Democracy for New Mexico

FRIDAY: Join the ABQ Protest Against Bush

From the Democratic Party of New Mexico:

Protest the Bush/Wilson Agenda
that is Clouding New Mexico’s Future!
Albuquerque Civic Plaza
(Across from Hyatt Regency)
Friday, June 16, 2006 3-5 PM
(Or Until Bush Leaves)

At the 2004 Republican Convention, Heather Wilson called George W. Bush her “beacon.” She continues to turn the other cheek to his failed policies and the culture of corruption plaguing Washington, DC, voting for his agenda 90% of the time. Friday, Bush is coming to Albuquerque to raise money for his rubber stamp Republican, Heather Wilson.

That is why large BLACK BALLOONS will be tethered to homes and offices across the metro area, symbolizing the “black cloud” that Bush and Wilson’s failures have cast over our communities.

Join us on Civic Plaza to protest Bush’s visit. We want to send the message that, together, New Mexicans can do better! FOR MORE INFORMATION, AND TO RSVP, CONTACT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF NEW MEXICO AT 505-830-3650.

PASS IT ON: Click for an event flyer.

More Scrutiny of Rep. Udall's Vote for Bill That Would Kill Net Neutrality

Steve Terrell has published an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican (with a companion post on his website) that examines CD3 NM Rep. Tom Udall's vote for the COPE bill that would destroy the system of net neutrality that has been in place since the inception of the internet. Terrell cites our recent post on Rep. Udall's vote, which takes him to task for the vote.

According to Terrell's article, Rep. Udall explained his vote this way:

I supported the COPE Act because it will bring faster broadband in more places, especially in rural areas like those in New Mexico, by boosting deployment of high-speed broadband as telephone providers upgrade their networks to offer video service," Udall said in an e-mail newsletter. "The COPE Act will also bring more jobs and make the U.S. more competitive in the global economy when telephone companies make new investments in advanced networks.

... Udall insisted that in spite of his vote, he is a supporter of "net neutrality." He pointed out he supported an amendment to the bill sponsored by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., that stated broadband-network providers must not interfere with users' ability to Internet access or offer lawful content. Markey's amendment was defeated.

Sure, we'd all like the telecoms to provide vastly expanded broadband access, especially in rural and poor areas. The problem is, they've already received more than $200 BILLION in tax breaks over the past 15 years to do just that. In addition, they have been collecting generous fees to use their services, often with little local competition. Where has all this money gone?

Another problem is that the bill's requirements for the telecoms to expand into underserved areas lack teeth to require compliance. The provisions for holding them to the bargain -- which amounts to allowing them to own the internet pipelines and control content, access and speed, in exchange for their expansion of broadband -- are weakly written and easily sidestepped.

Given the numerous organizations that support net netrality and also advocate on behalf of ordinary working class people and consumers, it seems odd they would be fighting against the COPE bill if what Rep. Udall claims is true.

Although Udall claims to be looking out for the interests of consumers in NM, here's a very critical economic analysis  of the bill, produced for Free Press, Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America.

Moreover, here's what Save the Internet has to say about a highly inaccurate and wrongheaded Washington Post editorial backing COPE:

The Post editorial laments “the fact that the U.S. broadband infrastructure lags behind that of East Asia and Europe.” It advocates network discrimination as the solution, but it fails to note that those nations did not get ahead by allowing network discrimination. On the contrary, the nations who have surpassed us have done so because they adopted national policies to promote broadband deployment and forced the network operators to run neutral networks, relying on competition for services, unimpeded by network gatekeepers and toll collectors, to drive adoption.

I've read that Democrats like Rep. Udall, who voted for Rep. Markey's unsuccessful net neutrality amendment but voted for the COPE bill, did so because they knew the bill would pass anyway. Why threaten your relationship with the telecoms and cable companies when you're going to lose anyway? Why not vote for the bill and please these corporations? You never know -- their financial support might come in handy in the future.

Unfortunately, this is the same excuse used by many Democrats in voting on issues pushed by corporate concerns and the right wing. Instead of using such votes to make a statement and highlight their opposition party status, they insist such stands would make no difference because their vote wouldn't result in a "win." Senator Jeff Binaman's vote for the horribly unfair bankruptcy bill and his refusal to support a filibuster of Sam Alito come to mind.

I have always had very high regard for Rep. Udall and believed him to be one of the most ethical lawmakers in Washington. In this case, however, he has made a big mistake. Read the article by John Nichols on Common Dreams for more on this issue and how big dollar lobbyists pushed for passage of COPE. Excerpt:

Joining [Bernie] Sanders in voting against the legislation were most members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including its co-chairs, California Representatives Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey...

