Democracy for New Mexico

Tonight: ABQ Public Meeting & Rally for Wild Wolves

From :
You are urged to attend the public meeting being held tonight by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in Albuquerque to gather public input on the future of the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program. Also, you may have heard that an order was issued yesterday by the FWS to remove the Aspen Pack for conflict with cattle. Federal officials are already scouring the Gila Forest to find these wolves -- and if they can't quickly and easily trap them, they will likely shoot them. With fewer than 60 wolves in the wild and 15 wolves already removed for cattle depredations this year alone, plus 5 that have either been poached or have gone suspiciously missing, this order is unacceptable.

Join conservation groups for a rally to save the Aspen Pack at 6:00 PM in the Silver Room at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. This is being held in conjunction with the public meeting.

WHAT: Rally to Save the Aspen Pack, and public meeting on the Mexican wolf reintroduction program

WHEN: Meeting is from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, come and go as you please. Rally will take place at 6:00 PM.

WHERE: Silver Room, just inside the main building of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.  2401 12th St.  Near Menaul.

Hope to see you there!

Lisa Hummon
New Mexico Outreach Representative
Defenders of Wildlife
824 Gold SW Albuquerque, NM 87108
Tel: (505) 248-0118 x5     |    Fax: (505) 248-0187
lhummon@defenders.org  |  www.defenders.org

Editor's Note: If you are unable to attend but want your voice heard: Please submit written comments. Deadline is December 31, 2007. Be sure to include "Attn: Mexican Gray Wolf NEPA Scoping," your full name and your return address in your message.

Send comments to:
Brian Millsap, State Administrator
US Fish and Wildlife Service
New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office
2105 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, NM  87113
fax: 505-346-2542
email:  r2fwe_al@fws.gov
online:  www.mexicanwolfeis.org

Cell Theatre Hosts First Reading of 'The 99th Monkey'

The Cell Theatre presents a free reading of the new original play, “The 99th Monkey” by Paul Adamian on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, at 7:30 PM. The Cell Theatre is located at 700 First Street NW in Albuquerque. The 99th Monkey, a play in two acts, is set in the early months of 2003 prior to the Iraq War. MARK FARRELL, a high school history teacher, and veteran of the Gulf War/Desert Storm and the “Bulldozer Assault” of 1991, joins a global protest against America’s penchant for war; a routine rotation fast for peace that escalates into an ultimatum and a full blown starvation protest to stop the impending military action against Iraq.

Wrestling with his decision are his wife, ABBEY, a fellow peace-activist in her own right, his father, TOM, a regular army man, who never saw action in a twenty-plus-year career, and CHLOE, his 17 yr. old daughter, who idolizes her father, and whose voice renders the play to us. As Mark’s “sphere of influence” grows, it attracts visits from THE MAN and THE STRANGER, who round out the cast. Commencing with a curriculum proposal to help teenage mothers stay in school, weekend marches for peace, a few inspiring lectures, and a Teacher of the Year nomination, Mark’s decision soon unveils a troubled ex-soldier’s search for redemption and forgiveness.

Campaign Fundraiser for State Rep. Mimi Stewart Set for 12.11.07

Click on image for larger version.

New Mexico First to Host Speech by Ret. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

From New Mexico First:
New Mexico First is pleased to invite you to a special presentation by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She will speak about civic engagement and its role in a vibrant democracy. The Justice will also answer questions submitted by the public about her life, her judicial decisions, and citizen participation in government.

Students, members of the community, local leaders, and others are invited and encouraged to attend this civically engaging and educational evening. The special event is free and open to the public; however, tickets are required. To obtain a ticket, individuals must register for the tickets at the New Mexico First home page. The tickets will then be sent to the requester’s email

When: December 13, 2007
Where: Kiva Auditorium, 2nd and Marquette NE, ABQ
Time: Doors open at 6:45 PM; the program is from 7:30-9 PM
Click here to register
Suggest a question for the Justice. You do not have to register for the event to submit a question.

Parking: Give yourself time to park. The Kiva Auditorium is located inside the Greater Albuquerque Convention Center. Parking options include:

• Civic Plaza garage, Marquette & 3rd Street, $6 per vehicle
• Convention Center Garage, Martin Luther King Blvd & Broadway, $6 per vehicle

For more information please contact Jacey Blue Campbell at 505-241-4814 or jaceyc@nmfirst.org.

Co-founded by Senators Pete V. Domenici and Jeff Bingaman in 1986, New Mexico First is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging citizens in policy.

