Democracy for New Mexico

US Appeals Court Rules Against Herrera-King Ruling to Regulate Nonprofits as PACs

Another victory for nonprofits educating voters in New Mexico! Another defeat for the sour grapes complainers who claimed that education mailers sent by certain nonprofits in New Mexico were illegal because they were "electionering" -- even though the mailings matched none of the criteria that define activities not permitted under the rules governing nonprofits. 

The long, fierce -- and, frankly, odd -- battle to tie the hands of nonprofits in our state has finally come to an end -- at least as far as the U.S. Court of Appeals is concerned.  It appears that the claims of those long-time Dem incumbents who were beaten fair and square by progressive challengers in primaries back in 2008 will finally have to stop their kvetching. So will New Mexico's Secretary of State and Attorney General who appeared to take their side in seeking to muzzle nonprofits by proclaiming them PACs.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit entered judgment today on the appeal by Secretary of State Mary Herrera to overturn Federal Court Judge Judith Herrera’s August 2009 ruling in favor of New Mexico Youth Organized and the SouthWest Organizing Project.

The August 2009 Federal District Court ruling came after NMYO and SWOP were forced to seek protection against Secretary of State Herrera’s decision to require both organizations to register as “political committees.”

Judge Herrera granted summary judgment in favor of the nonprofits, ruling that NMYO and SWOP are protected by their First Amendment right to free speech -- and the Secretary of State is without power to regulate it. Judge Herrera also awarded over $70,000 in attorney’s fees to both groups.

U.S. Court of Appeals: Unconstitutional!
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld that decision. The Court of Appeals analysis reads; “Thus, we hold that the attempt to regulate NMYO and SWOP as political committees is unconstitutional as applied.”

Click for a copy of today's 21-page official decision (pdf) of the Appeals Court.

Click for a DFNM post (with numerous links) that reports on the 2009 ruling and background on the case.

Spokespersons of both groups involved in the decision commented today in written statements.

“The decision by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirms the right of nonprofit organizations to hold public officials accountable. It also affirms the right of nonprofit organizations to educate the public and engage them in their democracy,” said the Center for Civic Policy CEO Matt Brix. "We hope, with this decision, that this matter can finally be put to rest."

SouthWest Organizing Project Executive Director Robby Rodriquez added further comment. “The decision by the 10th Circuit today validated what we’ve said all along, which is that Attorney General Gary King was inexplicably trying to abridge our right to free speech,” said Rodriguez. “And his pursuit of the case despite well established law has had a chilling effect on free speech in this state.”

Sara Berger, attorney for the groups, referenced the long-term impact of this decision.

"The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed in its entirety the decision of the district court judge in the case of New Mexico Youth Organized et al V. Herrera. The court's decision today made it clear that groups like NMYO and SWOP cannot be regulated as political committees in New Mexico,” said Berger.

“This decision has implications for the state's ability to regulate any other nonprofit organization based on what the secretary of state or attorney general perceive to be electioneering communications."

Diane Denish Weighs In On Racist Email Sent By Workers in Susana Martinez's Office

In response to reports exposing an awful, racist email that was circulated between the Administrative Office of the District Attorney and Susana Martinez’s 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish released the following statement:

“There is absolutely nothing funny about the email that was circulated by Susana Martinez’s staff. It is offensive, inexcusable and runs against the fabric of what we stand for as New Mexicans. As far as I’m concerned, there should be zero tolerance for racism and Susana Martinez’s silence on the matter has been disappointing. Needless to say, if this happened in my office, the employees responsible would no longer have their jobs.”

“Like most New Mexicans, I value the diversity that makes our state strong and unique. It’s disheartening to know that there are still people who find racial stereotypes to be funny. There should be no place for that kind of hate in the District Attorney’s Office or anywhere else in state government,” Denish continued

Martinez has not personally condemned the racist email, and has not disclosed which staff members were responsible for sending it or whether they will continue to work for her. Yesterday, DPNM Chair Javier Gonzales called on Martinez to terminate the state staffers in her office who sent the email on government computers. So far, Martinez has not responded.

The Common Sense Solution to Deficits? Tax Those Who Have Gotten a Free Ride

Nice rundown by Tracy Dingmann at Clearly New Mexico on the town halls on the federal budget that took place in cities nationwide this past Saturday, including Albuquerque. Also be sure to follow her links to a couple of good posts on this on New Mexico FBIHOP.

