Democracy for New Mexico

MergingLeft's Billboard Up Near Fairgrounds

From MergingLeft:
MergingLeft, a local grassroots organization dedicated to communicating a progressive message to the public, has begun an advertising campaign to give Americans the facts about many of the government’s policies.  These are facts that the Administration does not tell Americans. 

The first ads are focused on the true cost of the war in Iraq in blood, money and the American image abroad.  Someone has to give Americans facts about the Americans and Iraqis being killed, maimed, and left homeless.  Someone has to talk about the torture and abuse of prisoners. 

MergingLeft is currently running ads on Albuquerque city buses to remind citizens about the torture, occupation, and prison without trial that is perpetrated by our government and is blurring the distinction between us and those we seek to defeat. Starting August 10, similar messages will appear on billboards in the city telling the truth to Americans.
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Editor's Note: Many of you know MergingLeft from their presence at DFA-DFNM Meetups or other progressive gatherings around the state and you've seen their excellent bumperstickers and mockups of future ads. I have one of their stickers on my vehicle that asks "What Would Wellstone Do?"

Their first ad on Albuquerque city buses went up in June, as reported in a previous post. Now their first full-size billboard is up on Louisiana, between Lomas and Central, right next to the State Fairgrounds (Expo New Mexico):

Congratulations to MergingLeft and all those who have donated money or time to this effort! If you'd like to help with future ads, visit the MergingLeft website. Put your money where your mouth is! Many small donations can add up to big results.

Equality NM Names New Executive Director

From Equality NM:
Alexis Blizman Named Executive Director of Equality New Mexico and Equality New Mexico Foundation

(Albuquerque NM, August 4, 2005) — After a national search, EQNM and EQNMF have named Washington DC-area lawyer and political activist Alexis Blizman to lead the Albuquerque-based state-wide LGBT civil rights organizations.

"Alexis Blizman brings a solid combination of political and legal experience to New Mexico. She has a reputation for hard work and for bringing people together to work for common goals. She is well-liked among national political leaders, and we are pleased to welcome her to New Mexico," says Lynn Perls, Board Chair, Equality New Mexico.

General Counsel for Young Democrats of America and a founding member of the Young Democrats’ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Caucus, Blizman was the first openly gay representative ever elected to the Democratic National Committee from Young Democrats of America.

Blizman grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. While earning her BA in Political Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, she reinvigorated and led a chapter of the Young Democrats and through that work became active in paid and volunteer work on local, state, and national campaigns.

Blizman received her JD degree at the George Washington University Law School in Washington DC. While in law school, she maintained her connections with the Young Democrats and the national Democratic Party. In 2000, Blizman became a member of the Democratic National Committee’s Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council. She served as Chair of the Law School’s chapter of Lambda Law and an officer of the Student Bar Association. And she completed a legal internship at the American Federation of Government Employees in their Women’s and Fair Practices Department where she worked on prosecuting EEOC discrimination claims.

After law school, Blizman joined the Law Offices of Brian J. Moran in Alexandria VA as an associate attorney where she worked in the fields of Domestic Relations, Civil Litigation, Criminal and Business Law. During this time, Blizman remained committed to the political process, volunteering on several campaigns, working with GAYLAW, and continuing to serve the Young Democrats of America as their General Counsel.

Blizman will be joining the Equality New Mexico organizations as Executive Director on August 22, 2005.

Equality New Mexico is a membership organization that uses the political process to guarantee full equality and justice for LGBT and allied communities in New Mexico.

Equality New Mexico Foundation is a coalition of LGBT and allied organizations and individuals that raises money to educate New Mexicans about human rights and works to strengthen community-based organizations and networks.

DFNM Endorses Griego for Mayor!

Councilor Wins Overwhelming Support from Albuquerque Members

Democracy for New Mexico on Thursday endorsed City Councilor Eric Griego in his campaign to be the next mayor of Albuquerque.

Following a recent mayoral poll of DFNM’s active Albuquerque members, in which Griego earned 86 percent of the vote, we made our endorsement official at our monthly DFA-DFNM Meetup Thursday. The next Mayor of Albuquerque (!) attended the meeting to express his appreciation to the group, answer questions and fire up our members to bring the grassroots power of DFNM to bear in the remaining two months before the October 4th election.

