Democracy for New Mexico

SEED-PAC Endorsements for ABQ Municipal Election

From SEED-PAC:
As you surely know already, SEED-PAC was founded by Miles Nelson, after his historic campaign for Congress in 2004, to support progressive candidates and principles in the electoral arena.

For the October 4 City Election, our Board has decided to support:

Eric Griego for Mayor
for District 1 City Council
Marianne Dickinson for District 7 City Council
Chris Catechis for District 9 City Council

(We favor no candidate in District 5 and favor Ike Benton and Diana Dorn-Jones equally in District 3 City Council.)

We also endorse the "Open and Ethical Elections Code" referendum and the "Living Wage Ordinance" referendum and oppose the "Voter ID" referendum.

We urge you to vote for these candidates and the first two referenda, and against "Voter ID", and to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do so as well. We can help some of these campaigns with money, but our funds are very limited.  We feel that SEED-PAC should be doing more.

These City elections are very important and these candidates and referenda need our help.  Please call Ted Rocafort, the SEED-PAC volunteer coordinator, at sterling53@hotmail.com or 823-2166 to help achieve these important goals.  You may also offer the individual campaigns your assistance directly*.

And, of course, we are always glad to receive financial contributions, which we will use for mailings and radio spots for this election, and for our other progressive projects.

Yours very sincerely,
Marvin Gladstone and Ted Cloak f
or the SEED-PAC Board of Directors
_______
*Candidates' Contact Information

Miguel Gomez @ 839-6638
Marianne Dickinson - Call Keegan King @ 385-8760
Chris Catechis @ 271-9876
"Open and Ethical Elections" - Call Matt Brix, Common Cause, @ 323-6399
"Living Wage Ordinance" - Call Acorn @ 242-7411
Eric Griego - Call Melanie @ 224-9042

Artists for Eric II This Friday

From Eric Griego for Mayor:
Join us once again for an evening of music, food & spirits and great art!

We will once again be auctioning off a wonderful selection of art donated by New Mexico artists and nationally recognized artists. We hope you will join us in supporting Eric Griego for Mayor and our talented artists!

What: Silent Art Auction
When: Friday, September 16, 2005
Where: Eric Griego Campaign Headquarters, 1020 Coal SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Time: 6:00-9:00 PM

ERIC GRIEGO
Our City. Our Mayor.
www.ericgriego.com

All proceeds from the art auction will benefit the Eric Griego for Mayor campaign. To donate a work of art or for more information please call Alicia Lueras Maldonado at 224-9042 Ext. 4# or email alicia@ericgriego.com.

Click for flyer.

Join Living Wage Efforts

From Albuquerque Living Wage Campaign:

21 Days until the People's Voice Is Heard!

As the Chamber of Commerce launches its expensive attack ads, spreading lies and generating fear about the Albuquerque minimum wage increase, we will be on the doors, telling voters the truth and getting them to the polls to approve the wage increase to $7.50. Come join us!

GOTV canvassing begins this Saturday, September 17, and we will kick it off with a door-to-door blitz across Albuquerque.  Join us for 1, 2, or 4 hours.  You can rendezvous with us at one of three locations at 10:00 AM:

Valley: the ACORN office at 411 Bellamah NW, between the Mexican Consulate on 4th Street & the Friends Meeting House on 5th Street.

Southeast Heights: the home of Virginia McFadden, 514 Valencia SE

West Side: Truman Middle School at the corner of 98th Street & Benevides in Westgate.

Refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP about Saturday to matthew@abqlivingwage.org or call 242-7411.

Other Volunteer Opportunities
If you want to volunteer as a Precinct Captain, sign up for GOTV canvassing another day, phone bank, fund raise, or help out on Election Day, email us at matthew@abqlivingwage.org or call 242-7411.

