Democracy for New Mexico

Op-Ed: Protection of Sacred Sites

Editor's Note: The following is an op-ed we sent to the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune on behalf of DFA-Democracy for New Mexico. Although neither newspaper decided to print it, we wanted to get our points published. The Cultural Properties Review Committee met last Friday.

Rank and File Democrats Stand for Respect for All Cultures and the Protection of Sacred Sites

Democracy for New Mexico promotes a democratic, fair, and equitable society for all New Mexicans. We have seen city, and state officials proclaim, on occasion after occasion, the “tri-cultural” legacy as positive proof of a vibrant New Mexico.  So it is with great concern that we find the Paseo Del Norte issue once again being discussed absent basic respect for Native American cultural values. 

This Friday the Cultural Properties Review Committee of the State of New Mexico will meet to decide whether or not to grant the City of Albuquerque a permit to remove Petroglyphs that are within the Paseo Del Norte road corridor. At the last meeting of this State Committee, Governor Richardson’s Cabinet Secretary for Cultural Affairs, Stuart Ashman, advocated in favor of the construction of Paseo Del Norte extension.

Yet just six months ago, Governor Richardson signed an Executive Order urging full tribal consultation on issues concerning sacred sites. No such tribal consultation has taken place.

If as Democrats, we do not stand for respect for all cultures and the protection of sacred sites, who will? Perhaps Governor Richardson should stop following Mayor Martin Chavez’s dictates. They both ought to be less concerned with re-election and more concerned with supporting basic Democratic values.

The Bernalillo County Democratic Party and the New Mexico State Democratic Party – representing the rank-and-file and heart and soul of our Party – have standing resolutions in opposition to the Paseo Extension. It’s high time we respect those resolutions from the base of the Party.

DFA- Democracy for New Mexico, Albuquerque

Bush Crashes

Bush's approval ratings are crashing pretty much everywhere. Check out the graph for New Mexico from polling firm SurveyUSA. As of 8/15/05, only 41% of adults in our state approve of Bush, while 56% disapprove. A state by state breakdown shows Bush at or above 50 percent in only nine states and at 40 or below in 19 states.

In a tone deaf exhibition of his 'What, me worry?' attitude, the President continues his five-week vacation at his faux-ranch. While Gold Star Mother for Peace Cindy Sheehan and supporters endure at Camp Casey this weekend, he'll be focusing on Mountain Biking for Millionaires with a fun ride with Lance Armstrong.

Oh, and they arrested the lout who drove his truck over the crosses and flags erected in Crawford to commemorate the deaths of our soldiers and Marines in Iraq. And when local authorities started spreading the word they'd be closing down the road and booting the Camp, a rancher with a nearby spread offered up his land for campers. Now Camp Casey will have a much safer spot, even closer to BushLand than they were before. Local rancher to the rescue!

Election Fraud Continues in US

According to an article by Peter Philips on Common Dreams, new data show extensive manipulation of non-paper-trail voting machines occurred in several states during the 2004 election. The data comes from a recently released study by Dennis Loo, Ph.D., at Cal Poly Pomona. Some findings:

In 2004 Bush far exceeded the 85% of registered Florida Republican votes that he got in 2000, receiving more than 100% of the registered Republican votes in 47 out of 67 Florida counties, 200% of registered Republicans in 15 counties, and over 300% of registered Republicans in 4 counties. Bush managed these remarkable outcomes despite the fact that his share of the crossover votes by registered Democrats in Florida did not increase over 2000, and he lost ground among registered Independents, dropping 15 points.

... Bush "won" Ohio by 51-48%, but statewide results were not matched by the court-supervised hand count of the 147,400 absentee and provisional ballots in which Kerry received 54.46% of the vote. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio the number of recorded votes was more than 93,000 greater than the number of registered voters.

... national exit polls showed Kerry winning in 2004. However, It was only in precincts where there were no paper trails on the voting machines that the exit polls ended up being different from the final count.

The linked article and the full report by Dr. Loo are important reads for anyone concerned about democracy in America.

Philips concludes:

There is little doubt key Democrats know that votes in 2004 and earlier elections were stolen. The fact that few in Congress are complaining about fraud is an indication of the totality to which both parties accept the status quo of a money based elections system. Neither party wants to further undermine public confidence in the American "democratic" process (over 80 millions eligible voters refused to vote in 2004). Instead we will likely see the quiet passing of legislation that will correct the most blatant problems. Future elections in the US will continue as an equal opportunity for both parties to maintain a national democratic charade in which money counts more than truth.

