The Dignity of the Voting Public

This year we have seen many times when our elected officials have failed in their duty to respect the dignity of the voting public.

We have a governor who put the Downs of Albuquerque’s business interest before local communities. If not local citizens, than who should be in charge of major decisions that would affect the safety and calm of local community life?

We have leaders of our police force who put property, personal interest, and money before the safety of the voting public.

These local police forces have taken away the lives of far too many non-convicted citizens. Their fatal behavior has resulted in making them judge, jury and executioner without the benefit of fair representation for citizens of our state.

We have republican presidential candidates who see no need to assist the poor and weak in our society.

Those same republican presidential candidates would make our elderly homeless and penniless in order to reduce the taxes of the top 1% of the richest in our population.

The republicans would remove illegal aliens from our country without regard for the destruction of families because they are foreigners. These are people who are only in search of a safe home and a better life for their own families.

These republicans politicians have turned a blind eye to the suffering of the many homeless families and would remove all support, which might aide them in attaining a better life for their families in the future.

These same republicans would remove all laws and rules that protect our environment. This does not make them good stewards of our lands. Our children’s future health and welfare may well depend on how we handle our current environment.

In 2012, the voting public has it within their power to prevent the republicans from taking control of the White House and the House of Representatives in our country. The voters must exercise their right in voting for people who would protect the moral values of our country. We simply cannot stay home.

While we must look upon these republican candidates with charity and benevolence, we simply cannot allow these misguided individuals to take control of our federal government.

Social Justice for All New Mexicans

Society ensures social justice by providing the conditions that allow free associations between individuals and groups to obtain their just due. All individual in this state should be allowed their constitutional right to free association. This should apply to all voters and elected officials in this state including district court judges. To punish the many for the sins of the few is a shameful excess and a disrespectful use of power by those in authority.

Respect for the human person considers the other “another self.” It presupposes respect for the fundamental right that flow from the dignity intrinsic of the person. People from other nations should be respected. Hate and fear of others is nothing more than self-hate redirected onto another individual because of there national origin. All New Mexicans should respect their long held diversity.

The equality of men concerns their dignity as person and the right that flow from it. It is wrong to deprive anyone that resides in this state of their own personal dignity because of race, creed, sex or national origin.

The differences among persons belong to New Mexican’s history, which wills that we should need one another. These differences should encourage charity. It should encourage our state to help people in need of support and information. The Mayor of Albuquerque saw fit to encourage a plan that would get homeless people of the cold streets and into safe housing.

The equal dignity of human persons requires the effort to reduce excessive social and economic inequalities. It gives urgency to the elimination of shameful and yes even sinful inequalities. The governor should work to reduce these inequalities in our state.

Solidarity is a virtue. It practices the sharing of spiritual goods and intellectual goods even more than material ones. The sharing of intellectual and spiritual goods encourages the growth and development of jobs in our state that provide individual dignity for all New Mexicans. Both state and federal agencies should willing share intellectual goods in order to promote new job opportunities for all New Mexicans.

New Judicial Standards a disservice to both Judges and the Voting Public

Funny, I don’t remember as a member of the voting public agreeing to have our judge’s constitutional rights stripped by the state supreme court. Justice Richard Bosson is a man who is out of touch with the voting public. If he so desires a private life away from politics then maybe the voting public should grant him his wish in his next retention election.

Judges need to be active publicly so that the voters know first hand that they are fit to sit on the bench. There is nothing wrong with judges being at a county political meeting since they are elected official in this state. The party has always shown respect for their limits when it comes to issues. We don’t ask for their views on issues that might appear before the court. At the same time it is good and proper that they should know the feelings of the voters when it comes to issues that provide stability for our local communities.

There is an old saying that states “Render therefore to Caésar the things that are Caésar’s and to God the things that are God's. What this means for the voting public is that church and state stay separate so that our country is not ruled by any one church or any one ruling group. Justice Bosson would have the judges in this state separated from the communities they represent. He would have judges base their decision on laws created by the people, for the people, and with the people without the judge’s real life knowledge of what that means for the people of their communities.

The republicans of this state would be only too happy to remove every democratic judge in this state because they resent their views on constitutional issues. The most conservative newspaper in this state has made it clear that they want judges divided from the people they represent. This can be no good for the stability of our state and the safety of our voting public. We already have far too many problems with local police enforcement agencies. The last thing this city or state needs is for our sitting judges to be out of touch with the voters in this state. The last time I checked, our court system was a public one so that the public could ensure the fitness of those who work in that system.

New Rules from the New Mexico State Supreme Court Fatally Flawed

On January 1, 2012, new rules will take effect that prevents judges from taking part both personally and financially in the political process. These new rules strip judges of their constitutional right of free association. It also strips them of their right to free speech. It encourages them to take part publicly in religious activities.

The New Mexico State Supreme Court has sent a very strong message that separation of church and state is not important in our legal system. It has sent the message that judges should not have to associate with member of the public unless they are members of there own churches. The end result will be a very limited world view on how the voting public views religious issues.

The Supreme Court has made it possible for third party groups to control elections for our state judge positions. Those third party groups with unlimited financial resources and an unnatural right to freedom of speech will be able to speak out during elections while judges are forced to stay silence and separate from the voting public.

It has not given any alternative such as bipartisan public education requirements on the legal system by sitting judges. It has handed the future judgeships in this state over to the Republican Party at the cost of fair and equal justice for the voting public. The voting public knows very little about our sitting judges even now. In the future judges will be totally unknown to the voters. The voters will not know their party affiliation or their views on issues that affect our whole state. Those views could be express in a general manner without commenting on any current case in non- election years if sitting judges had the right of free association.

Voters should express their outrage on these new restrictive overreaching rules that will only result in a negative result for our state’s legal system. The New Mexico Supreme Court has exceeded their ability to fix the problems in our current legal system until it is completely and totally broken.

The sad part is that the most conservative newspaper in this state clearly thinks that this is a great idea. What has happened to our state party’s respect for the rule of law in this state?

Congressional District 1 Candidate Eric Griego New Endorsement

Today Eric Griego’s campaign announced that he has received one of the first endorsements from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Funds. The LCV is a national environmental group who spends large money on congressional candidates. Eric Griego received the endorsement of the Sierra Club earlier.

These two endorsements have to hurt the funding raising abilities of both Martin Chavez and Michelle Lujan Grisham when it comes to environmental groups.

Statement on the Super Committee | Marty Chavez for Congress (NM-1)

Marty Chavez who is running for congressional district 1 had this to say about the super committee and its failures.

Statement on the Super Committee Marty Chavez for Congress (NM-1)

Chavez is known to be a strong negotiator. Not everyone has liked that about him at times. He could be a positive addition to congress. His stands on some issues follow along with that of the Democratic Party. He has been know to lean toward the middle when it comes to economic issues. Still there is much to be learned about how he views issues that affect quality of life for our children and our state.

Strong word from Congressman Heinrich on Supper Committee’s failure

Statement Released by Congressman Martin Heinrich:

“Like many Americans, I'm angry and frustrated that the ‘super committee’ didn’t reach agreement on how to reduce the deficit. Sadly, they did not even come close. Democrats put hundreds of billions of dollars worth of spending cuts on the table, but republicans refused to compromise in order to protect the misguided Bush tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. They said ‘No’ because they value their pledge to lobbyist Grover Norquist over the commitment they have made to the American people."

“At a time of serious national debt, we cannot afford to extend tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires who aren't shouldering their fair share of our nation's challenges. We need to be clear on our priorities: cut waste and end tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires so we can reduce the debt, create jobs and protect Social Security and Medicare.”

Clearly not all of our members of congress are thrilled with the republican’s failure to bargain in good faith. The Republican Party will be the first to blame the democrats for no deal. The American people are sick of seeing the rich get richer while the poor and the middle class are paying the bills. We need to replace republican congressional representatives with people who are willing to bargain in good faith.

Politically Getting Educational Reform Right

The problem with people who run for congress is that they tend to know very little about how our educational system in this country works. If they were among the lucky, they found a teacher who after hours of working in overcrowded classrooms and grading papers late into the night for slave wages made time for them during school hours. If they were one of the unlucky students, they found an overworked undertrained underpaid failure, who should never have been allowed into a classroom in the first place.

Should failures in the teaching profession be fired? Not everyone is destined to be a teacher. First all employees should receive proper training in their profession. Just because you have a special skill that you are good at does not make you a trained educator. They should be given the support by their administration. They should be given feedback about where they are doing well and where they can improve. They should be supplied with the materials and time they need to do a good job when it comes to our children’s education. If after all of this occurs then yes, fire someone who cannot or will not learn from their mistakes.

