Democracy for New Mexico

MoveOn Needs You at Corrales Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Udall TODAY

Hey All,
We need numbers here tomorrow:

What: Rep. TOM UDALL TOWN HALL MEETING

WHEN: Friday March 16th 5pm (gather at 4:30 PM)

WHERE: CORRALES MUNICIPAL COURT (Corrales Rd. across from post office)

We will gather with signs, attend meeting, initiate serious dialog with Tom, etc.

TV AND LOCAL PRESS IS EXPECTED

Thanks for your support!

Mike Davis
Duke City/Corrales Council
MoveOn.org

Bernalillo County Clerk Requests Public Input Evaluating 2006 Election Process

From Maggie Toulouse, Bernalillo County Clerk, Albuquerque:

2006 General Election Evaluation: PUBLIC INPUT NEEDED
What did you think of last November’s General Election?
(click for flyer (pdf) - feel free to distribute)

As part of an on-going effort to ensure accuracy, fairness, integrity and efficiency in our election process, County Clerk Maggie Toulouse will be hosting the following opportunities for the public to provide input and feedback:

PUBLIC FORUM
Party Activists and individuals (poll workers, challengers, watchers etc.) who were involved in the General Election are invited to share their experiences, concerns and suggestions in a panel forum environment. Members of the panel will include the County Clerk, Deputy Clerk and Bureau of Elections staff.  Comments will be recorded and compiled into a working list that will be considered when planning for future elections.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2007
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Bernalillo County Commission/City Council Chambers
One Civic Plaza, NW – Basement

STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS
Meetings will be organized with representatives from Party Organizations, Candidate Committees, and Voter Advocacy Organizations to explore experiences, concerns and suggestions in detail. Specific action plans will be developed to meet the needs of stakeholders.

APRIL 1 – APRIL 30
Meetings will be organized and scheduled upon confirmation with organizations

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The County Clerk accepts comments from the public year round; however this period will be a concerted effort to gather as much input from the public at large as possible. Opportunities will be available via regular mail, email, and fax.

APRIL 1 – APRIL 30
Mail comments to:
Election Process Review
County Clerk
One Civic Plaza NW, 6th Floor
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Email comments to: clerk@bernco.gov
Fax comments to: (505) 768-4151

All information received as a result of this process will be compiled into a report and published for public review.

We hope that you and your organization will take this opportunity to share your experience, ideas and concerns regarding our election process. You are critical to our success!!

If you have any questions, require further information or would like to reserve time for your organization’s meeting, please contact:

Robert Adams, Deputy County Clerk
(505) 468-1207
radams@bernco.gov

MAGGIE TOULOUSE
COUNTY CLERK
ONE CIVIC PLAZA, N.W. - 6TH FLOOR
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 87102
(505) 468-1290 FAX (505) 768-4151

Editor's Note: Is this cool, or what? Excellent to see our new County Clerk reaching out to the community and encouraging input about what works and what doesn't in our election process. All those interested in making sure our elections are run efficiently, effective and fairly are urged to participate in the evaluation process. This is a great opportunity for ordinary citizens and those who are a part of the election process to contribute to making the election process in the county the very best it can be.

Reminder: March 17 Antiwar Protests and Related Events

Check out the Albuquerque March 17 website for everything related to the Albuquerque protest events commemorating the fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq occupation. There's also info on additional related events before/after March 17:

• March 14, 6-8 PM, Wednesday, World Social Forum Report Back, SWOP, 820 Broadway Blvd. SE, St. Francis Xavier church. Details
• March 15, 7 PM, Code Pink coffeehouse event: Peace, Protest and Political Poems. Details
• March 17, 1 PM, Sante Fe rally and march, The Roundhouse, NM State Capitol. Details
• March 18, 10 AM - 4 PM, Eyes Wide Open Exhibition of the Human Cost of War, Old Town Plaza, 200 Romero NW. Overview and details
• March 19, 9 AM - 5 PM, Eyes Wide Open Exhibition of the Human Cost of War, Smith Plaza, UNM. Overview and details

Belafonte to Speak at Popejoy

An Evening with Harry Belafonte: Thursday, April 19, 2007, at 7 PM, in Albuquerque's Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus. Tickets: $30, $25, $20 at UNM Ticket Offices, www.unmtickets.com, 925-5858, or Raley’s Supermarkets

Presented by The University of New Mexico, Office of the President in cooperation with Africana Studies and African-American Student Services. (This is not a musical performance.) Belafonte:

