Democracy for New Mexico

Sign Up for Dem National Canvass Day

Editor's Note: I signed up for the Albuquerque event and more than 20 others have joined me so far. This is an excellent opportunity to show our support for Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and renew our commitment to talk to our neighbors about the Democratic values we believe are important. This is how we make it OUR Party. Events are currently scheduled for El Dorado, Santa Fe, Taos and Raton as well. Or you can set up your own event where you live. Go ahead -- sign up!

From DNC Chair Howard Dean:
Are you ready to make history? Thanks to the overwhelming support from thousands of Democrats, who donated to get the literature for the canvass printed and shipped, we're on schedule and gearing up for the unprecedented Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day on April 29th.

On that Saturday, thousands of volunteers will recruit hundreds of thousands more Americans committed to changing the status quo this year during door-knocking events in communities across America.

Democrats have a clear vision for America, and we're going to get the word out by making personal contact with our neighbors. And along the way we will build new relationships among volunteers on the ground, a network that will have an impact beyond a single day.

Whether you've never volunteered or you're a seasoned door-knocking veteran, it is crucial that you take part in this historic organizing push. Please click on the image above to learn more and then RSVP for an event near you.

In many states, Democratic Party staff on the ground have already put together staging areas for massive voter contact events on the 29th. Thanks to donations from people like you, hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature are being printed and shipping in bulk to those locations right now.

If there isn't an event near you, don't worry. Some state parties will have canvassing events on alternate dates, or have other important events that planned for that weekend.

You can still plan your own canvass in your community. Our online tool makes the planning process easy, and if you create your event before April 10th, we will get doorhangers to you in time for your canvass on the 29th. You can create your own event here.

Whether you're attending an event or hosting your own, we have also put together materials on the web to help you make your canvass as effective as possible.

The online package includes tips on canvassing, a suggested script for when you get to the door, and the doorhanger itself in various formats for you to print extras on your own. Here is the online resource center.

Two-thirds of Americans reject this president and the Republican leadership -- and they are waiting to hear from us. We are all members of one American community and it's up to us to make sure that our country has a government as good as its people.

Democrats have a big task in November. We will only win if every one of us takes responsibility for the outcome of the election now -- while there is still time to build our operation.

Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary grassroots push.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Dem Secretary of State Forum Set for 4/11

All of the Democratic candidates for NM Secretary of State have been invited to appear in a candidate forum at the April 11th Sandoval Democratic Club meeting at 7:00 PM at the Rio Rancho Inn-Best Western, which is on Rio Rancho Blvd. at Sara Road. Each candidate will have 5 minutes to speak and then they'll answer questions from the audience. All are welcome.

The invited candidates include Stephanie Gonzales, Letitia Montoya, Shirley Hooper and Mary Herrera. Click to see how these candidates finished in the voting at the March 18th Democratic Pre-Primary Convention.

Powering Our Future: Nuclear or Renewables?

From Citizen Action NM:
A free public forum on the controversial topic of future energy resources will be held:

Thursday, April 6, 2006, 7-9 PM
University of New Mexico Law School
1117 Stanford Dr. NE, Room 2405

The forum will explore a number of views concerning how our world’s future energy needs will be met: “Powering Our Future: Nuclear or Renewables?”

What are the pros and cons of nuclear vs. renewable energy? The case for massive development of nuclear energy as the only technology fundamentally capable of producing enough energy to meet the needs of a burgeoning population and world economy will be made by Dr. Donald Petersen, a member of the Los Alamos Education Group. 

Dr. Petersen joined the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1956 and spent his career studying the health effects of radiation on workers. He retired from the lab in 1990, but has continued to work as an educator with his colleagues William Stratton and Glen Graves of the Los Alamos Education Group (LAEG), a non-profit organization formed in 1995. The LAEG’s current work is centered on providing verifiable facts and arguments to refute exaggerated or misstated claims in opposition to nuclear energy development.

The case for renewables as the only clean, safe, economical and reliable source of energy will be made by Ben Luce, Policy Director for the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (NMCCAE). Dr. Luce joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as a physicist in 1993. Three years later he became an advocate for renewable energy after becoming aware of global climate change and its potential impacts on the environment. He joined the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (NMCCAE) in 1998, an alliance of ten environmental and consumer interest organizations in New Mexico that advocates for clean energy policies. He has been on leave from the lab for the past three years to work full-time for the Coalition.