Paying our educators a good salary is important because it attractes higher skilled more knowledgeable employees. Anyone with a brain knows that educators are paid far too little for the job they occupy. The problem with this is that we spend millions of taxpayer’s dollars on educational salaries each year. Why are we not getting a bigger bang for our buck? The federal government like the state drops large sums of money into a pot and then tells local administration to spend it on educational salaries. As a result administration has six figure salaries while most school systems cannot afford to pay teachers who work in the classroom a livable wage. Yet the first thing you always hear out of a candidate’s mouth is that they will continue the practice on pain of death.

Educators know that this attitude will not change the system anytime in the future. At some point, someone with half a brain needs to understand that the best way to fix the problem is to split administrational salaries from educator’s salaries in the future. The school administration should keep control of the educational salaries at the local level while the administrational salaries are determined at a higher level in the system.

As for affordable, education should be cost effective. Students should be able to pay off their student loans within four years of graduating college. This means that anyone that graduates from a college should have the skills to get a job in the real world. Unless someone is so rich that they do not need the money, in which case they do not need student loans in the first place, then they should only be trained in marketable skills. Rich people or people supported by rich people should continue to be trained in fields that enhance our cultural development. Taxpayers should not be expected to spend their hard earned dollars on studies that do not contribute to the skill levels of our current or future workforce.

Governor Martinez and Republican Party Pay-to-Play at Expo New Mexico

The Albuqueque Journal reported that Governor Martinez received campaign donations of $70,000 from the Downs of Albuquerque during her run for the governor’s seat. The Downs of Albuquerque won the bid for continuing to run the racetrack on the Expo New Mexico fairgrounds for another twenty-five years. We call that pay-to-play or at least the appearance of an impropriety.

Governor Martinez also appointed Garrett Hennessey, Charles "Chuck" Gara, and John A. Garcia to evaluate the bids for the contract summited by the Downs of Albuquerque. Darren White worked on the bid for the Downs of Albuquerque as a consultant. He also was appointed to the judicial standards commission by the governor, and was a strong supporter of the governor during her campaign for the governor’s seat. White resigned from his position after public outcry over an issue with how he handled his wife’s car accident. The voters have to wonder exactly what the governor considers arm’s length when it comes to state contracts.

The voters also have to wonder if all of the governor’s talk about pay-to-play only affects the Democratic Party and its elected officials. One has to ask what about the Republican Party and its elected officials. We need a grand jury to investigate exactly how close the governor was to the Downs of Albuquerque. What is the relationship between the Governor Martinez and the Downs of Albuquerque?

Local grassroots community leaders who live and work around the fairgrounds have voiced loud opposition to the Downs of Albuquerque running the racetrack because of the crime it attracts to the local area around Central. State Senator Tim Keller who represents the local communities surrounding the fairgrounds spoke out about the contract. He has been strongly representing his district when it comes to this issue. The Republican Party attacked Senator Keller with false mudslinging because of his push back on the idea of a twenty-five year contract with the Downs of Albuquerque.

Did Governor Martinez arrange for the Republican Party to attack New Mexico State Senator Keller who represents the local communities around the fairgrounds in an attempt to silence opposition to the new contract? Why is there such a rush to approve this new contract with the Downs of Albuquerque? Why does it not matter to the governor what the local communities around the fairground think about what should be approved for their communities? How is this open and honest government on the governor’s part?

Al Park Running for PRC

Today state representative Al Park announced that he would be stepping down from his state house seat to run for the Public Regulations Commission seat, which is currently held by Jason Marks. Marks is term limited and will not be able to run for the seat a third time.

After all of the scandal with Block, it will be good to ensure an honest individual is running for the seat in Albuquerque. Albuquerque has been lucky with whom we have elected to the PRC. Our representative has been not only honest and how working, but Jason Marks has been one of the PRC members who knew the business best.

Al Park will make a qualified candidate for the seat. He is a family man who respects the law. As a lawyer, he understands the finer details of how to deal with large energy corporations. Al Park has the support of the voters in his district. He is a clear choice for the PRC seat in 2012. The voting public is lucky to have a good individual step forward.

Horseracing or economic development for the City of Albuquerque

Large cities around the country are moving toward such successful economic developments:

Expo New Mexico Fair Grounds--International Showcase:

Beyond the main gate, entering from the south at the Expo New Mexico Fair Grounds is the International Showcase area. The International Showcase area is a collective of pavilions that wrap around the International Showcase Lagoon. Each one of the pavilions represents the best of culture and cuisine from New Mexico’s Native Pueblos and other world cultures that live and thrive within the International District:

1. United States
2. New Mexican
3. Mexico
4. China
5. Japan
6. East India
7. French
8. Greek
9. African American
10. Isleta Pueblo
11. Navajo Nation
12. Zuni Pueblo

In each of the pavilions, you will find a mixture of restaurants, cultural gift shops, entertainment areas, and arts and crafts displays. Along the tree-lined shore of the lagoon is a lovely well-lighted brick boardwalk, which will lead you to the welcoming gateways of each of the international pavilions. On the lagoon is an Italian style water taxi service, which provide a romantic ride to the pavilion of your choice. The water from the lagoon is recycled to provide an eco-friendly environment for the City of Albuquerque while still encouraging an active nightlife and culturally diverse economic development.

Just one example of what could be with the right long-term city planning. It is a pity that the governor appears to have been bought out by some campaign donators.

9th Judicial District Attorney Matt Chandler

Chandler





Link to written documentation here.

Tax Break for Corporations—Really

Yes, large corporations may face a 35% tax rate but none of them pays that much in taxes. It has been reported that 30 corporations in this country pay no taxes at all and some even receive money back from the government like our poorest in this country. We call that corporate welfare. The republicans have done away with welfare for the poor so we should return the favor by doing away with welfare for corporations. We should limit the time to two years for any take break received from the government for corporations.

What we need is to change the tax code so that small companies receive those benefits while larger corporation who make billions of dollars each year in profits pay their fair share. The handouts to Corporate America are harming our economy by taking tax dollars away from small startup companies. Those small companies are the ones that produce the most jobs in our economy.

We can start this process by sending people to Washington D.C. who are willing to stand up and fight for the rights of the 99% who do not get corporate welfare in this country. Our children’s future depends on our finding a way to take the power back from the corporations. We need to show our support for local businesses in this country. We need to encourage startup companies, which will put our children to work.

Governor Tells Agencies to Put an End to Flex Schedules

One has to wonder why the governor acts like such a fool at times. Efficiency is when your employees have time to deal with family issues. This is going to hurt women with children. Employers across the state should understand that children should always come first in this state.

A parent who cannot flex their schedule in order to either pick up or drop off their children on time is a distracted worker. It is a parent’s responsibility for always to be there on time for their children. What type of person would force a parent to abandon their child in order to keep their job? Men are guiltier of this behavior most times, than women are. However, our governor has failed to behave like a woman when it comes to this issue. How can she say that she is supportive of protecting our children when her own policies promote child abandonment?

Women in New Mexico should send the governor a strong message that this type of policy change is unacceptable for state workers. Only someone who does not care about our children would enact such a policy statewide. Mothers should be outraged at the governor’s lack of responsibility when it comes to issues like this one.

If even one supervisor of a state employee tells a mother that their schedule will not be flexed because of this policy then the state should be sued for child endangerment. Childcare workers make it clear to any parent in this state that if they are not on time to pick up their child that the police will be called. What kind of employer would put a parent in that kind of inexcusable position in the first place?

The governor should be publicly forced to explain her policy. She should explain to state workers who are mothers how this policy will ensure a safe and protected environment for their children.

Lilly Ledbetter Endorses Chavez for Congress

New Information from the Chavez Campaign:

Women's Equality Activist Lilly Ledbetter Endorses Marty Chavez
“Marty Will Be a Voice for the Families He Represents”

Today, women's equality activist Lilly Ledbetter, namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, endorsed former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez in his bid to represent New Mexico’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
“I'm proud to announce my support of Marty's candidacy for Congress, a true friend in the struggle for equality.

I know he will serve New Mexico's 1st Congressional District with honor and integrity and be a voice for the families he represents,” said Ledbetter.

“I’m honored to have the support of someone who has so significantly advanced equality issues in our time,” said Chavez.