• First African-American producer in television
• Served President Kennedy as cultural advisor to the Peace Corps
• Served on the Board of Directors, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Chaired the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
• Created the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence
• Awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize
• First recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award
• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
• Received the Danny Kaye Award from the U.S. Committee for UNICEF
• Hosted the World Summit for Children held at the United Nations

• Belafonte
• Direct link to Belafonte tix online

March 17 in Santa Fe: 4th Anniversary of Iraq War

From Peace Action New Mexico:

• Rally and March to Commemorate 4th Anniversary of Iraq War
• Saturday, March 17th, 1:00 PM
• The Roundhouse, NM State Capitol (corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe)
• Invited Keynotes: Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Tom Udall, Mayor David Coss, Tim Reynolds of the Dave Matthews Band

Peace Action New Mexico, part of the coalition, United for Peace and Justice, who are sponsoring the nationwide commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the start of the war and occupation of Iraq, is hosting the New Mexico commemoration. We invite all groups and organizations in New Mexico to join this event on the final day of the State Legislature at the Roundhouse.

There will be music by a ten piece marimba band, speakers, costumes, dancers and a march to the Plaza. This is a family-friendly peaceful event. Bring your kids, pets, placards, musical instruments and drums to this important occasion. Tell the Bush administration of your strong opposition to this illegal and immoral war and occupation and the continuing troop buildup. Bring our troops home now! Click to RSVP.

For more information and to help organize, call Peace Action New Mexico at 505.989.4812.

March 17 ABQ Anti-War Protest (and Website)

Troops Home Now!

Join the March 17, 2007 Anti-War Rally in Albuquerque, NM. More than 1,000 protesters made their voices heard in Albuquerque on January 27, 2007! Global protest on the fourth year of war on Iraq.

Bring our troops home NOW: 26 New Mexicans have died. March 17th protests to occur in 150 American cities. Click to visit the new Albuquerque March Website, where you can get more information on both the local and national marches, learn how to you can help with the planning, sign up for email updates, download a flyer and more.

Barsamian to Report on Iran Trip

From Stop the War Machine:
Target: Iran - David Barsamian
Friday, March 9, 7 PM
Smith-Brasher Hall
Central NM Community College
(SE corner of Coal and University)
Click for flyer (doc)

David Barsamian, the founder and director of Alternative Radio, is just back from a trip to Iran. As the Bush Administration increases its threats toward Iran what are the prospects for war? What do Iranians think and say about Washington actions? David will travel to Albuquerque for a report on his eyewitness experience.

Barsamian, who is Armenian, speaks some Farsi and is knowledgeable about the politics and culture of Iran and the Middle East. His forthcoming book is "Targeting Iran." Click for more info on David Barsamian.

For event information contact: Bob Anderson at StoptheWarMachine@comcast.net,
858-0882. David is available for interviews early Friday and appearances in other cities on Saturday.

Contact Barsamian directly at
Alternative Radio
PO Box 551
Boulder, CO 80306-0551
1-800-444-1977; fax: 303-245-8292
https://www.alternativeradio.org/
info@alternativeradio.org

Santa Fe Community Read Schedule of Events

From the City of Santa Fe:
The City of Santa Fe is pleased to announce the official schedule of events for Santa Fe’s first Community Read! In January, Mayor Coss announced the communitywide read of the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. The mission of the Community Read is to inspire further discussion on the issue of poverty in Santa Fe and the obstacles to economic security.

Read On Santa Fe! Community Read Schedule of Events: All of the city’s Community Read events are at the New Mexico Film Museum (formerly the Jean Cocteau Cinema)

Saturday, March 3 – Local Film Matinee
Screening of locally-produced films and documentaries about economic struggle. Tickets available beginning at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are free, though donations will be accepted to support the filmmakers and a local youth organization.

FILMS
La Marcha: Working for Economic Justice (Showtime 12:50 p.m.) This is the story of the Santa Fe Living Wage Campaign, which emerged through the efforts of diverse community-based organizations to build a coalition that illustrates core U.S. values of teamwork, fairness, opportunity, responsibility and respect.

Gary and the Angels (Showtime 2 p.m., followed by Q&A with producer Margo Manaraze Wagner) is based on the life of Gallup resident Gary Murphy who struggles with his fetal alcohol syndrome disabilities, alcohol abuse, and homelessness.

Salt of the Earth (Showtime 3:30 p.m.) is based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico. The film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers, who struck to attain wage parity with Anglo workers in other mines and to be treated with dignity by their bosses.

