Democracy for New Mexico

CUSA Initiates Drive Aimed at Keeping Higher Education Within Reach of New Mexico Students

Preparing for petition drive canvassing at
CUSA's Albuquerque office

Report and photo by guest blogger Suzanne Prescott:
A massive petition drive to stop an increase in student loan rates and stop major cuts in higher education funding has been launched by the Albuquerque office of Communities United to Strengthen America (CUSA).  The petition is aimed at getting Heather Wilson to pledge her support to cutting NOT raising student loan interest rates and NOT supporting the Bush administration proposed cuts to Pell Grants and Work Study funds.

Initial figures, not widely released, reveal higher education enrolments this Fall in New Mexico may show significant declines. The declines can be linked to ever increasing student debt, and increasing pressure on New Mexico family income.

A hard look at the facts:

• Heather Wilson in March of 2006 voted against a measure which would have cut student loan rates in half.
• College graduates earn 73% more than high school graduates
• If the proposed Bush budget passes 5,756 students in Albuquerque alone would not receive enough Pell grant money to meet their tuition needs.
• If the proposed Bush budget passes, 1700 Albuquerque students would be denied the full benefits of Work-Study.
• Only 14% of New Mexico students are awarded Lottery Success Scholarships
• Lottery Success scholarships only cover 20% of students college costs
• Tuition and fees at public four-year public colleges and universities swelled 8 percent, faster than the 7 percent national average.
• At the University of New Mexico the number of students receiving federal loans grew 29% between 2001-02 and 2004-05.

An educated citizenry is not only a necessity in a democracy, it's an necessary building block in the foundation of a modern New Mexico economy  - an economy where the skills and knowledge of the labor pool attract businesses to New Mexico and grow businesses which are already here.  These concerns are expressed in a CUSA news release dated Friday, August 25, 2006.

"This is a major concern to me not only as a parent with college age kids, but because it adversely affects the population that I serve,” El Centro Director Veronica Mendez-Cruz said Friday. “If these cuts hit they are going to make things harder for middle-class and lower-income students throughout the state.  We need our delegation to understand that these cuts will not help our community become educated. This is an insult to hard working families who are working two or more jobs to try to make ends meet and to ensure that their children have a better life.”

What you can do:
Go to the CUSA site and ask Heather Wilson to look out for the interests of students and restore funding to higher education.

Editor's Note: This post is from guest blogger Suzanne Prescott. If you'd like to submit a guest post, please contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand side of the main page.

Film Series Accompanies Latin American Posters Exhibition at National Hispanic Cultural Center

From the website of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque:

Saturday, September 9
Latin American Posters Film Series
Wells Fargo Auditorium, 4 PM
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
FREE Admission
Lalo Alcaraz, United States of America, Ché, 1997, serigraph on paper,
66 x 50.8 cm., National Hispanic Cultural Center, Art Museum.

A series of films in conjunction with the Latin American Posters: Public Aesthetics and Mass Politics exhibition at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The exhibit opens September 8, 2006 and runs through March 4, 2007.

Yo Soy Joaquín (I am Joaquín), 1969, 19 min. Directed by Luis Valdez. Dramatization of the classic Chicano poem by the same name by Rodolfo "Corky González about the Mexican American experience from the Spanish conquest to the farmworkers' struggle. González was a leading Chicano activist in Denver, CO.

Salt of the Earth, 1954, U.S., 92 min. Directed by Herbert Biberman. Based on the 1951 zinc miners' strike in Silver City, NM. The film stars several miners and their families, including the labor leader Juan Chacón. It also deals with the struggle of the miners' wives for recognition, dignity and equality. The film was made at the height of the McCarthy era and denounced as subversive and subsequently blacklisted.

(Editor's Note: Thanks to Michelle Meaders for the heads up on this and other events.)

700+ Protest Bush at Kennebunkport

"Anti-war protesters rally outside the Bush compound, seen at top left, across the cove shrouded in fog, in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006. President George W. Bush is vacationing at his parents' house while the protest was going on. The president is spending a long weekend at the family oceanside home and plans on attending a relative's wedding. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)"

Meanwhile, a buncha billionaires and Bushes played rich white wedding day. More photos.

