Democracy for New Mexico

Indigo Girls Shiprock & Flagstaff Concerts to Benefit Fight Against Desert Rock Power Plant

Click on image for larger version or click for PDF of flyer

Honor the Earth and Indigo Girls in the Southwest
There is a great deal of amazing energy justice organizing happening in Native communities in the Southwest. We are excited to announce two benefit shows in Shiprock, New Mexico and Flagstaff, Arizona this May, supporting the efforts of the Desert Rock blockade and the Just Transition Coalition. For more information on Honor the Earth, please check out www.honorearth.org.

05.21.07 - Shiprock, New Mexico

05.22.07 - Flagstaff, Arizona

Honor the Earth Concert in Shiprock Calls for Safe Energy on Native Lands
On Monday night, May 21st, the Grammy Award winning folk-rock duo, Indigo Girls (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers), will take the stage at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock for a special night of music with a message. The concert, entitled Honor the Earth, is a benefit designed to lend support to grassroots Native groups working to stop the Desert Rock coal plant and herald in a new, safe energy economy, one based on the vast renewable energy potential of Native lands.

The Indigo Girls - Honor the Earth concert will start at 7:00 PM, with doors at 6:00 PM. The acclaimed Hopi reggae band Casper will open the show. Tickets are on sale at the Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center and the Shiprock Trading Center in Shiprock, at Hastings in Farmington, and at Maria's Bookstore in Durango, CO. To charge by phone, call 505.368.2490. Ticket prices range from $20.00 to $30.00.

“The heroic struggle of the Navajo people against coal and uranium mining and for a new, safe energy economy offers a vital and positive vision for all of Indian country, and all of America,” said Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of the national Native environmental group Honor the Earth, which is sponsoring the concert.

“Honor the Earth has worked for decades to support communities protecting their land, water, air and future generations. With this benefit concert, we will continue to stand with the people of Dine Bii Kaya,” stated LaDuke. “Energy does not have to come at the expense of a people’s ecosystem and culture.”

Navajo communities in the Four Corners area have been at a stand off with Sithe Global Power and the Dine Power Authority over the construction of Desert Rock, a 1,500 megawatt minemouth, coal fired power plant that would cost 2.2 billion dollars to build and sit on 580 acres about 30 miles southwest of Farmington.

At a time when tribes, cities, states and nations are working to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Desert Rock plant would increase them. CO2 emissions from Desert Rock will amount to 10 million metric tons a year, effectively canceling any gains from Governor Bill Richardson’s Executive Order calling for a reduction of 10.5 million metric tons of carbon per year by 2012.

In fact, if Desert Rock becomes operational, it will push the Four Corners area over Federal EPA air quality standards. Asthma, other respiratory diseases and cancers are already rampant in the communities due to toxins spewed by existing power plants, mines, delivery systems and oil and gas wells; a new plant would only add to these adverse impacts.

“It is blatant environmental racism and injustice when you place a third Power Plant in an impoverished community with little or no access to healthcare,” said Lori Goodman of Dine CARE. “For our elders and future generations, we vow to fight this intrusion upon our people's health and way of life.”

The Honor the Earth Indigo Girls concert will not only draw attention to stopping new coal facilities, but also address the overarching issue of global climate change and the urgent need to transition away from an economy based on fossil fuels to one based on renewable energy, like wind and solar power. “We're seeing a change,” said Winona LaDuke, referring to her long term work on energy policy. “People are continuing to say that they want to protect their generations from toxins, but they are also demanding that we all take steps to avert climate collapse.”

The most abundant solar resources in America are in the southwestern states. According to EPA scientists, sufficient solar energy falls in the southwest to provide all of the nation’s electricity at current consumption levels. New photovoltaic technologies, such as concentrated solar power plants, can now produce electricity at a cost competitive to coal, and solar panels produce no CO2 and other pollutants when generating electricity. Such data highlights that Native people’s call for the creation of a renewable energy economy is more than visionary – it is doable.

Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls discussed Honor the Earth’s support for such visionary grassroots action by stating, “We stand in solidarity with Native communities who are fighting toxic and climate changing fossil fuel-based energy on their land. Shifting the current U.S. energy paradigm toward renewable sources is the hope for our future as we come to fully respect and implement the rights of people to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and protect the environment for future generations."

Second Show in Flagstaff May 22
Indigo Girls will perform a second show May 22 in Flagstaff, at the Pine Mountain Amphitheater. The two shows will benefit Operation Desert Rock, Dooda Desert Rock, Diné CARE and the Just Transition Coalition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
HONOR THE EARTH 612-879-7529 or honorearth@earthlink.net
FOR TALENT INTERVIEWS:
BECKY BODONYI 404-377-9900 or becky@rcam.com

Editor's Note: The Indigo Girls, along with Richie Havens, will also perform at the Santa Fe Opera at 6:30 PM on May 17, billed as  Building a Culture of Peace: A World Peace Concert Event. Click for ticket information. Click for information on the itself, to be held in Santa Fe May 16-17, 2007.

NM Rep. Begaye Declares Tax Subsidy for Desert Rock Power Plant Dead

Credit: HK Dixon/Jan.7.2007 (Click image for larger version.)

Dooda! That's what the NM House Energy and Natural Resources Committee said this past Wednesday with its vote to once again table HB 178. The bill would grant Sithe Global Power $85 million in tax breaks for its filthy, coal-fired Desert Rock power plant planned for the Farmington area, on Navajo land. Dooda means 'no' in the Dine language, and as used in the name one of the citizen groups -- Dooda Desert Rock Committee -- that has been working long and hard against both the power plant and this giveaway of our taxpayer dollars to the company aiming to build it.

Here's a detailed report of what happened from Friday's Gallup Independent.

The Senate version of the bill, SB 431, is still alive and referred to the Senate Finance Committee. However, without significant amendment to place more stringent environmental controls on the power plant, it would have little chance of passage in the House if it made it through the Senate. As the Gallup Independent article reports:

"It's not going anywhere," said Rep. Ray Begaye, D-Shiprock. "This is dead."

... A similar bill in the Senate might have a better chance there, Begaye said, but wouldn't make it through the House without some amendments the Senate would never accept.

"This has got zero chance of getting through this session," Begaye said.

Still, given that things can change abruptly and unexpectedly in the last two weeks of the legislative session, activists are urging those opposed to the tax giveaway to contact members of the Senate Finance and remain vigliant.

According to a press release from Conservation Voters New Mexico, which has also been fighting the bill, the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee (HENRC) voted 7-6 along party lines with 7 Democrats voting to table the bill. The Legislators serving on the HENRC committee who voted to table include Chairman James Roger Madalena (D-Jemez Pueblo), Rep. Jim Trujillo (D-Santa Fe), Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Albuquerque), Rep. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), Rep. Antonio Lujan (D-Las Cruces), Rep. Joni Gutierrez (D-Mesilla), and Rep. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces).

“I especially wish to commend Chairman Madalena and Rep. Gutierrez for taking a courageous and visionary stand for protecting New Mexico’s air, land, water and public health,” stated Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of Conservation Voters New Mexico. 

The plant, if built, would emit 10 million tons annually of greenhouse gas emissions and would contribute hundreds of pounds of mercury annually to a region already considered a mercury hotspot.

Some basic facts about Desert Rock:

• Total carbon dioxide emissions in the state will increase 16%, with 10 million tons emitted annually from this plant;
• The greenhouse gas emissions from this plant will cancel out the Governor’s numerical targets for curbing global warming;
• On February 5, 2007, hundreds of citizens of New Mexico, including over 50 Navajo activists and elders, gathered at the New Mexico State Legislature to protest the proposed Desert Rock power plant;
• Sithe seeks to build the plant to export electricity to Nevada and Arizona. However, the plant would not meet California’s new clean energy import standard, precluding the plant from being able to sell to the largest power market in the west.

Desert Rock would be 3rd coal-fired plant polluting Four Corners region

Beyond the tax subsidy issue, opposition against allowing the construction of the plant itself continues. As reported in Colorado's The Durango Herald:

Desert Rock faces determined opposition from local Navajo residents living in the plant's prospective shadow. Busloads of Navajos have trekked twice to Santa Fe to express their dismay about the project, despite the project's support by the official government of the Navajo Nation.

