Democracy for New Mexico

ACTION ALERT: Still Much to Do to Support Clean Election Code

From Common Cause NM:
Last week, we sent a CauseNet to our supporters across the country about the Open and Ethical Elections Code push in Albuquerque, and we certainly got a response.  Individuals from all parts of the country -- from Maryland to Hawaii, from Connecticut to California -- wished us luck in this campaign.¹  But it has been New Mexico residents who have been the most adamant in their desire for Clean Elections in the Duke City.  Albuquerque residents, as well as supporters from Santa Fe, Taos, Las Cruces, and other places around the state, have shown their support.  We are currently knocking on doors, educating voters about this measure, and urging their support in the October 4 election.

It's not too late to help.  Sign up at and be a part of this exciting movement.  Whether you are knocking on doors or calling potential supporters, you will get a real sense of support for Clean Elections.²  Our volunteers have been commenting on the positive reactions they are hearing, and about how rewarding it feels to interact with voters in an effort to level the political playing field.

Even if you can't be on the ground in Albuquerque, you can still help in other ways.  Tell your friends in the area about our effort.  Donate to help fund our activities here.  We have less than two weeks until victory, but we will need your help.

Join Us In Albuquerque for Clean Elections
There is definitely a movement afoot.  Our coalition partnerships continue to grow as groups such as the League of Women Voters, Albuquerque Interfaith, Southwest Organizing Project, and others push for Clean Elections.  Common Cause is doing a full-court press as well.  Staff from Washington, DC, and our Colorado office have already been to Albuquerque, and in the coming week, more staff from California, Colorado, DC, and Oregon will join us.  Common Cause President Chellie Pingree was recently in New Mexico to promote the Open and Ethical Elections Code at the home of State Senator Dede Feldman.³  And it's not too late to join the cause.

Of course, the most important thing for Albuquerque residents to do is vote "Yes" on the Open and Ethical Elections Code on October 4.  The measure has been endorsed by the Alibi,⁴ The Albuquerque Tribune,⁵ mayoral candidates, City Councilors, and we have received favorable attention in publications like Crosswinds Weekly.⁶  But as we move into the final days of this campaign, it is your support, that of all New Mexico residents, that will make the difference.

Thank you for all you do for Clean Elections in New Mexico.
Sincerely,
Matt Brix
Director, Common Cause New Mexico

Give to Common Cause

Discuss this message

1: https://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/9/21/14346/0252

2: https://www.commoncause.org/site/lookup.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=992501

3: https://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/9/13/113515/294

4: https://www.alibi.com/editorial/section_display.php?di=2005-09-15&scn=feature#12724

5: https://www1.abqtrib.com/albq/op_editorials/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19867_3854468,00.html

6:

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

(Click image for larger version.)

I see the anti-living wage zealots and their cohorts are out there in full force these days, muddying the issue and lying about what the ballot initiative would require, if passed. I guess if I had a choice between having to defend keeping way too many of our citizens in poverty in order to attack the intiative and pretending that the issue was really about hordes of people invading the private areas of businesses and combing through their records, I'd choose the latter. That way I wouldn't be viewed as a cold-hearted, selfish Scrooge unconcerned with basic fairness and justice for all.

But let's face it. Many opponents of the living wage law just can't abide the idea of the rabble making enough to take their families to a restaurant once a month, even if the extra change on the street would actually benefit restaurants in this way. Go figure.

Some truths about the proposed raise in the minimum wage that's on the Albuquerque ballot October 4:

Big business has been lying on TV, radio, and in newspapers about what the living wage measure does. It does not--in any way--allow the public into any business work area or school or hospital.  It does not allow anyone to talk to customers or disrupt business.  It explicitly limits the right to educate employees about their rights to NON-WORK areas, and has other restrictions, too.

PASS IT ON!
Click for a pdf of the ad shown above from this week's Alibi.  And here's another with a white background. Please print it out and make copies to give to friends and family, or email it as an attachment. But that's not going to be enough to counter the total lies of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. YOU have to forward this to everyone you know in New Mexico.  YOU have to talk to your friends about what the living wage really does (and what it's done in the 17 states and the District of Columbia--plus Santa Fe--which have a higher minimum wage than Bush's $5.15):

it increases pride in work
it motivates people to work
it increases productivity
it decreases crime
it decreases welfare
it lowers turnover
it increases morale
it brings more money into our city from big
multinational corporations
it means more economic activity
it means greater profits
and most of all . . .
it means that we're a moral society that looks out for the least among us. 

