Democracy for New Mexico

Stop NAFTA's Evil Twin: CAFTA

From the Communication Workers of America:

Sen. Jeff Bingaman can stop an unfair trade deal that will hurt workers in New Mexico and in Central America. The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)—called NAFTA’s twin brother—debuts in Congress with a Senate Finance Committee hearing scheduled for April 13. Bingaman is on that committee—and he needs to hear from you now.

Please take one moment to send a message urging Sen. Bingaman to oppose CAFTA and instead work for a fair relationship with Central America and the Dominican Republic that does not lead to a race to the bottom. Click here:

www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Stop_CAFTA_cwa

CAFTA is just like NAFTA—a failure. NAFTA supporters promised us it would help our economy and reduce poverty and inequality in Mexico. Instead, we lost nearly a million U.S. jobs, and workers in Mexico earn less in real terms than they did before NAFTA.

CAFTA is more of the same—another flawed trade deal that will sell out America’s jobs and do nothing to pull people out of poverty in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

In fact, CAFTA is the Wal-Mart of trade deals. It gives big corporations all the breaks while good jobs, workers’ rights and decent wages are forsaken.

Trade deals like CAFTA have devastated our communities, shutting down American workplaces, exporting our jobs and leaving skilled workers unable to find jobs that can support their families. Right now, we are losing jobs because of bad trade deals in every single sector open to trade competition, from lumber and aerospace to clothing. You name it, we’ve lost it—and CAFTA will only make things worse.

Sen. Bingaman needs to hear from you that there are better ways to do trade. We need a fair relationship with Central America and the Dominican Republic that makes moral and economic sense for all workers.

Once you have contacted Bingaman, please click the following link to ask your friends, family and colleagues to contact him as well:

www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Stop_CAFTA_cwa/forward

Thank you for making your voice heard for workers here and in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

Measure of Success on Darfur and ICC

From Roger and Mary Schense:
We want to thank all those who complied with the request on your website to email  President Bush and the administration, urging the US to abstain on the vote for referral of the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court.

This past Friday the Security Council voted to refer Darfur to the ICC. Four countries abstained: Algeria, Brazil, China, and the US. We are extremely grateful for the pressure brought to bear by everyone who supported this issue. We are hearing that the emails carried a lot of weight.

We are amazed and heartened by this event. While we understand that trade-offs are a part of the game, we believe that the referral bodes well for the Africans who have been enduring this horror.

(Editor's Note: Click to read the post on the DFNM blog to which they are referring.)

What's Going On?

Paul Krugman has it just right on the extremists that are now in control of much of America. Click to read his column, "What's Going On." And how will future presidential candidate Jeb Bush explain his utter disdain for the separation of powers in ordering the seizure of Terri Shiavo?

For more info on this, here's the Knight-Ridder story that originally exposed the thwarted plans of Jeb.

NM Democratic Party Responds to Heather Wilson's Townhall Meeting Today

As Rep. Heather Wilson leads a townhall meeting on the Medicare prescription drug benefit today at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, it's useful to ponder the truth of the situation rather than her talking points provided by the RNC. Here are some facts from Matt Farrauto of the DPNM that provide a more realistic picture. Writing a letter to the editor on this seems like a great idea:

THE WILSON PLANS

Medicare:
The Medicare prescription drug benefit was passed by Congress in 2003.  The program is costly for those who enroll in it and that it will not provide much of a benefit.  The U.S. Health and Human Services website set up to help New Mexico seniors determine where they can purchase prescription drugs at a discount was rife with errors.* *A report prepared by U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform at the request of Senator Jeff Bingaman 

• Of 29 independent pharmacies listed as participating in the Medicare drug discount card  program, 18 were either closed or do not accept any of the various discount drug cards issued last year. 
• A state prison was erroneously listed as a participating pharmacy throughout 2004. 
• The Hima Bindu Smelse Mora Clinic was named as a participating pharmacy, despite the fact that they sell only herbal remedies, not prescription drugs. 
• Sixteen of the 29 pharmacies listed as participating in the drug discount card program were actually closed. 
• Only 11 pharmacies were identified correctly, yet even the information related to those contained errors.  In each of those cases, the pharmacy accepted either more of the drug discount cards than were listed, or fewer of them. 
• The discount cards, which seniors had to seek out and sign up for, were supposed to provide a $600 credit toward the purchase of prescriptions for the years 2004 and 2005, while the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is set up. 
• Only about 11,000 of the estimated 50,000 low-income New Mexicans would were supposed to benefit from these drug discount cards actually received them last year. 
• Over $23 million in prescription drug assistance to New Mexicans was lost in 2004 due to this failure.”
• By January 1, 2006, 6.4 million seniors nationwide who currently receive prescription drug coverage through Medicaid will have to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug plan.  Medicaid is the federal health care program for the poor; Medicare is the federal health plan for seniors.   There will be just a six-week window, beginning on November 15, 2005, in which seniors will be allowed to sign up.
• Seniors will be inadvertently left out and left without any coverage at all. 
• Even if 80% of dual eligibles can e educated and correctly enrolled by January 2006, more than a million of the frailest Medicare beneficiaries will lack access to needed medications.

