Democracy for New Mexico

City of Santa Fe Announces Community Read of 'Nickel and Dimed'

From the office of Mayor David Coss:
Read On Santa Fe! Community Read
Mayor David Coss has announced a community read of the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the New York Times bestseller by Barbara Ehrenreich. This announcement comes at a time when government officials on a state and national level discuss raising the minimum wage.

“Nickel and Dimed is about changing the way America perceives its working poor. Santa Fe is proud of the accomplishments made to support working families. Through a communitywide read of Nickel and Dimed, I hope to create an opportunity for Santa Feans to discuss at large issues of poverty across America and here at home,” Mayor Coss said.

Nickel and Dimed is about Barbara’s experience as she joins the millions of hardworking Americans who earn poverty-level wages. Inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that any job equals a better life, Ms. Ehrenreich moved across the country, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and retail salesperson. She quickly learned that one job is not enough – you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.

Many cities, such as Seattle, Pasadena, Austin, Kansas City, Santa Monica and Washington DC have initiated communitywide reads aimed at bringing people together and creating a shared experience among a wide spectrum of people. These communities have experienced positive results from their programs and have increased participation every year.

The City of Santa Fe plans to host a series of community events in March 2007, including discussions and films and a student film contest. For more information on this initiative, contact Becky Lo Dolce, Special Projects Coordinator, at 955-6629 or Public Information Officer Laura Banish at 955-6046.

Editor's Note: For more about Barbara Ehrenreich, her books, a forum and other info, visit her website.

Economic Unfairness: Populism Needed

"The average after-tax income of the richest one percent of households rose from $722,000 in 2003 to $868,000 in 2004, after adjusting for inflation, a one-year increase of nearly $146,000, or 20 percent. This increase was the largest increase in 15 years, measured both in percentage terms and in real dollars. In contrast, the income of the middle fifth of the population rose $1,700, or 3.6 percent, to $48,400 in 2004. The income of the bottom fifth rose a scant $200 (or 1.4 percent) to $14,700."

"... Income is now more concentrated at the top of the income spectrum than in all but two years since the mid-1930s. This conclusion is reached by examining the CBO data in conjunction with data from a ground-breaking historical analysis of pre-tax income distribution trends published in a leading economics journal. When viewed together, the studies indicate that the top one percent of households now receive a larger share of the national pre-tax income than at any time since 1937, except for the years 1999 and 2000." -- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

NM Sen. Altamirano Introduces Minimum Wage Bill

As reported in the the Santa Fe New Mexican:

Minimum wage: A bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $7.50 over two years was introduced this week by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City. The bill (SB 324) would increase the state's minimum wage of $5.15 an hour -- which is the same as the federal pay floor -- to $6.50 next year and to $7.50 in 2009.

Under the bill, local governments would be prohibited from raising their minimum wages higher than the state's until Jan. 1, 2013. However, that provision would not apply to local governments that already have set their minimum wages higher than the state's, such as Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, is expected to introduce a competing proposal to increase New Mexico's minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. Gov. Bill Richardson backs Altamirano's bill but also is willing to work with other lawmakers on legislation to boost the state's minimum wage, said Eric Witt, Richardson's director of legislative affairs.

You can see a copy of Sen. Altamirano's bill, SB 324, here, as well as track its progress. It will go first to the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee (SCORC). Click for membership. If it passes there, it will go next to the Senate Finance Committee (SFC).

Something to keep in mind is there is no guarantee that the minimum wage will be raised at the federal level this year. Although a minimum wage bill passed in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate's bill to raise the minimum wage nationally is essentially being filibustered by Republicans because they want a tax cut for small businesses added. Senate supporters of the bill don't have the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a vote without amendments. Read more.

Here's the vote tally. NM Sen. Pete Domenici voted against cloture (for the filibuster). No Democrats voted against cloture, and they were joined by 5 Republicans: Senators Coleman, Collins, Warner, Snowe and Specter who were against the filibuster.

Sen. Webb Made My Day

I thought Sen. JIm Webb's response on behalf of Dems to Bush's mushy State of the Union retread was as perfect as a such speech could be. Articulate, tough, precise, powerful. What do you think? CNN has the text version. Excerpt:

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other. And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the general who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War II. And as soon as he became president, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this president to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

Jonathan Alter at MSNBC heaps praise on Webb's speech saying, "For the first time ever, the response to the State of the Union Message overshadowed the president's big speech.

La Plazita Institute Coffee Shop Grand Opening 1/27/07

From NM Civic Engagement:
The moment many of us have been waiting for is finally here. The great work that La Plazita Institute is doing in Albuquerque's South Valley has just expanded to its economic development wing. This coffee shop is a place to share, learn, meet new people and participate in Grass Roots Community Development. Way to go Albino, Gloria and the rest of the Plazita Crew.

What: La Plazita Coffee Shop Grand Opening
When: Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 10:00 AM
Location: 318 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque
at
Guests: Rudolfo Anaya; Aztec Dancers; and Special Blessing

Please come and share with your network/others. Also, Please forward to your networks. Click to visit the La Plazita Institute website.