The intent of the town halls has been called into question, with critics noting that one of their primary organizers -- billionaire Pete Peterson -- has been intent on making drastic cuts to "entitlements" like Social Security and Medicare for many years. Clearly, the focus of the events was to encourage participants to see our already meager social safety net as the main culprit in deficit spending, and to ignore the impact of such things as the massive revenue losses created by Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and no-end-in-sight spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which Bush and the Congress have refused to pay for by raising revenues.

Despite the thinly veiled attempt by Peterson et al. to push attendees towards pre-conceived, right-wing notions about government spending and taxation -- not to mention that the makeup of attendees was not representative of American demographics -- a majority of participants managed to see things through a different, more progressive lens. As noted in an article on New Deal 2.0:

Remarkably, however, AmericaSpeaks got lucky (or perhaps, from Peterson’s point of view, unlucky.) Despite all the biases, on several issues town hall participants came up with opinions not very different from those that have been expressed by majorities of Americans in dozens of well-designed national surveys. Participants opposed cuts in Social Security benefits, insisting that benefits must be preserved when balancing the budget. They wanted to strengthen the economy, favoring the current stimulus bill (stalled in the Senate) by a margin of 51% to 38%. In order to reduce budget deficits, most favored cutting defense spending and enacting progressive tax measures: raising the payroll tax “cap” so that incomes over $106,800 are subject to the tax (85% in favor); raising high-end corporate and personal income taxes; and imposing new taxes on carbon and on securities transactions. Only on the Social Security retirement age did the results conspicuously stray from actual public opinion.

Dean Baker, a critic of the manipulative nature of the town halls, provides another of how the America Speaks effort backfired on Peterson and other anti-Social Security and Medicare zealots:

Given this stacked deck the participants rose up in revolt. They demanded the option to vote on a single-payer type health care system. The idea being to reduce costs by making health care more efficient rather than just cutting services in Medicare and other public sector programs. They also voted overwhelmingly for defense cuts and for every progressive tax option in the book, even though many had been seriously mischaracterized. For example, they listed the potential revenue from a financial speculation tax in 2025 as $30 billion a year even though there is good reason, based on the experience of other countries, to believe that we could raise close to ten times this amount.

Richard (RJ) Eskow, who also warned beforehand that the town halls were meant to persuade rather than sample, came away from the experience calling them "A Mind Control Experiment Gone Horribly Right."

And the Dems?
In response to right-wing pressure, President Obama has appointed what's being called a "deficit commission" to wrangle with a federal deficit that suddenly concerns Republicans and corporate-loving Democrats, despite the fact that most respected economists say cutting spending during a deep and widespread "recession" would be economic suicide. Take Paul Krugman, for example, who says such cuts -- which were also pushed at the recent G20 confab -- would create a Third Depression. Many progressives and Democrats are not amused, including Naomi Klein, who views such proposals as a way to force ordinary people to pay for a crisis caused by wealthy elites and greedy bankers.

Isn't it time we do the obvious to clean up the financial chaos produced by mega-corporations and wealthy chiselers? Tax the people who made out like bandits during the deregulation, de-taxation free for all -- globally, nationally and even right here in New Mexico. Democratic candidates, officeholders and leaders -- are you listening? 

Working families, teachers, Social Security recipients, those on Medicaid or Medicare and other ordinary Americans cannot take additional cuts so that the most well off among us can continue to avoid paying their fare share for the common good. There's no way around it and it's time for more Democratic leaders to start speaking truth to power instead of discussing what ails us entirely within right-wing frames that deem vital services we pay for as "entitlements." 

As Holiday Weekend Approaches, ACLU NM Issues Alert To NM Residents Traveling To Arizona

Planning on taking a trip to Arizona or driving through the state during the upcoming holiday weekend (or anytime)? Here's what you need to know to protect your rights in a state where the Republican governor and legislature have purposefully stirred up the populace on the issue of immigrants in an election year.

