Democracy for New Mexico

A Long Train of Abuses and Usurpations ...

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford provides our Independence Day rant:

So there you have it. Bush shrugs and smirks and then commutes the easy soft-focus sit-on-your-ass-all-day-and-knit white-collar prison sentence of a hollow political lackey who, in turn, took a bullet for his sneering mafia thug of a boss, Dick Cheney, who in turn was complicit (along with lead flying monkey Karl Rove) in the appallingly illegal outing of a CIA operative, which itself was a tiny but particularly nasty link in the giant chain of lies and deceptions undertaken to lead our wary and tattered nation into an unwinnable impossible costly brutally violent war that will now last, if current estimates are correct, until the goddamn sun explodes.

You have to laugh. You have to laugh because if you do not laugh you will likely be overcome with a mad desire to stab yourself in the eye with a sharp feral cat and/or shoot yourself in the toe with a high-powered staple gun, over and over again, all while tearing out pages of the United States Constitution and crumpling them into tiny little balls and hurling them into the smoldering firepit of who-the-hell-cares as you shiver in the corner and swig from a bottle of Knob Creek and wail at the moon. Or maybe that's just me

... Bush actually ambled forth and said that, while he "respects the jury" in the Libby case, the 2.5 year sentence was simply "too harsh." Baby, if 30 months in a comfy well-stocked rape-free Martha Stewart-decorated facility for compromising national security is too harsh, I've got a draconian little thing called the Patriot Act to sell you, cheap.

Here's a swell side note: You know who gets harsher sentences than 30 months in white-collar prison, George? Pot dealers. That's right. The average sentence for a convicted marijuana dealer in California is 3.3 years. In real prison, George, not that namby-pamby Club Fed where Scooter would've played badminton and sipped tea for two years. Hell, in places like Oklahoma and Alabama, you can get a life sentence for possessing a single marijuana bud, which is ironic indeed, given how if you live in Oklahoma or Alabama, there is nothing that would serve your miserable id better than to be deeply and thoroughly stoned every single day and twice on Sunday. But that's another column.

Be sure to read the rest of Mark Morford's column, "Scooter Libby In Hell: What do Dick Cheney, Paris Hilton, "The Sopranos" and colon spasms have in common? Find out here."

What Cheney's Been Hiding All These Years

All right, kinda corny, but it DOES mention Roswell, New Mexico .... and NOT in connection with Roswell's own tobacco spitting jailbird of the Republican persuasion.

(Corrected) June 26: Anti-Torture Vigil & Street Drama at ABQ Federal Building

6.27.07 CORRECTION: Please note that according to an email I received today from Robert Stoppel, a member of the Board of Directors for a Guerilla Street Theatre collaborative called, La Cucaracha Stew Co. in Albuquerque, the "STREET DRAMA" portion of this demonstration was planned, constructed, and performed by La Cucaracha Stew Co. La Cucaracha is the only politically active street theatre company in Albuquerque. Robert Stoppel can be reached at lacucarachastewco@gmail.com.
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From Amnesty International Albuquerque Chapter 101:
A street theater enactment of “Guantanamo: A Life Sentence With No Trial” will be held at the Federal Building, 333 Lomas Blvd. NW in Albuquerque, from Noon to 1 PM on June 26th. Organized by Amnesty International Albuquerque Chapter 101, and cosponsored by the First Unitarian Social Justice Council and the ACLU of New Mexico, the event commemorates the UN's International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors.

Vigils and congressional visits across the nation will be held during the week of June 26th calling for a stop to torture in U.S. operated detention facilities. Also being demanded is the repeal of the Military Commissions Act, which authorizes the suspension of habeas corpus for those accused of being enemy combatants. (This means that the accused may be held indefinitely and their right to know what they are being charged with and their right to a trial that meets international fair trial standards have been suspended.)

In addition, please write Senator Domenici and Representative Wilson and ask them to withdraw their support for the Military Commissions Act.

For further information about the vigil, please contact Ann Peterpaul at 453-2465. For more information about Albuquerque Amnesty International, and other actions in the planning stages, please contact Nell Burrus, Chapter101 coordinator, at 833-3140.

Rant of the Day: Privatize This

Henry Rollins Tees Off. To augment that, read this IndyMedia report on Iraqi unionists speaking out during a U.S. tour against the American occupation and privatization schemes. This kind of corporatist money and power grab is at the very core of many of the festering problems our elected officials refuse to address effectively, whether they're related to health care, energy, education, natural resources like water, voting machines, trade, jobs, media, the prison industrial complex, our highway system or other areas where "privatization" to fill corporate coffers is being pushed to the detriment of the common good and common sense.

