Democracy for New Mexico

PRC Reelection Candidate Jason Marks: The Speech

Consumer watchdogs: Jason Marks & his canine sidekick Kiko campaigning at Focus Ink's progressive gathering last month.

As I reported previously, Dem Jason Marks kicked off his reelection campaign last week for the District 1 New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) seat. The event was well attended and Marks gave an excellent speech about his accomplishments so far and his goals for a second term. Since the response to the speech was so positive, I asked Marks for a text version so more people could learn what he had to say. Here it is (pdf). Excerpt:

The PRC has - under the right leadership - a key role to play in the challenge of our generation - the transition from fossil fuel dependence to an energy future that is based on clean and sustainable technologies.

Fossil fuels have been very good to our country, our world, and for New Mexico. Exploiting fossil fuel energy has made possible our modern standard of living. Here in New Mexico, oil and gas have been important sources of economic growth and development.

But today, continued reliance on fossil fuels presents more risks than opportunities. We’ve all experienced the doubling of gasoline costs, and we’ve seen natural gas for home heating, that used to be around $3 per 1000 BTUs, go past $14 with Hurricane Katrina and never go back, staying in a range of $6 to $10. Even coal prices have increased dramatically. Fossil fuel prices will continue to rise, and expose us to financial risks we don’t want to bear.

At the same time, fossil fuel use is the main driver for catastrophic environmental risk. Climate change is already occurring, and we are already seeing slightly warmer winters and slightly hotter summers. A respected climate scientist at UNM has projected that we will see 2 to 3 degree temperature increases over the next 20 years, no matter what we do now. And, if we do nothing, temperatures in our region will go up by 6 to 7 degrees by the end of the century.

Climate shift of that magnitude will decimate New Mexico’s agriculture, our outdoor recreation economy, our hunting, fishing, skiing. Our children and grandchildren won’t have the opportunity to enjoy the New Mexico that we love. Residents of coastal areas would have it even worse, losing their homes and livelihoods to rising sea levels.

Forty percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are produced from electric generation, most of that from the burning of coal, like we do out in the Four-Corners. Commission Lujan and I have made public commitments that we will do everything possible to prevent New Mexico electric utilities from building new pulverized coal plants! (The proposed Desert Rock plant is directed at selling power outside of New Mexico, so it’s not in our jurisdiction.) We will look at advanced coal technology that sequesters carbon dioxide emissions, and we push the deployment of solar, wind, and other renewables.

... Most recently, the Commission adopted rules for the Renewable Portfolio Standard that I proposed which create diversity targets for solar energy and distributed generation. New Mexico’s solar resource has the potential to take over a large portion of our electricity needs over time, but we have to start developing it. The new rules require utilities to actually build large scale solar plants, instead of merely offering vague plans for the future. We believe that we can do this without big rate increases, and the rules establish rate impact caps at 2% for 2011.

These rules were controversial. We got strong support from scientists, engineers, environmental advocates, and ordinary citizens, but the utilities did not think it was our role to tell them what kind of plants to build.

Unfortunately the group that believes utility execs are best positioned to make decisions for the public would love to roll-back the progress we’ve made. That cannot be allowed to happen.

I hope you'll give the entire speech a read and then sign up to volunteer for or donate to the Jason Marks campaign. He's seeking petition signatures as well as small donations of "seed money" for what will be a publicly funded campaign down the line. I think Marks is a top notch and very ethical PRC member, with a sincere dedication to pushing for renewable energy development and the mitigation of greenhouse gas production in New Mexico. It's very important to get him reelected. The word is Repubs will be targeting this race and you know what that means -- a rollback of the new energy regulations and who knows what else if they succeed. Let's get active now and head them off at the pass.

Many voters are unclear about the critical and powerful role played by the PRC. Our 5 PRC commissioners are responsible for regulating and providing oversight of a myriad of industries. You can read about their responsibilities here. It's a complicated and often thankless job. We're lucky to have someone of Jason Marks' caliber on the commission. Let's keep it that way.

Click on photo for larger image. Photo credit: M.E. Broderick.

Musical Chairs for Santa Fe Statehouse Seats

We've been witnessing a complicated game of musical chairs (or is that 3D chess?) being played among Dems interested in running for U.S. House and Senate slots in New Mexico ever since Sen. Pete Domenici announced he'll retire. Now the action has spread to Dem candidates for Statehouse seats in Santa Fe.