In response to civil liberties threats caused by the recent passage of Arizona’s racial profiling law, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico (ACLU-NM) issued a travel alert (pdf) today informing New Mexico residents of their rights when stopped by law enforcement when traveling in Arizona. The organization also released the following statement:

The unconstitutional law, known as SB 1070, requires law enforcement agents to demand "papers" from people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. If individuals are unable to prove to officers that they are permitted to be in the U.S., they may be subject to warrantless arrest without any probable cause that they have committed a crime.

Although the new law is not scheduled to go into effect until July 29, ACLU-NM is concerned that some police officers and sheriff's deputies are already beginning to act on provisions of the law. Arizona law enforcement has a well-documented history of racial profiling, especially in Maricopa County. Arizona lawmakers have espoused a policy of “attrition through enforcement” that is meant to create such a hostile environment for people perceived to be immigrants that they flee the state.

“We want to ensure that New Mexicans understand the increased risk for illegal harassment and unlawful detentions when traveling in Arizona,” said Peter Simonson, Executive Director of the ACLU-NM. “Our proud tradition of diversity and multi-culturalism means that one in two New Mexicans would fit the racial profile that police will inevitably use to enforce the law. New Mexico residents should also be aware that, because our driver’s licenses do not require proof of legal residence to obtain, they may not satisfy Arizona’s criteria for identification under the new Arizona racial profiling law.”

In addition to the travel alert, the ACLU has made available in English and Spanish materials on individuals’ rights if stopped by law enforcement in Arizona or other states as a result of SB 1070 or for any other reason. The materials include a downloadable card (see below) with instructions -- applicable in any state -- on coping with vehicle stops and questioning by police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or the FBI, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions document about SB 1070.

“If I could only give one piece of advice to New Mexicans planning to travel in Arizona, it would be ‘Know your Rights’,” said Vicki Gaubeca, Director of the ACLU-NM Regional Center for Border Rights. “If you look or sound ‘foreign,’ you are more likely to be subjected to pretextual stops for minor infractions such as a cracked windshield or jaywalking. Law enforcement officers may believe that you are in the country unlawfully just because of the way you look, and your best protection against harassment is a thorough understanding of your rights.”

The ACLU and other leading civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the Arizona law in May, but until the law is struck down, the ACLU warns that individuals traveling in Arizona must be aware of their rights if stopped there. If you are stopped by law enforcement in Arizona and you believe that racial profiling was a factor, you can submit a written complaint online on this page of the ACLU-NM website.

Materials informing individuals of their rights when stopped by law enforcement can be found here and here in Spanish.

More information about the Arizona law, including an ACLU video and slide show, can be found here.

Click for more information about the lawsuit, including information on co-counsel and plaintiffs -- including ACLU-NM’s own Vicki Gaubeca.

More information about the ACLU of New Mexico’s work on racial profiling can be found at our website.

Webcasting Approved for Interim Committee Meetings of NM Legislature

This week, members of the New Mexico Legislative Council voted unanimously to approve webcasting of interim committee meetings. The decision was applauded by Rep. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces), who helped pass legislation to start webcasting committee meetings during the regular session. Steinborn was also the first to introduce a joint memorial during the regular session to webcast interim committee meetings.

“This is another step in the right direction. We are always looking for ways to make government more transparent and accessible to the public. Webcasting is a useful service for our constituents,” Steinborn said in a written statement.

Webcasts of interim committee meetings will be broadcast in the same manner as regular session committee meetings, as live streams on the Legislature website. They will not be archived. In the past, interim committee meetings have been held around the state. This year, due to budget constraints, the meetings are being held in Santa Fe.

The schedule for interim committee meetings can be found on the legislative website.

DPNM Chairman Gonzales Calls on Susana Martinez to Terminate State Staffer(s) Responsible for Sending Racist Email

Following news reports of a racist and violent email "joke" that was circulated by an employee of the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office, DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales called on District Attorney Susana Martinez to terminate the state employee(s) responsible. Chairman Gonzales released the following statement:

"New Mexico is a place unlike any other, where our rich and diverse Hispanic cultures have flourished long before the United States even became a nation. The harmonious melding of our heritages such as Hispanic, Anglo, Native American, African American, Middle Eastern and Asian make our state one of the most welcoming places in the world. As New Mexicans we are proud to celebrate and embrace this diversity. As such, this deplorable joke has no place in state government, and it is utterly shocking that it would emanate from a law enforcement employee of Susana Martinez's 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office."