Our members are impressed with Councilor Griego’s common sense positions on planned growth strategies, a budget that serves the basic needs of our residents and neighborhoods, assuring a living wage for workers, youth outreach and engagement, reenergizing the ethical climate in city government and better protecting our environment. Perhaps most of all, we appreciate Griego’s courage and tenacity in going to bat for ordinary citizens.

DFNM’s endorsement process started with a mayoral candidate forum held in June and culminated in an email vote of our active Albuquerque members. Candidates were evaluated on their dedication to progressive social issues coupled with a fiscally responsible approach to governing and a commitment to grassroots campaigning.

“As a progressive Democrat, I am honored to have DFNM’s endorsement,” Griego said. “The members of Democracy for New Mexico know that real Democratic values – like raising the minimum wage and protecting our natural environment – are key to making our city even better. They also know that I will return these Democratic values to the mayor’s office.”

Griego also said that he agrees with DFNM in wanting better planning for Albuquerque’s growth and a balanced approach to public safety that would include treatment and prevention along with punishment.

Griego has already received endorsements from AFSCME, UFCW, Sierra Club and Conservation Voters New Mexico

Now's the time to contribute to or volunteer for Eric Griego's campaign by visiting his website:

https://ericgriego.com/

Let's follow through with strong support for his race!

Around the Blogs

I hope many of you regularly travel down the left-hand sidebar on this page and click on our list of New Mexico's blogs that mostly feature politics. It's a community that's rapidly expanding and features a wide variety of excellent discussion.

For instance, today at Duke City Fix there's a discussion about mayoral candidate Judith Espinosa's win on obtaining an injunction to stop the Bernalillo County Clerk from disqualifying her ballot petition signatures. New Mexico Matters discusses the search for Democrats with integrity and responds to a recent post on Joe Monahan, while Soy Blue features posts over the last few days on everything from Hillary Clinton to the Albuquerque mayoral race to whether or not the NM Democratic Party website should include a blog. Truth, Rants and Ramblings dissects the Cheney Index, while m-pyre takes on the mainstream media.

Mess o' Petitions

Click for Albloggerque's critique of the petition process in Albuquerque, whether it's to get the living wage proposal or mayoral candidates on the ballot on October 4th.

Despite Sheriff Darren White's theatrics about a few hundred forged signatures on the living wage petitions, turns out the disqualification rate is running at about 35 to 40 percent on all the petition drives.

There are questions about the criteria being used to judge the validity of signatures, and mayoral candidate Judith Espinosa has now asked a district court judge to issue an injunction in the clerk's count of signatures on her petitions. Espinosa is challenging the practice of the city clerk, Judy Chavez, in rejecting signatures, claiming only the courts have the right to disqualify a voter from a petition list. Click for the story in the Albuquerque Tribune.

Ex-Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca examines the history and fairness of Albuquerque's petition requirements on his new blog, Only in New Mexico. Well worth a read.

Donate to Common Cause's ABQ Effort to Get the Open and Ethical Elections Code Referendum Passed 10/4

Editor's Note: Max Brix, Executive Director of Common Cause New Mexico, will be the speaker at the next Third Thursday Meeting of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County at 6:00 PM on August 18, 2005 in Room 2401 at UNM Law School -- an excellent opportunity to learn more about this effort and what we can do to help. Mr. Brix will also be addressing public financing for PRC elections and a judicial public financing bill from the 2005 legislative session.

From :
With the help of Common Cause New Mexico members and activists like you, we have successfully qualified the Open and Ethical Elections Code referendum for the October 4th citywide ballot in Albuquerque.¹ You know New Mexico's largest city no longer has limits on campaign spending.  You've read the recent stories about the skyrocketing costs of running a political campaign in Albuquerque.² We need to pass this referendum so that we can reverse this alarming trend, level the playing field to allow a greater number of candidates to run for office and restore power to the voters.    

That's why Common Cause New Mexico is working hard to take back Albuquerque by passing the Open and Ethical Elections Code referendum on October 4.  We've built a coalition, we are executing a campaign plan and we are putting our state and national resources into this campaign.  If the referendum passes in Albuquerque, we will have publicly financed elections for mayor and the City Council.  But, to make an aggressive push to take big money out of Duke City elections, we need your help!  In the next two weeks we need to raise $500 to design our campaign brochure and an additional $500 to print our first piece of campaign literature.  Help us raise $1,000 in the next two weeks so that we have the resources to get our message out to Albuquerque voters.