Meanwhile, the voters' lawsuit in New Mexico has moved into the discovery stage. Click on the continuation page of this post to read the latest from Voter Action and learn how you can make a difference.

New Mexico has the opportunity to play a big role in moving the nation towards more accurate and secure voting for the future.

The Lopategui vs. Vigil-Giron lawsuit is entering a very active phase.  Over the past several months, the county clerk defendants filed motions to dismiss the case and the Secretary of State filed a motion for summary judgment.  These motions seek in different ways to end the case without a trial.  The plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed memoranda opposing the motions.  Before the end of August, the Secretary of State will likely file a reply memorandum in support of her motion for summary judgment, after which Judge Mathis will set a hearing date on the motions.  Plaintiffs’ attorneys believe their position is strong and are guardedly optimistic that the motions will be denied.

Meanwhile, the attorneys for the plaintiffs have commenced the “discovery” process by serving subpoenas on two key witnesses, requiring them to supply documents and testify under oath in depositions in late August.  The first is Terry Rainey, President of Automated Election Services, Inc., the Rio Rancho company that provides extensive election-related services to the Secretary of State and dozens of New Mexico counties.  The second is Ernest Marquez, who worked for Automated Election Services for six years before being hired by the Secretary of State in January 2005 to head the state Bureau of Elections.  Additional depositions, demands for production of documents, and demands for examination of voting systems are planned in the near future.  The ultimate aim is to seek a court ruling in the early part of 2006 that would prohibit future use in New Mexico of voting systems that plaintiffs can prove were inaccurate and unreliable in the 2004 presidential election.

Additional evidence of voting irregularities from the 2004 election continues to surface. Should you have or know anyone who has additional information regarding vote recording or tabulation (counting) irregularities, please contact us at 505 823 6362 or send email info@voteraction.org .

The budget for the New Mexico research and litigation effort is $250,000 and is actively being raised in order to move discovery forward in a timely and effective manner. As a project of the International Humanities Center, a 501(c)(3) organization, Voter Action can offer donors tax deductibility to the full extent permitted by law.  Checks should be made out to Voter Action/IH Center c/o Voter Action, PO Box 25651, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Credit card payments may be made at our website - www.voteraction.org. Gifts of stock can be made by contacting Pam Stokes at Voter Action New Mexico 505 823-6362.

To read the legal filings mentioned here, please visit www.voteraction.org

Thank you again for any and all support you can provide. Thomas’ Jefferson’s quote” The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." stays very relevant today.

For democracy,
The Entire Voter Action Team
PO Box 25651
Albuquerque, NM 87125
(505) 823 6362
www.voteraction.org

The Energy Bill's Gift to Terrorists

Yikes. Read about this over on ex-Albuquerque mayor Jim Baca's blog, Only in New Mexico and at local blog, Soy Blue. And to think that our own Senator Pete Domenici had a major role in making this possible...boggles the mind, and the soul too.

Bush in Albuquerque

Oil at more than $63 a gallon, the shuttle crew reporting widespread environmental damage to the planet clearly visible from above, global warming on the march, an oil war going on in Iraq and here's what our leaders are doing: celebrating the signing of an energy bill with huge giveaways to oil and gas companies at a solar facility at Sandia Labs that dates back to the days of Jimmy Carter:

U.S. President George W. Bush (2nd L), wearing sunglasses to protect his eyes, points at a parabolic dish system to U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM),(R), during a tour of the National Solar Thermal Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from Lab Director Dr. Thomas Hunter.

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) poses with U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici (L), (R-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, (D-N.M.), after signing the new $14.5 billion energy bill into law while at the U.S. Energy Department's Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Click for a Summary of the Harmful Provisions in the Energy Bill issued on 7/26/05 by the Alaska Wilderness League, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, National Audubon Society, National Environmental Trust, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, The Wilderness Society and U.S. PIRG *

Picture of the Week

Our brand spanking new Ambassador to the United Nations with his special benefactor. If you can't win a nomination in the Senate, resort to stealth appointments. I'm sure the circumstances of his appointment will only serve to burnish Bolton's image in the U.N. and around the globe.