The presenters will discuss the scientific, political, economic, and emotional arguments for and against nuclear power vs. renewable energy. The forum will also touch on New Mexico’s current policies that incorporate renewable energy projects.

The public is invited to bring questions for both speakers and join the debate! For more information call Citizen Action New Mexico: (505) 262-1862. Citizen Action is a project of the New Mexico Community Foundation.

'Left Hand of God' Author to Speak at UNM Sunday on Reclaiming America from Religious Right

The Network of Spiritual Progressives is sponsoring the appearance of Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of the best-selling book "The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right," this coming Sunday, April 2nd, at 2:00 PM, at the UNM Continuing Education Building (click for map and directions). The event is cosponsored by Ecumenical Voices for Democracy, the grassroots group that has been holding quarterly events designed to counter the antidemocratic efforts of the right-wing Christian coalition.

Rabbi Lerner's talk will focus on reclaiming American from the religious right. Click for a PDF flyer with more information. This event will also be webcast live from the Auditorium on the UNM Communication and Journalism website. If you will be listening to Lerner in the auditorium, please come on time as seats will be given on first-come, first-served basis. The event is free.

Michael Lerner has written a spiritual document for a new kind of social change movement that could challenge the globalization of selfishness and speak to our highest human need to connect to a life of higher purpose than the materialism and me-firstism of the competitive marketplace.

For more information:
Sam Washburn, 505-323-6162, swashbur@nmia.com

More on the author
Acclaimed author Howard Zinn describes Michael Lerner as "a rare voice of sanity and intelligence in a nation where our moral values have been corrupted by the greed of the market and ambitions of the empire. He gives eloquent voice to our yearning of the spiritual and rational in the quest of peace and justice."

Jerry Ortiz y Pino, in his column in the Alibi called Looking to the Left, says "Anyone interested in seeing American politics transformed from its current malaise should read the book-or at least come out to hear Lerner speak.It should be mandatory for all serious Democrats to attend." Whether you are Democrat, Republican, Independent, politically neutral, or simply from another country, this is a significant event for one and all.

You can learn more about Lerner's book here.

Time to Enter 2nd Annual DPBC Chili Cook-Off

Gov. Bill Richardson congratulates Eric Griego (R) on his
team's First Place Ribbon in the traditional Red Chile
category at last year's cookoff.

Sign up now for the 2nd Annual Democratic Party of Bernalillo County Chili (or Chile) Cook-Off 2006, to benefit the County Party. The Chili Cook-Off will be held at the Alice Hoppes African American Pavilion on the Expo New Mexico grounds just off Gate Three (San Pedro and Copper NE) on Saturday, April 22nd from 11:30 AM through 2:00 PM.

Registration forms and rules/regulations are available at the DPBC headquarters and will be available soon on line at www.bernalillodems.org. 

Chili Categories:

• People's Choice (Best in the House by Attendee balloting)
• Judge's Choice (Best in the House as determined by Judges)
• Traditional Red Chili or Chili Con Carne (no beans or pasta)
• Chili Verde (no beans or pasta)
• Vegetarian Chili (no beans or pasta)
• Everything but the Kitchen Sink! (Anything Goes! Beans, Pasta, whatever)
• Salsa
• Hottest Chili
• Most Creative Chili (Go Ahead and Get Crazy!! All ingredients Accepted)

Registration Deadline:

  April 19th, 2006. Please mail or deliver entry form with check to DPBC, 130 Alvarado NE, Suite 400, Albuquerque, NM 87108   

Entry Fees:
State Wide Candidates: $200.00
County Candidates (including Judges): $75.00
Everyone Else: $30.00 

Questions: Terri Holland, Executive Director, Democratic Party of Bernalillo County, 256-1855 or Email terri@bernalillodems.org

Rosenberg Son to Speak in ABQ & Santa Fe

Robert Meeropol (photo right), the son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, will give a lecture on "McCarthy Era Lessons for Bush's America" following a 5:00 PM potluck Sunday at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice. He'll also sign copies of his memoir, "An Execution in the Family." The event is free but bring an item to share if attending the dinner.