Beyond its eternal quest for taxpayer handouts, Desert Rock faces immediate hurdles in securing the necessary permits. The Environmental Protection Agency is still grappling with the critical technical opposition raised to the draft air quality permit last year, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs keeps delaying release of the project's environmental impact statement. Meanwhile, opposition continues to grow both within the Navajo reservation and in communities throughout the Four Corners.

To stay current on the fight against the power plant or learn more about how you can help, visit:

• Desert-Rock-Blog
• NM Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy
• Conservation Voters New Mexico
• Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
• San Juan Citizens Alliance

Latest on Fight Against Polluting Desert Rock Power Plant Tax Break Bills

DDR's Elouise Brown, Roundhouse rally 2/5/07

The latest call for action was reported at the desert-rock-blog.com on Friday. The blog is an excellent place to stay current on the quickly changing maneuvers some legislators, including some Democrats, are using to try and pass an $85 million tax break for what will be a massively polluting coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico:

DDR CONTINUES TO BATTLE SB 431 & HB 178 AT THE  ROUNDHOUSE !

Dooda Desert Rock (DDR) had such a chaotic but fearless time for the last two days, unfortunately the bill was moved forward in the Senate, but still temporarily stalled in the House.

The NM Senate Conservation passed SB 431 to Finance but, no date is set for that hearing.

HB 178 was momentarily tabled again. The sponsor volunteered a new amendment and Rep. Wirth has his amendments. The Chair of the NM House Energy Committee asked both sides to compose a substitute bill which may be heard on Wednesday, February 28, 2007.

Please continue to write letters to [and call] the following - Need your help:

2/5/07 rally photos

House Energy and Natural Resources Members:

• Rep. James Madalena (D) Chair (SD 65, Jemez Pueblo)
• Rep. Jim Trujillo (D) Vice Chair (SD 45, Santa Fe)
• Rep. Thomas Anderson (R-SD 29, Albuquerque)
• Rep. Paul Bandy (R-SD 3, Aztec)
• Rep. Donald Bratton (R-SD 62, Hobbs)
• Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell (R-SD 58, Roswell)
• Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-SD 14, Albuquerque)
• Rep. Thomas Garcia (D-SD 68, Ocate)
• Rep. William Gray (R-SD 54, Artesia)
• Rep. Joni Gutierrez (D-SD 33, Mesilla)
• Rep. Antonio Lujan (D-SD 35, Las Cruces)
• Rep. Jeff Steinborn (D-SD 37, Las Cruces)
• Rep. James Strickler (R-SD 2, Farmington)
• Rep. Peter Wirth (D-SD 47, Santa Fe)

Senate Finance Committee Members:

• Sen. Tim Jennings (D) Co-Chair  (SD 32, Roswell)
• Sen. John Arthur Smith (D) Co-Chair (SD 35, Deming)
• Sen. Carlos Cisneros (D-SD 6, Questa)
• Sen. Joseph Carraro (R-SD 23, Westside ABQ)
• Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort (R-SD 19, Sandia Park)
• Sen. Pete Campos (D-SD 8, Mora/SF/Torrance)
• Sen. Carroll Leavell (R-SD 41, Eddy)
• Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson (R-SD 37, Dona Ana)
• Sen. Nancy Rodriguez (R-SD 24, Santa Fe)
• Sen. Bernadette Sanchez (D-SD 26, Westside ABQ)

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Contact for DDR:
Elouise Brown
President, Dooda Desert Rock
505-947-6159
www.desert-rock-blog.com
thebrownmachine@hotmail.com

Editor's Note: Check our previous posts (links below) for more information and tracking of this issue, including Democratic Rep. Joni Gutierrez and her abrupt about face on the tax break, which resulted in the House bill being revived after it was tabled and effectively stopped. Rep. Gutierrez is being heavily criticized for her defection from environmental principles and she has so far refused to explain why she changed her mind and decided to support this horrendous tax break for a coal-fired, greenhouse gas spewing power plant that will be a major polluter of New Mexico's and the nation's air.

