Democracy for New Mexico

FRIDAY: Join the ABQ Protest Against Bush

From the Democratic Party of New Mexico:

Protest the Bush/Wilson Agenda
that is Clouding New Mexico’s Future!
Albuquerque Civic Plaza
(Across from Hyatt Regency)
Friday, June 16, 2006 3-5 PM
(Or Until Bush Leaves)

At the 2004 Republican Convention, Heather Wilson called George W. Bush her “beacon.” She continues to turn the other cheek to his failed policies and the culture of corruption plaguing Washington, DC, voting for his agenda 90% of the time. Friday, Bush is coming to Albuquerque to raise money for his rubber stamp Republican, Heather Wilson.

That is why large BLACK BALLOONS will be tethered to homes and offices across the metro area, symbolizing the “black cloud” that Bush and Wilson’s failures have cast over our communities.

Join us on Civic Plaza to protest Bush’s visit. We want to send the message that, together, New Mexicans can do better! FOR MORE INFORMATION, AND TO RSVP, CONTACT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF NEW MEXICO AT 505-830-3650.

PASS IT ON: Click for an event flyer.

Breaking: AG Madrid Indicts Those Who Testified Against Vigil

Heath Haussamen has the details.

Join the Campaign for a Better New Mexico

From the Southwest Organizing Project: Since 1980 SouthWest Organizing Project has worked to empower ourselves and our communities to realize racial and gender equality and social and economic justice. As a membership organization made up of families, we’ve accomplished a lot by building leadership and power in low income and working communities so we can have a say in the decisions that affect our lives. 

In the late 80’s and early 90’s SWOP registered over 30,000 voters in the first nonpartisan effort of its kind in the state. “Take Back New Mexico” was at the time the most successful voter registration and education initiative in the history of the state of New Mexico. The Take Back campaign brought a new sense of strength and pride to communities who had been pushed out of politics.

Take Back New Mexico also forced politicians to take working communities and communities of color seriously if they wanted to be elected.

Over the years, we’ve continued to build power and leadership from the grassroots to hold politicians accountable to communities most affected by the decisions and policies of our elected representatives. 

Today SWOP is embarking on the Campaign for a Better New Mexico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit effort to encourage working families to get out and vote and pressure our elected officials to get in step with the needs, values and interests of working communities. 

The Campaign for a Better New Mexico is for people like you who are concerned with the future of New Mexico’s communities - people who want to put politics back into the hands of people. SWOP has served New Mexico’s neighborhoods for more than 25 years, standing side by side with people trying to make their community a better place to live, work and play.

SWOP is a member organization made up of every day, working families who want more say in the decisions that affect our lives. We’re your friends, family and neighbors. Join us. With your participation, a better New Mexico is possible.

Three Easy Ways to Support Campaign Better New Mexico

Join the Campaign for a Better New Mexico and begin making our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family. We know from talking to our friends and families we need:

• A New Minimum Wage
• Assured, Quality Health Care for All Our Families
• Clean Elections so we can take big money out of politics
• And a Modern Immigration Policy

You can start making a difference today.

Here are 3 easy ways you can support the Campaign for a Better New Mexico:

Sign our online petition to join, pledge to vote on November 7^th and tell elected officials they must understand the needs, interests and values of working families.

Donate today - Small amounts can make a big difference.

Volunteer - We need volunteers every weekday from 5 to 8  PM and weekends from 11 AM - 2 PM or 2 - 4 PM to knock on doors and make phone calls. Call SWOP at 505 247 8832 or email us to start making a difference today.

Editor's Note: Democracy for New Mexico supports the Campaign for a Better New Mexico and displays the project's badge and link on our website. If you'd like to do the same, click here.

Bush to Visit Artesia NM 6/6

According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, Bush will be visiting Artesia, NM on June 6th, our primary election day, to tout his immigration plan. I think it's telling that the public will not be allowed to attend his speech at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). With his approval ratings still down in the basement, Bush appears to be sneaking around, not even taking a chance on his usual "pre-screened" audiences full of right-wing Republicans.