Recently, current State Senator John Grubesic announced he wouldn't be running for reelection in 2008 in Senate District 25 in Santa Fe because he needed to build up his law practice and earn some money. First-time candidate Brian Egolf had earlier announced he'd be running for that State Senate seat. Next, the highly respected State Rep. Peter Wirth (left) of Santa Fe's House District 47 announced he would also be running for Grubesic's old Senate seat. Exit Egolf, who announced yesterday he'll run instead for the House seat Wirth will be vacating in House District 47. Phew.

But wait, there may be more. A rumor is now making the rounds that Miles Nelson, M.D. (right), may be contemplating entering the House District 47 primary to challenge Egolf. Nelson, you may recall, was a Dem primary candidate for U.S. Congress in NM-01 in 2004 who got strong support from the grassroots. He ended up losing the primary to former State Senate President Pro-Tem Richard Romero, who had the backing of many Dem power politicos, including Gov. Bill Richardson. Romero went on to lose to incumbent Repub Rep. Heather Wilson in the general election 54% to 46%. Romero had also been defeated by Wilson in the 2002 race, by about the same margin.

A couple years back, Dr. Nelson moved to Santa Fe and just happens to reside in State House District 47. The word is he's being urged to make a return to election politics and run for what was Wirth's seat against the more moderate Dem, Brian Egolf. We'll see. Personally, I'd love to see Nelson back in the political action. He'd make an exciting State House candidate and would be an excellent replacement for progressive Rep. Wirth in that seat.

Other announced Dem candidates for the New Mexico Legislature include Eric Griego, who will be a primary challenger of current Dem State Senator James G. Taylor in Senate District 14 and John Blair, who is running for State Senate in District 15, a seat currently held by Repub Diane Snyder.

New Mexico's Dem primary elections, except for the caucus for presidential candidates, will take place in June of 2008. Read our previous posts on 2008 State Legislature races in our archive.

Sunday Bird Blogging: Dance, Dance, Dance

You must go see Snowball dance AND sing. He's a medium sulphur crested Eleanora cockatoo who never misses a beat and ends his performance with a bow that can't be beat. Trust me. He's amazing. Go check him out. I have to admit that none of our birds are this good in the dance department (yet).

This is the best bird dance photo I've got of one of our birds and it's a few years old. You can see that Bosco the peach-faced love bird was still excited about the prospects of taking our country back and stopping the war. Maybe he'll get back into a dancing mood as we get closer to really doing that in 2008. What a long, strange trip it's been. (Hat Tip to bg.) Click on photo for larger image.

See 'War Made Easy' and Meet Norman Solomon

Hear author and filmmaker Norman Solomon on WAR MADE EASY: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death:

Friday, October 26, 2007, 7 PM
Smith-Brasher Hall, Central New Mexico Community College
SW Corner, University Blvd and Coal Ave. SE
Admission Free, Lots of Parking

Then see Norman Solomon¹s new film WAR MADE EASY at a Guild Cinema special showing
Saturday, October 27 - 3:15, 5:15, 7:15 PM
Sunday, October 28 - 2 PM only
3405 Central NE, Albuquerque
Call to confirm times: 505-255-1848
Click to visit the film's website.

“A superb visual form of investigative journalism.”
— Howard Zinn, historian

“Compares the propaganda techniques of the past with the present, and draws striking parallels.”
— Inter Press Service

“Chilling and persuasive.”
— Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation

“A total tour de force.”
— Jay Cassidy, editor, An Inconvenient Truth

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

War Made Easy gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon’s meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity from the present alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Norman Solomon’s work has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “brutally persuasive” and essential “for those who would like greater context with their bitter morning coffee.” This film now offers a chance to see that context on the screen.

Learn History. Then Change It.
W W W . W A R M A D E E A S Y T H E M O V I E . O R G

For more information contact Bob Anderson, CNM Political Science Dept., 505-224-5781, randerson28@cnm.edu.

Guest Blog: Al Gore in Albuquerque

This is a guest blog by Linda in Santa Fe NM, who an organizer in the grassroots effort to draft Gore for president. As I'm sure you know, Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in tandem with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It kicked the movement to urge him to run for president into overdrive.

October 3rd was the day of Rio Rancho's Al Gore Live Presentation with his slide show, "An Inconvenient Truth." Of couse this was a chance to learn important information about the climate crisis, but it also allowed us to express our support for Mr. Gore running to be our next President.

We arrived at the Santa Ana Star Center over an hour before the event was scheduled to start. Unfortunately the police said they were given orders that no signs be on the property. Given so many expected this to be "the place" to be, we had people working for many other candidates, Presidential and Senate, that were pushed to the sidelines as well. We stood on the sidewalk facing the entrance armed with buttons, fliers and displaying our banner. I don't know if Mr. Gore had a chance to see us, but the people sure did.