Is it any wonder? The powerful lobbying arms of these profit-at-any-cost outfits siphon tons of cash into the "campaign funds" of politicians on both sides of the aisle. They don't do that without getting what they want in return. They aren't donating large sums of money to be nice. Bottom line -- the "contributions" are nothing more than bribes masquerading as "free speech." Isn't it time we strengthen the challenges against politicos in both political parties on this score?

Secrecy Continues on Earmarks
I happened to turn on the TV this morning and caught a story on CNN about a project they're conducting to gather information on the specific "earmarks" being stuck into bills by members of Congress. Remember how one of the promises made by Dems in the 2006 election was that they'd reduce the rapid proliferation of these hidden subsidies to cronies and make the process transparent? Don't hold your breath. Of the 435 House members contacted by CNN interns, only 31 provided data on the specific earmarks they're pursuing. I guess they don't believe we have a right to know what projects are being supported with our tax dollars. Remember, we're just here to vote, pay our taxes and do the grunt work door to door while the "important people" who "contribute" generously to their campaigns get to call the shots.

NM House Members: Show Us the Money
According to the database compiled by CNN, New Mexico Reps. Heather Wilson (NM-01), Steve Pearce (NM-02) and Tom Udall (NM-03) all failed to provide the requested information on earmarks. What are they hiding? If you'd like to contact them to ask, click here. You know they always like to hear from contituents, as their websites and emails always state.

Private Equity and Hedge Fund Scams
In a related vein, don't even get me started on the "private equity funds" that are buying up public American companies, taking them private, dumping employees and benefits and essentially stealing their pension funds and other capital assets for distribution to their secret members. Have you heard ANY politician in the national spotlight criticize the full extent of this robbery? Even John Edwards, our token "populist" candidate, hems and haws when asked about private equity or hedge funds. After all, he recently worked for Fortress, a private equity firm that was taken public and produced large gains for its officers. And as this article reports, the majority of hedge fund "donations" are going to Dem candidates.

Again, don't hold your breath for any meaningful action by politicos anytime soon. They wouldn't want to subject members of such filthy outfits as the Carlisle Group to public scrutiny or fair taxation. It would cut down on the level of today's record-breaking campaign contributions!

Oh, there's a small dent in the dam as Congress has been so shamed by the revealed shenanigans of the Blackstone Fund that a bill has been introduced to address a narrow instance of the widespread problems with the equity funds. As this article in The Nation explains, Blackstone's greed and opportunism represents only the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, the Dem presidential candidates remain silent. Their owners don't like to be outed.

Tonight on Espejos, KUNM 89.9 at 8 PM: Human Rights Vigil & the NHCC Foundation

Check out KUNM 89.9FM tonight, Monday, June 19th, at 8:00 PM for a two-part live interview on "Espejos de Aztlan," a weekly radio show dedicated to highlighting community affairs in New Mexico since 1979.

Part One (8:00 PM) of tonight's show will focus on the work of local civil rights attorneys fighting to bring fair representation to the hundreds of immigrants being detained in Albuquerque's downtown regional detention center (4th and Roma), separated from family and living under inhumane conditions. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 19th at 7 PM, a peaceful vigil will be held in front of the Downtown ABQ detention center, in support of human rights, family unity, and against the mass detention of immigrants. For more information, please call 246-1627.

Part Two (8:15 PM) of tonight's Espejos show will feature the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the funds necessary to help support the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Recently, the Foundation has launched Club Social, a new outreach program aimed at engaging the community's young professionals in the Center's dual worlds of Hispanic arts and culture and philanthropy, while also providing unique opportunities for networking surrounding the Center’s world-class programming. For more information, please call 766-9858.

Espejos is part of the Raices Colectiva which conducts programming on news, culture and music from a Latino perspective on KUNM 89.9FM.

League of Women Voters to Host Talk on Civil Liberties by Ret. Chief Justice Franchini

From the League of Women Voters, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County:

June General Meeting, Thursday, June 14th, at 11:45 AM
Wyndham Hotel, 2910 Yale Boulevard SE, Albuquerque

Chief Justice (Retired) Franchini on the Current Status of Our Civil Liberties: Please call in your reservations to the office for this Thursday's General Meeting. Chief Justice (Retired) Franchini of the New Mexico Supreme Court will speak on the changed status of civil liberties since September 11, 2001 and the implementation of the USA PATRIOT law, and what he sees as the future of habeas corpus in the United States. Come hear Justice Franchini's insights into these critical topics that affect our liberties. Bring your friends along as well. All are welcome.

Luncheon is $15 in advance or payable at the door. Reservations are required by Tuesday noon. Call the office at 505-884-8441 to make a reservation. A fruit plate alternative is available. Please inform the office if you want a fruit plate when you make your reservation.

