Democracy for New Mexico

Ethics Hall of Shame Charter Members: Chavez, Sanchez, Mayer, Loy

Into the Ethics Hall of Shame: Ken Sanchez

It's a sad day when a Democrat is the deciding vote that kills a meaningful ethics reform package. Albuquerque City Councilor Ken Sanchez did just that yesterday when he voted with Republicans Sally Mayer and Craig Loy against Brad Winter's bill to clean up city elections and government.

The measure needed at least 7 votes to pass because it would change the City Charter. It only got 6 because of Sanchez. Evidently doing the dirty work of Mayor Marty Chavez, Councilor Sanchez came down on the side of pay for play and against clean government. He therefore is a charter member of our new Ethics Hall of Shame. We'll use the Hall to spotlight those whose votes and actions serve to hold back the forces of government ethics and campaign finance reform, or those whose personal corruption merits a showcase. Since our Hall of Shame is bipartisan, the names of Craig Loy and Sally Mayer, have also been added.

Into the Ethics Hall of Shame: Sally Mayer

Those councilors who voted FOR the ethics reform measure were Republicans Brad Winter and Don Harris, and Democrats Debbie O'Malley, Martin Heinrich, Ike Benton, Don Harris and Michael Cadigan (although councilors run for office on a nonpartisan basis). A heart-felt shout-out of praise goes out to all of them!

According to an article in the Albuqueque Tribune, Winter's bill would have amended the City Charter to:

• Clarify the power of the city's ethics board.
• Set guidelines for reporting campaign contributions.
• Protected city workers from being forced into campaign work.
• Set rules aimed at preventing contractors from influencing politicians through campaign contributions.

Councilor Winter was justifiably angry and upset about the defeat of his bill, and pledged to put the matter to the voters in the form of a referendum in the next city election in 2007. He said the loss would make ethics the dominating issue of the next municipal election, according to an article in the Albuquerque Journal. He added:

"I am appalled. ... I am in shock that this failed, and the people of Albuquerque ought to be very disappointed. I guess that's ethics and politics."

Into the Ethics Hall of Shame: Craig Loy

It's telling that the three councilors who voted against these reforms have all been known in the past for their allegiance to Democrat-in-name-only Mayor Marty Chavez on a variety of controversial issues. From their 'No' votes, we can assume that Mayor Moneybags was really the force behind this effort to keep things just as they are -- with those who "donate" money to his campaign getting preference on contracts and more, with city employees pressured into supporting candidates, often on City time, with "gifts" galore paying off politicos and with an ethics board with no real power to enforce compliance. So, you guessed it, Mayor Chavez is the fourth charter member in our new Ethics Hall of Shame.

Into the Ethics Hall of Shame: Marty Chavez

The excuses being offered by those who killed the bill are, well, priceless. As quoted in the Tribune article, here's Ken Sanchez:

Sanchez said while "there is definitely a need for ethics reform at the state level," it isn't as necessary for Albuquerque.

"I feel we've done a great job," Sanchez said. "We live up to the highest standards of ethics."

I guess he's already forgotten about the ABQPAC scandal, among others. And all the rumors about how and why Mayor Chavez got such extravagant "contributions" from the corporate development community and others who seek to do business with the City.

Meanwhile the Journal article had this to say about Sally Mayer:

Mayer raised several questions about Winter's proposal, but she was especially critical of provisions that would prevent the mayor and councilors from trying to steer city contracts to their campaign contributors when an independent review committee recommended a different bidder.

Oh me, oh my, Sally. I completely understand. It's so difficult to attract "pay to play" bucks when you can't promise anything in return!

The Journal also reported:

Winter's legislation would have explained whose gifts must be rejected. It said city officials should not take gifts from city employees, contractors and certain other people who have dealings with city government.

The legislation defined the gifts that should be rejected, offering a list that ranged from real estate to restaurant meals, discounts, the use of property, tickets to events and nearly everything else with identifiable value.

Imagine having to conduct city business without "gifts" to show the way! You can't tell the players without a scorecard or, in this case, without a list of who gave what to whom.

Not surprisingly, I'm with Matt Brix on this one:

"You really have to ask yourself, where is the sincerity in ethics reform?" said Matt Brix, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, which worked with Winter on the bill. "The public needs to question why there was not a unanimous decision in favor of amending the charter."

I'm questioning alright, along with many others on both sides of the aisle. And we'll keep it up until we get some real reform locally and statewide. With all the corruption and cronyism that's been exposed within our ranks in NM, we can no longer ignore those who work to keep it that way, in either political party. Hear that Democrats? No free lunch for you anymore. Enough is enough. We'll be watching very closely, especially when the NM Legislature considers ethics reform in January. Count on it.

Gay Marriage Video of the Day: Ask Them to Take the Pledge!