Double Whammy! As reported in an earlier post, Bush will also be attending a big-donor fundraiser for fake moderate Heather Wilson (R-NM CD1) at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque on June 16. No public allowed there either, although many groups are planning on protesting Bush's visit across the street from the hotel at the Civic Plaza while he's in town, starting at 3:00 PM on 6/16. I encourage all Dem candidates to come on down and offer to pose for photos for a mere $5, to contrast the going price for a picture with Bush -- $5,000!

NM Political Blog Hop

The New Mexico political blogging scene continues to expand and improve. Here's a rundown on what some of them are talking about as we close in on our June 6th primary election.

New Mexico Matters discusses the damaging decision by Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera to use the most stringent and patently unfair standards to toss provisional ballots in the 2004 election. Meanwhile, Cocoposts reports on the ongoing fiasco with voter cards and how Mary Herrera and Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron are responding. Heath Haussamen of Las Cruces provides a detailed report on the lastest developments in the Democratic primary PRC race between E. Shirley Baca and Sandy Jones.

New Mexico Viewpoints has significant coverage of the June 8th shareholder vote on the proposed sale of . Dem Land Commissioner primary candidate Jim Baca is providing a compelling narrative on his campaign and touting his recent endorsements from the Albuquerque Alibi and Santa Fe Reporter on Only in New Mexico.

New Mexico State Senator Dede Feldman's Blog offers a text of her recent graduation speech to the UNM Biology Department on politics vs. science. The Bomb Town News Observer is covering politics and more as it happens in Los Alamos, including a funny account of an historic day. Wills4223 covers the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision trashing the rights of whistleblowers and, as usual, displays some terrific photos. Be sure to scroll down on the site.

Blogger m-pyre offers a golden Chavez splash with pizzazz and lastly, but not leastly, Joe Monahan comments on the major New Mexico primary races. He also reveals that Prez Bush will be visiting Roswell or someplace else in Southern New Mexico on primary election day on June 6th to tout his immigration reforms. Aren't we lucky?

Big Win: NM Recount Law Declared Unconstitutional

According to an Associated Press article in the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico's 2005 vote recount law was declared unconstitutional in a unanimous decision yesterday by the NM Supreme Court. The law allowed the state canvassing board to require candidates requesting a recount to pay the estimated full cost of the recount up front as a deposit.

Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik had filed suit when the NM Canvassing Board abruptly required them to pay more than $1 million up front if they wanted a presidential ballot recount in the 2004 election. Although they had already deposited $114,400, Cobb and Badnarik were suddenly informed they'd have to put up a deposit covering the entire cost, not just the smaller amount normally required by a state election law formula.

Later, in early 2005, the NM Legislature passed a law giving the canvassing board the specific right to require a deposit to cover the whole cost  of a recount. It was this law that was declared unconstitutional yesterday. In addition, the court said the canvassing board in 2004 had no authority to demand an estimated full cost of a recount in order to grant the request for one by Cobb and Badnarik.

The Canvassing Board that required the large deposit was made up of Governor Bill Richardson, Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and then-NM Supreme Court Chief Justice Petra Maes. Since Justice Maes removed herself from the case, Richardson and Madrid made the decision to significantly raise the deposit requirement on their own.

According to the Journal article:

Richardson spokesman Jon Goldstein said, "All the state canvassing board was trying to do was protect the taxpayers from the costs of frivolous recount requests."

Cobb and Badnarik said they wanted a recount due to numerous reports of documented problems with voting machines and the counting of provisional ballots. Hardly "frivolous," these serious problems, most of which deducted votes from the Kerry column, may well have caused New Mexico's electoral votes to go to Bush. Bush won New Mexico with 49.8 percent of the vote, only 5,988 votes more than Kerry received. Because of the legal dispute over the cost, however, no recount ever occurred.

