Democracy for New Mexico

Michael Moore at UNM Pit This Sunday

The UNM College Democrats are bringing Michael Moore to The Pit this Sunday, October 10 from 6-8 PM as part of his "Slacker Uprising Tour." This is Moore's only "Slacker" stop in New Mexico!

Tickets are only $5, general seating, and are available now at unmtickets.com and all tickets.com outlets, including the UNM Ticketing Offices at the Bookstore (across from the Frontier) and at The Pit (online purchases come with a small service charge; purchases at UNM don't). Doors open Sunday at 4:30 PM.

You can follow Michael on his travels on his blog.

Click through to the continuation page for the announcement of Moore's 60-city swing state tour.

Michael Moore Launches 60-City Swing State Tour

College and NBA Arenas in 20 Battleground States to Feature Live, On Stage, Oscar-winning Filmmaker

He Plans to Rally Non-voters and Slackers, "America's Majority"
Calling it his "Slacker Uprising Tour" in an effort to get millions of traditional non-voters to the polls on November 2, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and #1 bestselling author Michael Moore announced today that he will embark on a 60-city tour to the 20 battleground states beginning September 26 in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and ending on Election Day in Tallahassee, Florida.

Moore will be appearing on college campuses in their auditoriums, arenas, stadiums and field houses (Penn State, Univ. of New Mexico, Univ. of Florida, among others), NBA arenas (Seattle), and hockey arenas (Toledo). Nearly all venues will hold between 5,000 and 15,000 people, with students -- historically the largest block of non-voters in presidential elections -- admitted for free at most events (at some events, non-students will pay $5 or a nominal charge to cover costs).

Moore's show will consist of his monologue, interaction with the audience, and a few surprise guests. He will read letters he's received from soldiers in Iraq (published in his new book, "Will They Ever Trust Us Again -- Letters from the War Zone"), offer prizes for people who register to vote, and conduct the "world's largest karaoke sing-a-long" to John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar." At many venues Moore will show as yet-unseen clips from his "Fahrenheit 9/11" DVD (to be released October 5), and give everyone present a chance to win their own "pet goat."

"It should be a lot of fun," said Moore. "Most Americans don't vote, and it's not all that hard to understand why. So, I'd like to offer them some incentives to give it a try, just this once. The 50% who are the non-voters are never called by pollsters and are usually ignored by candidates. Should just a few percentage points of the 100 million non-voters decide to show up on November 2 -- watch out."

Moore said his goal is to see that over 56% of the voting public votes in this election -- something that has not happened since 1968.

"It is not the wealthy and the elite who don't vote," added Moore. "The non-voters are the poor, the disenfranchised, the single moms and young people. I am calling for a non-voter uprising, led by thousands of campus slackers who proudly sleep 'til noon and who believe papers are for rolling, not reading. They are rightfully cynical, but this year their motto will be: "Bush and Kerry Both Suck -- That's Why I'm Voting for John Kerry!"

With a number of venues already sold out, over 600,000 people are expected to show up on his tour. Even more will see his film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," which will be shown on most campuses before his arrival. In a warm-up to the tour, 10,000 people last night were able to get into to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for Moore's appearance, with thousands more being turned away due to lack of seats.

Early word of Moore's tour has already sparked protests by campus Republicans and two schools have already caved to pressure to cancel Moore's event.

"I understand why some Bush supporters might be upset," Moore reflected. "I would be, too, if I only had a few weeks left in power."

Rally With Max Cleland at ABQ Kerry HQ Today at 4:15 PM

Vietnam veteran and former Georgia Senator Max Cleland will rally with Kerry volunteers at the Albuquerque Kerry HQ at 3301 Central NE at 4:15 PM today, October 1st. Everyone is welcome! Here's a website that details Cleland's Viet Nam experience with photos from the era.

Democratic Party Offers 10/4 Voting Rights Training in ABQ, SF, Las Cruces

From the Democratic Party of New Mexico:

November 2nd is weeks away. This critical election is upon us. The Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) is determined to protect voter rights, to insure that no voter is turned away at the polls, and to insure that all votes are counted this time.

DPNM needs your help. We need Democrats willing to volunteer for pre-election, Election Day, and post-Election Day activities. In each county, the County Chair will be appointing poll watchers and challengers. To help the County Chairs, DPNM will be holding training sessions on election laws and voters’ rights. All of these sessions will be held on October 4, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe:

Albuquerque - Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Hall, 510 San Pedro Dr., SE
Las Cruces - Carpenters Hall, 1880 N. Solano
Santa Fe - NEA-New Mexico, 2007 Botolph St.