Ledbetter added, “Together, we can make a difference by sending the right kind of representatives to Washington. I'm living proof that the right thing doesn't always happen automatically and that even today, equality and fairness can still be hard to come by. I hope you'll join me in helping Marty Chavez become the next leader for equality in Congress.”

Ledbetter’s announcement comes just days after United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta endorsed Marty’s campaign.

Ex-Mayor Martin Chavez is picking up some very high quality endorsements from women who care how other women are treated in this state. Chavez worked hard to make Albuquerque a good place to raise a family during his time in the Mayor’s office.

Further Questions for the Candidate:

Let us hope that he puts out a statement on how he would approach educational issues in the near future. As mayor, Martin tried but was blocked when it came to affecting the local educational system. Will he support teachers in a manner that helps them to provide a quality education to our children in this state? Will he encourage positive methods and theories of teaching, which will empower our children with the knowledge of how to learn? On the other hand, like most politicians will he simple be happy with further breaking no child left behind until it destroys public education in this nation? Will he protect the federal grant programs that help provide a path to higher quality jobs in this state for women?

Since leaving office, Martin Chavez has worked in the green jobs industry. Can he bring more green jobs to our state if he is elected Congressman of the first congressional district?

We still have a lot of time to ask all of the candidates for the first congressional district these difficult questions. Let us hope that we can find a candidate that can give us the support and the encouragement to vote for them on Election Day.

Is Communication Dead

Communication is a two-way exchange of ideas between individuals. In today’s world, it is all about controlling the message. If you do not want to hear what other have to say on Facebook you simply, delete it. No one bothers to delve into hot topic any longer.

The idea of asking a question, in the attempt for further understanding someone else’s viewpoint, is outdated. Analyzing issues for common ground is unheard of in today’s political world. How can we begin to build a better world if we are unwilling or unable to questions ideas? What is wrong with asking someone for further clarification of a statement? What is wrong with asking the basic question of who, where, what, and why?

The questions we should be asking the tea party are:

Why do you not want to raise taxes?

How would raising taxes negatively affect your life?

Tell me more and explain where you get your facts.

How has big government affected your life?

Has there ever been a time when government did something right?

Why do you feel that government cannot help the poor?

Who else will help the poor if not government?

What would or could replace Social Security?

Do you understand that in the market system of stocks there are more losers then winners?

What would happen to the people who are losers in the Stock Market when it comes to their retirement funds?

Should we as a civilized society care about the elderly?

If we do not care, then how will that affect the middle class?

Do we expect young people to support their parents at the same time they support their children?

What affect would that have on our economy?

Next time you are faced with someone who is angry with the current government rather than attack ask questions. Look for common ground to stand on, and be willing to listen to the other side before making a judgment call. Communication is and has always been a two-way street.

The Republican Party

Not the people to believe or to vote for in 2012!

Social Promotion in Higher Education

The governor is against social promotion for grade school children as we all know. She has spoke loud and long on the subject. So why are we now faced with a system that would promote social promotion for adult learners who attend college? This issue is an outrage to every college and university educator across the state.

Saving money at the expense of closing colleges and universities in this state is the biggest mistake any governor could ever make for New Mexico voters. We need a system, which rewards educators for quality work without harming them for factors that are out of their control.

The governor needs to look at factors, which cause students to leave school or fail a class in the first place.

Factors Such As:

This state needs childcare for single parents. Because they cannot bring their children to class, since children in the classroom would destroy the learning environment for all.

We need reliable transportation for getting students to class on time everyday of the week. Missing classes can cause a student to fail a class.

Health care so students do not infect their classmates. Flu shots go a long way toward keeping students in the classroom.

Tutoring and basic education skills classes are needed for students that have been out of the system for long periods. How much do you remember from your fourth grade math class?

Socialization and mental health issues are a rising factor in the classrooms. Students need to understand how to communicate with others in a socially acceptable manner. Mental illness can cause major harm to the learning process for all involved. No one wants to see another Virginia Tech incident.

We should be training educators in methods that work when it comes to adult education. People are not born knowing how to teach adults. Pulling skilled workers out of the workforce to teach classes does not mean that they know how to teach other people those skills. Education is a learned skill just like all other higher professions. Do we really want them learning on our future workforce?

Education reform should be about dealing with the issues that cause students to fail classes and leave school. We can have the world’s best educators in our colleges and universities, but if a student is not prepared to learn then nothing we can do will fix it.

Punishing Educators for factors they have no control over will drive them out of New Mexico and further harm our educational system. Educators do not go into the field in order to get rich but the United States needs to understand that other countries, which are having success, are putting money toward helping educators. These countries have respected their educators, which is something that our country is failing in across this nation.

Occupy The Burque Not Welcome in Albuquerque Park

In the dark of night while the public was fast asleep in their nice warm beds and unable to see, the Albuquerque Police forcible removed protesters from Yale Park. The group was not a large one. A republican, Mayor R. J. Berry, runs the police force of course. Berry does not care about the middle class in this city. He is too busy directing his police force to protect the upper classes property.

Occupy Wall Street is a growing movement of young people who want to change things for their generation. With the cost of an education becoming more expensive, the possibility of paying those costs with a job are not likely for the younger generation. People can see why their children are angry with the upper one percent of this country’s population.

Corporations and the wealthy in this country are not paying their far share. Tax rates may be high but loopholes are far too many. The result is that middle class Americans pay far more in taxes then corporations and the wealthiest one percent of our population.

Corporations are not investing profits back into endeavors that would create new jobs for the next generation in this country. The rich is sitting on their fortunes while people go hungry on Main Street in this country.

Class warfare is something that republicans fear most in this country, but it does not stop the elected republican officials for creating an environment that would lead to it in the end. They want to keep the population docile, while they rob the average voters of any hope for a prosperous future.

Hiccup! Are They Honestly Serious?

The difference between how the county clerk and the city clerk handles elections is worlds apart.

The Bernalillo County Clerk, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, is a careful methodical well-organized county official. She does her homework, and she trains her employees well when it comes to elections. Ms. Oliver is very in favor of voting centers, which would allow easy access to voting locations. The idea of not having to drive all the way home to vote is very appealing to people who work in the city. With the right preparation, the new system of voting centers could work well for our city. The new system if run effectively could also save our county large sums of money, which could then be used to increase the number of people who vote in elections.

The Albuquerque City Clerk, Amy B. Bailey, is not what I would call a well-organized city employee. If her first election is any example, she will not be a great public servant. I would strongly suggest not attempting any down play of her mistakes. Voters hate long lines. They hate having their right to vote questioned based on ethnic origin. Discrimination carried out by a white woman from the east coast will not go over well in this state when it comes to the voters.

Ms. Bailey should be looking to Mrs. Oliver for sound advice on how to handle voters in the city.

I am sadly disappointed with the reaction from the local press when it comes to protecting voter’s rights. When we had a problem in the primary election a few years ago, the press hounded the party leader. They demanded he resign from his position.

So why down play the mistakes made in a city election now? Why is the local press not demanding answers from Ms. Bailey on the reasons why her employees were so poorly trained for this election? Why have they not demanded to know how many people were driven away by the failures of the voting machines? What affect did these problems have on the results of the city council elections? What areas of the city were most affected by the problems? Would the result have been different if there had been not problems? Where is the local press’ righteous outrage?

Rocky Start to First Republican Run City Vote

Well the vote started out with less than stellar results. Machines were not working in polling places around the city this morning. Voters were being questions about their right to vote. While I was voting, one person who lived in the county but outside the city had to call the clerk’s office just to find out that their name was on another list.

The city clerk had not trained people well on how to conduct themselves. Machines had not been checked before the voting started. Otherwise, they would have known had they done their work. With fewer voting places, lines were long in some areas of the city this morning. I gave the person my voter ID card when I went to vote. I asked the person if I needed to show a picture ID. The person said no. I have a sold feeling the reason for that answer was that I am blonde with white skin.

The Mayor’s Administration is looking very incompetent at running the city voting after all of these problems at the polls. This is all coming on the heels of complaints by a group that says the Mayor's Administration violated the law against using their position to campaign for the Mayor’s pet project.

The pet project a sports field is not something that would improve the culture of our city. Then again, Major Berry is not known for being a very cultured man. He has little hope of ever reaching the same social status as Mayor Chavez.

Here are some suggestions for Mayor Berry. Rather than one large sport complex, why not provide nicer play areas around the city for our children. Why not improve the roads rather than just laying thin paving over old roadway in the older parts of the city. Stop dumping sex offenders in those areas of the city. Why not improve our city by providing reduced cost or free cultural activities for our children.

