Democracy for New Mexico

Voters Excited at Tim Keller's Campaign Launch

City Councilor Rey Garduño (R) introduces Tim Keller at campaign launch

Democrat Tim Keller launched his campaign for State Senate in District 17 last Saturday at El Norteño restaurant in Albuquerque with an energized crowd in attendance. If you don't know about Keller, his background and his candidacy, you should. Be sure to check out his campaign website for all the details.

At last Saturday's campaign launch

We often talk about supporting challengers to the status quo in the NM Legislature, and this is a good opportunity to do just that. Whether you live in District 17 in the SE Heights or elsewhere, Keller's campaign would love to have you volunteer or make a small donation to the cause. Tim is running a grassroots campaign focused on lots of door knocking, reaching out to community organizations and contacting as many of the district's constituents as possible to listen to residents' concerns and talk about the issues.

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NM-03: Wiviott First on the Air With Campaign Ads

How Do You Say This Man's Name?


Meet Don Wiviott

A Dem primary candidate in New Mexico's Third District, Don Wiviott is challenging the field by being first up with TV campaign ads. The TV spots are designed to introduce Don to those in the district who haven't yet had an opportunity to meet him in person. One of them uses a humorous approach centered on Wiviott's name. The ads also touch on some of his progressive campaign themes including ending the Iraq war, cleaning up the environment and improving health care and education.

“Don is running for Congress to make a difference in people's lives and to bring real change to Washington,” said Wiviott spokeswoman Caroline Buerkle. “We’re excited to take this next step in our campaign and to communicate with even more voters about how he will bring progressive leadership in the tradition of Tom Udall to Washington.”

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NM-03: Fire Fighters Endorse Luján

In a statement, the Luján for Congress campaign announced their latest endorsement:

Earlier this week the New Mexico Professional Fire Fighters Association announced its endorsement of Public Regulation Commissioner Ben R. Luján for the Democratic nomination to New Mexico's U.S. House District 3.

"Ben Ray Luján is well known by the state's fire-fighting community. He has always fought for the fire fighters, often behind the scenes and in ways that have had long-lasting positive effects on our profession," said union president Emily Kane.

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NM-03: Oddities in Actions of Candidate Jon Adams?

What's going on with attorney Jon Adams, a Dem who's running for Congress in NM-03?

Last week, Adams filed a reportedly incomplete legal challenge that doesn't follow the rules of civil procedure in seeking to disqualify most of the petition signatures submitted by green builder Don Wiviott, another Dem in the race. Adams allegedly didn't serve a summons on Wiviott, didn't name a plaintiff and defendant on his complaint and failed to join an indespensible party (the Secretary of State) in the action -- all basic legal requirements for such a challenge.

The petition signatures in question have been checked and certified by Secretary of State Mary Herrera as fulfilling the state's petition requirements. In response to Adams' challenge, Wiviott's lawyer has filed a Motion to Dismiss.

Previously, Adams alleged that Wiviott stole one of his political slogans and that Harry Montoya, another candidate in the NM-03 Dem primary, had pilfered one of his positions:

Adams has previously lobbed accusations at Wiviott, a Santa Fe developer. In December, Adams alleged Wiviott was calling himself a "Udall Democrat"— a label Adams said he coined.

At the same time, Adams accused another opponent, Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya, of stealing his position that military veterans should be "honored" and have good health care and services. Montoya responded that it was to be expected that Democratic candidates might have similar positions.

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Health Action NM Presents Legislative Wrapup Tonight

From Health Action New Mexico:
Health Action New Mexico will host a Legislative Wrapup on health care reform and other related issues on Thursday, February 28, at 5:30 PM at the First Unitarian Church (Comanche and Carlisle) in Albuquerque. The panelists reporting will be:

• State Senator Jerry Ortiz Y Pino
• Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries
• Bill Jordan, New Mexico Voices for Children

Patrick Tyrrell of Health Action NM  will be the moderator. The public is encouraged to attend.