The training sessions will review:

New Mexico’s Voter Bill of Rights
registration requirements
voter’s eligibility and qualification requirements,
absentee voting
early voting
voter assistance

The trainings will address how to recognize voter intimidation and other unlawful practices, and procedures to be followed by the officials in counting the absentee, early vote, machine and provisional ballots. All Democrats are invited and encouraged to attend. If you are interested in attending or in volunteering for this important project, please reply by email to: Jim@NMVictory2004.com using the words “VOTER PROTECTION PROGRAM NM” in the subject line. Let’s rally New Mexico to vote for Democrats.

ABQ Kerry Campaign Special Events

The lastest from the Kerry campaign in Albuquerque:

As we move into the final month of the campaign, it's more important than ever to come down to headquarters and spend a few hours each week helping out--we have phone banking and canvassing every day, but we also wanted to tell you about some of the special events we have coming up:

Tonight, Thursday, Sep. 30: Debate Party at Kerry Headquarters: Calling for Kerry from 5-7, watching the current president stumble and mumble his way through a debate, 7pm.

Saturday, Oct. 2: Grand Opening of our new Satellite office at 2017 Yale!: Voter Contact BBQ! Come celebrate our expansion with us. 505-242-6636

Saturday, Oct. 2: Canines for Kerry!: Bring your dog down to Kerry HQ and take part in events like "Barking Back at Bush," "Most Political Dog," and "Presidential Look-Alike Dog." At Kerry headquarters, 3301 Central, from 12-3pm. A good time will be had by all.

Click here to order the pictured Canines for Kerry tshirt from CafePress and here to visit the Canines for Kerry website. You can check out the Canines for Kerry flyer here.

Monday, Oct. 4: Get ready to vote tomorrow!: Come down to headquarters for a special early vote visibility party--stay tuned for details.

Thanks for all of your support!
Marci Youngmark
Volunteer Coordinator
505-256-2570

Free Symposium on Organizing and Resisting in NM at UNM This Weekend

FROM EMPIRE TO EMPOWERMENT:
Organizing and Resisting in New Mexico - A Symposium: Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2, 2004

In solidarity with the International Days of Action to Keep Space for Peace and commemorating Gandhi's birthday, the Peace Center, Stop the War Machine, and the Coalition for International Peace and Equality, campus organizations and other local groups and individuals are planning a weekend of events on the theme "From Empire to Empowerment: Organizing and Resisting in New Mexico."

This is a free symposium at the UNM Student Union Building (SUB). Organizers from NM and west Texas join local, national and international experts to analyze the ills of the US empire and forge strategies to create change at this two-day symposium. Presentations include: Dr. Helen Caldicott, David Barsamian of Alternative Radio, and folksinger peace activist David Rovics, who has been compared to Pete Seeger and the late Phil Ochs.

Helen Caldicott, one of the world's leading anti-nuclear activists and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, will speak from 1:00 to 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 2nd. Go to the website of the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center or of Stop the War Machine to get the lastest information and a schedule of events.

NOTE: Helen Caldicott will also be speaking in Taos on Friday, October 1, at 6:30 pm at Enos Garcia Elementary School. Admission is by donation. For information cal 505-751-3634.

"Nickel and Dimed" Comes to Albuquerque

"Nickel and Dimed" will be playing at the University of New Mexico. It is based on the book by Barbara Ehrenreich and adapted for the stage by Joan Holden. The play focuses on the character of Barbara, an upscale magazine writer who gets assigned to see what it's like to live in the shoes of working women in this country. She thinks it'll be a piece of cake and discovers, instead, the reality of what some refer to as "the working poor": the necessity of two jobs just to barely make it; the string of bad relationships; the sexism; the extreme classism; the unethical working practices and the crushing aspects of "the system." We follow her through her jobs as a waitress, hotel room cleaner, maid, and employee at "mall mart." We also get a peek into the lives of the women and men that she meets along the way.

It will be performed in Rodey Theatre by a cast of five women and one man. The show plays October 8-9 at 7:30 p.m.; October 10th at 2 p.m.; then comes back for three more shows on Oct 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. The cost is: $12 general admission; $8 for faculty/staff/seniors ; and $6 for students.

Tickets to all UNM Theatre & Dance performances may be purchased at the UNM Fine Arts Ticket Office at the entrance to the UNM Bookstore at Cornell and Central or by calling 277-4569. Tickets are also available from any tickets.com outlet, or by calling 851-5050, or online at https://www.tickets.com.

Here's an article on the book and some info on Ehrenreich. There's also a website devoted to the book and related issues and here's a review of the book. This Guardian Unlimited interview with Barbara Ehrenreich is also excellent. (Thanks to Lois K. for this story.)

