Democracy for New Mexico

ACTION ALERT: Contact Your Councilor Re Public Financing for Elections

From Common Cause New Mexico:
You have heard in recent days about our fight to place a public financing referendum on the October 4 ballot in Albuquerque.  We will face a key benchmark this Thursday, June 30.  The Albuquerque City Council must hold a final vote at that evening's special meeting to decide if the Open and Ethical Elections Code referendum will be placed on the ballot.  We have certainly been busy preparing for this vote.

Common Cause New Mexico has been working hard to make sure this important referendum passes the council.  We have met with newspaper editorial boards, had help in the form of guest commentaries from our allies and appeared on the KUNM Call In Show to explain the need for voluntary limits on campaign spending and public financing.

We continue to work on behalf of our members and the public interest to ensure that the Open and Ethical Elections Code will be on the ballot.  But, we could still use your help!  Some members of the Albuquerque City Council have declared their support for placing the referendum on the ballot, while others believe it is a partisan issue that Albuquerque voters should not be allowed to decide.  As we know, voluntary campaign spending limits and public financing are not partisan issues.  Please call your city councilor at 768-3100 and urge them to support putting the Open and Ethical Elections Code on the ballot.

You can find your councilor by entering your address and then ask for them by calling the City Council office at 768-3100.  Tell them you support letting Albuquerque residents weigh in on public financing for citywide elections.

We need to keep the pressure on the council going into the June 30 meeting so they vote for the public's interest.  The voters of Albuquerque must be allowed to decide if they want limits on campaign spending, more power for the average voter and a level playing field for candidates who have broad grassroots support.
Please continue to visit the Common Cause New Mexico website for updated information about the Open and Ethical Elections Code. Thank you for all that you do for democracy in New Mexico!

Sincerely,
Matt Brix, Executive Director
Common Cause New Mexico

COME ON DOWN: We Need a Big Crowd on the Civic Plaza Today

RALLY TO SUPPORT ALBUQUERQUE LIVING WAGE

CIVIC PLAZA 4:00 - 5:00 PM TODAY!

JOIN SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS & ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICIA MADRID

BRING YOUR SIGNED PETITIONS TO GET THE LIVING WAGE ISSUE ON THE BALLOT

SENATOR EDWARDS WILL LEAD THE WAY TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO TURN IN THE SIGNATURES

Please get the word out to as many of our sisters and brothers as possible--unions and progressive organizations need to drive the huge turnout for the living wage rally with Senator John Edwards and Attorney General Patsy Madrid on Civic Plaza on Tuesday, June 28 at 4 PM.

There's going to be lots of media there, so a big turnout will produce lots of great publicity and hopefully put the petition drive over the top.  The event should be over by 5, but you'll still get to see Sen. Edwards if you're there at 4:30 or so (so for those of you who get out of work at 4:00, please still come by Civic Plaza).

REMINDER: there is a fundraiser for the living wage campaign at Sen. Dede Feldman's house afterwards.  If any unions or progressive organizations can help chip in, it will make a world of difference to the success of the campaign.  Plus any union or other organization contributing $1,000 can bring a member (or staff or elected leader) to the small, private reception just before the larger fundraiser, plus three other people to the fundraiser.  General admission to the fundraiser is $250, which is tough for many of us individually, but hopefully some of our organizations will be able to send a representative to the fundraiser at that amount as well.  And of course, if it IS doable for any individuals, please don't feel that this is limited to organizations!

If you have any questions about either the rally or fundraiser, please feel free to call Carter Bundy of AFSCME at any time at 463-8499.

Griego Campaign Hosts Independence Day Barbeque 7/3

From the Eric Griego for Mayor campaign:
Please join us for an Independence Day "Independent" Potluck Barbecue at the new Eric Griego for Mayor headquarters!

WHAT: Barbeque

WHEN: Sunday, July 3, 2005 from 4 PM - 7 PM

WHERE: 1020 Coal Ave SE (corner of Coal & Mulberry)

WHO: Join Eric Griego and friends, family and supporters!

For more information about this event please Molly at 224-9042 ext 2#. See you there!

Thank you,
Eric Griego
Our City. Our Mayor.

email: info@ericgriego.com
phone: 505-224-9042
web: https://www.ericgriego.com 

INVITATION: Progressive Caucus Planning Meeting Set for 7/9

From Charlotte Roybal and Steve Fettig:

Dear Progressive Democrats:

We are asking you to mark your calendar and join us on Saturday July 9th! Please also send this out to your email lists of other progressives who may be interested.  RSVP to Charlotte by e-mail or phone (930-0563).

