Democracy for New Mexico

REMINDER: NM Democratic Friends Meetup Saturday

What: New Mexico Democratic Friends June Meetup

Agenda includes Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich discussing the next phase in the effort to get a living wage ordinance on the ballot. Also Dr. Lois Meyer of UNM on the No Child's Behind Left program and very special guest Dr. Anour Majid, Professor at New England University and author on Islamic Politics and Religion, who will give a short talk about Islamic Politics and Religion, "Can Islamic Politics Conincide with Progressive Politics?"

When: Saturday, June 11 at 5:00PM
Where: IBEW Union Hall
4921 Alexander Blvd. NE 
Albuquerque NM 87107
271-0271
Click to RSVP at the Meetup website

Upcoming League of Conservation Voters ABQ Events

From the League of Conservation Voters:

Conservation Issues Training
Saturday, June 18, 11 AM - 1 PM
NM Office - 400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110

Local experts will come to give in-depth talks on conservation issues specific to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the nation. If you want to know more about what the Valle Vidal is or why nuclear energy is not the right solution, please come. Invited experts include City Councilor Martin Heinrich and former Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca. To sign up for this event, please click here

Canvass against MTBE
Saturday, June 25 - 10 AM, 12 PM, or 2 PM
NM Office - 400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110

This month we are engaging in a campaign to remove the 'MTBE liability waiver' - which allows oil and gas companies to pollute our groundwater at taxpayer expense - from the Energy Bill. We are encouraging voters to contact Senator Domenici to remove this provision. Please help us as we talk to voters about this bill and encourage them to make their voices heard. To sign up for this event, please click here.

Maggie Toulouse
SW Region Campaign Manager
League of Conservation Voters
400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110
Albuquerque, NM 87120
(505) 244-1077

Counter-Recruitment Conference Set for July at UNM

From Another Side:
Our counter-recruitment group in Albuquerque, NM is pleased to invite you to a mobilizing, training, sharing, organizing and fun conference on July 22-24 at the Univ. of New Mexico.  We will present workshops for high school youth, for teachers, parents, organizers, lawyers and others.

A national name speaker will deliver a keynote speech on July 23.

We will arrange housing for those of you who travel here, and we will provide some of the meals.

There will be workshops for youth, teachers, parents, organizers, lawyers and others, plus time to share strategies with groups from around the state!  We will arrange housing for those of you who travel here, and we will provide some of the meals.  For more info and to register, you can contact us at 505-268-9557 or anotherside@comcast.net . Thanks!

Editor's Note: Click for more information on Another Side.

Fair Wage Fares Poorly

From Robb Chavez:

In the normally placid chamber, loud, sharp shouts erupted. "Shame!," "Shame on you!," "Live on the minimum wage!" After nearly 6 hours of numbing routine, conducted at a soporific pace, the Albuquerque City Council late Monday night finally voted down 5-4 a resolution to put a City Fair Wage on the Oct. 4 ballot.

Not only was the citizens' will thwarted, but the dozens of advocates for the measure were not even allowed to register their support, except for one proxy--Carter Bundy of AFSCME.

Most councilors made a final statement before the vote. This provided the few memorable moments of the evening. Eric Griego methodically ripped to shreds the flimsy rationales of Chamber of Commerce president, Jim O'Neill. A female colleague of O'Neill rushed to the podium, touting the anti-Fair Wage economic study done by Richard Berman. Griego demolished Berman's study as anti-worker PR, and O'Neill's erstwhile rescuer slinked back to her seat.

Michael Cadigan rehearsed for the Darth Vader role as he threw legalistic hogwash in everyone's faces to justify his unjustifiable vote to reject the proposition. Griego countered by noting that numerous major cities have suffered no negative consequences nor legal reprisals from passing similar ordinances.

One encouraging development in the night's otherwise disappointing results is that the Gang of Five (Cadigan, Winter, Mayer, Cummins and Loy) had to sweat out their decision along with everybody else. They appeared increasingly downcast as the meeting dragged on. Sally Mayer was so distraught by the angry audience reactions that she left shortly after the infamous vote. Adding to her discomfort was some back pain which kept her leaning against the wall or out of the room for extended periods. Even Cadigan made a feeble gesture of reconciliation to the crowd immediately preceding his deciding "no" vote.

Fair Wage proponents dwindled in number over the long wait, but about 30 steadfast progressives stayed the course until 9:40 PM, on behalf of the thousands who couldn't make it. The Council's gambit to disappear ordinance support by placing it at the bottom of the agenda was foiled as folks called their bluff.

This was a defeat in name only. The Council's narrow rejection of the Fair Wage was so outrageous that it is sure to ignite the ballot petition campaign that concludes on July 18. The community is energized, and the pale, nervous countenances now belong to the Gang of Five and their corporate sponsors at the Chamber of Commerce.
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Editor's Note: Click to download a petition and other information for gathering signatures of Albuquerque registered voters for the petition to get a living wage proposal on the ballot of the October 4th municipal election. A good strategy is to take copies of the petition to events like Gay Pride, sporting events, concerts or other places people gather. We need 13,400 valid signatures by July 18th.