Social Security (A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM THAT WORKS):
Wilson voted for Bush’s 2006 budget, which also neglects to account for the difficult trade-offs between increases in the debt, benefit cuts, and tax increases necessary to fund the White House's privatization proposal.  In fact, the Wilson-supported House GOP budget raids the Social Security Trust Fund of more than $1.1 trillion over the next five years. [H. Con. Res. 95 Roll Call #88; CQ House Action Reports, FY 2006 Budget Res, 3/14/05] 

The GOP plan to establish private accounts requires borrowing nearly $5 trillion, largely from foreign countries, and increasing our debt for the next 50 years, threatening rising interest rates today, and raising taxes on our children and grandchildren tomorrow.  Bush’s privatization proposal would cut guaranteed benefits by more than 40 percent, and, as the nonpartisan U.S. Comptroller General recently confirmed, “would not improve the system’s financial situation and would ‘accelerate’ insolvency.” [Sammon/Fagan, Washington Times, 3/10/05]

Repub Hypocrisy Reigns

From the blogosphere... more at:

How seriously should we take the concern and outrage of Dubya, DeLay, Bob Schindler (Terri Schaivo's father), and the right-to-lifers? Let's take them one at a time.

First, Dubya. In 1999, as governor of Texas, Bush signed into law , which allows a hospital to discontinue life support, over the objections of the patient's family, if the hospital's ethics committee finds that the treatment is nonbeneficial. (link via Mark A.R. Kleiman) Although the law originally applied only to adult patients, in 2003 the Texas legislature extended it to include children.

This past Tuesday, March 15, the law was used to remove a breathing tube from Sun Hudson, an African-American baby in Houston, against his mother's wishes, causing his death:

The baby wore a cute blue outfit with a teddy bear covering his bottom. The 17-pound, nearly 6-month-old boy wiggled with eyes open, his mother said, and smacked his lips.

Then at 2 p.m. Tuesday, a medical staffer at Texas Children's Hospital gently removed the breathing tube that had kept Sun Hudson alive since his birth Sept. 25. Cradled by his mother, he took a few breaths, and died.

"I talked to him, I told him that I loved him. Inside of me, my son is still alive," Wanda Hudson told reporters afterward. "This hospital was considered a miracle hospital. When it came to my son, they gave up in six months. ... They made a terrible mistake." [link via Long Story Short Pier]

Also in Houston, doctors are invoking the law Governor George W. Bush signed in announcing that they intend to cut off life support for Spiro Nikolouzos against his family's wishes:

A patient's inability to pay for medical care combined with a prognosis that renders further care futile are two reasons a hospital might suggest cutting off life support, the chief medical officer at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital said Monday.

Dr. David Pate's comments came as the family of Spiro Nikolouzos fights to keep St. Luke's from turning off the ventilator and artificial feedings keeping the 68-year-old grandfather alive.

St. Luke's notified Jannette Nikolouzos in a March 1 letter that it would withdraw life-sustaining care of her husband of 34 years in 10 days, which would be Friday. Mario Caballero, the attorney representing the family, said he is seeking a two-week extension, at minimum, to give the man more time to improve and to give his family more time to find an alternative facility. [link via Atrios; typo in story corrected]

Has Dubya spoken out against these terrible abuses of the bill that he signed into law? Has he stated that "there should be a presumption in favor" of allowing the lives of Sun Hudson and Spiro Nikolouzos to continue? Has he declared that he made a terrible mistake, and wishes he had vetoed the bill instead of signing it? Nope. He hasn't said a word.

Second, Tom DeLay. He's a Texan, too. Has he spoken out about the taking of Sun Hudson's life, and the threat to take Spiro Nikolouzos's life, both in Texas? Surely he's given enraged press conferences denouncing these as "murder" and "medical terrorism," and introduced legislation to protect the lives of Sun Hudson, Spiro Nikolouzos, and others like them? Nah. Not a peep out of him, either.