...Among the Democrats who followed the lead of Hastert and Boehner – as opposed to that of Pelosi – were House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and Maryland Representative Ben Cardin, who is running for that state's open Senate seat in a September Democratic-primary contest with former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume. Illinois Democrat Melissa Bean, who frequently splits with her party on issues of interest to corporate donors, voted with the Republican leadership, as did corporate-friendly "New Democrats" such as Alabama's Artur Davis, Washington's Adam Smith and Wisconsin's Ron Kind – all co-chairs of the Democratic Leadership Council-tied House New Democrat Coalition.

It's really unfortunate that Rep. Udall sided with most DLC Democrats, rather than the progressive wing of the Dem Party, isn't it? Depressing and confusing are the words that come to mind.

The COPE bill is now in the Senate. I suggest you contact both of New Mexico's Senators to encourage them in no uncertain terms to vote against this bill.  Click for contact information for both Sen. Domenici and Sen. Bingaman.

Get Your Tix NOW for Saturday's Palast Appearance in ABQ

Greg Palast at Voter Action fundraiser, Corrales NM, 5.20.05

The world renowned investigative reporter Greg Palast will be in downtown Albuquerque this Saturday, June 17, at 7:00 PM, at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 318 Silver Avenue SW. He'll be discussing and signing his powerful new book, Armed Madhouse, and speaking about the latest in BushCo madness. Check out our previous post for background. Democracy for New Mexico is one of the community sponsors for this event, along with the Albuquerque Center for Peace & Justice, KUNM-FM, the League of Independent Voters and Voter Action.

Tickets: Tickets are the price of one book ($25.95 plus tax) purchased from Bookworks or at the event and are going fast, so get yours NOW. You can avoid long lines by purchasing your book/ticket ahead of time by phone from Albuquerque's Bookworks at 505-344-8139. You can then pick it up at the event. Ticket/book purchasers can buy a companion ticket for $10—which can be used for a $5 discount on the book at the event only.

Friday Radio Interview: Greg Palast will be interviewed by Brad Hockmeyer live on KTAO Radio FM 101.9, Taos, NM on Friday, June 16th at 9:30 AM MDT. This has been booked as a generous 25 minute interview. Presently down but possible available on Friday is streaming live video. Armed Madhouse includes discussion of electronic voting machine snafus and other 2004 election problems in New Mexico, and Palast may well discuss some of them during this interview.

And here's a recent interview with Greg published in the Alibi.

 
From Greg Palast: ANNE COULTER AND I HAVE BOTH LAUNCHED OUR BOOKS THIS WEEK -- hers to promote the latest flavor of hate and militant ignorance; mine -- Armed Madhouse:  Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf?, The Scheme to Steal '08 and other Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Class War -- reports the unvarnished truth about today's political climate here and around the world.(There's no truth to the rumor Coulter chose to release her book on 06-06-06 in honor of her father's birthday.)

I'm asking you to buy (or order) Armed Madhouse THIS WEEK, right NOW in fact. 

Why right now?  Amazon and the industry have set up this Coulter vs. Palast 'launch week' as the Battle of The Books: Can progressives match the forces of darkness (they call them "conservatives")?

Coulter has a million-dollar Right Wing campaign behind her -- thereby allowing her and other hate-salesmen to control the media and the national discussion. The Coulter crew buys and dumps massive amounts of books, buying her way onto the bestseller list. I have only you.

Armed Madhouse details the fix of the 2004 election, the Bush Administration's confidential, and surprising, plans for Iraq's oil, the untold story of the destruction of New Orleans, the dark, misunderstood economics of the rise of the India-China colossus, Ken Lay's unindicted co-conspirators and many more tales of the current regime you won't get on your nightly news.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the book is entertaining -- this is my most serious investigative reporting yet, connecting Venezuela's petrodollars, 3.6 million missing ballots, Thomas Friedman, Hurricane Katrina and, the death of General Motors and the Arnold Schwarzenegger's tawdry little gatherings with Ken Lay.

Hear excerpts from Armed Madhouse read by Amy Goodman, Randi Rhodes, Larry David, Janeane Garofalo and others at https://www.gregpalast.com/section/podcasts.

DPBC Third Thursday Meeting to Focus on Campaign Finance Reform

From the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County e-news:
DPBC THIRD THURSDAY MEETING
Thursday, June 15, UNM Law School, Room 2401, 6 PM
All Democrats Welcome!

Speaker: Jack Taylor, State Chair, Common Cause New Mexico since 2002 and Member, National Governing Board of Common Cause.

Subject: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: A discussion of current ethics-in-government issues and the question of ethics education and enforcement. Click for map: https://www.tinyurl.com/djdxu

If you are a registered Democrat that would like to be added to the e-news, please send your name, e-mail address and County to dpbc@att.net.