Arts Alliance Hosts ABQ Mayoral Forum Tonight

From the Arts Alliance:

As in years past, the Arts Alliance is hosting a Mayoral Forum for the four candidates to talk about arts and culture in our community.  In light of the upcoming vote to ask residents of Bernalillo County to approve the Quality of Life Initiative (gross receipts tax), it is vitally important that the arts community delivers a clear message to the candidates by staging one of the best-attended forums this year!  It will also be an opportunity for us to learn about their position on this upcoming initiative.  Please forward this information to friends and relatives, and urge them to attend.

Mayoral Forum
Tuesday, September 13
5:30 -­ 6:30 PM
Albuquerque Little Theatre
224 San Pasquale SW

At the end of the forum there will be an opportunity for questions from the audience.  We look forward to seeing you TONIGHT.  Feel free to call the Arts Alliance if you have questions at 268-1920.

Thank you! PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST!

Council Candidate Forum for Districts 1 & 3 TONIGHT

From SWOPblogger:

ABQ City Council Candidate Forum for Districts 1 and 3
When: September 6, 2005, 6:00 PM
Where: Alamosa Community Center, 6900 Gonzales SW, Albuquerque NM 87121
Send Questions to Victoria(at)swop.net

Official candidates for:

District 1

Miguel A. Gomez
2804 El Tesoro Escondido NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
839-6638

Ken Sanchez
6007 Central Ave. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87105
836-0000

District 3

Isaac Benton
204 Gallup Avenue SW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
764-9487

Diana Dorn-Jones
1108 Edith Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
842-5726

Victoria Rodriguez

SouthWest Organizing Project
211 10th St. SW • Alburquerque, NM 87102-2919
(505) 247-8832 • fax: (505) 247-9972
victoria@swop.net www.swop.net

YOU'RE INVITED: Mixer for Marianne Dickinson

Click image for larger version.

Marianne Dickinson is a Democrat running for ABQ City Council in District 7. You can support her with donations and volunteer hours regardless of where you live! Find out if you can vote for her .

Latest Endorsements:
Conservation Voters of New Mexico
The Green Party of Bernalillo County

*Go to www.MarianneDickinson.com to read the press releases that CVNM sent out about Marianne.

Signs are here! If you are interested in putting a Marianne Dickinson sign in your lawn please call us and we'll get one to you right away. And if you can help put some up at intersections in the district let us know.

Forum: The District 7 Coalition is hosting a forum for the candidates this Thursday at 7:00 PM at the Sheraton Uptown. If you can make it, please get out there and support your candidate!

With just 4 weeks until the October 4 election we need your help now.

• If you can come to a phonebank,
• If you can go door to door for Marianne,
• If you can help put up signs or help in any other way...

Call us at 385-8760 / 842-5539 or at www.MarianneDickinson.com.  Thank You for your continued support!!

Important Info on 10/4 ABQ Election

From Eleanor Bailey, "From the Horse's Mouth":

For your information re the Oct. 4, 2005 Municipal Election: When I went to the City Clerk's Office to pursue details I was invited to speak to Judy Chavez, the City Clerk herself. These are her words.  (Feel free to share them with anyone you wish.)

Procedures for Voting Absentee

1. A Request for Absentee Application must be filled in and delivered or mailed to the City Clerk's office.  The address is on the form. This form may be obtained from the web site
   www.cabq.gov.  Click on City Clerk.  It may be copied at will. The City Clerk will mail to the registered voter and Albuquerque resident the Application for an Absentee Ballot.  Copying of this form is prohibited.
2. The voter mails the application back to the City Clerk or delivers it there.  Processing will take place immediately upon receipt and an Absentee Ballot will be mailed to the voter.
3. To cast your vote, mail or deliver the Absentee Ballot to the City Clerk by 7:00 PM on Oct. 4, 2005.

Office hours that day will be from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  Otherwise the office is open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 PM.  The mailing address is: P.O. Box 1293, Albuquerque, NM 87103. The City Clerk's office is on the 11th floor of the City/County Building on the corner of 5th and Marquette in downtown Albuquerque.

