair
Southside Plaza Café
Zia Diner
Tara’s Organic Ice Cream

Somos Un Pueblo Unido
1205 Parkway Dr, Suite B
Sante Fe, NM   87507
Telephone: 505-424-7832
Fax: 505-438-8518
Email: somos@rt66.com

Los derechos de los inmigrantes son derechos humanos.

Gathering Of Nations Pow Wow This Weekend in Albuquerque

Photo © Gathering of Nations, Ltd.

Always fabulous. Barbara Grothus at Duke City Fix has all the info. Friday and Saturday at the Pit, 10AM-10PM.

Free Streaming: Neil Young's New CD Living With War

Go to True Majority's site to , Neil Young's new anti-war, anti-Bush album. The album will be available at digital retailers beginning May 2nd. CDs will be available in stores early May. See our previous post for background.

Support for the Iraq war is now down to 28 percent.

The True Majority link above plays the whole album in sequence. You can go to to play individual tracks or try clicking for . You can also listen as MySpace. And here are the lyrics to all the songs and today's New York Times review. Excerpt:

"We are the silent majority now, and we haven't done a damn thing," Mr. Young said. "We've stood by and watched this happen. But there's more of us than there is of them, and we have to do something. When people start talking and see they can get away with it, it's going to happen everywhere. It's going to be a landslide, it's going to be a tidal wave. This is just the tip of it."

You can also send this petition to your Senators from True Majority's site:

The President's latest $68 billion supplemental request is the fourth time in three years the administration has asked for extra, unplanned billions to be taken from other critical needs and poured into the unending war in the Middle East.

"Staying the course" is costing our nation $100,000 a minute. Our soldiers, our children and our nation are not served by continuing to plunge heedlessly ahead.

I urge you to vote FOR Sen. Russ Feingold's amendment to the supplemental funding request, which would require that our troops leave Iraq by Dec. 31st, 2006.

Here's more info on Senator Russ Feingold's amendment to bring the troops home. And to take this to the streets, show up Saturday morning at the anti-Iraq, anti-Iran demonstration here in Albuquerque.  Flyer.

LET'S IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT

Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door

He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war

Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?

Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected

Thank god he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean

Living With War Tracklist:
1) After the Garden
2) Living With War
3) The Restless Consumer
4) Shock and Awe
5) Families
6) Flags of Freedom
7) Let's Impeach the President
8) Lookin' For A Leader
9) Roger and Out
10) America the Beautiful

News of the Bizarre: Domenici Bolts & Shouts

I really am at a loss of words about this bizarre report on Raw Story about Sen. Pete Domenici. Excerpt:

Before bolting from the Senate chamber, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) shouted at Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR,) "I just violated the rules!"

Madrid, Wesley Clark Call on Wilson to Ask Tough Questions About Iraq War

Attorney General Patricia Madrid and General Wesley Clark stood with nearly two dozen Albuquerque veterans in Bataan Memorial Park on Wednesday to call on incumbent Representative Heather Wilson to finally start asking the tough questions to hold the Bush Administration accountable for the flawed intelligence and failed leadership that took the United States to war in Iraq.

“Republican Heather Wilson has stood lock step with George Bush and Dick Cheney in support of this war,” Madrid said. “She sits on the House Committee on Intelligence and yet she’s never asked the tough questions. She never questioned the flawed intelligence on which we went to war; she’s never asked when our troops will be coming home; and she’s never questioned the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Heather Wilson is part of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld team. She’s one of them.”

Clark, a retired four-star Army general and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, added, “The people of New Mexico deserve someone in Congress who will support the men and women in uniform by demanding from the White House a strategy for success in Iraq.  Patricia Madrid has made a career of standing up for people and demanding answers to difficult questions.  She’s just the kind of leader we need on Capitol Hill.”

Madrid also officially joined Clark in calling for Rumsfeld to resign.

“I have serious concerns about the way Donald Rumsfeld has conducted this war,” Madrid said. “I believe strongly that it is time for him to resign and for new leadership to come on board.”

Madrid further expressed deep concern about the casualties of the war.

“This war has cost us too much -- 2,390 American lives,” Madrid said. “Further, more than 17,000 young men and women have been wounded. This state has buried 17 of its own children. It is time to bring the troops home.”

(Click on photos for larger images. All photos courtesy of Dan Quan www.danquan.com.)

RSVP for May Open House & Fundraiser for Madrid Campaign

Please RSVP now for:
OPEN HOUSE and FUNDRAISER for PATRICA MADRID
Candidate for U.S. CongressWHEN: Sunday May 7, 2006  TIME: 3:00 - 5:00 PM
WHERE: John & Cheryl Gordon Home, 10405 Cielito Lindo NE

Here is a great opportunity to meet and talk to your Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives - New Mexico's awesome Attorney General Patricia Madrid. It is extremely important for the people in Congressional District 1 to send someone to Washington D.C. who will seriously and aggressively question the poor performance of the Bush Administration and not give their failed polices a free pass. Drop by and talk to Ms. Madrid about current issues and legislation facing our country and see why Patricia Madrid is the best candidate to represent the people of Congressional District 1 in Washington D.C.

Click to check out event flyer for more information. PLEASE RSVP BY MAY 1: Call Cheryl Gordon at 294-1569 or email ward24b@aol.com.

UPDATE: Salt of the Earth Screenings

As reported in an earlier post, the historic film 'Salt of the Earth' will be showing at Albuquerque's Guild Cinema from May 1st to 4th. There will be 7:00 PM screenings each of those days, with a panel discussions afterwards. Due to popular demand, additional 5:00 PM showings have been added for May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Most of the tickets for the May 1st screening have already been purchased by union members, so those interested in seeing the film should purchase tickets for the other showings. (Thanks to Michelle for the heads up.)

Governor Bill Richardson to Hold Office Hours in Albuquerque

From the State of New Mexico, Office of the Governor:
SANTA FE – Governor Bill Richardson will hold open office hours in Albuquerque on Monday, May 1, 2006. In order to accommodate as many people as possible, the Governor will accept meetings with constituents who have not otherwise had a chance to meet with him during the past six months.

Governor Richardson will meet with constituents in his Albuquerque office from 2:30 to 5:30 PM –on a first-come, first-served basis. The Albuquerque office is located on the second floor of the Bank of the West Building at the corner of Central Avenue and San Mateo Boulevard SE in Albuquerque. No prior appointment is necessary.

Those wanting a meeting should simply come to Albuquerque location at the specified time. Meetings will be limited to five minutes each. For security reasons, constituents should be prepared to present valid, photo identification. Constituents who need help resolving problems or concerns, or they have a legislative proposal, should bring documentation with them to the meeting with the Governor.

For more information, contact Yasine Mogharreban at the Office of the Governor, 505-476-2299, yasine.mogharreba@state.nm.us.