An article in today's Washington Post suggests that DeLay and other congressional Republicans' deep concern about Ms. Schiavo might be (gasp!) politically motivated:

In a memo distributed only to Republican senators, the Schiavo case was characterized as "a great political issue" that could pay dividends with Christian conservatives, whose support is essential in midterm elections such as those coming up in 2006.

. . . .

An unsigned one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators, said the debate over Schiavo would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is up for reelection next year and is potentially vulnerable in a state President Bush won last year.

"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, which was reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats." [link via Talking Points Memo]

Third, Bob Schindler. He's probably too preoccupied with his daughter's case to have heard about Sun Hudson or Spiro Nikolouzos, so it wouldn't be fair to criticize him for not saying anything about them. But it turns out that he pulled the plug on his own mother:

[G]iven the vehemence with which he has been fighting to prolong Terri's life, it is a little surprising to learn that Robert decided to turn off the life-support system for his mother. She was 79 at the time, and had been ill with pneumonia for a week, when her kidneys gave out. "I can remember like yesterday the doctors said she had a good life. I asked, 'If you put her on a ventilator does she have a chance of surviving, of coming out of this thing?'" Robert says. "I was very angry with God because I didn't want to make those decisions." [emphasis added]

Fourth, the right-to-lifers. The inconsistency of Dubya and DeLay and Bob Schindler is very disappointing. But surely the highly principled right-to-life folks have been just as upset about Sun Hudson and Spiro Nikolouzos as they have about Terri Schiavo? No, they've haven't said jack about Sun or Spiro, either. Odd.

But surely the right-to-lifers vigorously opposed that horrible Texas law that allows hospitals to discontinue treatment to Sun, Spiro and others against their families' wishes, right? No, they helped write it:

[O]ne of the co-drafters in both 1999 and 2003 was the National Right to Life Committee. Witnesses who testified in support of the bill in 1999 included representatives of National Right to Life [and] Texas Right to Life . . . .

Digby observes with his usual eloquence:

By now most people who read liberal blogs are aware that George W. Bush signed a law in Texas that expressly gave hospitals the right to remove life support if the patient could not pay and there was no hope of revival, regardless of the patient's family's wishes. It is called the Texas Futile Care Law. Under this law, a baby was removed from life support against his mother's wishes in Texas just this week. A 68 year old man was given a temporary reprieve by the Texas courts just yesterday.

Those of us who read liberal blogs are also aware that Republicans have voted en masse to pull the plug (no pun intended) on Medicaid funding that pays for the kind of care that someone like Terry Schiavo and many others who are not so severely brain damaged need all across this country.

Those of us who read liberal blogs also understand that that the tort reform that is being contemplated by the Republican Congress would preclude malpractice claims like that which has paid for Terry Schiavo's care thus far.

Those of us who read liberal blogs are aware that the bankruptcy bill will make it even more difficult for families who suffer a catastrophic illness like Terry Schiavo's because they will not be able to declare chapter 7 bankruptcy and get a fresh start when the gargantuan medical bills become overwhelming.

And those of us who read liberal blogs also know that this grandstanding by the Congress is a purely political move designed to appease the religious right and that the legal maneuverings being employed would be anathema to any true small government conservative.

Those who don't read liberal blogs, on the other hand, are seeing a spectacle on television in which the news anchors repeatedly say that the Congress is "stepping in to save Terry Schiavo" mimicking the unctuous words of Tom DeLay as they grovel and leer at the family and nod sympathetically at the sanctimonious phonies who are using this issue for their political gain. [link via Atrios; typos corrected]

(Thanks to Nancy G. for this story.)

Counter Republican Anti-Social Security Blitz

From Democracy for America:

Get ready for the Republican anti-Social Security blitz.

A couple of weeks ago a right-wing front group called "USA Next" made national news when it started its anti-Social Security campaign with a bigoted, hateful ad. You helped create a backlash so strong that it spent the next few weeks licking its wounds.

But now they're back. USA Next is set to go on the air with its political hate speech in the next two weeks. You built the momentum -- we can't let up now. Ask your friends to petition media outlets to keep bigotry and distortions off the air:

https://www.democracyforamerica.com/StopUSANextInvite

Remember -- the USA Next ads come from the same Republican operatives who unleashed the swift boat attacks.

And USA Next isn't the only player -- it is just one of dozens of entities that funnel money from corporations and right-wing billionaires into our political process. They have pledged to spend whatever it takes to dismantle Social Security.

Their latest project: producing distorted polls to generate news coverage and "evidence" of support for their privatization agenda. It's part of a coordinated effort by corporate interests and conservative ideologues to wage a multi-front war on Social Security.

