Democracy for New Mexico

Sarita Nair To Run For Lujan Grisham Seat On Bernalillo Co Commission

Albuquerque attorney Sarita Nair announced her campaign for the District 1 Bernalillo County Commission seat that Michelle Lujan Grisham will vacate on September 7th. Sarita stated:

"I am grateful to Michelle Lujan Grisham for her service to the County and I congratulate her on the thoughtful, courageous decision to step away from the Bernalillo County Commission as she continues her momentous campaign to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District.

"I am enthusiastic about putting my experience as a community planner, lawyer, and advocate for families and small businesses to work for the people of Bernalillo County. In meeting with the people of our District, I hear again and again that they want an energetic, solution-oriented advocate who understands the challenges of the County. Now is the time to pull together with our neighbors to tackle our infrastructure, economic development and planning issues. I am that candidate.

"For the past 15 years I have had the privilege of working on a wide range of issues: from multi-million dollar public-private partnerships to preservation of environmentally sensitive areas; from counseling non-profit, political and faith-based organizations to advocating for land grant water rights; and from community garden preservation to voter protection. These opportunities have given me the skills, experience and network to get the job done for the people of the County."

The first step in Sarita's campaign will be to win the votes of the Democratic Party County Central Committee members who live in District 1, about 150 people, in order to appear on the ballot in the general election. The winner of that election will go on to run against the Republican nominee. Sarita's experience and enthusiasm for campaign work makes her ideal for this intensive ten-week process. "It would be a joy and an honor to work on the coordinated campaign with the other Democratic candidates on the ballot," explained Sarita. "My commitment to raising the money necessary for a successful campaign and getting out the vote will be critical as we head to this pivotal election in November."

Sarita is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Community and Regional Planning and School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She has been recognized nationally for her work in business law and for her efforts to increase diversity in the legal profession. She also enjoys pro bono and board service to a diverse group of organizations. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she worked in international development, focusing on environmental planning. She worked on her first issue campaign - to save an open space lot from development - before she was old enough to vote, and has been involved in issue and candidate campaigns ever since. She was a founding board member and served as President of Emerge New Mexico, which trains Democratic women to run for public office and win.

Senator Lisa Curtis; Letter to the Editor, re: Commissioner Wiener

To download the letter to the editor, click here. Letter to the Editor Michael Wiener.

Letter to the Editor

“The fat guy smoking Pall Malls, he says he almost married one of those girls. Honest. He met her in a bar one of the last times he was in the Philippines and fell in love, almost bought her a ring and took her home. It didn’t work out, though, and he doesn’t say why because it doesn’t really matter. He shrugs.

The skinny kid with the knobby head understands. Same thing happened to him, sort of. She was 19, beautiful, didn’t wear makeup or anything. She was so…what’s the word? Simple. You know? “Just give her the American necessities and those are, like, her luxuries,” he tells the fat guy. “Let her live like a queen.”

The fat guy grins. His front teeth are missing, and he’s got hair like an oil slick, long and black and greasy. Oh yeah, lots of those girls want an American husband, and they’re not picky, either. “As long as you’re not married and you’ve got an income,” the guy says, “you’re good to go.”

It’s four o’clock in the morning in a Japanese airport, thirteen hours out of Detroit Metro, on a layover in Nagoya before the last 1,700 miles to Manila. The fat guy and the skinny kid found each other in the smoking lounge as if they had picked up a shared scent, a couple of misfit white guys dragging halfway around the planet.”[i]

Does this sound familiar? This story out of GQ five years ago goes on about buying girls for sex and walking around with them through Angeles City in the Philippines.  It talks about the fake birth certificate that lies the little 13 year old girl being forced to dance in one of those clubs is 19.  This place Commissioner Wiener has been going to for years sells children, boys and girls, and is well-known to the misfit white guys as the easy place to buy children for sex.

