Democracy for New Mexico

Saturday: Santa Fe River Town Hall Meeting

From the City of Santa Fe:
A flowing, living Santa Fe River is possible –- come to a town hall meeting on Saturday, December 8, 2007 and tell us what you think! Share your vision and experience. Your input will help shape a plan for the Santa Fe River. The interactive forum will be held from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road. Lunch will be provided courtesy of the Santa Fe Hilton.

This meeting is sponsored by the Santa Fe River Commission, the Santa Fe Watershed Association and the City of Santa Fe. The forum will be professionally facilitated by Toby Herzlich and David Gallegos. To register or for more information, contact the Santa Fe Watershed Association: (505) 820-1696, www.santafewatershed.org, or info@santafewatershed.org.

Chavez Allies on ABQ City Council Desert Their Posts

Councilor Sally Mayer cheering on Mayor Marty's victory in '05

Apparently the City Council allies of Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez would rather pout and throw tantrums than represent their districts and take up matters important to the community. Last night, Repub Councilors Sally Mayer, Don Harris and Trudy Jones, along with Dem Ken Sanchez, refused to attend the scheduled Council meeting. They said they were angry because Brad Winter allegedly changed his decision on who he supported for Council president. Ultimately, Winter ended up as the winner by a unanimous vote of the Councilors left at the meeting -- Debbie O'Malley, Ike Benton, Rey Garduno, Michael Cadigan and Winter himself.

The Mayor's clan headed off in a huff to Capo's restaurant in lieu of attending the meeting, and whined to the media that Winter is dishonest and lacking integrity because he didn't follow through on his alleged promises to vote for Mayer, and later Sanchez, for the Council presidency. Wah. I guess the political wheeling and dealing common to such battles for leadership was somehow shocking to their refined sensibilities. Or maybe they're sore losers just like their mentor Marty, who's running for the U.S. Senate and conducting a campaign so negative in tone it rivals those of the Bush people.

One factor figuring into the brouhaha is that the Council President would become the next Mayor of Albuquerque if hell freezes over and Marty Chavez wins his Senate bid. Marty and his minions, of course, would want one of their own to move up into the city's top spot. Clearly, Dem Councilors Debbie O'Malley, Ike Benton, Rey Garduno and Michael Cadigan find that outcome less than appealing as it would give the pro-sprawl forces the upper hand. As for Repub Brad Winter, he's been locked into a heated, often personal, battle with Chavez for years.

Red-Light Camera Fines Suspended
Despite the runaways, City Council business did proceed with only five councilors present. Winter's red light camera bill was passed by a margin of 3-2. The measure suspends the collection of fines generated by the unpopular intersection cameras until a study is completed in mid-January by a task force abruptly appointed by Chavez when he entered the Senate race. Cadigan, Winter and Garduno voted to suspend the fines, while O'Malley and Benton voted no.

TIF Banned for New Sprawl
A controversial Cadigan-sponsored measure, to preclude the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to fund so-called "green field" development at the city's fringes, passed by a margin of 4-1. Voting for the measure were Cadigan, Benton, O'Malley and Garduno, with Winter voting nay. About 30 people showed up to testify about the proposed TIF changes, almost all of them supportive of the limitations.

TIF was originally proposed as a way to help encourage infill development, but is increasingly being sought to fund massive new developments on the city's fringes like those proposed by Sun Cal on the West Side -- exactly what the original legislation was designed to discourage. Cadigan's measure will limit the use of TIF for developed areas or areas where the financing tool has already been approved.

Many community activists, including members of 1000 Friends of New Mexico, New Mexico Voices for Children, the SouthWest Organizing Project and AFSCME, mounted a strong campaign in support of Cadigan's amendments to the current TIF requirements. And posts on many local blogs, including this one, encouraged readers to contact their Councilors to urge passage of the Cadigan amendements. See our previous post. Although we were successful, the fight is hardly over.

What Happens Next
Messages were quickly dispatched from the deserters' camp that they may well call up one or both measures for appeal at some future date, if and when they decide to return to their posts. Mayor Marty might veto both bills anyway, depending on how the political winds are blowing at the time. Stay tuned.

Celebrate Thursday with SAGE Council

From SAGE Council: Join us this Thursday as SAGE Council brings in the holidays with great food, great friends, and a great time! We will present awards and recap some great moments and victories from this year! This will be a potluck event, so please bring a side dish to share!