These big sports complexes do not provide access for our children because of the distance they have to travel just to use the new facilities. Neighborhood residents do not like the increase in traffic caused by these large sports complexes. Noise becomes a major issue for any family living around these sports complexes.

I would encourage voters get out and go vote for their city councilor today. Yes, Rey I voted for you. We need more democrats on the council to protect the city from a failed Mayor and his administration. The last thing we need is a rubber stamp republican majority on the city council.

Out in the Cold Without Any Hope of a Warm Greeting

This morning I had to remind my sixteen-year-old daughter for the one-millionth time that she needed to start wearing a jacket since the weather is getting colder.

This reminded me of a campaign event, which I attended seven years ago this coming spring. My daughter and I had been invited to an event just outside of Santa Fe to meet some of the candidates from the northern part of the state. The event was free for anyone. I was invited because I was a new political blogger who covered candidates from all over the state.

Like this morning, my daughter had forgotten to wear a jacket. The day started out nice. When we got to the Chile farm, it had started to rain lightly. We stayed under the tent. I spoke to candidates as we ate some food. I was waiting for the Governor to speak when my daughter started to complain that she was getting cold. I was more than a little upset with her. She had once more walked out the door without a jacket. This had been a long running battle between the two of us.

A gentleman came up to us. He noticed that my daughter was cold. This man with the boots and the cowboy hat appeared concerned for her. This softened my usual demander because my primary concern is for my daughter’s welfare. I had never met this man before that event. He introduced himself as Tom Udall. He asked me to vote for him for congress. I told him that I lived in Albuquerque outside of his district. He still was interested in my options on the issues. I liked him. I supported and worked his campaign when he ran for U.S. Senator.

A few months back the Senators and Congressmen of this state all except for Congressman Lujan said that they would not be attending any townhall type events because of safety issues. All of their events since that announcement have been small private fundraising events. The price tag for these events has not been cheap. Things that normal average voters can ill afford to attend in today’s economic environment. While safer for the candidates, I do not think these types of events are going to buy them enough votes to win in next year’s elections.

No amount of money can buy the hearts and souls of the voting public in this state. We have seen candidates in the past spend large sums of money just to loss at the polls. What matters is if a candidate is willing to listen and act on what the common people are saying to them. If candidates wall themselves off from the voters, they have no idea what matters to the voters.

Now they can say that they are working hard in Washington or Santa Fe for the voters, but how do they know what matters to the voters. As most people already know, polls can and often are wrong. Unless elected officials speak directly to voters, they seldom understand the concerns of the middle class or the working poor. More of our state’s voters fit those categories.

Elected officials have voted a number of times to cut the educational budget in this state, which has resulted in my income being cut. I have to pay more because my daughter’s school has less funding for classroom supplies. The cost of everything including food has been going up over the last seven years as my income has gone down.

President Obama has been sending out request for campaign donations. He says that in return for these donations to his campaign that you can be entered in a change to have dinner with him. The donations are as low as five dollars. Well the president is more than welcome to come have dinner with me and my daughter any times he likes. I have no desire or time to travel to the White house for dinner. If he wants my five dollars, he is going to have to come ask for it in person. We can have dinner at a fast food place where the common voting public in this state eat dinner.

The message from this blog is simple. If candidates want people to vote for them, they had better start getting out of Santa Fe and Washington. Candidates need to listen to common voters so they can start voting the public’s will. Yes, some voters are going to be very angry at first and with good reasoning.

Obama’s Job Insurance

Americans are wondering if the Obama plan will help the economy. The plan calls for 447 million dollars in new spending. The spending would help states keep teachers, police, and firefighters on the job. It will rebuild roads and schools that have long needed the repairs. It will lower payroll taxes.

The question remains, will the republicans pass a bill designed to help the middle class in this country. They have shown no desire in the past to help the middle class. The republicans only have a desire to help themselves and the very rich in this country. The democrats can expect a bitter fight over any bill that would help Main Street Americans. They will need the support of democrats all over the country, if they have any hope of passing this bill.

Republican candidates for president are already attacking social security. The republicans have already called it a “Ponzi Scheme” and a fraud. Republicans forget that government is not a business but a moral service. Republicans would rather see older Americans out on the streets. Alternatively, they would have their families burdened with the responsibility of supporting the parents at the same time they support their children. Most Americans do not even begin to know how to invest in the market. They do not understand that for every big winner in the stock market there are thousands of losers.

We need to send to the U.S. House of Representatives people who understand that Main Street Americans should come before Wall Street. We need representatives that vote for bills that will help our economy recover. We need to support representatives that will put green jobs before large oil companies. We need new people with ideas on how to put Americans back to work.

Our country cannot return to the past in a global economy. We need to find new way of using our skills, which will make us number one in the world when it comes to green jobs and intellectual capital. We have to begin to teach our children how to think for themselves at an earlier age. Without these changes in how we do business nothing will help our economy.

Large businesses and rich individuals have a responsibility to invest in research and develop along with education to benefit the whole country. They need to stop saving their money and start spending it on the future. Without this investment, the rich will only find themselves the victim of a failed state. The very rich need to open their eyes, and they need to understand that without a healthy middle class this country will only become another third world country. In the end they will find that their large sums of money has no real value.

South Eastern Side of City Needs a Clean Up

This was a good report about the West Mesa killings. The report highlighted the need to clean up the ongoing problems on Central Avenue. We can all hope that the city will put more money toward this issue. We need new harsher state laws to punish the men who pay for sex. I would not recommend holding your breath on this issue since the male politicians in this city spend far too much time denying the problem. Or maybe they just use the serves too often...

Link to Dateline two-hour report

It would appear that as long as it is women killed that the Albuquerque Police Department will do nothing. The examples on the news as of late show just what their attitude toward women is in this city. We can only hope that the federal law enforcement agencies will find the need to investigate the lack of skilled law enforcement in this city.

Politicians must be held accountable by women voters for their willingness to turn this part of the city into a dumping ground for all types of sexual predators.

Job Hunters Boot Camp in Albuquerque

Congressman Martin Heinrich is getting tough on unemployment in the state of New Mexico. It is time for a booth camp to help the unemployed get a job. If you are unemployed or if you know someone who is unemployed, this is an opportunity to find a job.

The event will include seminars with helpful tips on how job hunters can more successfully market their skills, with presentations from Albuquerque VetSuccess, the University of New Mexico Career Services, and the Department of Workforce Solutions.

In addition to the seminars, more than 25 hiring employers will be on site taking resumes and answering questions. Employers include Sprint, Sandia National Laboratories, UPS, Farm Bureau Financial Services, and many more!

Job hunters can either register online or call 505-346-6781.

Economics 101: How to put Americans back to work—Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Here is a novel idea on how we should put people back to work, let us start by making construction workers work on public works projects for their unemployment benefits. In the depression, they called it WPA. If voters start taking pictures of schools, roads and bridges that need fixing then federal representatives could use those as proof of what needs fixing in their states. Schoolchildren would then have safe schools, roads and bridges for the coming year.

Then we could look at courthouses and jails that need improving or built in the first place. Larger courthouses will need more staff and judges to work inside them so that justice can be done quickly therefore businesses will have a solid result in a shorter span of time.

Businesses will not have to deal with as much property crime if criminals are behind bars. It is hard to stop property crime when judges are forced to keep letting the same people go because of overcrowding in the prison system. With new prisons comes a need for more guards, which will provide more jobs. We could even force low risk prisoners, such as property criminals, to pick crops for the farmers thereby reducing the cost of the product, and increasing the farmer’s ability to bring their crop to market on time. It would also teach criminals a trade, which would reduce the likelihood of their reoffending. Not to mention, exhausted prisoners are less likely to cause problems within the prison system.

All of this work will increase demand for products and services, which will require more people at work to provide these products and services. In turn, those people once back to work will spend their income creating even more demand for products and services.

Where do we get all of the money to pay these government salaries? First, we make people who are on unemployment start working for their benefits. Then we start taxing large corporations and the ultra-rich who do not use their money to create jobs. If someone can prove that they are creating jobs with their income and not hording that incomes then they deserve tax breaks, otherwise they should be forced to pay the government to create those jobs. Government jobs should not pay wages that are higher than private industry jobs. This will encourage people who are on unemployment to seek public sector jobs. The government should not pay people to stay at home and do nothing either. Either the unemployed should be working in government jobs or they should be going to school to increase their marketable jobs skills.