Some reactions:

"At a time when we need to reassert our diplomatic power in the world, President Bush has decided to send a seriously flawed and weakened candidate to the United Nations. It's an unnecessary result, and the latest abuse of power by the Bush White House. ... Bolton arrives at the United Nations with a cloud hanging over his head." — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"The abuse of power and the cloak of secrecy from the White House continues. ... It's a devious maneuver that evades the constitutional requirement of Senate consent and only further darkens the cloud over Mr. Bolton's credibility at the U.N." — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

"Making this recess appointment is certainly the president's right, but it is not right for America. Appointing John Bolton to the United Nations sends a terrible message to our intelligence professionals. It is the wrong signal for our intelligence reform efforts. ... I believe it was wrong to appoint him to that position over the Senate's objection." — Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.

"My doubts about his ability to protect and advance U.S. national security interests at the U.N. are simply too strong to support his nomination. John Bolton is the wrong person for the job and the decision to appoint him today will not serve American foreign policy well at all. ... His history of inflammatory statements about the U.N. will also make it difficult for him to effectively advance U.S. security interests in New York and bring about necessary reforms to that institution." — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"The president has the right to make this recess appointment, but it's the wrong decision. It only diminishes John Bolton's validity and leverage to secure America's goals at the U.N. John Bolton has been rejected twice by the Senate to serve as our Ambassador to the United Nations. This is not the way to fill our most important diplomatic jobs." — Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"It's sad that even while the president preaches democracy around the world, he bends the rules and circumvents the will of Congress in appointing our representative to the United Nations." — Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J.

"In a truly arrogant move, President Bush abused his power by refusing to provide documents to answer legitimate questions about John Bolton and our national security, and his use of the recess appointment for one of the most important and sensitive posts in international diplomacy is troubling," said Dean. "Bolton is the next in a line of Bush nominees who have had their integrity called into question because of this President's continuing failure to fulfill his constitutional obligation to be honest and forthright with the Senate and the American people. By moving unilaterally to overrule the Senate and appoint a nominee who is being dogged by significant questions about his integrity on intelligence matters, Bush has reduced our nation's ability to cooperate with our allies on the war on terror." — Howard Dean, DNC Chair

ABQ Living Wage Update

From ACORN NM:
As of this past Monday, 7,300 petition signatures in support of an October ballot initiative that would to raise the minimum wage to $7.50 per hour have been approved by City Clerk's office. The petition needs the signatures of almost 14,000 registered city voters to get on the ballot. Supporters recently turned in more than 33,000 signatures.

As reported by local news outlets, there are allegations that a worker contracted by ACORN to collect petition signatures did so fraudulently. ACORN is not disputing the allegation. Henderson said Tuesday that he does not expect that the elimination of the signatures collected by that worker will effect the ability of the initiative to earn a spot on the October ballot.

The Campaign also announced it will hold a press conference at 11 AM on Monday, Aug. 1, on the northwest corner of Civic Plaza. If the signature count is completed and the petition is validated by Monday, the press conference will celebrate that victory. If the count is not done by then, the press conference will be used to defend the integrity of the petition process, which also involved churches, many individuals, and other organizations in support of the wage hike in addition to the approximately 75 persons hired by ACORN.

For more information call ACORN at  242-7411.

Another Vote Bites the Dust

Local blog m-pyre has the scoop on the Democratic House and Senate defectors who voted for CAFTA. Need I say more?

Oxfam explains why the lastest "free" trade treaty will be as bad, if not worse, than NAFTA. It was some spectacle as the House voted, with BushCo operatives threatening members of Congress with pork cuts and offering generous pork helpings to those who consented to have their arms (and souls) twisted to vote aye. Two votes made the difference.

Perhaps most amazing was Bush's hard sell of the treaty on the basis of -- get this -- homeland security! Uh huh. It was explained that the treaty will result in such prosperity in Central America that the "terrorist" citizens there won't even think about crossing our border legally or illegally. Funny how it hasn't worked that way with NAFTA and Mexico, isn't it? Facts just have an inconvenient tendency for getting in the way of lies that way.