SAGE Council's Holiday Celebration this Thursday!   
When: This Thursday, December 6th, 7:00-9:00 PM
Where: At Out Ch'Yonda!, 929 4th St SW
Where is Out Ch'Yonda?

Support SAGE with a gift for the holidays! To make a donation to SAGE Council, please mail in your gift or give online right now! email: sage@sagecouncil.org; phone: 505-260-4696; web: https://www.sagecouncil.org

ACTION ALERT: Stop Tax Increment Financing for Sprawl

The Albuquerque City Council Meeting where the bill that limits TIFF financing will be discussed is set for today at 5:00 PM in City Council Chambers in the basement of the City/County Building at One Civic Plaza. Please contact your City Councilor about this matter and attend the meeting if you can.

From :
We are asking all 1000 Friends Albuquerque members and community allies to Take Action by contacting your City Councilor to urge him/her to stop allowing Tax Increment Financing on Albuquerque's edges.

This coming Monday, December 3, our Albuquerque City Council will consider a bill that limits Tax Increment Financing for use only to support urban redevelopment efforts in the city's core. 1000 Friends of New Mexico and a number of other community-based groups support this measure.

Why? Tax Increment Financing currently allows huge developments in outlying fringe areas to be subsidized to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. This subsidy robs economic activity, jobs, homeowners and vitality out of core neighborhoods. Learn more about Tax Increment Financing in ABQ.

Help 1000 Friends and other groups put a stop to another tax give-away to developers. Take Action now! Tell your City Councilor:

• Keep Albuquerque neighborhoods', not billion-dollar developers', best interest in mind. Vote YES to prohibit Tax Increment Financing for vacant land at the edge.
• Remember Albuquerque's $1.7 billion backlog in infrastructure needs in the already-built community. Fix-it-First!
• Remember that home values, small businesses and economic activity in their districts are negatively impacted by subsidized growth at the edge.

For more - keep an eye out in the Albuquerque Journal for this Op-Ed, submitted recently by 1000 Friends and the SouthWest Organizing Project.

Please contact 1000 Friends of New Mexico at 848-8232 if you have any questions.  We appreciate your time and your dedication to making Albuquerque a better place.

Sincerely,
Gabriel Nims, Executive Director

Also see our earlier guest blog by Gabriel Nims.

Next Santa Fe County Public Meeting on Oil & Gas Drilling Set for 12.6.07

From Drilling Santa Fe:
On December 6th, beginning at 6:30 PM, Santa Fe County will host a public oil and gas meeting at the Santa Fe High Gym. This is a much bigger venue, so people should not be turned away at the door this time. Officials attending: all five of the Santa Fe County Commissioners; Representatives King and Wirth; Senator Geigo; John Bemis of the State Land Office; and Mark Fesmire of the Oil Conservation Division (OCD).

This meeting is critically important. Not only do we need to address the draft oil and gas ordinance that if left as is, would weaken, not strengthen the protections of the existing mining ordinance.

In addition, the oil and gas industry is being hostile about any proposed regulations beyond the currently adopted State regulations. The oil and gas industry is on the attack about the proposed OCD pit rule that would help protect groundwater from the oil and gas industry waste pit pollution. The oil and gas industry is threatening to have legislation passed that would eviscerate the Oil Conservation Division and to disallow counties the ability to regulate oil and gas activities. By attending this meeting, you would show your support against such legislative attempts.

Santa Fe High School is at 2100 Yucca St, Santa Fe, NM (505) 467-2400. It is just South of Siringo Road.
Mapquest map link, which can be enlarged, is here.

You can download a meeting flyer in pdf hardcopy here for printing and distributing, which is highly encouraged. If you have a problem with the link, email drillingsantafe@earthlink.net and we will send it to you as a pdf email attachment.

Links to our previous posts and other background info on this issue are available here, and DrillingSantaFe.org has a wealth of information, a petition, etc.

Tonight: ABQ Public Meeting & Rally for Wild Wolves

From :
You are urged to attend the public meeting being held tonight by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in Albuquerque to gather public input on the future of the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program. Also, you may have heard that an order was issued yesterday by the FWS to remove the Aspen Pack for conflict with cattle. Federal officials are already scouring the Gila Forest to find these wolves -- and if they can't quickly and easily trap them, they will likely shoot them. With fewer than 60 wolves in the wild and 15 wolves already removed for cattle depredations this year alone, plus 5 that have either been poached or have gone suspiciously missing, this order is unacceptable.