Capitulating, Hording Not the Answer to Budget Problems

If president Obama gives even one more cent of taxpayers’ money to the Republican Party this year then he can kiss his reelection chances goodbye. Democrats are outraged and sick to death of seeing our values walked all over by the republicans in Washington D.C. Social programs that the American public have come to see as their only hope at maintaining a middle class are being destroyed by the Tea Party representatives.

Repeatedly democrats have been forced to give far too much, and now the republicans are asking them to give an arm and a leg from grandma and grandpa in order to reduce a debt produced by republicans. One percent of all Americans and Corporations are hording immeasurable sums of money while unemployment is over nine percent. Stand and Poor’s downgraded the national credit rating for the first time in American history due to the republican’s unreasonable desire to enable hording by the ultra-rich. The result was a drop in the market of over 600 points of or 5.6% for just one day of trading. We all know the damage hording does to the community as a whole. The time has come to rebalance America’s wealth in order to get money flowing, and to reduce unemployment in this country. Simple put rich people refuse to spend money, and they refuse to create jobs in this country. Federal government action is the only way to correct this economic imbalance.

The ultra-rich take their money outside the country to spend and horde it in the banks of other nations. The ultra-rich spend their money on startup companies in other countries while getting the tax breaks in our country. Globalization has brought our country to the verge of bankruptcy. Yet the republicans are attempting to force more weak trade agreements that will only result in more lost jobs in this country.

Democrats are now talking about the possibility of a challenger in the democratic primary that could produce a stronger more stabilizing leader. Some are suggesting drafting Clinton to run. They want power and experience. They want someone who knows how to play hardball. Compromise is not a dirty word but capitulating is a dirty word because it has now harmed the middle class in this country to such an extent that it can no longer be tolerated.

The Unintended Consequences of a Good Law

This statue was created to protect women and children from peeping toms. What it was not created to do was protect sexual predators from legal prosecution. The fact that a sexual predator would use it to exclude evidences from a criminal trial is just unthinkable and inexcusable. Clearly, this law must be amended to allow victims to legally videotape criminals in the act of committing a criminal offense even if that offense is happening in the privacy of their own home. We would not want sex offenders getting away with their crimes just because they commit them in their own bedroom or in a place where they reasonable expect privacy.

New Mexico State Statue 30-9-20. Voyeurism prohibited; penalties.

A. Voyeurism consists of intentionally using the unaided eye to view or intentionally using an instrumentality to view, photograph, videotape, film, webcast or record the intimate areas of another person without the knowledge and consent of that person:

(1) while the person is in the interior of a bedroom, bathroom, changing room, fitting room, dressing room or tanning booth or the interior of any other area in which the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy; or

(2) under circumstances where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, whether in a public or private place.

B. Whoever commits voyeurism is guilty of a misdemeanor, except if the victim is less than eighteen years of age, the offender is guilty of a fourth degree felony.

C. As used in this section:

(1) "intimate areas" means the primary genital area, groin, buttocks, anus or breasts or the undergarments that cover those areas; and

(2) "instrumentality" means a periscope, telescope, binoculars, camcorder, computer, motion picture camera, digital camera, telephone camera, photographic camera or electronic device of any type.

Women's Court of Public Opinion for the State of New Mexcio

Women of New Mexico v. Judge Albert "Pat" Murdoch

Second District Court Judge Albert “Pat” Murdoch, How Shocking

The news of a judge being taking into custody at the Second District Court house was shocking and very disappointing to all that follow the courts. For people who understand the legal system it is a fact that you must consider someone innocent until proven guilty. The voting public most likely will view Judge Murdock guilty from the start.

The shame is that Judge Murdoch worked on the bench for close to thirty years. People saw him as a tough but ultimately fair judge. They saw an individual who overcame his own handicap to lead a successful life, and he even played a role in helping young children with handicaps develop their own self-respect. Now people will question the ethics of his behavior and decisions. If found guilty of the things he is accused of he will have let down not only himself but the community as well.

The stress of being a criminal court judge must be great. They have heavy caseloads and long hours. In a short period judges observe more abnormal human behaviors then any normal person would ever likely see in a lifetime. They do not often see the kinder and gentler side of society at it best. The innocent people in their courtrooms are often the victim of horrific crimes. They present themselves as weak and with no control over their environment.

Without family and friends to support judges, and take their minds off their daily duties the strain can lead to the manifestation of unacceptable social behaviors. Perhaps the answer is for courts to seek councilors for these judges, so that they will have someone to communicate with when life appears unacceptable. Support groups that include not just legal personnel but normal everyday citizens could develop a sounding board for judges. The more often and longer judges secluded themselves from the public; the more likely they are to exhibit antisocial behaviors.

The Failure of Education in New Mexico

You have to love the fact that leading republican politicians speak so loudly about the important of a quality education for our children when they fail to show how much they value it. They said no cuts to the classrooms but no one stopped them from cutting the pay of teachers in this state. They forced educational employees to make up the difference between what the state pays less into their retirement fund and what employees are forced to pay into the educational retirement fund. All the while, they were spending huge sums of money protecting the people who mismanaged the fund in Santa Fe.

With $360 million in new money available to appropriate for programs and services when the Legislature meets in January to start work on the 2013 budget what do you think the chances are of educational pay cuts going away? Gee, bet they won’t be replacing any of the pay cuts those teachers and educational employees are experiencing right now. You can downright forget pay rises when it comes to educational employees in this state.

Let’s talk about the fact that leading political figures on both sides could care less about graduation rates in this state unless it helps them get reelected at the time. I personally invited a number of leading politicians to my last graduation and to no surprise not one showed up or even sent so much as a graduation gift. What an example to be sitting for the children and the college students of this state. Could anyone think of a louder message that graduation just does not count in this state?

Lip service is all that our state’s children will ever receive when it comes to the important of a good education in this state. Reform lacks the reality that change starts with the people who work in the classroom and that without the salaries, education, books and material needed that our state will always be last when it comes to the quality of education. When an educational employee adds another degree to their list of job qualifications, you would think that every politician in this state would want to acknowledge that achievement long and loudly. It is sad to say not so in our state. I proved one thing to myself. Politicians use educators to get elected but once in office they fail to live up to their promised potential. Regrettably, our children and young people are the ones who have to pay the price for their failure to support a quality education in this state.

Texas, today some Americans sure wishing it really was “a whole other country.”

Starting today, Americans who travel aboard are sure to be wishing that the state of Texas were a whole other country. For any American accused of committing a crime in a foreign country, the danger increased yesterday. The freedom to contact the America Consulates may not be as ensured as it has been in the past because of Texas’ repeated violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Our President came out looking like he has not control over Texas when it comes to agreements reach by the federal government on international law. The federal legislature is responsible for fixing this issue before Texas sentences another foreign national to death in violation of international laws which as a country we gave our word we would follow.

Conservative Republicans worked very hard to put Constitutional Originalists on the highest court in the land, The U.S. Supreme Court. Their success has resulted in a major reduction in the safety of the American people. Conservative activists justices have in the recent past question past precedent on everything from women’s rights to the right to privacy. They have repeatedly sided with large corporate interests over those of the American people. Their views as Constitutional Originalists are that the wording of the U.S. Constitution should only relate to the meaning understood in 1789. At that time in our country’s history women were looked upon as property, children worked long hard days in unsafe working conditions, and African Americans were slaves.

New Mexicans need to be only too conscious of these trends because we have a republican governor. She appoints republicans to the bench in this state after close door meetings to decide the nominees by what hopefully amounts to a bipartisan committee. We need to make sure that our local courts stay progressive in their views of the law. We want judges that know that bonds are not a form of punishment because someone accused of a crime is not guilty until proven innocent. Clearly, the state carries the burden to prove someone guilty before the state can punish a defendant. We do not want to see junk science used in our courtrooms. We want judges who protect women’s rights, labor union rights, the rights of the poor, and the rights of minorities. We do not want to see republicans appointed to the courts by this governor reelected to those seats in the future, so the voting public needs to work hard to let everyone know who those judges are in this state. As the voting public, we must not support the people the governor appoints to the state bench because we understand the threat to our local freedoms for fair and balanced justice.

Now is the time to remove sitting republican judges to prevent them from moving into higher positions within our court system. Our Second Judicial District Court system has very few sitting republican judges but thanks to the conservative news media, we are now learning who they are, and what their changes are of the governor awarding them higher positions. Democrats need to understand that our duty and responsibility is preventing the reelected to the bench of these individual. Since republicans have started this war on our constitutional rights, it is up to the democratic voting public to finish it once and for all.