• February 21, 2007
• February 17, 2007
• February 13, 2007
• February 5, 2007
• December 15, 2006

(Updated) Shocker: Undervote Rate Plummets in Minority Precincts After New Mexico Changes to All Paper Ballots

UPDATE 2: There's a Daily Kos diary up by Land of Enchantment that discusses the voting analysis and the poster's experiences working a precinct in Taos County, NM for the 2004 election.

UPDATE 1: This story is now getting national attention on its own merits plus its implications for the case being made by many prominent election reform advocates against Rep. Rush Holt's (D-NJ) new Election Reform bill, HR 811. In addition, the analysis of election data uncovers another manner in which DREs might be manipulated to alter results according to the language of the voter. This begs the question of whether minority voters who used DREs in 2004 were the victims of machine manipulation that produced the high undervote counts. The data seems to raise the possibility anyway. See the front page story on The Brad Blog for more.
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From VotersUnite.org:
February 26, 2007 - A new report, based on official 2004 and 2006 New Mexico election data, shows a dramatic difference in undervotes in Native American and Hispanic precincts, depending on whether they voted on paper ballots or on Direct Record Electronic (DRE — often known as touch screen) voting machines.

The report explains: "Undervotes represent ballots on which no vote was registered for a specific contest.  Undervote rates higher than 0.5% in the major contest on a ballot, especially in presidential elections, suggest that votes may not have been counted, either through a mistake of the voter or a mistake in tabulation."

The report shows that in predominantly Native American and predominantly Hispanic precincts, undervote rates were abnormally high (7.61% and 6.33% respectively) in the 2004 presidential race, when the votes were cast on DREs.

In 2006, after the state changed to all optically scanned paper ballots, the undervote rates for Governor in those same precincts plummeted by 85% in Native American areas and by 69% in predominantly Hispanic precincts.

In Anglo precincts, undervote rates of ballots cast on DREs were about the same level as the rates for paper ballots — 2.22% and 1.75% respectively.

“We were looking for any impact the change to paper ballots may have had on New Mexico’s historically high undervote rate. When we found the dramatic drop in Native American precincts, we were shocked,” said Theron Horton, Project Manager for Election Defense Alliance. “Something was going on with the DREs in those precincts in 2004.”

“When Warren Stewart, Policy Director of VoteTrustUSA, and I did the analysis of New Mexico’s 2004 vote data two years ago, we found high undervote rates in the minority precincts,” said Ellen Theisen, President of Vote-PAD, Inc. and former Executive Director of VotersUnite.Org. “But we didn't do a complete comparison of paper ballot undervotes to the DRE undervotes in that election. When I heard of Theron’s work, I performed the comparison, and found that it’s the paper ballots that made the difference in the minority precincts.”

Read the two-page report here:
https://www.votersunite.org/info/NM_UVbyBallotTypeandEthnicity.pdf

Download the data here:
https://www.votersunite.org/info/2006NMSelectedData.xls

Contacts:

Ellen Theisen
360-437-9922
ellen@vote-pad.us

Theron Horton
505-751-4106
theronhorton@mac.com

Update on Polluting Desert Rock Power Plant Tax Subsidy Bills

From activists against Desert Rock:
This past Sunday, the NM Senate Conservation committee met to consider its version of the Desert Rock bill (SB 431). It was essentially tabled. Yet, the bill is still alive in the House. The House Energy committee was supposed to take the bill up for re-consideration on Monday morning. They have delayed consideration of HB 178 till this Friday, February 23 at 8:30 AM.

Please contact the following Reps and ask them to oppose the bill:

Representative Joni Marie Gutierrez
Las Cruces Area
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4234
Office Phone: 647-5577
Home Phone: 526-5079
E-mail: jonig@zianet.com

Representative Thomas A. Garcia
Taos, Mora, Colfax, Guad
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4242
E-mail: ocate@hotmail.com

The subsidy is being proposed through two bills being considered in the Roundhouse that would reduce Desert Rock’s overall New Mexico tax liability by about 15 percent. Sithe Global Power, the company selected by the Navajo Nation’s Diné Power Authority, to develop, finance, construct and operate the 1,500 megawatt power plant, has already negotiated a reduction of its Navajo Nation tax liability by about two-thirds. The total cost of the facility is estimated at $3 billion, making it the most costly construction project in New Mexico history.