Also in the Journal article, John Boyd, the Albuquerque lawyer for Cobb and Badnarik, is quoted saying, "I think the canvassing board is going to have to apply the letter of the law in the future and that's important." You might say. Too bad that didn't happen with the requested 2004 recount.

Many Democrats here and around the nation were flabbergasted and angry when New Mexico's Democratic Governor, Bill Richardson, and Democratic Secretary of State, Rebecca Vigil-Giron, suddenly required the huge sum before they would permit a recount. Since it was well known that electronic voting machines were causing problems and that provisional ballots were being tossed left and right, it seemed unconscionable that two Democrats were putting outrageous barriers in the way of a recount in a race that was decided by around 5,000 votes. At least we know that will never happen again. Or at least we hope not.

If you want to retrace the history of posts on the requested recount and the lawsuit by Cobb and Badnarik, go to the Rollyo search tool on the upper right-hand side of the main page here, type in the word recount and select "search this blog."

Voter Action has a complete rundown on the numerous serious voting problems uncovered in New Mexico that pertain to the 2004 election.

Former ABQ Mayor Harry Kinney: R.I.P.

Harry Kinney, elected Albuquerque's first modern-day mayor when the city adopted the current mayor-council structure in 1974, passed away yesterday at age 81. Former Mayor Jim Baca, who worked for Kinney as a public information officer for a couple years, provides good background in a post on his Only In New Mexico blog. Joe Monahan also has some remembrances, and the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune (with photo above) trace Mayor Kinney's life and accomplishments.

Harry Kinney, he of the bushy gray sideburns and quiet demeanor, was a Navy veteran, appliance store owner, Sandia Labs mechanical engineer, county commissioner, city commissioner, a two-term mayor (1973-1977, 1981-1985) and (yes) an Albuquerque cab driver for 5 years in his 60s. He was instrumental in planning and funding Albuquerque's Civic Plaza, Convention Center and downtown library projects, purchasing large parcels of land for open space, the development and expansion of our International Balloon Fiesta and much more.

A moderate Republican, Kinney worked with members of both political parties in a mostly nonpartisan, cooperative manner. Known for his love of Albuquerque, he is usually described as putting the needs of the city's residents and infrastructure before personal power and clout. Ah, those were the days. Farewell to one Albuquerque's pioneering politicos who was also, by all accounts, a damn good cab driver and member of the human race.

NM Sen. Dede Feldman on 'We The People' Thursday

WE THE PEOPLE
GUEST: Dede Feldman
(D-NM Sen. Dist. 13)
(Right, at a Patricia Madrid event, photo by Suzanne Prescott)
Thursday, April 20, 2006, 7-8PM
ABQ Public Access TV Cable Channel 27 or via internet (see below)

Dede Feldman has introduced legislation to reform campaign financing every year she has been in the legislature, finally winning approval for a public financing pilot program for the Public Regulation Commission, which takes effect in 2006.

As a State Senator she has had a big impact on the lives of women, children. and people struggling to make ends meet. Dede sponsored several successful initiatives including the “Graduated Drivers License” system for teens, a mastectomy bill that mandates insurance companies cover a minimum 48 hr. hospital stay, as well as the creation of a Brain Injury Services Fund that provides much needed services to people with head injuries. She also sponsored the “Do Not Call” bill in 2003 prohibiting unwanted telephone solicitations, an ATV safety bill in 2005 and the state's Senior Prescription Drug Discount program (2002).

You can now view Channel 27 Live! Worldwide! on the internet using Windows Media Player or here if you don't have Windows Media Player.

Watch us every Thursday 7-8 PM
Community Cable Channel 27
Albuquerque, NM

CALL-IN: 505- 346-1633 (the number will also be flashed on the TV Screen). HOST: Mickey Bock

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. We hope to remind viewers of their legacy and heritage coming from the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It is our country's government--based on law and not tyranny--that grants us FREEDOM.