Now is the time to form a Progressive Caucus within the New Mexico Democratic Party.  Progressives are making great progress around the state on many Democratic issues.  We are active at the local, state, and national levels.   We are formed by the interests of many organizations and individuals across the state. As we build momentum and plan for future action, we are asking you to join us for a Steering Committee meeting to develop the Progressive Caucus.  We will be discussing the following:

1. Recommendations for Mission and Purpose
2. Recommendations for structural/organizational options
3. Report and recommendations on work to rebuild the DPNM.
4. Appointments to state committees.

The meeting will be on Saturday July 9, 2005 at 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Albuquerque at the Peace and Justice Center (202 Harvard SE) at the SE corner of Harvard and Silver

If you cannot come and would like a copy of our documents to be presented, let us know. We are looking toward having a meeting at the end of August to present these recommendations to a larger group.

Peace and Solidarity,
Charlotte Roybal (croybal@aol.com 505-930-0563 in Santa Fe)
and Steve Fettig (osprey@cybermesa.com 505-662-6785 in Los Alamos)

Editor's Note: Those who attended the Democratic Party's State Central Committee Meeting in Socorro in April will recall the initial planning session for a Progressive Caucus that was held at the end of the meeting. The DPNM has invited us to form a Progressive Caucus that will join other caucuses in the Party structure, including Young Democrats, Democratic Women, Veterans, Native Americans and Hispanics. All progressive Democrats from around the state are encouraged to attend this initial steering committee meeting. You don't have to be a member of the SCC or hold any office in the Party. Now is the time to share your views on what the focus and structure of the Caucus should be. Come on down!

All Day Conference to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings

Editor's Note: DFNM is an endorsing organization for this event and we hope that many of our members and others around the state will volunteer to help the Los Alamos Study Group, donate funds and attend the main and related events. If you're a member of other progressive groups, encourage them to endorse this program. You can also sign up as an individual endorser at the Los Alamos Study Group website (see below).

August 6th: DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION
It Started Here – Let’s Stop It Here!

On Saturday, August 6, 2005, the Los Alamos Study Group and endorsing organizations will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings with an all-day conference and teach-in at Ashley Pond Park in Los Alamos.

The day’s events will begin at 10:00 AM and continue all day at Ashley Pond Park and in adjacent public buildings.   You may want to come earlier for the Pax Christi calendar demonstration; check the for this and other related events occurring in the same time frame.

In the morning there will be welcomes, introductions of participating groups, speakers and musicians, and the first of our main speakers. At noon we will all take part in a symbolic pageant with thousands of sunflowers, the international emblem of nuclear disarmament. (Sunflowers became the symbol of disarmament after they were ritually sown into the earth at a Russian missile silo destroyed after the Cold War.) We’ll have lunch in the park and at local restaurants. After lunch there will be more music and two solid workshops on nuclear history and on positive economic and social alternatives for New Mexico. These will be indoors; we have reserved seating for about 600 people for these two workshops, which will repeat so everyone can attend both. We’ll break for dinner, then return to the park to set hundreds of candle lanterns a float on the pond.

For more information please visit our website or call us at (505) 265-1200. Click to download a brochure.

In Solidarity,
Claire Long
Outreach Coordinator
Los Alamos Study Group
2901 Summit Place NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505)265-1200
(505)265-1207 (fax)
clong@lasg.org
www.lasg.org

LEAD UP EVENTS
Prior to August 6 we and allied organizations will host a series of educational, artistic, and community-building public events, announced by email and at our calendar, including the weekend of, July 16th, which marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s first nuclear explosion at the Trinity Site in New Mexico.

(Click through to continuation page for more information on events and endorsing groups and businesses.)

On July 15th and 16th, the Los Alamos Study Group will host two literary events in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, “Mightier Than the Sword: Writers Address the Nuclear Age.”  Make sure you give us your email address or check our web site often!  Let us know if you want to help with these very important events. 

July 15: Mightier Than the Sword: Writers Address the Nuclear Age (60th  Anniversary of Trinity Test Explosion)
Where: James A. Little Theater, Santa Fe
When: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Who: Judyth Hill, William Witherup, Karen Jones Meadows, John Bradley and Elaine Maria Upton.