If any money is to be given to corporate interests at all, it should go toward supporting innovative, cutting-edge coal technologies now available, such as coal gasification, that significantly reduce coal- power emissions overall, including mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

The New Mexico Environment Department reports that Desert Rock’s emissions would significantly impact air quality in a region where air quality is already close to exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone, the most common cause of smog. The plant would increase New Mexico’s emissions of mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin, by 13 percent and the region’s sulfur dioxide emissions by 10 percent, according to a state analysis.

The plant would raise statewide greenhouse gas levels by 25 percent, boosting statewide greenhouse gas emissions to about 59 million tons per year. The state predicts its total greenhouse gas emissions would reach nearly 60 million tons per year by 2012 without Richardson's limits. His executive order calls for greenhouse gases in 2012 to be the same as in 2000, or at about 48 million tons per year. The Desert Rock plant expects to emit just under 11 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Because the state does not have jurisdiction over the facility, the state agencies cannot mandate the type of technology that should be used.

Our money should not go to subsidize a regional power plant that intends to sell most of its power out of state. Sithe doesn't want to admit it, but it is going to build this plant -- if EPA lets them -- whether or not they get the $85 million tax break from New Mexicans. So giving it to them would truly be a giveaway.

Thanks for considering this critical issue,
Kristin Casper: kristincasper@yahoo.com

Editor's Note: For more background and information on this attempted tax giveaway to what would be a filthy, polluting producer of energy in our state, check our previous post, which includes many useful links.

NM's Sandia Pueblo Seeks to Host Native American Forum of Dem Prez Candidates

According to an AP article in the Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque's Sandia Pueblo is one of two tribes considered front-runners to host an historice "Prez on the Rez" forum of Democratic candidates for president to be held this summer. The Native American organizing group, Indigenous Democrat Network's List Education Fund, expects the event will attract hundreds of tribal leaders from across the country:

The Oklahoma-based group, INDN's List Education Fund, is putting together the event that's expected to attract most, if not all, of the Democratic presidential candidates, the Albuquerque Journal reported in a copyright story.

"I anticipate this is going to be the biggest political event in national American Indian history. Never has this been done before," said Kalyn Free, an organizer for the event and an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee.

Sandia Pueblo and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, whose reservation is near Palm Springs, Calif., are considered the front-runners to host the Aug. 23 event, according to former Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuart Paisano.

The forum will focus on Native American issues and a decision on the site for it is expected to be made next [this] week. INDN's List is a Democratic group which works to increase the number of Native American candidates seeking public office.

... Free said while political candidates in the past have viewed Indian Country as a potential source of campaign cash and votes in swing districts, on the whole, "we think we've long been ignored."

ALERT: NM House Bill for Tax Subsidies to Dirty Desert Rock Power Plant Introduced

Editor's Note: A version of this bill was previously introduced on the Senate side. See our earlier post. Now it's being pursued on the House side. I got the following alert via email from activists fighting the bill:

Please Call Today - STOP TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR THE PROPOSED DIRTY DESERT ROCK POWER PLANT!

Soon, House Energy & Natural Resources Committee will be considering House Bill 178 which proposes an $85 million subsidy for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant. Please call House Energy and Natural Resource Committee Members and tell them to OPPOSE HB 178.

No subsidies or tax breaks to build a dirty plant for electricity to other states – NOT our money, not out of New Mexico’s pocket into Sithe Global’s wallet.

If Desert Rock is built, all the clean energy and anti-pollution progress we have made in New Mexico will be wasted. Sithe Global claims their plant would be a “clean” coal plant, but it would NOT meet New Mexico’s standards for power plants and would severely impact surrounding communities and add millions of pounds of carbon and mercury pollution into New Mexico’s air and water.