Sunday Rain Monster Blogging

Our monster monsoon rains have created a myriad of monsters in New Mexico this summer -- monster floods, puddles, weeds, double rainbows, overflowing arroyos and lightning storms. They've also created a couple of monsters in our backyard. The huge morning glory plant above came from seed and grew at a slow pace throughout our bone dry Spring and early Summer, never producing any flowers. But when the daily heavy rains came, it exploded with new growth, completely enveloping a tallish tree stump it was leaning against and reaching out for more. It's now putting out dozens of new blooms each morning. A lollapalooza of a morning glory plant.

Same thing with these big fat tomato hornworms, which are the caterpillar stage of the tobacco sphinx moth. We've grown tomatoes in the same backyard patch for many summers but never encountered any of these prodigious plant munchers. The extreme wetness this year is evidently the reason for the two specimens shown above that we plucked off our plants this morning. Despite their being very hard to see, we've found several others recently and all have met the same fate. We put them out near the wild bird feeders and they become luscious, juicy avian treats. One creature's ceiling is another one's floor. Or something like that.  Slurp! (Click on images for larger versions.)

PS: Duke City Fix has plucked some terrific monsoon shots from the Albuquerque Flickr collection. Go see.

Madrid Picnic on Sunday: You're Invited

From the Madrid for Congress campaign:

You are officially invited to a BBQ with Patricia Madrid and special guest Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-39)

What: BBQ with Patricia Madrid and Rep. Linda Sanchez
Where: Columbus Park – 5301 Guadalupe Trail NW, ABQ
When: Sunday, August 27th, 12:00-1:30 PM

Click for map. RSVP with me, at cory@madridforcongress.com    

Saturday Music Hall: NOLA Edition

A wide variety of coverage of the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29th has already begun. I thought I'd focus one of the most incredibly valuable contributions of the unique N'awlins culture -- its music. Above we have a long clip of jaunty, just-right jams by Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis and local musicians in New Orleans supporting the Musicians' Village by Habitat for Humanity or New Orleans. All that brass makes me want to toss some chickory into my coffee this morning.

To remind us of just what the folks are up against in trying to rebuild their lives and their city, check out video of the state of the Ninth Ward six months in accompanied by John Mellencamp's Pink Houses. Video matched with Steve Goodman's song City of New Orleans, sung by Arlo Guthrie, checks in with the Ninth Ward and Lakefront districts about ten months after the flood. (I have a special bond with this song because I used to ride the Illinois Central railroad's City of New Orleans between Chicago and Champaign-Urbana on its way to New Orleans and back in my college days. Its club car scene and general atmosphere were special indeed.)

If you've got some wandering and meandering time on your hands this weekend, enjoy more of NOLA's musical treasures and then throw a few bucks in to help:

One of NOLA's most beloved musicians, Louis Armstrong, scats about Dinah in a 1930s-era performance and offers a rather elegant rendition of When the Saints Go Marchin' In a little later in the century.

The master of New Orleans piano, Professor Longhair, runs through Tipitina in some rather rare old footage. Crescent City blues legend Irma Thomas belts out You Can Have My Husband with B.B. King. Fats Domino tickles the ivories and sings Walkin' to New Orleans.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band website has lots on the history of New Orleans jazz and its continuation today.

The website of the historic Tipitina's nightclub has video of many of the New Orleans musicians who have performed there including the Funky Meters, Neville Brothers, Wild Magnolias, Rebirth Brass Band and one of my favorites, Marcia Ball. They've also got extensive video archives and a podcast section. The also webcast many of their performances live.

You can find ways to help New Orleans musicians, most of whom aren't well known beyond the local scene, and many of whom lost their homes and their livelihoods because of the levy breaks, at the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund.

Then think about how the Bush administration's wholly incompetent, neglectful, corrupt, uncaring, cold-hearted, shameful and, to my mind, criminal response to this crisis continues today. And vow to do something, anything, to help get things on the right track and provide some real justice and help to the people and the city of New Orleans and beyond. This is not America unless we do.

Denish, Madrid, King, Herrera Tell WalMart to WAKEUP

This is a guest blog by Suzanne Prescott:
If Democrats Diane Denish, Patricia Madrid, Gary King and Mary Herrera have anything to say about it, WalMart has gotten a loud wakeup call. Before a packed crowd last night at CNM's Smith Brasher Hall, all four speakers spoke about the moral failure of WalMart, their poor business practices and economic impact on the state of New Mexico.

Patricia Madrid. Photos by Suzanne Prescott

Here's the short list of WalMart sins. Keep in mind that Wal-Mart is the World’s largest employer with over $11 billion in annual profits?