Cartoon by Steve Bell of The Guardian

Politics TV has a must watch video that culminates in a request that we ask Republican "marriage defenders" to pledge to do their part in personally "protecting" marriage. This is, after all, the week Bush and his right-wingnut followers have set aside to deal with the most important problem Americans face today -- the threat of gay citizens being allowed to exercise their civil contracting rights to sign marriage papers. Tony Snow, the President's press spokesman, calls the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage "civil rights legislation."

But what about Republican transgressions against the sanctity of marriage like divorce, adultery, infidelity and non-procreative sex? We must demand they take the pledge! If these folks want to be in gay people's bedrooms, we need to get into theirs. Big time. Watch the video and then just do it! American Blog has continuing coverage.

On a more serious note, check out Senator Russ Feingold's Daily Kos post about the gay marriage amendment, entitled A Shameful Political Ploy. There's no chance that this odious attempt to inject bigotry into the constitution will pass. That doesn't matter. Bush and his extremist supporters are once again using this issue for potential political gain. They'll keep doing it as long as many Democrats run and hide or twist and turn whenever this issue if raised. As we all know from our childhoods, if bullies aren't confronted, their bullying just gets worse.

Where Do I Vote Tomorrow?

If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who received a voting card from the NM Secretary of State with information provided by your County Clerk, check it out for info on your precinct and voting location. I personally haven't received one yet, even though I've been living at the same address for 8+ years and serve as a precinct chair. Thank you Mary Herrera. Not.

If you, too, haven't received your card, your best bet is to contact your county clerk or visit his or her website to find out the location of your polling place. If you're in Bernalillo County, type in your address at the website of the Bernalillo County Clerk. If you live in Sandoval County, call your County Clerk at 867-7572. The Secretary of State's website provides contact information for all NM county clerks.

Only those registered to vote as Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary on June 6th. The polls are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

You don't have to provide your voter card when you go to the polls, but you will need to provide one of these to indentify yourself:

• (1) an original or copy of a current and valid photo identification with or without an address, which address is not required to match the voter's certificate of registration or a voter identification card:
• or (2) an original or copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo, that shows the name and address of the person, the address of which is not required to match the voter's certificate of registration;
• or (B) a verbal or written statement by the voter of the voter's name, year of birth and unique identifier [like the last four digits of your Social Security number]; provided, however, that the statement of the voter's name need not contain the voter's middle initial or suffix.

For information on candidates who are running in the primary, check out our earlier post.

Dems Sparked by Feingold & Warner at NH Dem Convention

Warner and Feingold. AP photo.

I watched Senator Russ Feingold and ex-Virginia Governor Mark Warner give their stump speeches at the New Hampshire Democratic convention yesterday on CSPAN. You can too -- scroll down a ways on the CSPAN page. Walter Shapiro at Salon thought the speeches might be the "big political story of the weekend."

Feingold electrified the crowd (and me) with his fiery speech and no-weasling pronouncements on what Democrats should stand for and why Bush should be censured to preserve our constitution's checks and balances. He got six standing ovations and was interrupted by applause at least 20 times during the speech. The loyal opposition indeed:

"Why are so many Democrats too timid to say what everyone in America knows? It's time to redeploy the troops. It's time to bring the troops out of Iraq. I say bring them home by the end of the year."

Addressing the opportunity that may present itself should Dems win back either or both Houses of Congress, Feingold said,

I just remind everybody. Democrats were in the majority in the United States Senate when we voted for the Iraq war and we passed the USA Patriot Act. It's not enough to be just in the majority. You have to stand for something."

We're reminded. And we'll be remembering and pressuring for Dems to exhibit backbone every step of the way. Feingold stands for such things as cleaning up politics and campaign finance, and expects the Executive Branch to comply with the rule of law as defined by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, these positions are considered "radical" by some in the Democratic Party who seem more interested in pleasing their big-dollar donors and hiding behind blandness than they are in confronting our constitutional and ethical crises and finding solutions.

New Hampshire's had this say:

Feingold left no one guessing about what he doesn't believe in: No Child Left Behind, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the war in Iraq. As for what he does believe in: health care for all Americans, alternative energy and publicly financed political campaigns. And, of course, rabble-rousing (which Feingold makes sure you know separates him from many other Democratic leaders).

Some members of the Democratic Party say, "Let's not rock the boat," he said. "But I think that's exactly how we lost in 2002 and 2004. We won't win by default. We won't win by just running out the clock."

As for the pragmatic Warner, I finally saw some evidence in this speech to support the positive response he has garnered from many in the netroots. I had watched several of his previous speeches on TV, but came away unimpressed and confused about what people were seeing in him, despite the 80% approval rating he received during his term as Governor. This time, however, I could see the appeal of his positive, forward-looking, problem-solving, consensus-building approach. He came off as someone who just might be able to bring a majority of Americans together to forge creative solutions to the many serious problems we face. A tidbit:

"We need an administration that doesn't have an on and off switch when it comes to following the law," Warner declaimed. And more money should go to research into renewable energy: "Of course, that would require an administration that believes in science."

