Pete Dinelli-Leader. Problem Solver. Born & raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Pete's running for Mayor because he won’t stand on the sidelines while City Hall is engulfed in a public safety crisis & petty partisan politics. Pete knows our prosperity depends on creating the good-paying, long-lasting jobs of the future, providing a world-class education for our children & public safety that will make our city a model around the state & nation.
Pete has served as Chief Public Safety Officer, Deputy City Attorney, Director of the Safe City Strike Force, Chief Deputy District Attorney, 911 Interim Director, Workers’ Compensation Judge, Albuquerque City Councilor, Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General.
See where Mr. Dinelli stands on the issues by following this link.
Vote Pete Dinelli !
Javier Gonzales the former State of New Mexico Democratic Party Chairman issued the following heartfelt statement regarding his own coming to terms with his sexuality. Follow this link to the original article in Familia es Familia.
When a Bishop named Jorge from Buenos Aires took the name Francis, he made an immediate connection with Santa Fe. But when Pope Francis visited Brazil recently, he spoke directly to me, when he said, “who am I to judge?”
You see, when you come from a traditional family with deep roots in this community, the process of accepting that you are gay is complicated with fears about disappointing those you love, or becoming disconnected with a sense of place that is as much a part of me as my sexuality.
Growing up in this town, I felt myself fully embraced by la herencia, the traditional ways that defined the history of Santa Fe. Much of it is beautiful, a celebration of family, a spirit of community, a sense of obligation to those who came before us and responsibility to those who come after us. Knowing you are a part of a continuum gives a young person a sense of place and a sense of pride. These are all gifts I hope to pass on to my two daughters.
But along with that sense of pride also comes, real or perceived, the hint that those who step away from the expected path would be judged poorly, seen as unappreciative or disrespectful, or worse. As a kid, I never considered a lifestyle different from that of my parents and theirs before me. I thought I’d marry a local girl, have kids, and then grandkids. I tried my hardest not to be different, but the reality was I am, and I have a failed marriage to prove it.
Single again, I took steps towards accepting who I am. Yet I still worried about any embarrassment I would bring to my family, questioned whether being gay was a choice as many still believe it is, and whether I was right in the eyes of God.
So I gathered the courage to speak with my parents, who responded with a much needed abrazo. I spoke to my friends, who after an initial awkward silence, asked, where are we going for lunch? I spoke to my daughters, who like many in their generation, asked what the big deal was.
To have this sense of distance removed from those most important in my life is an incredible relief, and a reminder, that there is not true understanding without open, honest communication.
The life of St. Francis teaches us to discard the superficial and recognize the dignity in all of humanity. And in naming the cathedral in Santa Fe in his honor, our ancestors embraced that message. For over 400 years we have been a multi-cultural community that has thrived on our diversity.
It is that spirit that has made us the City Different, a town that can embrace all kinds of people, from the children of traditional, culturally conservative Hispanics to the kids of hippies, from businessmen to artists, from natives and the old families that built this town to newcomers who help keep the economy alive. Our very existence as a community is proof that we are better when we value and except one another for who we are without judgment.
Follow Javier on Twitter@Javiermgonzales
The following was provided by the by Stephen Jones
Photo above by Rep. Bill McCamley
Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins (D-Doña Ana County) has announced that his office is now issuing marriage licenses to same-gender couples.
Photo to the right is Mr. Ellins taken by Stephen Jones.
Ellins said that he has been considering issuing licenses since last June, when New Mexico Attorney General Gary King issued a position paper stating that New Mexico’s ban on issuing marriage licenses to same-gender couples is unconstitutional. Since then, the Attorney General – in a legal brief to the New Supreme Court – has refused to defend the ban and has asked the Supreme Court to declare New Mexico’s prohibition of same-gender marriage unconstitutional under the state’s constitution.
Last week, Ellins said, the New Mexico Supreme Court declined to issue a ruling sought by attorneys for same-gender couples seeking marriage licenses from the county clerks in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties. Instead, the Supreme Court sent these matters back to the lower courts for an initial review on the merits.
“That means it could be many months or years before the matter is resolved,” Ellins said. “In the meantime, I am mindful that I took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the State of New Mexico as Doña Ana County Clerk. I am an attorney, and I have read the AG’s opinion, and I find it to be sound. After careful review of New Mexico’s laws it is clear that the state’s marriage statutes are gender neutral and do not expressly prohibit Doña Ana County from issuing marriage licenses to same-gender couples. Any further denial of marriage licenses to these couples violates the United States and New Mexico Constitution and the New Mexico Human Rights Act. Doña Ana County is upholding New Mexico law by issuing these marriage licenses, and I see no reason to make committed couples in Doña Ana County wait another minute to marry.”
Ellins said couples requesting marriage license will no longer be turned down, and starting today, licenses will be issued at the Doña Ana County Government Center for information about New Mexico marriage license requirements, call the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office at (575) 647-7421.