Wal-Mart’s profits don’t make it to its workers.  Most workers make wages below the poverty line.  Wal-Mart’s health benefits are so poor, employees are forced to seek public assistance.  In addition, Wal-Mart does not offer domestic partner benefits.  Finally, Wal-Mart faces the largest gender discrimination case in U.S. history, involving 1.6 million women.  Lt Governor Denish  pointed out that WalMart's greedy practices have cost the state of New Mexico approximately 13 million dollars. She invited the audience to think what the state could have done with that 13 million dollars in terms of improving health and education. 

If you're still thinking that candidates are talking like candidates of 2000 and 2004, think again. All the speakers last night spoke forcefully and expertly about real change and the need to replace corporate greed with a national people oriented policy that values and protects workers. Apparently their words were the ones the audience have been waiting to hear.

Here are some quotes from last night:

Diane Denish, Lt. Governor:

"It's not about whether WalMart is right or whether Wakeup WalMart is right. It's about what's right for the country."

(Note: It it walks like A Governor and talks like a Governor, it could eventually be a Governor - after Bill of course. Denish spoke with confidence, authority, and was very well informed.)

Patricia Madrid, Attorney General, NM-01 Congressional Candidate:

"If you elect me I promise I will not vote for a raise in congressional wages unless there is a raise in the minimum wage."

(Note: Did you know that Patricia Madrid was a labor lawyer who has fought and negotiated for the rights of workers? Washington needs Patricia Madrid and more like her to correct the abuse of workers' rights that has gone on for several decades.)

Gary King, Candidate for Attorney General:

"If you take care of people, the country will take care of itself."

(Note: When King started his own business in the 70s, he started out paying them $7.50 an hour with health benefits. Hey Gary, would you by any chance be hiring now?)

Mary Herrera, Bernalillo County Clerk, Candidate for Secretary of State:

"It's time that WalMart takes care of its employees." "We needed to unionize and we did!"

(Note: Mary related the story of county workers efforts to unionize and the subsequent increase in pay, benefits and protections.  Did you know that when Mary started working she was paid $1.90 an hour. No wonder Mary is pro union. She also spoke at length about her current effort to force WalMart to change.)

For more information on Wakeup WalMArt go to https://www.wakeupwalmart.com/

Editor's Note: This post is from guest blogger Suzanne Prescott. If you'd like to submit a guest post, please contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand side of the main page.

Guild Cinema to Screen Documentary on Summer of McGovern

Albuquerque's Guild Cinema will screen ONE BRIGHT SHINING MOMENT: THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER OF GEORGE MCGOVERN on August 28 - 31, 2006 (Monday thru Thursday) at 3:00, 5:30 and 8:00 PM. The documentary was directed by Stephen Vittoria and narrated by Amy Goodman. It features interviews with the candidate himself, supporters and activists like Gore Vidal, Gloria Steinem, Warren Beatty, Howard Zinn, and music from Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Donovan, and Elvis Costello. Here's a review by John Anderson of Variety:

"Too decent to be president" was the label stuck to former senator and 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern, the self-effacing subject of Stephen Vittoria's new documentary. If "decent" means "polite," then this ferocious movie makes no effort to emulate its subject. Narrated with heat by Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!", ONE BRIGHT SHINING MOMENT is both biography and political analysis, ranging from McGovern's prairie roots and Depression boyhood to his place in the vanguard of the Vietnam era's antiwar movement.

Without overplaying the obvious parallels with contemporary Washington, the film is clearly intended as an elegy for decency and true democracy in American politics - the "bright shining moment" of the 1972 Democratic convention - and as a sad comparison with today's administration. One of the aspects to the McGovern legacy the filmmakers seek to redress is the man's poster-boy status for political failure, even while noting that his loss to Richard Nixon in the '72 election was the "mother of all landslides."

What the film aims to show - and does well, through a variety of well-informed talking heads, and well-tailored archival footage of elections past - is that McGovern's grassroots, anti-establishment tactics and ultimate victory at the Democratic convention was, and remains, an example of what U.S. politics strive, and generally fail, to achieve.

Guild Cinema
3405 Central Ave. NE (two blocks west of Carlisle in Nob Hill)
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505)255-1848

Bush Returns to Crawford in Shackles and Chains

(Click on images for larger versions.)