July 16: Mightier Than the Sword: Writers Address the Nuclear Age (60th  Anniversary of Trinity Test Explosion)
Where: Lobo Theater, Albuquerque
When: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Who: William Witherup, Karen Jones Meadows, John Bradley, Mary Oishi and Maisha Baton.

July 29 – 31: Seminar on Nuclear Weapons Law and Policy
Where: University of New Mexico Law School Room 2405
When: Friday 7/29, 5:30 pm to Sunday 7/31, Noon
More: Authoratative short course in the legal status of nuclear weapons for activists, students, journalists, and laboratory personnel. Modest tuition; continuing legal education credit may be possible.

WHY LOS ALAMOS?   WHY NOW?
Los Alamos designed and assembled the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sixty years later, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the largest facility for so-called weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the world in dollar terms. Sandia National Laboratories, just 60 miles away, is next in size. These institutions are anything but static; in the past decade, LANL's nuclear weapons budget more than tripled over average Cold War levels, after correcting for inflation. Almost half (49%) of U.S. nuclear weapons spending now occurs in New Mexico, where WMD are the second largest source of income (after oil and gas extraction). More actual nuclear weapons are kept here (in Albuquerque, about 2,500) than any other single place in the world. New Mexico arguably has the most influential (Pete Domenici) and most enthusiastic (Heather Wilson) proponents of nuclear weapons in Congress, and lobbyists from this state's two labs carry their self-promoting nuclear agenda into every nook and cranny of government. For all these reasons, New Mexico is without question the world capital for nuclear weapons.

In making completely new nuclear weapons, fabricating the plutonium cores (pits) is the most difficult step. LANL is the only site in the U.S. that does this, a role slated to greatly expand over the next decade or more years. We want to make this mission impossible.

LANL also has the largest active nuclear disposal site in the Southwest, where millions of drums and boxes of nuclear waste are to be permanently disposed over the coming decades. There is no permit involved or external regulation of any kind.   

Politically and demographically speaking, New Mexico is a small state. Here far more than in, say, Washington, DC the voices of citizens, experts, and moral authorities count for a great deal. On-the-ground organizing efforts, continuing public and media education, and respected policy analysis will multiply the value of your August 6 investment.

This nation is now engaged in a bloody war of occupation which had caused the deaths of at least 100,000 people by September 2004 and possibly twice this number, according to a careful Johns Hopkins study. U.S. military units are now operating in and above Iran as well in preparation for possible attacks. All this and more is being done in the name of counter-proliferation. Yet right here in New Mexico, nuclear weapons are almost a way of life for thousands of people. New Mexico's nuclear labs provide a uniquely persuasive platform from which to condemn the hypocritical folly of U.S. security policy.

It is important to speak out now because this year is a pivotal, make-or-break year for controlling nuclear nonproliferation.  The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is under tremendous pressure from several fronts, with U.S. intransigence undercutting most fruitful dialogue. U.S. noncompliance is deeper and more systemic than can be blamed any single administration, party, or iteration of doctrine, and LANL is its most physically symbolic manifestation. The NPT signatories met in May in New York for formal review of the treaty, to very little effect, which makes our job all the more important!

Although the outcome of these efforts is not in our hands, we do need, and we are working in several ways to create, a political breakthrough this year on nuclear disarmament, leading toward a sane security policy.

PROMOTING A POLITICAL CULTURE BASED ON THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
At this event we will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. We also seek to make visible a portion of the very strong support which polls show is now present in the United States and around the world for nuclear disarmament ( 84% in one large recent poll). We want to bridge issues; regionally, we hope to build bridges between organizations as well. In this we aim to assist in the gradual emergence of a political culture based on the dignity of the human person, as opposed to an ever more pervasive politics of fear, hate, greed, and war.

Any such political movement and platform must include from the outset the vigorous rejection of weapons of mass destruction as instruments of state power.   

The public purposes of this event as well as the organizing effort involved in it are intimately tied to The Call for Nuclear Disarmament. We are just beginning "The Call" campaign but it has already been endorsed by some 200 regional businesses, organizations, and political leaders. We will soon publicly link this small but growing groundswell with what are literally dozens of related international efforts, in effect globalizing resistance in New Mexico.   

In "The Call" we ask for new security priorities: affordable health care for everyone, better education, renewable energy, and economic opportunity for those who have none. We call for investment in people and families, in our economy and environment, instead of in preparation for war -- especially nuclear war. Please join us. 