Tonight: Second Community Meeting of Friends of the Albuquerque Tribune

From FOAT Inc.: The Friends of the Albuquerque Tribune will hold a follow-up community meeting on Thursday, February 28, at 7:00 PM at the UNM School of Law, Room 2402. All interested members of the public are invited. (The Law School is located at Stanford and Constitution NE.) 

An initial meeting, held prior to the publication of the Tribune’s final issue on Saturday, was well-attended by a cross-section of citizens interested in maintaining media diversity in Albuquerque.  Money was raised and volunteers committed. Thursday’s meeting will continue discussions related to efforts to organize a cooperative to operate the Tribune, probably as a web-based 24/7 newspaper.

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More Crocodile Tears Over "Failures" of Ethics Advocates

As background to this post, see Joe Monahan's latest piece about ethics and campaign reform, where he announces a silly contest. Next, check out what Marjorie at m-pyre has to say about it.

The cowardly Alligators-Afraid-To-Reveal-Their-Names are crying crocodile tears again over the alleged mismanagement of ethics and campaign finance reform by -- get this -- the reformers themselves. The reptilian view is that reform efforts have hit a brick wall because those pushing for change haven't been clear and focused about what they want. This alleged lack of clarity has confused the public so they don't know what to get behind. And it's just plain snookered the poor legislators who have been trying in vain to decipher the priorities of the reformers. Shame on the nonprofit public advocacy organizations that have been using ineffectual tactics and asking for too much at once -- according to the unnamed sources at Monahan.

Let's Have a Contest!
The solution -- who'd a thunk it -- is lurking out there in the mind of some college student in the form of a hip new plan to achieve campaign donation limits. All Joe and his Alligators have to do is bring the ideal plan to the surface by dangling a prize for the winning idea, open their jaws and snap it up.

Too bad Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, AARP and many other organizations that have long been working for change didn't think of that. Why talk to legislators, organize citizen lobbying efforts, urge constituents to contact their reps and vigorously promote the findings of two years of highly respected and publicized work by the Governor's Ethics Task Force -- when they could have just offered up $500 in prize money to entice a college student to come up with a winning advocacy plan!

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Udall Asks Pelosi to Move Indian Health Bill to Top of House Agenda

In a statement released yesterday after the long-awaited Senate passage of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, US Rep. Tom Udall (D, NM-03), urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move the bill to the top of the House’s agenda.

“Our nation’s health care system is badly in need of reform,” Udall wrote in a letter to Pelosi. “But nowhere is the issue of inadequate healthcare more acute and in need of improvement than on Native American lands and in the Indian Health Service agency.”

The legislation, which passed the Senate today by a vote of 83-10, is the first substantial overhaul of the Indian health care system in over a decade. It would provide medical care to approximately 1.8 million American Indians and would authorize spending for the Indian Health Service (IHS) for the next 10 years.

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Santa Fe County Suspends New Oil and Gas Drilling

Yesterday the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners passed an emergency interim development ordinance that temporarily suspends the processing and granting of applications for permits to drill for oil and natural gas within the Galisteo Basin until February 28, 2009. The ordinance also empowers the Board to extend the prohibition for an additional 6 months, if necessary.

The County Commission voted unanimously to approve the ordinance and received a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 100. The suspension is designed to give County staff more time to study environmental, geographical and archeological issues in the basin before completing the final draft of new oil and gas regulations. The County had begun drafting new oil and gas regulations last fall after Tecton Energy announced plans to drill for oil in the Galisteo Basin.

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Dem Prez Debate Tonight, MSNBC

Tonight's debate in at Cleveland State University between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton may be the last of the long Dem primary season. You can watch it live on MSNBC cable TV or online at msnbc.com from 7:00-8:30 PM MST. Moderator Brian Williams will be joined by Tim Russert.

The debate comes on the heels of increasingly heated and controversial rhetoric on the part of the Clinton campaign, as well as Sen. Chris Dodd's endorsement of Obama today in Ohio (video). Click to read Obama's response to Sen. Dodd's endorsement. And here's a response (video) by a senior Clinton adviser to questions about the endorsement and other topics from MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. Primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island will take place on March 4th, with 436 delegates at play.

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