Join conservation groups for a rally to save the Aspen Pack at 6:00 PM in the Silver Room at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. This is being held in conjunction with the public meeting.

WHAT: Rally to Save the Aspen Pack, and public meeting on the Mexican wolf reintroduction program

WHEN: Meeting is from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, come and go as you please. Rally will take place at 6:00 PM.

WHERE: Silver Room, just inside the main building of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.  2401 12th St.  Near Menaul.

Hope to see you there!

Lisa Hummon
New Mexico Outreach Representative
Defenders of Wildlife
824 Gold SW Albuquerque, NM 87108
Tel: (505) 248-0118 x5     |    Fax: (505) 248-0187
lhummon@defenders.org  |  www.defenders.org

Editor's Note: If you are unable to attend but want your voice heard: Please submit written comments. Deadline is December 31, 2007. Be sure to include "Attn: Mexican Gray Wolf NEPA Scoping," your full name and your return address in your message.

Send comments to:
Brian Millsap, State Administrator
US Fish and Wildlife Service
New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office
2105 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, NM  87113
fax: 505-346-2542
email:  r2fwe_al@fws.gov
online:  www.mexicanwolfeis.org

NM State Rep. Wirth Requests Galisteo Basin Drilling Moratorium

An article in the Santa Fe New Mexican reports on a letter sent by State Rep. Peter Wirth to Oil Conservation Division Director Mark Fesmire and Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Joanna Prokop asking them to consider a six-month oil and gas drilling permit moratorium for the Galisteo Basin. A draft of a new Santa Fe County ordinace governing such drilling is scheduled to be released today, but many residents and policymakers want more time to consider how drilling in the area should be regulated.

A moratorium, Wirth wrote, "would give the state time to determine whether oil and gas drilling in this area can be prevented all together ... or if any special stipulations are needed on approved permit applications." Wirth also said in his letter that the moratorium would give Santa Fe County more time to draft and implement its new ordinance.

"My feeling is that we should not rush the process," Wirth said Monday. "The Galisteo Basin has seen such limited oil and gas drilling. I'm concerned things are moving at a real high rate of speed, and I think we should slow down."

The acquisition of 65,000 acres of mineral rights centered in the Galisteo Basin area by Tecton Energy of Houston has caused an uproar among Santa Fe County residents and others who are fearful that extensive drilling will create pollution and other damage. The mineral rights for much of the land in the Basin aren't controlled by those who own the land itself.

Prukop said Monday that New Mexico has never issued a moratorium on oil and gas drilling permits before, though it did issue a temporary moratorium on open-pit mines in Otero Mesa in 2004. She said the division's attorneys are looking at state laws to try to define jurisdictional issues and options. She said she plans to meet with county commissioners after the next public meeting on the subject in December "to figure out a reasonable pathway forward."

... Tecton Energy representatives — who have estimated the basin area holds as much as 100 million barrels of "light, sweet crude" — began pumping oil out of an existing well last spring. But the company will need new permits to carry out its plans to re-enter two plugged wells and drill six more exploratory wells. The county's existing mining ordinance relates primarily to hard-rock mining.

County officials are also concerned about the drilling:

County Commissioner Mike Anaya also wants a moratorium at the county level to stall any drilling applications until the new ordinance is finalized. Anaya is the sponsor of a resolution that will be considered by the commission today, which calls for a three-month moratorium on drilling permits.

... Anaya and Commissioner Jack Sullivan told a crowd of about 500 people at a public meeting in Eldorado on Nov. 15 that the county's draft ordinance would be available for public review today and that written comments on the ordinance would be accepted through Dec. 21.

There was a huge turnout for an 11/15/07 public meeting organized by the Santa Fe County Commission to discuss Tecton's proposed plans, and passions ran high among attendees. Since then, public officials have been deluged with messages from those critical about the proposed drilling:

Wirth said he was prompted to ask for a moratorium in part because of the overwhelming public input he's received on the topic. "The number of e-mails, letters and phone calls I've received, it's really more than almost any issue I've faced since being in the Legislature," Wirth said. "I've not had a single person, constituent or otherwise, contact me in support of this proposition."