I still have my qualms about Warner's views on trade, outsourcing and health care, but at least I could see his appeal and admire the creativity and openness he brings to the table. To my mind, either one of these guys would be a much more exciting, attractive and honestly passionate presidential candidate than Hillary Clinton and her purely expedient and poll-driven positions. Maybe one or both of them can head her off at the pass. Neither one panders -- they attempt to persuade, challenge people to think and energetically say what they believe. An impressive duo. Even if my heart, of course, is with Feingold.

ACTION ALERT: Common Cause Ethics and Campaign Reform Kick-Off

From Common Cause NM:
As November approaches, Common Cause New Mexico plans to use the election season to ask that every candidate pledge his or her support for ethics and campaign reforms. Every aspiring elected official should commit to supporting good government, and we intend to make sure that they do.

We're launching this campaign on Wednesday, June 21, with a kickoff event at the home of Common Cause board member Eric Griego in Albuquerque!

Please join us!  Reserve your spot online for this great event:

The event will be hosted by Eric Griego, Michele Rizek, State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, former State Senator Richard Romero, former Albuquerque City Councilor Hess Yntema, Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta-Loeser, Albuquerque City Council President Martin Heinrich, State Senator Dede Feldman, former U.S. Senator Fred Harris, Albuquerque City Councilor Isaac Benton, Albuquerque City Councilor Debbie O'Malley, State Senator Cisco McSorley, Public Regulation Commissioner Jason Marks and Albuquerque City Councilor Michael Cadigan.

When: Wednesday, June 21, 2006, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Where: The home of Michele Rizek and Eric Griego: 1421 Marble NW (three blocks from Tiguex Park, near Old Town).  Go here for a map.

Suggested donation: $50 per person to Common Cause New Mexico (please note that Common Cause does not accept donations from active candidate committees).

Getting elected officials and candidates for public office to commit to ethics and campaign reform is critical.  Please join me at this important event to learn more about how Common Cause will work for much needed reform during the summer and fall, and how you can get involved in our efforts.

Sign up to join us today!  Or, if you cannot come, please consider making a contribution to our campaign efforts anyway:

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you at Eric and Michele's on June 21!

Sincerely,
Matt Brix, Executive Director

Sound Off: A Broken Military

This Sound Off was submitted by Terry Riley:
Here is another example of how broken our military is today. From the beginning of basic training throughout their careers the brass are forever teaching kill, kill, kill. Now the outcome of that debased training reaches the civilian population and the brass responds with moral training. Maybe they will re-institute compliance with the rules of the Geneva Convention.

Nobody should join the military at a time when they cannot know whether their greatest threat is from obeying or disobeying orders. The responsibility of the leadership is to give direction and to lead by example. When the commanders have no morals then the individual soldiers will be blamed - again.

Editor's Note: I suggest people also read this LA Times article, which reports that the Pentagon has decided to omit a key tenet of the Geneva Convention from its new detainee policies -- one that explicitly bans "humiliating and degrading treatment."

Sound Off is a regular feature of this blog that provides an opportunity for readers, candidates and others to publish a post on this site. To submit your Sound Off, email it to me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the main blog page.

Sunday Bird Blogging: 2006 Primary Election Edition

(Click on photos for larger views.)

As you may recall, Bosco the peach-faced lovebird is a political junky. He likes to hang out with me when I check out the blogs, read the newspaper or watch Keith Olbermann or CSPAN. Bosco has taken his time picking candidates in the Democratic primary -- reading websites and brochures, watching candidate forums, following the endorsements. This morning he came to his final decisions, even though he doesn't have a Social Security number and can't register to vote. He's not even an official member of DFNM. Nevertheless, Bosco wanted me to tell you about his personal choices, which he insists are shared by all the avians in our home.

Bosco assembled a display of political paraphernalia for the Dems he supports in most of the big primary races (top), plus a few others. In the uncontested races Bosco is, of course, for Jeff Bingaman for NM Senator, Patricia Madrid for Congress in CD1, Al Kissling for Congress in CD2, Tom Udall for Congress in CD3, Bill Richardson for Governor, for Lt. Governor, James Lewis for Treasurer and Clay Campbell for District Judge.

In the contested races, Bosco revealed he's for Geno Zamora for Attorney General, although it was a tough choice. In the end, Bosco decided on Geno because he supports the establishment of an independent public integrity commission to be a watchdog over NM government. Bosco considers such reform as essential to cleaning up politics in NM. Common Cause NM backs an independent ethics commission too.