NM-Sen: More Video Clips of Udall's Official Announcement

See our previous post, which includes video clips 1-4 of Rep. Tom Udall's official announcement of his U.S. Senate candidacy today in Albuquerque at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Part 5: Conservation is the legacy of the Udall family

More video clips below the fold.

Part 6: Saving our national treasures


Part 7: Health care for all, si, se puede!


Part 8: NM is a masterpiece; many tragic sacrifices

To see previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

NM-Sen: Udall Officially Announces (Videos)

Udall announcement Part 1


Part 2: Time for the will of the American people to be heard

During the noon hour today, Democratic Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) officially announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in New Mexico at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Salon Ortega was packed with supporters, local and national media and a slew of New Mexico politicos, as well as Tom's family -- his wife Jill, his daughter Amanda Cooper and her husband Jim Noel, and his legendary dad Stewart Udall. I'm uploading a number of video clips and photos from the event, which will take some time, so bear with me. I'll post additions as they become available. Later, I'll also post a report on a blogger phone conference with Rep. Udall that I participated in this morning. (Tom mentions it in my first clip -- we apparently made him hoarse!) I see Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen, who was also on the call, has posted his report on the conversation, which you can read here.

For now, the top video captures the very beginning of Udall's speech. He "Won't Back Down." (More videos below the fold.)

Click on photos for larger versions. Video clips from still digital camera. Enjoy accordingly.

Part 3: Iraq and our priorities


Part 4: Vote against the war, preserving constitutional rights

See video clips 5-8 in our later post.

To see previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

NM-Sen: Hannan Officially Withdraws from Race, Endorses Udall

Hannan (R) shaking hands at Dem Party Meeting in Las Cruces

I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Jim Hannan, who used his Senate candidacy to call attention to the poor voting records of NM's Repub Congressional members. Jim ran so many ads effectively demonstrating that Sen. Pete Domenici's clout was all about supporting the Bush agenda and voting against the interests of ordinary New Mexicans in recent years. He ran some excellent ones about Heather Wilson too, when she entered the race (see below for an example). Thanks, Jim. You stepped up to the plate when nobody else was brave enough to do so -- a class act all the way.

From Jim Hannan for U.S. Senate: This morning I formally bring to an end my candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico. I also enthusiastically endorse Congressman Tom Udall as our next U.S. Senator.

I entered the race on March 1st. I decided to run for two reasons.   

First, I wanted to publicize the voting record of Pete Domenici. It's my opinion that Pete Domenici has not received proper scrutiny from the New Mexico media. While he has been effective in securing federal funds for our state, he has also voted consistently against the interests of middle class and working American families.   

Second, I wanted to layout a sensible, progressive agenda for change.  My platform focused on four critical areas that we need to address:

• Protect Social Security
• End the War in Iraq
• Slow global warming
• Provide health care for all

An ad Jim ran after Wilson entered the Senate race

Over the last nine months, I have run the only outreach political campaign in the state. I ran 27 different newspaper ads, in the largest newspapers in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. My campaign had a far reaching influence.  By the time Pete Domenici decided to retire, his approval rating had dropped to 41%. 

With the announcement today by Tom Udall that he is entering the campaign, I am withdrawing and endorsing Tom Udall.  Tom Udall has proven to be a strong fighter for the issues that matter most to working people. He will join US Senator Jeff Bingaman in providing New Mexico the type of representation that we need.

Victory: Santa Fe City Council Votes Unanimously to Expand Living Wage Law

Congrats to the Santa Fe Living Wage Network and everyone else who worked hard to expand the requirements of Santa Fe's Living Wage law to almost all workers and mandate annual raises tied to the cost of living. When the law was initially proposed, all we heard was doom and gloom from its critics, who predicted job losses and financial ruin if it passed. Those critics have been proven dead wrong, as they have in other places where minimum wage raises have been implemented. Instead of damaging the economy, the higher wages have pumped more money into the local economy, helped small businesses and given many more people additional money for necessities, as well as a chance to have a few amenities in their lives. It's a win-win situation.

From an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

Almost all workers in Santa Fe will be paid a minimum wage of $9.50 per hour beginning in January, and they can expect pay increases based on the cost of living in future years, following Wednesday night's unanimous City Council vote to broaden its rules on the so-called "living wage."

The rules formerly required employers with 25 or more workers to pay the minimum wage, but the newly adopted amendments apply the highest minimum wage in the nation to employees of all businesses that require city business licenses starting in 2008.

The other major change to the ordinance ties future wage increases to inflation as calculated by the consumer price index. Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, and each year thereafter, the wage will be adjusted upward with council approval by an amount corresponding to the previous year's index increase, if any.