The legislature will be considering real clean energy legislation this session. Encourage your representative and members of the Energy & Natural Resource Committee to vote against dirty coal and for clean energy in 2007.

Please contact the following Energy & Natural Resource Committee Members. If you are in their district, please let them know.

Representative Jim Trujillo, Vice Chair
District 45, Capitol Phone: 986-4255
Email: jimtrujillo@msn.com

Representative James Roger Madalena, Chair
District 65, Capitol Phone: 986-4417
Email: jr_madalena@yahoo.com

Representative Thomas Anderson
District 29, Capitol Phone: 986-4452
Email: kb5ysg@arrl.net

Representative Paul Bandy
District 3, Capitol Phone: 986-4214
Email: paul@bandyranch.com

Representative Donald Bratton
District 62, Capitol Phone: 986-4427
Email: donbratton@valornet.com

Representative Candy Spence Ezzell
District 58, Capitol Phone: 986-4450
Email: csecows@aol.com

Representative Thomas Garcia
District 68, Capitol Phone: 986-4242
Email: ocate@hotmail.com

Representative William Gray
District 54, Capitol Phone: 986-4211
Email: wjgray@pvtnetworks.net

Representative Joni Marie Gutierrez
District 33, Capitol Phone: 986-4234
Email: jonig@zianet.com

Representative Jeff Steinborn
District 37, Capitol Phone: 986-4248
Email: jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov

Representative James R.J. Strickler
District 2, Capitol Phone: 986-4454
Email: jamesstrickler@msn.com

Questions? delschwartz@juno.com

Stop NM Taxpayer Subsidies for Proposed Dirty Desert Rock Power Plant

"Woman in Gas Mask" (Credit: Small Axe Organization)

Editor's Note: Activists, including many Navajos, are opposing the construction of a huge, polluting, coal-fired power plant called the Desert Rock Power Plant in the Four Corners region. For more information, check our previous post on this. Now, a bill has been introduced in the NM Legislature to provide a generous tax subsidy to the company that plans to build the plant. Needless to say, there's a serious effort underway to fight this legislation, explained below. Be sure to explore the website mentioned below. It has an abundance of info, resources, photos and videos about the proposed coal-fired plant and the struggle to stop it.

From the Sierra Club, Dine CARE, Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy: The tax subsidy for dirty coal was tabled in the House. But the bill is still alive in the Senate. Please continue to support this effort by:

1. CALLING the Senators below and ask them to OPPOSE SB 431 . 
2. ATTENDING the “No to Desert Rock” Rally on FEBRUARY 5, 2:00-3:00 PM Round House Rotunda (northwest corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail). For more information please go to: https://www.desert-rock-blog.com/blog

Please call, email or write your Senator and ask them to OPPOSE SB 431.

The Senate is currently considering an $85 million subsidy for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant. No subsidies or tax breaks to build a dirty plant for electricity to other states – NOT our money, not out of New Mexico ’s pocket into Sithe Global’s wallet.

Molly Hogue: Praying and Hoping for Change (Courtesy of Lori Goodman)

If Desert Rock is built, all the clean energy and anti-pollution progress we have made in New Mexico will be wasted. Sithe Global claims their plant would be a “clean” coal plant, but it would NOT meet New Mexico ’s standards for power plants and would severely impact surrounding communities and add millions of pounds of carbon and mercury pollution into New Mexico ’s air and water.

Tips: Please call AND write. If the Senator does not have an email or you would prefer to send a hand written letter, please fax the letter to 505-986-4280 or mail it to New Mexico State Capitol, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Senator: Shannon Robinson, Chair
Corporations & Transportation Committee
District: 17, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4856
E-mail: shannon.robinson@nmlegis.gov

Senator: Ben D. Altamirano, Sponsor of HB 431
District: 28, County(s): Catron, Grant & Socorro
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4733

Senator John Arthur Smith, Vice Chair
Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy
District: 35, County(s): Hidalgo, Luna & Sierra
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4363
E-mail: john.smith@nmlegis.gov

Senator James G. Taylor
District: 14, County(s):Bernalillo & Valencia
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4862
E-mail: jamesg.taylor@nmlegis.gov