Your generous contribution will help fund the next step in this important battle to get big money out of Duke City elections.  Your contribution will also help us get the message out to potential coalition partners, activists, the media and to Albuquerque voters about leveling the playing field and giving ordinary citizens from diverse backgrounds a chance to run for office.

Our city officials are not elected to be responsive to special interest donors; they are elected to be responsive to their constituents.  We intend to make sure that is the case.  This aggressive campaign to take Albuquerque back is another step towards limiting the influence of money in New Mexico politics.  To be successful, we must actively engage voters with an effective piece of campaign literature.

Now is the time to level the playing field and restore power to Albuquerque voters!  Please support our effort with a contribution of $100, $50, $25, or more, or whatever you can afford to give.  Please help us raise our goal of $1,000 to get this campaign off to a good start.  Now is the time to support bringing elections back to the people of Albuquerque.

Thank you for all you do for democracy in New Mexico!

Sincerely,

Matt Brix, Executive Director
Common Cause New Mexico

¹ https://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/373235metro07-20-05.htm

² https://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_local/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19858_3937654,00.html

More on Effort to Preserve NEPA: Rio Rancho Hearing 8/1

From Patricia Lee (following up on our original post on preserving NEPA -- the National Environmental Policy Act):

I received a postcard from The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance with further contact information for those wanting to attend the August 1st hearing on NEPA (at 10AM at Rio Rancho High School at 301 Loma Colorado) in Rio Rancho or to submit written comments.  Here it is:

In northern New Mexico contact Bryan (505)988-9126 X 157 or Jim (505) 758-3874 for more information.  In Albuquerque contact Sarah (505) 243-7767.

For written testimony which is due no later than August 10 you can send it via e-mail to:

resources.committee@mail.house.gov.

Be sure to indicate that you want your testimony entered into the record for the hearing on the Role of NEPA in NM, CO, UT, WY.  See information below for suggestions on comments.

For background information go to: www.sierraclub.org/lookbeforeyouleap

P.S.  More important info on the hearing as well as key points from the NMAC posting are listed below.

Everyone,

The following notice is very important. If you cannot attend the hearing, then please send in written comments. Word on the street is that the previous three hearings only had "invited witnesses" from the anti-NEPA contingent -- we can expect the same at this one. Written comments are important, because if they don't receive them, they can say that the public doesn't think NEPA matters. If you are not that concerned about NEPA, then consider the subsequent potential effects to NHPA and ESA. Gutting NEPA would be a precedent-setting action that this administration would love to follow for other environmental laws.
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NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA)  UNDER ATTACK?
URGENT - NEPA Task Force Hearing: YOUR PRESENCE AND TESTIMONY IS NEEDED!

The fourth of six hearings on NEPA will be held in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Time: 10 AM, Monday August 1, 2005
Place: Rio Rancho High School located at 301 Loma Colorado, Rio Rancho, NM

* Only invited witnesses will be allowed to testify and no questions or comments from the public will be taken. Witnesses who will be testifying have not been announced to the public. Community members are allowed to watch and are encouraged to attend to show support for this bedrock environmental law.

Transportation will be available to bring you and your family and friends to the hearing and lunch will be provided! Call Forest Guardians @ (505) 988-9126 for information.

WRITTEN TESTIMONY AND COMMENTS ARE ALSO NEEDED:
Deadline is Tuesday August 11th.

Make sure your voice is heard by submitting comments into the record for the Southwest NEPA hearing. It is critical that the Taskforce hears from a broad range of local leaders, citizens, and organizations about the importance of NEPA to our health, our communities, and our environment. You are encouraged to submit comments and circulate this alert to other organizations that you are involved with (civic, religious, wildlife, recreation, etc.) and elected officials and urge them to send comments in support of NEPA.

* Key points to include in comments are below.

We have an opportunity to submit written testimony into the Congressional record for the Rio Rancho hearing through Monday, August 10th. Testimony is limited to 12 pages. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit written testimony. Be sure to indicate that you want your testimony to be entered into the record for the hearing on the Role of NEPA in the States of NM, CO, UT, WY.

