Democracy for New Mexico

New Common Cause NM Executive Director on 'We The People' This Week

WE THE PEOPLE

Steve Allen

Albuquerque resident and attorney
New Executive Director, Common Cause New Mexico

Campaign Finance Reform, Ethics in Government, Media and Democracy

Cable Channel 27 in Albuquerque

6 pm, Thursday, October 25th

Watch simultaneously on your high-speed computer: https://www.quote-unquote.org. Click: Channel 27s Media Stream -> Half way down the page on the Right.

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. THANKS FOR WATCHING: Mickey Bock, Host; Judith Binder, Producer 

Neanderthal Candidate Takes Repubs by Storm

Go ahead. Go see it below the fold.

Click on image for larger version. See more Tom Tomorrow cartoons. (h/t to NG)

Valerie Plame Wilson at Santa Fe's Lensic 11.6.07

Valerie Plame Wilson Book Event
Occurrences:		Dates: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 Times: 6:00 PM
Presented by:		Garcia Street Books
Location:		The Lensic, Santa Fe's Performing Arts Center
City:		Santa Fe
Address:		211 West San Francisco Street
Description:		Valerie Plame Wilson will be reading from and discussing her newly released book, "Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House." More info.
Contact:		Tickets Santa Fe at The Lensic
Phone:		505-988-1234
Email:		boxoffice@lensic.com
Website:		https://www.ticketssantafe.org
Ticket Prices:		$15/ $50 Includes Book/ $250 Includes Signed Book & Reception
Ticket Phone:		(505)988-1234

Click for EVENT FLYER (doc). Click for an invitation to meet Valerie Plame Wilson and Ambassador Joe Wilson.

Yesterday, Firedoglake hosted an online salon about the book with Santa Fe resident Valerie Plame and host Sidney Blumenthal. And here's a good reference piece on Plame and the new book by Sidney Blumenthal in The Guardian.

Reminder: Richardson Road Runner Rally This Thursday

Richardson Campaign's New Ad: Only One.

RSVP NOW for the Bill Richardson for President Roadrunner Rally:

What:	Richardson Road Runner Rally
When:	Thursday, October 25 at 4:30 PM
Where:	IBEW Union Hall 4921 Alexander Blvd NE Map Albuquerque, NM 87107

, or email Michelle Frost at mfrost@richardsonforpresident.com with any questions.

Friday: Juan Cole at College of Santa Fe

Juan Cole writes one of the most influential and visited blogs on Iraq and the Middle East, in addition to his many other distinguished activities. His most recent book Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East has just been published. He'll be speaking in Santa Fe this Friday:

College of Santa Fe
Friday, October 26, 7:00 PM - Forum
Juan Cole: Steps Toward Peace in Iraq
Click for Campus Map and Directions

This lecture by Mid-East scholar Juan Cole will explore processes for establishing a peaceful Iraq -- although Cole doesn't mince words in his recent Nation article: "There is no plan that can guarantee peace in the region." He argues that a U.S. withdrawal could lead in the right direction if a highly calculated series of conditions are met and Sunnis can be brought back to the negotiating table. Such conditions include American diplomacy toward Iran and Syria; Saudi leadership on behalf of Sunni Iraqis; a newly elected Sunni Arab political class; a six-plus-two meeting in which Mid-East foreign ministers assume crucial leadership roles; and the presence of a UN Peacekeeping force.

Cole's writings have been published in the Washington Post, The Guardian, and Salon.com. As a commentator, he can often be heard on such news shows as "Democracy Now!" Al Jazeera, "Lehrer News Hour," and "CNN Headline News." He is a professor of Modern Middle East History at the University of Michigan, and author of the popular weblog "Informed Comment."

Discussing the theoretical implications of war-time torture tactics or negotiating peace among Los Angeles gang members can be an engrossing way to spend the evening -- but theoretical debate turns experiential when the discussion includes participants in the events being explored.

In CSF's 2007-08 Beyond-the-Lecture Series, "Bridging the Cultural Divide," each event features the first-hand perspectives of people who bore witness or actively work to find solutions to epic problems. The series includes presentations by Samuel Toe, the Hearings Officer of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Tony Lagouranis, former Abu Ghraib Army interrogator; Alfredo Corchado, the Mexican Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News; and Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, as well as scholars, documentarians and others who will share their experiences with major world issues.

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, call (505) 473-6282. Co-sponsored by the Santa Fe Reporter and the United World College-USA/Bartos Institute. (From the CSF website.)

More info:

• Cole's blog Informed Comment
• Juan Cole articles in The Nation
• Cole's latest article on Salon

Guest Blog: NM Health Security Act & Legislative Health & Human Services Interim Committee

This is a guest blog by Terry Riley, who is an advocate for the Health Security Act for New Mexico:

New Mexico needs health care reform as badly as any other state in the union. We are in a very fortunate position because our legislature has been studying the problem over the last two years at least and there are several proposals being considered. There is only one proposal that is significantly different from the other proposals. I have been attending the Health and Human Services Interim Legislative Committee all around the state this year. There have been some very amazing presentations from experts from outside of New Mexico and from within New Mexico. I have learned a tremendous amount about the problems of health care financing as have our legislators. I believe that they have enough information to make an intelligent decision.