Fox News, of course, featured the results of the biased poll. But so did other news outlets -- they need to be put on notice that they will be held accountable for airing USA Next's distortions. Tell your friends to join the call for accountability now:

https://www.democracyforamerica.com/StopUSANextInvite

Conservative ideologues have been plotting the takedown of Social Security for a generation. And while we have done a good job getting the truth out so far, we can't rest.

The fight to save Social Security isn't over -- it has barely begun.

Tom Hughes, Executive Director
Democracy for America

The Arctic Refuge Debacle: Keeping Strong in Tough Times

The following message is from Stephen Capra, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance . If you attended Albuquerque's DFA-DFNM Meetup earlier this month, you'll remember Steve's moving presentation and film on preserving Otero Mesa. I hope you'll support the important work of his group by becoming a member and perhaps donating some volunteer hours. Every dollar and every hour helps.

Yesterday, was a sad, but far from conclusive vote on the fate of America's crown jewel, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I was in Washington when the final votes were counted and I can tell you that many people like myself who have worked on this issue for over 20 years, were disappointed, but realized that the fight is far from over. Still, sitting in the Wayburn wilderness house just a few blocks from the capitol with about one hundred other arctic activists it was a sobering moment that spoke to the clear ideological divide that we now confront.

The vote on the Arctic was not about oil, but about the power of the Bush-Cheney Administration and punishment to the conservation community that has fought this Administration for the past five years trying to hold on to the many pieces of conservation legislation and wildlands that have been the cornerstone of our quality of life in America.

As the Executive Director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, it could logically be argued by you as members that the Arctic Refuge is not our organizations priority. That would be correct. Our mission remains the protection, creation and restoration of wilderness in New Mexico. But sometimes there are places of such special value, that they come to symbolize what our movement and commitment are all about, the Arctic Refuge is just such a place. The Arctic issue will not be our organization’s focal point, but nor will we stay silent or give up on this special place.

Like many of you, I have never been to the Arctic Refuge. But that did not stop me from walking from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide in 1990 to raise awareness and speak to groups about protecting the refuge. It has not stopped people from riding bikes across America, even fat tire beach bikes to say this place must be protected. It has not stopped school kids from raising thousands of dollars to fight development. It has not stopped the Gwitch’in people for fighting for their way of life. It has not stopped people from following the great herds of caribou on their migration, filming them and sharing their unique perspective, mosquitoes and all!

From grade school kids to senior citizens, from former Supreme Court Justice William O-Douglas to Marty and Olaus Murie there continue to be generations who love and have fought to protect this wild place. I am writing today to say the fight is not over. I am asking for you to roll up your sleeves and make sure our very important New Mexico delegation understands how important this debate is to you. Make sure papers around the state understand how important this debate is to you.

In order for drilling to start, the Senate will have to pass a budget, something they have not done in the past five years. The facts surrounding drilling in the refuge continue to make clear there is no logic in moving forward. Many questions about who would get the oil and why we are not moving towards a serious energy plan, that focuses on alternative energy solutions for America continue. But if we sit by idly, this Administration and their friends in the oil and gas industry will push forward in the Arctic and ultimately our wildest New Mexico lands. The time has come to say NO!

Flying back from Washington last night I reflected on how the Arctic Refuge had so personally affected my life and so many others. Like the Great Plains of old, this magical place still holds wildlife in numbers and species that remain hard to comprehend. When I think of plans to drill the Refuge, I am reminded of the decision to build Glen Canyon dam back in the early sixties. Many have wondered if just a few more years had passed, would the powers that be have ever built it? Was the gain in power generation, worth the loss of such wildness? For many the answer is clearly no.  Today, we are confronted with another Glen Canyon type saga; only the amount of power generation is likely far less. With the Arctic Refuge, my hope is that we can all look back and say we made the right choice for future generations- we chose wildness.

Please get involved and let our Senators hear from you today, meet with them on their annual recess and send a letter to the editor of your local paper. We are setting up an informal group of volunteers to be involved on issues related to the Arctic Refuge, if you are interested contact Nathan Newcomer at Nathan@nmwild.org.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Vote Expected in the Senate This Week

From the NM Wilderness Alliance:
Last week, the House and Senate budget committees split over whether or not to include proposals to allow drilling in America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be included in the federal budget.  The Senate is poised to vote this week on whether or not to allow the drilling provision to stay in the budget.

Using the following Toll-Free Capitol Switchboard number (1-877-762-8762 toll free) you can connect to any of your Senators, or go to https://capwiz.com/awc/dbq/officials/ and click on your state to get the direct number for your Senator.