“The people of New Mexico must trust their law enforcement officials, not fear them. The racial slurs in this joke about our Hispanic and Middle Eastern communities are absolutely unacceptable and not conducive to making people feel safe. Hate breeds hate, and I urge Ms. Martinez to take immediate action and terminate all state employees in her office who sent this violent and hateful email."

See Racist Email Sent by Employee in Susana Martinez's DA Office Via Government Computer

According to an out tonight, "Republican gubernatorial nominee Susana Martinez has disciplined a prosecutor in her district attorney's office for using a government computer to forward an e-mail that jokes about killing Mexicans and Arabs."

We have obtained a copy of the email, which you can read here (pdf). It's vile, indeed.

Entitled "Drinking with a New Mexican Girl," the email includes passages about a Mexican and then an Arab shooting a glass in a bar for varying reasons, and then finishes with a segment about the New Mexican girl:

The New Mexican girl, cool as a cucumber, picks up her beer, downs it in one gulp, throws the glass in the air, whips out her 45, and shoots the Mexican and the Arab.

Catching her glass, setting it on the bar, and calling for a refill, she says, 'In New Mexico, we have so many illegal aliens that we don't have to drink with the same ones twice.'

The email ends with this phrase in all caps:

"GOD BLESS NEW MEXICO AND THAT PARTICULAR NEW MEXICAN GIRL."

The e-mail was sent on June 9, a week after Susana Martinez won the GOP gubernatorial primary race. It's not known whether other employees in Martinez's office forwarded the email.

Consequences of Creating Immigration Hysteria
The last days of the Republican primary contest were characterized by a battle between Martinez and Allen Weh about who was "tougher" on immigration issues. It was started by an attack ad by Susana Martinez. As we've all seen, many Republicans this election cycle have been trying to use the immigration issue as a wedge, and the rhetoric of some of their supporters -- as well as some of the candidates themselves -- has sometimes been hateful and even violent.

For instance, the GOP candidate for Congress in NM-03, Tom Mullins, suggested in a radio interview that putting land mines on the Mexican border might be a good option. And, of course, there's the continuing saga of immigrant bashing going on in Arizona, with both the Republican governor and Republicans in the legislature seemingly vying to come up with the most abusive way to demonize immigrants and keep the worst of the GOP base frothing.

As for Martnez, according to an article on Stateline:

In New Mexico, Martinez used immigration to attack her leading opponent, former New Mexico Republican Party chair Allen Weh. Martinez’s ads touted her prosecution of criminals from Mexican drug cartels and attacked Weh for his support of a bill in Congress that critics say would give illegal immigrants amnesty. Sanderoff, president of the Albuquerque-based Research and Polling, Inc., says the strategy won Martinez votes among the Republican base. “She made a retired Marine colonel look soft,” he says.

Martinez and other Republicans may think they're clever using the immigration issue to whip up hysteria in their base and blame immigrants for economic and other problems caused primarily by their own economic policies. However, as we can see from this email, it also serves to give people -- even workers within law enforcement -- tacit permission to resort to racist "humor" that goes so far as to make a joke about killing immigrants. Once right-wing candidates start down this rhetorical path, where does it end?

The AP story quoted Chief Deputy District Attorney Susan Riedel as saying that forwarding the e-mail was inappropriate and the employee has been reprimanded. No word on what, exactly, the reprimand consisted of. 

(Updated) A Moment of Your Time for Dear Nancy Denker and Mosch

Update 10:00 PM: Mosch has stabilized after what turned out to be a heart attack, and they'll be working to get him off the respirator again. He is showing signs that he wants to breathe on his own. Keep up the positive thoughts.
********
So many of you know the wonderful human beings who are Nancy Denker and her partner Mosch, and have been following Mosch's progress as he has been struggling to recover from a head injury he got while riding his bike. He's being treated at the UNM Trauma center and has been unconscious for a number of days, but has been steadily improving.

Late this afternoon, however, he had a setback and he had a respiratory event that caused his heart to stop. Although he has been resusitated and intubated again, the next 24 hours will be critical to his life. We ask that you take a moment of your time and focus on Mosch's healing and recovery, in whatever way you feel comfortable. We need him here. We need him whole. And we need Nancy's pain to be eased, as well. Please keep them in your hearts and thoughts.