Cheering the loudest? Big Pharmaceuticals! CAFTA forces their expensive pills on the Central American populace in place of the cheap generics produced elsewhere. Followed closely by the cheers of Big Agricultural companies who benefit from big U.S. gov'mint subsidies. They'll get to dump rice and genetically modified foods and seeds on Central American nations while putting small farmers out of business lickety-split.

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee: Taos Activist Lois Abraham's Project for Women's Health in East Timor

From 1000 Peace Women:
Millions of women are engaged daily in working for a better future. Without regard for their own safety, they are active on behalf of the community's well-being. They call for reconciliation, demand justice, and rebuild what has been destroyed. They transform conflicts. They fight against poverty   and for human rights. They create alternative sources of income, and they strive   for access to land and clean water. They educate and heal. They reintegrate HIV patients. They find solutions to a great many forms of violence and they condemn the genital mutilation of girls.

The project 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 defined as its objective the nominating of 1000 women to represent collectively the millions above-mentioned. The life stories, the visions, methods, strategies and networks of these 1000 women will be publicized. With this recognition they should receive both encouragement and gratitude for their commitment.

After almost three years' work, we are happy to introduce these 1000 women to you . Their short biographies were compiled by local journalists and authors, as well as by academics and by members of organizations. These biographies give us insight into the life and work of each of the 1000 women. They also reflect the cultural differences involved in evaluating personal data. To satisfy any curiosity for further information, on the 1000 women will appear in autumn 2005.

The 10 peace women in Uzbekistan are seriously endangered if their names are made public at the moment. Therefore we have decided not to disclose their names at this stage of the project.

In the coming months this website will be continually updated and enlarged, until all 1000 women have been portrayed in as much detail as possible.

Lois Abraham at home in Taos, New Mexico.
Photo: Alvaro Serrano

Two of the 1000 Women: Lois Abraham and Jane Roberts

"Lois and Jane demonstrated that citizens in the US understand that family planning, safe motherhood, and HIV/AIDS prevention are essential." Thoraya Obaid

34 Million Friends of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund)
https://www.unfpa.org/support/friends/34million.htm

34 Million Friends of UNFPA got its start in July 2002 with the coincidental, almost simultaneous, inspiration of two women, Jane Roberts and Lois Abraham. Both were outraged by the US decision to withhold from the United Nations Population Fund $34 million in congressionally appropriated funds, and each was determined to do something about it. 34 Million Friends has become a grassroots movement supported by 100,000 individuals who have contributed more than $2 million and demonstrated widespread commitment to UNFPA's work to improve the health and well-being of people around the world.

See: Media Information:

Taos New Mexico resident, Lois Abraham's project in East Timor:

ACTION ALERT: Submit Comments on Preserving the National Environmental Policy Act by 7/27

From SaveOurEnvironment.org:
Is it a new type of sushi?  An exotic bird?  Actually, NEPA stands for The National Environmental Policy Act, a landmark environmental law that has protected our natural heritage for over thirty years.  This law gives us average Americans a voice in decisions made by the government that could harm the air we breathe, the water we drink and the bountiful public lands that make up our unique heritage. 

Right now, NEPA is under attack and we need your help to protect it!

Next week a Congressional task force led by the anti-environment House Resources Committee will be holding a hearing on NEPA in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  The task force will be accepting comments on NEPA, and if you submit your comments before Thursday July 27, we will hand deliver them to the hearing for you. 

Click here to stand up for your rights and submit your comments in support of NEPA today!

At its most basic level NEPA is about giving people the power to protect their health and their environment.  It requires the government to "look before it leaps" by reviewing major federal projects for their impact on the environment and public health.  If the impacts will be significant, they have to come up with new ways to minimize the damage and then share those options with the public. 

House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA), a long-time ally of developers and the oil, mining and timber industries, formed a NEPA task force earlier this year to hold field hearings around the country.  These hearings are designed purely to give big industry and other NEPA opponents a platform to attack and slander this excellent legislation that gives us the power to protect our own health and environment.

To date the hearings have been scheduled on short notice and have been unbalanced, typically having a four or five to one ratio of NEPA opponents versus supporters.  That's why your comments are so important and so desperately needed!

Once you've submitted your comments, please take a moment to forward this email to your friends, family and co-workers to urge them to take action as well!

Thanks so much for your help!

Katelyn Sabochik
Online Campaign Manager
info@saveourenvironment.org