Democracy for New Mexico

Images of Socorro

I just uploaded some photos we took in Socorro during the weekend of Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting events. The sign above is one of a group made by hand by the progressive activist group Socorroans for Democracy that are placed all over town to promote the preservation of Social Security. It was great to meet some of the members of SFD, an offshoot of the original Dean for America groups, after hearing about all the effective activism they're performing on behalf of progressive Democratic causes and issues.

Click to check out the Socorro photo album, or just scroll down to the album link down a ways on the right-hand sidebar on this page.

Action Profile: Socorroans for Democracy

I had an excellent conversation with Mary McMullin of Socorroans for Democracy recently. An offshoot of the Dean campaign, Socorroans for Democracy were very active during the November election season and are moving ahead with a variety of new political projects.

SFD meets every two weeks and they're a big reason why Socorro County went to Kerry in November. SFD worked very hard and successfully brought hundreds of new voters into the Democratic Party. They have been getting state level recognition for their efforts, and have met with both the number two staffer in Gov. Richardson's office and Lt. Governor Diane Denish.

SFD members are an eclectic and proactive bunch -- from NM Tech students and professors to workers at the astronomy observatory, retirees and stay-at-home moms. Their letters to the editor and guest editorials have been appearing regularly in their local paper on a variety of subjects.

Election reform, preserving Social Security and working to increase green energy sources are top priorities of the group, and they are planning a number of actions on these fronts. With many at NM Tech knowledgeable in the energy field, they have a lot of talent to draw from in creating persuasive arguments for increasing green energy technology.

The Socorroans are already working on winning the Second Congressional District  in 2006. Right now, efforts are underway to reach out to people in other areas of the District, like Roswell and Las Cruces. SFD hope to create a network of folks ready to start working now to defeat Rep. Steve Pearce, a conservative Republican who currently holds the job.

If you live in the Socorro area and are interested in joining or learning more about the Socorroans for Democracy, email Mary McMullin at sfd_socorro@sdc.org.

And if any of you in parts of New Mexico without a DFA Meetup would be interested in forming one, email dfnm_albq@comcast.net and we'll do what we can to help. We need activists coming together for progressive projects in all areas of the state. As Howard Dean has said many times, YOU have the power! But only if you step up to the plate, join forces with like-minded friends and neighbors and get involved in the kinds of activities Socorroans for Democracy are tackling.

(Click for information on Socorro and Socorro County.)

Socorro: Let the Horses Lead

I've been reading about activities in Socorro recently on the DFA blog and wanted to share a couple posts that provide a nice report of the action, plus some much needed humor. Great to hear that our Socorro compadres have reawakened and are going full throttle! Hope we can reconnect with DFA folks around the state as we continue down the road towards building an organization that will last for many years beyond the current election. Join me in welcoming our Socorro contingent to the DFNM blog.

Posted by NM*Mom*for*Dean at September 6, 2004:
Our county fair was held this past weekend. One of the events was the annual county fair parade which I and my 7-month old participated in. We, and about two dozen other folks, marched with the Kerry float. I decked out the baby stroller with Kerry signs and my Howard Dean pin. We got some claps and some boos, but on the whole, the crowd was very respectful.

Now, there was a Bush/Cheyney float, too, with about 10 people participating, about half of them children not old enough to vote. And, in what I consider to be a scene of poetic justice, they were marching behind the members of the 4-H club who were riding their horses. And the horses were not shy about relieving themselves. I thought, there is a God, and he's got a great sense of humor.

Yesterday, the family and I were driving around Albuquerque, and I noticed that there are a lot more Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers than Bush/Cheyney stickers. I also saw a number of Dean stickers (you are still loved here!). I have a pretty strong feeling that Kerry's going to take NM.

Also, given that Richard Romero, a Dean Dozen candidate, is running against Heather Wilson, a Bush lapdog, I wonder if we could get a visit from Howard out here in the Land of Enchantment (hint, hint).

Posted by NM*Mom*for*Dean at September 3, 2004:
Things are busy in Socorro. The Dem party opened their county headquarters here last week. I've signed on with Socorroans for Democracy (the phoenix rising from the ashes of Socorroans for Dean) and Socorro Democratic Women. Our county fair begins today thru the weekend, and tomorrow morning I'll be marching in the parade on the SFD float. We are tabling at the local farmer's market twice a week, and I registered two new voters yesterday. There are a number of events scheduled up to the election including fiestas, candidate forums and a Matanza on October 30. The Dems are very active down here. It's going to be b@lls to the walls between now and Nov. 2.

Oh, and they FINALLY got Fahrenheit 9/11 into the local theater after an email effort to Trans-Lux by members of SFD and other locals. We do have the power!
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For those visiting here from outside New Mexico, here's a site with links about the Socorro area, home to NM Tech, the Very Large Array, the Bosque del Apache and old San Miguel Mission (pictured at top).