Senator Cisco McSorley (Chair of Judiciary)
Distict: 16, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4485
E-mail: cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov

Senator Bernadette M. Sanchez, Vice Chair
District: 26, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4267

Senator Diane Snyder
District: 15, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4375
E-mail: hdsnyder@spinn

Senator Mark Boitano
District: 18, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4366
E-mail: boitanom@aol.com

Senator Dianna J. Duran
District: 40, County(s): Dona Ana & Otero
Capitol Office Phone: 585-9896
E-mail: dianna.duran@nmlegis.gov

Senator Phil A. Griego
District: 39, County(s) L.A. ,Mora,Sand,S.M.,S.F. & Taos
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4861
E-mail: senatorgriego@yahoo.com

Senator Stuart Ingle
District: 27, County(s): Chaves, Curry, De B & Roosevelt
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4702

Senator Cynthia Nava
District: 31, County(s): Dona Ana
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4834
E-mail: cynthia.nava@nmlegis.gov

Senator David Ulibarri
District 30, County(s): Cibola, Socorro & Valencia
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4260

Helpful Links:

Desert Rock Blog:
https://www.desert-rock-blog.com/blog

NM Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy:
https://www.nmccae.org/Legislature_07/index.htm

Sierra Club, Rio Grande Chapter:
https://riogrande.sierraclub.org/campaigns/desert_rock_power_plant/desertrock_power_plant.htm

Today in Local News

On the radar screen today:

Rep. Ben Lujan (D-Nambe) won the secret vote to retain his role as NM House Speaker over challenger, Rep. Ken Martinez (D-Grants), at yesterday's closed door caucus of House Dems. Martinez will keep his Majority Leader post. Both candidates for Speaker had claimed they would have enough votes to win, and the margin between them was reportedly tight. Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-ABQ) was re-elected as whip and Rep. John Heaton (D-Carlsbad) will again serve as caucus chair.

In a 5-4 vote, the Albuquerque City Council rejected the adoption of interim design rules for big box stores, a measure introduced by City Council President Debbie O'Malley. However, her permanent rules for big box development will be sent to the Environmental Planning Commission. Their recommendations to the Council on the proposal will be due in about four months. The decision is a loss for the folks trying to stop the "super" Wal-Mart at Osuna and Vista del Norte, but offers some hope for future improvements in the ugly big boxes springing up all over town. Voting to reject the temporary rules were Sally Mayer, Ken Sanchez, Brad Winter, Craig Loy and Don Harris. Ike Benton, Michael Cadigan and Martin Heinrich voted for approval.

The Council also approved special tax increment development districts for Mesa Del Sol. However, they delayed until January 10th any decision on the percentage of future district tax revenues the developer will be allowed borrow against to pay for infrastructure. For the financing plan to work for developer Forest City Covington, they'll have to get the city to sign off on all the details, then get the approval of Bernalillo County and the legislature. See my earlier post for more on this issue.

Albuquerque's Mayor Chavez announced a $10 million, two year plan to landscape 100 acres of land around the Big I. Five thousand dollars will come from the city's coffers and an equal amount from the state. Chavez bragged that the addition of thousands of trees, shrubs, cactuses and grasses would transform Albuquerque. "It's got a lot of 'wow' factor in it," he said. Wow, wow, wow. The new plantings, to be bid in phases, will eventually enhance the area along I-25 and I-40 from Menaul to Indian School and Edith to Universtiy.

Our current U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, a Republican who lost the Attorney General race in 1998 to Patricia Madrid, announced he'll be leaving his post two years early. It's rumored the FBI and other DC bigwigs are displeased with his handling of the state treasurer scandal and, perhaps, the brewing case related to possible corruption in the construction of the Metro and District courthouses in Albuquerque. Hey, maybe Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff can offer him a job at the sprawling agency that provides refuge for hordes of pompously incompetent operatives like Brownie.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley visited the campsite of about 50 tribal members who are protesting the construction of the coal-fired Desert Rock Power Plant on Navajo land in the Four Corners. See our earlier post for background on this issue.

