« Happy Springtime (Bush Is Over) | Main | Journalism = Transcription »
Thursday, April 26, 2007
(Updated) Taos Democrats for Clean Elections Files Challenge to Taos County Party Election
As reported on the Democratic Party of New Mexico website, the Party's Judicial Council will be convening today at 3:00 PM by conference call to hear a challenge filed on behalf of a group called the Taos Democrats for Clean Elections. A PDF of the challenge and appeal documents can be found here on the DPNM website.
The complaint alleges that the methodology used to apportion precincts for the Taos County Central Committee was "fundamentally flawed and violated the rules of the Democratic Party of New Mexico." The challenge requests that the Taos County State Central Committee members not be credentialed for the April 28, 2007 DPNM State Central Committee meeting and that a new election of Taos County Central Committee members be held. The requests are based on the claim that the use of an invalid methodology means that all actions and decisions coming from the Taos CCC, including the election of state central committee members, are also invalid.
For more information, contact the Democratic Party of New Mexico at 505.830.3650. The meeting is open to the public but those interested in attending should call the Party to make sure where they can be accommodated.
UPDATE 1:42 PM: The Democratic Party of New Mexico has informed me that two rebuttals of the complaint have now been posted on their website and suggested that I link to them as a matter of fairness. The rebuttals can be found here.
Editor's Note: For some background on what led up to this challenge, see our previous posts:
April 26, 2007 at 11:59 AM in Candidates & Races, Democratic Party, Election Reform & Voting, Ethics & Campaign Reform, Local Politics | Permalink
Comments
Nothing like having to force the party to follow its own rules on fairness. I hope the challenge results in some positive change in the rules and how they are enforced.
Posted by: Demo | Apr 26, 2007 1:21:50 PM
What this bad situation shows is that the party staff and leaders need to reach out and bring people together, not just sit in Albuquerque and stare at their navels. This isn't the way it has to be. It shows neglect and weakness by the Party to allow this to happen and not try to do anything meaningful to solve the problems and stop the bad blood.
Posted by: From Taos | Apr 26, 2007 9:11:03 PM
Its about time someone stood up against the patrons running the party.
Posted by: Taoseno | Apr 26, 2007 10:03:10 PM
Well, looks like a bomb. I guess they got the same guy to preside over this hearing as presided over the failed credential committee meeting. The fox policing the fox, I guess. What a crooked, sick pary we have.
Posted by: Taos Also | Apr 27, 2007 3:26:21 PM
As former chair of the Democratic Party of Taos County, I have purposefully not commented to this blog. I want to thank the good Democrats from Taos County who signed on as TDCE challengers. I applaud their temerity and courage. While I was apprised of events during the course of this action, I myself was not a signer to the challenge.
When I moved back to Taos in 1993 to open a financial consulting business, I never dreamed that I would be elected chair of the Taos Democratic Party. I was an early member of "DAG" - Democratic Action Group in the 90's. A progressive group of committed democrats who were fed up with the corruption and patronage in the party. In 2005 I decided to run for the chair position when the old time party boss who we ousted several years earlier decided to run again. Except for a handful of old-style loyalists, the majority of members chose me over my opponent. We made history in the Taos Democratic Party and our record of success will remain intact.
It seems, however, that the politics of the past still has "legs" in Taos, as every dirty trick and seemingly "republican" tactic was used in our recent elections. I was simply Karl Roved by a cagey tactician named Fernando Miera who joined up with the old time politicos to "remove" me from the chairmanship.
While I have to applaud the oppositions organizational skills, I was naive to their use/or lack of use of the "rules of the Democratic Party of NM". The lies, the cheating, the utter disregard of ethical behavior has me speechless at times, but as their complicitors, Farrauto, Casados, Beck and others have pointed out, they had the votes. Yes, fellow democrats, the rules aren't there to disuade corrupt behavior if you don't have the votes. As the Credential's meeting in Taos was a Kangaroo court, so was the Judicial Council meeting in Albuquerque, and in both, the same spineless, so called "parlimentarian" used his gutless skill to manipulate the rest of the council who I can only accept were equally complicit. There is no remedy towards honest elections within our party as it is now governed in my humble opinion.
I will be chastised for speaking out in this manner, but I have nothing to lose. The damage to the Taos Democratic Party will be lasting, sadly, and only a State Party with credible and honest leaders can bring hope back to what is "sick" throughout many parts of our State. I hope that the new delegation to the convention tomorrow will choose their new leaders wisely and that we democrats will demand ethics and honesty over corruption in every instance, votes or not.
Posted by: Billy Knight | Apr 27, 2007 10:19:02 PM
I predict this is a last gasp of the indemically corrupt patron system in Taos County. The anger among many active progressive Dems at what has happened here will eventually lead to a permanent changing of the guard. I have never seen progressives so pissed off and willing to work hard for that inevitable day.
Posted by: DN Palacios | Apr 28, 2007 1:50:46 AM