7/8: Denish-Colón Fundraiser Reception at Judith Espinosa's in Albuquerque

Please Join
Isaura Andaluz ◊ Matthew Baca ◊ Janet Bridgers ◊ Felicia Casados ◊ Ron Curry ◊ Rose Custer ◊ Consuelo Espinosa ◊ Judith Espinosa ◊ LaLa Garcia ◊ John Geddie ◊ LaDonna Giron ◊ Judith & Bill Holm ◊ Jeanne Logsdon ◊ Maria Teresa Martinez ◊ Linda Valencia Martinez ◊ Dolores J. Martinez ◊ Diana Montoya ◊ Mauro Montoya ◊ Charlotte Roybal ◊ Kent Salazar ◊ Alan Sanders ◊ Lester Swindle ◊ DeAnza & Joseph Sapien ◊
Linda Vigil-Lopez ◊ Michelle Welby ◊ Tasia Young

For a Reception in support of
Diane Denish & Brian Colón
to benefit their campaign for Governor & Lt. Governor
Thursday, July 8, 2010
5:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
At the Home of Judith Espinosa
1501 Vista Larga Ct NE, Albuquerque NM 87106 (map)

Suggested Contribution: $50 Per Person
Refreshments & Hors D’oeuvres Provided
Artwork Door Prizes Provided by Linda Valencia Martinez
Please RSVP to: Robert Lara: (505) 255-1282 or rlara@dianedenish.com
Click for Flyer (pdf)

Contributions may be brought to the event or be made payable and sent to: Committee to Elect Diane Denish, PO Box 30561, Albuquerque, NM 87190. If you are unable to attend you may also contribute online at

Stephen Jones: The Tea Party, Libertarians, the “17thers” and All That

This is a post by contributing writer, Stephen Jones, who is a progressive political activist and a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Just when you thought the Tea Party conservatives and their Ayn Rand “Objectivist” libertarian allies couldn’t get any more peculiar, we are treated to yet a another new malady called the “17thers.” Much like the battalions of “Birthers,” “Deathers,” “10thers” and so-called “Originalists” that arrived on the scene before them, the “17thers,” and their close cousins the “19thers” wail that their warped fundamentalist vision of the U.S. Constitution has been violated by progressives, and even those who are not so progressive.

At the heart of this odd-ball crowd is the idea that because the framers of the United States Constitution did not support direct election of United States Senators that the 17th Amendment is somehow null and void. These same ideologues argue that the 19th Amendment that authorizes an income tax is negated because the framers didn’t include an income tax in the original text way back in 1789. And, of course, we hear daily how everything from financial, health, environmental and virtually every other sort of Congressional legislation is illegal because these issues are not found within the text of the Constitution that rolled out at Philadelphia’s Constitutional Convention.

These kinds of niche obsessions, like suddenly taking issue with a Constitutional Amendment like the 17th that was passed by Congress in 1912, and was ratified by three-fourths of the states in 1913, represent a peculiar fundamentalism whose supporters pick and choose phrases that suit them and ignore or attack the rest as heretical to their creed.

Setting aside the thought process that decides to oppose the direct election of U.S. Senators midway into the year 2010, the 17thers and political malcontents like them aren’t new. These wayward philosophies crop up in our history from time to time. John C. Calhoun, the antebellum Senator from South Carolina, set the pattern in the 1830s. Calhoun seized on a few quotes he dug up from James Madison during Madison’s opposition to John Adams Alien and Sedition Act, to “prove” the framers of the Constitution supported the States refusing to follow the laws that Congress passed, and that there was a constitutional “state right” to nullify those laws.

James Madison, who was still around to set the record straight, responded to a question about Calhoun’s “conservative” constitutional theory by William C. Rives, a U.S. Senator from Virginia. In his March 12, 1833 letter to Rives, Madison responded that Calhoun’s constitutional theories were “preposterous,” and “erroneous,” and warned against the “danger of inaccuracy” of Calhoun’s political ideas.

“The words of the Constitution,” Madison wrote, “are explicit that the Constitution and Laws of the U.S. are supreme over the Constitution and laws of the several states; supreme in their exposition and execution as well as their authority. Without a supremacy in those respects it would be like a scabbard in the hand of a soldier without a sword in it.” On the issue and function of what we refer to as the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, Madison added, “One thing at least seems too clear to be questioned; that whilst a State remains part of the Union it cannot withdraw its citizens from the operation of the Constitution and the laws of the Union.”