It was great to hear pretty much everyone saying they want a Gore presidency. Almost everyone we asked was thrilled to put on a Gore button. Of course we weren't getting many walking by us, since we weren't in front of the door, so I sent someone over with a bag of them to pass out in front of the entrance. He walked back to get more three times within minutes because they were gone instantly.

The people were very excited about Gore for President. The one person who displayed skepticism that he would run, and didn't want a button, came up to me after the presentation to say, "I changed my mind, can I still have a button?" Even people who were not part of the "official Draft Gore" movement were all on the same page and were doing their own individual parts. It was so exciting. I met a couple with their daughter coming up with signs and petitions to join the Kyoto Treaty. Another couple inside painted R U N down their shirts. Yet another couple in front of us were from Santa Fe too, and excited to hear there was a movement. Because the buttons we made have the website's address, www.algore.org on them, it will be easy for them to officially get involved.

After arriving at our seats and realizing there was an opportunity to hit up the folks sitting in the front of the stage where Mr. Gore would be speaking, I walked over to ask if anyone wanted buttons. If they weren't already wearing them (we saw them on the chests of people everywhere we looked), they asked for them. Then the folks sitting on the side realized I had buttons and they all started yelling out that they wanted some, and I started getting "we need five over here." I had to excuse myself to get more because I ran out of them. When I returned with more buttons, people asked if they could shake my hand to thank me for my work, and one man yelled out, "I love you."

Mr. Gore was absolutely incredible. He was so energetic, passionate, strong and funny. He opened up with some humor before giving the facts. He carefully alleviates the tension from the intense information he is sharing with a slight break of humor every once in a while. The information and facts he shares just roll off effortlessly, with intense passion being displayed when the news gets deep. The standing ovations he received when entering paled in comparison to what happened when he finished his presentation. I don't think any of us wanted to sit down.

The information Mr. Gore shared in his presentation was updated with current information. After thinking I had seen and heard everything before from the movie, It was disturbing to see and hear the latest news, including information highlighted for our state. Most troubling was hearing we are indeed running out of time because everything is happening faster than we thought. As he clearly stated, we are speeding up the warming at an alarming rate.

First we went from 100 years' time to act down to 50. Then a long-awaited study showed so much damage we went down to 34 years to act. Last month, new information came out saying the rate of warming was advancing so quickly to melt the arctic ice that we had only 23 years before the tipping point. Then there was last week's news that ice twice the size of England melted, then that ice the size of Florida disappeared. The day prior to his talk, Mr. Gore received word that our tipping point actually may be only seven years away. Seven years. I started to cry.

Mr. Gore said he believes we can still solve these problems, but we need to act with urgency. He is asking for citizen activism. Get involved. Go online and find out what you can do to help. He also made it clear that we must restore our democracy as we go forward. There is much work we can do.

The evening ended with Gore taking questions from the audience. At this point I figured if I got kicked out it would be worth it, so I took my draft Gore banner, opened it up and dropped it, hanging it from our legs. I know it was seen, because a friend sitting on the opposite side of the Center noticed it, and people in their seats pointed to the banner and gave it a "thumbs up."  I can only hope that Mr. Gore caught a glimpse of it during a pause in the questions because, after all, it is time. Time for a COOL change with Mr. Gore.

The final questions of the evening were from a young girl and boy, ages 12 and 13. They both wanted to know if this would be solved and by whom. They asked, "do I and my children have a chance?" That pretty much said it all as to what's on the mind of their generation. The little girl added, "good luck in winning the Nobel Peace Prize." Mr. Gore bowed his head with that and then responded that it is our 
responsibility to solve this for them and their children. And he hopes they will ask the question of how we managed to solve this. I do too. While leaving the very emotion-filled presentation, I had a chance to find that little girl and give her a button. I hope it will help give her some added hope that we will solve this crisis for her and those like her all over the world. Thank you Al Gore.

This is a guest blog by Linda in Santa Fe NM. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express themselves and may or may not represent our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Tonight: Another Chance to See Bruce Clark on 'We The People'

Due to audience response
WE THE PEOPLE
REPRIEVE: with Bruce Clark
Albuquerque resident and Marine veteran,
Clark is the father of two active duty soldiers.
One son is currently serving in Iraq.Cable Channel 27 in Albuquerque
9 PM MDT, Saturday, October 13
Watch simultaneously on your  high-speed computer:
https://www.quote-unquote.org
Click for Channel 27s Media Stream ->
Half way down the page on the Right.
Kindly forward this message to your friends. TAPE the program if you cannot be present.