Texas’ Love of the Uncivilized Death Penalty May Cost Americans Aboard

“It shocks the conscience and sense of justice of the people.” by Justice Marshall. Execution in another country of an American without that person’s freedom to contact the American Consulate surely would shock the American public. Assigning the case to the equivalent of an ineffective corrupt public defender likely would further shock Americans. Americans seeing unproven (junk) science used to convict the American would think it inexcusable. Americans executed after denial of every possible defense for the crimes committed in another country would cause public outcries of anger. Knowing the American Consulate could have provided highly skilled lawyers to defend that person would result in further anger. Therefore, why would we do the same to a foreign national in this country? We all know that the world follows our lead on these issues.

To no one’s surprise, Texas is attempting once again to violate the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The State of Texas tied, convicted and sentenced to death a Mexican National by name of Humberto Leal for the crime of rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. He is due to be executed tomorrow. The man has no prior criminal history. He also suffers from brain damage and childhood sexual abuse. President Obama asked the Texas Governor to stay the execution for the time being until the issues surrounding the case are worked out but he unreasonable refused. The Bush Administration even asked for judicial review of the case along with the international community, but the Texas government flat out refused the request.

Clearly, Texas is running amok with the love of executions. Texas will violate international law tomorrow unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in to stay the execution and the results may force Americans to pay the consequences for their uncivilized actions in the future. The world will see America as barbaric and uncivilized.

Wall-Mart and the U.S. Supreme Court

“Too big to sue and too big to fail” No one likes to say that the U.S. Supreme Court is capable of making a serious error in judgment when it comes to their rulings. The U.S. Supreme Court is the court of last resort for our country, and their rulings are final say for any case brought before our legal system. We would hope that the justices on that court could put aside political agendas for the sake of protecting the American Society as a whole. Their roll has always been to protect minority classes that are unable to speak for and defend themselves.

In cases such as Brown v. Board of Education they upheld the rights for all citizens to get a fair and equal education no matter what the past practice. Our court understood that equal but separate did more harm than good to our society. We are now left to wonder that if Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. had headed that court would we have seen the same results.

Women in general may outnumber men in this country but as a class it has been common knowledge that top jobs and top pay goes to the men in the corporate hierarchy. Just because everyone does it is not a valid excuse for discrimination of any type. The fact that one or two of our justices have publicly expressed the view that women are not equal to men, that they see nowhere in the constitution where women even have the right to be treated equally (“Equal Protection Doctrine,” Justice Scalia) and that it is perfectly acceptable for women to be treated as sex objects (I can see why you keep your mouth jammed shut, Justice Thomas) is shameful in our day and time.

When it comes to the case of Wall-Mart v. Duke the courts ruled in favor of a huge corporation at the expense of low income and often minority women; women who face the reality that they have no right to fair and balanced treatment in this country due to their sex and their race.

The courts clear conservative stand with a split between the conservative elderly white male justices and the women justices of the court (We understand that you are the exception and we respect you greatly, Justice Breyer.) only served to point out their inability to understand the discrimination these women faced in the business world. The “boys will be boys attitude,” and that it is perfectly “OK” in the view of the U.S. Supreme Court for them to act in that manner as long as a piece of paper states otherwise is a clear message to Corporate America.

The message is that Corporate America is free to commit open discrimination against women, and far too often minority women, as long as they have documentation stating otherwise. Not that they have to create policies and procedures that force their male employees to follow the rules stated in that documentation, or that there is any adverse effects to their careers if they don’t following the rules. Of course enforcing the rules would help, but with no negative consequences to the corporation as a whole; why even bother?

The fact that these Corporations have billions of dollars and are willing to appeal until they reach the U.S. Supreme Court which is sure to side with the Corporations on these types of issue gives low income and often minorities female employees no hope of fighting claims on a individual bases.

Since the highest court in the land does not like large class action lawsuits; perhaps it is time for our legislators to get to work to change the laws which would allow women to receive large settlements from these types of cases. So lawyers would be willing to spend the time and money to litigate individual cases. The incentive would be that lawyers would get paid fairly in the end for their service should they be able to prove the complaints.

Keeping up on how our Representatives Vote in Washington D.C.

So what do we learn about this week when it comes to how our representatives voted on Capitol Hill? Congressman Steve Pearce voted against veterans, while Congressmen Heinrich and Lujan voted to protect veterans who come back from war with a desire to commit suicide. The republicans won this issue and defeated a bill to help veterans deal with the overwhelming emotional problem. We need Congressmen who protect and support of veterans. I hope everyone calls Congressman Pearce to explain that issue clearly and directly to the republican congressman. There can be nothing more shameful then not supporting in every way possible our heroes who fight for our country.

Next Congressman Pearce and the republicans wanted to take 85 million dollars away from mothers through the WIC program. The program educates women on the benefits of breastfeeding. This country has serious problems when it comes to childhood obesity and breastfeeding is one way to reduce this major problem for our children. So much for family values when it comes to the Republican Party. On the other hand Congressmen Heinrich and Lujan both supported this very important funding. It was a small win for mothers and democrats when it comes to family values in this state and around the country. The larger bill which passed sharply cuts overall spending for the Women and Infants program.

“Wall-Street before Main Street” is the battle cry of Congressman Steve Pearce as he won the vote to delay regulations on derivatives. Derivatives and the lack of regulations on these financial instruments are what caused the recession that took away homes and jobs for the voting public on Main Street. Both Congressman Heinrich and Congressman Lujan voted to not delay these regulations that would only hold accountable Wall-Street. Congressmen Heinrich and Lujan lost this battle for now. This should make voters very angry toward Congressman Steve Pearce.

Back to the Real Issues Like Children and Local Judges

So now that the Weiner Mobil has left DC maybe we can get back to important issues like republicans attacking women and children in Washington D.C. What insane mind thinks it is ok to cut funding to babies in this country while they give tax breaks to rich corporations?

Republicans don’t want to balance the budget; they just want all the money and power for themselves. Ever notice that republicans talk a good game but when it comes to facts and real action they don’t care about the middle class and working poor in this country.

Now to local issues

Judges in this state are facing a major attack from the Republican Party. The issue at hand is campaign donations. A blog posted a listing of judges with how much they contributed over the past 8 to 10 years. They did not explain in a clear manner that the donations were for more than one year. What they did not do was break it down as to what was actually given to Governor Richardson on the front page of their listening. The whole thing was very misleading when it come to the basic facts in the matter.

Let me tell you most of our local judges are pretty cheap when it comes to giving out cash. Considering how much they earn each year they could have afforded to give much more to all candidates of our party. Some judges gave to their political party so as to not appear to favor any one candidate. Most judges only take part in local politics during the time they have to run in a partisan race for their office. I know many would love nothing more than to be appointed to office for long periods of time.

The problem with appointment is that they don’t have to face the voting public on equal ground. These appointment committees are political pits where only the in boys get to play. These committees are the black holes that anyone who supports open government detests the most. Government at the local level should never be a restricted spectator sport especially when it comes to our court system.

The major problem at present is that rules are being made behind the scene right now that will turn our local court system into a restricted spectator sport when it comes to the voting public. They would force candidates running for office to reject the public and only attend high priced private affairs. They would not allow these candidates to work with local groups such as unions that support our local judges. They would allow large corporations who act as third parties to attack judges publicly while restricting democratic judges from getting the support from the local communities.

The problem with this is that we don’t want what happened in Wisconsin to happen to us here in New Mexico. We want a court system that rules in favor of the common people and not the political elite republicans and large corporations. We want a court system that works to decide cases on the legal facts and not political conservative views.

We have republican judges that base their decision on the statues and past court cases, so why would we want conservative activist judges that would rule in favor of things like destroying the environment. All we have to do is look up at the smoky skies to see how republican run states fail to care for their local environment. The court system is our final resource to ensure that our laws protect society as a whole and not just the elite conservatives.

Judges and Honesty

This is the committee commentary on how a judge should behave in public.

COMMITTEE COMMENTARY


Paragraph A


The commentary to Rule 21-100 NMRA also applies to Paragraph A.


Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny. A judge must therefore accept restrictions on the judge's conduct that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should do so freely and willingly. Examples are the restrictions on judicial speech imposed by Subparagraphs (10) and (11) of Paragraph B of Rules 21-300 NMRA that are indispensable to the maintenance of the integrity, impartiality and independence of the judiciary.