Early Voting

Between Sept. 14 and Sept. 30, 2005 any currently registered Albuquerque resident may vote early at one of two sites:

• The City Clerk"s Office (location above)
• City of Albuquerque Records Center at 604 Menaul NW (corner of 6th
  and Menaul)

During that period both will be open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  In addition they will be open on only two Saturdays, Sept. 17 and 24, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Anyone who already has received an absentee ballot my vote in person at an early voting site.

On What Will We Vote?

Mayor and City Council members from odd-numbered Districts
Ten Bond Issues
Three Propositions on:

• Voter ID
• Raising the Minimum Wage
• Election Reform (voluntary limits on campaign spending and equal public financing of campaigns for elections)

You may get a sample ballot starting Sept. 7. 2005 at the City Clerk's Office.

The full text of the issues will be published as follows:

• Albuquerque Journal, Sept. 11, 18, 25 and Oct. 2, all Sundays.
• El Hispano (in Spanish), Sept. 1, 8, 15 and 22, all Thursdays
• Albuquerque Tribune, Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, all Saturdays.

The text of the Bond Issues will be published separately in the Albuquerque Journal and the Albuquerque Tribune on a Friday, probably soon.

Forums, Forums Everywhere

Candidate forums are multiplying with time ticking down quickly to the Albuquerque municipal election on October 4th:

Thursday, September 1, 1:00 PM
New Mexico Vecinos United
Mayoral and District 3 City Council Candidate Forum
Barelas Senior Center
714 Seventh SW

Wednesday, September 7, 6-9 PM
Mayoral Candiate Forum
Taylor Ranch Community Center
Just North of Montano & Taylor Ranch NW

Thursday, September 8, 7-9 PM
District 7 Coalition of Neighborhoods
District 7 City Council Candidate Forum
Sheraton Uptown Hotel
2600 Louisiana NE
RSVP by 9/7 with Diane Teare
dianeteare@aol.com 883-8589

Thursday, September 15, 7:00 PM
Mayoral Candidate Forum
North Valley Senior Center
3825 Fourth NW

If you know of any other coming candidate forums, let me know and I'll publicize them here. Click on the email link on the upper right-hand sidebar on this page.

NOTE: To vote in the October 4th municipal election, you must be registered to vote by 5:00 PM on September 6.  You can register here:

Bernalillo County Clerks Office
City Hall (map), 6th floor
505-768-4085

Or call the Democratic Party of NM at 505-830-3650 or the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County at 256-1855.

REMINDER: Live Music Benefit Tonight for Griego Campaign

Come on down to a night of live music and fun to benefit Eric Griego for Mayor:

Red Earth
Mystic Vision
and More

Sauce
4th and Central in Downtown Albuquerque
5:30-10:30 PM

Food, Live Music, Spirits

Click for pdf flyer.

Teamsters Endorse Eric Griego for Mayor

The Albuquerque Local Union No. 492 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Monday announced its endorsement of City Councilor Eric Griego in the upcoming mayoral election.

“We need a mayor that will support the working class,” said Robert D. Younger, Secretary Treasurer of Teamsters Local 492. “A mayor who will not forget who elected him and why he was elected. We need a change and we need to elect a mayor for the people. This is why the Teamsters’ Executive Board unanimously endorses Eric Griego.”

Griego, who is himself a union member, has a history of working with labor unions and of fighting for workers rights.

“My family instilled in me the value of a hard day’s work,” Griego said. “I have always stood with working people because I myself am a worker. It’s an honor now for me to have my brothers and sisters in the Teamsters stand with me as I fight to return good labor practices to our city.”

The Teamsters endorsement added to the list of organizations officially supporting Griego’s candidacy. They include: AFSCME, UFCW, Democracy for New Mexico, Sierra Club, Conservation Voters New Mexico and ACORN.

“I’ve always said that you can tell a lot about people by who they stand with,” Griego said. “I am proud to stand with working families, conservation groups, and other core Democratic constituencies who, like me, believe that a living wage, a well-planned city and a strong education system will move our city forward.”

For more info visit Griego's campaign website.