From the Backbone Campaign:
AMERICA DECLARED AN ACCOUNTABILITY ZONE! Military Tribunal Sentences Bush & Co. to Hard Labor

CRAWFORD, TX- After Last week's ruling on NSA domestic spying, members of the Bush Administration were rushed before one of their own military tribunals and quickly found guilty of treason and conspiracy to undermine our Constitutional Republic. The judge took mercy on the criminals, and spared them the guillotine in favor of a life of hard labor and humiliation along the roadsides of America, "May they serve as a warning to all against hubris and greed for power" said a spokesman for court.

They are pictured above at their first stop in Crawford, Texas, formerly the vacation residence of G.W. Bush. The old Crawford City Jail has been re-opened to house the . The Bush Ranch will be auctioned next week, as will his other assets and the assets of the Vice President, Karl Rove, Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld to pay reparations to victims of their crimes.

Work Release Tour Greeted with Cheers and Cameras!
Well OK, we were just tickling your appetite for a little accountability, as the Bush Chain Gang "Work Release Tour" has done all around the country this summer. You probably don't know that there are now three sets of Chain Gang costumes, one based on the East Coast in D.C., another in the Mid-West, based out of Chicago, and a third on the West Coast, based in Seattle. All three sets were created at an "undisclosed location" near the Backbone Campaign's Headquarters on Vashon Island. And our dedicated volunteers are building more!

The Chain Gang has gotten coverage on CNN.Com, New York Daily News, Rueters, AP, YahooNews, The Seattle Times, multiple television stations across the country and now in the Lone Star Iconoclast. Nobody can seem to keep their camera in their pack or there cell phone locked when these characters show up. Crowds in restaurants or in parks often erupt into spontaneous standing ovations as the characters pass by. Many of the people who have volunteered to wear the costumes have raved that it was the "most fun" and "most powerful" political experience of their life!

Friends we are on to something here, but WE NEED YOUR HELP! It has cost the Backbone Campaign thousands of dollars to commission these masks, organize appearances, and ship them all around the country. We know that most of you appreciate this and the other creative work we do. Now we need you to show it. Please, go to the Backbone Campaign website and make a donation.

We'd love to send you a sticker or shirt to show our appreciation. You can now support all the work we do by becoming a member of the Lumbar Club, an easy way to spread out your contribution, and be sure that we have a budget we can count on. Another way to help is to donate a frequent flyer coupon to send an organizer to an event like Camp Democracy. Join us today and please tell your friends about us too.

Right now only 5000 people across the country are signed up to receive our emails. The picture above is worth a lot more than a thousand words, so visit our website and sign up on the right-hand side of the page and encourage friends to do the same. Ask them to sign up and support our work, get a shirt, a sticker or just a good laugh at seeing Bush and Co. wearing the stripes that suit their characters.

Ironically, the Backbone Campaign is not really an "impeachment organization," but with abuse after abuse, violation of national law after national law, and the systematic disregard for the balance of powers, the congress, treaties and international law, finally it just becomes irresponsible not to urge the use of the tool the Constitution provides, while we still have one. It's not negative, it's not "political," it's an affirmation of the document that provides the very foundation of this country. Thanks to the Bush administration, impeachment has become an indispensable component of a positive progressive agenda, and don't listen to the spineless, calculating, scared of their shadow politicians who tell you otherwise.

Finally, a big "Thank you" to Doug Skove and Tara Meehan who made the Crawford trip possible, as well as all the other volunteers, coordinators, providers of hospitality. You all are the backbone of our campaign!

Bill Moyer, Executive Director
Backbone Campaign
206-408-8058

National Blogs Front Page the NM-01 Patricia Madrid vs. Heather Wilson Race

Coverage of Democrat Patricia Madrid's challenge to incumbent Republican Rep. Heather Wilson is heating up both here and nationally. In the past 24 hours, two of the most popular Dem blogs have featured the NM-01 race on their front pages. See yesterday's post by Chris Bowers at MyDD and today's frontpager by kos. Both are of the opinion that we have an excellent chance for a Dem pickup here. Both have high praise for Madrid's latest ad that raises the issue of the Iraq occupation. We agree!

Watching Heather Wilson

Also check out the new WashingtonWilsonWatch.com, filled with info about the REAL Heather Wilson, not the sugary confection concocted by her strategists. Local blog New Mexico fbihop is also providing excellent coverage of this race. Check 'em out.

A Day on the Streets in Albuquerque

From guest blogger Terry Riley:

A day on the street!

The battle is over. No blood was let. No shots fired. No fists bruised. Where could this be you say?  It was on the streets of Albuquerque at noon. A showdown between a sign carrying street demonstrator and three soldiers in uniform. I bet your picture of this is a bit scary. Mine is, and I was there, and I wasn't one of the ones in uniform.