THANKS FOR WATCHING
Mickey Bock/Judith Binder
mickbo@earthlink.net

Minimum Wage Raise: Are You Ready For the Blog-In, Because It's Time to Go

Um, sorry for the title of this post, but I guess I'm still in Neil Young mode. Anyway, read all about it -- Chantal Foster over at Duke City Fix is organizing a local blog-in at this Thursday's special meeting of the Albuquerque City Council on Martin Heinrich's minimum wage proposal. Starting at 6:00 PM on April 20th, the Council will hear testimony on a proposed raise in the city's minimum wage and engage in a debate on the bill's merits. Members may well vote on the measure that evening as well.

Local bloggers of all political stripes, including DFNM, are being encouraged to live blog from the hearing. Chantal recently was instrumental in convincing the City to install free wi-fi web access in the Council Chambers, which bloggers can utilize Thursday evening to post hearing updates.

Now is the time to show up and testify on behalf of raising Albuquerque's minimum wage. Or at least to show up and cheer others on. Or at the very least, to visit local blogs that evening to keep up with what's going on at the hearing.

The Heinrich Minimum Wage Bill
A recent Albuquerque Tribune article describes Heinrich's proposal, which was crafted as a compromise measure based on many hours of work by the Councilor in negotiating with both minimum wage advocates like ACORN and business interests, including the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. Click to read Heinrich's bill. The proposal calls for a raise in the city's minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.75 an hour on January 1, 2007, to $7.15 on January 1, 2008, and to $7.50 beginning January 1, 2009.

Mayor Chavez Threatens a Veto
Unfortunately but not surprisingly, Albuquerque's conservative-leaning (or something) Democratic mayor has threatened to veto Heinrich's compromise bill if it isn't further watered down. He's working in cahoots with Councilor Ken Sanchez, another alleged Democrat, who represents the primarily working class District 1. A whole bunch of Sanchez's constituents would directly benefit from Heinrich's proposal and can certainly use every penny they can get in a raise.

Now the Albuquerque Tribune is reporting that Sanchez will introduce an amended bill, to cut the wage increase by 25 cents an hour at each phase. ACORN and other fair wage advocates are opposed to further compromise. No kidding. I'd love to see Mayor Marty or Ken Sanchez live on $6.50 an hour, or even on $7.50 an hour, which ACORN wants immediately. The excuse Sanchez is making is that a raise to $6.75 an hour would drive out jobs. What employers could Sanchez and the Mayor have in mind who would rather move out of Albuquerque than pay the miserly rate of $6.75 an hour? Maybe I'll ask that question at the hearing.

How We Got Here
The original push for a boost in the minimum wage to $7.50, without a phase-in and with an annual indexing to inflation, was very narrowly defeated in last November's municipal election. Most analysts blamed the defeat on a clause that permitted access to public areas of businesses for the education of workers. A similar bill at the NM Legislature earlier this year just missed passage.

Afterwards, ACORN began a petition-gathering effort to get the $7.50 raise on this November's ballot, but suspended the project when Councilor Heinrich came up with a compromise bill that has the support of most players. Except for Mayor Chavez, Councilor Sanchez and perhaps Councilor Cadigan, all of whom claim they are Democrats. Cadigan has announced he will be submitting an amended bill as well. If the Heinrich bill is further watered down, ACORN plans to restart their petition drive to get a much stronger bill on the November ballot in Albuquerque. I'll be right there with them.

You can let your City Council know your views on a raise in the minimum wage .

NM Fair Immigration Event Photos and Links

SWOPblogger has some good photos of Monday's student demonstration for a fair immigration policy on Albuquerque's civic plaza, as well as some impressive shots from Sunday's rally at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. They also provide some links to coverage of New Mexico's immigration events from local newspapers.