WORLDWIDE SOLIDARITY
We are working in solidarity with organizations hosting similar and parallel events at other U.S. nuclear weapons facilities, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, the Nevada Test Site, the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Amarillo, Texas. We are also working very closely with a worldwide network of scholars, activists, and civic leaders who are mobilizing this year to stop nuclear proliferation and restart the stalled disarmament process.

Click to see lists of endorsing local organizations, businesses and national and international organizations.

THE TONE OF THE AUGUST 6 EVENT
In this event, we will be firm on the basic questions of nuclear weapons and disarmament, which are moral and legal in nature as well as matters of policy. We will develop and present positive alternatives to current (in)security policies and positive alternatives for economic and social development in New Mexico. We will not be personally confrontational and we will be nonviolent in both word and deed. We ask that all participating and endorsing organizations agree to this core principle of nonviolence and to the broad policy goals of the event as stated in "The Call."  We also hope the event will be physically beautiful and are already working to that end.   

Humanity now faces an unprecedented combination of challenges involving climate, security, poverty, environment, energy, and health. We understand that we need a breakthrough -- that we need new thinking, inspired career choices, and a deeper personal commitment to be part of the solution. If our social and political commitment to nuclear weapons and all they imply remains intact, no breakthrough will be possible, and the torch of humanity may dim or even fall. Especially in New Mexico, we will regress unless and until we are able to free ourselves from the stranglehold of militarization and embrace policies which are just, humane, secure, and sustainable.

WOW: Senator Edwards Set for ABQ Living Wage Rally Next Tuesday!

We just got back from DemocracyFest in Austin, but I wanted to get this posted:

On Tuesday, June 28, there are two very important events featuring former U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards.  First, at 4:15 PM, on Civic Plaza, Sen. Edwards will lead a rally in support of raising Albuquerque's minimum wage.  We expect good media attention at this event will bolster the current petition drive.  Bring your friends, family, and co-workers for this exciting rally!

Then, after we've all delivered new petitions to the City Clerk, if you or your organization want to help fund the petition drive, please join Attorney General Patsy Madrid and State Senator Dede Feldman at a fundraiser for the minimum wage campaign.  Information for the fundraiser is listed below.  Please feel free to call me on my cell (463-8499) if you have any questions about either event, and please forward this to all appropriate email addresses (public employees should try to send to private email addresses). 

Finally, please go to www.abqlivingwage.org to download your own copy of the petition and proposed ballot initiative, so you can bring signatures to the rally.  Thanks!

Carter Bundy
Political Action Representative
AFSCME New Mexico

P.S.  For unions or other organizations that are planning to make a contribution anyhow, this would be a terrific place to make your donation!

Hon. Patricia Madrid
New Mexico Attorney General

Welcomes

Hon. John Edwards
former U.S. Senator & Vice Presidential candidate

and

Maude Hurd
ACORN National President

to an event benefiting the

Albuquerque Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage

Tuesday, June 28, 2005
5:30 p.m.

At the home of State Senator Dede Feldman
North Valley of Albuquerque

General reception: $250 individual; $500 supporter
Private reception:  $1000 patron; $2000 benefactor (give/raise)

To RSVP, for information or to become a benefactor, please contact A.J. Goodman:  phone: 1-877-277-1011  fax: 505-244-1090; ajg@ajgoodman.com

To donate to the cause even if you can't attend, please send contributions to:

Albuquerque Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage
c/o ACORN, 411 Bellamah N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102
phone: 1-877-277-1011; fax: 505-244-1090; email: ajg@ajgoodman.com

Contributions to Albuquerque Minimum Wage Committee are not tax deductible.

Support Santa Fe's Living Wage at Appeals Hearing

From the Santa Fe Living Wage Network:

*  Hear the Court of Appeals argument at 9:30 AM on June 22nd. A three judge panel of the New Mexico Court of Appeals will hear the appeal of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce from Judge Daniel Sanchez's June, 2004 ruling that the Santa Fe Living Wage Ordinance is legally valid. The panel consists of Judges Lynn Pickard, Michael Bustamante, and Cynthia Fry. Come and show your support by listening to the argument. The Courts of Appeals is at 237 Don Gaspar in Santa Fe.

*  Celebrate Economic Justice at 6:00 PM. Join us at 6 PM on Wednesday, June 22nd at the National Education Association Building, 2007 Botulph Road, for a festive celebration of the first anniversary of the living wage in Santa Fe. The NEA Building is across St. Michaels Drive from St. Vincent Hospital.