If you want your comments in the official hearing record, you should submit them via email to resources.committee@mail.house.gov (or fax to 202-225-5929). Please also copy Congressman Tom Udall at fax # 505-986-5047

If you can’t submit written comments by August 10th, the NEPA Task Force will accept comments throughout all 6 hearings. Send your comments to nepataskforce@mail.house.gov and send a copy your comments to your Congressional Representative. Go to www.congress.org to look up your Members of Congress.

To find the e-mail address or fax number for your Member of Congress, go to www.house.gov to find Member websites.

Format for official comments:

YOUR NAME
TITLE (if you have one)
ORGANIZATION (if you have an organization affiliation)

Written Testimony
To the Committee on Resources
United States House of Representatives

The Role of NEPA in the States of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming
DATE

Background on NEPA – DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
NEPA, one of America's bedrock environmental laws signed into law by President Nixon 35 years ago, is considered the Magna Carta of environmental protection. NEPA is the foundation on which all other environmental laws are built. NEPA requires federal agencies to study and disclose the environmental effects of major projects on the surrounding community and include the public in the decision-making process for federally funded projects.

To read about the NEPA Task Force, and to read written testimony from hearing witnesses go to: https://resourcescommittee.house.gov/nepataskforce/schedule.htm Written testimony is currently available from the Northwest hearing held in Spokane on April 23rd. Testimony from the Southwest hearing will be on the website following the hearing on August 1st.

More information on NEPA can be found at: https://www.sierraclub.org/lookbeforeyouleap/

Key Points for Comments

• NEPA is the guarantee that Americans affected by a federal action will get the best information about its impacts, a choice of good alternatives, and the right to have their voice heard before the government makes a final decision.

• NEPA ensures balance, common sense and openness in federal decision-making, it is an effective tool to keep ‘Big Government’ in check.

• At the heart of NEPA is its requirement that alternatives must be considered – including those that will minimize possible damage to our health, environment or quality of life. NEPA also lets Americans have a say before the government makes its final decision about a project.

• By making sure that the public is informed and that alternatives are considered, NEPA has stopped some damaging projects or made them better.

• Cutting corners can have disastrous consequences, especially when it comes to spending taxpayer money on projects that might harm citizens or their environment.

• There is no need to improve NEPA because it works.

Limiting public involvement and weakening environmental review won’t avoid controversy or improve projects.

NEPA saves time and money in the long run by reducing controversy, building consensus, and ensuring that a project is done right the first time.

NEPA’s promise of project review and public involvement must be safeguarded, not sacrificed in the name of speed.

• Explain why NEPA is important to you. You are encouraged to include specific examples of how public participation in the NEPA process provided critical input to protect human health, the quality of life of your community, and the environment, and how the choice of alternatives led to informed decision making and improved projects.

Seminar Offered by Los Alamos Study Group on Nuclear Weapons Law, Policy & Public Intervention

Albuquerque, NM - On July 29-31, the Los Alamos Study Group will provide an authoritative short course on the legal status of nuclear weapons and the history of U.S. nuclear weapons policy, as well as a review of the civil society response over the past 60 years. 

The course will be held in Room 2405 at the UNM Law School.  It begins Friday evening at 7:00 PM with a précis of the course from all four lecturers.  The course resumes Saturday morning at 8:00 AM with a 4-hour review of international legal status of nuclear weapons.  The Saturday afternoon session, beginning at 1:30 PM, is to be devoted to nuclear weapons technology and effects and to the historical development of U.S. nuclear weapons policy. 

At 4:30 pm Saturday, Dr. Lawrence Wittner will speak on “How Peace Activists Saved the World,” a lecture open to the general public at no charge. 

On Saturday night, the history of resistance by civil society will again be the theme. 

On Sunday at 9:00 AM, the last session of the course will begin with a review of current issues in nuclear weapons policy and will conclude with a discussion of the contradictions and challenges inherent in nuclear weapons policy and law overall.

This information-intense seminar is aimed a broad audience, including citizens interested in active participation in nuclear policy decisions; journalists looking for background often missing in the daily news context; attorneys interested in international law or in nuclear issues; and weapons complex personnel looking for an outside perspective. 