Background Information:

From the website of Drilling Santa Fe, a citizen's group working to stop or limit the drilling:

• Online Petition (iPetition.com)- Oil and gas exploration and development permitting moratorium (iPetition.com has a donation button and is only an option and those donations do not go to Drilling Santa Fe). For printing hard copies (pdf)
• The County Attorney is in the process of writing a new oil and gas ordinance to supplement the existing mining ordinance. The ordinance should strengthen, not weaken. On 11/15/2007, there was a public forum about the oil & gas issue. Click here for a newspaper article of the forum and click here about the ordinance process. The draft ordinance is on the BCC amended agenda (click here) under "Matters from the County Attorney."
• Click here for Santa Fe County Mining Ordinance overview flyer (PDF) and click here for the Santa Fe County Land Development Code, which contains the mining ordinance (Chapter 5).
• For upcoming events, click here.
• For an excellent educational website, go to the Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP)
• With permission, here are links provided by Tony Bonanno Photography (click here) of the Tecton public presentation (click here) and of the Santa Fe County public forum (click here). Tony says that anyone is welcome to download anything at no charge.

You can read our previous posts on this issue by clicking on these links:

• Join Noted NM Activist and Rancher Tweeti Blancett for a Discussion on Oil and Gas Drilling in Santa Fe County, July 10, 2007
• Grassroots Group 'Drilling Santa Fe' Sets Up Online Petition Drive, July 23, 2007
• Now Available: Video of Tweeti Blancett Event for Drilling Santa Fe, August 6, 2007
• Important Drilling Santa Fe Meeting Coming 8.23.07, August 15, 2007

NM-Sen: Chavez Accuses Udall of "Endangering Our National Security"

It's really hard to take in. Continuing his recent mean-spirited barrage against his high-polling Dem primary opponent for U.S. Senate, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez is now accusing Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) of "endangering our national security." He's also likening Udall to Republican Senate candidates Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) and Steve Pearce (NM-02). In a campaign email (PDF) today, Chavez said:

Enough is enough.  If Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, and Steve Pearce -- our elected Representatives in Congress -- won't fight to save our labs, we will.

... Unfortunately, my 3 opponents in the Senate race -- Representatives Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, and Steve Pearce -- all had a chance to stop these cuts.  Instead, earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would strip about $400 million in funding from Los Alamos and Sandia labs.

Tom Udall voted for these funding cuts, saying it would send the labs "a message." Well, throwing people out of work and endangering our national security is not the "message" New Mexicans want to hear from people in Washington like Tom Udall.

... Our Representatives Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, and Steve Pearce should be fighting for New Mexico, not siding with Washington lobbyists and insiders. [emphasis mine]

It's one thing to criticize your primary opponent's positions, but I think this kind of over-the-top rhetoric coming directly from Chavez can only serve to turn more Dem voters against him. Chavez already has a reputation for publicly and privately trashing fellow Dems on the Albuquerque City Council, supporting Repubs and their causes and vowing to vote for Repub Sen. Pete Domenici if he ran for reelection.

Do Chavez and his campaign team really believe that using inflammatory language like this to attack one of the most highly respected and popular Dems in the state will help him in his quest for Dem primary voters? Astonishing. Not only is it wrong, it's bad politics.

Status Quo vs. 21st Century Mission
First off, where does Chavez get off claiming that Udall is "siding with Washington lobbyists and insiders" by trying to get our national labs to leave the Cold War behind and embrace a green future? The last time I looked, monied lobbyists and insiders were all for the status quo in terms of building new nuke weapons systems and clinging to old greenhouse gas-producing technologies. It's the people -- and the best scientific minds in the nation -- who are clamoring for an Apollo-like project to address emergencies related to climate change and our dependence on foreign energy sources.

We don't need a new generation of nuke weapons -- we need our best and brightest to solve what is probably our most urgent problems this century -- the severe damage being caused by dirty-burning fossil fuels and the huge price in money and lives we are paying for oil in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East.

Is Plutonium Pit Manufacturing Green?
I'd  love to know how Mayor Marty squares his self-proclaimed "green" orientation and his recent pandering about nuclear weapons research and production. Do people concerned with the environment and sustainable energy generally support creating large plutonium pit manufacturing projects in their states? Do they clamor for funds to support a new "replacement" line of nuke weapons that's essentially banned by the treaties we've signed? Do they push for retaining lab funding for nuke weapons instead of using common and economic sense to try and steer the labs towards a new, critical mission of developing green technologies and researching renewable energy alternatives?