MAKE A DONATION & ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO!
And if possible, please try to convince friends, coworkers and families to chip in to make sure that we can get this message on TV, radio, and in even more publications. Here's the place to donate to this effort: https://www.abqlivingwage.org/

Voting yes for a higher minimum wage on October 4 is something each and every Albuquerquean can be proud of.  But without spreading the truth about this bill, we may be left with the shame of having turned our backs on our most vulnerable families, all because of deceitful, dishonest big-money advertising.

More on NM Treasurer Scandal

Today's post by Joe Monahan on the continuing fall-out from the fraud indictments of ex-NM Treasurer Michael Montoya and current Treasurer Robert Vigil includes a link to the entire 30-page FBI affidavit filed in the case courtesy of the Santa Fe New Mexican.

An article in today's Santa Fe New Mexican has the latest developments, including Attorney General Patricia Madrid's announcement that she will seek to have Vigil removed from office if he doesn't resign.

Our original post on this issue can be found here. Your thoughts?

Phew!

No more parking on 23 miles of roads around Bush's faux ranch. See .

Must Read: Dean on Roberts

DNC Chair Howard Dean shreds Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in an email to Dems and an op-ed piece that will be appearing in newspapers across the nation. Read them and act by writing a letter to the editor of your paper. Excerpt:

The consistent mark of Roberts' career is a lack of commitment to making the Constitution's promise of equal protection a reality for all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable in our society.

He has opposed laws protecting the rights of girls and young women to have the same opportunities in sports as boys and young men. He has argued that politicians, not individual women themselves, ought to control women's reproductive health care. He has opposed various remedies for the racial injustices which have occurred in America since slavery and which persist today. He has consistently joined the radical right in seeking to weaken voting rights protections, in essence attacking the rights of black and Hispanic voters to cast their ballot without paying poll taxes or being subjected to intimidation or gerrymandering. He fought against protecting all Americans from workplace discrimination. Most worrisome, he refused to answer questions on his limited view of the right to personal privacy that most Americans take for granted.

It will be enlightening to see which Dems will vote according to core Democratic values on Roberts and which ones will collapse in spineless surrender, won't it?

When in Doubt, Cut Wages

From Reuters:

President Bush issued an executive order Thursday allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.

In a notice to Congress, Bush said the hurricane had caused "a national emergency" that permits him to take such action under the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act in ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

I'm sure this is the first of many measures BushCo will take in the coming months and years to assure that the massive expenditures devoted to hurricane rebuilding will mostly go into the pockets of his cronies, including Halliburton, which already has secured several Katrina contracts. I wouldn't be surprised if they proceded to suspend all labor laws and return to forced slavery for the rebuilding work.

I'm sure Rep. Richard Baker (House Web site), Republican from Baton Rouge, would be all for it given the racism and immorality indicated by his recent statement on Kartrina's aftermath:

"We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

The Booman Tribune has more.

Cheney Effed in Gulfport

Walking a hurricane-riddled street, Vice President Dick Cheney declared Thursday that much progress is being made in a disaster relief effort he termed "very impressive." (From CNN)

Un huh. Impressive. Apparently at least one Mississippian disagrees:

Vice President Dick Cheney, in Gulfport, Mississippi on a tour of the Katrina hurricane zone, was told to "go f**k yourself" twice on live television, RAW STORY has learned.

During a discussion on hurricane relief efforts, an off camera protester shouts, "Go f**k yourself, Mr. Cheney. Go f**k yourself."

The camera remains on Cheney while we hear scuffling in the background. Cheney continues speaking.

CNN's reporter asks Cheney, "Are you getting a lot of that Mr. Vice President?"

Cheney replies, "First time I've heard it., Must be a friend of John..., er, ah - never mind."

Video at Think Progress (QT) and Crooks and Liars (QT, WMP).