We have representative government.  This is my district.  I have three teenage girls – one who is 13 – and Michael Wiener does not represent my family.  So he will not voluntarily resign.  My district, Senate District 21, gets out and votes.  We do not have lynch mobs, like Michael Wiener suggests.  It is my job to speak for my constituents, and I want it to be loud and clear that all – each and every one of the constituents in my district that have talked about Michael Wiener- are appalled and disgusted by the plain truth of those photos.

“He was nervous his first time. It’s kind of weird, the way you can buy a girl for a couple of bucks, a different one every night, every hour if you want, walk around town with her and not even pretend it’s anything more than a cash transaction.”[ii]

Sometimes we vote people into office and sometimes we vote them out.  I have faith that the republican members of my district will come out in droves on June 5^th and vote Michael Wiener out of office.  There will be no lynch mob for you, Mr. Wiener.  As the Senator for this district, and more importantly as a lawyer that goes after the perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse under the civil law – I do promise to watch you.  Those photos were a gift to your constituents, and all of us that work to protect children.   We know who we have, now it is the job of the voters to do our duty.  It is the American way.  You do not represent us here in Senate District 21.  We want you out!

Lisa K. Curtis
Senator District 21

[i] Read More https://www.gq.com/news-politics/big-issues/200703/phillipine-sex-clubs-global-sex-trade-part-1#ixzz1tX3Fi8w7
[ii]  “The sex trade, Part 1: Pleasure at Any Price”, GQ, Sean Lynn, March 2007

Art De La Cruz Chastised by Campaign Challenger for Being the Only Commissioner Still Defending Michael Wiener's Behavior

Economou: If Art De La Cruz won't denounce Commissioner Wiener's behavior, then he owes it to his constituents to explain why he is still protecting him.

Photo at right Zoe Economou candidate for Bernalillo County Commission District 2

Although Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry and Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson joined DPNM, NMGOP, Governor Martinez, Bernalillo County Commissioners Michelle Lujan Grisham and Maggie Hart Stebbins and many others, in denouncing Michael Wiener's recent behavior in visiting a known red-light district the Philippines, Wiener still has one protector-- Bernalillo County Chairman Commissioner Art De La Cruz. According to the Albuquerque Journal, "Commission Chairman Art De La Cruz, a Democrat, said it’s too early to respond. 'Michael Wiener’s visit to the Philippines was not associated with Bernalillo County business,' De La Cruz said. 'Absent any additional information beyond the two photos and his comments to date, I believe it is premature to pass judgment or seek remedies at this time.'" [Albuquerque Journal, 4/26/12 and 4/29/12]

"As a woman, I’m embarrassed that Michael Weiner is still representing my county and as a resident of the South Valley, I’m troubled that Bernalillo County Commission Chairman Art De La Cruz is the only Commissioner, and one of a very few elected officials, who have not called on Michael Wiener to resign," said Zoe Economou. "If Art De La Cruz won't denounce Commissioner Wiener's behavior, then he owes it to his constituents to explain why he is still protecting him. I realize that Weiner voted for De La Cruz as Chair; but it is beyond rational loyalty for De La Cruz to still be standing by Wiener in the face of this recent revelation. This type of political cronyism needs to end and it's exactly why the South Valley needs an independent voice representing them, a Democrat who votes with other Democrats and truly speaks for the citizens of the South Valley."

Zoe Economou is challenging Art de la Cruz for the Bernalillo County Commission District 2 seat in the June 5th primary election. 

Bernalillo County Commissioner Republican Michael Wiener No Stranger to Controversy

Republican Michael Wiener our very own Bernalillo County Commissioner scumbag. 

Republican Wiener is no stranger to controversy. Democratic Party of NM and others were asking for Wiener's resignation back in March 2010 for making racist comments in an email. DFNM did a piece on his racist comments, you can read it here and KRQE has this report from a rally calling Wiener out on his racist comments.

   
Above DFNM photos from Resign Wiener Rally March 2010

Then there was also this call from the Young Democrats of NM for Wiener's resignation in June 2011. When Wiener allegedly made inappropriate comments towards a female staff member, please read all about that sexual harassment here.