Cinderellas of Santa Fe (Showtime 5:30 p.m., followed by Q&A with director Vanessa Vassar) is a documentary film that follows people who are highly educated and/or extremely creative and are recognized in their fields. But, they must still work as cleaning ladies, waitresses and bartenders in order to support their art, their children and their dreams.

American Waitress, new mexico (Showtime 7:40 p.m., followed by Q&A with director Vanessa Vassar and special guests) is a documentary feature film that examines the lives, attitudes, perceptions and experiences of waitresses. More than a film about waitresses, it is a film about life, social structures and human nature.

Tuesday, March 6 – Student and Youth Film Contest
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Screening of short films by local youth and students on the topic of “getting by” in Santa Fe followed by a brief Q&A with the filmmakers. Winning student films will be hosted on www.freenewmexican.com after the showing. The deadline for submissions of films 5 minutes or less is Feb. 28. Call 955-6046 or 955-6629 for more information.

Thursday, March 8 – Panel Discussion
6:30 to 8 p.m.; Reception from 8 to 8:30 p.m.
The Mayor and a panel of community members will discuss the complexities of poverty in Santa Fe in relation to the issues discussed in Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America.

Sunday, March 11 – Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America

7 p.m. at the Lensic Performing Arts Center
*This is not a city-sponsored event*

For more information on Community Read events, please call 955-6046 or 955-6629.

Please note that the deadline for the Student and Youth Film Contest is fast approaching. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28, 2007. Films could touch on topics such as growing up in Santa Fe, employment, working families, education, food, housing, healthcare or any other issue the filmmaker believes corresponds with the theme. Call Laura Banish at 955-6046 or Special Projects Coordinator Becky Lo Dolce at 955-6629 for more information about the contest or the Community Read.

RSVP Now for Las Adelitas Choice Reception

Las Adelitas
Women in Politics

Cordially invites its members and guests to a Reception in

Support of V-Day in Santa Fe 2007

Special Guest:  Cecile Lipworth, V-Day International Coordinator

Friday, February 23, 2007   5:30 to 7:30 PM

Linda Durham Contemporary Art Gallery

1101 Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe

By Invitation Only

Please RSVP to 988•1226 by February 20, 2007

Also, buy your tickets now for a benefit performance of 'Vagina Monologues' presented by V-Day Santa Fe 2007:

“Reclaiming Peace, as part of V-Day, a Global movement to end violence against women and girls.”

Benefit for the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Trauma Treatment Center, Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families & FGM Fund to End Female Genital Mutilation In Africa & End Vaginal Mutilation

March 8, 2007 at 8 PM
James A. Little Theater
1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe
Tickets: $25—$100
Tickets may be purchased at the Lensic Theater box office or call: 988.1234

Click to learn more about Las Adelitas.

REVISED: Bernalillo County and State Dems Set Meeting Schedule

From Marvin Moss, DPBC Chair:
Here is the REVISED schedule of upcoming ward, precinct, central committee and working committee meetings to be held in March and April 2007 by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County and the Democratic Party of New Mexico. More times and locations will be announced soon. All Democrats are welcome at these meetings:

Changes shown in RED:

March 19 (Monday): Site coordinator training at DPBC/DPNM HQs, now combined at 1301 San Pedro, NE, 7:00 PM

March 20 (Tuesday): Ward Chair meeting at Plumbers Hall, San Pedro and Zuni, 7:00 PM. All Ward Chairs or their representatives must attend.

March 22 (Thursday): Ward/Precinct cluster meetings to elect Precinct and Ward Chairs and additional County Central Committee members, 7:00 PM, sites to be announced

April 10 (Tuesday): County Credentials and Resolutions Committees meetings at UNM Law School, Rooms 2405 and 2406, respectively, 6:00 PM

April 14 (Saturday): County Central Committee meeting to elect State Central Committee delegation, consider resolutions and conduct other business; possibly in Highland High School gym - registration 9 AM, call to order 10 AM.                               

April 28 (Saturday): State Central Committee meeting to elect State Officers, consider resolutions and conduct other business - in Las Cruces.

Note: Proxy voting is permitted at County Central Committee and State Central Committee meetings. Proxy voting is not permitted at Ward/Precinct meetings.

For more information: Democratic Party of Bernalillo County; 1301 San Pedro Dr. NE; Albuquerque, NM 87110; (505) 830-3650, Ext. 22