Election Protection Training Starts Monday

This November, thousands of Election Protection volunteers will be on hand at polling places in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and three dozen other cities nationwide where voters' rights are most at risk in the 2004 election.

Well-trained and well-equipped, Election Protection poll monitors will be the eyes and ears of the single largest voter protection effort ever. But, more importantly, they'll be a voice -- for voters and for democracy -- providing same-day solutions to voters' problems and protecting the election from before the first vote is cast until the last vote is counted.

On September 20th and 21st, volunteers in New Mexico are going to begin their Election Protection training in Albuquerque, and we invite you to come see and hear how you can help protect the 2004 election.

Poll Monitor Training (open to all)
Monday, September 20, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice
202 Harvard Dr. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
RSVP: 1-866-204-1941

Legal Advocate Training (for lawyers and law students)
Tuesday, September 21, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice
202 Harvard Dr. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
RSVP: 1-866-204-1941

These trainings are free and no volunteer commitment is required. Get your friends and family together to work toward a stronger democracy. We'll rally, train and meet up with volunteers who will protect voters' rights in precincts where problems are most likely to occur on election day.

Please join us in this historic effort. With your help and support, we will succeed in ensuring a free, fair and honest election in New Mexico.

Thank you,
Mary Jean Collins
National Field Director
People For the American Way Foundation

Click here to sign up for future trainings.

Click here to make a donation to support the effort.

Forum on Education Tuesday in Albuquerque

Please join the Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress for a forum on:

Workforce Development: Ensuring Students Have the Tools to Succeed

Robert Borosage, President of the Institute for America's Future and John Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, invite you to join them at an upcoming public forum organized as part of their joint project — Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future: A National Task Force on Public Education.

To see the full invite, click here.

Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future: A National Task Force on Public Education is a joint initiative of the Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress. The New Mexico forum is the third in a series of public forums to be held throughout the country to learn about local, innovative and effective models for improving education. Upon completion of the last public forum, the Task Force will produce a major report with policy and program recommendations for modernizing and renewing public education in the United States.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 28, 2004, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: TVI Workforce Training Center, 5600 Eagle Rock Avenue NE, Albuquerque

TO RSVP: Please e-mail Erika Faulkner at efaulkner@griffinassoc.com, or call her at 505-764-4444 ext. 225

To learn more about Task Force click here

Labor Day Extravaganza in Santa Fe

As part of a plan to increase NM’s voter participation by 10% over the 2000 general election, the state NAACP, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, AFL-CIO and 30 other organizations will sponsor a "Labor Day Extravaganza" to mobilize New Mexicans who want to help increase turnout and those who didn't vote last time around.

Only 47 percent of New Mexico’s voting-age population voted in 2000. The program will outline a plan to increase that turnout rate by 10 percent for November’s election. Part of the coalition’s long-term strategy includes promoting state legislation in the next session that would allow voter registration on Election Day.

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall will address the rally, along with other nationally known speakers. There'll be a poetry slam, music and refreshments, and voter registration, all for FREE. Gather on the East side of State Capitol building in Santa Fe from 11:30 through the afternoon on Labor Day, Sept. 6. A reception will follow at the Marriott Courtyard on Cerrillos Road from 5 to 7 p.m. (Sponsored by: NAACP National Voter Fund).

Click here and here to get all the details.

NARAL Needs Volunteers

The NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico team is heading full force into September and we need your help to expand our outreach and protect a woman's right to choose. We have several volunteer opportunities and our annual membership meeting is rapidly approaching - check out details below. We hope to see you at one or all of the events!

New Mexico State Fair, September 3 - 19: Volunteers are needed to staff our educational booth at the State Fair. You'll get to talk to pro-choice supporters and distribute information about a woman's right to choose. This is a great opportunity to reach out to the public and spread a positive message about a woman's right to choose. To sign up for a shift or get more information, please call Gayle at 505.296.6586. Shifts are three hours long.

2004 Annual Membership Meeting, September 12: The NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico Board of Directors invites you to attend our annual membership meeting, where you'll get to vote on the slate of candidates for the NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico Board of Directors.

Sunday, September 12, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice (202 Harvard SE)
Please RSVP by calling 505.243.4443.

Phone bank volunteers needed throughout September: We will call women voters in New Mexico through Election Day! Calling begins at 5:45 pm Monday through Friday. We will provide dinner and drinks and a great opportunity to meet other activists.

Make a difference this election. Join the NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico "NM Women Vote 2004" project today. To RSVP or for more information, call us at 505.243.4443 or email us at womenvote@prochoicenm.org.