Clearly, Chavez is "green" only when it suits his political aspirations and anti-green when it doesn't.

Facing Facts
Nobody wants workers at the New Mexico labs to lose their jobs, least of all Tom Udall, who has strongly represented their interests in a balanced way for years. But it's clear that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, as well as a majority of Americans, see turning the page on an outmoded Cold War mentality as the only way to go. It's time to face facts. Today's national security, energy and environmental concerns can only be addressed by the U.S. turning green in a genuine sense -- and by generously supporting our best scientific minds to dedicate themselves to green renewable energy and tech research.

As Rep. Udall has said, he cast his vote for the budget cuts because the labs should be conducting energy research and science programs to address national security issues. It may well be the only way for them to survive in today's world. The national consensus is shifting dramatically and quickly against renewed nuke weapon production and towards a new scientific paradigm. Hanging onto the past at New Mexico's labs, as Chavez is touting and as Domenici strived for, is not wise or even tenable any longer. But you wouldn't know it by the tone and rhetoric being employed by Chavez to try and peg Udall as some kind of traitor for facing reality.

That's a very sad commentary on how Chavez hopes to win the nomination, isn't it? Fortunately, I don't think most New Mexico Dems will be buying it anytime soon.

See recent posts on related topics at local blogs , Only in New Mexico and Heath Haussamen. The latest post on m-pyre also deals with this topic and includes a couple of useful pie charts about budgets at the labs.

To read our previous coverage on the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

NM Youth Organized is Hiring Two Coordinators

From New Mexico Youth Organized:
New Mexico Youth Organized (formerly known as the League of Young Voters NM), a community-based organization that works to identify and foster young leaders to realize and wield their power, is seeking to hire two coordinators. Applicants are being sought for an Outreach Coordinator position and a Youth Program Coordinator position for the 1Sky Campaign, a program that will develop and implement a campaign plan for state and local climate change initiatives. The deadline for applications is 5 PM, Saturday December 1, 2007. Click to see the job descriptions and other info about how to apply for these positions (PDFs):

• Outreach Coordinator
• 1Sky Youth Program Coordinator

Have questions? Call Keegan King, New Mexico Youth Organized, 505/385.8760.

Live Online Saturday: First Presidential Forum on Global Warming

From Grist:
Los Angeles, CA – For the first time in history, presidential candidates will take part in a forum focused on the issues of global warming and America’s energy future this Saturday, November 17th at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles. The forum will be webcast live beginning at approximately 3:00 PM MST, at: https://www.grist.org/webcast.

Senators Hillary Clinton and John Edwards and Congressman Dennis Kucinich are confirmed to attend the presidential forum sponsored by Grist and PRI’s Living on Earth. The candidates will present their plans to address global warming and energy issues in a series of interviews with journalists and experts in the field.  All candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have been invited.

"Grist.org is pleased to be a sponsor to the Presidential Forum and provide the candidates a platform to spell out for voters exactly what they intend to do halt global warming. Most Americans recognize the seriousness of the issue and are looking to our political leaders for solutions," said Chip Giller, President of Grist.org.

"We are very excited about providing voters with the chance to hear, directly from the candidates, how they will address global warming and America’s energy future," said Gene Karpinski, President of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

The forum will be presented in partnership with the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Center for American Progress Action Fund, NRDC Action Fund, and the Presidential Forum on Renewable Energy. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the opening remarks.

"Californians know there is no time to waste in fighting climate change," said Susan Smartt, Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters. "We are extremely proud that California is hosting the first ever presidential forum on climate change and our energy future. We hope the nation will be taking notes."

"California has shown great leadership on this issue from emissions to alternative resources -- it's now time for national leadership to match our dedication and we're excited to hear the candidates outline their strategies," said Nina Hachigian, Director of the California Office of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

To watch the webcast live beginning at approximately 3:00 PM Mountain Time visit:

https://www.grist.org/webcast

Also see these interviews conducted by Grist.org and Outside magazine with participating candidates:

• Hillary Clinton
• John Edwards
• Dennis Kucinich

And here and interviews and factsheets on the positions of all the presidential candidates of both parties.