The amendments to the city's 2002 Living Wage act represent a negotiated compromise between those who originally worked against the measure -- and unsuccessfully challenged it in court -- and advocates for working people. In exchange for expanding the minimum to every business licensed by the city and mandating future yearly increases tied to the consumer price index, advocates agreed to forego the scheduled increase to $10.50 an hour on January 1, 2008 and delay another raise until January 1, 2009.

Mayor David Coss said Wednesday's vote — which was greeted with a standing ovation, whistles and cheers from the audience — was the final chapter in a yearslong community struggle.

"In 100 years, historians and philosophers and poets are going to read the minutes from the living wage hearings and get a lot out of it," he said.

Tonight: Fundraiser to Re-Elect Rep. Moe Maestas

Ricardo Barros, Ed Mahr, Vanessa Alarid, Dan Weaks
Marla Shoats, Paul Mondragon, Javier Benavidez
Rep. Kiki Saavedra, Mike Puelle, T.J. Trujillo
Ousama M. Rasheed, Miguel Maestas & Robert Rivera

INVITE YOU TO A FUNDRAISER TO RE-ELECT
ANTONIO "MOE" MAESTAS
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DIST. 16

Thursday, November 29, 2007, 5:30 PM – 7 PM
@ The Q-Bar (Wine Room), 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW

Contributions accepted. Checks payable to: The Moe Family, P.O. Box 188 , Albuquerque, New Mexico  87103. Printed in house. Paid for by The Moe Family, Chris Catechis, Treasurer

(Updated) NM-Sen: Udall to Officially Announce Candidacy Thursday in ABQ, 8-City Tour Follows

UPDATE 2:35 PM: Here's the complete schedule for Rep. Udall's announcement tour:

• Thursday, November 29th
  • Albuquerque – National Hispanic Cultural Center – 11:30 AM, 1701 4th Street, SW – Salon Ortega Room
  • Los Lunas – Casa de Pizza – 6PM, 221 U.S. Highway 314
• Friday, November 30th
  • Las Cruces – Roberto’s Restaurant – 8 AM, 908 East Amador Avenue
  • Silver City – The Red Barn Restaurant – 12 PM, 708 Silver Heights Boulevard
  • Clovis – Clovis-Carver Public Library – 5 PM, 701 North Main Street – North Annex
• Saturday, December 1st
  • Las Vegas – Spic and Span – 8:30 AM, 715 Douglas Avenue
  • Mora – Hatcha’s Restaurant – 9:30 AM, Highway 518
  • Taos – The Kachina Lodge – 12 PM, 413 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte
  • Santa Fe – Eldorado Hotel – 4 PM, 309 West San Francisco – Sunset Room

************
Here's what we've been waiting for. Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) will officially announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate tomorrow! Here's the statement released by his campaign:

NEW MEXICO – New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall, D-N.M., will be making his bid for the United States Senate official this week in a series of events scheduled around the state.

The Tom Udall for Senate announcement tour will kick-off tomorrow at 11:45 A.M. in Albuquerque at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Salon Ortega room. Udall will then travel the state hitting eight additional cities in three days, with events scheduled in Los Lunas, Las Cruces, Silver City, Clovis, Las Vegas, Mora, Taos, and finally concluding in his hometown of Santa Fe on Saturday. All events will be open to the public and press.

"As a prosecutor, state attorney general and congressman, I have stood strong for New Mexico values," said Udall. "I am proud to bring my proven record of leadership to the United States Senate.  New Mexicans know my record on issues like reducing domestic violence and DUI, improving access to health care and education, protecting our Constitutional freedoms, conserving our natural treasures, and ending the misguided war in Iraq.  New Mexico deserves a Senator who has the courage to do what's right, and I have the integrity and experience they can trust. As we begin this campaign, I ask for all of your support."

Tom Udall currently is serving in his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has earned a reputation as a principled and effective legislator known for taking courageous stands.  During his two terms as Attorney General, he reduced domestic violence and instances of DUI, tackled political corruption, and protected consumers from corporate misdeeds.  In Congress, he consistently has voted to end the war in Iraq; improve access to health care and educational opportunity; fight for our brave veterans and small businesses; as well as protect our natural treasures like the Valle Vidal, Ojito Wilderness, and Valles Caldera.  Tom Udall has demonstrated his effectiveness to reach across partisan lines for the benefit of all New Mexicans, and he will take that same courage to the Senate.

The dream of Draft Udall comes to fruition!

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.