-- Joaquin Griego, New Mexico Civic Engagement, (505) 764-9523

2006 Year in Review: Drum Major Institute

I like the year-end review produced by the Drum Major Institute, a progressive, populist think tank. Click to read or download the report, which emphasizes issues of social and economic justice -- sure to be major topics in the coming presidential race. It's broken down into the following categories:

• The Executive Summary
• The Best of Public Policy in 2006
• The Worst of Public Policy in 2006
• The State of the States (produced with Progressive States)
• The DMI 2006 Injustice Index
• Eye on the Right
• DMI Interviews 8 People Advancing Progressive Public Policy in 2006
• Hot List: The 2006 Required Reading List for Progressives
• The Year in the Netroots
• Voices of 2006

They deem 2006 'The Year of Systems Failure' because, "Most Americans were tired of the status quo—on the war, on the economy, on the lapsed ethics of those entrusted to represent our interests. The result: on Election Day, they rebooted, ready to try again."

Their choices for best national public policy this year? Legislation that would reverse the raid on student aid, protect access to the polls, shield troops from predatory lending, preserve a neutral internet, replace hunger with health and close the Medicare drug plan's donut hole.

I especially like their rundown on what right-wing think tanks are producing, as well as their Injustice Index, which includes these nuggets:

Wages that an average CEO earns before lunchtime: more than a full-time minimum wage worker makes in a year

Ratio of the average U.S. CEO’s annual pay to a minimum wage worker’s: 821:1

Percentage of women earning less than $40,000 per year who receive no paid vacation time at all: 37

Payment per episode that Donald Trump receives to host The Apprentice: $3,000,000

Estimated number of people lined up outside the new M&M store set to open in Times Square responding to ads for “on-the-spot” hiring for 200 jobs, 65 of which were fulltime: between 5,000 and 6,000. Starting salary that drew them there: $10.75 per hour

Number of households using credit to cover basic living expenses: 7 in 10

Amount in tax breaks and subsidies that last year’s energy bill paid out to the gas and oil industry during a period of record profits and higher prices at the pump: $6 billion

Percent of African-American and Latino families that have zero or negative net worth, respectively: 31 and 38

Total Wal-Mart received in government subsidies, sometimes called “corporate welfare” by activists, in 2005: $3.75 billion

Percentage of the GDP that went to wages and salaries in the first half of 2006: 51.8

Time when the percentage of GDP belonging to wages and salaries was lower than in 2006, out of the 77 previous years for which these data are available: never

Percentage increase in out-of-pocket medical expenses for the average American in the past 5 years: 93

Estimated amount the U.S. would save each year on paperwork if it adopted single-payer health care: $161,000,000,000

Money Party Dems: Oh No You Don't!

If this is what the Democratic takeover of Congress is going to mean, the battle for the heart and soul of the Party has just begun. We'd better put the pressure on ASAP to confront any and all Dems who dare to talk like Rep. Rangel on middle class issues and more. Check out what David Sirota is reporting on the Money Party leanings of our new Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee:

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) represents one of the poorest congressional districts in New York City. He also chairs the House Ways and Means Committee - the panel that oversees taxes and entitlements. This combination would lead the casual observer to think that Rangel, trying to represent his district, would be aggressively using his chairmanship to redirect President Bush’s tax cuts to lower-income people, strengthen and even expand Social Security and renegotiate trade deals to protect American jobs. But, no. That’s not what appears to be happening. In the weeks after the congressional election, Rangel has expressed interest in doing the exact opposite: preserving President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy; considering Social Security benefit cuts and retirement age hikes; and supporting lobbyist-written trade pacts that have no wage, environmental or human rights protections in them. He has, in other words, moved to side firmly with the Money Party against the People Party.

I have to agree with Sirota's earlier take on a definition of the sides that really are in play in Washington. Not conservative vs. liberal, not Democratic Party vs. Republican Party, not left vs. right, not centrist vs. extremist, but Money Party vs. People Party:

Anyone who spends 5 minutes around the halls of power in the nation’s capital knows that Washington is dominated by one party: The Money Party, and that the People Party is far outnumbered - even after this election. Look no further than votes on the bankruptcy bill, the energy bill, the class action bill, China PNTR and NAFTA to figure out which politicans who call themselves Republicans and Democrats actually belong to the Money Party and which politicians actually belong to the People Party. The Establishment pretends this paradigm doesn’t exist - they need the drama of Democrats vs. Republicans to sell newspapers, and more importantly, hiding the existence of the real power equation is in the interest of all the major for-profit corporations that own the media.

Thankfully, some of the Dem fresh faces in Congress, like Senators-Elect John Tester (D-MT) and Jim Webb (D-VA), and new House members Sherrod Brown and Heath Shuler, ran on strongly populist economic platforms. It's the old hands -- like Charlie Rangel, our own Jeff Bingaman, Steny Hoyer and others -- we'll have to watch closely.

Big corporate campaign donors always seek to put the kabosh on anything that benefits ordinary people or creates a level playing field, and the longer politicos luxuriate in the lobbyist-run bubble of DC, the more they seem to forget the people and their issues. Money talks. Hence we have the mainstream media -- and many Dem analysts -- emphasizing the need to focus on "bipartisanship." What they want is a bipartisan effort by Money Party members on both sides to kill the populist impulse that was expressed so clearly by voters in the midterm elections.

Yes, we now have Dem majorities in both Houses of Congress, but People Party stalwarts are still in very short supply. The real battle will be between the corporatists and those who are truly dedicated to representing the needs of ordinary people. Are you ready? Something tells me we've only begun to fight.