Timeline to Hell

Think Progress offers an instructive timeline on the Katrina disaster and the responses of FEMA and BushCo.

Left, Bush takes time for a photo-op with Sen. McCain and his birthday cake near Phoenix on the morning New Orleans Mayor Nagin reports water is flowing over the levees in New Orleans. That same morning, Bush spoke with Homeland Security director Michael Chernoff about immigration and gave a speech on Medicare.

When you're finished with that, you can consider the sobering account of the Bush record by the numbers recently compiled by the Democratic Policy Committee on everything from the Iraq War to Homeland Security to Veterans.

Another good piece to contemplate is provided by Reasononline in "The Deadly Bigotry of Low Expectations? Did the rumor mill help kill Katrina victims?" Remember those shots at the helicopter that kept relief from hospital workers and patients? According to the FAA, it didn't happen. Remember those rapes in the Superdome? According to New Orleans Police superintendent Edwin Compass, there were none. Remember when journalists sought documentation and confirmation about rumors before printing or airing them? Not in today's media circus.

Local blog NM Politics: Cutting Through the Clutter has an intriguing item about Rep. Heather Wilson's husband getting a $100,000 contract with FEMA. He's "an attorney who works on personal injury suits on behalf of insurance companies." Wow.

Finally, an article in the New Mexican focuses on Sen. Domenici's role in the budget cutting for New Orleans flood control measures, as well as statements from Senator Bingaman and Rep. Udall on Katrina and its aftermath.

Bush Family Quote of the Day

. . . on the surge of evacuees to Houston, Barbara Bush said: "Almost everyone I’ve talked to says we're going to move to Houston."

Then she added: "What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them."

From

Katrina Evacuees Welcomed at ABQ Convention Center: How We Can Help

9/7 UPDATE: All listed organizations have requested at least a temporary stop in people dropping off clothes, food and other items. Many need volunteers to sort and process what they have already received. Financial donations are still being sought. Please call the city information number at 311  or the organization BEFORE taking any items over there in person. Reports are that evacuees in the ABQ Convention Center now number about 40, with most having success in finding other housing.

9/6 UPDATE: The Salvation Army isn't taking any more clothing donations. The number of evacuees at the ABQ Convention Center is down to about 60 and it is unclear whether any more will be arriving, or when. Please DO NOT take donations directly there. Please call 311 to see if anything else is needed. Roadrunner Food Bank still needs volunteers but please call or email them BEFOREHAND.

As of late Sunday, 93 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina had been welcomed at the Albuquerque Convention Center downtown. It's expected that about a thousand people will eventually he housed temporarily at the facility, with a total of about 6,000 expected throughout the state. Governor Richardson has declared a state of emergency and released about a million dollars to assist help hurricane victims here in New Mexico.

How We Can Help

According to the Albuquerque Journal, you can call the City of Albuquerque info line at 311 for information on how to help, to find out what items are needed or to offer housing to those who need it. Call the state at 1-800-610-7610 to find out where to drop off diapers, baby food and baby formula needed for disaster relief.

The NM Human Services Department at 1-866-638-6819 is coordinating donations of other goods and services.

Call the NM Department of Children, Youth and Families at 1-800-610-7610 to find out what they need.

Also, Roadrunner Food Bank needs food donations and volunteers to sort and process the food and other items they're receiving.

TO VOLUNTEER: After 8 a.m. Tuesday, call 247-2052 ext. 101 or go to www.rrfb.org to e-mail availability.

TO DONATE: Send checks to Roadrunner Food Bank/Katrina Disaster Relief, 2645 Baylor S.E., Albuquerque 87106. Baylor Drive is off Gibson a few blooks east of Yale boulevard on the South side of GIbson. In addition to regular food items, they're also now accepting baby food, formula and diapers.

Donations for the Roadrunner food bank are also being collected at the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, 444 Fourth St. SW.

American's Second Harvest is coordinating nationwide food support for hurricane relief.

SALVATION ARMY offices in Albuquerque are accepting: Blankets, Pillows, Towels, Toiletries, Clothes (especially men's), children's toys. Bring them to 411 Broadway SE (a couple blocks south of Central) or 6821 Academy near Jefferson and Osuna area.