Editor's Note: Bruce Clark spoke eloquently and passionately at the Albuquerque Iraq Summer townhall event in late August. You can read about it here.

10.20.07: Two Chances to Hear Voices from Darfur in ABQ

From the Save Darfur Coalition:
Voices from Darfur, a national speaking tour featuring Darfuri refugees, will be visiting Albuquerque on next Saturday. Voices from Darfur offers a unique opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of the genocide from the people who have lived through it. On Saturday, October 20, you will have two opportunities to see Voices from Darfur:

2:30 PM
University of New Mexico, ABQ
Anthropology Lecture Hall - Room 163

7:00 PM
First Unitarian Church
3701 Carlisle NE, ABQ

To learn more about these events, visit the Voice from Darfur website and click on 'find an event'. You can also email Laura at laura@savedarfur.org for specific event information.

Heinrich Fundraising Tops $318,000 for NM-01 Race

According to a press release from the Martin Heinrich campaign for Congress in NM-01, he's raised more than $318,127 through the end of the third quarter FEC reporting period. Of that total, more than $137,000 was raised this quarter, from July 1 - September 30, 2007. The campaign has a little over $217,000 in cash on hand. Heinrich announced his candidacy in April of this year.

"The willingness of so many individuals to invest in this campaign is a sign of just how many people are anxious for change," said Heinrich. "The groundswell of support I have received over the past six months is further evidence of just how tired people are of the failed policies of this Republican Administration - and they know that I am the candidate who will go to Washington and focus on the right priorities."

"Since I entered this race, I have been privileged to speak to countless voters around this district," Heinrich continued. "So many of them share my vision for leadership that works to find a new direction in Iraq, to ensure that New Mexico is out front in the drive toward energy independence, and to bring integrity to Congress. I am proud to have their support, and I know the momentum in this campaign for change will only continue to grow over the coming months."

The campaign has received donations from 1324 individuals, 771 of whom contributed in the third quarter. A staggering 90% of Heinrich's contributors live within New Mexico - a further sign of the grassroots strength of his campaign. The average contribution amount was slightly over $200.00.

To date, the Heinrich campaign has raised $77,114 online via ActBlue, including $1,040 on the DFNM Netroots page and $730 on the Beat Back Bush New Mexico page supported by local blogs NM FBIHOP and DFNM. Click on the links to add your contribution, no matter how small. Every dollar will count in this race, especially now that other less progressive challengers are emerging to take advantage of Heather Wilson's withdrawal to run for Senate. Remember, you can also set up an automatic monthly donation program at ActBlue where any amount can be charged to your credit card monthly to support Heinrich's campaign.

Martin was at the Green Builder's Council luncheon yesterday in Albuquerque and he seemed elated about how the race is going. I am too. Let's help keep the momentum going. Add your official endorsement to the growing list of voters, elected officials and community leaders who are supporting Martin Heinrich for Congress.

For more on this race, visit our topic archive.

Sunday: Party to Benefit Conservation Voters NM

From :

Ned & Janis Farquhar cordially invite you to:
"Protect New Mexico"
a party to benefit
Conservation Voters New Mexico & CVNM PAC
Sunday, October 14, 3:00 - 5:30 PM
1414 Camino Amparo NW,  Albuquerque NM 87107

We will honor our local 2007 Conservation Champions, including: Sen. Dede Feldman, Sen. Cisco McSorley, Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Rep. Elias Barela, Rep. Miguel Garcia, Rep. Rick Miera, Rep. Mimi Stewart and Rep. Peter Wirth. (invited)

For more info, click to see flyer (doc).

New National President to Keynote Common Cause NM Annual Luncheon

From Common Cause New Mexico:
Please join me on Saturday, October 20 for Common Cause New Mexico's annual luncheon. You don't want to miss this year's event!  Dr. Bob Edgar, the new national president of Common Cause, will be delivering the keynote speech on efforts to enact much-needed ethics reforms in response to a series of high-profile corruption scandals both in New Mexico and Washington, DC.

This will also be your chance to meet the new executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, Steven Robert Allen.  Please RSVP today. Here are all the details:

What:  Common Cause New Mexico's annual luncheon; $20 includes a catered lunch, and all proceeds support our work in New Mexico

When:  Saturday, October 20 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Where: UNM Continuing Education Building (click for a map)

Who:  Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, and you !

Please register today to reserve your spot!   If you have any questions, please call (505) 323-6399.

Thank you, and I hope you can join us on October 20 to hear about the growing movement for ethics reform both on the national level and here in New Mexico.

Sincerely,
Jack Taylor
Chair, Common Cause New Mexico