Follow this link to a KRQE article about the reaction from NM Politico's regarding this harmless celebration of a commitment of two people in love.
It's Unanimous!!!!
Firefighters, City
Employees, Distinguished Community Leaders and Neighbors Endorse Diane Gibson for City Council District 7
Diane Gibson has received overwhelming support in her
bid for City Council District 7. She is humbled and grateful. "Our campaign has been going door to door
for months talking to folks in District 7. These endorsements confirm that the
hard work is paying off and we are on our way to winning in October."
stated Diane.
List of Supporters:
Hello folks! Low and behold I got the inkling to write a blog post. I was thinking on one of my long commute drives that Barb started this DFNM Blog on July 15, 2004. Nine years ago!
There has been so many happenings to post about these past months. Super great end to DOMA, and a great victory against the haters in California. Most of the issues Barb would write passionately about though still continue. Racism, greed, lack of leadership, corruption. On and on.
Personally I am working on very meaningful work to me. I have a temporary job which expands often enough to keep me going and challenged. The economy is still shakey but there is improvement over here on the east coast. I watch with dismay as the economy in NM still struggles.
Looks like many qualified people trying to step up and run for offices. I look forward to seeing a true contender to run for Governor. I also hope that someone is talking daily to Sen. John Arthur Smith about how bad things are and the rainy day is here. I cannot imagine four more years with all the same nonsense. No sense!
Today, I was thinking how much I miss Barb. A Phobe Snow song came on and I just stopped and cried at my desk. Coming to the blog is hard cause her being is totally here. I always respected her vision and her desire to do this work, she was magnificant at persuading, and challenging. I was able to keep this blog going for a full year after her death, now these days I don't visit here often. I am always surprised at how many hits it gets without daily input though. Just shows what she built nine years ago.
I am sorry that I can't carry the torch that Barb carried. I carry a different torch, we all carry different torches. I love to do architecture and I am grateful to be continuing that passion and on healthcare design to boot.
Bye for a while again, who knows what will move me to come and update all our great relations in the southwest.
Cheers to Barbara Wold - for her desire to take action and follow her passion and start this blog.
Mother's Day was created after the Civil War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by women who had lost their sons. The first person to fight for an official Mother's Day celebration in the United States was , who had nursed wounded soldiers during the Civil War. You may be more familiar with her as the writer of the lyrics of the Civil War song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Howe was born in New York City on May 27, 1819. Her family was well respected and wealthy. She was a published poet and abolitionist. She and her husband, Samuel Gridley Howe, co-published the anti-slavery newspaper The Commonwealth. She was active in the peace movement and the women's suffrage movement.In 1870 she penned the Mother's Day Proclamation. In 1872 the Mothers' Peace Day Observance on the second Sunday in June was held and the meetings continued for several years. Her idea was widely accepted, but she was never able to get the day recognized as an official holiday. The Mothers' Peace Day was the beginning of the Mothers' Day holiday in the United States now celebrated in May.
The modern commercialized celebration of gifts, flowers and candy bears little resemblance to Howe's original idea. Here is the Proclamation that explains, in her own powerful words, the goals of the original Mother's Day in the United States:
Mothers' Day Proclamation: Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.
Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870
Picture above from Sam Bregman's FB page linked from the Dona Ana County Dems excellent website. See more about Sam and his appointmentshere.
Sam Bregman won the New Mexico State Democratic Chairman position this weekend. He will be the chair for the next 2 years. A very hard position it is. Many struggles are within the great state of NM, jobs and the economy being on the top of the list. Maybe dems can get the economy moving, but seeing the lack of movement on anything politically both with the feds and state politicians is very depressing.
Big kudos goes out to Roxanne Lara for stepping up and running for the state party chair. In the bigger scheme of things maybe it is better you were not victorious, it is a brutal job, imho.
A big thanks goes out to Javier Gonzales the exiting Dem party chair. Javier and his staff did the best they could, remember we are talking about the equivolent of herding cats.
Good luck Sam! We dems are counting on ya!
It is that time again, for the Democrats of New Mexico to come together to elect their State Party Chair. The Meeting will be held in Las Cruces on April 27th. This is the meeting where the elected members of the state central committee come together and vote in a chair, this year there are two running Roxanne Lara from Eddy County, and Sam Bregman from Bern County.
Roxanne’s background and info can be seen at Lara4nm.com and her facebook page here. And here is a link to Sam’s facebook page. Much of his campaign info has been cross posted to his FB page as well as his very often newsletter "thoughts from sam."
Number one job for a state party chair is to help democrats get elected to offices up and down the ballot. I believe that a democrat should support a democrat running for an elected office, especially in these times of such division. Division on marriage equality, division on immigration, division on a woman’s right to choose, and gun control, division on energy matters, education and taxes. You name it the democrats and republicans are much divided on the issue.