And now we have this scandal, or is it just another day in the life of a New Mexico Republican. Wiener was outed on a double x-rated red light district in Angeles City Philippenes. Just "a flight layover" says Wiener. This guy can just say whatever he wants, how come there is not outrage from his own Republican colleagues and party over this inappropriate behavior? Imagine if it was a democratic leader?

The NMTelegram has a great article about Republican Wiener's latest adventure. The NMTelegram interviews the two reporters who  found the smiley Wiener in the double x-rated red light district. The NMTelegram reports that Keatley and Eric Becker "were in the Philippines , a . Keatley and his friend, filmmaker Eric Becker, were to document the sexual slavery and sex trade in the Philippines for the group." The NMTelegram goes on to explain "Keatley was in the Philippines for over a week. “My job was to tell a story of these red light districts, who are these people, try to put a face to it,” he said."

Try to put a face on it

Photo by: Keatley; Republican Commissioner Michael Wiener looking a little disheveled

Of all faces to show up, our very own Republican Bern. County Commissioner Michael Wiener. Keatley and Becker, these two good human beings, outed the smiling Wiener. Keatley and Becker were traveling and reporting and exposing the dirty truth of sexual exploitation Wiener was found in the middle of. Keatley admits he was uneasy having to do this reporting but felt it is important to expose. Look at the age of these young women in this photo flanking Wiener, does it conjure up the exact image of the piece Keatley and Becker set out to expose? "Sex slavery and the buying of women by 40, 50, 60, 70 year old men."

Meet the Fiancee

Photo above by Keatley; Wiener and the future Mrs. Wiener

Michael Wiener works for all of the people in Bernalillo County. By looking at Wiener's own campaign website and facebook page there is not much about his personal life. The only new information is a FB update on April 25th 2012 saying he is "In a relationship." Go figure.

Isn't it weird and creepy? When did he really meet her? How old is she? How long have they been seeing each other? Will anyone ask Wiener these questions? Not to mention the conservative republican hypocrisy for not letting gays and lesbians get married, even after years and years of commitment.

As written in the Abq Journal this morning he is "oh so innocent", just like all the other harassing, rude, sexist, racist, behavior he has been accused of and is innocent of. Look at the age of these girls in these photos on Keatley's journalism piece regarding sex slavery and the buying of women by 40, 50, 60, 70 year old men. Does our very own Bernalillo County Commissioner fit that discripition? Let's help Keatley and his group expose this sexual enslavement prostitution network that they went to great lengths to expose. Commissioner Wiener can do whatever he wants but my expectations of elected officials is way higher than what he consistantly displays.

One more thing: Think of all the Woman's rights issues being attacked, and then think of Republican Michael Wiener. 

3/04: Maggie's Re-Election Campaign to Bernalillo County Commission District 3

Maggie Hart Stebbins Kickoff for Re-Election to Bernalillo County Commission, District 3

When: Sunday, March 4;  2-4 p.m.

Where: O'Niell's Irish Pub - Nob Hill Beautiful District 3 4310 Central SE, Albuquerque

Join Us To Help Maggie Kick Off Her 2012 Re-Election Campaign.

"It's an honor to serve as your County Commissioner. Working together, we have created new jobs in our community and helped our small businesses grow. We are making county government more accountable, protecting our water supply and supporting public safety strategies to protect our vibrant neighborhoods. To learn more about our efforts or to volunteer, email me at mhstebbins@gmail.com,"
- Maggie Hart Stebbins, Bernalillo County Commissioner, District 3

11/17: Reception to Benefit the Re-Election Campaign of Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins

Please join Karen Alarid, Denise Baker, Devon Day,Hilma Chynoweth, Joan M. Hart, Martha McGrew, City Councillor Debbie O'Mally & Maureen Sanders

At a reception to benefit the re-election campaign of Bernallilo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins

November 17,2011 at  5:30 to 7:30 pm

Scalo Northern Italian Grill- 3500 Central SE

Suggested Contribution: $50.00

Please RSVP to: Maggie Hart Stebbins at mhstebbins@gmail.com(505) 724-4624 or Claire Dudley at cooperclaire@yahoo.com