Study in LA Counters Many Myths About Living Wage

The Southwest Organizing Project's SWPOblogger has posted the results of a recent study of the effects of a Living Wage ordinance in Los Angeles. Contrary to the undocumented and rather hysterical jive talk that emerges from the likes of City Councilor Sally Mayer (MAY-YAY'), as well as many Dems, the study found that the law resulted in raised pay for nearly 10,000 jobs with minimal employment loss. The study, funded by the Ford Foundation, also reports that nearly 70 percent of workers affected by the law are low-income and only 4 percent are teenagers.

Click on the link to SWOPblogger above to learn more and access a link to the entire report.

YOUR BERNALILLO COUNTY PARTY NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

From Terri Holland, Executive Director, Democratic Party of Bernalillo County:

We need 20 electronic roasting pans to keep the chili warm at our Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, June 18th.  We would need to have them dropped by the county Headquarters before Friday the 17th at 130 Alvarado NE, Suite 400 between 8 AM and 5 PM (or we can pick them up at your home).  Please call me at 256-1855 and let me know if you can help.  The environmental department insists that we use either roasting pans or NSF approved crock pots.  If you have either one - we would be so grateful.  They would be available for pickup the following Monday.

We also are in need of a copier, a fax machine, enclosed storage shelves, several side chairs for an office, copy paper,  coffee pot, microwave and smaller regular refrigerator or dorm type refrigerator.  If you have any of these items to spare please call.

We are now at the headquarters 5 days a week, 8 am until 5 PM.  Stop by anytime, I'd be happy to visit with you. Thank you.
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Editor's Note: If you can't be a cook at the DPBC Chili (Chile) Cookoff Benefit, please attend and bring your friends and neighbors! Click on the Cookoff link under Coming Events on the right-hand sidebar on this page for a flyer with all the info.

Visit the for a copy of the rules for those interested in entering the Cookoff competition.

Judy Espinosa to Officially Announce Mayoral Candidacy Saturday

(NOTE: CLICK IMAGE ABOVE FOR LARGER VERSION.)

Living Wage Petition & Council Action on Heinrich Bill

From Albuquerque Living Wage:

Living Wage Petitioning Underway
In light of the Albuquerque City Council’s & Mayor’s opposition to placing a Living Wage measure on the October ballot, the Campaign launched a direct voter initiative on May 19.  We need to collect 13,393 signatures of registered voters within the City of Albuquerque by July 18 to qualify our measure for the ballot.

Download a Petition NOW!
Go to www.abqlivingwage.org to download the petition, the text of the measure, and instructions today, and help us reach our goal.  We have already collected over 2,400 signatures and are working to collect 27,000 in order to guarantee that we have enough valid signatures to qualify.

The Council Fight Goes on
We have not given up on the Albuquerque City Council, however.  About 190 supporters overwhelmed the opposition and the Council at its special hearing on Councilor Heinrich’s Fair Wage bill on May 25.  Citizens giving testimony in support outnumbered opponents 5 to 1.  Councilor Miguel Gomez also read a letter of support from former Senator John Edwards, who is supporting minimum wage campaigns across the country.  Nevertheless, the Council postponed its vote until Monday, June 6.  The Council will not take testimony on the Fair Wage bill on the 6th, but we encourage people to come, speak during public comment at the start of the meeting, and hold our Council accountable to the will of the people!  Councilors Heinrich, Griego, Gomez, and O’Malley remain in strong support.  Councilors Cadigan and Winter remain skeptical but undecided.

LCV Needs You Thursday

UPDATE: THIS EVENT IS BEING POSTPONED AND WILL PROBABLY BE RESCHEDULED FOR LATE NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED. --Ed.

From League of Conservation Voters:

Thursday, June 2 - 10 AM:
Press Conference and Protest
Against Congresswoman Heather Wilson
Galeria Building (Heather's office)
2nd and Copper - Downtown ABQ

We will be staging a protest against Congresswoman Wilson's vote to allow corporations to poison groundwater - including the Edgewood water supply in her home district - with the toxic substance MTBE, a gasoline additive. This vote would allow corporations to poison ground water with MTBE and not be responsible for cleaning up a polluted supply.

As always, if you have any questions regarding the above-listed events, please call us at 505-244-1077 or e-mail us! Thank you, and see you all soon!

Maggie Toulouse
SW Region Campaign Manager
League of Conservation Voters
400 Gold Ave. SW, Suite 110
Albuquerque, NM 87120
(505) 244-1077

Rep. Xavier Becerra and Councilor Miguel Gomez Set for Social Security Town Hall

House Ways and Means Committee Member, Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Participates in Town Hall on Social Security with City Council member Miguel Gomez
                               
Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Social Security Task Force Visits Albuquerque to Discuss the Pitfalls of Privatization

ALBURQUERQUE, NM –New Mexicans United to Protect Social Security announces that Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA), an opponent of the president's scheme to privatize Social Security and a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, will participate in a Social Security town hall meeting this Wednesday, June 1, at 10:00 AM with City Councilmember Miguel Gomez.

Congressman Becerra, along with Councilman Gomez, will discuss the president's disastrous Social Security privatization plan that will slash middle-class benefits and lead to explosive new debts, adding $5 trillion over the next 20 years to our national debt, which is already at the unacceptable $7.8 trillion.

WHO:  Social Security Town Hall with Congressman Becerra and City Councilman Miguel Gomez -- Open to the Public

WHEN:  Wednesday, June 1st at 10:00AM

WHERE:  Los Volcanes Senior Citizens Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico

(Editor's Note: Click for a map and directions to Los Volcanes)