Upcoming Defenders of Wildlife Events in NM

From Defenders of Wildlife:
You're invited to several very special events featuring New Mexico's wildlife and wild lands throughout the month of June. Please join Defenders of Wildlife and meet other wildlife supporters and learn about crucial issues facing the animals we all care about.

RSVP now for a Wildlife Event!

Please join me at any or all of the events below this month. There are several chances to get involved...

Thursday, June 15th; Defenders of Wildlife Meet & Greet; Sleeping Dog Tavern, 114 W. San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM; 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Join me to hear about the work we’re doing in New Mexico, learn how you can get more involved, and most importantly to socialize with other wildlife supporters. * First five people to sign up will receive a free Defenders t-shirt!

Saturday, June 17th; Rio Grande Restoration Project & Bosque Bash (sponsored by the NM Wildlife Federation and the Office of Resources Trustees); Restoration Project starts at 8:30 AM/10:30 AM --  City Open Space Shining River parking area, south of Paseo del Norte and west off Rio Grande Blvd, Albuquerque, NM; Bosque Bash starts at 11:00 AM; Los Amigos Roundup, 10601 Fourth St NW, Albuquerque, NM (north of El Pinto Restaurant — watch for signs!) Join me and other state conservation groups and plant native vegetation to restore wildlife habitat in the Rio Grande Bosque. You'll also be able to celebrate later that day with live music, speakers, demonstrations, raffle, games, an outdoor gear swap, and an all-you-can-eat BBQ! For more info visit: https://nmwildlife.org/bosquebash

Thursday, June 22nd; Defenders of Wildlife Meet & Greet: Kelly’s Brewery, 3200 Central Ave, Albuquerque, NM; 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Join me to hear about the work we’re doing in New Mexico, learn how you can get more involved, and most importantly to socialize with other wildlife supporters.  * First five people to sign up will receive a free Defenders t-shirt!

Friday, June 23rd through Sunday, June 25th; Taos Solar Music Festival: Kit Carson Park, downtown Taos, NM; Friday, 3:00 - 9:00 PM; Saturday, 11:00 AM - 8:30 PM and Sunday, 12:00 - 7:00 PM. Celebrate alternative fuels and renewable energy at this great event. Headlining artists include Michael Franti of Spearhead and Ani DiFranco! You can also volunteer at the Defenders of Wildlife booth in the Solar Village. For more information, visit: https://www.solarmusicfest.com/

Take the first step! RSVP for any of these great events.

Now is your chance to make a difference. Please seriously consider joining me and learning more about New Mexico's great wildlife heritage and the ways in which you can help protect it. Future generations will thank you. 

Sincerely,
Lisa Hummon
Outreach Representative
Defenders of Wildlife

If you can't make it to any of these events, but are interested in getting involved in our efforts, please contact me at: lhummon@defenders.

Sound Off: Perfection?

This Sound Off was submitted by Terry Riley:
Are you perfect?  I don't think so. I don't think that I am either. I am hearing people complaining that a political candidate is not perfect. I am concerned because I am hearing that so much lately.  We all read the news, so we know that no incumbent is perfect. Did we think that they were perfect when we originally voted for them? Would you like to learn how to make them better?

Attend meetings and rallies that feature the candidates and listen to their presentations. Take some time and wait around after their presentation so that you can speak with them individually. Tell the candidates what you really feel, what is important to you, and then listen to how they respond to you. If their response is not what you want, but they acknowledge your argument, then this is a good candidate. If this issue is very important to you, yet you did not convince them to support it, then you need to work on a better presentation so you can convince the candidate to think and work in the direction that you believe is best.

Once you understand your issue and where your candidate stands, you have to decide how you want to influence them.  Present your issue with supporting documentation and endorsements. This will get your candidate to better consider your side. If you support candidates who support your issues you have the best chance of getting your problems or issues taken care of after they get elected. The candidates NEED your vote on election day so be sure to tell them what issues are important to you and how they can earn your vote.  If you have others who stand with you when you present your ideas or issues the candidate immediately recognizes the importance to them of responding to you. 

If a candidate still does not agree on the issue that you are working on, then you have to evaluate their other positions on other issues to see if you can support their candidacy at all or if you need to support their opposition. Choosing to give up and not support or vote for either candidate completely invalidates your opinions and your rights. Things that are important to you will not be dealt with if you never stand up and ask for the support.

Candidates rely on rallies or town hall meetings to build their voting base. If you stand up and present your issue or question respectfully the rest of the people there will be interested to hear the candidate’s response. Present yourself well enough and the response of the other people at the event will convince the candidate that your position on your issue is going to help them get elected.  This is how you can help a candidate become your perfect candidate!