Bosco's also for Stephanie Gonzales for Secretary of State, Jim Baca for Land Commissioner, Jeff Armijo for State Auditor and Karen Montoya for Bernalillo County Assessor. And even though he's not in their districts, he really likes Shay Rose for State Rep. in District 28 and Moe Maestas for State Rep. in District 16.

One last thing. Bosco was vehement about getting the bumpersticker shown above into a photo. No explanation needed!

Fisk: More Hadithas?

UPDATE: Another British newspaper, The Observer, has a in-depth article about the violent U.S. troop culture in Iraq as it relates to the Haditha murders. Excerpt:

American veterans of the war in Iraq have described a culture of casual violence, revenge and prejudice against Iraqi civilians that has made the killing of innocent bystanders a common occurrence.

Renowned reporter Robert Fisk, who has covered the Middle East for decades, has a powerfully disturbing piece about Iraq on the front page of The Independent. Fisk suggests the murders committed by Marines at Haditha may be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of troops killing Iraqi civilians without reason or remorse. I hope he's wrong, but I have a feeling he's very right. Excerpt:

I suspect part of the problem is that we never really cared about Iraqis, which is why we refused to count their dead. Once the Iraqis turned upon the army of occupation with their roadside bombs and suicide cars, they became Arab "gooks," the evil sub-humans whom the Americans once identified in Vietnam. Get a president to tell us that we are fighting evil and one day we will wake to find that a child has horns, a baby has cloven feet.

Remind yourself these people are Muslims and they can all become little Mohamed Attas. Killing a roomful of civilians is only a step further from all those promiscuous air strikes that we are told kill 'terrorists" but which all too often turn out to be a wedding party or -- as in Afghanistan -- a mixture of "terrorists" and children or, as we are soon to hear, no doubt, "terrorist children."

In a way, we reporters are also to blame. Unable to venture outside Baghdad -- or around Baghdad itself -- Iraq's vastness has fallen under a thick, all-consuming shadow. We might occasionally notice sparks in the night -- a Haditha or two in the desert -- but we remain meekly cataloguing the numbers of "terrorists" supposedly scored in remote corners of Mesopotamia. For fear of the insurgent's knife, we can no longer investigate. And the Americans like it that way.

Even the new Iraqi government is now speaking out against the violence and killing by foreign troops:

Iraq's new leaders have turned on their "liberators". Speaking in Baghdad yesterday, the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, lashed out at the conduct of foreign troops. He called on the Americans to account for what happened at Haditha. He described violence against civilians as commonplace and accused the foreign forces of behaving with no respect for citizens and killing "on a suspicion or a hunch". This is a long way from the gratitude George Bush and Tony Blair surely hoped for when they launched their ill-fated invasion three years ago.

I wonder when or if our President, our Democratic leaders or the U.S. mainstream media will finally admit that enough is enough. As Fisk mentions, occupation armies are, by their very nature, prone to producing mass graves and senseless killing. With an occupation army in the midst of a civil war being fought with guerilla tactics, it's even easier to fall into the habit of lashing out lethally at anyone who happens to be in the vicinity when something bad happens.

We are losing what soul we have left in Iraq. If we stay much longer, it may be too late to regain what we've lost. It should be obvious to all by now that there is no "victory" to be had unless we get out of the way or Iraqis and let them decide their own fate. Now.

Bush to Visit Artesia NM 6/6

According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, Bush will be visiting Artesia, NM on June 6th, our primary election day, to tout his immigration plan. I think it's telling that the public will not be allowed to attend his speech at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). With his approval ratings still down in the basement, Bush appears to be sneaking around, not even taking a chance on his usual "pre-screened" audiences full of right-wing Republicans.

Double Whammy! As reported in an earlier post, Bush will also be attending a big-donor fundraiser for fake moderate Heather Wilson (R-NM CD1) at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque on June 16. No public allowed there either, although many groups are planning on protesting Bush's visit across the street from the hotel at the Civic Plaza while he's in town, starting at 3:00 PM on 6/16. I encourage all Dem candidates to come on down and offer to pose for photos for a mere $5, to contrast the going price for a picture with Bush -- $5,000!

Results of the DFA-DFNM Unofficial Straw Poll

Here are the final results of our unofficial straw poll voting by members, which ran at the Albuquerque DFA-DFNM Meetup site. Polls were run for the major contested Democratic statewide primary races. Thanks to all who participated! (Winners shown in red.)

Attorney General
35%  Gary King 
12%  Lemuel Martinez 
43%  Geno Zamora 
07%  Undecided 

Secretary of State
76%  Stephanie Gonzales 
05%  Mary Herrera 
07%  Shirley Hooper 
07%  Letitia Montoya 
02%  Undecided 

State Land Commissioner
54%  Jim Baca
45%  Ray Powell

State Auditor
60%  Jeff Armijo
28%  Thomas Buckner
10%  Undecided