Latest Developments:
On the House side, the House budget resolution has no Arctic provision in it.  In fact, the House budget committee   explicitly stated that they did not want the budget process from being used to open the Artic Refuge to drilling.  "We have tried to keep the budget free of policy. Things like [drilling in the Arctic Refuge] immediately create a lightning rod," said Sean Spicer, spokesman for the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA).

Even though the entire Budget Committee is now on record saying that they oppose using the budget to advance Arctic drilling, the budget resolution is a non-binding document and is only a recommended blueprint.  Other committees with jurisdiction over specific parts of the budget may ignore the wishes of the budget committee and decide to include a drilling proposal anyway.

In the Senate, the Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) decided to include the controversial drilling provision in the Senate version.  Despite opposition from several Senators in his own party, Senator Gregg said he thought it was "reasonable" to assume that the drilling provision would remain in the budget.

During the budget committee meeting, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) offered an amendment to strip the Arctic drilling provision out of the budget resolution.  The amendment failed on a straight party-line 10-12 vote.

Next week, the Senate is scheduled to have a floor debate on the budget resolution.  Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will go to the Senate floor with an amendment to remove the provision that allows drilling in America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Ask your Senator to vote 'YES' on the Cantwell amendment to keep drilling in the Arctic Refuge out of the Senate Budget Bill!

Tell Voting Machine Companies to Be Patriotic

From Velvet Revolution:
On February 21, 2005 (President's Day), Velvet Revolution sent a letter to each of the nine major American Voting Machine companies -- (Advanced Voting Solutions, Diebold, Danaher-Guardian, Election Systems & Software [ES&S], HartInterCivic, MicroVote, Sequoia Voting Systems, Triad GSI and UniLect Corp) -- asking them to do the right thing for our country!

In short, our letter gives the companies 60 days to take the following patriotic actions: (See this page.)

Voluntarily open their hardware and software for independent public inspection and analysis.

Provide auditable, voter-verified paper ballots for all votes cast.

Assure that there can be no form of networking on their machines.

Allow for non-partisan, independent monitors of the vote tabulation process.

Institute a corporate policy prohibiting the company and all of its executives from supporting candidates for public office or political action groups.

Disclose all data, codes and records from the last three national elections, if requested.

Adopt all feasible best practices suggested by a national committee of experts.

Do all of the above at no extra cost to their governmental clients with which they work.

If the companies publicly commit to all of the above within the 60 days, we will broadly recognize them for their efforts.

If, however, they choose not to take these steps to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in America, then VR -- along, we hope, with all of you! -- will encourage all Americans to (1) divest from these companies and those with which they are affiliated, and (2) participate in a massive national boycott targeting them, their affiliates and their clients. We will also launch an extensive education campaign for the American public explaining the ways in which these companies are secretly doing the public's business of handling elections in the world's most important democracy!

VR has the support of more than 80 Affiliate organizations in this effort, representing millions of Americans, and more are joining up every day! If you or your org has not yet joined, do so now. Also, please join the revolution by sending an email to all nine companies stating your support of this campaign at www.velvetrevolution.us/mailing.php?Mailing=05FC507D500021102290C.

VR also asks for all donations you can make towards funding this effort! We're all in this democracy together, and without you, we're nothing!

And so begins the revolution...

Peace News

The Peace Buttons website is offering a weekly Peace History. Sample entries:

Feb 18, 1961 Bertrand Russell, 89, leads march of 20,000 and sit-down of 5,000 in an anti-nuke rally outside U.K. Defense Ministry and is jailed for 7 days.

Feb 19, 1942 Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which orders all Japanese Americans (Nisei) evacuated from the West Coast and be forced to live in concentration camps. This day is referred to as the "Day of Remembrance”. It has been commemorated every year, for 60+ years to remind us of that miscarriage of justice, and to insure such injustice does not happen again. In the entire course of the war, 10 people were convicted of spying for Japan, all of whom were Caucasian.

You can see more and sign up to receive Peace News via email each week by clicking here. Of course you can also buy a peace button. Here's the history of the button:

The first famous person to use the peace symbol was pacifist Bertrand Russell. His group used it during a protest march in 1958 for nuclear disarmament in Aldermaston, England. Activist Gerald Holtom, who designed the symbol based it on the international semaphore alphabet. This system uses flag signals in place of letters like a code. The peace sign is actually the flag signals for N and D superimposed upon each other and it stands for Nuclear Disarmament. It has since become the international symbol for peace.

(Thanks to John McAndrew for the heads up on this.)