The prohibition against behaving with impropriety or the appearance of impropriety applies to both the professional and personal conduct of a judge. Because it is not practicable to list all prohibited acts, the proscription is necessarily cast in general terms that extend to conduct by judges that is harmful although not specifically mentioned in the Code. Actual improprieties under this standard include violations of law, court rules or other specific provisions of this Code. The test for appearance of impropriety is whether the conduct would create in reasonable minds a perception that the judge's ability to carry out judicial responsibilities with integrity, impartiality and competence is impaired.

Now, I know that a small percentage of judges have not followed these rules in the past year. Their behavior has been inexcusable when it comes to both professional and personal issues. They should and were held accountable for their misconduct by the State Supreme Court. Others are being investigated at this point in time. Like doctors, judges are often judged harshly by the public for what a few rogue individuals may do while in office.

The public should remember that not all judges disregard the rules of conduct. Some judges hold fast to those rule, and yes a few even work to educate the public on those rules. Nevertheless, I myself have been sadly disappointed and even angered by the behavior of a few of these rogue judges over the past year. I can say that they gave no indication of their poor judgment while running for office. If any judges have behaved in a manner that disregards the above rules then they should be investigated thoroughly in order to either prove their incenses or guilt.

As we have seen on the national level not all misconduct is carried out by one party or the other. We must watch closely and question even more harshly any candidate that will replace one of the judges who were forced to retire over the past year.

There is a hearing in Santa Fe, which is open to the public, this month where candidates for the Appeals Court position will be interviewed. I must admit that holding this during a workday instead of a weekend does not show a great desire for encouraging the public to view these interviews.

I personal believe that the public should be allowed to question judicial candidates before they are placed on a short list for the governor. I don’t disagree that their peers should also have an opportunity to review their qualification and question them in an interview process. I think that a combination of both methods would produce a much more successful list of candidate for the governor to choose from in the future. The more open the process the less likely that a candidate with poor moral values will slip through and be picked for a position on our courts.

Growth in Government Jobs

Over the years republicans have all claimed long and loudly to stand for smaller government. But if you look at the statics then you will see that the states leading in government growth are controlled by republican governors. Republicans are going to have a hard time putting a positive spin on this report.

What republican governors want is to provide government workers with low wages and no benefits. They are willing to hire all the slave labor they can as long as they do not have to provide livable wages.

This is clearly not a report that the Republican Party wants spread around during an election cycle. The time has come to demand the truth from republican governors when it comes to the size of their administrations.

Every democrat in this country understands that without workers to run the government than the government cannot provide vital services to the voting public. Fewer police officers mean unsafe neighborhoods. Fewer teachers mean bigger classes which leads to lower levels of student achievement. Fewer fire fighters means watching you home burn down and higher insurance rates for homeowners.

Love Fest or Highest Level of Ethical Standards

Congressman Martin Heinrich and State Auditor Hector Balderas are refusing to get down into the mud and attack each other on a personal level. Both men have lovely families and are respected by the communities they serve. Both men have very high ethical standards when it comes to their own personal behavior.

So why does some in the political arena expect and even demand lies and mudslinging? The answer could be that republicans who do have questionable ethical standards in this state wasted no time in spreading lies and falsehoods about other republican opponents.

Democrats in this state sent a clear message at the state convention this year that they expect a higher standard of behavior from their representatives and their candidates. Democrats are turn off and stay away from the polls when they feel that their candidates have no real plans or policies in which to put forth to voters. Democrats expect spirited debates on issues, and they don’t want lies about a candidate’s personal life or political stands on issues.

I am sure that democratic voters are looking forward to hearing how each of our lead candidates views the issues that America faces. We will be happy to hear their plans and models for how to handle difficult issues. We will want to know what they view as the most important issues. We will want to know how they plan on listening to and communicating with the voters that will elect them into office.

When the final vote is cast in the general election for New Mexico U.S. Senator the voters will want someone of high ethical and moral standards to represent them in Washington D.C. Lies and mudslinging have no place in a elected body that has so few members to begin with and who the American voting public invest huge amounts of power and control over this country.

The Different Between Compromise and Bipartisanship

Compromise is the task of taking strongly held beliefs from two opposing sides and settling on the ones that neither side finds most distasteful. It does nothing to move the country forward or to improve the lives of those who are affected by these compromises. It makes the voting public all that much more polarized in their beliefs toward politicians, and it polarizes the political issues which in the long run only make the government that much more polarized.

The purpose of bipartisanship is to come to the table with the concept of identifying what issues must be addressed and then using every resource at hand to provide the best results for the voting public. It encourages new ideas and new approaches to old problems. It is all about building a system with the input of the people being affected without overwhelming the current system in usage, and without overwhelming the people who must live within any system used.

Our government has failed to practice real bipartisanship in any successful way over the past few decades. In some cases you have to wonder if people even understand the difference between the two practices. We have some real economic issues that face our state and our country. We need our elected officials to put aside their political beliefs in order to work with the other side to improve the lives of all of their constituencies.

We need leaders that are willing to lead and not have meetings where they only visit with one side at a time. The time has come to bring or force members of both parties together to fight and hash out new ways to approach old issues. They need to reach out to all the voting public to look for new ideas that might help them solve old problems. One of the gifts Americans have is to be able to develop new systems when the need arises as long as they are asked to take part in the process.

We don’t need tea parties; we need think tanks of our best and brightest individuals. We need to find new ways of approaching old issues. Americans need to know that they will be part of the process and not just the recipients of poorly thought out plans brought about by compromise that fixes nothing.

Republicans Lost Seat over Medicare in New York

The voters in New York sent a strong message to republicans yesterday. Keep your hands off Medicare. When democrats fight for the core values of this party they always come out winners.

It is not about attacking the republican in the race but standing up for and fighting for the American people. It is about making sure that our senior citizens are taken care of in their retirement years. It is about making sure our children receive a good education. It is about supporting the leaders of small businesses.

It is not about tax cuts for the rich, tax cuts for the oil and gas companies or supporting large corporations who take their tax revenues out of this country.

Judicial Seats in New Mexico

At present we have a system where a bipartisan committee reviews candidates for positions on the court bench in this state. Then they pick a short list that goes to the governor for the final choice. After they are appointed judges must run in one partisan race in order to keep the seat. There after they must run in retention elections to keep the seat. At present there are not life time appointments to our state benches.

Questions have arisen in the southern part of the state about the possibility that at least one judge though he could buy a position on the bench. This would require that the judge was able to corrupt the selection process by the bipartisan committee and then buy off the governor. Even with that done then he would have had to still run in a partisan race, so he would also have had to find a way to corrupt the election process to ensure that he was elected to office.

The idea of appointing someone to a seat on one of our courts has been a difficult issue because most judges don’t feel that they should have to run for office. Judges feel that they are above the people they judge and therefore should not be answerable to the general public when it comes to our legal system. Some of our judges drive fancy cars and only socialize with other judges and lawyers. At present the courts are trying to make a new rule that would only encourage that type of behavior because it forbids our judges from taking part in politics unless they are running for retention. This type of behavior only encourages a lack of respect from the general public toward the rule of law. If voters don’t see that the judiciary cares about the people then the judiciary has failed to respect the spirit of the legal system in this country.

The lack of education in this state when it comes to how judges are chosen is appalling to say the least. Judges run for election and then disappear for public view until the next time they are forced to run for retention. They have failed to provide public outreach where they teach the general public about the legal system. They leave that duty up to the jury division of the court system. The lack of education has allowed the public to think that one could just buy a seat on the courts by paying off one powerful political individual.

To thinks that some judges would hope to change the system so that it allowed the governor to appoint judges to the bench without any elections where the voters could have their say only fosters the view that judges are corrupt individuals who don’t care about the voting public. There is no easy answer to these problems since most judges are self absorbed workaholics who hate public life.

Is the Dream Act only a Hopeless Dream

President Obama visited the border in Texas today to highlight immigration issues ahead of both houses reintroducing the dream act which would give a path to legal status to children brought to this country illegally.

Republicans love to spread the hate when it come to immigration but they are unwilling to fix the problem in Washington since to do so would stop senseless killings of illegal immigrate children in border states like Arizona.

Republican need someone to hate in order to drive their perverse causes into the homes of this country. Without the hated immigrates who would they blame for their inability to fix unemployment and rising cost. It was not immigrates who caused the economic downturn which has swept our country over the last few years.

With the republicans in firm control of the U.S. House and having a heavy presents in the Senate the laws needed to fix our country’s immigration problems have no hope of being heard in either house.

The further blocking of real immigration reform can only lead to the death of more children in this country who’s last names are Hispanic.