I was standing on the corner of a busy intersection holding my sign high. The top of the sign read, "Heather independent?  Bush says she is loyal!" This is followed by a photo taken at a fundraiser in Albuquerque where the Wilson campaign netted approximately $375,000. The photo shows Wilson looking at President Bush in a devoted look, almost loving. This is followed by two more messages, "Wilson supports corporations!" and "Madrid supports New Mexico!" In the traffic somebody yelled out, "Traitor! You stupid SOB! etc."

As the car rounded the corner I noticed three soldiers in uniform and they were still yelling. I hoped that they would keep driving, I feared that they were too angry to deal with. I looked up and they came, dodging cars, crossing eight lanes of traffic. This did not look good. They came up to me and began yelling in my face, all three at once. As they ran out of steam one of them finished with the
oft repeated line, "I fought over there so you could be free to do this."  He said something else, I don't remember exactly, I think it was possibly that he hated me for what I was saying.

I spoke up and though they interrupted a little, they allowed me to finish. I said, "Nothing about your service affects my being on the street or my feeling of my right to do what I am doing or to say what I am saying. My right to be here comes because my father served in the occupation of Germany, I served during Vietnam, my brother served during Vietnam, my older son served during Gulf I and my younger son served in Afghanistan. I thank you for your service but I earned ALL of my rights!"

Two of the soldiers immediately extended their hands and thanked me for my service. One of the soldiers said that when we stand with signs that say things against the war that they are hurt because they are at great risk doing what they do. I pointed out that my sign said nothing about the war but that when I do carry signs against the war I also always state, "Pro-Soldier, Anti-War." They weren't ready for that. I believe that they will look more carefully at signs that demonstrators carry from now on.

We spoke for about fifteen minutes. They were in full support of the Bush administration and their policies, including Congresswoman Wilson. I pointed out many of the lies that have gotten us here, lies that they did not try to argue with me on. They tried that old, "We have to stop them over there before they come over here." I asked if they knew that none of the hijackers were from Iraq OR Afghanistan. I pointed out that they were from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They were surprised by that. They challenged me that Improvised Explosion Devices (IED) are terrible and dirty fighting (not their words). I asked if they knew how many IEDs were constructed from American explosive devices. One was very aware, he had served in Iraq.

They talked about the future of Iraq if we pull out. I pointed out that we are going to leave Iraq eventually and that we will not be able to "fix" their government no matter what. We need to get out as soon as possible so we will no longer be responsible for keeping Iraq in a mess. We agreed that what is happening is a mess and that when we do leave it will become a bigger mess, but it will be their mess. I suggested that when we are not there, the people of Iraq will take control of their country and develop a government of their liking and they will go about their lives. They do not have the time to come over here, we have leveled their homes, shut off their economy, their water and sewer, etc. Their families are not safe and they have no prospect of jobs. With us gone they can get to work fixing what they want fixed, not what Bush wants fixed.

Two of the soldiers seriously seemed to come around. The third appeared to have never considered these thoughts and had a long way to go yet. I really enjoyed that encounter. I believe that two of those soldiers are on the first level of being friends. I am happy for that. There are many many people who are unaware of the truth as these soldiers were unaware. We have to stand up and speak out daily so that when the next election takes place there are enough people who have heard the truth.  We know that the TV (news?) and talk radio (news?)  do not give balanced perspectives. Please come and stand with me to bring these stupid military adventures to a close and to bring Democrats into Washington. 

Guest blog by Terry Riley, who can be contacted at terryactivist@aol.com.

Editor's Note: If you'd like to submit a guest post or Sound Off for possible publication on this blog, please contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the main page.

County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta on 'We The People' Tonight

From Mickey Bock & Judith Binder, Hosts of We The People:

WE THE PEOPLE, August 24, 2006: Deanna A. Archuleta
Thursday 7-8 PM Mountain Time, Call-in 346-1633
Community Cable Channel 27, Albuquerque, NM

Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna A. Archuleta was elected in 2004 and represents District 3. She was instrumental in the implementation of a substance abuse program at Metropolitan Assessment Treatment Services; she is focused on economic development, education and health care.

View TV Channel 27 Live! Worldwide! with https://quote-unquote.org/ at left, link to CHannel 27; in center of screen Click for Streaming Media

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. THANKS FOR WATCHING.