More recently we have seen the ideas of Ayn Rand’s “Objectivist” libertarianism gain traction amongst right-wing groups like the Tea Party. Rand, and her libertarian followers, like to seize on a phrase of Thomas Jefferson, “He who governs least, governs best,” as proof that the founders opposed the government passing laws. Odd isn’t it how these 21st Century “conservatives” love the Jefferson who “governs least,” while hating the Jefferson who speaks of a “wall of separation between church and state?” But, then, this is just the average and typical mind-set of the fundamentalist. It also tends to ignore history. Thomas Jefferson and the Congress just went ahead, passed a law, and bought a third of a continent from Napoleon in the Louisiana Purchase. This is not an example of governing “least.”

John C. Calhoun, Ayn Rand, the 17thers and the Tea Party are really just a lot like 17-year-old boys. They like what they like, and what they don’t like sends them into a fit. This is not Constitutional theory or practice. To stretch out the family analogy, James Madison and the rest of the framers of our Constitution came up with a plan by which the family could come together around the table and pass laws and rules. Once this got through the family round-table process, the Congress, the rest of the family, the states, were bound to follow the rules.

Madison also devised a method by which the core text of the Constitution, the framework upon which all these laws get passed, and then enforced through Article VI, could be altered or amended. He used this process himself to pass and lead the argument for ratification of the first twelve Amendments. The Congress and states that passed the 17th and all the other Amendments just followed Madison’s process. The Tea Party, the “17thers,” the “Objectivists” and the so-called “originalists” are all just out of line and out of step.

To read more posts by Stephen Jones, visit our archive.

6/30: Rep. Martin Heinrich's Virtual Town Hall Meeting on Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection

Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) is inviting residents of the First Congressional District to participate in a live telephone town hall meeting on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 7:00 PM MST to discuss Wall Street reform and consumer protection. Participants will have the opportunity to speak directly with Rep. Heinrich and to ask questions about the work he’s doing in Congress to re-energize the economy.

Register TODAY: Constituents interested in participating should register online or call (505) 346-6781 by Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 5:00 PM MST. Once registered, you should expect a phone call at 7:00 PM MST on Wednesday, June 30 2010. By answering the phone call, you will be entered into the telephone town hall. The discussion will focus on commonsense financial regulatory reform and consumer protection.

Rep. Heinrich supports the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He says it "will put a stop to risky dealings on Wall Street and prevent future taxpayer-funded bailouts. At the same time, this bill ensures that small banks and credit unions, which play a key role in our communities, are not subject to undue regulatory burdens. Our country’s working families and small businesses are playing by the rules. Wall Street should do the same."

Click to learn more about H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill are currently being hashed out in a House-Senate Conference Committee to produce the final bill.

Today 6/29: Gov. Bill Richardson's Job Expo in Albuquerque

Governor Bill Richardson’s Job Expo will be held today, Tuesday, June 29, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. According to a statement released by the Governor's office, nearly 70 employers will be on site offering more than 2500 jobs in the Manuel Lujan Building at Expo New Mexico, located at 300 San Pedro NE in Albuquerque.

“We are committed to giving New Mexicans every resource possible in their job search,” Governor Richardson said. “This Job Expo will give job seekers the opportunity to meet with nearly 70 employers who are looking for people at all experience and skill levels. Employment experts will also be on hand to help participants with all aspects of their job search.”

All jobs offered at the Job Expo are paid positions and not commission-based jobs. Job seekers are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and dress for success.

New Mexico Workforce Connection will be offering a resource room with computers for participants to apply online for various jobs offered at the expo. Staff will also be available to assist with resume writing, one-on-one career counseling, and establishing an account with the New Mexico Workforce Connection.

In addition, two free educational one-hour classes will be offered today, taught by New Mexico Workforce Connection specialists.

• 10:30 AM: Resume writing, including selling your positive talents and using key words to get the interview.
• 1:30 PM: How to dress to for an interview and turning negatives into positives.

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Economic Development Department, Expo NM, City of Albuquerque, and New Mexico Workforce Connection Center are organizing the event.