Gentleman Please Show a Little Respect for the Ladies of the Democratic Party

Bless his little pea picking heart but Sam Bregman is no southern gentleman when it comes to how he treats the ladies of the Democratic Party in this state. Now he might pitch a conniption fit for me saying so the evening before the election but this man does not know that it is not good to put off a southern lady when she asks for a sit down. I find his behavior very offensive and downright disrespectful.

I think I have had far too much of politicians who think they know what is good for the voting public without even beginning to listen to the voters of this state. Democratic Women make up the majority of the active voters in this state. We can pick a leader who can care about our issues without telling us that we don’t understand how busy they are in the first place. At this point we know very little about this man because he is far too busy to speak with us.

As such we are looking to find a party leader who cares about our issues of quality education for our children, fair wages that equal those of the men in this state, and an equal voice when it comes to small business development.

Now if this is how he begins his drive for party leadership then just how will he behave if elected to that position tomorrow evening? One does have to wonder…

We don’t want nor do we need some foul mouthed men who think they can just dismiss us because this state already has Congressman Steve Pearce who cares nothing about women’s rights or the environment for that matter.

I would suggest that the Ladies of the Democratic Party vote for the only woman,Letitia Montoya,in the race and teach these gentlemen that they need to learn some good old fashion southern manners before they can get elected to office.

The Economy, The Economy, The Economy Stupid!

The republicans are trying to destroy Medicare for our senior citizens. They want to give large tax breaks to the richest Americans while cutting programs for mothers with babies and old people. They want to hand fragile untouched land to oil companies like BP who rake in billions in profit while on government public assistance and charge customers $4.88 per gallon at the gas pumps.

What is wrong with this picture? Someone in Washington start standing up for our values.

Democrats win races when they stop giving into republicans and start standing up for party values. Democrats need to start telling the voting public that we value teachers and a quality education for our children that do not include our teachers teaching to the test while having their pay and benefits cut.

We have to tell the voters that the environment is the only thing that we can truly give to our children and grandchildren. We don’t want the same future for our children that the Japanese will pass down to their children. We don’t want to see fishermen’s way of live destroyed any further than it already has on the gulf coast, and we don’t want our coastlines destroyed by oil that will only increase the damage done by future hurricanes. The wrong path on these issues will only result in death and destruction for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.

We value education for all because it provides a way for poor children to become middle class in the future. We value freedom so that our population can dream the dreams that no other country can dream. Those dreams are what makes people from all over the world want to be American.

We want our children to be free to build a better life and not just be tied to their parents because their parents are too poor to take care of themselves in their old age. That is what Social Security and Medicare is all about in the first place. These are the programs that built the middle class in this country.

Democrats can do one of two things. They can either start standing up for party values or they can stand by and watch the republicans destroy the American Dream for all.

How to fix the Budget—End Corporate Welfare

Let’s start by ending corporate welfare. All businesses in this country should either pay their employees a wage that covers the basics expenses of food, housing, basic living needs, child cares, and transportation.

If a company of any size does not pay their employees this basic wage then they should have to pay the government in taxes the cost of these basics not covered plus the administrative fees to cover having the government do it for them. After all why should taxpayers have to support employees of dead beat companies and corporations such as Wal-Mart?

Next if a company is willing to provide health insurance to their employees and their family which an employee can afford to pay any deductibles and or co-pays without cutting into the resources to cover basic needs than that would do away with that needed social programs for their employees. This in return could lower everyone’s taxes.

Then if a company or corporation would supply wages that would allow them to deduct money for a retirement plan without cutting into the money needed to cover basic living expenses plus healthcare then could I see lowering their tax rate. The company or corporation should be required to deduct that money pre-tax and see that it is wisely invested for the employees being covered.

We are still going to need taxes to pay for roads that employees use to get to and from work each day. We will need taxes that cover the cost of repair and upkeep of roads that companies and corporations use to get their goods to and from market. We will still need public schools to ensure that companies have a skilled labor workforce. We will still need funds to support people who find after illness or injury that they are unable to work. And of course we will still need money to pay for employees who find themselves unemployed where it was not fault of their own. Lastly we will still need to pay for a standing army to protect the rights of the American people and to keep our country safe from out siders who might harm our employers when it comes to their freedom to run a business and make a profit.

Any companies or corporations who fires or lays of people, because they don’t have the money to pay all of these benefits to their employees without cutting into their huge profits, should be forced to pay even higher taxes. Any companies or corporations that take their production or supplies out of the country to avoid these expenses should pay the highest taxes for goods and services they sell. If they raise their prices in order to pay for the employee benefits without cutting into their mega profits then they should also pay much higher taxes.

The America people pay far too much in taxes to support dead beat corporations and companies in this country. These organizations have come to depend on corporate welfare. We need to reform our system to reward employers who do the right thing and don’t depend on the government to cover expenses that should be paid by private companies and corporations.

In the long run all of these reforms would reduce the size of government and reduce the taxes that every American has to pay.

Republicans Showing Lack of Desire for Current Candidates

Gee, I wonder why… Republicans are all on board to lower taxes for the mega rich while putting the burden off onto the middle class workers in this country. How out of touch can one group of candidates get in an election year?

The people that are out there in the republican lineup are all the nutcases that no sane republican would ever want to vote for in the first place. Our own ex-governor Gary Johnson is now considering a run. This is the ex-governor who wants to make drugs legal so he can tax their profits. Maybe he would also want to impose a tariff on the ones coming across the Mexican—New Mexico border. Then again since they are so rich maybe he will want to protect the drug cartels from taxes all together since he promised no new taxes.

One does have to wonder what type of core values the Republican Party has of late when they take money from children and poor mothers with babies in order to hand it over to the richest individuals in this country. These are the people who want to take Medicare away from the elderly so they can put the tax dollars in the bank accounts of the already too rich.

Knowing the republicans they will probably next want to do away with social security so that they can then give large corporations larger tax cuts. The republicans don’t care what happens to the baby boomers that make up this country’s middle class as long as they get their tax dollars for the mega rich and the corporations in this country.

I wonder how long it will take all those middle class and working poor republicans to wake up and understand that their current crop of candidates don’t care about them. Then again maybe they already have and that is why they don’t want to vote for their own candidates.

2012 Campaign Season is Starting

The race this year will be one where the republicans will try to control the message. The question for the State Democratic Party will be can they do a better job and does that mean acting just like the republicans? Nothing turns democratic voters off more than hearing their candidates attacking the republicans. Democratic voters don’t want attacks they want a message that says what their candidates can do in the future that will help the middle class and the working poor.

They want to know how they will vote when it comes to things like raising taxes on the top 2% of wage earners in this country. They want to know how candidates plan to reduce the price of gas and increase the number of jobs so people can afford to live in this country and this state. They want to know how they plan on reforming education in this state without driving out gifted teachers.

Candidates would do well to dismiss the negative messages being put out by the Republican Party as hate filled and harmful to our form of government. Then they should act more like Congressman Martin Heinrich who stands by his pass votes while telling the voters that he is willing to work with both sides to achieve the best results for the voters he represents in this state. This is a candidate that will perform well on the national stage as our next senator. We would do well to have more candidates like him at the state level. His example will be the one that guides our party to success in the future.

Later this month the state central committee will pick one of two men to lead our party into the next election cycle. At present we have two candidates running for the state party chair. They are Sam Bregman and Javier Gonzales.

Sam Bregman has promised to take the attack to the republicans. To be a forceful presents in the local media. He wants to organize the party by having district meetings where he works with the long established activists to organize the party. Now the state central committee members must decide if they trust his message and if it will not drive core democratic voters away from the polls. As of yet he has not explained how he will reach out to individuals who feel they have been cut out of the political process by long time operators.

The other candidate is well known State Party Chairman Javier Gonzales. He is known for his diplomatic style approach to campaigns. He is more of a behind the screens type operator. He has already done work to build the party from the ground up by organizing local activists. He knows the value of getting his message out to the voters in the nontraditional venues as most of the media is very right leaning in this state.

Javier’s problem will be to bring the outsiders into the party and to make them feel welcome. His first attempt in 2010 did not go all that well as most of those voters did not favor the negative message being put out by the lead candidates in the state elections. Can Gonzales convince candidates to keep their message about issues and to stay away from the negative attacks that cost our state the governor’s office in 2010? Gonzales has been endorsed by retiring U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. Senator Bingaman’s endorsement will carry a lot of weight since he has lead our party on the federal screen for the last few years.

The next move is up to the Democratic State Central Committee members. Will they chose wisely and will the approach of the next state party chairman work?