Now, let’s go back to the beginning of this. You want the perfect candidate. How much are you willing to do to get this perfect candidate and is perfection realistic?  You have to attend many events. You have to write out your views and deliver them to your candidate and their campaign staff. You have to find many people who support your views and have them accompany you on a visit to your candidate so the candidate can see what support your issue has.

After you have convinced the candidate that your side of the issues that you feel strongly about deserves their commitment, you then have an obligation to work to make sure that this candidate gets elected. You need to learn the rest of the issues that this candidate supports and meet with people on behalf of YOUR candidate. Convince as many people as you can to vote for your candidate.  Getting what you want is not easy. 

Griping about stupid politicians or dumb laws or government excesses is useless. Standing up for what you believe in and supporting candidates who understand and agree with you on your issues is how Democracy works. Please join me in reviving our Democracy, finding and improving on those almost perfect candidates, and in rebuilding the political parties. Put real ethics, work ethics and ethical standards back at the forefront of politics in America.

Terry Riley
Democracy for New Mexico, Democratic Party of New Mexico, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, etc.

Sound Off is a regular feature of the blog that provides an opportunity for readers to communicate their views on a variety of topics. If you'd like to submit a post, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand side of the main page.

Vote for Madrid for DFA-List Endorsement

 
Patricia Madrid with Joe Wilson (L), John Edwards (R)

From Democracy for America:
This month, Democracy for America is hosting an online vote to determine which Congressional candidate will receive our next DFA-List endorsement. All of the candidates in the competition are running for either a Republican-held seat or an open seat.

Results are updated hourly and can be seen at . Voting for the first round began on Wednesday, June 7 and will close on Friday, June 16 at 3:00 PM Mountain Time. The top five candidates will advance to an instant run-off round starting on June 19 to determine DFA's next DFA-List candidate.

Editor's Note: Patricia Madrid, New Mexico's Democratic candidate for CD1 running against Bush rubberstamp Heather Wilson, is one of the nominees. Visit the DFA Grassroots Allstar page to vote for her today!

Winona LaDuke Heads Rally & Fundraiser to Support Valle Vidal

Click on images for larger versions, or download pdf files of side one and side two of this flyer.

MD Citizens' Health Initiative Featured at Next Health Action NM Community Meeting

From Health Action NM:
Join us for an important discussion
about health care for all:
Wednesday, June 14: 7 PM - 8:30 PM
Special Guest Vinny De Marco
President of the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, the lead organization in MD that worked to pass MD's Fair Share Health Care Act, which included a veto override in the Maryland legislature. Vinny will present Maryland's Health Care for All Campaign strategic plan.

HEALTH ACTION NEW MEXICO COMMUNITY MEETING
First Unitarian Church, Sanctuary
3701 Carlisle Boulevard NE
Albuquerque, NM (corner of Carlisle & Comanche)

It is time to move forward in New Mexico. Initiatives in other states although some may be incremental, are moving toward reform. The more New Mexicans voice their concerns to policy makers about the rising cost of health care and lack of access to health care, the more demand for this discussion.

WHO IS VINNY DE MARCO?
Health Care reform advocates across the country know his name and many have heard him speak. Now he is coming to Albuquerque to share his experiences with New Mexicans. The Citizens' Health Initiative is a coalition of organizations seeking to ensure quality, affordable health care for all Marylanders. The Initiative led the effort to pass the Fair Share Health Care Act that requires large corporations to spend a fair amount on health care. Vinny also consults for national organizations, such as the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence, and the American Medical Society's Underage Drinking Reduction Project. He brings us vast experience in organizing issue campaigns and will be sharing his experiences with us. Do not miss this important event. Go to www.healthcareforall.com for more details on the Maryland Campaign.

Charlotte Roybal
Health Action New Mexico
roybalhanm@aol.com
1-505-314-0656
1-505-930-0563 (cell)

KUNM's Espejos de Aztlan Features GLBT Discussion Tonight

From Javier Benavidez:
Tune in to Espejos de Aztlan on KUNM 89.9 tonight, Monday June 12th, at 8:00 PM for a show about the struggles faced in our community as a result of hate and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

We will be interviewing several members of the local Latino Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community about their overcoming against initiatives such as the anti gay marriage proposal recently pushed forward by President Bush. In contrast, this past weekend approximately 20,000 people attended the 20th annual Gay Pride parade in Albuquerque at the Expo NM State Fair Grounds.

Espejos de Aztlan has been on-air since 1979 and is part of the Raices Collective which conducts programming on news, culture and music from a Latino perspective on KUNM 89.9. For more information or to submit input about our shows, please visit the "Espejos de Aztlan" link at .