On Monday, Meeropol will speak at The Forum at the College of Santa Fe at 7:00 PM. For more information contact Mark Behr at 505-310 0769.

Meeropol's parents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (see photo left), were executed by electric chair in June of 1953, during the Cold War, for their conviction in what was called the "trial of the century" for conspiracy to commit espionage. The case was prosecuted by the infamously unethical and self-serving Roy Cohn, the right-hand man of Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was eventually discredited for his Communist witch hunts and censured by the Senate. Robert was 6 at the time of the execution and his brother, Michael, was 10.

For information about the Rosenberg Fund for Children, founded by Robert Meeropol, go to https://www.rfc.org. You can read more about Meeropol's New Mexico appearances here, including background information on his speech. More about Meeropol can be found at Wikipedia, which also has extensive information about the Rosenbergs and their controversial trial and execution.

According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal:

Meeropol warns of echoes from those times, of dangerous similarities. He will speak about those parallels in Albuquerque on Sunday.

"If you look back to the 1950s and the anti-Communism scare, what you find is the public was told there was an international Communist conspiracy out there to destroy our way of life. Therefore, concerns revolving around national security had to take precedence over civil liberties, and civil liberties had to take a back seat. We were at war."

Back then, Meeropol said, policy was propelled by fear, and so it is now: "Pull out the word 'Communist' and plug in the word 'terrorist.' ''

SATURDAY: Albuquerque March & Rally to Support Social Justice for Immigrants

Above: March for immigrant justice in Los Angeles last weekend.

Passing this along on the email trail. You can do the same:
There are few times in life when we can actually fight for what we believe is right. As many of you know, last week around the nation rallies were held to protest the new immigration reforms.

Albuquerque will have its chance this Saturday, April 1st.

If you believe immigrants do not deserve the right to fulfill the American dream and live freely in this nation, then you do not have to do a single thing. But if you feel that something is not quite right, then it is your time to stand up and fight for your values, traditions, friends and family.

I urge you to pass this information to everybody you know. We can only make a difference if we stay united and if we truly believe in this. Please invite everyone you know !!!!

Recuerda a César Chávez (1927-1993)
"Social Justice for Immigrants"
MARCH & RALLY

Saturday, April 1, 2006
March begins at 11AM -- Bring your banners!
Martineztown Park
Edith & Roma, Downtown

Rally and Celebration 12 Noon
Civic Plaza
3rd and Marquette, Downtown

Celebrate the memory of César Chávez and the diversity of Albuquerque with speakers, entertainment and food provided for purchase by local vendors.

CO-SPONSORS--- Recuerda a Cesar Chavez Memorial Committee, Blue Collar Union Local 624, City of Albuquerque's Cultural Services Department and Human Rights Office, Center for Economic Justice, Lo Maduro de La Cultura, National Hispanic Cultural Center, UNM Chicano Studies

CONTRIBUTING ORGANIZATIONS--- Central NM Labor Council, Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, MANA de Albuquerque, National Union of Hospital and Healtth Care Employees District 1199, NM Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, UNM Africana Studies, UNM El Centro de la Raza, United Food & Commercial Workers

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS--- Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Albuquerque High MEChA, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, Dolores Gonzalez Elementary School, Enlace Comunitario, Longfellow Elementary School, NM Progressive Alliance for Community Empowerment, Nuestros Valores Charter School, SAGE Council, Santa Barbara-Martineztown Neighborhood Association, Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, SouthWest Organizing Project, UNM Center for Latin American Resources and Outreach (CLARO), UNM Family Program, UNM MEChA, UNM Peer Mentoring for Graduates of Color, UNM Raza Graduate Students Association, UNM U.S. Peace Corps, West Mesa High School MEChA, Young Women United.

For more information call: 3-1-1 Citizen Contact Center; Lucille Cordova 277-6414;  Bonnie Rucobo 924-3380; Chuy Martinez 768-3531; Michael Casaus 417-5288; Rodrigo Rodríguez 489-7404; or Eduardo Hernández Chávez & Ysaura Bernal-Enríquez 256-1523

Celebrate Cesar Chavez' Birthday Thursday in Santa Fe

From the NM Department of Health:
The Department of Health has been coordinating a series of Cultural Celebrations, focusing on different cultural groups and emphasizing the importance of understanding the ways that cultural beliefs influence health, health care access, and health care delivery. Each celebration has had its own special flavor appropriate to the culture that is celebrated. All, however, focus on health.