Study Group Director Mello: “The very strong legal norms against nuclear weapons have been enacted, often against strong state opposition, because of humanity’s moral convictions against mass slaughter and needless suffering.  These norms deserve our careful attention.  In the long run if not the short, nuclear weapons must give way to law, or law itself will fall to nuclear weapons.” 

Lecturers include: Dr. John Burroughs, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee on Nuclear Policy, a specialist on treaty regimes and international law relating to nuclear and other non-conventional weapons; Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director of Western States Legal Foundation, a leading voice for nuclear weapons abolition in the U.S. and worldwide; Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Study Group, an expert on U.S. nuclear weapons policy and the U.S. nuclear weapons complex; and Dr. Lawrence Wittner, a SUNY Albany professor and former president of the Council on Peace Research in History (now the Peace History Society), author of the acclaimed three volume history, The Struggle Against the Bomb. 

The course is accredited for 8.4 general units of continuing legal education (CLE) credit.  Full tuition is $50 for non-attorneys and $150 for attorneys seeking CLE credit.  For those who cannot attend the entire weekend, single “blocks” of time (Friday evening; Saturday morning, afternoon, and evening; and Sunday morning) cost $10, except for the 4:30 pm lecture by Dr. Wittner, which is free.

Pre-registration is required; contact Claire Long at clong@lasg.org or 505-265-1200.

(Click image above for larger version.)

Next Ecumenical Voices for Democracy Forum Set for 7/31

From Ecumenical Voices for Democracy:

Citizens take action to prevent misuse of religion in politics: Forum Panelists to discuss Civic Virtue, Civil Rights, and Individual Liberties:  How can conflicts be resolved?

Ecumenical Voices for Democracy, a group of New Mexico citizens, organized to combat the misuse of religion in politics, is announcing its second forum on Religion and Politics. The event will take place on Sunday, July 31, at 2 PM, at the TVI Main Campus, Smith Brasher Hall Auditorium, Coal and University in Albuquerque. Get street map or see .

The forum will utilize a panel composed of religious, political and academic leaders. The panel discussion will be moderated by Reese Fullerton, a recognized expert in conflict resolution whose experience includes defusing conflicts in Beirut, Macedonia, and Northern Ireland.

Panel members for the forum include:

• Rev. Charles Becknell, Minister of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Rio Rancho.
• Prof. Rob Schwartz of UNM Law School and former Director of UNM ACLU
• Imam Isam Rajab, Imam, the Islamic Center and School of Albuquerque
• Dede Feldman, (D) NM State Senator, District 13
• Mark Boitano (R) NM State Senator District 18

Panel members were chosen for their ability to present diverse opinions, and their knowledge of issues to be discussed. 

In addition to the upcoming Forum, two additional forums are planned in 2005. They will deal with topics of The Sanctity of Life, and Poverty Issues.

Information on Ecumenical Voices for Democracy and upcoming events can be found at www.Evoices.org or by calling organizers Tom Solomon (505)856-1244, or Eric Elison (505)271-0271.

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Editor's Note: If you attended this group's first forum in May, as I did, you know what an excellent job they do in coordinating a lively, informative event with top-notch panelists. Be sure to check out their second forum on July 31st if you possibly can!

Cottrell Named Dickinson Campaign Treasurer

Longtime Dean supporter and DFA-Democracy for New Mexico member Marion Cottrell has been named the treasurer of Marianne Dickinson's campaign for a City Council seat in District 7. Marion is a former Albuquerque City Councilor and Bernalillo County Commissioner and has this to say about Marianne Dickinson:

“I think that I have some ability to judge the qualities of a Councilor that our neighborhoods in District 7 need, and I am excited about what Marianne could do for District 7 and the entire City of Albuquerque.”

Click to read Marion Cottrell's complete statement endorsing Dickinson.

If you'd like to work for an excellent and honest candidate to replace Sally Mayer on the Albuquerque City Council -- and what Democrat wouldn't? -- consider volunteering some time or making a donation to Marianne Dickinson's campaign today. According to her campaign, they are about 95 % of the way toward their signature petition goal thanks to the hard work of all their volunteers. But they still need to give themselves a buffer and need a big push this weekend.

If you can help, please call Keegan at 385-8760 or email him at keegan@mariannedickinson.com for more information.

You can donate to Marianne's campaign at her website:

https://www.mariannedickinson.com/

(Above, Marianne Dickinson, courtesy of her website.)