The Health Security Act is offered as a co-op and as such is the closest thing to a single-payer universal coverage plan. All of the other plans being considered protect the position of the private-for-profit insurance companies. The insurance companies provide a service that has nothing to do with your care.  In addition to the cost of processing the claims from health care providers and collecting the premiums from their clients, the health insurance companies have to provide a profit to the investors of their companies.  One company, United Healthcare, paid out a retirement package to their CEO upon retirement of $1.6 BILLION.

I like to consider how many medical procedures could have been paid for out of that obscene payout. I also ask you to consider how much more could the insurance company have paid their base employees if they had not paid this huge retirement?

The most recent sessions were held this month in Espanola on Wednesday and in Santa Fe on Thursday and Friday, Oct 17, 18, and 19. I attended the hearing on Thursday Oct 18th. During the previous meetings around the state I have been impressed with the overall tone of the discussions. Thursday I became terribly disappointed. Chaos prevailed! My best assessment of that session is that nobody wanted to be responsible for the decision. Individual legislators were strong in their support of the Health Security Act or the other plans but the committee wanted nothing to do with the decision. 

At one point the committee chair, Senator Dede Feldman, called for a straw poll by ballot for who supported a single-payer system and who supported an insurance industry system. The results were 8 supported a single-payer system and 6 supported the insurance industry system. Senator Feldman moved quickly on to further discussion. NOTHING was done about the vote that supported a single-payer universal health care system!

Call Senator Feldman and ask her why she did this! She suddenly reminded me of House Speaker Nancy Peloci. I doubt that the committee will be able to propose any legislation other than the Governor's plan. The Governor's plan may be the worst legislation that he will have offered in his whole term as Governor of New Mexico. You can contact Senator Feldman at:

Senator:  Dede Feldman, District: 13
County(s): Bernalillo
Senator Since: 1997
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Public Relations
Address: 1821 Meadowview NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4482
Office Phone:   
Home Phone:  (505) 242-1997
E-mail:  dede.feldman@nmlegis.gov

The New Mexico Legislature almost always has a public input period in committee hearings. I would like to share with you what I had to say. The very last part of my comment had to be trunkated because I ran over the two minutes allowed. I cut it off of the recording because it did not make sense because I did not finish my statement. Download rileyclip.wav

Information regarding the Health Security Act is available from www.whatifyouknew-nm.com and www.nmhealthsecurity.org . You can read the Health Security Act on either web site and you can read the Mathematica Report on the www.whatifyouknew-nm.com web site.

Terry Riley
Advocate for: Health Security Act for New Mexico

Editor's Note: This is a guest blog by Albuquerque activist Terry Riley. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express their opinions on relevant issues of the day. They may or may not express our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Vital Role of Trees: Sierra Club Central Group 10.23.07

From the Sierra Club Central Group:
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesay, October 23, from 7-9 PM, at the UNM Law School, Room 2405 (Stanford Ave. just south of Constitution, in Albuquerque). This month's Sierra Club program will feature Albuquerque City Forester, NIck Kuhn, talking about the vital role trees play in Albuquerque's quality of life, tree planting efforts by the city and how we can all be involved in tree planting, one of the best and most cost-effective ways to reduce atmospheric CO2 and cut energy costs! Free - all invited! For more information, contact Michal Mudd, Chair, Central Group Sierra Club, at mudd_pi@mac.com.

Scary Movie: Night of the Living Republicans Starring Martin Heinrich, Heather Wilson and ...

Just getting you ready for Halloween -- or election days to come! Watch Don Wiviott report on the scene. See our hero Martin Heinrich and our heroine Debbie O'Malley confront the forces of zombie Repubs Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce, Darren White and more!

Bring Back Air America to El Paso

Please sign and share. Our goal is to gather to gather 1,500 signatures. The petition will go to Entravision General Manager, David Candeleria, and the Santa Monica home office.

Amy Dalzell, Volunteer Coordinator
Democracia para la Frontera

Democratic Women of NM State Convention Set for 10.27.07

From Democratic Women of New Mexico: "Setting the Stage for the 2008 Convention": The National Federation of Democratic Women's Convention is coming to Albuquerque in 2008 -- planning begins NOW! Please join us in making this national opportunity a great success. This is our chance to show off our beautiful state and to launch the 2008 Presidential Election Season.

Saturday, October 27, 2007
Sign-in and Breakfast 8:00 AM
Meeting Starts at 9:00 AM
Luncheon at 12:00 PM
Early Registration (Deadline: Thursday, October 25) - $30.00
Registration at Door - $50.00
Registration Fee Includes Luncheon
MCM Elegante Hotel, 2020 Menaul NE , Albuquerque, NM

Special Guests: DNC Secretary Alice Germond; New Mexico DNC Committee-Woman Mary Gail Gwaltney; Helen Kutchner, NFDW; DPNM Chairman Brian S. Colon. Presidential Campaign Representatives: Introduced by JoElla Redmon, Executive Director Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission

Please call Kathy Duffy at 873-7213 or Maxine Velasquez at 831-2233 to make your reservation.

Paid for by the Democratic Party of New Mexico. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. To contribute, go here: .