The upcoming celebration is for Hispano/a culture, focusing around the birthday of Cesar Chavez, his life’s work, and the impact of his work today. The celebration will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2006, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Harold Runnels Building in Santa Fe.

We hope you will attend and encourage your colleagues, family, and friends to participate as well. We would like to see many community members, Department of Health and other agency staff, and elected officials participating in this celebration.

We will have speakers, cultural performances, educational booths, and artists displaying and selling their work.

The celebration will open with the DeVargas Middle School Mariachi band at 9:30 AM, and the program will begin at 10:00 AM

Speakers will cover the following topics (beginning at 10:00 AM):

(1) Cesar Chavez, his life and the impact of his work, then and now, (Sam Baca and Rick Nahmias)

(2) Environmental Health, particularly issues directly affecting the Hispana/o community

(3) Integrated Pest Management (Fabian Chavez),

(4) Latina health in rural areas (Elaine Montaño) (invited), and

(5) US/Mexico Border Health issues (Dan Reyna).

And the following entertainment:

(1) Mariachi band from De Vargas Junior High School (starting at 9:30 prior to the event)

(2) Spanish guitar and singing (Sam Baca and Fred Sandoval)

(3) Los Niños de Santa Fe y Compania

(4) Spanish Guitar and singing - Nacha Mendez (play at the end)

A feast of traditional foods, prepared by Department of Health staff and local restaurants will follow the activities. We are looking forward to an educational, entertaining, and exciting celebration, and we hope you and your colleagues, community members, contractors, family, and friends will be
able to join us.

If you have questions, please contact me, Doris Fields, in the Human Resources Bureau at (505) 827-0608.

Reception & Dinner Benefit for Valle Vidal Set for 3/30

From the :
Join us at a reception and dinner benefit Thursday, March 30 for The Fund for the Valle Vidal as we celebrate the efforts of these individuals and organizations:

• Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos
• Jim O'Donnell, Coalition for the Valle Vidal
• Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Western Environmental Law Center and Lead Counsel for the Coalition for the Valle Vidal
• & Special Guests supporters/members of the Coalition for the Valle Vidal

Benefit Committee: William Knight, Rena Rosequist, Gus Foster, Charles Strong, Janet Webb, & Theron Horton

Reception & Silent Auction 5:30 PM
at Hotel La Fonda de Taos's KARAVAS CONFERENCE CENTER
Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served.

Dinner selections for Joseph's Table must be submitted ASAP. Make your event reservations here. Please visit the following websites for complete project/event information: and The Coalition for the Valle Vidal.

If you wish to contribute by mail, please make contributions payable to:
The Fund for the Valle Vidal
Post Office Box 1281
Taos, New Mexico 87571

A project of
simpleCHANGE.org
pro bono publico

UNM to host Peace and Justice Fair

From UNM Today:
The University of New Mexico will host the 2nd Annual Peace and Justice Fair featuring more than 50 exhibits and several panel discussions and performances Wednesday, March 29, from Noon to 10 PM in the Student Union Building ballrooms.

Students Organizing Action for Peace (S.O.A.P.) and the UNM Peace Studies Program sponsor the free event. Nearly a dozen on and off-campus groups are co-sponsors, including UNM International Programs and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice.

“We've had a nice show of support and solidarity from the community,” said Peace Studies Director Jenny Moore, UNM professor of law and associate dean.

This year's theme is "Question Violence: Wage Peace.” A 1 PM panel discussion will focus on students integrating a commitment to social justice with life in the classroom. At 3 PM, panelists Martin Brennan, UNM ambassador-in-residence, Matthew Henderson, ACORN New Mexico organizer and William Kyser of the Albuquerque Living Wage Campaign, and others, will discuss careers in peacemaking.

At 6 PM, veterans from the Iraq war and service men and women yet to be called to active duty will speak.

Veterans for Peace will have an installation near the duck pond. Evening entertainment includes performances by local folk/pop band Buddha Betties and the Side Street Strut Swing Sextet.

For more information contact Desi Brown at: desib@unm.edu.