Committing Poetry in Times of War: June 16 at Kimo

The Poetic Justice Institute presents Committing Poetry in Times of War, a documentary film of one tumultuous week in March 2003 in New Mexico and its aftermath, on Saturday June 16th at 6:30 PM at the Kimo Theater in Albuquerque. There will also be an after party. Admission is FREE and the event is sponsored by the City of Albuquerque Office of Cultural Affairs.

On April 20, 2007 the Telluride Talking Gourds Writers Guild awarded Committing Poetry the first ever Tellus Award for “Poetry Film of the Year.” Click for a detailed description of the film, organized around the free speech actions of poet and former Rio Rancho High School teacher, Bill Nevins (photo) and others, and what they ignited. Excerpt:

As bombs fell on Iraq in March 2003 and the President called for natiional unity, an outspoken  high school student slam poetry team was disbanded and silenced in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Rio Rancho High's Principal and its Military Liaison then presided at a flag-raising ceremony on the public school's grounds where a soldier's poem was read out, telling war protestors to "shut your faces." The team's coach, teacher Bill Nevins,was one of seven Albuquerque area educators removed from their classrooms for encouraging free speech.

That same week in March 2003, hundreds of peaceful antiwar protestors were gassed, coralled and assaulted by police in the Albuquerque streets near the University of New Mexico. The fabric of American Constitutional free speech and free assembly protections seemed to be unravelling in New Mexico. In response, an ad hoc coalition of poets, musicians, educators and outraged cititzens organized "Poetic Justice": a series of celebratory "speak-out" concert  gatherings in New Mexico and across the USA  to honor the Rio Rancho student poets, to support Coach Nevins in his ultimately-successful legal battle and to demand respect for the First Amendment.   

Committing Poetry documents many of those dynamic poetry and musical performances. The film includes highlights of the Albuquerque and New York City Poetic Justice concerts. On screen performances by Adan Baca, Socorro Romo, Demetria Martinez, two-time Albuquerque Slam City Champion Tony Santiago, Erin Ambrose, Jazz, The Ruffians, Carlos Contreras, Priscilla Baca y Candelaria, Manuel Gonzales, Danny Solis, Kenn Rodriguez and members of the disbanded Rio Rancho Ram Slam Poetry Team offer an inspiring account of how America's artistic community has responded to war time threats against our cherished civil liberties.

Inaugural Pride Interfaith Service to Kick-Off ABQ Gay Pride Week

From Equality New Mexico:
Albuquerque church leaders to conduct interfaith service to bring ‘spirit’ into the Albuquerque PRIDE celebration: Saturday, June 2, at 7:00 PM, at the First Unitarian Church at Carlisle and Comanche.

For the first time ever, a PRIDE Interfaith Service will kick-off the Albuquerque Gay PRIDE Week on June 2, 2007. The 7:00 PM event will bring together:

• Rabbi Joe Black from Congregation Albert
• Rev. Christine Robinson from First Unitarian Church
• Rev. Brian Taylor from St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
• Rev. Pat Holman from St. Paul’s Lutheran
• Rev. Judith Maynard from the Metropolitan Community Church
• Rev. Trey Hammond from La Mesa Presbyterian Church
• Rev. Lee Albertson from first Congregational Church
• Rev. Sue Gallagher from United Church of Christ

Ronald A. Hersom, Ministerial Intern of the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, will deliver the sermon –- Keepers of the Vision. The service will also feature the New Mexico Women’s Chorus, and the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus.

Rabbi Joe Black: We all have the capacity for holiness within us- when we exclude people based on sexual orientation- or any other defining characteristic – we deny their essential holiness and, more importantly we deny our own essential holiness.

The event offerings will be equally divided between RAIN (Religious Alliance for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination) Common Bond (a gay youth organization) and NMAS (New Mexico Aids Services).
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Equality New Mexico is fighting for full civil rights for all New Mexicans. Please help us continue the fight, Make A donation online today on our secure web site https://www.eqnm.org/donate.html or send a check to EQNM at 1410 Coal Ave SW ABQ, NM 87104.

Albuquerque PRIDE volunteers are needed. Click for info.

Albuquerque PRIDE Week is June 2 thru June 9, 2007. Visit the Albuquerque Pride website for an event schedule and much more.

Domenici Subpoenaed ... Again

This time in the local Elevator Nine trial. New Mexico FBIHOP has . See our previous post for background on this case, including links to a Common Dreams article by one of the demonstrators and to a relevant Pax Christi NM website.

RSVP Now for 2nd Annual Equality Ball on 4/28

(Click on image for larger version)