While running for the HD 30 seat last year as a democrat one of the people running for state party chair was in the closet as a supporter of my campaign. He could not outwardly support my campaign because his alliance was with his law partner, and his law partner was a good friend of my republican opponent for HD30. At least that is what Sam told me was his reason he could not outwardly support me. I must admit Sam’s allegiance to his law partner was unwavering which is commendable. However when you are running for the position of State Party Chair all other promises, pledges, alliances must be trumped by your allegiance to help democratic candidates get into office. Period, and I ask - can Sam do that? Will Sam do that?
Now Sam is a nice enough guy for sure. He has done great things for the Dem Party. He loves to be generous to people. He is a brilliant lawyer, and I would hate to ever cross him. Probably so for other sitting elected officials that have endorsed him. His messaging regarding Gov. Martinez is very strong. But it is time to have a woman’s voice of reason be at the helm on the NM State Dem Party. A reasoned leader not someone who is like the big bad wolves; I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down.
Third strike for Sam is about money in politics. Now Sam has done well for himself and his family and that is fantastic. But I have heard from friends that Sam is “throwing money around” now I doubt that is true but I can see him being generous with some SCC members to persuade them he would be the better candidate. Like let’s say a night at his box suite for an Isotopes game. Or some other form of persuasion. All well and good but money in politics today is a huge problem. What politician would stand up against Bregman now when they are going to need a donation soon? Yuck. No more money in politics. It is obscene where we are as a country with money in politics and policy.
Roxanne can raise the money needed to have a strong Dem party and run strong elections. Roxanne will support every democrat across the state, period, regardless of colleague bonds and affiliations. Roxanne is "tough as nails" and she can take on the Governor more effectively than Sam. Roxanne spent the last four years fighting for what's right as a Democrat in a red county dominated by men in politics. Roxanne is assertive, she will not shrink from defending our democratic values, she will be firm and unwavering, and in my humble opinion she will be more effective and methodical which will achieve greater results.
Lastly, I believe more democratic woman should be in positions of leadership in our world, in our country and in the great state of NM.
So there you have it, I wholeheartedly endorse Roxanne Lara for State Party Chair. Let’s have a woman lead the Democratic Party for the next two years.
Patriot's Day is always a special day off in Boston. For as long as I remember the Monday Patriots day is celebrated on is the day the Boston Marathon is run. Think of 30,000 runners gathering to run 26.2 miles. Spectators line much of the route cheering the runners on. I have always marveled at that long distance run, and the diligence to prepare for a marathon.
Yesterday's Boston Marathon is very different. Explosions at the end of the 26.2 miles, purposely timed to go off at the time most number of runners would be crossing the finish line. What kind of a depraved human would do this?
Some people like Brian Colon can take this horror and use his efforts to turn this horror into something positive for the victims. Brian is holding a 5k run in Albuquerque New Mexico to raise funds for Boston. Today while I was kind of moping around I thought hell, get on that treadmill and walk Mary Ellen, You have perfectly good legs and others lost their legs yesterday in an instant. So I did. And I am committed to walking the 5k here in Methuen Massachusetts in support of Brian's supportive event. And that is how love works. One does for the other to the other for the other and on and on.
From Brian Colon on Facebook: Sunday APRIL 28 @ 1pm is #ABQ5k4Boston We need donations, volunteers & entrants! Goal: 1000 entrants + $20k in sponsors = $47,000 from #47! Go-NM!
Because I am not in NM and am living here 30 minutes from Boston, I too am going to walk the 5k and I am going to try to help my dear friend Brian Colon with his generous heart, being the human that he is and helping people 2500 miles away.
Maybe it will inspire you as well.....let's all walk for those that can't. Love is the answer.
Long-time community volunteer and former Air Force civilian employee, Lovie McGee announced today that she will seek election to Albuquerque City Council, District 9.
Ms. McGee is currently a professional real estate broker, specializing in residential sales in the Northeast and Southeast Heights of Albuquerque. Before becoming a broker, she worked for 20 years as a federal computer, finance and data specialist at Kirtland Air Force Base, Department of Defense. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computers and Information Systems degree (Cum Laude) from National College in Rapid City S.D.
Her long history of community involvement includes service as Chair of the New Mexico Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and working with the State Fair Commission to establish the African American Pavilion. She currently serves on the Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent’s Council on Equity and has been the chair of her Neighborhood Association. She previously served on the City of Albuquerque Human Rights Board and volunteers with Roadrunner Food Bank.
Ms. McGee will focus on ensuring that District 9 has responsive, energetic and fair leadership on the City Council. Her priorities will be:
In announcing her bid for Council, Ms. McGee said: “For too long, the needs of our neighbors in District 9 have been overlooked. On City Council I will be a tireless advocate for safe, attractive neighborhoods where families can thrive.”
Ms. McGee firmly believes that the special interests who finance campaigns have too much power in our government. Therefore, she has committed to seeking election under the City’s groundbreaking Public Financing System, which will require her to gather $5 contributions from hundreds of District 9 residents.
“Alone we can do very little – Together We Can Move Mountains,” Ms. McGee said