URGENT Support Requested by Dine Elders and Youth to Stop New Coal-Fired Plant

(Above) Lucy A. Willie (R) stands at the proposed Desert Rock Power Plant site outside of Burnham on Wednesday where she and several friends and family stayed overnight to stop a contractor for Desert Rock Energy Company from doing preliminary work.

UPDATE 01.04.07: An agreement was reached to permit continued protest against the power plant. See Santa Fe New Mexican article.
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From the Black Mesa Water Coalition and the Indigenous Environmental Network:

Sithe Global and DPA are proposing to build the Desert Rock Power Plant, a 1500 MW coal fired plant in the Four Corners area on the Navajo Reservation. This is an area already polluted by 2 other major coal power plants. Local Navajo residence and community members oppose this project for many harmful reasons!! This Desert Rock power plant is still in the environmental review process and has NOT yet been permitted.

However, Desert Rock company trucks have began moving onto the backyard of Alice Gilmore, an elderly Navajo woman, and her family on Wednesday to begin drilling efforts. Desert Rock officials and police have not shown any documents or permits to the local residents stating their purpose or permission to be there. Dine supporters and community members have joined Alice and her family to blockade the road. They are elderly women and youth, and they have been camped out on the road over night since Tuesday! Desert Rock trucks have repeatedly rushed them and have almost run-over people a number of times as they attempt to get by. Desert Rock power company is violating the lease rights of the local Navajo residences and is harassing elderly Navajo women and youth. This is an urgent time and support is needed!!!

Please read on to find out how you can help! And please pass this onto others! Click for press release (doc) and additional article.

What They Need:
- More People Support
- Firewood
- $$
- Attention!

How You can Help!

-More People! More people are needed to sit in support! All are welcome! Directions to the area are below:

The site is between Gallup, NM and Shiprock, NM (northeastern, NM). Take the road between Gallup and Shiprock, the 491, at the Mustang Service Station (one of the only service stations between the two), turn East on road #5 towards Burnham Chapter. From Burnham Chapter turn North onto gravel road #5082. About 10-12 miles up the road turn West until you see the encampment. There will be markers (balloons) out on the roads. (if you begin to see a dragline, you've gone too far)

- Firewood! it is cold outside and many of the resisters are elderly women. If you can get firewood to the site it is very very much needed. The directions to the site are above.

- $ Money! Resisters are in need of money for gas and food, and also for bail money if necessary. Please send donations to local resident and supporter:
Elouise Brown
1015 Glade Lane 34
Farmington, NM 87401
Email: thebrownmachine@hotmail.com

- ATTENTION! The more media and observers are present, the least likely Desert Rock is likely to run people over or harass them. Contact the media and tell them what is going on. Contact Navajo Authorities and tell them you are extremely concerned. Be a legal observer. Spread this Alert!

Media Contact: Lori Goodman, cell: (970) 759-1908, e-mail: kiyaani@frontier.net

Contact the Following Authorities! Tell them you have heard about Desert Rock's harassment of Navajo elders and youth. Tell them you are extremely concerned. If enough people contact these offices, they will know that the world is watching.

Shiprock Police Department
Phone: (505) 368-1350, Fax: (505) 368-1293

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley's Office
P.O. Box 9000 Window Rock, Arizona, 86515
Phone : (928) 871- 6352

George Hardeen,
Navajo Nation Communications Director
Office of the President
Office: 928-871-7000, Cell: 928-380-7688
e-mail: georgehardeen@opvp.org

Bureau of Indian Affairs (Gallup Office) - they are conducting the Environmental Impact Statement.

Harrilene Yazzi
NEPA Coordinator Bureau of Indian Affairs
Navajo Regional Office
P.0. Box 1060 Gallup, New Mexico 87305
Phone: 505-863-8314, Fax: 505-863-8324

-Be a Legal Observer: Get to the site and help record/witness what is happening.

Send this Action Alert Far and Wide!
Thank you for your support!!!
Enei Begaye, Executive Director
Black Mesa Water Coalition
408 E. Route 66, Suite #1
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Office #: (928) 213-9760

Jihan Gearon, Native Energy Campaign
Indigenous Environmental Network
(877) 436-2121