The Program will show a sneak preview of the new film by Thunder Road Productions about the Santa Fe Living Wage campaign, funded by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. We will also be awarding certificates of appreciation to all the volunteer lawyers who defended the Living Wage Ordinance in Court, including those arguing in the Court of Appeals the morning of June 22nd. There will also be music, door prizes, and food donated by Walter Burke Catering, Santa Fe Baking Co., Rt. 66 Sandwich Shop, El Tesoro Cafe, Tribes Coffee House, Aztec Cafe, and other dishes from more restaurants.

Tickets: You need to buy tickets in advance so that we know how many are coming. Tickets are $8.50 per person (tickets are free for children under 10). To get tickets contact Sheila at 983-9563 or  info@santafelivingwage.org. If you can, get a book of 10 and help us sell tickets.

Sponsors: We would like people to sponsor the evening, so that we can keep down the expense of tickets and also raise funds for the work of the Network. Therefore, we invite you to be a supporter. In recognition of this support, you will be named in the event program book (including a short message for the "Visionary" and "Organizer" categories). We have four levels of sponsorship: Visionary,($1,000 and up); Organizer, ($500); Activist, ($250); and Believer, ($100). To become a sponsor make out your check to "Santa Fe Living Wage Network" and mail it to P.O. Box 23764, Santa Fe, NM 87502. Questions?  Contact simon@santafe-newmexico.com

Help Elect Marianne Dickinson to City Council

From the Marianne Dickinson Campaign:

This is a call to action.  We need your help in electing a strong Democrat to the 7th City Council District.  Marianne Dickinson, a small business owner and neighborhood advocate is having her first volunteer doorknock this weekend.

Marianne will bring over 20 years of experience in city issues to this position as City Councilor.  Her passion for community and business revitalization can be seen in other projects she’s worked on.  Marianne served as Executive Director of the Main Street Program in Nob Hill and helped bring back businesses and families to that district.  She also started a recycling program in her own community that became the prototype for Albuquerque’s current program. Now she wants to better her own community by focusing on improving the delivery of services, fixing aging infrastructure and improving the city’s transportation systems.

Marianne needs your help to get enough signatures to get on the October 4th ballot.  Starting June 18 and going until July 29, Marianne and her field team will be canvassing District 7 to get signatures. This Saturday we will be meeting at the Daily Grind at San Pedro and Candelaria at 8:45 AM. We need you to be a part of Marianne’s team, so that the change we all are working towards starts locally.

To learn more about the district and Marianne please visit www.MarianneDickinson.com and please call our staff headquarters for more information or to signup to doorknock this Saturday the 18th.  Together we can make the voice of the community heard at City Hall by electing Marianne Dickinson. Thank You.

Contact: Keegan King @ 385-8760, 842-5539 x.5, or keegan@mariannedickinson.com

(Editor's Note: Marianne is running against Sally Mayer, who is against almost everything we believe in. I live in District 7 and will be doing all I can to get Marianne elected and boot Sally off the Council. Even if you don't live in her district, I hope you will too. I've met Marianne a number of times and she's the real deal!)

On the Bus!

I'm sure you recall presentations at our Albuquerque DFA-DFNM Meetups, meetings of the New Mexico Democratic Friends and at the Dem Party State Central Committee by members of the innovative local activist group, Merging Left. They're into progressive communication using billboards, signs and bumperstickers to bring our message to the people.

I'm pleased to report that they've got their first sign up on an Albuquerque bus:

(Click photo for larger image.)

Dallas Timmons and the group report that the bus will be rotating on various bus routes throughout the city so the sign will get significant exposure all over town. Congratulations to all the Merging Left folks and to all those who have donated so far to this effort.

Be sure to check out the Merging Left website and sign up to donate some dollars to this and future efforts. You're either on the bus or off the bus! And wouldn't some prominent billboards around town look good with a message from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party?

DNC Assessment Team Coming to Town

As many of you may have heard, the DNC is working to put organizers in to all 50 states. However, before organizers are hired in any given state, the DNC does an assessment of the state, the state party and the conditions on the ground. The DNC assessment team will most likely be hitting the ground sometime in the last week of June. We don't know for sure. If ever there was an opportunity to have your voice heard and make it count, it would be when they hit the ground.

Most likely, the DNC Assessment Team will have their agenda set by the State Party. There's been no official indication as to when they will be here in the last week of June.

If you are interested in meeting with members of the DNC Assessment Team call Vanessa Alarid, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, at 505-830-3650 or email her at vanessa@nmdemocrats.org

If any of you are successful, please let us know.